Class 20 (and last)

Heavy rain and light attendance aside, this was a good last day. Everyone finished together, all paced the run almost perfectly, and all earned extra credit.

That's it for the class, but I won't suddenly forget you. I hope we meet in a future class, at a race, or on the streets and trails of town. Feel free to contact me with your running questions and concerns.

Thank you for tolerating our "homelessness" this term. Come back in spring if you can, for a better running experience. My 5K/10K class will include an unofficial half-marathon component, with longer runs on Tuesdays to train you for the Eugene Half (on May 10th). 

You're also welcome to join my Sunday group at the Eugene Running Company, at no charge. That training begins on February 1st for the marathon and March 15th for the half.

Though student numbers were small this fall, attendance was never better for my UO classes. None of you ran into absence problems. Taking the most scheduled runs were Sara (at 18 of 19), Owen (17) and Erica (16).

TODAY'S EASY EVEN-PACE 24 MINUTES

(with actual time and comparison of 2nd half with 1st; target was to make the halves close to equal)

Sara -- 23:56 (-4 sec.)

Teja -- 23:56 (-4 sec.)

Owen -- 23:56 (-4 sec.)

Juan -- 23:56 (-4 sec.)

LESSON 20: RACE RECOVERY

One of the most important phases of a training program is also one of the most overlooked. This is what to do after the race. It doesn’t end at the finish line but continues with what you do – or don’t do – in the immediate and extended period afterward. How long recovery takes depends on the length of the last race. The longer it was, the longer the rebuilding period. One popular rule of thumb is to allow at least one easy day for every mile of the race (about a week after a 10K). One day per kilometer (or 10 days post-10K) might work even better if the race was especially tough. During this period take no really long runs, none very fast, and avoid further racing. Run easily.

Class 19

Conditions weren't great for your test today, coming off Thanksgiving break and running in near-freezing fog. But let this stand as a reminder that when you enter a race, you can't choose the conditions. You take them as they come and make the best of what you're given that day.

We're finally "home," before you got to know it as such and just in time to leave again. Meet at the turf fields east of the Rec Center on Thursday for our final class. I can only say now that the run will be the same distance for all.

TODAY'S 5-KILOMETER TEST

(with per-mile pace for 3.1 miles and comparison to your last long run here; target was to better that pace)

Erica -- 23:25 (7:33 pace, -37 sec.) day's 2nd most improved; 
     term's most improved at +5 seconds vs. pace of 1st week's 
     mile test
Dameri -- 32:02 (10:20s, +2 sec.)

TODAY'S 10-KILOMETER TEST

(with per-mile pace for 6.2 miles and comparison to your last long run here; target was to better that pace)

Sara --  51:22 (8:17s, -1:09) day's most improved, earning 
     extra credit
Joe -- 55:56 (9:01s, +44 sec.) 
Anna -- 44:54 (7:14s, -8 sec.) term's 2nd most improved at 
     +14 seconds vs. pace of 1st week's 2-mile test
Owen -- 42:00 (6:46s, -24 sec.) one second faster than 
     pace of midterm 4-mile test

LESSON 19: EVEN PACING

Talking about even-pace running is easier than running it – or calculating it. The problem is that races in the U.S. combine two measurement systems. While most events are run at metric distances, such as 5K and 10K, splits are often given at mile points and pace is usually computed in per-mile terms. So you need calculate metric-to-mile and vice versa. Even-paced running is most efficient, and slightly negative splits (faster second half) are preferable to “positives.” The two halves of a race are best run within a few seconds per mile of equal time, plus or minus. In a 45-minute 10K race, for instance, plan to run the first 5K in a few seconds either side of 22:30.

Class 17 (no 18)

You've come a long way this term. Your distance has doubled, without a corresponding slowdown in pace or increase in effort. This tells me how much fitter you are now than when we first met.

Happy and safe Thanksgiving. Tuesday you'll meet in front of the Rec Center for your 5K or 10K test. Today I emailed the class quiz, to complete by the final day of class.

TODAY'S 4 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to term's first long run; target was to approach or better that pace for twice the distance)

Erica -- 32:39 (8:10 pace, -50 sec. per mile) term's 3rd most improved

Teja -- 26:26 (6:36s, -48 sec.)

Juan -- 38:07 (9:32s, -1:02) term's 2nd most improved

TODAY'S 8 MILES

(same info as above)

Sara -- 1:15:30 (9:26s, +36 sec.)

Joe -- 1:06:18 (8:17s, -3 sec.)

Anna -- 59:00 (7:22s, -12 sec.)

Owen -- 57:21 (7:10s, -1:40) term's most improved

LESSON 17: EQUAL TIMES

You can predict fairly accurately what you’ll run for a certain distance without having run it recently. You can base the prediction on races at different distances. Pace obviously slows as racing distance grows, and speeds up as it shrinks. But how much of a slowdown or speedup is normal? A good rule of thumb is a five-percent slowdown as the distance doubles, or that much faster pace as the distance drops by half. Multiply or divide by 2.1 to predict your time for double or half the distance. For instance, a 22:00 5K equates to about 46:00 for 10K.

LESSON 18: RACE PACE

Even if you’ve done everything right in training, you can cancel all that good with as little as one wrong move on raceday. The first and worst bad move is leaving the starting line too quickly. Crowd hysteria and your own raging nervous system conspire to send you into the race as if fired from a cannon. Try to work against the forces of the crowd and your natural desires. Keep your head while runners around you are losing theirs. Pull back the mental reins at a time when the voices inside are shouting, “Faster!” Be cautious in your early pacing, erring on the side of too-slow rather than too-fast. Hold something in reserve for the late kilometers. This is where you reward yourself for your early caution, by passing instead of being passed.

Class 16

This is more like it! No one complained today about the 20-degree rise in temperature since Tuesday.

Just three classes remain: next Tuesday, four or eight miles (from Rec Center)... final Tuesday, 5K or 10K test (from Rec)... that Thursday, a relaxed run (from practice track) to end fall term. I won't teach in winter, but will coach a marathon/half training team (from February on into May), then return for another 5K/10K class in spring.

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST "26 MINUTES"

(about 5K in length; with actual time and comparison of 2nd half with 1st; target was to finish faster, running "negative splits")

Erica -- 25:41 (-19 sec. for 2nd half)

Teja -- 20:23 (-5:37) best speed-up for "5K," extra credit

Dameri -- 24:31 (-1:29)

Eleanor -- 27:51 (+1:51)

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST "52 MINUTES"

(about 10K in length; with actual time and comparison of 2nd half with 1st; target was to finish faster, running "negative splits")

Sara -- 46:19 (-5:41) best speed-up for "10K," extra credit

Joe -- 49:50 (-2:10)

Anna -- 50:00 (-2:00)

Owen -- 49:50 (-2:10) 

LESSON 16: 10K TRAINING

The 10K program resembles the one for 5K (Lesson 15), but the distances naturally go up for a race twice as long. Again mix over-and-unders – fast runs below the 10K distance (totaling two to three fast miles, not counting warmup, cooldown and recovery intervals, running the fast portion at 10K race pace or slightly faster) and long ones above it (seven to nine miles, at least one minute per mile slower than race pace. Average about a half-hour, at a relaxed pace, for each of the three or four easy runs per week. By slightly modifying this plan, you can run races at two other popular distances – 8K (or five miles) and 12K (about 7½ miles).

Class 15

This is almost as cold as it gets during fall term. The sub-freezing temperature discouraged a long stay outside, so I dropped today's 7.5-mile run.

Meet on Thursday at the practice track. What we do there -- long, fast or a blend of the two -- will depend on what the weather brings that day.

I was asked today about Thanksgiving races. The recommended one in Eugene is the four-mile Turkey Trot at Valley River Center. You can find details at... eclecticedgeracing.com. That site also tells of another good race opportunity, this Sunday's Run to Stay Warm 5K or 10K at EWEB. 

TODAY'S 3.8 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace)

Erica -- 32:33 (8:34 pace, +28 sec. per mile)

Sara -- 32:30(8:33s, -11 sec.)

Joe -- untimed

Teja -- 26:40 (7:00s, +34 sec.)

Anna -- 26:46 (7:02s, +4 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer

Owen -- 27:55 (7:20s, -2 sec.) day's best pacer, extra credit

LESSON 15: 5K TRAINING

You routinely run 5K and beyond in training. The quickest way to improve your race time, then, is by upping the pace one day a week for a distance well below 5K (one to two fast miles total, excluding warmup, cooldown and recovery intervals). Run at projected 5K or slightly faster, so you become familiar with that pace. On another day, extend the length of one weekly run to above the race distance (four to six miles). Run at least one minute per mile slower than race pace, to make the 5K seem shorter. The three to four easy-day runs each week average about a half-hour each at a relaxed pace.

Class 14

Speaking as one who has lived here longer than any of you has lived anywhere, I can say this was a rare Oregon day. Near-freezing temperatures and rain don't often go together here, which is why we skipped the scheduled interval training. Keeping the run short and swift minimized your time out in these conditions.

Tuesday's run will be 3.75 and 7.5 miles. This will leave just one longer step up in distance. We'll try to pick up the final set of intervals next Thursday.

TODAY'S FAST ONE MILE

(with comparison to your last long-run pace here; target was to go faster for this shorter distance)

Teja -- 5:37 (-49 sec.) faster than first week's mile test

Dameri --  8:38 (-1:40) day's most improved

Juan -- 7:42 (-1:38) day's 2nd most improved

TODAY'S FAST TWO MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to go faster for this shorter distance)

Sara -- 15:28 (7:44 pace, -1:00 per mile)

Joe -- 17:39 (8:49s, +29 sec.)

Owen -- 14:18 (7:09s, -13 sec.) 

LESSON 14: SUPPLEMENTAL SPORTS

You might not always be able to run... or might not always want to run... or might sometimes want to add activities to your running. Alternatives abound. You can bicycle, swim, “run” in water (wearing a flotation belt), cross-country ski, snowshoe or simply walk (one of the best but least appreciated options to running). In most of these activities, duplicate your running time to gain similar fitness benefits. If walking, double your usual running time.

Class 13

You runners are tough. On our coldest day so far, attendance was perfect for this term.

On Thursday we'll meet again at the practice track for the final set of intervals: 4 x quarter-mile or 4 x half-mile.

TODAY'S 3.5 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS reading of 3.47, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Teja -- 22:23 (6:26 pace, -23 sec. per mile)

Dameri -- 35:45 (10:18s, +13 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer

Eleanor -- 48:00 (13:50s, -15 sec.)

Juan -- 32:24 (9:20s, -32 sec.)

TODAY'S 7.0 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS reading of 6.94, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Erica -- 56:17 (8:06s, -2:46)

Sara -- 1:00:39 (8:44s, -24 sec.)

Joe -- 57:52 (8:20s, -1:26)
Anna -- 48:21 (6:58s, -42 sec.)

Owen -- 51:09 (7:22s, +5 sec.) day's best pacer, extra credit

LESSON 13: EXTRA EXERCISES

Running is a specialized activity, working mainly the legs in straight-ahead movement. If you’re seeking more complete fitness, you need to supplement the runs with other exercises. These strengthen the muscles that running neglects, and stretch those that running tightens. The older you are and the more years you’ve run, the greater the tightness and imbalance become – unless you take corrective action. Give attention to strengthening the upper body, and to stretching the legs. Add a few minutes of extra exercise – after the run when these exercises do the most good or take the least energy away from your main activity.

Class 12

All of you who posted times today did what I'd hoped: run much faster than your Tuesday long-run pace. That was your test, and you all passed it.

Tuesday's distances will be 3.5 and 7.0 miles. Meet near the Rec Center entrance.

TODAY'S "2-MILE" TEST

(actual distance 1.9 miles, or about 3 kilometers, with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to go faster; * = faster than first weeks one-mile test)

*Erica -- 14:00 (7:22 pace, -3:30 per mile) most improved, extra credit

Teja -- 11:25 (6:00s, -49 sec.)

Anna -- untimed

Eleanor -- 23:07 (12:10s, -1:55) 3rd most improved

Juan -- 14:48 (7:47s, -2:05) 2nd most improved

TODAY'S "4-MILE" TEST

(actual distance 3.8 miles, or about 4 kilometers, with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to go faster)

Sara -- 30:08 (7:55s, -1:13)

Joe -- 31:47 (8:22s, -1:24)

Owen -- 25:49 (6:47s, -30 sec.)

LESSON 12: COOLING DOWN

When the run ends, resist the urge to stop suddenly. Instead, walk to cool down more gradually. If the warmup shifts gears between resting and hard running, the cooldown period is a necessary transition from racing to resting. Continued mild activity gradually slows down the revved-up metabolism, and also acts as a massage to gently work out the soreness and fatigue products generated by the earlier effort. The pattern and pace of recovery are set in the first few minutes after the running ends. Some advisers will tell you to run easily during the cooldown, but walking gives the same benefits with much less effort – and you’ve already run hard enough. After this walk is the best time for stretching exercises, which loosen the muscles that running has tightened.

Class 11

When one of you goes off course, I can claim the runner wasn't listening. But when half the class misses turns, I'm to blame for describing the route poorly. I failed half of you today, so those distances are guesses and paces aren't given.

It looks like we'll meet at the Rec Center (today's spot) on all remaining Tuesdays, and at the practice track on Thursdays. Which means we'll be near the 18th Avenue gate for our next run. It will be the two- or four-mile test.

TODAY'S RUNS

(with distance, per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace)

Erica -- about 6 miles in 51:10

Sara -- about 6m in 50:02

Joe -- 6.6m in 1:04:30 (9:46s, +1:10)

Anna -- 6.6m in 50:38 (7:40s, +15 sec.) best pacer, extra credit

Owen -- about 6 miles in 50:13

Juan -- 3.5 miles in 34:14 (9:52s, +37 sec.)

LESSON 11: WARMING UP

Don’t confuse stretching with warmup. Stretching exercises don’t start you sweating or raise your heart rate. You warm up by moving – first by walking or running slowly, then by easing into the full pace of the day after a mile or so. Recommendation: Walk five minutes (about a quarter-mile, not counting this in your run distance or time), then start to run. Treat the first mile of running as your warmup, making it the slowest mile of the day. The faster you plan to run that day, the more you warm up. For relaxed runs simply blend the warmup period into longer runs by starting slower. On fast days warm up separately by running a mile to several miles – perhaps adding some “strides” at the day’s maximum pace, taken before speed training or racing. Strides prepare the legs and lungs for what you’re about to do.

Class 10

Already we've passed the term's midpoint. In remaining weeks the Tuesday distance will keep climbing toward a peak of four or eight miles (next up: 3.25 or 6.5). Thursday runs will include three tests and a final set of intervals.

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST 2 MILES

(with total time, pace for each mile and comparison of the two; target was to finish faster, running negative splits)

Erica -- 18:23 (9:45 & 8:38 miles, -1:07 for 2nd half)

Teja -- 14:11 (8:24 & 5:47, -2:37) best speedup, for extra credit

Juan -- 18:27 (9:59 & 8:28, -1:31) 2nd best speedup

Eleanor -- 25:52 (12:49s & 13:03s, +14 sec.)

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST 4 MILES

(with total time, per-mile pace for each half and comparison of the two; target was to finish faster, running negative splits)

Sara -- 34:47 (9:10 per mile & 8:13s, -57 sec.)

Anna -- 30:30 (8:00s & 7:15s, -45 sec.)

LESSON 10: GETTING SICK

Take illness symptoms as seriously as those of injury. But instead of using pain as a guide, substitute the words fever and fatigue. The most common ailments are the flu and colds. Never, ever run with the flu’s fever. Don’t just rest while feverish but take an additional day off for each day of the illness, or you risk serious complications. Colds are more mundane – and more common. They usually pass through you in about a week. Rest during the “coming-on” stage (usually the first two to four days). Then run easily (slowly enough not to cause heavy coughing and nose-throat irritation) during the “coming-out” stage.

Class 9

Today's route was the same (minus a few hundredths of a mile for "5K" and plus a few for "10K") as you'll run in the final week's test. We MIGHT be using the 15th Avenue entrance to the turf fields by then, but don't count on it! The latest delay will keep us outside that gate for three more weeks, at least.

Tomorrow afternoon I'm helping conduct the intramural cross-country run. Entry is free for students, signup starts at 3:30 at the cemetery steps, and the three-mile run begins at 4:00. Extra class credit goes to all of you who enter.

On Thursday we meet again at the practice track, 18th and Emerald. The run is either two or four miles, with the first half easy and the second harder.

TODAY'S 5 KILOMETERS

(with per-mile pace for 3.05 and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Erica -- 33:09 (10:52 pace, +1:39 per mile)

Teja -- 20:50 (6:49s, -35 sec.)

Eleanor -- 42:58 (14:05s, +1:53)

Juan -- 32:14 (10:34s, +1:19)

TODAY'S 10 KILOMETERS

(with per-mile pace for 6.25 and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Anna -- 46:23 (7:25s, +18 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer

Owen -- 45:30 (7:17s, -4 sec.) best pacer, earning extra credit

LESSON 9: GETTING HURT

Runners get hurt. We rarely hurt ourselves in the sudden, traumatic ways skiers and linebackers do, but the injury rates run high. Most of our injuries are self-inflicted – from running too far, too fast, too soon or too often (and sometimes on surfaces or in shoes not right for us). Prevention is usually as simple as adjusting our routine. Immediate treatment seldom requires total rest, but only a change in activity. Use pain as your guide. If you can’t run steadily without pain, mix walking and running. If you can’t run-walk, simply walk. If you can’t walk, bicycle. If you can’t bike, swim. As you recover, climb back up this exercise ladder.

Class 8

This was one of those days that tested your running commitment: wet and gloomy, and with the shortest but fastest runs to date. You did well, all going faster than the first week's test and making the last segment your best.

Tuesday's distances will be 3.1 and 6.2 miles, which of course translate to 5K and 10K.

TODAY'S 3 X ONE-THIRD-MILE INTERVALS

(with total time for one mile -- converted from actual distance of 1.1 -- and comparison to first week's nonstop mile test or first long run -1:00 per mile)

Dameri -- 7:48 (-19 sec.)

Eleanor -- 9:17 (-2:37) most improved, earning extra credit

TODAY'S 3 X TWO-THIRDS-MILE INTERVALS

(with total time for two miles -- converted from actual distance of 2.2 -- plus per-mile pace and comparison to first week's nonstop two-mile test, or first long run -1:00 per mile)

Sara -- 13:58 (6:59s, -15 sec. per mile)

Joe -- 14:16 (7:08s, -42 sec.)

Owen -- 12:04 (6:02s, -4 sec.)

LESSON 8: TAKING TIME

Your second most valuable piece of equipment, after shoes, is.... no, not shorts and not T-shirt. You can wear other clothes than those. Your next most vital item is a watch. Buy a digital model with a stopwatch feature, and make time your main way of keeping score. Time can make you an instant winner by telling exactly how fast you ran a distance, and maybe how much you improved your personal record (“PR,” in runner-talk). Another, more subtle value of the watch: It lets you run by time – by minutes instead of miles. This has several benefits: freeing you from plotting and measuring courses, because minutes are the same length anywhere... easing pressure to run faster, because you can’t make time pass any faster... finishing at the assigned time limit no matter your pace, which settles naturally into your comfort zone when you run by time.

Class 7

Today's lesson is well timed. With more than half of you recovering from a race on Sunday (and others recovering from illness or injury), you needed an easy day. Note that soreness usually peaks the second post-racing day, which is today for you 5K runners.

You'll run another set of intervals on Thursday -- either 3 x one-third-mile or 3 x two-thirds. Meet at the **practice track**, 18th and Emerald entrance. 

TODAY'S 2.8 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance; if you didn't time yourself out at stoplights, you probably ran faster than listed here)

Joe -- untimed, after 5K race on Sunday at 7:21 pace

Owen -- 5K race on Sunday at 7:44s

Dameri -- 28:16 (10:05 pace, +18 sec. per mile) 2nd best pacer

Eleanor -- 34:12 (12:12s, +16 sec.) best pacer, extra credit

Juan -- untimed

TODAY'S 5.5 MILES

(same info as above)

Erica -- 50:43 (9:13s, +46 sec.) after 5K on Sunday at 7:38s

Sara -- 50:14 (9:08s, +39 sec.)

Teja -- 40:47 (7:24s, -1:26) after 5K on Sunday at 5:48s

Anna -- 50:43 (9:13s, +2:06) after 5K on Sunday at 6:53s

LESSON 7: GOING EASIER

Pacing isn’t just for a single run. It’s also something you practice from day to day throughout the week. Some runs must be hard if you’re training to race, but most runs must be easy to compensate for that effort. In other words, you run less than your best much of the time – neither long nor fast. You can calculate ideal pace for easy runs several ways: at least one minute per mile slower than you could race the same distance; or about 75 percent of maximum heart rate; or simply whatever feels comfortable, not too fast or too slow. The last of these guidelines is the simplest to use. What feels right usually is right.

Run with the Duck Results

It's a small class, to be sure. But never has a greater portion from one of my classes run a race -- exactly half. All five earned extra credit.

TODAY'S 5K RACE

(with per-mile pace for 3.1 miles and comparison to your last long run in class; target was to go faster; * = better than pace of first week's test)

Erica -- 23:41 (7:38 pace, -29 sec. per mile)

Joe -- 22:50 (7:21s, -1:15)

Teja -- 18:00 (5:48s, -3:02)

*Anna -- 21:21 (6:53s, -14 sec.)

Owen -- 24:02 (7:44s, +23 sec.)

Class 6

Thanks for making me look good today to the class evaluator. He was checking the teacher, not the students.

This run simulated a two- or four-mile race, where you pushed the pace in the latter half as you would while racing. There, of course, you would go harder at the start -- as many of you will do in Sunday's Run with the Duck 5K. It will count as extra class credit.

On Tuesday the distances will be 2.75 and 5.5 miles. Meet again in front of the Rec Center.

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST "16 MINUTES"

(with actual time and comparison of halves; target was to finish faster, or run a "negative split")

Dameri -- 14:35 (-1:25 for 2nd half)

TODAY'S SLOW/FAST "32 MINUTES"

(same info as above)

Erica -- 29:40 (-2:20)

Sara --- 29:05 (-2:50)

Joe -- 29:45 (-2:15)

Teja -- 27:10 (-4:50) tie for best negative split; extra credit

Anna -- 28:20 (-3:40)

Owen -- 27:10 (-4:50) tie for best negative split; extra credit

Juan -- untimed

LESSON 6: GOING FASTER

A little bit of speed training goes a long way. In fact, a little bit is all you should do because, in excess, speed kills. Most runners can tolerate fast training that totals only about 10 percent of weekly mileage. This can come two major ways and one minor one. The first big way is as intervals – a training session of short, fast runs with recovery breaks between. The other main way to train for speed is the tempo run – at race pace or faster for a shorter distance. The smaller way to gain and maintain speed is with “strides” – ending the warmup by striding out for a hundred yards or so, one to five times, at the top speed that you would ever race. Strides also have value at the finish of a relaxed run, as a reminder to push at the end of a race.

Class 5

Today's rain reminds me to tell you an unwritten rule here: if I run (with my old legs and weak eyes, in the dark) that morning, you run. That is, weather conditions very rarely change our class plans.

A reminder that you can enter this Sunday's Run with the Duck 5K for free and get class credit. Same with the Intramural Cross-Country on October 29th.

Meet again Thursday in front of the Rec Center, then I'll point you to our running route. The run will be slow/fast by time, going out easily for eight or 16 minutes (roughly one or two miles), then pushing the pace on the way back.

TODAY'S 5.0 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Erica -- 42:15 (8:27 pace, +10 sec.)

Sara -- 42:27 (8:29s, +10 sec.)

Anna -- 35:37 (7:07s, -20 sec.)

Owen -- 36:45 (7:21s, -25 sec.)

Eleanor -- untimed

Juan -- 46:15 (9:15s, -2 sec.) day's best pacer, earning extra credit

LESSON 5: GOING LONGER

Distance, unlike speed, is almost limitless. No matter what your level of talent, no matter how many years you have run, no matter how old your personal records are, the possibility of covering longer distances still exists. This helps explain the appeal of the marathon. First-year runners can take pride at finishing one in twice the time the leaders take to finish, and longtime runners can feel good about going the distance an hour slower than their PR. Not all runners can go faster, but just about anyone can run longer. It isn’t a matter of talent, but only of pacing, patience and persistence. However, you can’t take big leaps in distance all at once. The safe limit for progress is about 10 percent per week – for instance, no more than a half-mile added to the recent five-mile run.

Class 4

Interval training probably won't go down as your favorite way to start a day. The payoff will come later, when you'll go faster without it seeming any harder.

My experience with intervals tells me that a small amount of this running goes a long way, so we limit the total distance here to one or two miles. Also, best results come when the fast portion and recovery break are about equal in time, as they were today.

On Tuesday we'll meet in front of the Rec Center, then determine where to go from there as a group. The certainty is that your distances will be 2.5 and 5.0 miles.

TODAY'S 2 X HALF-MILE INTERVALS

(with total time for one mile and comparison to last week's nonstop mile test; target was to go faster; if you didn't run that one, I used your latest long-run pace minus 1:00 as your target)

Erica -- 6:59 (-29 sec. vs. mile test) day's 2nd most improved
Teja -- 5:20 (-26 sec.)
Dameri -- 7:46 (-21 sec.)

TODAY'S 2 X MILE INTERVALS

(with total time for two miles, per-mile pace, and comparison to last week's nonstop two-mile test; target was to go faster; if you didn't run that one, I used your latest long-run pace minus 1:00 as your target)

Sara -- 13:52 (6:56 pace, -18 sec. per mile)
Joe -- 14:00 (7:00s, -50 sec.) most improved, earning extra credit
Owen -- 11:47 (5:53s, -13 sec.)
Eleanor -- ran untimed
Juan -- 16:27 (8:13s, +28 sec.)

LESSON 4: BIG DAYS

Most runs need to be easy. This is true whether you’re a beginning racer or an elite athlete. (Of course, the definition of “easy” varies hugely for these groups; easy for the elite would be impossible for the beginner.) Training for the distance and pace of races, and actually running these events, is a prescription item, best taken in proper, well-spaced doses. New racers are wise to limit themselves to one big day a week. On this day, run longer than normal (as long as the longest race distance but at a slower pace) or faster than normal on this day (as fast as the fastest race pace but for a shorter distance), or go to the starting line in a race (combining full distance at full pace). Experienced racers can put a long run AND a fast run into the same week, but don’t want to squeeze both of these PLUS a race into one week.

Class 3

In the confusion of finding where to start our run, I cut the "2.25-mile" run a couple of blocks short. I also forgot to mention that you need to use the first part of the Tuesday long runs as your warmup. We warm up separately only on the fast days.

The next fast one will split last Thursday's run in two and take a rest break between segments. This is interval training, in this case 2 x half-mile or 2 x mile. With entry to the turf fields unlikely, we'll meet again in front of the Rec Center.

Today I asked you to aim for the same pace as last Tuesday. Another target could have been Thursday's pace PLUS one minute per mile. Sara came closest to that, at +1:05.

TODAY'S 2.0 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace; if you didn't time yourself out at stoplights, you probably ran faster than listed here)

Erica -- 16:34 (8:17 pace, -43 sec. per mile)

Dameri -- 19:34 (9:47s, +40 sec.)

TODAY'S 4.5 MILES

(same info as above)

Sara -- 37:28 (8:19s, -31 sec.)

Joe -- 38:47 (8:36s, -14 sec.)

Yong -- 50:34 (11:14s, no target)

Anna -- 33:32 (7:27s, -7 sec.) day's best pacer, earning extra credit

Owen -- 35:00 (7:46s, -1:04)

Juan -- 41:48 (9:17s, -13 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer

LESSON 3: RACE DISTANCES

Nearly all road races now run by the metric system, so if you grew up under the mile system you must learn to interpret these distances. One kilometer is 1000 meters or .62 mile. One mile is 1609 meters or about 1.6 kilometers. Here are the most popular road racing events and their mileage equivalents: 5K = 3.11 miles; 8K = 4.97 miles; 10K = 6.21 miles; 15K = 9.32 miles;  half-marathon (21.1K) = 13.11 miles; marathon (42.2K) = 26.22 miles. This odd mileage complicates the computing of pace per mile from metric races. Grab your calculator.

Class 2

This test was the first of three. At midterm you go two or four miles, and in the final week 5K or 10K.

Racing opportunities abound in October. The best bargains are the Oregon Track Club monthly race on the 9th ($5), Run with the Duck 5K on the 19th (free) and Intramural Cross-Country on the 29th (free). Best source of local race listings is: eclecticedgeracing.com.

You're welcome to join our half-marathon training run on Sundays, at 8 o'clock from the Eugene Running Company. This week's distance is seven miles.

Tuesday's runs in class are 2.3 and 4.6 miles. Meet again in front of the Rec Center, then move to the turf fields if latest construction work is finished there.

TODAY'S MILE TEST

(with time from .98 miles adjusted to full mile, and comparison to Tuesday's pace; target was to go faster for this shorter distance)

Erica -- 7:28 (-1:32 vs. Tuesday)

Teja -- 5:46 (-3:04) day's most improved, earning extra credit

TODAY'S 2-MILE TEST

(with time from 1.95 miles adjusted to full 2.0, per-mile pace and comparison to Tuesday's pace; target was to go faster for this shorter distance)

Sara -- 14:28 (7:14 pace, -1:36 per mile)

Anna -- 14:00 (7:00s, -34 sec.)

Owen -- 12:12 (6:06s, -2:44) day's 2nd most improved

Eleanor -- 23:48 (11:54s, -2 sec.)

Juan -- 15:30 (7:45s, -1:45)

LESSON 2: WINNING WAYS

A great beauty of running is that it gives everyone a chance to win. Winning isn’t automatic; you still have to work for success and risk failure. But unlike other sports there’s no need to beat an arbitrary standard (such as “par” or an opponent’s score). You measure yourself against your personal records. To the runner, a “PR” does not stand for public relations or an island in the Caribbean. It means “personal record,” and this PR may represent the greatest advance in the history of this sport. The invention of the digital stopwatch worn on the wrist turned everyone into a potential winner. Here was a personal and yet objective way to measure success and progress. It didn’t depend upon beating anyone, but only upon how the new numbers on the watch compared with the old ones.