Class 20 (and last)

What you did today is what I do six days of almost every week. That’s to go for about a half-hour. This can be anything from pure walking, to walk/run, to a faster run. Most often it’s easy enough to recover from going longer once a week. Today served that purpose for you.

Class is now finished, but I hope your running continues. If I see you in a future class, in a weekend training group, at a race, or simply on the streets and trails of town, I’ll consider this term a success for you as a runner – and for me as a teacher.

Now that we’re done here, I won’t suddenly forget you. Feel free to contact me anytime with running questions or concerns.

TODAY’S HALF-HOUR RUN

(no exact times, distances or paces recorded; purpose was to relax and recover from Tuesday’s test)

Erik

Jannik

Daniel

Sarah

Scott

Katie

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

Today, at long last, you arrived at the place for which your class is named: 5K or 10K Training. You’ve been training for 10 weeks for this. You have run longer at a slower pace, and shorter, faster. Now you got your chance to bring endurance and speed together in this final test.

Call it a “race” if you wish. Racing can be whatever you want to make it: just another long run, a social event, or a chance to see how much you can push. I hope you’ll accept that last challenge sometimes. You are trained to do that.

Thursday’s run will be an easy half-hour for everyone who attends. Some of you still owe me quiz answers by that day, which you can submit by email.

Today’s final term prize went to the student with the best attendance record (because in few sports is it more important to show up and train). Erik and Claire took every run -- with Erik winning on the extra credits tie-breaker, six to five.

TODAY’S 5K TEST

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to go faster for this shorter distance; * = faster than first week’s test; if you didn’t time yourself out at stoplights, I subtracted average stop time of 2:00)

*Jannik – 19:38 (6:20 pace, -19 sec. per mile) 2^nd most improved

Katie – 32:23 (10:26s, no target)

Maca – 28:04 (8:48s, +3 sec. per mile

Brady – 31:54 (10:17s, +31 sec.)

TODAY’S 10K TEST

(same info as above)

Erik – ran untimed

Jessica D. – 58:47 (9:29s, +7 sec.)

Daniel – 53:34 (8:38s, -23 sec.) most improved, earning extra credit

Rana – 53:59 (8:42s, +4 sec.)

Claire – 49:17 (7:56s, +3 sec.)

Jack – 50:46 (8:11s, +1 sec.)

Julian – 53:52 (8:41s, +27 sec.)

James – 49:15 (7:53s, +36 sec.)

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 18

This was another stroll down memory lane. In this case it took you back to your run the first day of class, following the same river path to the same turnaround point.

Tuesday’s run will be your 5K or 10K test. It will go the same way as today, except you’ll add an extra half-mile to mile before turning back.

Yesterday I emailed the class quiz. For those needing to complete it, your answers are due back (also by email) next Thursday.

TODAY’S 2-MILE RUN

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your first week’s pace; target was to go faster without seeming to try any harder than you did in week one; if you didn’t time yourself out at stoplights, I subtracted average stop time of 2:00 from your shouted result)

Katie – 19:30 (9:45 pace, +22 sec. per mile)

TODAY’S 4-MILE RUN

(same info as above)

Erik – ran untimed

Alex – 33:06 (8:16s, -50 sec.)

Jannik – 27:05 (6:46s, -1:51) 2^nd most improved

Daniel – 32:59 (8:14s, no target)

Sarah – 33:39 (8:24s, -1:57) most improved, earning extra credit

Rana – 32:50 (8:12s, -25 sec.)

Claire – 31:58 (7:59s, -1:11)

Julian – 32:46 (8:11s, -26 sec.)

Arthur – 33:31 (8:23s, -14 sec.)

James – 28:47 (7:11s, -1:01) 3^rd most improved

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 race day. 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 17

You’re coming down in distance now. Both runs this week should feel easy, as you taper for next Tuesday’s 5K or 10K test.

I didn’t get a chance today to recognize the winner of this term’s distance prize. It was Jannik (at 1:58 per mile faster than the first week), followed by Claire (1:17) and James (55 seconds).

Thursday’s run will take you back where this class started, at two or four miles. It will seem shorter now that you’ve gone twice that far.

TODAY’S HALF-HOUR RUN

(no distances and paces recorded, though you might have checked them yourself)

Katie

Maca

TODAY’S ONE-HOUR RUN

(same info as above)

Erik

Jessica D.

Jannik

Rana

Claire

Jack

Julian

Arthur

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.