Okay, I didn't run for 3 hours . . .

but that doesn't matter because . . .

Yes, I know I am a dork who just wasted 15 minutes of precious time that could have been better spent folding something, cleaning something or picking something up instead of trying to figure out how to best photograph my time on Garmin.
And yes, I know I am bragging a little here.
But I feel like I deserve the brag since I really thought I had lost my running mojo. I was beginning to think I didn't have the gojo in me to go long anymore.
I've been worried.
Down even.
I've been having boring dreams--always a sure sign of a depressed psyche. Dreams are supposed to be bizarre and intriguing, not boring. Last night I dreamed I went to the botanical gardens alone and tried on weird hats at midnight. That was the dream. Just me, some flowers and garish hats. How lame is that?
Right, sorry, tangent.
And hey, for shits and giggles here is another shot with the pace and calories (Look how much extra I get to eat today!):

Do you see that?
Average pace: 8 minutes and 29 seconds.
I couldn't believe I did that. That is a faster pace than I ran OBX--my old marathon goal pace. That is why I am bragging.This was a training run. That is the fastest pace I have ever run any training run over 20 miles in.

And I would be lying if I didn't admit that it was really hard. And it hurt pretty bad there in those last 2 miles. But those last 2 miles? I ran them under marathon goal pace--which for ING is hopefully going to be an 8 minute mile pace. But really I have no idea how I am going to do 26.2 miles at an 8 minute pace when 21 miles at an 8:29 pace was that hard. Race day magic? Let's hope so. It has happened before but it ain't going to come easy nor without pain.

So why do it then?

Sigh, I know those of you who don't like to run or have any desire to run a marathon don't, won't, can't --whatever-- understand. And those of you that do run, have a desire to run a marathon or do run marathons do understand without me having to explain it. But basically it just feels pretty cool to be a more efficient fitter runner. I want to be fast. And in certain circles, I know, an 8 minute mile is not fast. I don't run in those circles though, so for me an 8 minute marathon pace is fast.

Oh, and it is 21 miles exactly because once I hit 21 miles I pressed stop and walked the 1/4 mile or so back to my car. I was determined to get to 21 miles and once I got there I would have laid down on the sidewalk but then I know someone would have stopped to ask if I was okay and I would have had to admit that I probably wasn't.

I finished running just after 1 pm and just now at 4 o'clock I finally got around to eating something. I was feeling pretty crappy and tired but now I feel better. Amazing how food can do that. I didn't even feel hungry but just vaguely knew that lunch? Might be a good idea. And it was.

But great run overall. I needed that. And an extra thank you to Bubbles who did pick up Beau for me at school. I definitely wouldn't have made it in time to get him (I was late getting started but that is an even more boring story so I will spare you that one.)