I have a theory I'm going to test over the next six months. I believe that somewhere inside this 49-year-old body, some of the speed I had as a 15-year-old is still locked up. I've unlocked some of it; that's why I'll be in Hopkinton in 2011. But I think there's more in the vault. How I propose to bring it out is to pile up a lot of miles at paces faster than what I've been normally reaching in training. Not intervals or VO2 max or tempo paces, just pushing the ordinary GA runs a little harder. For Memphis, my "base" pace -- or my recovery run pace -- was around 9:45. If I can get that down to say 9:15 before I start my next marathon cycle, that's a stronger platform to try to get down to 3:20 or below for St. George or Chicago or Boston.
So tonight I set out on another step of that plan. Started the run at 9:28 pace, then 9:11 for two miles, t hen 9:05, then 8:49, then 8:36, than the last 0.93 at 7:44 -- almost my GMP for St. George. Total time 1:02 for nearly seven miles, an 8:58 average. I think Tim Noakes calls this resetting the central governor. Get strong enough that 9:15 becomes easy, then see if the upper boundary changes from 8:05 to 7:37 -- or better.
Also better get some miles in before the ice and snow hits. I think I need to go to Lowes and get some sheet metal screws to make my own ice training shoes. I may need them this weekend -- to get to work as well as to train. Pam is going to a class this weekend in Little Rock, so I'll be batchin' it. More training time, I guess. | 