Neat to hear about the snowy runs. Since I'm working on a training schedule, I've been thinking about target paces. For me right now, my "easy" pace seems to come in around 8:30, so I'm calling anything between 8:15 and 8:45 easy. The slow end is for really easy days, while the fast end can accommodate the strides, etc, that Ribs mentions. Based on my recent 1/2 McMillan's tempo range is 7:15-7:34, which seems about right and LR's @ 8:29-9:29, again, that seems about right. Put it all together and most paces are covered: 5K = 6:50ish Tempo = 7:15-7:34 MP = 7:55-8:00 Easy = 8:15-8:45 LR = 8:30-9:30 Recovery = 9:00+ Coincidentally, I just e-mailed Lou today asking about his training schedule (there's a link in his signature) and his paces. Of course, he brews so much he's forgotten how many pairs of running shoes he has piled up in his closet, so maybe he's not the best source of advice.

When I plug in my recent 5-mile race time (42:02) into the McMillan calculator, it gives me a 5K pace of 8:10. A year ago my 5K pace (PR) was 7:23. How can I have slowed down this much? I know I spent time on the DL in the summer, but I've been back running 40mpw for months. I'm beginning to wonder if I will EVER see the race times of 2007 again. Maybe that season was just a fluke.

Hello again; yes, fatozzig, rheumatoid arthritis. Pretty much killed my competitive running career, but there are good meds now and when otherwise healthy I have been able to stay pretty active... maybe too much so based on recent events. I am hoping the injections help and I can resume at least some degree of running again. Hang in there Tim. I did not realize you could not stretch the AT. You may not want to rush to the elliptical. Can you walk briskly? Meg, glad to see you running fast again.

Holly, if I had to make a guess, it would be that you perhaps tire yourself with all the core work you do, especially in the legs. But that is your choice. It is just possible that 40 mile weeks, PLUS the other fitness work you are doing is making you fatigued. That said, one race is no predictor and you should make an effort to run any local fiveK when it comes up. Then once you have that benchmark, you can calculate all the other desired paces, similar to what Tramps posted above. i have all of these for me, and I make sure anyone I coach has them too. It's the first thing we agree on. Spareribs

I think I spend a LOT of time in "no man's land" as far as pacing goes. I tend to go out and for the most part run how my legs feel like running that day. Sometimes I surprise myself. I also find my pace dictated a lot by terrain, and my "average pace" some days doesn't really mean much. When I use the McMillan pace calculator, I get all sorts of stuff because my races really aren't "equivalent" times. What I plug for the 5k had no bearing on my 10k PR... and according to my 10k PR, I should be able to do a 3:36:25 marathon, which would be a couple of minutes faster than my PR this past year. So, I do take it all with a grain of salt. While I like racing and like to improve, I'm not making money at this (quite the opposite!) and it's not my job, so to some extent... I just like to run. That being said, I tend to use my 5k PR of 22:30 as a guideline, at least for shorter distances (half and under). This has me doing "recovery jogs" at 9:53 to 10:23 pace, and I just have to say I don't think I have ever, ever run that slowly. I think I'd lose my mind. "Steady-State" runs, which I think I do a lot of, should be 7:57 to 8:11 pace and for the most part, I can hammer out a nice 7-9 mile 8:15 pace run most any time if I'm not facing significant hills, so I guess that's ok. Tempo at 7:37 to 7:57 is about right but I have to be well rested to do that. Long runs at 8:53 to 9:53... well, maybe the faster end of the range there What's missing is all the runs I do at 8:20 to 8:35, which is my favorite pace and unfortunately seems to be in "no man's land" on this, but does fall right into my goal marathon pace for a 3:38 to 3:45 marathon. ETA: Glad Tim knows not to stretch a strained tendon. It's the absolute worst thing you can do to it! And Holly... that's not the first time you've heard what Tramps and SR are saying.

Yes, but Erika, Tramps and SR, although I am hitting the weights a little harder than usual right now in a build-up phase, the season that I had those great PRs I was doing almost these same workouts, every Monday and Friday, coming off a season of Body for Life. Last spring I curtailed my weights workouts, but I did not get faster as a result. In fact, I got slower.

Very interesting and timely post about target pace. I must admit that since I started paying attention to my target pace for my key workouts I have felt less tired, I feel a bit speedier, and most importantly I feel like my runs no longer leave me waisted, even when I am doing 6x800s at a 8:10 pace, which is speedy for my little legs. I also know that my overall outlook at running has changed since I don't feel like I have to kill myself every time I go running . {{{{{{Aamos}}}}}}} I wanna go out to play in the snow, I wanna ski, I wanna make snow angels...but no......I am stuck inside Inspirational striders enkephalin. I wonder if the taperboy decided to go skiing in the fresh new snow they got in Seattle.I would if I were him.