20 MILES!!!!!

I ran 20 miles yesterday! Well, OK, I had to walk the last 4. But still!!! This is the first time that I actually think I will surivive the marathon. I still need to work on my pacing though, because I did the first 10 miles in 2 hrs 5 minutes, and the other 10 miles in 2 hrs 40 minutes. That includes the walking 4 miles. So, if I could reserve some of the energy I had in the beginning, then hopefully I can prolong the running and save more walking for later in the race... Still though, 10 miles in 2 hours! That's the fastest I've done a long run! UNbelieveable. I'm thinking I will still race so that I have a goal to keep me running after the marathon. But 10 miles is probably the farthest I would go... maybe the occasional half marathon.

I also have some physical issues to figure out still... no shin splints (knock on wood!) but I have some INSANE blisters from yesterday... I might have been able to push more running but the blisters were killing me. I even have a huge on on my arch of my right foot... Why? How? What?? I also need to be better about stretching afterward... the stretching I did was apparently not enough, because I have tin man syndrome for the first time in a long time.

Still, 20 miles!!!!!!! Now I get to "take it easy" from here until the race, with the longest run being 8 miles next Saturday and the shortest 3 miles the week before the race. I think I am ready! :)