Class 4 (slow/fast 16 & 32 minutes)

Today’s by-time run served several purposes. Introducing a friendly element of competition (with each of you having an equal chance of finishing first in your event) was one of those, but the lesser one.

More important was the lesson in starting slower and finishing faster. Most runners make the mistake of doing the opposite, beginning too fast and paying later with a slower finish. Here the emphasis was on slow then fast. Though this was a “time” run, it gave you about one or two miles fast, as is usual on our Thursdays.

Tuesday’s distance will step up to 2.5 or 5.0 miles. This will take the river route.

TODAY’S SLOW/FAST “16 MINUTES”

(with actual time and comparison of second half with first; target was a minus time for your return, which indicated a “negative split”)

Amina – 15:49 (-11 sec.)

Tyler – 15:11 (-49 sec.) 1^st to finish this event, earning extra credit

Elizabeth – 15:35 (-25 sec.)

TODAY’S SLOW/FAST “32 MINUTES”

(same information as above)

Alex – 30:29 (-1:31)

Daniel – 31:02 (-58 sec.)

Gentry – 30:29 (-1:31)

Noe – 30:08 (-1:52)

Philip – 28:57 (-3:03) 1^st to finish this event, earning extra credit

Wyatt – 33:58 (+1:58)

Bill – 31:34 (-26 sec.)

Calvin – ran extra time

Omar – 29:33 (-2:27)

Kyle – 29:14 (-2:46) 2^nd to finish this event

Colleen – 30:32 (-1:28)

LESSON 4: BIG DAYS

Most runs need to be easy. This is true whether you’re a beginning racer or an elite athlete. (Of course, the definition of “easy” varies hugely for these groups; easy for the elite would be impossible for the beginner.) Training for the distance and pace of races, and actually running these events, is a prescription item, best taken in proper, well-spaced doses. New racers are wise to limit themselves to one big day a week. On this day, run longer than normal (as long as the longest race distance but at a slower pace) or faster than normal on this day (as fast as the fastest race pace but for a shorter distance), or go to the starting line in a race (combining full distance at full pace). Experienced racers can put a long run AND a fast run into the same week, but don’t want to squeeze both of these PLUS a race into one week.