True Confessions: The Training is Getting Crazy Edition

Yesterday I realized I'd run 154 miles since I started marathon training on June 11th.  Seeing as my marathon isn't until October 16th (67 days away), I'm going to be running many, many more miles between now and then.

Last Saturday was my longest training run so far - 15 miles.  This isn't the farthest I've run, since the 25k I ran back in May is a 15.5 mile race, but it was the longest I've been on my feet running.  It took me 3 hours. More time than the 25k.  That's a long freaking time.  It hurt.  It was slow.  The heat and humidity were brutal.  But, I did it.  This coming Saturday I will enter uncharted territory.  I have a 17 mile run on the schedule.  I'm obsessing over a route already and how long it's going to take.  Someone needs to smack me.

What does all this have to do with True Confessions?  I still don't know how to eat for these runs.  During my run on Saturday, I tried some new fueling options (more about them in another post, maybe).  My stomach was fine during and after the run, I felt well hydrated (I refilled my bottles at the 5 and 10 mile points) and I didn't really start to feel tired until around mile 13.  (You know that LMFAO song? "Every day I'm shuffling" kept going thru my head as I forced myself to pick up my feet so I wouldn't trip over myself.)  But, I digress.  The issue?  For the first time EVER, I felt HUNGRY during a run.  Like I wanted real food.  Maybe it's because I was running by restaurants, maybe it was because I wasn't using heavy, gut clogging fuel like the gu I'd been using.  IDK.  All I know is that I wanted to eat.  I also wanted to eat when I got home.  I ate.  A LOT.  Salty, fattening food.  *head smack*

Also, yesterday my twins turned 14, so we had birthday brownie sundaes and I got all choked up going thru photo albums.  They think I'm crazy, but I think at 14, that is pretty much their job.

Sooo, if any of you marathon runners have some suggestions for me on how to fuel for nearly 6 hours, I'd love to hear them.  I really don't see myself cramming a PB&J into the small pouch on my fuel belt, so I'm at a loss.  Do I have my family sherpa food for me or something?  Go back to the gu (which I think I'm going to try again on Saturday)? Help a girl out, please!