Eight mile run: done.

I think it was 8, anyway - I used MapMyRun to find a course that started at my mom's house in Yardley, PA, wound down to the Delaware Canal (just short of a mile) then stayed on the canal towpath for a bit over 3 more. The path is perfect, even though the canal is mostly drained right now - it's very flat, unpaved but well-packed, and not too crowded between 8 and 10am on a Sunday. The other runners, and the other middle-aged exercisers, all seemed to give each other the secret sign of friendly greeting as we went by each other. I also especially enjoyed watching the ducks, egrets and little blue herons fishing intently in the foot-deep mucky brown water.

Having just watched Paula Radcliffe gut it out through what looked like horrible pain in the Olympic Marathon last night, I was feeling especially inspired. She could have quit, and almost did, when it became obvious there there would be no medal for her. But she didn't - the glory of finishing meant enough that she did whatever she had to do, at whatever cost. The perfect role model for us non-medal contenders of any age!

I stuck with my 3:1, had 2 gu's about 1/3 and 2/3 of the way along, and went through plenty of energy ups and down of my own. But at what I think was the 7 mile point, I was 3 minutes faster than the 7 mile run I did a few weeks ago, and I hung in there through mile 8 (the first 10th of which was a steep uphill!)

I had to take a nap after - and I completely violated my no-flour rule as I was RAVENOUS. But one pancake and one English Muffin later, I'm getting back on the plan as it's still working incredibly well - according to my mom's bulletproof, 40 - year old scale, I'm now down 11 pounds from where I started. And that's after a wonderful dinner last night of roast lamb, white bean stew, cucumber and yogurt soup, tomato and fresh mozzarella, and wine (thanks Mom!) and popcorn at the movies! Who needs brownies???