21 miles the last long run

wow 21 miles today...........I kept weeks mileage pretty low this week 30 instead of 40 so I wouldnt get too tired.  I find it very hard to rest and sat, John and I went for a 10 mile bike ride ( we really just wanted to cycle to the burger van and have a greasy breakfast) and then ended up on a 2 hour dog walk.  I spent the rest of the day carb loading and promptly fell asleep by 8pm on the sofa!! This must have done the trick as I felt pretty good when I started out on 21 miler.  Its a long hard slog when your out on your own so after 90 mins and I had reached 10 miles, I started to listen to a podcast called marathon talk.  They had done a special 90 min show to get you home so to speak.  They interviewed a lady who was this 'motivator' and gave me ideas of what to do when you were struggling mentally.   I met a group of runners coming the opposite way, and wondered if I should have turned around and ran a little with them, they looked very friendly.  Mental note to myself I must join a running club.  I admire my motivation and determination for doing this marathon training alone but GOD its so boring at times!!
I've started to run the half the distance I want to cover and then double back on myself instead of loops.  This is helping as I can divide the run into bitesize chunks and helps me to remain focused.  I started to get a niggle in my foot about 16 miles but kept going.
John phoned me and came out on the push bike to meet me when I was at about 17 miles.  What a god send that was and before I knew it I was very close to home and at 20 miles.  I was very tired and wanted to go home but John pushed me and persuaded me to do that extra mile, after all thats what I had set out to do.  I'm so glad he did that because at 20 miles I felt awful but at 21 I felt very tired but very happy I had achieved what I had set out to do.  22 days to go, I am getting very emotional when I think about running this marathon, I know it will change my life in such a positive way. 
When I look back on where I was and where I am now its a truely remarkable feat. 
I have always thought I am a pretty stubborn and headstrong character but I am impressed with my sheer determination and self discipline. 

Bath half 7th march

I had talked 10 people at work to enter the bath half as a team in the corporate challenge!! Some were experienced runners some had never run before!
Day started early and we all piled on the minibus! We got tho Bath early and were waiting in the runners village for an eternity and it was horribly cold!!
Finally we were on the start line, Wendy and I sneaked in with the green numbers even though we were orange and off we went!!
I ran with Barry who with his bad archilles problem for first 5 miles and then abandoned him again just like i did in hestercombe 
The first 10 k was extremely fast 55 mins and at about 6 miles my foot started to hurt! Almost felt like shoe laces were too tight!
I kept going running through the pain and there at last was the finish line. My garmin time was 1.59.07 but the official chip time was 1.59.18 think I'll stick with garmin!!
It took a lot time to get from finish line to runners village and it was freezing!! Foil blankets should have been given out lot earlier!
We finished the day with a team burger!
Our team came 6th out of over 46 teams and we raised over £2000 for our 3 nominated charities included make a wish!!
Well done team!!! I did push myself hard through that race and hurt my foot and 2 days later I have a bruise all the wAy down outside of my thigh!!! Strange!!!

18 miler

I was so determined to achieve 18 miles this time!! I had no motivation to run, I hadn't even planned a route, in fact it was the last thing I wanted to do but out of bed I got, walked the dogs and then off I went!!! I decided to just run in any direction up to 9 miles and then just turn around! I got to 7 was hating the road I was on and kept pushing to 8. I couldn't do that last mile on that road mentally it was doing my head in so I turned around knowing I could make up 2 miles down the lane at home!!
Whey a difference that made turning round and heading home put a spring in my step I felt happier in fact so much better I took a detour up and back a random lane to gain an extra mile!! Finally that long stretch home up ashcott road was a long bleak road that is!!! I hot close to home and was on 16 miles so down the lane I went!! Those last 2 miles were hard but I had to reach 17.35 which was the longest run I had ever achieved!!! I did it I reached 18 I did it!! I felt great much better after my first attempt I could still walk lol!!
This time I felt a lot stronger more mentally equipped! I had actually reduced my mileage down to 25 that week so not sure if that helped and my long run on the previous Sunday was a 9.5 mile race!! It could actually be that all the training is finally paying off!
I am a marathoner runner!!!!