17 days

So it's been a while since I've posted on here, and in some ways things have changed, and in some way they haven't.
Things that haven't changed: I'm still running, my feet and legs are still in (reasonably) good nick (touch wood!), my parkrun times hover obstinately around the 21:30 minute mark, my average speed on the road remains around 9 minutes a mile, I'm still juggling a busy worklife, social life, married life and running life (though to be honest I'll pleased when it's done!).
What has changed: the amount of money I've raised at www.justgiving.com/Ben-Wolfson which now stands at almost £1500...I'm very proud of myself (and money keeps trickling in!), the amount that I eat has risen dramatically, my sense of distance (more of which anon) and I think my belief in the reality of this project.
When I say sense of distance, it's more than just knowing how far a mile is, or how far it is to different parts of Leeds. I think it boils down to considering what is a reasonable run, and what counts as a different run. For example, last year, during my 1000 mile run, the longest I went for was around 7 miles, and I distinctly remember coming back from that one completely wiped out. When i started this training, I was really nervous all week about my first 9 mile run, and then the mental barrier (i.e. "oh my god, I don't think I'll hack that!") moved to 12 miles. That came and went, and I was stood in Jim and Claire's garden in a complete mess, covered in salt tracks. Then 15 miles with Harry, followed by an 18 miler soon after. I peaked in my training with 20 miles on Monday, and was surprised at how my mindset has changed. I got to half-way, and didn't feel too bad, and it didn't seem to have taken that long, even though just 2 months earlier, I had been bricking it about a total run of 9 miles. I think the knowledge that I could run 18 miles and be OK helped, cos i knew it would only be the final 2 miles that I needed to worry about, and in the end, 2 miles isn't so far. I guess that will be the same with the marathon, that I know what it feels like to run 20 miles, and then it's just (ha!) another 6 on top. I definitely feel for the first time like I'll be able to finish it, which if I'm honest, has always been a slight concern in the back of my mind. But now, it's definitely do-able. Even if I won't be able to move the next day.