sub-tempo run

Thursday, 6.1 miles in :47

This morning was a "sub-tempo" run, based on an article by McMillan
in last month's Running Times (sorry, can't find the link). The sub-tempo
comes from Arthur Lydiard, and is like a tempo run at "3/4 effort", or a
bit faster than marathon pace, meant to be run during base training. I ran
a distinctively non-Lydiardian 79 miles this month, but I am hoping to
increase (maybe double) that total in February, and this seemed like a good
"effort" run to do today. The plan was to run my usual tempo course, but
stretch the "effort" part out from 2 to 2.75 miles by tacking on to the
downhill segment. The pace would be in the 6:45-7:00/mile range.

I managed to hear my alarm this morning, and got out the door by 6:15.
An easy 15 minute warmup got me to Shattuck Ave, and I picked up the
pace for the uphill. The first .75 miles went in 5:08, followed by a
mile in 7:00, and a bit over a mile downhill in 6:42. It worked out to
a 6:44 pace for the tempo portion, and the effort was tough but not too
demanding. For next week, I'll need to plot out a longer course so I
can stretch this out to about 4 miles, so I can feel some burn.

We bought tickets to visit Philly in May, which means I now have a goal
race for the spring.