Eugene Half-Marathon Training

PURPOSE: This round of training targets the Eugene Half-Marathon on May 1^st. We gradually increase the length of weekly long runs, preparing you for a safe and satisfying finish. The Eugene Running Company has sponsored Joe’s Team since 2005.

LOCATIONS: Most of our runs start and finish at the Eugene Running Company (116 Oakway Center, 541-344-6399). About 1½ miles of each run is on city streets. The remainder follows the scenic and safe riverside bike path with its marked distances. Some restrooms are open and others are shut down during winter months; same for water fountains.

COSTS: The fee is $50 (payable at the store and before your program begins). This covers coaching services. Other benefits of Team membership are discounts (at the store) or donated goods and services (by sponsors and friends). You pay your own race entry fee. If you haven’t already entered, do so soon. This step is important, because early entry not only saves you money but also seals your commitment.

Enter at: eugenemarathon.com

ADVISER: Joe Henderson planned this program and is on hand to advise you most weekends. Experienced runners on staff at the Running Company are also available to assist you. You can reach Joe anytime by text (541-953-7179) or email (joesrunteam@gmail.com). Previews and results appear at joeshalfteam.blogspot.com. You’re also invited to join the Facebook group, Joe’s Team Runners.

PREREQUISITES: We want no one to go too far, too soon. A recent run of four miles or longer is highly recommended before entering this program. We also advise that you come into the program with no injury that might interfere with increasing your distances. If you already train beyond the scheduled distances for our early weeks, you can join the group training later.

GROUP RUNS: We focus on the long run, the most important one by far for a would-be half-marathoner. Runs increase by one mile per week. The pace of the runs is meant to be relaxed, especially if you are running these distances for the first time. Walk breaks are an option to make the distances more manageable.

You benefit the most from this program if you take all of these runs with the group (at the prescribed distances and no farther). However, we realize that conflicts come up. If you miss running with us, try to run a similar distance on or near the same day it is scheduled here.

TRAINING PROGRAM

Runs begin at the Running Company, at 8:00 A.M. on Sundays. Bring your preferred drinks and other supplies for delivery during your runs. You start these runs with our marathoners, who usually go longer distances.

Date – Distance

February 28^th – 5 miles to start half-marathon training

March 6^th – 6 miles (Joe is away)

March 13^th – 7 miles

March 20^th – 8 miles

March 27^th – 9 miles

April 3^rd – 10 miles

April 10^th – 11 miles

April 17^th – 6 miles

April 24^th – one hour

May 1^st – Eugene Half at 7:00

The next half-marathon training program will target the Coburg Half in July.

OTHER RUNS: We urge you to run at least three days during the week. With distances increasing quickly here, you need to keep all other runs easy (even easier than they normally might be) to allow full recovery between long ones. The recommended length, in time, is 30 to 60 minutes – or a total of one to two hours for the week, not counting the Sunday run.

Next Up

Yesterday's races ended 2015 running as a team (but not individually, I hope). We'll now take a six-week break, but 2016 training is already taking shape. First up will be the marathon buildup for Eugene, starting January 3rd.

We also will offer an informal group for the Cottage Grove Half, with training beginning in early January (at the same distances through mid-February). Regular half-marathon training, for Eugene, will get going in late February. Wednesday "speed at sunrise" will reappear during March and April.

WEEK 10 LESSON: YOUR RECOVERY

Question: What should I do in the days or weeks after this race?

Answer: One of the most important phases of a training program is also one of the most overlooked. This is what to do AFTER the race. It doesn’t end at the finish line but continues with what you do – or don’t do – in the immediate and extended period afterward. One popular rule of thumb is to allow at least one easy day for every mile of the race (about two weeks after a half-marathon). One day per kilometer (or three weeks post-half) might work even better if the race was especially tough. During this period, take no really long runs, none very fast, and avoid further racing. Run easily until the prospect of training for another race excites you.

EWEB Run to Stay Warm Results

Run to stay warm, indeed! This might have been the coldest in nine years of these races. Which didn't necessarily mean it was unfriendly running weather, as evidenced by the fast times you posted. Most of you from our current team ran faster pace today than in the longest training run.

Special praise to Amy (who trained with us virtually from Roseburg), Kathie and Jeanette for their age-group placings. Thanks to  Tonya, Rachel, Sara and Evan for coming out to cheer. The photo below pictures our group from Saturday's farewell to Laurel and Matt run. 

TODAY'S EWEB HALF-MARATHON RESULTS

(with fall team's official times and paces for 13.1 miles)

Neal -- 2:33:45 (11:45 pace)
Gina -- 2:03:38 (9:27s)
Jean -- 2:15:11 (10:20s)
Tatiana -- 2:21:00 (10:46s)
Jeff  D. -- 2:12:22 (10:07s)
Amy -- 1:51:06 (8:29s) 2nd in age-group
Kathie -- half in 2:12:59 (10:10s) 2nd in age-group
Sean -- 1:47:23 (8:12s)
Michelle R. -- 1:59:25 (9:07s)
Desiree (with Chase) -- 2:15:29 (10:21s)
Cindy -- half in 1:57:31 (8:59s)
Joy -- 1:56:37 (8:55s)
Nobuko -- 2:28:53 (11:19s)
Russell -- 1:41:37 (7:46s)
Rhonda -- 2:33:49 (11:45s)

TODAY'S EWEB 10K RESULTS

(with fall team's official times for 6.2 miles)

Michele C. -- 1:02:23 (10:03s)
Danuta -- 1:04:43 (10:25s)
Stephanie -- 1:02:25 (10:03s)
Jeanette -- 59:53 (9:39s) 3rd in age-group

OTHER EWEB RESULTS

(for runners from our summer and Facebook teams)

Audrey -- 10K in 1:17:08 (12:25s)
David -- half in ??
Sam -- half in 1:30:31 (6:55s) 3rd in age-group
Randy -- half in 1:46:31 (8:08s)
Julie -- half in 1:59:24 (9:07s)
Jeff M. -- half 1:52:37 (8:36s)
Jeanine -- half in 2:33:16 (11:42s)
Sergio -- half in 1:35:18 (7:17s)
Lauren -- 10K in 1:03:42 (10:15s)
Trevor -- 5K in 21:07 (6:48s) 1st in age-group

EWEB Run to Stay Warm Preview

Race day is near. It's Sunday at EWEB Plaza, with the half-marathon starting at 9:00 and the 10K at 9:15. You can find packet pickup and course details at... eweb.org/runtostaywarm.

I'll be there to greet you at the start area from about eight o'clock on. And at the DeFazio footbridge (Alton Baker Park) 5.5 miles into the half and 2.5 miles of the 10K. The race will supply drinks, so I won't be lugging the crate. Weather forecast: chilly (starting temperature in 30s) and dry.

We have a 30-minute bonus run on Saturday morning, as a farewell to teammate Laurel who's moving to Boston. This easy run starts/ends at the Valley River footbridge (mall side) at 8:00.

WEEK 9 LESSON: YOUR STRATEGY

Question: What is the best way to pace myself during the half-marathon?

Answer: Even if you’ve done everything right in training, you can cancel all that good with as little as one wrong move on race day. The first and worst bad move is to bolt from the starting line far faster than your training pace. Crowd hysteria and your own raging nervous system conspire to send you into the race as if fired from a cannon. Try to work against the forces of the crowd and your natural desires. Pull back the mental reins at a time when the voices inside are shouting, “Faster!” Be cautious in your early pacing, erring on the side of too-slow rather than too-fast. Hold something in reserve for the late miles. This is where you reward yourself for your early caution, by passing instead of being passed. Being the passer rather than the passee is a lot more fun.

November 15th Results (6.1 miles & others)

This last training run for EWEB (and for the year) covered some of the early miles as next week's races. In midweek I'll post a preview of that half-marathon and 10K.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this rainy morning. You can find Michael's photos on his website,
http://gallery.longrunpictures.com/TrainingRuns/Joes-Training-Teams/201515ml-joes-team-6-miles/i-xcLgmF7

TODAY'S 6.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 6.15, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace, for recovery, or to go faster, for speed training)

Gina -- 53:56 (8:46 pace, -2:24 per mile) day's most improved
Jeff -- 1:01:28 (9:59s, -35 sec.)
Stephanie -- 1:14:00 (12:02s, -20 sec.)
Laurel -- 54:14 (8:49s, -1 sec.) day's best pacer
Sean -- 50:55 (8:16s, -4 sec.)
Michelle R. -- 54:14 (8:49s)
Desiree -- 1:13:07 (11:53s, -51 sec.)
Rachel -- 54:14 (8:49s, -4 sec.)
Jeanette -- 54:30 (8:52s, -54 sec.)
Nobuko -- 1:14:00 (12:02s, +6 sec.)
Russell -- 50:55 (8:16s, -20 sec.)
Rhonda -- 1:08:50 (11:11s, +13 sec.)

Guests:

Gina's husband Ken -- 53:56 (8:46s)
Laurel's mom Anne -- 1:08:50 (11:11s)
Laurel's dad Jeff -- 54:14 (8:49s)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS

(if reported to me)

Neal -- ran in Florida
Amy -- 9 miles on Saturday in Roseburg
Russell -- 21 miles on Friday

November 15th Preview

This isn't only the last training run before the EWEB Half. It's also our the final one as a team in 2015.

Our distance is six miles, from the Eugene Running Company at 8:00. The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Alton Baker restrooms. Through parking lot onto road, past Autzen Stadium to end of road at canal. Follow canal path to I-5 underpass. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way. GPS distance is 6.12 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery near the dog park (about 1.5 and 4.5 miles). Weather forecast: wet again, with starting temperature in 40s.

WEEK 8 LESSON: YOUR TAPER

Question: How much should I run the last week before the race?

Answer: Run as little as your conscience will allow. It’s too late now, with the half-marathon just days away, to do anything that will make the race go better. But it’s never too late to make a mistake – most commonly running too far or too fast – that will come back to bite you on race day. Take at least as many rest days as you would before a weekly training run. Take nothing longer than you would on a normal week’s easy run, and ideally shorter. You won’t forget how to run this week, and you’ll race better the more rested you are.

November 8th Results (11 miles & others)

A minority of our current team ran a majority of the EWEB Half-Marathon course today. Of these 11 miles, you'll see about nine of them again -- in the opposite direction -- on November 22nd.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this rainy morning.

TODAY'S 11 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10.96, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 2:02:25 (11:10 pace, -13 sec. per mile)
Gina -- 2:02:25 (11:10s, -15 sec.)
Jeff -- 1:55:45 (10:34s, +18 sec.)
Jenna -- 1:55:45 (10:34s, +18 sec.)
Sean -- 1:31:30 (8:20s, -1 sec.) day's best pacer
Rhonda -- 11.9 miles in 2:10:58 (10:58s, -27 sec.) including Duck 5K

TODAY'S SILVER FALLS HALF-MARATHON

(official results for runners from our fall and summer teams; with per-mile pace on muddy, hilly trails)

Jean -- 2:47:33 (12:48s)
Tatiana -- 2:47:33 (12:48s)
Mike -- 1:52:08 (8:34s)
Laurel --2:15:42 (10:22s)
Evan -- 2:15:41 (10:22s)
Michelle R.  -- 2:15:41 (10:22s)
Trevor -- 1:53:28 (8:40s)
Elly -- 2:13:14 (10:11s)
Jeanette -- 2:23:43 (10:59s)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS AND RACES

(for current teammates, if reported to me)

Michelle C. -- 7 miles with us today, 1:14:19 (10:36s)
Amy -- half-marathon in West Linn on Saturday, 2:00:55 (9:14s)
Rose -- 5 miles with us today
Nobuko -- 11.5 miles in Portland today
Russell -- 13.1 miles in Portland today
Rhonda -- Run with the Duck 5K today, 32:27 (10:27s)

November 8th Preview

On a busy Sunday of racing -- with Silver Falls, Autumn Trails and UO Run with the Duck all happening -- we also peak in EWEB Half training that day. Our distance is 11 miles, with an eight o'clock start from the store.

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Autzen footbridge and across. Turn right, past Ferry and Valley River, to Owosso footbridge and across. Back to Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.96 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Ferry Street (three miles) and Owosso (6.5 miles). Weather forecast: chilly and rainy, with starting temperature in the 40s.

WEEK 7 LESSON: YOUR POTENTIAL

Question: What can I expect my half-marathon race time to be?

Answer: The best predictor of the final race result, I’ve found with previous marathon and half teams, is the pace of the longest training run. For a half-marathon, for instance, a runner who trained at 9:00 per mile (for the 11 miles at which our program peaks) can expect to finish the race at very close to that pace. Nearly all of our runners come within 15 seconds, plus or minus – or 8:45 to 9:15 in this example. As with any reliable gauge, this one isn’t based on what you dream of maybe doing someday but instead on what you really have done lately. I don’t say this to drain any of the mystery or surprise from your racing. Mainly I want you to know going into the race what a smart starting pace for you will be. Running at that rate early will assure a better finish.

November 1st Results (10.1 miles & others)

Well, at least the first hour of today's run stayed dry. Time to get used to rain again, now that we're into November.

Next Sunday, about equal numbers of our runners will go 11 miles in Eugene and 13.1 in the Silver Falls Half.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this morning.

TODAY'S 10.1 MILES FOR EWEB HALF

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10.15, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 1:55:39 (11:23 pace, -2 sec. per mile) day's best pacer
Michele C. -- 1:56:11 (11:30s, +32 sec.)
Jeff -- 1:44:12 (10:16s, -8 sec.)
Danuta -- 2:09:20 (12:44s, +8 sec.)
Sean -- 1:24:51 (8:21s, -12 sec.)
Evan -- 1:29:17 (8:47s, no target)
Desiree -- 2:09:20 (12:44s, +8 sec.)
Nobuko -- 2:01:15 (11:56s, -31 sec.)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS AND RACES

(with with us today or reported to me from elsewhere; * = tapering for Silver Falls Half next Sunday, which Tatiana, Mike, Evan, Michelle R. and Jeanette also will run)

Gina -- 10 miles on Monday, 1:32:19 (9:14s)
*Jean -- 7 miles with us
Amy -- 10K race in Ashland on Saturday, 57:36 (9:17s)
Stephanie -- 5 miles with us, 1:01:47 (12:22s)
*Laurel -- 5 miles with us
Rose -- 7 miles with us
Rachel -- 5 miles with us
*Joy -- 5 miles with us
Russell -- 20.1 miles today, 3:01:15 (9:00s) for Cal. Intl. Marathon
Rhonda -- 5 miles with us, 1:01:47 (12:22s)

November 1st Preview

Prepare to get wet on Sunday's 10.1-mile run. Prepare also for the post-Halloween morning and the switch back to standard time. Our start at the new 8:00 will be the old 9:00.

Our route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to Autzen footbridge (brick crosswalk). Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.15 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Skinner Butte playground (about 3.5 and 6.6 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in low 50s and rain all but guaranteed.

WEEK 6 LESSON: YOUR SPEED

Question: Should I train for speed during the week? And can I run short-distance races to improve my speed?

Answer: Do nothing for speed that might interfere with going long. Distance is far more important than speed in this training program. You’re mainly preparing here to go the 13.1 miles, not to meet or beat a time goal. Never substitute fast for long. Add a fast-training day in midweek only if you have recovered fully from the latest long run, or if you can be ready in time for the next one. Run a race only if it replaces one a training run of similar length scheduled that weekend. Running a short race does give you experience in dealing with the race-day atmosphere, which differs greatly from ours during training.

October 25th Results (9.1 miles & others)

Rain made today's run feel like it's already November. Speaking of which, the time will "fall back" by an hour next Sunday for our 10-mile run.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store for us today.

TODAY'S 9.1 MILES FROM ERC

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.15, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 1:44:34 (11:25 pace, -55 sec. per mile)
Gina -- 1:44:32 (11:25s, +1:51)
Jeff -- 1:35:15 (10:24s, +9 sec.)
Jenna -- 1:35:15 (10:24s, no target)
Sean -- 1:18:16 (8:33s, -2 sec.) day's best pacer
Jeanette -- 1:29:20 (9:46s, -5 sec.)
Nobuko -- 1:54 (12:27s, +14 sec.)
Rhonda -- 1:44:32 (11:25s, -55 sec.)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS

(if reported to me)

Amy -- 8 miles in Portland on Sunday

Stephanie -- half-marathon trail race in Sisters on Saturday, 2:49:28 (12:56s)
Laurel -- 12 trail miles on Sunday
Michelle R. -- 12 trail miles on Sunday
Desiree -- 9 miles early on Sunday
Russell -- 10.15 miles on Sunday, 1:27:25 (8:36s, +10 sec.)

October 25th Preview

Last step before double-figure mileage this Sunday (with 9.1). And last stop before EWEB race month (and time change) of November.

The route (with an eight o'clock start from the Eugene Running Company): Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Autzen footbridge and across. Turn right, to Valley River footbridge and turn AROUND. Back the same way: Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 9.15 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Ferry Street, both directions (about three and six miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in high 40s with rain likely.

WEEK 5 LESSON: YOUR PACE

Question: How fast should my long runs be?

Answer: Let your pace find itself. Don’t try to force an arbitrary pace (such as a half-marathon time goal) onto these runs. Instead, run comfortably, letting whatever happens with your pace happen. Finish with the feeling that you could have gone a little longer that day, which you will do soon enough. Our more experienced runners might want to train for speed during the week. I recommend that this come between Tuesday and Thursday to give enough recovery from the last long run and before the next one. If you run a shorter-distance race during this training period, make it easy. A full effort there would conflict with your weekend long run, which is far more important during this training cycle.

October 18th Results (8 miles & others)

Marathons done, we now focus on halves for the fall. While the training aims primarily at the EWEB Half, a good number of our teammates will run two weeks earlier at Silver Falls.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this morning. And to Laurel for helping on the course, after organizing a group trail run on Saturday.

Next Sunday's distance is nine miles, with an 8:00 start from the Running Company.

TODAY'S 8-MILE RUN

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 8.00, and comparison to last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 1:38:44 (12:20 pace, +38 sec. per mile)
Jeff -- 1:22:02 (10:15s, +10 sec.)
Danuta -- 1:40:56 (12:36s, +11 sec.)
Desiree -- 1:40:56 (12:36s, +11 sec.)
Rachel -- 1:11:11 (8:53s, -1:51)
Jeanette -- 1:18:52 (9:51s, no target)
Nobuko -- 1:37:47 (12:13s, +2 sec.) best pacer
Rhonda -- 1:38:44 (12:20s, +1:22)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS AND RACES

(if reported to me)

Michele C. -- ran Saturday before Mexico vacation

Gina -- Hop to Hop 10K on Sunday, her birthday!
Jean -- 5.9 miles with us, after trail run on Saturday
Tatiana -- 5.9 miles with us, after trail run on Saturday
Stephanie -- ran in Ashland on Sunday
Laurel -- 10 trail miles on Saturday
Michelle R. -- 10 trail miles on Saturday
Russell -- 17.5 miles on Sunday, 2:39:11 (9:05s)

October 18th Preview

After two weeks away for various races, we're back to business as usual here in Eugene: a Sunday run of eight miles with an eight o'clock start from the Running Company.

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. To Ferry Street and turn AROUND. Then back the same way, Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 8.10 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at turnaround. Weather forecast: starting temperature in low 50s with slight chance of rain. 

WEEK 4 LESSON: YOUR EXTRAS

Question: If I have raced this distance before, can or should I do more training than this program lists?

Answer: More isn’t necessarily better. For these months, please buy into this program of long runs as written. It has a proven record of success, with runners who follow this training plan the closest usually doing the best in our designated race of the season. Stick to the scheduled distances on Sundays, neither shorter nor longer, and take as many of these runs as possible with the group. The average increase of one mile week already pushes the safe limit of 10 percent, and one of the goals here is to keep you healthy throughout the program. Adding extra miles could put you at risk of injury, and a goal is to get you safely to the starting line.

October 11th Results (Victoria & others)

We had an impromptu team reunion north of the border this weekend. A dozen of our runners past and present met at the Victoria Marathon, some to run that distance, more in the half and others playing support roles (that's you, Rachel!).

Meanwhile we had runners half-marathoning in California and 10K-ing between Washington and Oregon.  Back home, groups gathered on Saturday or Sunday for training on the Row River Trail and the Dorris Ranch path.

VICTORIA RESULTS

(runners from summer or fall teams, with official chip-timed results)

Neal -- half in 2:35:18 (11:55 pace)
Mike -- half in 1:52:03 (8:36s) 
Joe -- half walk in 2:58:07 (13:39s)
Laurel -- finished half
Lauren -- half in 2:28:27 (11:23s) 

Alumni and others:

Kasey Cutsworth -- marathon in 4:56:59 (11:20s) her first
Jenna Fribley -- half in 2:24:55 (11:07s)
Elissa Gavette -- half in 2:42:35 (12:28s) her first
Stephanie (Weaver) Laurie -- half in 2:24:55 (11:07s)
Steve Laurie -- half in 1:22:18 (6:19s) 
Steve Modee -- marathon in 4:56:59 (11:20s)
Shannon Oliver -- marathon in 4:19:16 (9:54s) PR
Alyse Stone -- half walk in 3:54:17 (17:58s)

OTHER RACES

Amy -- Great Columbia Crossing 10K in 53:12 (8:35s)
Kathie -- Healdsburg, CA, Half in 2:12:02 (10:05s)

TEAM TRAINING

(if reported to me)

Jean and Tatiana at Dorris on Saturday
Nobuko and Russell and Row on Saturday
Stephanie, Michele C., Gina and David at Dorris on Sunday
Jeff, 7.5 miles on Sunday

October 11th Preview

With marathon recovery barely started for some of you and races to run this Sunday for others, we take a breather from weekend training in Eugene. The next step up in distance, to eight miles, will come next week.

Elsewhere, Kathie Hledik runs a half-marathon in Healdsburg, California, this Sunday. Laurel Mathiesen, Neal Benson and I go that same distance in Victoria, BC. Amy Goddard runs the Great Columbia Crossing between Washington and Oregon.

Others with team ties to cross the Canadian border are Steve Modee (with support from Rachel and Mike Frede) and Shannon Oliver for the marathon and Lauren Somers (from our speed group) for the half or 8K. Neal's wife Alyse Stone walks the half. Stephanie (Weaver) Laurie comes up from Houston with her new team to run that distance.

I realize that many of you have other agendas this fall besides the Run to Stay Warm Half. But our team's training plan remains focused on that EWEB race. You can adjust yours individually as needed.