Kicking the mileage up

I finished week 2 of the marathon plan and it went a bit better than week 1. I woke up late Sunday morning and only had time for a 12 mile run. Actually, it would have been 13 but, at mile 7, I saw a HUGE dog chasing a squirrel across the street about 150 yards ahead. I don’t exactly have an aversion to dogs but I easily talked myself in going the other direction.

I felt pretty strong during most of the run but could feel myself running out of gas near the end. I think I could have easily gone an extra mile. Next week I will try a 15 miler and then 18 the week after. Then, I will alternate long runs of 20 and 22 miles with runs of half-marathon length the weekends in between.
My ankle is bothering me a little after my long runs so I have gone to my old trick of freezing coffee-size Styrofoam cups full of water. They are convenient because you just tear off the top few inches and use them to message the sore muscles (or in this case – ligaments). The speedwork tomorrow will really tell me where I am at.