Threshold is a Masters Runner's best friend

This winter I've been doing a lot of threshold work and the results have been really paying off. While my overall weekly mileage is a little lower than it was last year, I'm doing my Tempos and fartlek runs much quicker, while still holding back enough that I'm not running myself into the ground. I've been consistent as hell all winter with 3 key workouts each week. In addition to being inspired by the quality over quantity approach in the Bannister books I recently read, I borrowed this training idea from an article I read about Mike Scannell, who is from Michigan, and one of the country's top Masters runners in the 5K - 10 mile range. He only does about 30 miles a week, but his 3 key workouts are all Tempo/Threshold-type stuff. Today I did a 4 mile tempo in 23:39 going 6:07, 5:55, 5:49, 5:48 and it felt really easy. Earlier in the week I did my Moneghetti Fartlek workout, which consists of short surges at 2-mile/5K race effort with equal time rest breaks at about half-marathon race effort. It's a 20 minute workout in all and I hit the 3 mile mark in 17:26 going 5:48, 5:49, 5:49. Right now 5:50 pace feels as comfortable for me as what 6:05/6:10 did for me last year, so I'm very excited to race soon. I'm thinking about jumping in a 5K on Feb. 16 -- weather will be a high of 26F -- and will definitely do a 5 mile on March 15.