Or maybe the other way around...
Personal progress first. I am fully in the midst of a training program for a spring race. Instead of a spring marathon (anyone recall when I swore I would never run another marathon? I am strongly considering one for fall...never learn. never ever learn.), I am training for a 5K, 10K and half marathon all within 24 hours. I think it will be a fun and unique challenge. But I am doing a marathon training program to get ready for it.
Finding the time to get good training runs in with two small children is much harder than finding the time with just one. I have found that making dinner in the afternoon and plating it up for reheating at dinner time has made evening runs much easier. Dinner is done and dishes are cleaned up except for our plates, so I don't have that pressure and can run and shower, then pop dinner in the microwave. I'm always looking for time-saving tricks...evenings are hectic enough without the addition of a workout, but I don't want that to be the excuse for not getting out the door.
I am extremely happy to report that while regaining endurance is always a challenge, my per mile pace is right on target and even under where I had hoped to be at this point. Prior to being pregnant I had been working hard to reduce my pace and that came back with little effort. Isn't muscle memory a wonderful thing?
So, how did I go from running about a 9:48/mile pace to 8:20/mile pace? I used the dreaded treadmill. For one run per week I get on and run at my desired pace for .25 mile, then I crank up the pace to where I'd like to be for .25 mile, then repeat for 3-4 miles. The increased pace on the treadmill conditions your legs to turn over at a faster rate. The key is to relax, try to settle in to the faster pace. Once you can do that it will translate to a quicker pace for a longer distance.
The other thing that help quicken your pace is to incorporate Fartlek training. I don't love it simply because I like a more structured workout, but it does help break up some of the monotony of a long run if you are plain bored one day. Here's a good article about the idea of Fartlek.
