20 miler pacer for marathon

gearing up for Christmas and the marathon. trying to remember what year this photo is from. no clue. but i digress...today was another great long run. i thought a lot about the ultra marathon that i am contemplating in February. i have to do some more research on the race, the course and the demands. back to today... it was a blustery day and it was a nice compliment to the mild weather. i figured at about mile 14 that this would be the best indicator on how i will do marathon day so i picked up the pace a little. my pace was 9.26 and it was very comfortable and steady. during race day i believe that my pace will be much improved by 15 seconds per mile on average. the thrill of the day and the excitement will definitely change it from a leisurely run to wanting to be more competative. at today's pace i will not break four hours but i believe that i can do it race day. i missed finishing with the girls. i waited a while and then had to get home for the baby and the kids. we missed church :( stavro is not happy with me as he sees church as a top priority. i have to see what mileage is next week and i may run it on Saturday so he doesn't miss two weeks in a row. as a side note i really like these new sneakers brooks ghost. they have a different fit and my foot hurt some but is much improved.