Eugene Half Preview

It’s here at last, the Eugene Half-Marathon. Two months after our group training began, the big morning that once seemed so far away is so near that it appears in the week’s weather forecast. Those conditions: Sunday morning temperature of 45 at 7:00 start time and 59 at 10 o'clock, sunny and dry.

Weekend plans and tips:

Pick up packet at soccer fields west of Hayward Field on Friday (1:00 to 6:00 P.M.) or Saturday (9:00 to 6:00 P.M.). Parking on or near campus is tight, so consider leaving your car at Civic Stadium (the one that burned), 20th and Oak, and taking the free race shuttle from there. It runs every 10 minutes during expo hours.

On Sunday morning I’ll station myself in front of the Law School, 15^th and Agate, from six o’clock on. Due to security restrictions, I can take none of your excess clothing or other supplies to the finish area.

I’ll stand at Agate and 15^th to watch most of you at about your nine-mile mark. I need to leave there by 8:30 to see our first half-marathoners finish.

Michael Lebowitz will shoot photos before, during (at nine miles) and after your race. Save a smile for the finish line. Tears of joy, and relief, are okay too.

Nothing will contribute more to your final result than starting at the right pace for you. What’s “right”? Close to the pace of your longest training run with the team. This means you need to feel like you’re holding back in the early miles. If designated pace leaders match your needs, start with them.

You’ll run the last 200 meters on the famous Hayward Field track. Remember to look up and left to see yourself on the big screen. I’ll be near the finish line. If you don’t want a hug from me, hide in a crowd or keep running out the gate after you finish!

If you enlist pacers who aren’t entered, ask them to stop short of the Hayward gate. Only runners wearing visible numbers are allowed onto the track.

Parking on race day will be difficult in the campus area. You’ll do better taking a shuttle from one of the remote spots: at the Valley River Inn, Autzen Stadium, Eugene Hilton, or Springfield Holiday Inn Express. Shuttles start running at 5:30 A.M.

The best places to watch on the course: (1) near 18^th and Agate for the start and the ninth mile; (2) Hilyard and 33^rd, about three and six miles; (3) Valley River Center, about 18 miles and then 22 by walking across the footbridge. Drive to the west of the course to avoid road closures and delays. Don’t even think about riding on the bike path portions; it’s too crowded.

Your fans can see the finish at Hayward Field, with only the west grandstand open. You can reunite with them at the artificial-turf field, adjacent to the finish area, as you exit the track.

If you have late problems, text or call me at 541-953-7179.

Worry is normal this week. Some of you even use the words “freaking out.” I’m available for psychological counseling all week. The most comforting statistic I can give you is this: 99.5 percent of our past runners who’ve reached the starting line have finished (illness on race day or pre-existing injury, not a race-caused problem, stopped the other 0.5). If you get to the start healthy, you’re almost certain to cross the finish line.

WEEK 10 LESSON: YOUR SUCCESS

Question: How can I judge how well I run in the half-marathon?

Answer: A great beauty of running is that it gives everyone a chance to win. Winning isn’t automatic. You still have to work for success and risk failure, especially when the event is a half-marathon. But unlike other sports there’s no need to beat an arbitrary standard (such as “par” or an opponent’s score). You measure yourself against your personal record – which you might be setting for the first time in this half. To the runner, the personal record, or PR, represents one of the greatest advance in the history of this sport. The invention of the digital stopwatch worn on the wrist turned everyone into a potential winner. Here was a personal and yet objective way to measure success and progress. No one can set a PR but you. No one can break a PR but you.