Marathon Goal Pace

Today my running group did a 7.5 mile MGP run.

1.25 mile warm-up

5 miles at MGP (10:03 is my MGP)

1.25 mile cool-down

During the warm-up, my semi-fast friend asked me if I had done 8 miles at MGP during my 20-miler on Saturday (she did because that's what we were supposed to do).  I told her (as politely as possible) that my MGP could more accurately be called - FINISH PACE - meaning my goal is to finish and that NO I hadn't run any of the 20-miler at MGP, I was just trying to go the distance. She laughed.  I wasn't joking.

I did all 7.5 miles in an average of 10:30/mile, so I'm guessing I was pretty close to my MGP during the five miles in the middle.  The lesson I learned today was that if a marathon was only five miles, I could do it at my MGP. 

Here is Graby running at his marathon goal pace: