Class 11

When one of you goes off course, I can claim the runner wasn't listening. But when half the class misses turns, I'm to blame for describing the route poorly. I failed half of you today, so those distances are guesses and paces aren't given.

It looks like we'll meet at the Rec Center (today's spot) on all remaining Tuesdays, and at the practice track on Thursdays. Which means we'll be near the 18th Avenue gate for our next run. It will be the two- or four-mile test.

TODAY'S RUNS

(with distance, per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace)

Erica -- about 6 miles in 51:10

Sara -- about 6m in 50:02

Joe -- 6.6m in 1:04:30 (9:46s, +1:10)

Anna -- 6.6m in 50:38 (7:40s, +15 sec.) best pacer, extra credit

Owen -- about 6 miles in 50:13

Juan -- 3.5 miles in 34:14 (9:52s, +37 sec.)

LESSON 11: WARMING UP

Don’t confuse stretching with warmup. Stretching exercises don’t start you sweating or raise your heart rate. You warm up by moving – first by walking or running slowly, then by easing into the full pace of the day after a mile or so. Recommendation: Walk five minutes (about a quarter-mile, not counting this in your run distance or time), then start to run. Treat the first mile of running as your warmup, making it the slowest mile of the day. The faster you plan to run that day, the more you warm up. For relaxed runs simply blend the warmup period into longer runs by starting slower. On fast days warm up separately by running a mile to several miles – perhaps adding some “strides” at the day’s maximum pace, taken before speed training or racing. Strides prepare the legs and lungs for what you’re about to do.