Stroller pushin in Texas

You can always fit in at walmart, no matter the apparel.

I'm not sure you need to do any track work, Bec. I think you can make the gains you want to by just doing longer, 1/2 mile to 2 mile intervals at 1/2 marathon or 10k pace, and then doing longer (4-10 mile) tempo runs at goal marathon pace. I think the crazy fast intervals track workouts call for don't do much for marathon fitness, and balancing the injury risk for the fitness gain, it just doesn't make sense to do them.

If your goal was to reduce your 5k time, then maybe the track makes sense, but since you don't really like the track anyway...I wouldn't force it.

Finally, feel free to ignore any advice I offer. I'm full of it, you know?

You sure do have a good point Kam. I actually really don't know. My husband tells me to get fast on the track. My fast marathons were from when I did a lot of hard effort speed sessions. But I should research this more because I wouldn't mind getting out of these dreadful workouts.

I don't like to boast, but I do like to brag. Last fall I came within a half minute of a 3 hr marathon. I haven't run on a track since 2009. I really don't think it's necessary or helpful for developing marathon endurance.

If you liked it, it'd be one thing. But you hate it. The turns put bad force loads on your joints. The faster speed multiply force loads. It all points to added injury risk, and staying injury free when ramping up to 50 or 60 or 70 mpw is hard enough.

It's nice to think about avoiding dreadful workouts, but I assure you, 8-10 miles at 20 seconds under GMP is horrible. Some of the longer tempo runs feel like race efforts. Banging out 4 or 5 800 intervals is child's play compared to buckling down and running hard for an hour straight.

That said, you should always listen to your husband, except for when you choose to ignore him. :) That's how it works at my house, anyway.