Class 7

This term, I aim to show you many different places to run. Our last two routes have been among the most used by students, and for a long time. Last Thursday's took you up Fairmount Boulevard. Today's led you toward the Amazon Trail, which you'll reach soon. 

Thursday will bring our second set of intervals -- 3 x half-mile with a recovery break between fast runs. You'll run this as a relay team of two, matched with a runner about equal to you in speed.

TODAY'S 2.8 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance; note the three-way tie for perfect pacing)

Leily -- 24:27 (8:44 pace, =) day's best pacer, tie; extra credit

Bryce -- 23:59 (8:34s, =) day's best pacer, tie; extra credit

Alex D. -- 2:09 (8:37s, -21 sec. per mile)

Soren -- 23:01 (8:13s, +22 sec.)

Amina -- 28:07 (10:02s, -1:28)

Michael -- 21:42 (7:45s, +40 sec.)

Tara -- 24:27 (8:44s, =) day's best pacer, tie; extra credit

Tanner -- 28:20 (10:06s, +8 sec.)

Alex M. -- 27:35 (9:51s, +1:06)

Miranda -- 32:11 (11:29s, -42 sec.)

Becky -- 27:18 (9:45s, +13 sec.)

Sugam -- 26:30 (9:28s, -1:22)

Anthony -- 23:36 (8:25s, +19 sec.)

LESSON 7: GOING EASIER

Pacing isn’t just for a single run. It’s also something you practice from day to day throughout the week. Some runs must be hard if you’re training to race, but most runs must be easy to compensate for that effort. In other words, you run less than your best much of the time – neither long nor fast. You can calculate ideal pace for easy runs several ways: at least one minute per mile slower than you could race the same distance; or about 75 percent of maximum heart rate; or simply whatever feels comfortable, not too fast or too slow. The last of these guidelines is the simplest to use. What feels right usually is right.