April 19th Preview

Here you go, to the top of the training mountain this Sunday: 21 miles. You'll see miles 17 to 25.5 of the Eugene Marathon course -- twice. Half-marathoners will run 10 miles.

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, to Owosso footbridge and across. Back to Alton Baker Park, and turn around at restroom parking lot. Repeat in opposite direction: Owosso, Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 21.10 miles.

Bring two drinks, the first for delivery at Ferry Street (three and 18 miles) and Alton Baker (10.5); the second for Owosso (6.5 and 14.5). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s but warming toward a day's high in sunny 70s. 

WEEK'S LESSON: YOUR STRATEGY

Question: What is the best way to pace myself during the marathon?

Answer: Even if you’ve done everything right in training, you can cancel all that good with as little as one wrong move on race day. The first and worst bad move is to bolt from the starting line far faster than your training pace. Crowd hysteria and your own raging nervous system conspire to send you into the race as if fired from a cannon. Try to work against the forces of the crowd and your natural desires. Pull back the mental reins at a time when the voices inside are shouting, “Faster!” Be cautious in your early pacing, erring on the side of too-slow rather than too-fast. Hold something in reserve for the late miles. This is where you reward yourself for your early caution, by passing instead of being passed. Being the passer rather than the passee is a lot more fun.

April 12th Results (10.1 miles)

Most of you picked the right day to run long this weekend. Let's hope for more of the same next Sunday, when you top out in training distance.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store this morning. And to Tonya for helping on the course.

TODAY'S 10.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10.11, and comparison to last long run here; target was to go faster, for speed training, or same pace, for recovery)

Jill -- 1:42:35 (10:15 pace, -12 sec. per mile)
Jean -- 17 miles on Saturday, 2:59:56 (10:35s)
Tatiana -- 15 miles on Saturday, 2:47:27 (11:10s)
Osbaldo -- 10 miles on Saturday, 1:12:20 (7:14s, -50 sec.) 2nd most improved
Amy -- 1:43:24 (10:13s, -36 sec. per mile)
Mike -- 14 miles in 2:01:06 (8:39s)
Rachel F. -- 19 miles, including last 14 in 2:01:06 (8:39s, -26 sec.)
Stephanie -- 1:43:24 (10:13s, -35 sec.)
Brian -- 1:17 (7:36s)
Jeff M. -- 1:40:13 (9:54s, +50 sec.) after ankle sprain last week
Evan -- 1:27:43 (8:40s, -47 sec.)
Jake -- 1:22:20 (8:08s, -33 sec.)
Elly -- 1:31:40 (9:04s, -1:06) day's most improved
Rachel W. -- 1:28:14 (8:43s, -33 sec.)
Jeanette -- ran 8 miles on Saturday
Joy -- half-marathon in Washington, 1:51 (8:28s) 3rd in age group!
Russell -- Corvallis Half in 1:40:20 (7:39s) 2nd in age group!
Rhonda -- 1:40:10 (9:54s, -47 sec.) claimed 1000-mile prize!

Guest:
Katy -- 1:28:14 (8:43s)

April 12th Preview

Notice that Sunday's distance, 10 miles, doesn't seem as long now as it did a few months ago. Some of you even call it "only 10." This run starts from the Eugene Running Company at 8:00. Half-marathoners go nine miles that day.

Your route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, past Ferry Street to Autzen footbridge. Turn around at brick crosswalk and come back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.11 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at about four and six miles (Ferry Street). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with little chance of rain.

WEEK'S LESSON: YOUR FUEL

Question: Do you recommend that I drink during the runs?

Answer: It’s a requirement. You can’t go 26.2 miles without drinking, and probably not without drinking something stronger than plain water. This is true on cool days as well as hot. So I ask you to practice drinking early and often during all training. Bring a bottle of your favorite sports drink for delivery on the course. Walk or stop while drinking, so you’ll get the fluid in you rather than on you. Even though sports drinks supply carbos, it isn’t enough to fuel you for runs this long. I strongly advise you to add “foods” in the form of gels, bars or similar products. Refuel every 30 to 45 minutes during the training run and race. Everyday nutrition and weight control can, of course, affect your performance as well. But I abstain from advising on these matters and ask you to find your own experts (which I’m definitely not).

April 4th Results (19 miles)

Was the extra driving to Row River worth it for you? It definitely was, and always is, for me. This is one of my favorite places to run anywhere, and that's saying something given my long life of wandering far and wide as a runner.

Thanks to Jean and Tatiana for helping on the course. And to Michelle and Carson as a mobile cheering team. And to Michael for his photos, to be posted on his site.

TODAY'S 19 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 19.13, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance)

Deanna -- 3:14:41 (10:10 pace, no target)
Jill -- 3:18:39 on Sunday (10:27s, +3 sec.) best pacer, tie
Amy -- 3:27:06 (10:49s, -51 sec. )
Rachel F. -- 10 miles in Illinois
Stephanie -- 3:26:42 (10:48s, -56 sec.)
Dan -- 3:27:50 (10:52s, -12 sec.)
Jeff M. -- injured ankle in Shotgun trail race
Evan -- 3:00:02 (9:24s, +11 sec.) 2nd best pacer; longest ever
Jake -- 2:46:10 (8:41s, -12 sec.)
Elly -- 3:14:41 (10:10s, +47 sec.)
Rachel W. -- 2:57:15 (9:16s, -14 sec.)
Jeanette -- 3:40:27 (11:31s, -1:00)
Joy -- 3:08:00 (9:49s, +3 sec.) day's best pacer, tie; longest ever
Russell -- 2:34:27 (8:04s vs. marathon, no target)
Rhonda -- 3:24:22 (10:41s, +14 sec.)

Guests (from my UO class):

Osbaldo -- 2:34:27 (8:04s) longest ever
Michaela -- 17 miles in 2:10 (7:37s)

April 4th Preview

I toss a double switch at you this weekend. You run on Saturday, and at the Row River Trail. The first change is to avoid conflicts with Easter plans. The second is to give a change of scene for your 19-mile run.

Scenic and serene Row River is near Cottage Grove, which requires some extra driving but is worth it. Directions are in this week's email. The trail is paved and marked every half-mile. There's a restroom with water fountain at the parking lot, plus four possible restroom stops along the path.

The route, from the Mosby Creek Trailhead: 3.0 milepost (at a bridge near the parking lot) to Dorena School at 12.5 and back.

Bring two drinks, the first for delivery four and 15 miles, the second for the turnaround and finish. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with light rain possible.

WEEK'S LESSON: YOUR PROGRESS

Question: Our long runs from 11 miles on go up by two miles every other week instead of the more common single mile each week. Is this too big a jump?

Answer: The generally recognized as safe rate for increasing mileage is 10 percent per week. Our increase from 11 miles through 21 averages just 6.5 percent weekly. Scheduling the long run on alternate weekends makes doubly sure than you don’t overdo. For most runners, a weekly long run (increasing by a mile at a time) allows too little recovery time in between. Hence, our plan of alternating longer runs on one weekend with those about half as long the next. The shorter ones increase by a mile each time, or the same 6.5-percent-per-week average. In both cases, long or short, we go longer each time to give a necessary sense of steady progress in distance.

March 29th Results (9.1 miles)

This is a two-for-one week. We'll gather again on Saturday for a "field trip" to the Row River Trail near Cottage Grove. I'll send directions in midweek.

Thanks to Miles for opening the store this morning, and to Tonya for on-course help. Michael will post today's photos separately.

TODAY'S 9.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.11, and comparison to your last long run here; target was either to match that pace, for recover from long run, or faster, for speed training)

Jean -- 15 miles on Saturday, 2:36:46 (10:27s, -1:54 vs. marathon) 7m today
Tatiana -- 11 miles on Saturday, 2:02:51 (11:47s, -3:57 vs. marathon) 4m today
Stephanie -- 1:34:50 (10:24s, -1:20)
Dan -- 1:21:52 (8:59s, -2:05) day's most improved
Jeff M. -- 1:14:40 (8:11s, -53 sec.)
Sergio -- 1:10:30 (7:44s, -31 sec.) safe travels to Mexico
Evan -- 1:23:28 (9:10s, -3 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer
Jake -- 1:14:30 (8:10s, -43 sec.)
Elly -- 1:20:08 (8:47s, -36 sec.)
Jennifer -- 6 miles at RunMommaRun
Rachel W. -- 1:28:34 (9:43s, +13 sec.)
Jeanette -- 1:35:39 (10:29s, -2:02) day's 2nd most improved
Rhonda -- 1:34:50 (10:25s, -2 sec.) day's best pacer

March 29th Preview

You drop back to nine miles this Sunday (for reasons given in this week's lesson). Start from the Eugene Running Company at 8:00 (with the -half-marathoners who are going seven miles).

Your route takes you into Springfield, including a segment of the marathon course: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Alton Baker ponds. Onto road past Autzen Stadium to end of road at another pond. Turn right onto canal path (either paved or wood chip), under I-5. Continue along canal to D Street, then to 4th Avenue. Turn around there and come back the same way. GPS distance is 9.10 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at turnaround. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with little chance of rain.

WEEK'S LESSON: YOUR TEMPO

Question: Is all the running at marathon pace or even slower?

Answer: You sometimes run faster than that, just not on long-run days. Taking these too fast makes them too hard to repeat as often as you need them. We schedule a so-called “tempo run” every other weekend from the second month on. You can run faster then than in your latest long run, for about half that distance (11 and six miles, 13-7 and so on up to 21-10). How much faster? Roughly your half-marathon race pace instead of expected pace for the marathon – or as much as one minute per mile faster when you run shorter. These runs aren’t meant so much to increase your raw speed as to make the pace of the marathon feel “slower” and more comfortable.