Class 2

Thursdays are our days for going shorter and faster. Today’s run was the first of three “tests” – a term I prefer to “race” because you’re mainly testing yourself here. Later tests will move toward the 5K distance.

Tuesday’s longer runs will step up by about a quarter-mile each week. This observes the safe limit of increase of about 10 percent weekly. With that in mind, the Tuesday distance choices will be two and three miles.

Starting today, I recognize the runner who distinguished herself or himself the most in the run. The “prize” is extra credit.

TODAY’S ONE-MILE TEST

(with comparison to pace of Tuesday run, if timed then; target was to go faster)

Erik B. – 7:34 (-1:16) day’s 2^nd most improved

James B. – 6:33 (-56 sec.)

Leah – 7:44

Olivia – 8:18

Amina D. – 10:02

Veronica – 12:19

Tori – 7:08 (-58 sec.) day’s 3^rd most improved

Bella – 7:18

Joey – 10:32

Daniel – 8:06

Leticia – 7:52

Katie – 10:18 (-29 sec.)

Aminah K. – 9:58

Scott – 7:21 (-1:44) day’s most improved, earning extra credit

James S. – 7:52

Eric S. – 6:26 (-23 sec.)

YingYing – 11:35

TODAY’S TWO-MILE TEST

(with per-mile pace and comparison to Tuesday run, if timed then; target was to go faster)

Miguel – 20:00 (10:00 pace, +45 sec.)

Jessica – 21:58 (10:59s)

Amanda – 14:18 (7:09s, -49 sec.)

Eleanor – 17:42 (8:51s, -35 sec.)

LESSON 2: WINNING WAYS

A great beauty of running is that it gives everyone a chance to win. Winning isn’t automatic; you still have to work for success and risk failure. But unlike other sports there’s no need to beat an arbitrary standard (such as “par” or an opponent’s score). You measure yourself against your personal records. To the runner, a “PR” does not stand for public relations or an island in the Caribbean. It means “personal record,” and this PR may represent the greatest advance in the history of this sport. The invention of the digital stopwatch worn on the wrist turned everyone into a potential winner. Here was a personal and yet objective way to measure success and progress. It didn’t depend upon beating anyone, but only upon how the new numbers on the watch compared with the old ones.