Class 3

You increase the distance by relatively small amounts from Tuesday to Tuesday – a quarter-mile each week for the shorter run, a half-mile for the longer. But these steps will add up to a doubling of the original length by term’s end.

Thursday’s run will be by time instead of distance. You’ll go out for eight or 16 minutes (approximately a mile or two), then come back faster. This will simulates the feel of pushing the pace in the latter half of a race. 

TODAY’S 2.25 MILES

(with per-mile pace and comparison to last Tuesday’s run; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Lyanne – ran untimed

Amina – 21:35 (9:35 pace, -1:09 per mile)

Maca – 20:17 (9:00s, -37 sec.)

TODAY’S 4.5 MILES

(same info as above)

Erik – 41:24 (9:12s, +7 sec.)

Alex – 39:48 (8:50s, -16 sec.)

Jessica D. – 42:03 (9:20s, +3 sec.) day’s 2^nd best pacer

Jannik – 37:27 (8:19s, -18 sec.)

Rana – 37:13 (8:17s, -20 sec.)

Miles – 37:56 (8:25s, no target)

Claire – 37:15 (8:17s, -53 sec.)

Scott – 9 miles on Sunday

Jessica N. – 6.5 miles today

Chelsea – 45:24 (10:05s, -16 sec.)

Julian – 37:27 (8:19s, -18 sec.)

Alli – 42:03 (9:20s, +6 sec.) day’s 3^rd best pacer

Arthur – 37:45 (8:23s, -14 sec.)

James – 37:07 (8:14s, +2 sec.) best pacer, earning extra credit; after 8 miles on weekend

LESSON 3: YOUR PACE

Pace has two meanings, one mathematical and the other physical. The first – a key figure for any runner to know – is a calculation of your minutes/seconds per mile. Divide the total time by the distance (remembering to convert seconds to tenths of a minute; an 8:30 mile is 8.5 minutes). The second meaning is even more important: how you find your best pace. On most runs, this means pacing yourself comfortably – neither too fast nor too slow. There are several ways to arrive at that pace. The most technical is to wear a heart-rate monitor and to run between 70 and 80 percent of maximum pulse. Another is to know your maximum speed for that distance, then add one to two minutes per mile. The simplest: Listen to your breathing; if you aren’t gasping for air and can talk while you run, your pace is not too fast. Your effort should stay constant through the run, but your pace-per-mile seldom does. Expect the pace to pick up as you warm up.