June 26th Preview

It’s time already for our traditional, once-per-training-cycle field trip to the Row River Trail near Cottage Grove. The distance is 10 miles this Sunday, with an 8:00 start from the Mosby Creek trailhead. (We’re running the 10 instead of the 11 down there because the following Sunday is busy enough with the holiday weekend.) Directions to that spot and an offer to carpool or caravan, from the Eugene Running Company, come to you by email.

The route: start at the bridge near trailhead parking lot. Head east and south on paved path to the “8.0” milepost. Turn AROUND there, then back to Mosby Creek. GPS distance is 10.10 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at four and six miles (same spot, the “7.0” milepost). Weather forecast: sunny with starting temperature in 50s, rising quickly toward an afternoon high in mid-80s.

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.