Sweaty speedwork

If I'm ever going to break the 2-hour mark, I have to get down to business!

Brad had a very successful June marathon after using the Jack Daniels training program. (The running coach, not the liquor!) So I decided to try it for myself.

I haven't committed just yet, but my next goal race will probably be the Holiday Half in December. YAY for cold-weather racing! I want to get a few weeks of training under my belt before I register.

One thing Daniels stresses is not working harder than you need to. So for easy runs, I wear a heart-rate monitor and keep it in an easy zone. That means running way slower than I'm used to. But it's not all easy runs! At this point, my four-day-a-week schedule includes one short, easy run with strides, one longer easy run and two different tempo runs.

It seems easiest to do those tempo runs on the treadmill... the hot, sweaty treadmill:

 

Yesterday was my third tempo run, and it felt a little easier than the same run last week. I take that as a good sign. I'm also getting a lot better at feeling the easy pace. I like to download my heart-rate track after each run and chart each portion of my workout. I'm getting better at nailing my paces!

I'm certainly not counting my chickens just yet, but I feel good about the work I've done so far. We'll see how it pays off in a couple months :)