Buttsweat Towel© season has begun

No pain, no gain. And you do want to gain. Nice job.

I'll just tell you this... none of the fast 800m races in the all-time record books have been run when its 25 degrees outside!

That's a really good effort in cold weather.

Extra credit for speedwork in the cold. That lung burning is the best/worst feeling ever. Reminds me of backcountry snowboarding, getting too low in a ravine and having to climb back out. Exhausting.

Hey Joe, you wanna try some of that dodgy ASS - sometimes called ais, go on, you know you want to give it a bash:)

Nice session. It takes a bit of time getting used to the old track. Hurts like hell but it's good medicine.

thanks guys - not exactly awe-inspiring speeds, but maybe I was expecting a little too much initially.

Joe - this is a good starting point in understanding the problem. As Jake pointed out, the times should be taken with a grain of salt. Cold weather and lack of practice would skew the results quite a bit.

I am going to guess that your true 100 m speed is around 14.5 and your true 800 m speed is under 2:20 which is good enough to run at least a 2:45 marathon. However, it would be good if you could prove it. So I would suggest the following workouts to get accustomed to high speeds and middle distance pain once it gets a little warmer and drier:

10x100 meters with 100 meter jog in between. Target around 17.0 for the first four, then 16.5 for the next four, and the last two sprint your guts out.

Another workout (to be done 2-3 days after the 10x100) is this. We start with 10x200 in 35 with 200 meter jog in between. Once you succeed (e.g after two weeks), make it 5x400 in 70 with 400 meter jog in between. Once you succeed, 3x500 in 1:27.5 with as much rest in between as you need. Then try the 800 meter time trial and see if you can go under 2:20.

Those workouts actually do have some benefit for the marathon for somebody who has never done them. Being forced to maintain a very fast pace compels the body to find the most efficient form as a matter of survival. This helps improve in all distances - 100 meters through the marathon.

It would also be good to do those workouts with somebody who could pace you. See if you can get acquainted either with a local top runner or a collegiate runner and have him help you.

Sasha, thanks for those workouts. I will put them in my plan - they are short enough that I should be able to fit them in almost anywhere as I build up for Boston. I definitely didn't have anything that fast in my plan! I appreciate the help.