Hitting the fast-forward button on my running life

It's not that I don't think I can run 15 miles. (I've covered that distance or farther 17 times in the last three years.)

It's just that, well, I feel like I'm ruining some of the suspense in my latest marathon journey.

Get it? Me explain.

These last few months are the strongest I've ever felt as a runner. Hills and speed work do not scare me anymore. Heat is becoming my friend.

But long runs? Of those 17 runs I mentioned above, I've only done four in sub 10-minute-mile. Most of the runs ended with me trudging along at an 11 or even 12-minute mile pace.

I haven't tested my new-found fitness on a run of 2 hours or more yet. I did a 10-miler last month and that was it.

The Lukes Locker marathon training program was going to get me to 10, then 12, then 15 mile long runs near the end of the month and in August.

And before each of those long runs, the suspense would play out in my head: I know I'm faster and stronger than I used to be, but you never know if you can run fast for long distances until you run fast for long distances.

But with El Scorcho tonight, I'm going from chapter 10 in a 26.2 mile book to chapter 15. And even though I feel like this book is going to have a great ending, I sometimes wish I wouldn't have signed up for tonight's 25k so I could enjoy my marathon journey one mile _ uh, make that chapter _ at a time.

It's like I'm hitting the fast-forward button on my running life making my next few long runs feel like re-runs.