I have been slacking... :(

Yikes, I hadn't realized that it has been nearly 3 months since I have posted... which is quite pathetic, because the purpose of starting this blog was to chronicle my 18 week journey of marathon training. I won't lie, life caught up to me, and one of the last things I feel like doing after a 5-6 hour day at school and another 5-6 hour day studying at home + training is writing in a blog.
It's been a ridiculously tough 8 weeks.  I got bitten by the "motivation bug" so to speak, and piled way too much on my plate this summer.  Training for a full marathon is a lot more mentally and physically challenging (and rewarding!) than I had originally anticipated- and juggling that with the demands of chemistry and my busy work class (Cultural Anthropology) has been a true test of my sanity and patience.  I have had very little time to socialize with my friends, no time to pleasure read, and VERY limited time to watch my TV shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm and Dexter).  I'll try to catch up on each aspect of my summer by subject... I'll dedicate the remainder of this post to my training- and catch up on school when it is finally over on Thursday.

TRAINING
I tallied up the time I have spent training per week, and when it was heavy training (~44 miles per week, plus strength training and cross training @ the gym) I was dedicating about 10-12 hours of running and exercise per week.  On one hand, I loved it because I pushed my mind and body to greater limits than I thought either could reach.  It is absolutely AMAZING to figure out what the human body and mind is capable of.
I did have some fall backs during training, but not much.  I am proud to say that I stuck to my schedule almost 100% except for the fact that I had to skip one weekend long run due to the loss of a family friend (life happens, you can't let training control your life), and I made up the mileage throughout the following week.
I suffered from a bout of shin splints so I cross-trained through a couple of my mid-week runs a few weeks ago.
After my 20 mile long run almost two weeks ago, I thought that I damaged my sciatic nerve which is more annoying than anything-- it turns out that I just have a cluster of knots in my lower back (probably due to running AND stress) that I have been able to mostly work out with my foam roller, Advil, and a heating pad :)
A few weeks ago, during the most intense training, I felt that I was INSANE for doing this and told myself that I'd probably stick to half marathons.  However, now that I am in the final stretch before the race (9 days!), and tapering, I have already decided to run another half marathon, 10k, AND full marathon in March of 2012.  Surprise, surprise!
The emotions that training provides are indescribable, but it is no wonder that people get a "Runner's High" and addicted to the sport.  It's not for everyone, but I am so thankful to have found it. :)

I have so much  more to share, and promise to post more frequently as thoughts come to my mind. Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful weekend :)