Believe to Achieve

Wasn't trying to run fast but it just came out of me the end of the first loop and the second. Ran 4.13 miles at 6:57 am.  Had to get back to see my daughter off at 7:30, make her lunch, talk with her about her day etc.. First mile 9:20. Last mile 7:08.  Then 20 minutes later I was out the door again for the last 4 miles.  I cooled down quite a bit in those twenty minutes but started out quicker than the first loop- 7:56.  Last mile I thought I was going slow and it came out to be a 6:46 mile!!!  That felt easy.  Yippee.  Then I was a bit from my house and I thought I was slowing down but apparently not-- for .3 miles I was at a 6:32 pace!!  I could have gone on and on at that moment.  No music.  Just me and the sounds of outdoors.  AP for 8.3 miles = 7:44 : D. ADDENDUM:  I do need to explain why I ended up running a mararthon Saturday.  Well, about a week ago exactly I was working with Risa and found out that she was no longer running the Minneapolis Marathon because her running partner bailed so he gave her a 100 dollar bill and she signed up for TOU a month ago.  I totally don't know how I missed that but we hadn't worked with each other for a while. She complained about her knee bothering her but that she had run two 20 milers at about a 9:30 pace.  She was wanting to bail on TOU marathon.  I told her she shouldn't and that these nagging pains were just signs the body gives out a week or so before a marathon especially if the mind isn't listening. I convinced her that she was ready and that she should just get adjusted and take her runs easy until the race.  And I volunteered to drive her home from the race.  Her biggest concern was that she wouldn't be able to drive herself home after the race-- a two hour drive. I also told her I would run up from the finish line and meet her at mile 18 and run her in.  Back before the Bryce 1/2 marathon I had run a 15 miler with her two days before my race. She was easy to run with and she was very impressive!!  I knew that running with her would be fun.   So all week I checked up on Risa and sure enough she was ready to go.  She picked me up at 730pm at my house just after I got back from work and we got to our hotel at 8:30pm.  She took 1/2 ambien and then we all talked until 11pm.   We forced ourselves to turn out the light.  In that conversation it just happened that I thought it would be fun to see them off at the top and well... one thing lead to another and I had a number to get to the start and ran the whole thing carrying a camera and any other things the girls needed me to.  I didn't have one down moment.  I was completely estatic to be there and cheer everyone on.  I think definitely I should like to be a pacer.  I don't know how I had that much energy on barely any sleep and just having run a fast half with sore legs for four days after ward but I did.  And I am feel pretty strong even today.  SGM-- the icing on the cake : D.