Class 15

This is almost as cold as it gets during fall term. The sub-freezing temperature discouraged a long stay outside, so I dropped today's 7.5-mile run.

Meet on Thursday at the practice track. What we do there -- long, fast or a blend of the two -- will depend on what the weather brings that day.

I was asked today about Thanksgiving races. The recommended one in Eugene is the four-mile Turkey Trot at Valley River Center. You can find details at... eclecticedgeracing.com. That site also tells of another good race opportunity, this Sunday's Run to Stay Warm 5K or 10K at EWEB. 

TODAY'S 3.8 MILES

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

Erica -- 32:33 (8:34 pace, +28 sec. per mile)

Sara -- 32:30(8:33s, -11 sec.)

Joe -- untimed

Teja -- 26:40 (7:00s, +34 sec.)

Anna -- 26:46 (7:02s, +4 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer

Owen -- 27:55 (7:20s, -2 sec.) day's best pacer, extra credit

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.