Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Day 2 of Baltimore marathon training is in the bag. I should probably be giving myself a pat on the back for making it this far considering my training track record. Well, I sort of did, I gave in and ate a brownie but only after my post-run banana! That makes it okay right?

What's nagging me is that I used the McMillan pace calculator to figure out my pace guidelines for training. I based it off my PR and goal of 4:30. As I was plugging in numbers I was a little terrified. I expected to see 8's and 9's all over the place and to feel inadequate. To my surprise it was all 10-12 minute mile paces.

Here's what I got:
Recovery: 12:34 - 13:04
Long Run: 11:34 - 12:34
Easy Run: 11:34 - 12:04
Tempo: 10:04 - 10:30
400m: 2:10 - 2:18
800m: 4:32 - 4:45
1200m: 6:59 - 7:20
1600m: 9:19 - 9:40

What surprised me is these paces all seem SLOW (for me). Following common advice I would ideally start out at the slower end of each range at the beginning or training, move into the middle, and finish at the faster end in 18 weeks. However, I tried today (I swear I tried!) and I just can't seem to do it.

Today's plan called for 3 miles easy. Without thinking I set the treadmill for 5.5 MPH. I realized quickly that was too fast. I nudged down to 5.4 MPH. I felt like I was slogging along and tried to tune out the little voice in my head that all the other gym-goers were staring and laughing. After a mile I ate my pride and went down to 5.3 MPH. After 2 miles I went down to 5.2 MPH. I ended up doing the 3 miles in 33:54 for an 11:18 average. TOO FAST!

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not used to trying to go slower. I assume I'll be better able to avoid injury and tolerate high mileage but there's the downside of the time factor. By the time I changed into gym clothes, ran, cleaned up and changed back I'd been on lunch for an hour! Tomorrow calls for 5 miles and I don't know how I can do that as a lunch run but I have to because our soccer season finale party is tomorrow night. Not to mention the bruising my ego is experiencing when I add these times to my log book.

Ahhh, the woes of marathon training begin again. And I ask myself, "Why do I do this to myself again?"