I have to have a blog title?

Welcome to the blog, Dave!

I guess you didn't decide to take the day off, like you said yesterday!

You seem to be very well recovered from the marathon.

So I remember you talking about finishing long runs at marathon pace, or doing some marathon pace in long runs, or something like that. Can you elaborate on how much and what part of a long run should be at MP?

Hi Carolyn, There seem to be two different types of fast finish long runs - though I pretty much do the progression style. One version you run all but the last two or three miles at maybe 1.5 to two minutes per mile slower than your race pace (MP), then hammer the last two or three at 10k pace or faster. The progression runs I do I'll go out at ~1:45 mpm slower than MP for 4 or 5 miles, then up my pace 15 or 20 seconds per mile for the next 4 or 5 miles, then up it again 15 or 20 seconds per mile for the next 4 or five, and so on. I usually have three pace steps and then try to push the last mile - always allowing a couple miles for easy cool down.

I feel you should do at least every other long run in this fashion.

So these aren't 'marathon pace runs' as I will often be finishing them at faster than MP.

However I also am a firm believer in getting in two or three marathon pace long runs during a marathon build cycle. For these I'll warm up for 3 or 4 miles, then do from 10 to 16 miles at goal MP with a 2 mile cool down at the end. These take a lot out of you, so you can't do too many of them!

Thanks, Dave!