Monday, January 28, 2008

More Calculator Fun

Just for giggles, I decided to plug my new 10K number into McMillian's calculator. Here's what it spits out:

1 mile: 7:54.3 (!!!)
5K: 27:23 (!!!)
5 miles: 45:23 (!!!)
10K: 56:53
10 miles: 1:35:19
Half-marathon: 2:06:35

If these are remotely accurate, and I hope that they are, then I'm due for some serious PRs this spring!

The training paces formally suggest something I've long thought: I'm probably botching my training a bit. As this blog shows (since I've gotten the Garmin, that is), I've basically got only two paces: 10s and sub-10s... I'm not very good at taking "easy" runs. Or long "slow" distance runs. I basically run everything at about the same speed. But you have to run fast to get fast, right? So here's what I don't know: since I can maintain around 7 miles at the 9:10-9:30 pace, then isn't that my LSD pace? So then isn't the deal that I should be running faster than that for my shorter distances and for my tempo runs and all? You know, so I get faster?

I was thinking that I should try a tempo run... just a 1 mile tempo section in a nice little 3ish mile run to start. But try to get that mile in under 9 minutes. Just to start, you know. Practice what it feels like to hold onto a sub-9 for a full mile. Then go kick some PR butt at the Park to Park 5 miler in a month.

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