michele, do not panic! You've run 20 on the dreadmill...you will be fine at the marathon. I firmly believe that the treadmill can be harder on your body because there is no variation, and that gets compounded when you run for really long distances on it. Just let your body recover during your taper. I repeat YOU WILL BE FINE!!!!

Re: the potty business, rest assured that the CIM has about a gagillion potties in the first 5 miles. At least that's how I remember it from years ago. There's a reason they have so many. I don't know how long (period of time) you've been running consistently, but it probably took my GI system 2 years to "adjust". What you are experiencing is not fun, for sure, but common. I still have moments, but they are few and far between. That is why I always carry TP!

And being the shoe queen that I am, I add support to the "buy new shoes" push. I am currently rotating through 4 pairs . Did you go to the Fleet Feet on J Street? Is that the store that only had a couple of pairs in your size? Their 30-day return policy even if you've worn the shoes outside is hard to beat (at least they used to do that). And I'm pretty sure they have a filming system. There's a Fleet Feet in Davis, too, so it might be worth your drive to that store if the J Street store doesn't have anything for you to try.

I had an easy (rest) week last week and am not sure how this week will go. I'm dealing with some hip and back issues that don't bother me when I run but are starting to affect Life. So I'm currently working through some stuff with my sports medicine doc. I ran an easy 4.5 last night but should get some more direction today re: how the next couple of months might go. Whatever happens, I know that his prescription probably won't include being sedentary; he's already said that the best thing is to keep moving...it might just be at a less intense level.