Marathon Training Really Puts Distance in Perspective

Had lunch with E today and we talked about things we wanted to do this weekend.  It's the first weekend in a while where we are not traveling, moving, cleaning out, etc., so it's pretty exciting to not have any obligations.  On the schedule for tomorrow morning's long run is a 12-miler.  In the course of discussing our schedule, and in general thinking about the weekend, I realized at some point, I started using the phrase "It's only 12 miles."

Let me take a moment to think about this.  It's only 12 miles.  Wtf.  I'm both really excited and amazed that somewhere over the course of marathon training (probably in light of the recent 16 and 20 mile runs) that 12 just doesn't seem like that much.  I mean, it's still going to be tough, will still take me a while, but there is something refreshing knowing I will be running for only 2.5 hours rather than 4.5 hours.  Despite last night's somewhat miserable run (see also:  ways to remember why weekly mileage is important) I am looking forward to tomorrow's run.  I do look forward to adding cycling back into my routine as well.

In a random and totally unrelated side note:  Snooki made the NYT Best Seller List.  I join my fellow English majors and literature lovers in gasping a sigh of shock and horror.  Let us have a moment of silence for what is surely the death knell of American literature.