6400 Meter Tempo Run - 1.16.08

I am currently training for my first Boston Marathon (fifth marathon) and will hopefully run my first sub 3:00. I have not done anything much faster than marathon pace for the last couple of months. Since I am also signed up for the Manhattan half marathon (1/27) and Bronx half marathon (2/10) I did my first tempo run yesterday. I did my standard 2 mile warm-up, 2 minute rest, followed by 6400 Meters on the track in 24:21, (splits 6:08 at 1600, 12:15 at 3200 (6:07), 18:20 at 4800 (6:05), 19:05 at 5000, 6:01 last 1600), followed by a 2 mile cool-down. My legs felt fine, however, aerobically the run felt harder than I would have liked it to be. The books say to do your tempo runs between 15K and 1/2 marathon pace, this one definitely felt more like 15K pace. All in all I am satisfied with the result. Last year I ran a 1:21:43 (6:14 pace) at the Manhattan half, if all goes well I will try to run about the same time. I plan to try to go out around 6:15 pace and adjust accordingly, however I have a tradition of almost always going out too fast (I should really know by now that blazing out does not work). For example my last half (Liberty in Jersey City, NJ) I went out in 5:50, for some reason it did not feel fast, however, it ended up catching up to me latter in the race. I ran a 1:22:11, not bad, but I think I could have run quicker if my pacing was more even.