Class 15

You went to the most popular running path in town town, even if you didn’t take the most direct route getting there. One more small step up in distance remains here. You’ll peak next week at four miles.

Thursday’s run will be a preview of the last week’s 5K test course – but at only half the distance, one fast lap (1.55 miles) instead of two.

Registration is underway now for spring term. Note that students in my combined 5K/10K class who want to save money and don’t need the credit can either: (1) register for 5K and run with the 10K group, or (2) sign up for noncredit – for 5K at lower price – the first week of classes.

I repeat an offer made the first week: If you want to train for the Eugene Half-Marathon (May 1^st), you can join my Sunday training group at no cost. We start this weekend with a five-mile run, from the Eugene Running Company.

TODAY’S 3.8 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance; you might have run faster than listed here if you took an unplanned detour)

Leily –  34:52 (9:10 pace, +48 sec. per mile)

Bryce – 34:23 (9:02s, -3 sec.) day’s 2^nd best pacer

Alex D. – 34:37 (9:06s, +15 sec.)

Amina – 42:15 (11:06s, +30 sec.)

Soren – untimed

Michael – 27:16 (7:10s, +52 sec.)

Tara – 34:52 (9:10s, +48 sec.)

Tanner – untimed

Alex M. – 35:36 (8:22s, =) day’s best pacer, earning extra credit

Jessica – 5K race on Saturday at 11:37 pace

Miranda – 42:54 (11:17s, -19 sec.)

Becky – 38:11 (10:02s, -13 sec.)

Sugam – 42:15 (11:17s, +1:33)

Anthony – untimed

Max – 30:26 (8:00s, +26 sec.)

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.