Class 15

It’s fitting, I suppose, that our last run toward Amazon Trail was as confusing as the first. Distances varied widely today, and I take blame for not giving good enough directions (again!).

Partly because of that confusion – also because of the upcoming half-marathon race this weekend and the holiday next week – I’ll make a switch this Thursday. You will go the longest this term, four or eight miles (on the river path) that day, then take the one- or two-mile retest next Tuesday.

TODAY’S RUNS

(with your distance, as best I could tell, plus per-mile pace and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Connor B. – 4.0 miles in 28:52 (7:13 pace, -6 sec. per mile) 3rd best pacer

Sam – 6.6M in 1:05:02 (9:51s, +1:14)

Ella – 6.6M in 1:05:02 (9:51s, +1:14)

Bryce – 3.8M in 36:38 (9:38s, -22 sec.)

Alex – 3.8 M in 33:41 (8:52s, +29 sec.)

David – 6.75M on Sunday

Mariana – 3.8M in 38:19 (10:05s, +1 sec.) day’s 2^nd best pacer

Elliot – 3.4M in 36:49 (10:49s, -17 sec.)

Jake – 4.0M in 32:26 (8:06s, +1:21) after 7M on Sunday

James – 3.4M in 37:17 (10:58s, -2:34)

Nathan – 3.8M in 27:17 (7:10s, =) day’s best pacer, earning extra credit

Eleanor – 3.8M in 38:00 (10:00s, -40 sec.) after 12M on weekend

Sota – 4.2M in 29:16 (6:58s, +17 sec.)

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.