My last long run before taper time was this past weekend, and I couldn't be more welcoming taper time haha.

I had a solid 10 mile run planned out for Saturday, but because of Friday night's festivities, I spent most of Saturday napping.

I bumped the run to Sunday and finished 10 miles in 1:51:30. That's close to an 11-minute mile peeps!!! Let's just say I was pretty stoked.

I had a Clif Bar before I went and around mile five ate some of those Jelly Belly Sports Beans. I also ran with a Propel. It was the first time I ran with a something to drink on a long run since I started training for this race, and I was glad I did because it was definitely sunny and I think the extra calories in the Propel helped push me through the miles.

I only took three walk breaks the entire time, which was good news for me. The first was at about 5 miles or so when I stopped to eat the Sports Beans. Running and eating just seems like a plan for a wonderful bout of choking.

The second time was around mile 7 or 7.5ish because the legs were begging for a breather.

The third time was somewhere between mile 8 and 9.

My watch battery was dying so I couldn't see the numbers very clearly so I don't know how much time I spent walking. I'd say about 5 minutes while eating and then two minutes or less the other two times.

All in all it was a solid run. It helped me get my pre-race and during the race fuel options down. The Clif Bar before hand and then Sports Beans at mile 5 and the gel the course provides at mile 10 should do the job. I'm also planning on carrying a bottle of Propel with me for in between aid stations. (I didn't during the Va. Beach Half and really regretted it.)

I also plan to get new shoes this week. I did the math on my old ones as best as I could. I know since January I've put about 160 miles on them. I've had the shoes since the end of September and trained for a 5K in them last fall. But my running was sporadic between November and December so I don't have exact numbers.

I just know that I could really feel the pounding in my knees and hips during the 10-miler, and I think it's time to get some new ones. I'm pretty excited to check out the running store here. I haven't been yet and this is a good opportunity to go.