Marathon Monday!

This weekend, I finished my longest run yet. 18 miles. It was tough. It was, to date, the hardest physical exertion I've ever put my body through. At the end of it, I wanted to cry, but I was so ecstatic that I made it through that I just wanted to laugh. It was an unbelievable feeling and made me want one thing and one thing alone. To cross the finish line of the Philadelphia Marathon.

I am so amped for this race, it's not even funny. Fear is starting to turn into butterflies, the good kind, like you get when you have a first kiss, and I'm starting to up my training to a level that I've never quite hit before. With 6 weeks to go, this means, being very strict about my diet so as to ensure that I'm getting all of the right carbs, proteins, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, etc. It means waking up at 5:30am to get in a run when I know I won't have time later in the day. It means not skipping out on a workout and not taking anything for granted. It means listening to my body and it means focus and determination.

It means that it's officially go time.

Due to a summer injury and a few things that have happened along the way in my training cycle, I'm about 2 weeks from where I'd like to be in my training, but these things happen and I'm ok with it. So, this week I start speed work with Tempo Runs. I start running 5 days a week, instead of 4.

I also start midterms and papers.

It's not going to be easy and it's not going to be fun, but it's going to be awesome and I'm ready for it.

That said, Week 8 of my training brings:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 4 miles easy (9:52 pace)
Wednesday: Tempo - 8 miles with 3 miles @ 8:30/mile
Thursday: Rest Day
Friday: 9 miles with 7 miles @ MP (9:09/mile)
Saturday: Rest Day
Sunday: 20 miles

I'm ready for it. How is everyone else's training going?

And I'll keep plugging this, but anyone who is running the Philadelphia Marathon or Half-Marathon should let me know!!