Marathon training update: 18 miles!

This weekend I ran 18 miles for the third time in my life (here is the first, and the second was last October) and I'm happy to say it went as well as can be expected; maybe better. I didn't really feel like I hit my usual mental slump after seven miles--I was very careful to fuel and hydrate early and often. Here are my splits:

Split	Time
1	0:08:32
2	0:08:56
3	0:08:48
4	0:09:02
5	0:08:54
6	0:09:03
7	0:08:47
8	0:08:46
9	0:08:46
10	0:08:44
11	0:08:42
12	0:08:43
13	0:08:30
14	0:08:58
15	0:08:41
16	0:08:54
17	0:08:58
18	0:08:41

 
Not incredibly even, but I had my Garmin covered most of the time so I just ran by feel. It actually felt better than the previous week's 16 miles. Seems like my legs are pretty happy in the mid 8:40-8:50s. Sweet! I'm still stopping more than I'd like in the last three miles (to drink, stretch, gripe...) but things could be worse. For the last marathon my strategy was to walk every water station and run the rest (which I did) so maybe that's what I will aim for during my last few long runs.

My training plan has six more weeks of heavy training, then one week of significantly decreased mileage leading up to RACE DAY! Translation: Memorial Day is 7 weeks away! Can you believe it? Seems like spring just got to Michigan (today, actually--temps in the 80s with glorious sun all day long), and already in less than two months, the summer season will be here--and with it, the farmers market! Fresh corn...non-mealy tomatoes...crisp fresh beans... Yum! :)