training for the shamrock marathon

Today, I felt tired and out of shape. I think I've gained 2-3 pounds, and it was hot outside, so running wasn't too pleasant. However, I felt much better towards the end of my run. I am trying to work on not concentrating on my time, mileage, or speed. Instead, I am trying to dissociate from the excessive emphasis on running fast; I am looking at the trees, the sky, or a point in the distance as I run. Ultimately, I want to pick up more mileage, and I want to concentrate on running faster, but only as a side-effect of the pleasure that I receive from running. I want running to be an experience of letting go achievement-style mindset that I have in my daily life. 

My main advice to myself is to do more half-marathons. It is difficult because I am commuting large distances and teaching many courses, writing a book, etc. I have a little more than a month until my marathon, so this weekend, I will do a long run. If I need to walk at one point, I will walk if necessary (I may be too out of shape at this point to run the full marathon, although I hope I will be able to do it). I'd like to increase my mileage.

This long run should at least be 20 miles.