You know you want something really badly when...

Shin splints: tight muscles yanking tendons to shred them off the bone, I thought I would have to give up the race throughout the week. I was really upset and unpleasant to be around. I have to admit, I want this race really badly. Classic conundrum, stick with training and injure yourself and you don't start the race, break training and you don't finish.

Solution: Sensible talking off the ledge from support staff, sleep a lot, dunk offending parts in ice water till they turn red, shave miles off mid-week run, wait an extra day for the long run, and gut it out for 15 miles with a 10 minute break in the middle for stretching.

Result: 2:27 of sometimes twisting form and uneven stride, but I felt ok the whole way. That's 9 min/mile, so I'll take it for sure. We'll see if I can walk tomorrow.

Looks like it's the C&O Canal Towpath from now on. Do the mileage first and hope the taper over the last weeks allows healing so I can handle the beating from the road.