3 miles at the Y yesterday . .new picture . . . taper

3 miles on the treadmill yesterday morning at 5:30AM at the Y. Had to change the picture . . .was taking too much crap (comments like: "you look like you are posing for the cover of an album" or even more to the point: "you look stupid.")! The new picture was taken after my 1st 18 mile run . . .I usually assume that same position after any run over 8 miles. Ice on both knees. Banana and Gatorade in hand. Once again, GQ hasn't been knocking down my door. Got a "nice" text from one of my little brothers this morning that simply said: "so when is your jog?"  Jog? Jog? I understand that I am not going to set a landspeed record but anything over 10 miles (regardless of how slow) needs to be classified as a run! I've got today and tomorrow off. Eight miles on Sunday and then next to nothing all of the next week until my 26.2 mile JOG on the 25th! Mentally I am struggling with the distance. I was talking to a friend yesterday who is training for the Chicago Marathon who is struggling mentally with the same thing. I don't have anything to compare this to. This will be the run that EVERYTHING from now on is compared to. If in January it is 5 below zero when I step out for my 5 mile run I can say, "I can get through this . . .I ran 26.2 miles." On Sunday the 25th . . .I'll be in a spot I've never been before . .especially after mile 20!