Goal pace

I've just done some basic calculations and discovered that if I run 9:09 miles I can finish a marathon in just under 4 hours. While this is a great goal to have, it goes slightly against the grain of 'why I run': for fun. I can pretty consistently pace myself in the mid-9s without ever looking at a watch. I usually run at the pace that feels good and while I don't have any grand plans or goals for my marathon, there's something about coming in under 4 hours that has appeal.

In a way I wish that I had had my garmin working at The Ave Half, or at the very least wish I could have gotten a 10k split like the rest of the runners. I'm curious how I paced that one, and pretty sure that I did do a negative split.

Last night's run was three miles and I broke it down into three negative splits. If I remember correctly it went something like 9:51, 9:38, 9:01. Now, the first mile was almost all downhill, mile 2 was mostly flat with a turnaround, and mile 3 was almost all uphill. Explain that! As I run more and more I realize that going faster becomes easier. I'm looking forward to experimenting with my comfort pace, which I believe is made possible by leg work, hill work and rest!