Ok, here's the deal: I've been running recreationally for 3-4 years now, but typically only about 20-30 miles/month, and sometimes less depending on schedule. My cousin recently came back from Kenya where she was doing mission work (she's a saint) and encouraged me to sign up for a half marathon with her. So, on October 8, I'll be running my first half marathon. I've been training since August 7 - ran 54 miles in the month of August, will run about 100 here in September, and then October is race month. On a schedule with short runs during the week (M,W,F) and a long run on Saturdays (did 8 miles yesterday). I'm 32, 6'2", 215-220. One area I've failed is adjusting my diet. I'm clearly losing fat as I can tell some physical differences, but my weight is hovering about the same spot. Here's my question: I've heard runners talk about a "breakthrough" in their training where suddenly their legs feel strong and running longer distances isn't a problem. Unfortunately, I still feel like I've got dead legs every time I start a run. For instance, the first two miles of my run yesterday were miserable - the last 6 weren't so bad, but the legs truly never felt "good". Not having shin splits, getting better at stretching and hydrating. For those of you who've ran these long distances before, what do I need to do to get to the point where I feel strong on my legs and start to increase my speed (I'm running anywhere from 9-11 minute miles)?