My First Marathon (x2)

Tonight I helped Leona pace the 14:00 min/mile group for the Indy Runners training program again. You might be like, Rose, 14:00 isn't going to get you to your goal of finishing the mini sub 2:40...and you are right, but there are so many runs in the week that helping out once in a while doesn't mess with the universe...AND 13:45 is about the pace I will need to be able to beat to finish the marathon in under 6:00...so it does give me a good "feel" for what my slowest pace should be during that race. The great thing about the training program runs is that I don't even notice if it is getting dark when there are so many people on the trail because I don't need to be quite as careful about the things that might jump out and attack me (just kidding) - but there is a sense of security in numbers and it is a lot of fun to see everybody.

The ice has put me on the treadmill more than I would normally prefer lately and I have been playing"treadmill games" that are essentially a variety of approaches to intervals and speedwork. I wasn't sure if they were really getting me any faster (and I still don't know for sure) but if today is any indication the speedwork might just be helping. Today I ran at the indoor track at the Monon Community Center since I fell on the ice outside yesterday but didn't feel like 5 miles on the treadmill. I wasn't really super excited to run but since I need to take a rest day tomorrow from a schedule perspective I decided I HAD to run. So I started slow and speed walked the first half mile and then I started running. When I got to 3 miles I was noticing that I was actually at 5K pace even though I had walked the first half. Overall I finished 40 seconds faster (over 5 miles) than my tempo run pace of 12:00. Considering I wasn't running the first .5 mile I must...