My Parkrun 5K time this morning was much better than anticipated. I had a time of twenty-two minutes and twenty-nine seconds (22:29) which is a better fitness level than I was ever able to achieve in 2017. This was a surprise considering my marathon training has yet to start.
As before, I plugged my 5K time into the McMillan Calculator and out popped my projected marathon time 3.39:05 and pace 8:22. Last year, my actual marathon time was 3.40:41 (or 8:25 pace) and the 5K benchmark paces were 8:40, 8:26, and 8:34.
Two factors may have contributed to today’s outcome: 1) I wore my trail sandals minimal shoes which gave my feet the most freedom, and 2) my daily yoga practice which kept my mind-body tightly focused. In any event, I will take the good news.
Besides, being more fit allows me to experiment with various training methods, to have more fun with the training, and to have a better shot at reaching my target marathon time of 3:35:00 (pace 8:12) at the Erie marathon.
S-W-E-E-T
Running with Buddha 