April 4th Preview

I toss a double switch at you this weekend. You run on Saturday, and at the Row River Trail. The first change is to avoid conflicts with Easter plans. The second is to give a change of scene for your eight-mile run.

Scenic and serene Row River is near Cottage Grove, which requires some extra driving but is worth it. Directions are in this week's email. The trail is paved and marked every half-mile. There's a restroom with water fountain at the parking lot.

The route, from the Mosby Creek Trailhead: 3.0 milepost (at a bridge near the parking lot) to 7.0 and back.

Bring a drink for delivery at the turnaround. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with light rain possible.

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. 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.