Checkpoint No.2 ... CHECK!!! 10@6:41

Today's Workout:  Tempo Run
                  Course:   Delaware Street Out & Back - Ankeny, IA
               Workout:   Tempo Run
                     Miles:    13          
            Total Time:   1:34:19
              Avg Pace:   7:15/overall & 10 miles@6:41
                  Avg HR:   158
     Elevation Gain:   171 ft
 Calories Burned:   1,831
                     Temp:   37 Degrees, Humidity 100%, Wind Calm

Someone asked me the other day why I put so many workout details on my blog.  Well, I've always been interested in how others workout and what they do before races, so I share my info in case there's anyone else who likes doing the same thing.  Consider it a benchmark of sorts I guess.  If you're faster than me, look at it and smirk and know that I'm not in your league.  If you're slower, maybe you can glean some helpful tips from what I do. Or just simply ignore it all together and keep doing what you're doing.  It's just information, man - no big whoop.

When I started Project 3:09, I had a few goals I wanted to achieve along the way.  The two big ones were this:

1)  Set a new PR in a 5K ... CHECK!!! Did that a few weeks ago at the Leawood Labor Day 5K - 18:29
2)  Run 10 miles at an average pace of 6:45 during a Tempo workout ... and this morning ... CHECK!!! 10@6:41/pace

Now these two particular goals weren't deal breakers in getting me to a 3:09 marathon - but I had never done either of them before, and I knew that if I wanted to run the fastest marathon of my life, I would have to run several other distances faster than I'd ever ran them before.  So I was freaking super pumped after this morning's workout went as well as it did.  Here are the splits:

Miles 1-2 Warm Up ... 8:50  7:59
Miles 3-12 Tempo Pace ... 7:26   6:54   6:38   6:31   6:37   6:40   6:29   6:35   6:35   6:34  (6:41 avg pace)
Mile 13 Cool Down ... 10:19

Of course I had some pretty ideal conditions this morning in Ankeny, IA with 37 degrees and absolutely no wind on pretty much the flattest course that I train on.  But still, I feel pretty good about how it turned out.  Now I've just gotta get through a 20 miler on Saturday and then hold it together for two weeks during taper.  Am I gonna run a 3:09 at the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita?  I dunno.  I'll give it a shot - but yes, I realize over 10 minutes is a lot to take off of my PR.  But if I don't do it, it won't be because I didn't put in the training and do everything in my power to get there ... so we'll see I guess.  Hope your training is going well!
... be great today!