20 mile...

...success!

I wrote that word last night before my run even began. I've found that smart planning and positive thinking are the most important things when it comes to long runs. It worked.

When Celia and I got up this morning, I noticed the beginning of a spectacular sunrise out the window. Celia settled herself in her chair with some milk and a blankie. She holds the blanket up in front of herself and backs into the chair so the blanket covers her body- so cute! 

I ran outside to take a few pictures. This sunrise got the day off to a pretty good start.

I kept my pace pretty slow today. This allowed me to maintain a steady pace, and then pick it up a bit for the last few miles. It was also manageable enough that I could have run, oh, say another 6.2 miles at the end ;). My route was very hilly, so I'm confident that I can manage the relatively flat marathon at a pace at least as fast. I divided my run into three out-and-back routes from home. I ran 9 miles, stopped to get new water bottles, ran another 8 mile route, and then passed by home again (without stopping) for a final 3 mile loop. This provided me with nice mental breaks. Running a few short to mid-distance runs (that just happen to be in a row) somehow seems easier than going out to run 20 miles.

The weather was on my side this morning. It was cloudy and cool. I was careful to fuel and hydrate properly. My last attempt at a 20-miler was probably ruined mainly by lack of fuel. I have since switched to gel (easier to stomach). Last night I had pasta with extra garlic bread for dinner. This morning, a bagel with sunflower seed butter and two cups of (my favorite ever!) pumpkin spice coffee. I went heavy on the liquids for the first half of my run, so I was very well hydrated. I took a gel every hour. I'm writing all of this down mainly as a record for myself, because three weeks from now I'll want to replicate what I did today. Essentially, I will do well if I fuel up, drink like a fish (do fish even actually drink?) and take enough gel. My only remaining question is about peeing. You see, when I'm on a long run I just squat and go at the roadside or behind some bushes. The roads I run on aren't busy, so it's easy to do this almost anywhere. It takes only seconds, and then I'm back to running. During the marathon, how will this go? Will I have to wait to find a port-o-potty and then wait in line for it, wasting a lot of time? Will anyone care if I veer off the course for a pee between parked cars or behind some trees? No idea. I will just have to wait and see.

It's 1:00. Three weeks from right now I'll have crossed the finish line at the marathon! Until then, it's time to taper. It will feel strange to cut back on mileage. It's even more odd to look at my planner and see no scheduled runs in the weeks following the marathon. What will I do with myself? Obviously I'll keep running and will even do some shorter races this fall, but it will be quite scaled back. Anyway, I'm in a great place with training. Injury free, have followed my training program almost exactly, and finally got in a 20-miler. Time now to enjoy the rest of the weekend.