New approach.

I’ve been going out for an easy run that would always turn into a race for a PR. I’d start at an 8:30 pace or faster and struggle to hang on. Typically I’d slow to a 10:30 pace or slower and end up averaging 10 minutes a mile for 3 to 5 miles.

Hanson’s book convinced me to pick a slower pace and stick to it. So I went out at 10 minutes a mile today and stuck with it for 10K. It felt completely different. I was able to maintain that pace throughout without struggling. I ended up averaging 10:07 a mile.

I’ll definitely take this approach while I build mileage for the next couple of months.

The Invesco QQQ half is 22 weeks away. I’m going to follow the Hanson’s beginner marathon plan for that with a goal of breaking 2 hours.

After the QQQ I’ll have 19 weeks until Paris so I can roll right into the Hanson advanced plan to prep for that. If I can break 4 hours in Paris, I’ll be well positioned to meet the goal of qualifying for Boston 2027. Boston 2026 could even be a possibility but a far-fetched one.