Winter 5K-I and 5K-II Class

PERU 331 (CRN 24948) & 332 (26822) for winter 2017; Tuesday and Thursday; 11:00 to 11:50 A.M.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: (1) introduce you to many types of running and many places to run; (2) increase your distance; (3) improve your pace; (4) avoid or minimize injuries; (5) make running a lasting habit.

REQUIREMENTS: (1) attend 16 or more of the 20 scheduled class sessions if registered for credit; (2) inform the instructor if you are ill or injured and can’t attend class; (4) perform modified activity, assigned and supervised by the instructor, if you have a minor ailment; (5) pass the class quiz, your only written assignment here, if a for-credit student.

INSTRUCTOR: Joe Henderson. Email: jhender@uoregon.edu (or joesrunteam@gmail.com). “Office”: day’s run site, about 15 minutes before and after each class. Class reports appear on www.uorunclass.blogspot.com. You’re also invited to join the Facebook group Joe’s Team Runners, and read his reports at uorunclass.blogspot.com.

LOCATIONS: Meet in the new Rec Center classroom 87 off the turf playing fields (enter through the pool deck) on first day only. All other days, meet outside near the Rec’s east entrance. We always run outdoors, but modify the scheduled training when weather conditions (snow-ice, heavy rain, high wind) might create hazards. However, class always meets unless entire university is closed. A restroom is available at our meeting spot. If you leave belongings in the covered area there, security can’t be guaranteed. Putting at least your valuables in a nearby day-use locker is strongly recommended.

EQUIPMENT:  Running requires minimal equipment. Most important are shoes designed for running and a digital watch with a stopwatch feature. Dress for the activity and the day’s weather. Running starts the first day, so come to that class prepared for activity following a brief introductory talk. P.E. department policy dictates that you don’t listen to a music player during class and that you do wear a shirt.

RUNS:  The classes meet only twice a week, but you’re wise to run at least one more day each week on your own. This not only meets the accepted minimum requirement of three sessions a week for improving fitness, but also starts establishing a habit of independent running. Our Tuesday run builds up your distance, increasing by about 10 percent per week and nearly doubling in length during the term. Our Thursday run improves your speed, with a series of short-distance tests to measure progress. These include “races” (among yourselves) in the first, fifth and 10^th weeks. Recommended additional runs are no longer than that Tuesday’s distance, at a relaxed pace.

TESTS: Each run tests your endurance or speed. You run to improve yourself from one run to the next. In addition you take a written quiz at the end of the term to see how well you have absorbed the lessons that every runner should know. A brief lesson, containing answers to the quiz, is posted after each run, along with the day’s results.

SCHEDULE: Classes begin promptly at 11:00, at turf fields unless announced otherwise. Please arrive on time, to hear the day’s instructions and to avoid starting the run alone. Most of class time is then spent warming up, running and cooling down. Wait to leave until the last runner at your distance finishes. You self-report your results to the instructor, for his compiling later that day on the class blog.

Weather conditions might alter a day’s run. Warmup running is included in the long runs, and you warm up separately for fast ones.

Day/Date – Scheduled Run

(Shorter run is for 5K-I, longer is for 5K-II)

Tuesday, 1/10 – intro & long 2 or 3 miles

Thursday, 1/12 – test 1 or 2 miles

Tuesday, 1/17 – long 2.25 or 3.25 miles

Thursday, 1/19 – fast 2 x half-mile or 2 x mile

Tuesday, 1/24 – long 2.5 or 3.5 miles

Thursday, 1/26 – slow/fast 24 minutes for all

Tuesday, 1/31 – long 2.75 or 3.75 miles

Thursday, 2/2 – fast 3 x one-third or 3 x two-thirds mile

Tuesday, 2/7 – long 3 or 4 miles

Thursday, 2/9 – slow/fast 3 miles for all

Tuesday, 2/14 – long 3.25 or 4.25 miles

Thursday, 2/16 – test 2 miles or 5K

Tuesday, 2/21 – long 3.5 or 4.5 miles

Thursday, 2/23 – fast 4 x fourth-mile or 4 x half-mile

Tuesday, 2/28 – long 3.75 or 4.75 miles

Thursday, 3/2– fast 1 or 2 miles

Tuesday, 3/7 – long 4 or 5 miles

Thursday, 3/9 – easy 2 or 3 miles

Tuesday, 3/14 – test 5K for all

Thursday, 3/16 – quiz due; easy 30 minutes for all

ATTENDANCE: Department policy is firm and clear on this matter if you are a for-credit student. You’re allowed no more than four absences for any reason (including medical, family emergency or class conflict). If you are ill or injured, let the instructor know immediately so he can suggest alternate activity or possible treatment. If your medical condition becomes chronic and you miss too many runs, he will urge you to withdraw from class to avoid receiving a no-pass. Certain types of runs and races may earn you extra credit, erasing an absence. Ask the instructor what qualifies for a bonus this term.

GRADES: This is a pass/no-pass class if registered for credit. Grading is based on these three criteria, set by the department: (a) skill – 60% (60 possible points for participation in scheduled runs); (b) knowledge – 20% (20 possible points for the written quiz); (c) affective – 20% (20 possible points for regular attendance, honest effort and positive attitude toward fellow runners and the instructor). A passing grade is 70% or higher, or 70 points of a possible 100. If you show up and put in good efforts, you’ll pass. If you run regularly, you’ll get better at running. If you don’t, you won’t.

Class 20 (and last)

That’s it for this term. My fondest hope (and my chief measure of my success as a teacher) is that it won’t be the end of running for you. I’d love to see you in a future class, at a race, or on the streets and trails of town in years to come.

For the third term in a row – and this had never happened in the previous 15 years of teaching – no one ran into trouble with absences. Attendance was never better than this fall, when TEN of you had zero misses (after extra credits were added). 

Sam and Alex took every scheduled run – Alex winning the attendance prize on a tie-breaker with her three extra-credits. As a non-credit student, she didn’t even have an attendance requirement, but ran every day because she chose to do it. That’s the spirit I strive to teach.

Students often teach me as well, with lasting lessons that will help future students. Yours was to simplify the long-run routes so fewer people will get lost. I’m sorry if you were one of them, but the next class thanks you.

Now that your running class has ended, I won’t suddenly forget you. I’ll remain available indefinitely to answer any running questions or concerns.

TODAY’S 30-MINUTE RUN

(only runners’ names listed; no exact times or distances recorded, or paces calculated; this was meant to be a relaxed run to recover from Tuesday’s test and to end the class on an easy note)

Bryce

Alex

Rachel

Jake

Becky

Jonathan

Eleanor

Sota

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.