November 2nd Preview

Ten miles this Sunday, your next-to-longest training step upward before the half-marathon. Eight o'clock start from the Eugene Running Company. Remember, that's a change to STANDARD time (or what would have been 9:00 the day before).

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge, then onto bike path. Turn left and follow river to I-5. Left, along the freeway to canal path. Left, to road, then follow it to Alton Baker Park. Circle pond, then back the same way: road, canal, freeway, river and store. GPS reading is 10.11 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at about 4.5 and 5.5 miles. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with low chance of rain.

WEEK 6 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 26.2 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 one 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.

October 26th Results (9.1 miles)

At 20 runners, this was our largest group since the current round of training began -- and on the wettest and coolest day so far. Next week we climb into double-figure mileage.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this morning; much appreciated in the wet aftermath. And thank-you Tonya for helping on the course, and UO student Ashley for exercising journalism skills.

TODAY'S 9.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.15, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Michele C. -- 1:33:31 (10:13 pace, -45 sec. per mile)
Rachel F. -- 9 miles
Jenna -- 1:35:18 (10:24s, +14 sec.)
Stephanie G. -- 1:47:26 (11:44s, +1:08) before half-marathon next week
Richard -- 1:23:22 (9:06s, -54 sec.)
Dan -- 15 miles in 2:42 (10:43s)
Chad -- 1:30:23 (9:52s, -18 sec.)
Laurel -- 6.5 miles in 53:30 (8:14s, -2:03)
Matt -- 1:29:30 (9:47s, -10 sec.)
Jeff -- 1:17:32 (8:28s, +35 sec.) after long trail run on Saturday
Shannon -- 1:35:18 (10:24s, no target)
Evan -- 1:17:50 (8:30s, -12 sec.)
Michelle R. (and Carson) -- 1:28:55 (9:42s, -1:18)
Jake -- 1:12:30 (7:55s, =) best pacer, tie
Elly -- 1:23:34 (9:08s, +37 sec.)
Sara -- 1:12:37 (7:56s, no target)
Rachel W. -- 1:21:50 (8:56s, no target)
Max -- 1:21:42 (8:55s, -11 sec.)
Stephanie W. -- 1:43:23 in Texas (11:17s, +24 sec.)
Jeanette -- 1:43 (11:25s, +13 sec.) before half-marathon next week
Russell -- 1:13:30 (8:02s, -4 sec.) 3rd best pacer
Rhonda -- 1:30:23 (9:52s, =) best pacer, tie; before next week

October 26th Preview

Half-marathoners will go nine miles this Sunday, starting from the Eugene Running Company at 8:00. We won't conflict with the Monster Mash race, which doesn't begin until 10.

Our route: Oakway and Coburg Roads, to Ferry Street Bridge, to bike path. Turn left, then to Autzen footbridge and across. Turn right, to Valley River footbridge. Turn AROUND there and go back the same way: Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 9.15 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at about three and six miles (both Ferry Street). Weather forecast: starting temperature about 50 with rain likely.

WEEK 5 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 soon enough. Our more experienced runners might want to train for speed during the week. I recommend that this come between Tuesday and Thursday (when organized fast-training groups, independent of ours, are available) 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.

October 19th Results (8.0 miles)

Good to be back with you today after our "bye" week, and on a great morning for running. Note that two of our runners, Max and Rhonda, liked it so much that they doubled -- combining our miles with the Run with the Duck 5K.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this morning.

TODAY'S 8.0 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 8.00, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 1:27:50 (10:58 pace, -58 sec. per mile)
Michele C. -- 1:27:50 (10:58s, +22 sec.)
Rachel -- 8 miles
Stephanie G. -- 1:24:53 (10:36s, -28 sec.)
Jeff -- 13+ miles Saturday on coast trail
Jenna -- 1:21:20 (10:10s, no target) welcome back!
Richard -- 1:20 (10:00s, +1:12)
Chad -- 1:21:20 (10:10s, no target) welcome to the team!
Laurel -- 5 miles
Matt -- 8 miles
Liz -- 1:24:12 (10:31s, +19 sec.)
Evan -- 1:09:40 (8:42s, +9 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer
Michelle R. (and Carson) -- 1:27:50 (10:58s, +41 sec.)
Jake -- 1:03:24 (7:55s, +3 sec.) day's best pacer
Max -- 1:12:53 (9:06s, +20 sec.) including 5K race in 28:34 (9:12s)
Stephanie W. -- 1:28:24 in Texas (10:53s, -16)
Nobuko -- 1:34:59 (11:53s, +14 sec.)
Russell -- 1:04:50 (8:06s, -11 sec.) a week post-marathon
Rhonda -- 9.8 miles, including 5K race in 26:37 (8:34s, -1:18)

October 19th Preview

We're back at it at the Eugene Running Company this Sunday, with eight miles at eight o'clock. The store opens about 15 minutes earlier.

Our route (which skirts traffic from Run with the Duck 5K): Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge. Turn right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to Ferry Street and turn AROUND. Back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 8.00 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at turnaround. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 50s and mostly sunny.

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.

October 5th Results (7.0 miles)

In football terms, we take a "bye" week next Sunday. Russell and I will leave the country then for the Victoria Marathon and Half. Several of you requested a run together that day on the Dorris Ranch-Clearwater path. Details to come.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store on the eve of its 10th-anniversary party (Monday at 6 P.M.)... and to Tonya and Sara for help on the course today.

TODAY'S 7.0 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 7.00, and comparison to last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Neal -- 6.4 miles in 1:16:54 (11:56 pace, +22 sec. per mile)
Michele C. -- 1:14:20 (10:36s, -16 sec.)
Rachel F. -- 7 miles in Bend
Stephanie G. -- 1:17:31 (11:04s, no target)
Rachel J. -- 1:05:32 (9:22s, no target) welcome to the team
Jeff -- 55:11 (7:53s, no target)
Laurel -- 1:12:00 (10:17s, no target)
Matt -- 1:09:39 (9:57s, +53 sec.)
Liz -- 1:11:24 (10:12s, +12 sec.)
Rose -- 6.4 miles in 1:16:54 (11:56s, no target)
Evan -- 59:51 (8:33s, +8 sec.) day's 3rd best pacer, tie
Michelle R. and Carson -- 1:12:00 (10:17s, +29 sec.)
Jake -- 6.8 miles in 53:38 (7:52s, -8 sec.) day's 3rd best pacer, tie
Sara -- easy run after half-marathon race last week
Max -- 1:01:19 (8:46s, no target)
Stephanie W. -- 7.4 miles in Texas, 1:22:37 (11:09s, -55 sec.)
Jeanette -- 1:18:25 (11:12s, +2 sec.) day's best pacer
Don -- 1:03:00 9:00s, -32 sec.) farewell run before move to Texas
Nobuko -- 1:21:34 (11:39s, +5 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer
Russell -- 57:57 (8:17s, -9 sec.) good luck in Victoria next Sunday
Rhonda -- 1:09:39 (9:52s, -16 sec.)

October 5th Preview

You step up to seven miles this Sunday, which was where our half-marathon training began in times past. Start at 8:00 from the Eugene Running Company, with the store opening for us about 15 minutes earlier.

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge. Turn left onto bike path, to ponds, then onto road at Alton Baker restrooms/parking lot. Follow road to end at canal. Turn right on canal path and follow it under I-5 to boat ramp in Springfield. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: canal, road, Alton Baker, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 7.00 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at halfway. Weather forecast:  sunny with starting temperature in 50s. 

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.