July 24th Preview

Marathon training for an October race (Portland, Victoria, Chicago and Twin Cities are the targets) continues in weeks and months to come. But first you’ll recover from last week’s half-marathon with a seven-mile run. (Half-marathoners go five miles.)

The route (with an 8 o’clock start from the Eugene Running Company). The route: 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 Valley River footbridge and across. Turn right, then back to Ferry Street and store. GPS distance is 6.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Skinner Butte playground, about 3.5 miles, and finish. Weather forecast: sunny with starting temperature about 60.

WEEK 11 LESSON: YOUR WARMUP/COOLDOWN

Question: When is the best time for stretching exercises, before or after the run?

Answer: Don’t confuse stretching with warmup. Stretching exercises don’t start you sweating or raise your heart rate. You warm up by moving – first by starting the run gently, then by easing into the full pace of the day. Treat the first mile as your warmup, making it the slowest mile of the day. If the warmup shifts gears between resting and hard running, the cooldown period is a necessary transition from racing to resting. When the run ends, resist the urge to stop suddenly. Instead, walk to cool down more gradually. After this walk is the best time for stretching exercises, which loosen the muscles that running has tightened.

Fall Marathon Training

PURPOSE: This round of training targets October marathons (Portland, Victoria and Chicago, all on the 9^th). We gradually increase the length of weekly long runs, preparing you for a safe and satisfying finish. This is the 26^th edition of the Eugene Running Company-sponsored Joe’s Team.

LOCATIONS: Most of our runs start and finish at the Eugene Running Company (116 Oakway Center, 541-344-6399). About 1½ miles of each run is on city streets. The remainder follows the scenic and safe riverside bike path with its marked distances. Some restrooms and water fountains are shut down in winter in winter months.

COSTS: The fee for marathon training is $100 (payable at the store and due before your program begins). This fee also covers coaches services for any or all of our summer and fall halves (Coburg, Florence and EWEB). Other benefits of team membership are discounts (at the store) or donated goods and services (by sponsors and friends). You pay your own race entry fee. If you haven’t already entered, do so soon. This step is important, because early entry not only saves you money but also seals your commitment.

ADVISER: Joe Henderson planned this program and is on hand to advise you most weekends. Experienced runners on staff at the Running Company are also available to assist you. You can reach Joe anytime by email (joesrunteam@gmail.com) or text (541-953-7179). Previews and results appear at joesmarathonteam.blogspot.com. You’re also invited to join the Facebook group, Joe’s Team Runners.

PREREQUISITES: We want no one to go too far, too soon. A recent run of at least six miles is highly recommended before entering this program. We also advise that you come into the program with no injury that might interfere with increasing your distances. If you already train beyond the scheduled distances for our early weeks, you can join the group training later.

GROUP RUNS: We focus on the long run, the most important one by far for a would-be marathoner. Runs increase by an average of one mile per week. The pace of the runs is meant to be relaxed, especially if you are running these distances for the first time. Walk breaks are an option to make the distances more manageable.

From July onward, training alternates between a long run one Sunday and about half that length the next weekend. Your shorter Sunday runs can at a somewhat faster pace than the longer ones, for speed training – or the same pace at this shorter distance, for recovery.

You benefit the most from this program if you take all of these runs with the group (at the prescribed distances and no farther). However, we realize that conflicts come up. If you miss running with us, try to cover a similar distance on or near the same day it is scheduled here.

TRAINING PROGRAM

Runs begin at the Running Company, at 8:00 A.M. on Sundays. A course preview is posted on our blog before each week’s run, and results appear there afterward. Bring your preferred drinks and other supplies for delivery during your runs. Coburg, Cottage Grove and EWEB half-marathoners will train with you, usually at shorter distances.

Date – Distance

May 15^th – 5 miles to start marathon training

May 22^nd – 6 miles

May 29^th – 7 miles

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

June 12^th – 8 miles

June 18^th – 9 miles (on Saturday; Prost8K on Sunday)

June 26^th – 10 miles

July 3^rd – 11 miles

July 10^th – one hour

July 17^th – Coburg Half-Marathon

July 24^th – 7 miles

July 31^st – (no team run; Joe is away)

August 4^th – 15 miles

August 11^th – 8 miles

August 18^th – 17 miles

August 25^th – 9 miles

September 4^th – 19 miles (at Row River Trail, Cottage Grove)

September 11^th – 10 miles

September 18^th – 21 miles

September 25^th – 10 miles

October 2^nd – one hour

October 9^th – marathons in Portland, Victoria, Chicago

OTHER RUNS: We urge you to run at least three days during the week. With distances increasing quickly here, you need to keep all other runs easy (even easier than they normally might be) to allow full recovery between long ones. The recommended length, in time, is 30 to 60 minutes – or a total of one to two hours for the week, not counting the Sunday run.

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)