Run: 7.7 miles in 1:01:19 min. @ 5:45 p.m.

Scheduled Workout: 2 miles GP, 4x1 mile T (1:00), 2 miles GP
Weather: Snow, 32°F, 87% Humidity, Wind: From NNE @ 11 mph; feels like 234°F.
Course: Around!
Elevation--Total climb: 245 ft/75 m, Change: 490 feet / 149 m
Pace: 7:58 min/per mile


They're b-a-a-a-ck... the winter weather and new training terminology, that is!

While it might have made more sense to shift today's (Tuesday's) run to Monday, I held strong in the interest of allowing my body enough recovery time following a 13+ mile run Sunday. Tuesday, however has brought a multi-layered workout combining two training strategies, once again, approaches I have used previously, but in a less defined fashion.

Goal Pace (GP): Your per-mile goal marathon pace.
Tempo Runs (T): For 11-minute Marathon Goal Pace (MGP) (4:48:25), run 10:28 (1 mile); for 10-minute MGP (4:22:12), run 9:31; for 9-minute MGP (3:55:58), run 8:34. Recovery is slow jogging for the number of minutes in parentheses.

The first step was to determine a GP, which was calculated using a goal finishing time of 3:30. Let's see... a 3:30 marathon would mean that I maintain an average pace of 8:01 min/mile. Keeping this pace without becoming a "clock watcher," without the benefit of the auditory prompt of a GPS-wrist-computer-thing-a-ma-bob. I rekon a GP of 8:01 would mean a T pace of about 7:20.

As I sit here about ten hours prior to getting out of work and actually hitting the roads, I fully recognize that the most challenging thing about the training workout is likely to be the "Weather Advisory" I'm likely to be running in...

Now that I'm home I'm sort of torn regarding how "it" went. While the run was exhilarating despite the frozen eyelashes and stinging eyes, the footing was very challenging as I had to run primarily on sidewalks due to the snow/slush/ice. Additionally the more sophisticated training required in mixing up tempos was lost on both myself and my $10.00 Target watch. I suppose I could look into a wrist computer, but I truly enjoy the more austere approach... the commitment to equipment is admirable, but a little more than I would like to make just now.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!