Chariots of the Marathon? Spirit of the Fire?

Long runs are supposed to be practice for race day. They allow you to figure out what works for you as far as pre-run "meal", running attire, appropriate amount of sleep, and adequate water intake. All those factors play an important role in a successful run... I scored a 1 out of 4 this morning :/
   Running on a few hours of sleep (3, maybe 4), an empty gas tank, and a shirt that causes you to sweat more rather than cool you off makes a 5 mile run feel like an eternity! Only two things really kept me pushing through this morning... the fact that I would be writing a blog about today's run- I have waaaay too much pride to tell you all that I couldn't complete a FIVE mile run, lol. The other thing was that I kept replaying scenes from "Spirit of the Marathon" as well as the opening scene from Chariots of Fire :) I spent last night watching parts of these films and reading from "4-Months to a 4-Hour Marathon"... huge dork, huh?! Well I like to spend a lot of my training (especially the night before a long race) getting mentally prepared. Training for and running in a marathon is more mental than anything. I enjoyed only the opening scene of Chariots of Fire, but have placed it on my "To Do" list for the next week, for sure! But if any of you have NOT watched "Spirit of the Marathon", you definitely need to check it out! I love it :) I'm also up for any suggestions- movies, books, etc. I'd love to hear what motivates and encourages all of YOU!

    Okay, so back to my run... I ran a slightly different route this morning. Instead of running past three Mexican restaurants on my usual route, I passed five! Arizona sure loves their Mexican food :) Good thing I'm on this strict training diet, excuse me, I mean nutrition plan! Otherwise I would probably try all five of those places surrounding my apartment, plus the 100 more that around town- I just confirmed with some Tucsonians that is a fact! The rest of my run was a small roller-coaster of a ride- kinda like the Caterpillar roller coaster our parents made us ride when we were a kid! Not horrible, not exciting, but ready for it to end! I am excited to say that it ended with a strong finish... a little motivation for next week's runs! Next week, I will be prepared- plenty of rest and fuel to get me through an enjoyable 6 miles :)
    One thing before I end today's post! Two great friends of mine, Mandy and Christopher, gave me an AMAZING shout out on their website called The Dirty Duckie :) so I want to return the favor! Check out their blog! They are always taking on some amazing adventures and doing things for great causes. Mandy, who is one of my inspirations for this marathon, will be running in the KC Marathon in October- completing marathon #3 :)  Plans are still in the air as to which one I will be doing, but there is still a chance I may be running along side of her... well, more like following in her footsteps ;) Her partner in crime, Christopher, will be participating in the Wakarusa Off-Road Challenge coming soon! I'm definitely excited to hear how this one goes... its sounds like such an awesome event! If only I was back home, Christopher, to kick your butt ;) Check out their website! They always know of fun stuff to do in Kansas City!!

NOTES of the DAY:
*Temperature at time of run: 75 degrees (felt like 90)
*Song of the Day: "Paris" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
*Tip of the Day: Wear sunglasses while running (especially in AZ). They not only help you see better but keep you from squinting, which, on a long run, can start drain you.
*Quote of the Day: "Our greatest glory is not never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius