Went to a wedding this weekend and did my long run in Seattle (Woodinville, actually) on the Sammamish River Trail. Awesome running weather - 40s and overcast, some sprinkles. I am convinced this is the weather I was born to run in. It may help that I was born in Seattle. I went Woodinville through Marymoor Park a little ways past and back. My father-in-law mapped it out for me. I would totally recommend it for running/riding. I was happy to see so many runners/riders out! Our trail is pretty much deserted over here.

I have been moving my long runs to match marathon start time (8am, thankfully not earlier), and got out by 8:30. The "out" of the out and back felt really great. I was not watching miles/watch, just running at long run effort, and I must have been cranking. I turned around at the turnaround approximate 10 mile point and came back, I want to say my watch was more like 1:30 or 1:35 than 1:40. I stopped at the turnaround to drop some trash and this is when the bad news hit - my hip flexors instantly started tightening and I felt the shortness in my abdominal area. NO more stopping for any time period at turnarounds, EVERY time I've done that this happens. Don't stretch unless you need to!

I stopped a few miles back into my return trip and stretched over a fence (lengthening the core of my body like I would over a stability ball) and that REALLY helped! I felt good again, but I know I was slower than the "out" portion. I had so much extra time on the "back" that at about 2 miles to go I stopped at the bathroom, ate my last gel, stretched. I made it back at 3:20 almost on the dot - if you figure I dawdled for a total of 5 minutes stretching and bathrooming, that's more like 3:15 and a 9:45 mile. Of course the "out" was between 1:30 (9 min) and 1:35 (9:30 min) and the "back" between 1:45 (10:30 min) and 1:40 (10 min), but I'll take what I can get. (Devil on shoulder says she's not convinced I can run 26.2 without stopping to pee, but I think I earned it)

I hope next week's (FINAL) long run goes this well! I'll be psyched for the 4-hour marathon I'm going to run on the 29th! (Working on the visualization)

Battle scars: I got a blister last week on the long run that hardened but made it so there was tough and soft skin next door to each other and the soft skin made new blisters. Time to file down the feet, patch the blisters. I did pretty well on bodyglide, there's a couple spots where my sports bra made my skin sad (in the shower that was OMG ouch) but I have had MUCH worse in weeks past so I'm learning.

Time for eating and sleeping now. Eat, sleep, run, work.