AM - WOOOOHOOOO! I did it! 18 miles! Looks like taking it easy yesterday really paid off. That and probably the pizza at 9:00 - oops . . . I mean, getting to bed on time, yeah, that's what I meant . . . total time for the run was 2:33:36, average pace of 8:31/mile. I feel exceptionally good about this run. I know for sure I could have done a couple more miles on this run, but I actually got stopped by mother nature. I ran 6, then took some gel and water, then ran 10 more, then more gel and water (I also stopped at mile 12 for some additional water). 2 more miles to go, I was thinking of doing 19, but at mile 17, the faucets turned on full blast, thanks to the remnants of hurricane Dean. I decided that it would be prudent to head home, especially considering the lightning. Picked it up on the last mile to get home, I was totally drenched. There had actually been lightning around since I started my run early this morning, but I said a prayer and felt good about continuing. I am so excited . . . a bit drained of energy right now, but still very excited. My legs felt good throughout the run until the last couple of miles, where I felt like my feet were pounding on the pavement a bit more. In fact, my forefeet feel a little bit bruised . . . it may be time to get a new pair of shoes pretty soon. I also weighed myself after my run, and I was at 160. This is the lowest I have been since Lybi and I were married 10 years ago. What else to say - I am very happy about my training, and about my performance, and about this run, and I feel like I am going to be so much more prepared for St. George this year. There is no doubt I will be able to run a PR, the only question is by how much. At this point, looks like it could be anywhere from 40-50 minutes. Hot dog! This is also a new record for me for weekly mileage at just under 56. | 