Long tempo speed run

I ran 12 miles yesterday morning. It is my weekly long run but I started out trying to maintain my marathon goal pace (like a tempo run). I wanted to try to run at race pace the entire 12. I did really well for the first four.

Then as I passed my house I saw Mary Margaret, Nathan, and Jen ahead of me a ways running their long run. They are training for the ½ marathon on the 16th. So I decide to catch up and run a couple with them.

My tempo run turned into speed work. It was harder to catch them than I thought it would be. I was heaving when I got there. I ran about four miles with them at a little bit slower pace than I was trying to run before.

When I set out on my own to finish the last four I was kind of tired. My legs felt heavy. I think it was from the unintended speed but I finished well.

This last week a couple of people at work were sick – coughing and hacking with their voices transformed to frog-octave. My daughter has a sore throat and during these last couple of weeks before the marathon I am hoping not to catch anything from someone else.

I have increasing excitement for running the marathon. I like the taper and how strong I feel. I am hoping to run faster than last year. I have run more miles and have run faster in training, but I have not done any speed work to speak of. So if I finish with the same time as 2005, so be it. But I will push myself harder and see what happens.