for what it's worth wrote:
Long run should be one of your main work outs, push the pace, just like you are.
I agree with this guy and the gal with the longer post above. According to Italian school, and there is a lot from Canova still stored on old threads that I've found, you're doing it right. Faster than easy, of course, but slower than tempo. Not all that much slower, though. Daniels refers to 'Marathon Pace', McMillan to 'Steady State'. Look at those figures and realize it's significantly faster than easy.
The easy days (I've usually got 5 a week but I am much older and need a lot of recovery) should be pretty stress-free. Make the hard days hard, though, and a long run IS a hard workout and should be.
Try to ramp up the distance of those long ones while staying at a decent pace. If you have success with those types of workouts as well as tempos, you may be like me, which is more slow-twitch than is ideal for mid-distance which you've raced at. Therefore you may very well have greater success at longer events. 5 and 10k are very easy races to find. Easier, in fact, than the shorter races you mentioned. Lack of opportunity to get into a good race definetly won't slow you down if driving a bit is in the realm of possibility. I used to go with some of my buddies who had cars and my dad (may he rest in peace) would often drive and cheer just like other kids who played baseball would sometimes have a parent go.
Good Luck!