Last double digit training run

The last double-digit long run, 12 miles, is done. The most I'll do in one day is 8mi for the remainder of this training program. I'd like to say today's run was easy, but everything seemed kind of against me doing well today, at first. Even though it was a gorgeous day for running -- 18C, all sun, light breeze -- I had trouble leaving the house. I was kind of tired, despite having slept a good 8 hours. My Garmin wasn't charged up. Neither was my iPod (even though I've been leaving it at home lately, today I really wanted it). Even my shoes didn't feel right. More on this in a minute.
I eventually got my act together and left for a midday run. I picked a route that was long on the the trails, rather than on the city streets. I didn't really start to feel good about the run until I hit the trails, about 2-1/2 miles in ... and that's when my senses took over. The air smelled like autumn. The only sounds I heard were bicycles whizzing past me, or the rustle of leaves. I felt the leaves crunching underfoot. The colors -- reds, oranges, yellows -- were stunning. I wish the camera on my cellphone could do justice to what I saw. Even the chocolate power gel tasted different (ok, maybe that's because it was one of those fancy new ones with the added sodium).

I slipped my headphones off...the SundayMorningTaper mix I made this morning would get its due attention later on when I returned to the neighborhood streets. The natural beauty of this trail didn't make me run any faster. In fact, I think I ran slower to enjoy it more. I returned home in just over 2-1/2 hours.

Partway through the run, I felt a little bit of pain on the sides of my feet, mostly in the two outer toes. I had this problem earlier in the week. It hasn't bothered me too much, but enough to get me to start questioning whether my body will hold up for and during the race. I think it will, I have to believe it will. But it's been suggested that perhaps it's my socks and I should try thinner ones that may make the difference. I don't think it's my shoes, because I've had quite a good time with them for the last month. But then again, I only noticed this slight pain after last week's 20miler. Are the shoes just good enough for 16 miles at a time?

To combat this pain, I made myself sit in cold water for 10minutes. Not quite an ice bath and maybe it won't have quite the same total effect either. So far it doesn't hurt when I walk, though I am moving a bit awkwardly -- but really no different than after any other long run. Maybe it's just my head again. Thirteen days to go.