Running Outside vs Treadmill

Run Time: 1 hour?? Run Distance: 5ish miles??

So yesterday I discovered something new. I really need to be doing more runs outside. I hadn't really had a real run outside yet this season (the only one I attempted ended horribly with side stitches). I've had a few short runs with unknown distances that were probably shorter than I really intended, but nothing that was as long as I really wanted to run. Yesterday that changed. I ran around Como Lake in St.Paul and ended up rather drained. The lake is beautiful and a popular spot for people in the city to walk/run/walk their dogs at. Yesterday was a beautiful day so of course there were TONS of dog walkers and really slow walkers in general. I think it's great that these people are getting their move on...but as a runner it becomes quite a hazard to constantly be cut off and have to jump off course. Well, I think somehow I ended up putting a bit too much pressure on my foot during all of these off course road jumps. I started to get some nice side stitches at about 3.5 miles but I kept on running until probably somewhere around 4.5. Immediately when I stopped I realized that I had foot pain. Odd that I didn't feel it while running but I certainly did when walking. It was a big of a long walk back to the car with this foot thing going on. But it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle. Anyways, today I feel like I got hit by a truck. I'm thinking I definetly need to do some more outdoor training to try and get rid of this odd difference between treadmill and outdoor runs. That and I think I may have acquired allergies over the last 2 years? I had a pretty bad headache post run as well. But oh well...it did feel amazing to be outside and running!! Oh and I think I may have gotten a blood blister? I've never had one...but I've got this mean looking red filled blister on my toe. Yuck.

Anyway, this whole run made me realize that I very well might not prepared to run a marathon in October. I'm going to give it a few more runs and try to determine what I should do. I've had a lot of people tell me that I really should run the marathon next year and at least get the half under my belt. A few fellow runners have also told me to avoid it because it does too much damage to your body. BUT again, if I'm already training for the half I might as well continue to train for the full. At least get it done once in a lifetime. In the meantime...registration is filling. Yikes.