For our marathon training, we ran 16 miles today. While that is not farther than I’ve gone before (I’ve run two metric marathons, 26.2K/16.3 miles), today still marked a couple of milestones.

1) I have never run in the snow before.

We ran on the NCR Trail (from Ashland to a little over a mile past Monkton and back), which recently received a 1/2-inch dusting of snow. Fortunately, since temperatures have been below freezing, it was not icy or slippery. Despite the footprints from runners, walkers, bikers and deer, it was still soft and powdery. It is a different surface to run on, though!

2) It is the farthest I have run without being in excruciating pain.

I began to hurt around mile 12 during both metric marathons, and by the end I was very sore.

Today my knee did start to hurt again, but it waited until 15.5 and I just walked the last half mile. I expected it, though. When we ran 14, I had to stop running at 13.5. I’m just happy my body is keeping up with our training schedule!

We’re all kicking ourselves that nobody brought a camera. The trail was beautiful — a river runs alongside it. In a few places, rocks jutting out from the hills were covered with waterfalls of icicles. They were starting to melt in the sun, causing them to sparkle more.

Even though it’s an hour drive to get to the beginning of the trail, it was well worth it. We’ll definitely run there again!

Actually, it’s only bad when I’ve been sitting/lying still for a while and get up again. Once I get moving, it’s not so bad.

Thus, the consequences of marathon training. This morning, we greeted the bright, brisk day at 9 am, and ran through several towns along a former railroad line, now a paved trail.

My knee did begin acting up near the end, but I made it pain-free for almost thirteen miles. I walked the last .75, for a grand total of fourteen miles.

Despite the knee pain (the aches come with the territory), I consider the run a success.

We are well on our way!

I was kind of discouraged last weekend after my Saturday morning run.

My knee was bothering me from about mile six of an eight-mile run. I had been doing well for a long time, and now it seemed an old problem was back.

I got orthotic shoe inserts made six months ago. They put my feet in a correct position (since I seem to have been born crooked), to try to alleviate knee and foot pain. After a long, slow, adaptation period, I thought I was making progress.

But the pain has come back a few times. One morning in November, it was extremely cold, and we stood outside for an hour waiting for a race to start. My feet were frozen for the first two miles of the race. I attributed to the pain during the last mile of a five-mile race to my stride being off since I couldn’t feel my toes!

It was fine for a few more weeks, but happened one other time prior to last weekend. So I was worried, and started wonder if I should even attempt a marathon.

But my short runs were fine this week. Normally, if it’s more serious, the pain comes back within a few minutes. We signed up for the marathon this week.

And today, I’m feeling much more confident. Today’s run felt great!

Our training schedule had us at 12 miles today. I hadn’t run more than eight recently, and everyone else would have had a pretty big jump as well. We expected to cut it a little short and walk at the end.

I was happy with running 10 miles, walking back the final two. My knee was fine but I stopped running at 10 because I didn’t want to chance it. My feet hurt, anyway, seeing how my body isn’t used to this kind of mileage (yet)!

It was a great morning to be outside, partly cloudy, damp and fresh from yesterday’s rain. Odd for January, it was quite warm, too — 70F when it should be in the low 30s. A bit too warm, actually, with nearly 100% humidity.

Still … much better than icy toes!

Last night, I decided it was time to start taking down the Christmas tree. It was close to bedtime so I knew I wouldn’t finish, but at least I could start the process.

I went upstairs to get the box full of ornament boxes, and packed everything away. I did a final glance at the tree, and it looked like I got everything, minus the lights and garland.

This morning as I passed the tree, one last ornament was looking at me, right smack in the middle of the tree.

Before Christmas, a runner friend gave all of us that were training for the Flying Pig Marathon a handful of flying pig ornaments. Apparently, that one pig eluded my search when I was putting everything away.

I’m taking it as a sign. None of us have actually signed up yet, and I recently have been getting discouraged by sporadic knee problems.

Also this morning, I got an e-mail from a college friend who used to live in Cincinnati (where the marathon is held), giving me some travel tips. Granted, I did ask her for advice before Christmas, but this is when she replied.

The time is now. I will sign up. The piggy knows I can do it.