Best run ever!

I had my last big training test before my marathon at the end of the month and after feeling pretty crappy and sore yesterday afternoon after my 4 mile run in which I got some more blisters on my feet, was very wary heading into today. Add to that that this has been a long week with a couple early mornings in a row to finish it off and my nerves couldn't have been worse. But knowing it was today or never and that the idea of not getting in a long run today meant no more long runs before the marathon, I forced myself to get up at 6am, head over to the Mt. Vernon Trail and get started. I tried my new nutrition plan, 5 sports beans every 3 miles and a power gel every 5 miles, with water and gatorade whenever possible. That seems to be a major difference (plus the gatorade and 5 hour energy) in the quality of my long runs to this point. I started off feeling pretty terrible and sore, so much so that I slowed almost to a 9 min mile for my second mile, but quickly fell into my pace and was comfortable from there on out. I initially ran north from the bathrooms at Belle Haven, getting up to just about Slater Lane on the Trail, before turning around and heading back. At the car, I dropped off my running pants and long sleeve jersey as it was absolutely gorgeous running weather and took a swig of water and gatorade and headed back out again. I continued south until just past the 4 mile marker, marking off an additional four miles south, so that by the time I got back to the car I was at mile 16. Luckily, today is the Potomac runner's long run day at Mt Vernon, so they had water and gatorade out at a couple different locations. After another swig of gatorade and water and some more aquaphor for my now severely hurting nipples, I hit the trail again, heading north, but this time taking a detour out to the Lighthouse down by the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, then heading back into Old Town Alexandria for a bit more, before turning around to finish the final mile and a half. I finished mile 19 starting to feel a bit worn down, but decided to put in a final effort to see how quickly I could finish the run. Amazingly, I was able to finish the last mile in 7:47 min! Overall, I finished 20 miles in 2:46:19, good for a 8:19 min/mile pace, add in about 5 min for water and gatorade stops and still I was well faster than the pace I need to break 4 hours! Furthermore, it turns out that this was a personal record for 20 miles, beating my best previous time by 9 min!!! Furthermore, the first part of the run set PRs for fastest 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 mile runs!!! Afterwards, I stretched, chatting a bit with a runner I had seen on my run for a bit before heading home! I actually felt and still do feel great! My hips are a bit sore, as are my thighs, but overall I feel fantastic considering! I finished miles in 8:21, 8:58, 8:15, 8:24, 8:27, 8:25, 8:29, 8:08, 8:18, 8:11, 8:20, 8:07, 8:20 , 8:05, 8:14, 8:14, 8:20, 8:16, 8:34 then finishing with a 7:46 min mile.