One Last Test Down the Shore

This run needed to get into the schedule but I wasn't planning on doing it until next weekend. The problem with that weekend was getting too close to the race date. I did the longer pace run last weekend at the 1/2 marathon so I was curious how my legs would feel. I did this same workout last year a week earlier in the schedule and had a near perfect day. Today would not be repeated as "near perfect". I got all my gear ready and started to drive "up the shore" ie: the marathon course. I couldn't believe it! Yesterday's prevailing wind was out of the NE, and this morning it was out of the S/SE. Just about the worst conditions for Grandma's course. I am stubborn and didn't want to change the running direction so I continued and dropped two bottles with gel and drove to the two mile mark. After a quick stretch I started for downtown Duluth and my first mile was 6:25. A bit quick but after repeating this several times I decided to stay relaxed and run 6:30's. My fluids and gels went down well, had a few bad miles with the wind gusts, and had a few good one's, but in the end I ran 24 miles! I reviewed last years journal and found I had ran today's workout 6.5 minutes quicker. My right Achilles was a bit sore from time to time but no real discomforts to make me stop. My quads were not as fluid as I had hoped but given the two hard weekends in a row I will assume they will recover this week. As long as I can keep things loose over the next three weeks I think my chances of a decent race are pretty good. Today's run helped boost my confidence but as many of you know, nothing is guaranteed in the marathon.
Totals: 2:35:39 24 miles (closed with 6:15, 6:12, 6:15)