The Devil's Advocate for Marathon Pace

All things were going well today for the morning run with me--which is unusual, as you know! No blisters, stomach issues, etc. But, it was amazingly hot and muggy to me which really affected my ability to run and breath. I have been doing 5:1's for several months and I truly struggled to do 2:1's. Which brings me to my next point. Marathon pace in Mississippi in August is quite different than what marathon pace might be in Chicago in October. So, if you've set your goal for some particular pace for Chicago, don't be disappointed if you can't push yourself to do it here or even to do it 2 minutes per mile slower. I truly think some of us may have a heatstroke on the 18 miler if we push ourselves hard. In fact, I think Clark, the Butt Man might oughtta bring a few bags of IV solution to have on hand just in case!

Now you guys know why I was so FOR training for a marathon in January. I would MUCH prefer my long runs be in October, November, and December, even factoring in the cold. So, my message is, do NOT try to run 18 miles FAST this Saturday unless the temperature and humidity are lots better than they were today!