This was the first week I calculated my miles run in a week (17) and it really helped me see what I've accomplished. Your mileage since June is fantastic!! What a motivation. I'm going to keep tracking these miles so that a few months from now I can have that kind of information to look back on. That's got to feel great – what an accomplishment. Yeah Caitlin! 🙂

Great idea! The marathon is such a big undertaking it is great to find ways to keep motivated!

I bet January will sneak up on you in no time. I was just telling Harrison the other day that each week, the miles seem to pile on so quickly, but in the end, you'll spend four months of your year training for this marathon-thang. It's intense!

That's smart of you to look towards the short term goal of the 15k instead of the big picture of the marathon. Keep positive!

My old marathon coach used to try and keep his runners' programs at 13 weeks or less to help prevent burnout.

Good luck and have fun this weekend!

I know how much it sucks when you have a bad run, but sometimes it just happens and then the next run is great.

Marathon training can be emotionally draining as well as physically. You seem to have a good attitude about it though so I think you will do well.

sometimes a bad run is just a way to get back to the grind. your doing awesome, and just take one day at a time!

You should be proud of how many miles you've run. Today and every day before that. It's impressive.

I can barely run one. Trust me, 13in any amount of time is amazing. A lot of people wouldn't even attempt it.

Training is hard! Every coach I've ever had in any sport has made the point that training for anything is at least 90% mental. In the immortal word's of Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own," "It's the hard that makes it great."

I told my (runner/ triathlete/ marathoner) husband how much you have ran lately, and what you are running now, even though your race is not until Jan. and he said "Wow". I think it is pretty "wow" too 🙂

Oh, wow, just noticed that you are training for Disney – I'll be there, too! I ran the Disney marathon in 2008 and in 2010 I'll be doing the Goofy challenge (yikes!)

Maybe we should have a blogger meet up! 🙂

What a great idea! When I was training for my first half, the task did seem daunting. But we have a thing here called the "triple crown" which is a 5k, 10k and 10-miler, all two weeks apart and leading up to the half marathon. Focusing on each individual race kept me from getting too stressed about the half. So I'm sure that will work for you as well! Have fun 🙂

Caitlin – you are so positive. You never let yourself wallow for too long, you just have a bad day, let yourself have your bad day, and then move on. I wish I could be like that all the time, I tend to let things nag on me even weeks later 🙁

I know how it is to have a bad run and let it get you down but when I have those runs I try to remind myself that I am so lucky to be able to run because I have been on the other end of it too many times where I cannot run because of an injury and I will take a bad run anyday over not being able to run. And I know you have been there too. Try to remind yourself that next time you feel less than stellar on a run. This is your dream. Enjoy it. (advice I also need to take!)