This week’s long run was 14 miles, and the weather was looking perfect for a cool, early morning run. I use my watch as an alarm as opposed to the bed vibrating alarm and I had it set to both 6:30 and 7:30 am, just in case I slept through that first one. I did not sleep through either alarm. I was awake at 5 am. My body did not want to get out of bed but I thought I could at least start on hydrating myself for the long run ahead. So I took a gulp of my bedside water and went back to sleep.

An early morning run would have been really nice, but my body just kept telling me it needed more sleep. So I didn’t actually get up and out on the pavement until after 8:30. I wasn’t terribly worried because it wasn’t supposed to be super hot today. And in hindsight, I’m glad for the way it worked out because my neighbor drove by as we were both leaving the neighborhood and she gave me some of that good will and encouragement that always helps keep me motivated for these long runs.

I also spotted a neighbor just as I was approaching the trail entrance, only I didn’t recognize her as I had only met her two weeks before on a long run (I’m sure my visual impairments didn’t help). She shouted “Hi, Mindy!” and I shouted a meek “Hi” back to her as she passed me. Only then did I realize who she was but it was too late to address her properly. She’s training for the same race I am, only a different distance so I’m not sure I’ll see her on race day. It’s so much fun meeting other people out on these weekend runs, smiling and waving and wishing them “good luck”.

When I returned from this challenging 14 mile run, my husband was home to greet me. He asked me how it went and I said proudly that I had finished, but that it was brutal. He said there’s a reason why not many people run marathons. I’m still not entirely clear why I signed up for this but I’m committed to finishing on my feet. I have read somewhere that less than 1% of the U.S. population has finished a marathon. Far less, actually. Not 0.99%. We’re talking more around 0.15%. A super small percentage. And out of that percentage I’m guessing a much smaller percentage has M.S. Because who in their right mind has M.S. and decides to run a marathon? Me. This girl right here. I am not in my right mind. Clearly.

But enough about my mental state. Let’s talk running gear! I think I’ve almost settled on my race day gear. I’ll have the hydration backpack for sure, and it will be filled with cold water mixed with Tailwind electrolyte powder. I’m going to have to wear sleeves because the backpack chafes a little and that’s just annoying. But it will be cooler in September so that shouldn’t be a problem. I’m going to keep peanut butter filled pretzels in my running belt, because I love them and they give me a little protein, a little carbs, and salt. Plus, they are bite-size and don’t melt!

I have my race day shoes and I’ve been breaking them in this week. They are half a size up so my toes aren’t squished, but I still blistered a little on my problem toe, even with the silicone cap. Oh well, it’s more annoying then painful, and I am pretty sure it will heal up once I ease back on the running this winter. My race day shoes are pictured above and you can see a little ring of mud around the bottoms. Good thing I wasn’t thinking about returning them! The bridge wasn’t flooded but it still had some low muddy spots. I walked through it on the way out but on the way back I climbed up on the berm just for funsies.

It was a good week of running and I’m starting to look forward to the race. I have one more super long run, 20 miles, and that one I’ll be running with my sister who is also serving as my guide runner at the marathon. It should be epic, so stay tuned!

*As I’m sharing my stories and running journey I am raising money for the National MS Society and I would love your support! Visit my fundraising pages here or here to learn more.