Class 12

Your training is working. Look back to early January, when the first week of class ended with a one-mile test. Many of you can now run faster for twice that distance. Amina, Miranda and Jessica have improved most by that standard.

Tuesday's run will increase to 3.5 miles. This will take you to the riverside path.

TODAY'S TWO-MILE TEST

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to better that pace; * = faster than the first week's mile test)

Kamille -- untimed today; ran about 20 min. in recent Army test

*Leily -- 16:00 (8:00 pace, -44 sec. per mile)

Bryce -- 16:41 (8:20s, =)

*Alex D. -- 16:14 (8:07s, -19 sec.)

*Amina -- 19:21 (9:40s, -1:00) day's 2nd most improved

Tanner -- untimed

Alex M. -- 17:12 (8:36s, -1:17) most improved, earning extra credit

*Jessica -- 20:05 (10:02s, -54 sec.) day's 3rd most improved

*Miranda -- 21:38 (10:49s, -35 sec.)

Sugam -- 23:20 (11:40s, +1:56)

Anthony -- untimed today; ran 14:46 in recent Army test

Max -- 14:20 (7:10s, -4 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.