Fifteen down, eleven to go

Made an effort to push myself last Friday and managed to smash my previous personal best. Now I know that I can run at least fifteen miles of the London Marathon! It feel absolutely amazing to know that I'm capable of something that previously seemed utterly impossible. Never in my life did I think such a task was not only doable, but also totally achievable. And my legs didn't hurt the day after! I've come a long way and learned an awful lot about how to care for my shattered and exhausted body. Namely stretches and squats and lunges to ease the pressure in my knees.

I don't know what I'm proudest of - the distance or the time.

I took a couple of energy gels with me on the run and ate/ drank them at the six and twelve mile mark. I honestly don't know if they assisted with reach the fifteen mile target, but it felt as though they did. Plus, they're tasty. I will try to bring a few sachets to London with me. Four or five should do it, I think. They provide a good break to the near-constan water intake and give my body plenty of required carbs, sugars, and nutrients - essential on the day, especially if the weather is good.

Also learned an important lesson about charging Bluetooth headphones. Turns out that mine can only last between four to five hours at a pinch. They ran out on the twelfth mile, so I had to run three more laps while listening to my own frantic wheezing - and the endless sloshing of the water bag on my back. Nothing like needing to pee to keep you running!

For this week (and maybe the next, too), I intend to ease back on the distance a bit to let my legs recover and recharge. Two months and one day left to go - plenty of time to push myself at least once more. Can I hit the big two-zero? Let's find out...