5 mile Friday

So this is going to be one of the biggest adjustments of this cycle...running on the day before a long run each week. I think it is really going to help with getting fit, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't very nervous about how my body was going to react. The theory is that if you can get used to running your long runs while you are a bit tired from the day before, then once you get to the marathon you will be able to push better as you get tired. This makes a lot of sense to me...but still makes me nervous. Not only is this run a decent length...but it is also supposed to be run at marathon pace. My goal is to finish in under 4 hours and 30 minutes so I am setting my pace for 4 hours and 15 minutes which would make my pace per mile around 9:43 seconds for 26.2 miles. So that is the pace I have to run for these Friday runs. Since I always go slow the first mile, I have to really be on top of the rest of the time to make sure I get my pace down, without overdoing it. Today I overdid it a little bit. But more on that a little later...

It has been very cold the last couple of days. I am sure whatever part of the country you are in has experienced some of this as well. I have come to a conclusion about my ability to withstand extremely cold weather....it really is better if it is dark when it is really cold...then I am not such a baby about it. When I go out midday and the sun is bright with no clouds in the sky and it is still below zero...my inner wuss kicks in a bit. Don't get me wrong...I still got the run in and everything after 2 miles is always warm anyway...but it was just a realization on my part. In my mind DARK = COLD...so I just get up and do it....no whining....no putting it off...just get my butt out the door and get the miles in. Just a thought I had while getting the miles in today.

I should have probably relaxed a bit on the pace, but since this is the new wrinkle to my training, I want to make sure I get it right. So I pushed a bit too much and I hope I won't pay the price tomorrow. The time was 45 min and 17 secs...so right around a 9:03 pace. It was a good run...just need to buckle down a bit and not run myself to the ground. Hope you all have nice weekends...and if you run outside...dress warm. Thanks for reading!