April 2nd Preview

You return to the new Mill Race path in Springfield this Sunday – except now you RUN there instead of drive. The distance is 19 miles, with our half-marathoners joining you for the first four of those.

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Alton Baker restrooms and onto road. Follow road to the end at ponds. Turn right onto canal path and follow it under I-5, past boat ramp, to end of path at D Street in Springfield. Turn right on D, to 5^th Street.* Turn right, to SOUTH B (not North!). Turn left, to Mill Race trailhead. Follow bike path to Clearwater Park. Turn AROUND at far end of large parking lot beside the river, then come back the same way. This is a new route for us, so GPS distance is yet to be verified; it appears to be about 18.9 miles.

(* If you know well this part of Springfield, consider cutting through Island Park to South A to reach 5^th & South B. It’s less straightforward than the route above, but spends more time off-road and has fewer stops at intersections. Distance is the same either way.)

Bring a drink for delivery at 5.5 miles (Booth Kelly trailhead) 9.5 (Clearwater turnaround) and 13.5 (Booth Kelly again). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with little chance of rain.

WEEK 13 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 short race, of 5K to 10K, on the weekend only if it replaces a semi-long training run scheduled for the team that weekend. Running a short race does give you experience in dealing with the race-day atmosphere, which differs greatly from ours during training.