August 7th Preview

We’re back at it with Florence Half training this Sunday, and we’ll stay at it every weekend through the September 25^th race. You will run the first 3.1 miles this Sunday with the marathoners, who are going on 15.

The 10-kilometer route (from Eugene Running Company at 8:00): 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 “1.5” milepost at senior center. Turn AROUND there and back the same way: Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 6.19 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at turnaround and finish. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 50s and partly cloudy.

WEEK 3 LESSON: YOUR WEEK

Question: What should I do during the week, between long runs?

Answer: On weekdays “rest” and “easy” are the key words. The biggest mistake half-marathon trainers make is trying to increase all their running. The longer you go on Sundays, the less you can or should do the other days. My recommended easy run is one lasting 30 to 60 minutes (usually closer to the half-hour than the hour) at a relaxed pace, totaling no more than two hours of running between Sundays. Training by minutes instead of miles encourages you to run easily, because you can’t rush time the way you might do with distance. I also urge you to take a day or two off (easy cross-training is okay those days) after the long run and one rest day before the next one.