Week 6 (of 10): 18 miles yesterday. 4 weeks to go. The plan calls for 20/22/10/marathon. At this point, I know I'll make it. The usual aches and pains are starting to appear that you get at 18 miles but not 10 or even 15 - different blisters, more bodyglide required, more soreness the next day.

I ran from my office (around mile marker 1 of MUP) to mile marker 10 and back. That includes a significant 1+ mile climb (up, flat, up, flat, steep, flat, up, steep, flat) between miles 9-10. That made a difference to my return trip, for sure, so I really like including it as a realistic test of the long run.

The 18 miles took me 3:05 - a 10:16 mile. I know some of them were done around 11, some of them around 9:30. I did not stop to eat, I ate on the run, except at mile marker 9 when I stretched my core by standing tall and walking, and then at mile 15 when I put away my flask into my camelbak.

I set my goals (out loud) this week. A goal: 4:30 - a 10:18 mile. Doable, just keep doing the training pace for 8 more miles. B goal: 4:15 - a 9:43 mile. I'm doing many miles at this pace now, but 26.2? Stretch goal: 4:00 - a 9:09 mile.

It's becoming more rational in my head that this is possible at a faster pace. I have an angel voice and a devil voice. Devil voice: but the marathon course is different. But the weather is different. But water and fuel may be different. Angel voice: but we're running in more varied conditions. But we added that big freaking hill with no real loss in time. But we did more miles at the 9:30 pace this week than ever before. And the calculator says so!! (They flip each other off here)

Still working on it