Update

The training sessions have been going well including some speed sessions.

Lets not go into a daily report since the last update. The week ending on Sunday 3rd was 110k and the week ending 10th was 117k. 

The speed/tempo sessions was 2 laps of the Bay on the 7 February in 4.48 and then 4.38 pace. The Bay lap is about 6.9k. Then perhaps the surprise and highlight session was two days later. The program that I am following is from Daniels and I was training at he VDOT 50 level. That had me doing the second speed session for the week at 4.15 pace and I modified the distance slightly to be a session of 3 x 3.5k at that pace.

I thought that would not be able to be achieved because of the combined speed and distance. I thought I could not hold that pace for that distance.

If you are familar with Daniels Running Formula you have a VDOT (a fitness level) that then sets the pace of different sessions in the program. At VDOT 50 the Easy running is at 5.18 pace and I can manage that with ease on my daily endurance run but the quick stuff is quick. I am not making it easy I am am moving through a level each two weeks - definitely not the way to do it and progress properly. 

I have the base endurance pace but not the speed and that really is why I am doing a program that has two solid speed sessions a week backed up by long runs at the Easy pace. My aim is to get to VDOT 54 two weeks before the Canberra marathon. Why will if yo can train at that level you can break 3 hours. I will not break 3 hours as I have not trained at that level I have merely reached it. However it means that the speed sessions each two weeks increase in pace and keep the challenge alive.

Well back to the proposed session. 3 x 3.5 @ 4.15 pace. Result: completed each rep with the pace being 4.10/4.07 and 4.08. Maybe I am better placed than I think.