Marina to the Golden Gate Bridge, across and back, return through the Marina and head out along the Embarcadero, past the Ferry Building and Market St., continue under the Bay Bridge then circle back to the Marina… and hello Sports Basement. That was my 18 mile route that started at 6:45 am and lasted a little over 3 hours.

It’s been awhile since 18 miles has been this tough. Don’t get me wrong, 18 miles is always challenging, but afterwards I felt like I had run over 20 at race pace. I was taking it nice and easy cruising with 9-10 min. miles through 15 with a couple sub 9’s squeezed in the mix, but my legs still weren’t ready for that distance yet. With my full marathon a couple weekends away, I have a 20+ next weekend, a taper the following weekend, then the race, so my legs better get it together. This past weekend felt better than the previous which means I am progressing nicely. Thankfully, I had great company through 10 miles of Saturday’s run. The miles always seem to fly by when you are running with friends.

I’m still realizing my vacation and semi-low mileage (nothing over 16) over most of Sept. and Oct. has taken quite a hit on what I had built up over spring and summer. But I’m confident I am getting back into it and with a full marathon next month and another in January, I’ll be back to my normal self fairly quickly.

I’m recovering nicely with yesterday being a rest day and tonight a 3-mile run that may be at 10k pace depending on how my legs feel. The remainder of the week will most likely include another 3-5 mile run with some yoga and weights mixed in for preparation for my 20+ this weekend. That will be the true gauge of my readiness for CIM and determine my race goal. Have a great week.