Setting The Tempo

If it's Thursday it's my 8 mile tempo run to continue the easy,hard,easy,hard,rest,hard easy routine. Last summer pre Nationals and then post Nationals thro fall I ran the 8 mile out and back course along Cobbs Creek Parkway to prep for not only the 10,000m at Nationals but also the Bridge Run 10k,both yeilded another National Championship and long overdue road pr and while I've gone on record as saying if anyone sees me near a 10,000m in the track this season just shoot me I elected to keep the "lung busting" 8 miler in my weekly rotation as my tempo run,while I've firmly set my sights on reclaiming the 800m and 1,500m as my domain I would still like to have a good 5k in my golfbag either on the track or the road this year. Having ran my 5 and 6 milers at 8 min mile pace the past week I was hoping to drop down to at least 7 min mile pace for starters this week,while no math wizz 8x7=56 so you can imagine my delight to average 6.15 pace on route to a 50.33 on my maiden voyage tonite. I reached the turn around in 24.45 so I did lose a little over the second half,24.45/25.48 but I was guilty of not being 100% focused on the run but that's something to work on over the coming weeks and also looking to bring that 6.15 down to 6 flat and back into the realm of 48 mins and below. Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow,I feel I've earnt it this week w/ my ladder and tempo run....I will need it for the "Death Cage" 6x600m