Training for Summer and Fall Halves

Training for a long race goes better if you run with a group that shares your goal and a coach who has helped hundreds runners reach it before. You set the goal, and I provide the group support and coaching advice for carrying out a proven training plan. This summer and fall we point toward a series of half-marathons: Coburg Summer Classic (July 17^th), Albany (September 18^th) and EWEB Run to Stay Warm (November 20^th).

With numbers of our marathoners declining for several years, I offer no formal marathon program this summer and fall. However, I can help you set up a training plan for yourself (at no extra cost). It would continue to increase in mileage after the Coburg Half and end in October – most likely with the Portland Marathon.

The Eugene Running Company has sponsored this training group since its launch in 2005. More than 500 runners have joined us, and their finish rate in halves and marathons is greater than 99 percent.

The team meets at the Running Company on Sunday mornings at 8:00. The training fee for one race is $50, for two races $75 and for all three $100. This is payable at the store before training begins.

We welcome runners of all abilities and experience levels. However, we strongly recommend that you have run at least four miles before this training begins. To reserve a spot on Joe’s Team, contact me at: joesrunteam@gmail.com.

Each training cycle lasts two months. The schedule for this summer and fall:

FOR COBURG HALF:

May 15^th – 5 miles to start this training

May 22^nd – 6 miles

May 29^th – 7 miles

June 5^th – (no team run; Newport Marathon weekend)

June 12^th – 8 miles

June 18^th – 9 miles (on Saturday before 6/19 Prost8K)

June 26^th – 10 miles

July 3^rd – 11 miles (Butte to Butte 10K on Monday July 4^th)

July 10^th – 6 miles

July 17^th – Coburg Half at 8:00 A.M.

FOR ALBANY HALF:

July 24^th – 5 miles to start this training

July 31^st – 6 miles (Joe is away)

August 7^th – 7 miles

August 14^th – 8 miles

August 21^st – 9 miles

August 28^th – 10 miles

September 4^th – 11 miles

September 11^th – 6 miles

September 18^th – Albany Half at 7:30 A.M.

FOR EWEB HALF:

September 25^th – 5 miles to start this training

October 2^nd – 6 miles

October 9^th – 7 miles (Joe is away)

October 16^th – 8 miles

October 23^rd – 9 miles

October 30^th – 10 miles

November 6^th – 11 miles

November 13^th – 6 miles

November 20^th – EWEB Half at 9:00 A.M.

What's Next?

Sunday’s race ended our latest round of training, but it won’t be long before we start again at a much shorter distance. We'll take just a one-week break, then you are welcome to rejoin to start the buildup for the next half-marathon as a team.

That will be the Coburg Half on July 17^th, with  mileage going up from five to 11 in weekly steps. I’ll post details later this week.

Meanwhile, recover from the Eugene Marathon between now and when we meet again on May 15^th.

WEEK 19 LESSON: YOUR NEXT

Question: How soon can I run my next marathon after finishing this one

Answer: How does six months later sound? You could run another one much sooner (as soon as a month later, according to the usual recovery timetable). But two marathons per year is a reasonable limit, which is why I schedule only two annual rounds of training for our team. This leaves half the year free to do something other than train for and recover from marathons. Spring and fall are the best times to run this distance because our weather is most reliably cool and dry then. Though we target races in those seasons, it also means doing most of the training in wet Oregon winters and warm summers. If you want to run races in those seasons, keep them shorter.

Eugene Marathon Results

All 13 of you who started today finished. As coach, that's my first and best hope for you. Anything more is a bonus.

Special praise to Bill, Gina, Sean and Kathleen for debuting successfully at this distance. Thanks to Michael for his photography, to Nancy for the 18-mile support station, and to the many teammates who came out to pace and to cheer.

EUGENE MARATHON

(with official times and per-mile paces; * = ran negative splits, 2nd half faster than 1st)

Bill -- 4:09:14 (9:31 pace)
Tanya -- 4:49:37 (11:03s)
Gina -- 4:51:51 (11:08s)
*Dan -- 5:00:14 (11:28s)
*Leah -- 3:55:09 (8:58s)
Laurel -- 4:25:23 (10:08s)
Sean -- 4:17:10 (9:49s)
*Sara -- 3:39:09 (8:22s)
Kathleen -- 5:09:01 (11:48s)
Jeanette -- 4:46:40 (10:56s)
Joy -- 4:13:20 (9:40s)
*Max -- 4:04:48 (9:21s)
Russell -- 3:42:46 (8:30s)