On distance

So, I've discovered some things about walking long distances.
We have walked almost 30 km in one day now, and the marathon will be 42 km.
Here's my breakdown of travelling long distances on foot, broken into 5 parts (or for our current distance walking, about 6 km chunks):
Leg 1 - The beginning
In the first part of your journey, you realize a bit of your left sock is bunched up funny by your third toe. You're a bit nervous that you might get a blister there later, but hey, things feel good and you keep going. You feel like you can accomplish any distance. Anything that hurt a bit at the start is stretched out by now. This is awesome!
Leg 2 - Less awesome
You still feel good, nothing hurts yet really. Maybe you're getting a bit thirsty. You've gotten over the initial excitement, but you feel okay so the groove sets in. This leg seems to go really fast.
Leg 3 - Half way
This leg is both exciting, because you are half way, and terrifying, because you are only half way. You have dawning comprehension of how far there is left to go. Something might be hurting just a little bit, and you are thirsty and hungry. You push on, after all, you're half way! Yay!
Leg 4 - Hopefully this is as bad as it gets
Sometimes this one is the easiest, because you are more than half way and your brain really pushes you. You have the initial pain of what's going to hurt really bad later, but you think this might be the worst it will feel like. And it's not that bad, so you can keep going. You feel like you might be doing this forever.
Leg 5.1 - Forever
I'm splitting this last one up because they are completely different races. This first bit is like the homestretch feeling, you know that you're close. You have dull pain but it feels better to keep moving. Getting to the next step seems to take millions of years.
Leg 5.2 - This is the end
This last part is the worst, and the best. Coming out of 5.1 you are hurting, cranky, tired, hungry, thirsty and would stop if you could. You don't feel like you are getting any closer to the end no matter how many steps you take. Infinity feels closer. And then, all of a sudden, you can see it. The end, and you want to laugh and cry. It is really hard to get there, you are numb from the pain. But when you finish, oh man, you want to do this again next week.

We are crazy! I can't believe we are so close to Rome,
R