Dear Coach: I have been running for only two years and have already completed two marathons. I hope to increase my performance substantially and eventually break three hours. I just bought a heart monitor and feel like I am running like an old man. Is it common to be running so slowly when first using a heart monitor. ---Robin

Dear Robin: The hardest part about using a heart monitor is establishing your training zones. You cannot rely on the conventional charts because you may be one of the individuals whose maximum heart rate (MHR) is12 to 24 beats above your predicted maximum, in which case you would hardly be running if you used the predicted MHR instead of your actual MHR. If your pace at sixty to seventy percent effort is approximately1:30 to 2:00 minutes per mile slower than your current 10K race pace, you can be confident that you are training in the right zones.

It is also possible that your training zones are correct and the monitor is doing its job by forcing you to slow down. Many runners run their easy days and long runs much too hard. If you are one of those folks, listen to your monitor. After a few months of doing all your non- speed work in the sixty to seventy percent zone, you will discover yourself getting stronger and faster because you are letting your body recover between hard workouts.

I also want to caution you as a newcomer to running regarding the number of marathons you run. Running too many marathons too soon carries the risk of crashing and burning and/or getting injured. In my opinion, it takes years of aerobic base training and building leg strength before your body is actually ready to withstand the rigors of the marathon.

Dear Coach: Thanks for all the help you have given the running community. I have a question about base training. I have read that I should be running at a conversational pace that is ninety seconds per mile slower than race pace. I have been training at an 8:00 pace even though my race pace is 7:00 to 7:30 minutes per mile. I just ran my first marathon in 3:53 at Marathon in the Parks. My goal is to run 3:15 and qualify for Boston. What tips can you give me? ---Mark

Dear Mark: As long as you are doing your long run too hard, you will have difficulty improving to the point where you can run a 3:15 marathon. To run 3:15 (a 7:25 pace), you need be able to run a 10K in approximately 40 minutes (a 6:26 pace). Start training with a heart monitor and learn to run at sixty to seventy percent effort on your easy days and long runs. Because your daily runs are too hard, your body is never able to fully recover. This means that you are fatigued on speed-work days and are not maximizing your performance.

I suggest that you embark upon a ten to twelve week period of aerobic training with no speed work or racing. Keep your long run between ten and twelve miles and try to increase your weekly mileage by no more than ten percent in any one week. Then spend six to eight weeks doing two anaerobic threshold (AT) workouts per week at eighty to eighty-five percent. One workout could be three times one mile at eighty to eighty-five percent with a one-lap jogging recovery between miles. A second AT workout could be a continuous 20-minute run at eighty to eighty-five percent. After this six to eight week period of AT training, find a fast 10K race and see how close you come to 40 minutes. This should help you figure out whether a 3:15 marathon is in the cards this year. Even if it is not, chances are that with proper training you will run a much faster marathon this year. Don't get discouraged as it often takes several years of consistent, methodical training for a runner to meet his goal.

Dear Coach: I wanted to break 50 minutes at the St. Patrick's Day 10K this year. I know that I can run an 8:00 minute per mile pace so I ran the first mile in 7:30 because I wanted to get ahead of my pace to allow for slowing down at the end. I ended up slowing down too much and ran an 8:40 pace for most of the rest of the race. What happened?---Cheryl

Dear Cheryl: You made a classic mistake, one that I made for years until I learned about negative splits. You ran your first mile on adrenaline and enthusiasm. However, by the end of that mile, chances are that you were above your anaerobic threshold and had excess lactic acid pouring into your legs. The only way to deal with lactic acid building is too slow down unless you have specifically trained to deal with lactic acid overload in the way that many milers and 5K racers do. I have found that I run faster races by ensuring that the first mile is no faster than my projected race pace. You might also try some specific workouts where you run your race pace, such as three times one mile at 8:00 pace to help you learn what the effort feels like. At your next 10K, I suggest that you force yourself to slow down and go out at an 8:00 minute pace. If you do that, chances are you will be able to hold that pace and break 50 minutes.

Coach Kirt West is a private coach who works with motivated adult runners. Questions for him can be sent to kirtwest@erols.com or via the Washington Running Report.