With less than 50 days until the Phoenix Marathon, I’m getting obsessed with my current pace.

FACT: It’s slower than where it needs to be.

I’ve already realized that dreams of nailing a 7-min. pace for 26.2 miles (on 2/28) isn’t going to happen, but I’m still driving hard to get that pace down. Right now, I’m doing my best to get it down in the 7:30 avg. range. There are good days and bad days, but all of them lead towards the bigger picture. I’ve been making sure to work in some hills (incline/decline) during my training and making every run count (quality over quantity).

Focusing on my long runs

On Thursday I tackled a 15.5 mile run with a focus on pace. I ran the first 7 miles at an 8:10 average and finished the last 8.5 at an 8:02 average. It was a solid negative-split run and I’m happy with the results, but it could have been stronger. I was averaging a 7:45 pace on that back-end until the last 3+ miles where my legs just bottomed out — Tuesday’s hills probably played a role.

I know not ALL of my runs are going to be on pace, after all, that’s what I’m building towards, but it’s feeling good to have a goal for each run. It’s a different approach for me and taking a break from racing is helping me to hone in on the details, rather than just hitting distances.

Treadmill, huh?

I’ve even taken steps to… wait for it… work on my pace on a treadmill. I know that a treadmill and the road are two separate things, but on days when I need some help keeping a consistent pace, I’ll look to the mill to help me out. I see you over there @RunEMZ, I see you.

As you can see, I’m pulling out all the options for the last 2 months and looking forward to the results.

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LAST CALL for Photos:

Next week I’ll be sharing a “Best Photos of 2014” post and am still looking for YOUR photos.

Submit here

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What’s your best tip for keeping pace?