April 30th Results (one hour)

What began as long ago as snowy January concluded today in gray almost-May. It's all over now but the racing. I'll send details in the next few days about plans for half/marathon day.

Thanks to Neal for helping on the course this morning.

TODAY'S ONE-HOUR RUN

(runners listed but no exact time, distance or pace recorded for most of you; target was to relax while tapering for next week's race)

Bill
Jan (ran 11 miles for his race a week after Eugene)
Michele (ran 8 miles for her race later)
Jean
Tatiana
Mike
Stephanie
Gary
Lauren
Kyoko
Leah K.
Alisha
Rachel L.
Anna
Trina
Rhonda

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Daniel -- 5.5 and 4.0 miles with Tuesday-Thursday UO class
Kyoko -- 45 minutes with Saturday team

Julie -- 7.9 miles at 8:18 pace in Salem on Sunday

Two photo choices: one without Rhonda, the other without me. Someone had to hold the camera phone!

April 30th Preview

Everybody runs as one this Sunday, and nobody runs by distance. (I know, of course, that you’ll check, but I won’t record.) This will be our traditional one-hour run to end the training cycle. Two reasons: By-time runs remove the pressure of pace; an hour takes 60 minutes no matter how easily you run… And unlike all other runs, you all will finish close together; that’s important because you’ll see few of your teammates on race day.

This run will not be the Eugene Running Company. Instead we’ll meet at the new Mill Race Path in Springfield for an 8:00 start. If you haven’t been there, you’re in for a real treat. (Directions are coming by email.)

The route: go east from trailhead to intersection with Middle Fork Path, then left until your 30-minute mark. Turn around there and come back the same way.

Bring a drink for delivery at Jasper trailhead, in both directions. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with rain possible.

WEEK EIGHT 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.

April 23rd (11.1 miles)

This was the last time in this training cycle that we'll meet at the Eugene Running Company. (Next week it's a "field trip" to the Mill Race Path in Springfield, then after that the race weekend.) Thanks once more to Lindsey Taylor and Bob Coll for supporting us on this journey.

TODAY'S 11.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 11.15; target was to run at your current half-marathon pace)

Bill -- 1:58:20 (10:36 pace)
Jan -- ran untimed
Michele -- 6.9 miles in 1:17 (11:09s)
Jean -- ran untimed
Stephanie -- 2:05:28 (11:15s)
Gary -- 1:41:36 (9:06s)
Lauren -- 1:37:02 (8:42s)
Renee -- ran untimed
Rachel L. -- 1:34 (8:26s)
Scott -- 1:34 (8:26s)
Rhonda -- 2:05:28 (11:15s)

TODAY'S 10.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10.15; target was to run current marathon pace, for recovery and taper, or half-marathon pace, for speed training)

Mike -- 1:15:36 (7:26 pace)
Kyoko -- 1:44:26 (10:17s)
Leah W. -- 1:47:50 (10:37s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal -- in Florida
Jean -- 11 miles on Saturday
Tatiana -- 10-mile race in Seattle on Saturday
Daniel -- 5 miles on Tuesday in UO class
Kyoko -- 12 miles on Saturday
Alisha -- 11 miles on Friday at 8:52s
Jessica N. -- 2-hour run on Tuesday
Trina -- 11 miles in Bend at 12:22s

April 23rd Preview

An oddity of scheduling lets you run LONGER than our marathoners this Sunday – 11 miles for you, 10 for them. It’s your longest planned distance in this training cycle.

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, then to Autzen footbridge and across. Past Valley River footbridge, to "1.0" milepost. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at 4.2 miles and 6.7 miles (small playground at “0.25” milepost). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with rain possible.

WEEK SEVEN 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.

April 15th Results (10 miles)

Thanks to Eugene Marathon director Richard Maher and his good people for supporting today's Preview Run. It covered only a small portion of the miles you'll see on May 7th -- when traffic will be controlled and stoplights/signs ignored.

TODAY'S 10 MILES

(with per-mile pace; times might have been slowed by frequent stoplights and signs; target was to run at your expected half-marathon pace)

Bill -- 10.7 miles in 1:43:06 (9:39 pace)
Jan -- 1:48:33 (10:51s)
Stephanie -- 1:53:25 (11:20s)
Gary -- 1:31:00 (9:06s)
Lauren -- 1:34:32 (9:27s)
Renee -- ran untimed
Scott -- about 13.8 miles in 2:11 (9:30s); longest run ever!
Trina -- 2:06 (12:36s)

TODAY'S 21 MILES

(with per-mile pace; times might have been slowed by frequent stoplights and signs; target was to run at your expected marathon pace)

Mike -- 2:54 (8:17 pace)
Kyoko -- 3:41:33 (10:33s)
Anna -- 2:43:14 (7:46s) longest run ever!
Leah W. -- 3:36:43 (10:14s)
Rhonda -- 4:09:11 (11:52s)

Alumni runners

Dan Kerrigan -- 22 miles
Jerry Stromme -- 17.5 miles
Russell Wingard -- 21 miles

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal -- ran earlier Saturday
Michele -- Hot Springs 5-mile trail race on Saturday
Tori -- 8 miles on Monday
Gary -- 5K race on Thursday in 24:53 (8:01s)
Julie -- 5K race in Boston on Saturday, 23:15 (7:30s)
Leah K. -- 2 hours in Florida on Sunday
Alisha -- 10 miles on Saturday at 9:11s
Rachel L. -- 10 miles on Saturday at 8:40s
Jessica N. -- 6.5 miles on Tuesday at 12:28s

April 15th Preview

We’ll join the Eugene Marathon preview run this SATURDAY (with no training scheduled from the Running Company on Easter Sunday). Your distance is about 10 miles, with an eight o’clock start from the turf fields, west of Hayward on 15^th Avenue.

I’m emailing the route map. The run takes you into Springfield, then back to the DeFazio footbridge (in Alton Baker Park), where you split from the marathoners, cross that bridge and return to where you started. I say “about 10 miles” because this route has not been accurately measured.

Bring a drink for delivery at about five miles, on Centennial Boulevard. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with little chance of rain.

WEEK SIX 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 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.

April 9th Results (9 miles)

ROur next run will come sooner than usual. This SATURDAY of Easter weekend, we’ll join the Eugene Marathon preview from the University of Oregon campus. It will cover the Springfield and river-path portions of the race course. I’ll supply details in midweek.

Thanks to Kellen for opening the store this morning (in place of Lindsey, who was running a marathon in Washington; she ran 3:16:00 and won her age group).

TODAY’S 9 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.05; target was to run at your expected half-marathon pace)

Bill – 1:23:13 (9:11 pace)

Jan – 1:39:04 (10:17s)

Jean – ran untimed

Stephanie – 1:38:51 (10:55s)

Lauren – 1:17:20 (8:32s)

Renee – ran untimed

Alisha – 5.8 miles in 52:58 (9:04s)

Rachel L. – 1:17:09 (8:30s)

Scott – 1:17:30 (8:34s)

TODAY’S 10.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10:15; target was to run at your expected marathon pace or better)

Mike – 1:15:59 (7:29 pace)

Gary – 1:34:12 (9:17s)
Kyoko -- 1:43:47 (10:13s)

Leah K. – 23 miles in 3:13:46 (8:25s)

Leah W. – 1:47:29 (10:35s)

Rhonda – 1:51:53 (11:01s)

Guest

Sean – 1:26:00 (8:28s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal – Corvallis Half-Marathon on Sunday in 2:19:33 (10:40s)

Jean – 10 miles on Saturday

Daniel – UO 2-mile on Thursday in 16:13 (8:06s)

Julie -- Corvallis Half in 1:44:20 (7:59s) PR!

Scott – UO 2-mile on Thursday in 13:18 (6:39s)

Trina – 6K race on Sunday

April 9th Preview

It’s your last stop before double-figure mileage this Sunday. You go nine miles, the first 4.5 of those with our marathoners.

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 right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to east end of EWEB property. Turn AROUND at bike-path exit and come back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 9.05 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at turnaround (4.5 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with little chance of rain.

WEEK FIVE 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.

April 2nd Results (8 miles)

You earned your team shirts, those of you who ran with us this morning. The rest of you will get yours the next time we meet. Thank Bob Coll at the Eugene Running Company for arranging this prize.

Thanks to Lindsey for opening the store this morning. And to Michele (Shelli) for helping on the course.

TODAY'S 8 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 7.95, unless you gave me your actual distance; target was to run at your eventual half-marathon pace)

Neal -- 1:32 (11:34 pace)
Bill -- 1:17 (9:30s)
Jan -- 1:28 (11:04s)
Jean -- 4.8 miles untimed
Tatiana -- 4.8 miles untimed
Rachel F. -- 5 miles untimed
Stephanie -- 1:32 (11:34s)
Renee -- ran untimed
Alisha -- 1:10 (8:48s)
Rachel L. -- 1:10 (8:48s)
Trina -- 1:41 (12:42s)

TODAY'S 18.8 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 18.81, unless you gave me your actual distance; target was to run at your eventual marathon pace)

Mike -- 2:32:04 (8:00 pace)
Gary -- 16.5 miles at about 9:30s
Kyoko -- 3:27:30 (11:00s)
Leah K. -- 2:32:12 (8:00s)
Leah W. -- 3:36:04 (11:36s)
Rhonda -- 3:44:58 (11:58s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Michele -- trail run on Saturday
Stephanie -- 9-mile trail run on Saturday
Kyoko -- 14 miles on Saturday
Julie -- 22 miles in Salem on Saturday, 3:00 (8:09s)
Leah W. -- Color 5K on Saturday