12 Mile run: Did I just do that?

Miles: 12
Total time: 2 hrs.
Avg. pace: 9:20 per mile
Location: Chicago lakefront path

Good god! Did I just spend two hours straight running?

Whatever doubts I had about completing the longest run of my life to date were whisked away as soon as I hit the pavement. I had twelve miles ahead of me- TWELVE! As in 1 - 2. Just a little over a year ago I was struggling to make it through one measly mile. I continue to surprise myself.

Today was my 12 mile "simulated" half-marathon training run to prepare for the 13.1 miles of the Chicago Distance Classic just 28 days away (crap!). This was going to give me a pretty good idea as to how long it will take me to complete the full distance. I wore everything I am planning to wear at the Classic, right down to where I was going to pin my car key to make sure everything was right.

For the life of me, I can't get the shoe on my right foot to cooperate. It's either too tight, or too loose. Too loose and I kept getting little pebbles in my shoe. Too tight and the arch on my right foot started to ache in the early miles. I'm fairly certain I need new shoes, but I dread having to break them in with the marathon coming up. The thin, Nike Dri-Fit socks I wear on my runs make tiny little pebbles feel like boulders when they get in my shoe- absolutely annoying!

I started out at an easy 9:30 per-mile pace during the first 6 miles, then gradually worked up to 9:00 minutes for miles 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. I took two walking breaks at mile 6 and 10 to take a Power Gel with Gatorade. I kept telling myself to relax and breathe. Once I got the shoe situation straightened out, the last few miles went surprisingly well, and I finished in almost exactly two hours.

So, barring any unforeseen disasters during the Classic, I'm predicting a finish time of around 2 hours and 15 minutes for the half-marathon. I feel really good about a sub-2 hour half marathon, but I'll need to work on it!

Next Saturday I have a 14 mile run on my schedule before easing off the miles in the weeks leading up to the Classic.

These days, my running is like a drug now. It makes me feel incredible, and I feel like a piece of my life is missing if I can't do my run for some reason or another.

It's part of my lifestyle now, and it feels damn good.