As for towpath? there are better ones. akron is tough but much more fun. detroit is good, columbus is supposed to be good.

“Fitness level corresponds approximately to the best race you could run under the conditions. ” Should say …the best race you could run under ideal conditions.

So many people make the mistake of training to their goal pace, rather than their fitness level. It cuts both ways: either causing them to run too fast in training or too slow for the training to really do it’s job. Go here: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm and enter in your most recent races to get an idea of what paces you should run for 5k pace, 10k pace, marathon pace, etc. in your First workouts.

As for Bridget’s question: “Aren’t you better off being able to run your 20 milers at that fast of a pace?” The answer is heck no! Maybe if you’re just trying to finish a marathon, but no competetive marathoner runs an entire long run at race pace. During my last training cycle, for the most part my long runs were about 45-60 seconds over goal time with just the last few miles on pace. Marathon training is like a puzzle. Each run is a piece to create the whole thing. Each run serves a distinct purpose. Long runs are time on your feet. They get you used to running for a long time. They get you burning fat and teach your body to use fuel and water efficiently. Long intervals with very short recoveries build strength and teach you to run hard when tired. Tempo runs extend your lactate threshold and allow you to run at your maximum longer. They also teach you how to stay focused running fast over a long period of time with no break. Easy runs build your aerobic capacity and recovery runs bring blood to your tired legs and help repair them. All these runs together add up to the ability to run at pace on race day.

Sorry to ramble on! I miss this stuff