Im new to running... having never run a marathon, I dont know what my race pace should be. Of course, I would like it to be as fast as possible. Right now, after a few months of running, Im going at an 11:30/mile pace. Im building my mileage, and trying to run slightly faster each time.

I dont understand how someone can train for a year at 11:00/mile, and then expect to be able to run a marathon at 10:00/mile. Maybe one of you veterans can explain the logic behind training at a slower pace than your race pace.