In a Slump

I'm running the Chicago Marathon for the second time in three years on October 13.  Two years ago when I trained for it, everything was new.  It was my first marathon, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment with each new distance.  "I just ran 18 miles!"  "I just ran 20 miles!  Yay!"  With my excitement, I also had a few really good races and became a lot faster.  

This time around, it hasn't been the same.  I feel like my running is at a standstill.  I'm not making progress, but actually running worse, or so it seems.  Runs are becoming harder and I'm not making progress, which has greatly hindered my motivation.  I'm frustrated to say the least.  

I once heard that when a person is trying to lose weight, they go through certain plateaus.  One week, they may drop 2 pounds and then do the exact same thing the next week and not lose any weight.  Or perhaps it stays the same for the next few weeks before dropping a pound or two again.  

I am not sure if this is where I am with my running or not, but I hope so.  I wish I could get instant gratification with my running and see results every day.  However, with all things, that is not how the world works.  I will just be patient and wait...for however long it takes.