9:29 pace

I know exactly what makes me a slow runner - it's the belief that I'm a slow runner. I find the idea of pushing myself to go faster than is comfortable so much more difficult than the idea of plodding on for more and more miles. You know - slow & steady, etc. I just never thought I could be faster, so I wasn't.

That seems to be changing. Part of my marathon training involves tempo runs, which are supposed to be between 9:47 and 10:04 pace (my easy runs are supposed to be paced between 10:47 and 11:16). I say "supposed to be," because I had the most AMAZING run on Wednesday where I ran at 9:29 pace for SEVEN MILES! SEVEN MILES!

It was awesome. I looked at my watch after the first mile and thought to myself: "OMG, I can't hold this! There's no way I can hold this." And then I had to push those thoughts aside and thought: "I wonder if I could hold this - why don't I try and see!" So, you know what, I could hold the pace and I did! Not saying that I didn't have a few thoughts about whether I'd made sensible lunch choices along the way, but I did it. I ran fast.

The best part was that I went through 10K (6.2 miles) in 58:46! I can't even express how huge that is to me - for YEARS, the one hour 10K has been my nemesis. My current "official" PB is 1:00:42 and, yes, I hate it. I finally broke through smashed through the 30 minute 5K last spring and I've been gunning for the 10K ever since - other than the part where I haven't run a 10K race since December 2010. Oops. BUT STILL - my TRAINING run was two minutes faster than my PB. I can't even....

I think the pace run really exemplified some of the best things about marathon training:

1. Consistent training really pays off.
2. I can be faster than I think I can be, if I just push myself to do it.
3. The hardest workouts are the ones that are the most rewarding.

And with that, I'm going to bed: I have a Six Nations rugby game (Come on England; Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; etc.) to watch in the morning & a 16 mile run to do! Oh, and possible exciting race plans involving a very special 10 Miler in the fall to make (watch out 10M: I've got a goal for you, too, my pretty!).