February 5th Preview

Into the year’s second month, your distance climbs to 11 miles this Sunday. You run the first four of those with our half-marathoners.

The route (with an 8:00 start from the Eugene Running Company): Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Autzen footbridge and across. Turn right, past Ferry and Valley River, to Owosso footbridge and across. Then AROUND back to Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.96 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Owosso (6.5 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with rain likely.

WEEK FIVE LESSON: YOUR TEAMMATES

Question: Does everyone run together, at the same pace? Or do you divide us into pace groups that stay together?

Answer: Neither. Assigning you to run as a single big pack or several smaller ones would cause most of you to go faster or slower than is right for you. I want you to find your own best pace. With a team this size most runners fall into step with others of their pace, but we let this happen naturally rather than by assignment. You might end up running by yourself. But you’re never alone on long runs. You still gain great support from your teammates even without running beside them all the time. Also, feel free to bring along your own supporters: for instance, someone to hand you drinks besides those supplied at the team’s stations… or simply a familiar face and voice that you look forward to seeing as the miles grow long.