Class 4

I hope the pattern of alternating running days with easier walk/run days is agreeing with you. Your challenge as a runner and mine as a teacher this summer is to pack a class of 10 weeks (two runs per week) during the regular school year into just four weeks here.

Friday’s run will test you at one or two miles. I prefer the word “test” over race because you’re only testing yourself, not trying to beat anyone else. Your target will be anything faster than you ran on Monday when the distance was slightly longer.

TODAY’S EASY HALF-HOUR

(no exact times, distances or paces recorded; target was to recover between Wednesday and Friday runs at whatever effort felt easy to you – walk, run/walk or run; the day’s participants listed here)

Megan

Brianna

Vadim

Becky

Jie

Nathaniel

Guangyu

LESSON 4: MILE TRIAL

The mile time is the most important one in running (at least in the metric-challenged USA). Anyone who hears you’re a runner will ask, “What’s your best mile time?” You soon will be calculating your pace-per-mile on longer runs. Running a mile (four laps on a standard track) right away will tell you what your starting point is. Think of this run as a low-key test, not as a serious race. Run at a pace beyond easy but less than a struggle, and count on improving in later mile tests as your fitness improves.