More MP Intervals: Total 6 miles @ MP

I joined Clay and Dale again for their track workout and helped rabbit them on their mile repeats. They ran 5x1600m with a one lap recovery jog. I ran through the first and third recovery laps maintaining pace and ended up running 2x4000m (~2.5miles) and finished with another 1600m for a total of 6 miles at marathon pace. My 4k splits were 16:50 and 16:20 and I finished with a 6:25 mile. Total mileage for the day was 9.
Clay and Dale are both getting some great quality workouts in preparation for the Long Beach Half Marathon in two weeks. Once returned from MN I will drop the times down and run the 5x1600m as intended, then do prolonged marathon pace work on the weekends.

I would like to test myself with 10 miles at MP (6:40) in the near future.

I just finished a book by Bart Yasso titled My life on the Run: The wit, wisdom, and insights of a road racing icon. I was lucky enough to go to the Boston Marathon expo early and get to meet Mr. Yasso as he was signing free copies to the first 50 people in line. It is one of those books that you can pick up, read a chapter, and then pick it up again weeks later and continue (my kind of book). I have way too many running books on the shelf that I have not read. I am hoping that posting short book reviews for my readers will motivate me to read a few more.

This book is very entertaining. Most of it chronicles crazy stories of some of the most bizarre and hilarious races and endurance achievements Mr. Yasso has participated in over the years. He has hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro, run the Badwater Ultramarathon, and biked across the country...in 20 days! He also describes how the "Yasso 800s" came about. Running has become his passion and addiction, replacing drugs and alcohol. The best part of the book is his message he wrote on the inside cover, "Never limit where running can take you."

There are also three levels of training programs for races from 5k to marathon that I was not too impressed with, but overall the stories make this book a worth while read. Most of you could read it in a weekend. It took me a year and a half.

My favorite paragraph in the book is:
"As runners, we each have a duty to accept the role as mentor to a slower runner or a new runner or someone who doesn't think he or she can walk around the block, let alone finish a 5k. Remember, we're not some members of a snooty, noses-in-the-air fraternity. We are runners! So let's spread the message. Can you imagine how grand this planet would be if everyone where a runner? Obesity? Not a problem. Depression? Never heard of it. Sluggishness? Get the hell out."

He also rated the Twin Cities Marathon: Most scenic urban marathon. He says, "Many runners, including me, believe this is one of the best organized marathons in the country. They deliver on every promise, including natural beauty. This race is in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and it seems like you pass 9,999 of them. The foliage is amazing, right up there with anything you'll see in New England. The finish line is in front of the state capitol in Saint Paul, and parts of the course are along the mighty Mississippi River. You'd never know you're in a city of 400,000 people, except they're all out cheering for you."

I can't wait!
The forecast now calls for (partly cloudy) low of 45 and high of 59! Should I wear long sleeves?