Leading up to race day, there are tow things to think about. 1. What pace should I go out? 2. What training should I do for the spring HM.

1. 6:39. This would lead to 1:27:18, slightly over my PR. Then I see how I feel. If it feels fine, go into Cherokee Park at that pace, and keep running powerful, but controlled pace (no lactate!). If I can finish the hilly part still maintaining 6:52 average, it's good. Then whatever I can do in the rest.

2. The goal is to be able to start the spring training healthy, no pains, and a very solid base of 50 miles/week.

No running on 11/04. Then whenever I feel like it (but no later than 11/11), start a 30 minutes/day regimen. Pace is unimportant before 11/11.

Week of 11/11: 5 easy runs of 4 miles each, no slower than 8:00; one long run of 7 miles. Total of 27 miles.

Week of 11/18: One easy run is switched out to a 5.5 mile tempo: 1 mile warmup, 3.5 miles at tempo pace (6:30 for now), then 1 mile cooldown. Increase long run to 8 miles. Total of 29.5 miles.

Week of 11/25: Total of 32 miles, including 8 mile long run, 5.5 mile tempo (as above), and easy runs of 4.63 miles each.

Week of 12/2: Total of 35 miles, including 9 mile long, same tempo, easy runs of 5.13 miles.

Week of 12/9: Total of 39 miles, including 10 mile long, 6 mile tempo (1 - 4 - 1), and 5.75 mile easy runs.

Week of 12/16: Total of 43 miles, including 11 mile long, 7 mile tempo (1.5 - 4 - 1.5) and 6.25 mile easy runs.

Week of 12/23: Total of 47 miles, including 12 mile long, 7 mile tempo and 7 mile easy runs.

Week of 12/30: Total of 50 miles, including 13.1 mile long, 8 mile tempo (2 - 4 - 2) and 7.23 mile easy runs.

Week of 1/6: Keep everything but bring up the paces. Ideally, by now, paces would be slightly faster, but if not, that's OK. We have some time to increase pace during the training plan (starting on 1/13), and in fact going through the plan at these paces should also be mostly OK.