20 miles and getting back into the groove of the fall routine

Today I ran 20 miles. And it was amazing. I experienced the ultimate runner's high. I felt amazing the entire run. This never happens to me. So this tells me one of two things:
1. Either I experienced a weird freak of nature. Or - 
2.  I have become a stronger runner.
 
When I was training for my marathon 2+ years ago, my 20 mile training run was a disaster. A complete disaster. But we won't dwell on that. Instead, I will bask in the fact that today's run was fantastic. I felt good. I ran strong. I even picked it up at the end. My overall pace was 10:30 - which is right where I need to be for the marathon. I stuck to my run/walk plan and it all worked. All the pieces just fell together. And I am now ready to officially switch over to the full.

As of right now I am still registered for the half. I have been putting it off to switch over to the full. I didn't want to jinx myself. But - now I am ready. My friend Melissa is registered for the full - but she now wants to do the half. And I am registered for the half. So we will just do a switcheroo. And that will be that.

This past week we got back into the groove of schoolwork, soccer games, dance, and the dreaded homework. Life has been a little crazy with cramming food down our throats and rushing out the door to games. I had to get myself organized - so I planned my monthly dinner menu around game nights and dance nights. Last week it worked. I tried to plan leftover nights or easy meals for the busy nights. And it worked. It's all about staying on top of things and staying organized. Life just flows a bit smoother when I am prepared.

Aidan loves kindergarten. Maddie seems to like fourth grade and her new teacher. I happen to love this time of year. It feels almost like a new year. Everyone is fresh. I try to hold onto this feeling, because I know in a few weeks the honeymoon will be over and life will settle in again and it will be the same old routine. But for now - I am enjoying the newness of it all.

The next few weeks will be busy ones. Brian is camping with the boys next weekend. Girl Scouts begins. Soccer games will be played. Homework must be done. And I will still be in training mode. The marathon is October 12 - which means I still have 4 weeks left. And that's that.

Hope your September is treating you well! Happy Fall!