August 14th Results (8 and 7 miles)

I’m trying to schedule our traditional summer trek to the Row River Trail in Cottage Grove. Let’s take a vote on which would work better: next Sunday (for 17 and eight miles) or September 4^th (19 and 10 on Labor Day weekend)?

Thanks to Lindsey for opening the store this morning. This after she finished as first woman at Saturday’s Scandia 10K.

TODAY’S 8 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 7.95; target was either to match last week’s pace for this shorter distance, or to go faster for speed training)

Bill – 1:14:53 (9:24 pace)

Jenna – 1:20:30 (10:07s)

Leah – 1:03:24 (7:58s)

Norm – 8.1 miles in 1:01:59 (7:41s)

Max – 1:06:52 (8:24s)

TODAY’S 7 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 7.00; target was to run a pace that you expect to hold in your upcoming half-marathon)

Jeff – 1:17:24 (11:03 pace)

Rachel F. – 7.4 miles in 1:15:23 (10:14s)

David – 6 miles in 53:28 (8:52s) welcome to the team!

Renee – 1:15:30 (10:47s)

Trina – 1:25:30 (12:12s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Rashi – ran in Minnesota

Bill – 5K race on Thursday at 7:56s; 5K race on Saturday at 7:28s

Jean – Scandia 10K race on Saturday at 10:33s

Tatiana – Scandia 10K race on Saturday at 11:12s

Laurel – 15 miles in trail relay in West Virginia, Friday-Saturday

Sara – ran for 1:30 in Richmond, California

Max – 5K race on Thursday at 7:32s

Jeanette – 21 miles in Bend on Friday

August 14th Preview

Marathoners and halfers come back together (or almost) this Sunday. The longer distance is eight miles, the shorter one just a single mile less. Eight o’clock start for all from the Eugene Running Company.

The eight-mile route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Alton Baker restrooms and parking lot. Continue on road to end at canal path. Turn right, under I-5, past boat ramp, to end of path at D Street in Springfield. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: canal, road, Alton Baker, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 7.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery near boat ramp (about 3.5 and 4.5 miles). Weather forecast: sunny and starting temperature in 60s, but warming quickly toward day's high in 90s.

WEEK 14 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.

August 7th Results (15 & 6.2 miles)

We’re in peak vacation season, when turnout on Sundays is small. We’ll soon welcome you back from wherever you’ve gone recently (and probably run while there).

Thanks to Lindsey to opening the store today. And to Jean, Tatiana and Sara for helping on the course.

TODAY’S 15 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 15.00; target was to run at a pace you eventually hope to average for a marathon)

Rashi – 18 miles in 2:30:19 (8:21 pace)

Bill – 2:27:13 (9:48s)

Norm – 15.26 miles in 2:04:29 (8:09s)

Max – 2:10:13 (8:41s)

TODAY’S 6.2 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 6.20; target was to run at a pace you eventually hope to average of a half-marathon)

Jeff – 1:08:00 (10:58 pace)

Rachel W. – 58:43 (9:28s)

Rhonda – 1:14:15 (11:58s)

Guest:

Renee

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal – in Lincoln City

Jean – 15 miles on Saturday

Tatiana – 15 miles on Saturday

Rachel F. – 5.5 miles in Sisters

Amy – in Roseburg

Dan – 6 miles in Florence, 1:00 (10:00s)

Leah – 15.8 miles on Saturday, 2:27:46 (9:20s)

Laurel – in Massachusetts

Sara – ran for 1:45 on Saturday
Jeanette – 12 miles on Friday, 8 miles on Saturday

August 7th Preview

We’re back at it with fall marathon training this Sunday, and we’ll stay at it every weekend through the October 9^th races. You will run the first 3.1 miles this Sunday with the half-marathoners, who are going 6.2.

Or you might choose to start early. In the case, the run will be cooler but we can’t promise drink service.

The route (from Eugene Running Company at 8:00): 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. Turn AROUND at east end of parking lot, then to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to Ferry Street Bridge and across, then back to store. GPS distance is unchecked but close to 15.0.

Bring a drink for delivery at 3.1 miles (senior center), possibly 6.5 (Owosso), 10.5 (turnaround) and finish. This all will depend on when you start and the available helpers. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 50s and partly cloudy, moving toward a day’s high of about 80.

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.

July 31st Results

The running continued even as I had run away for the weekend. Eight of you (plus several guests) gathered at Dorris Ranch. Thanks to Neal for spreading word that this would happen, then making sure it did.

Next Sunday's distance for marathoners will be 15 miles. You might consider starting earlier than eight o'clock.

TODAY'S DORIS RESULTS
(with distances unknown to me so far; participants listed here)

Neal
Bill
Jean
Tatiana
Jeff
Rachel F.
Leah
Max

Guests:

Steve
Rose
Alyse
Jen

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Rashi -- in Minnesota
Amy -- 7 miles in RoseburgLaurel -- ran in Massachusetts
Sara -- 10 miles in California

No team run this Sunday

I’m away this weekend, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a run at home. You can work out the what-where-when among yourselves. I recommend going no longer than eight miles. The team schedule will resume the following weekend 15 miles, with eight coming next.

WEEK 12 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.

July 24th Results (7 & 4.9 miles)

Starting this week, I’m posting results for marathoners and half-marathoners on separate pages. "Half" times appear at… joeshalfteam.blogspot.com.

We’ll take next Sunday off as a team, and the Eugene Running Company won’t open early. But I encourage you to group up informally to run something, somewhere that day.

Thanks to Lindsey for opening the store this morning. And to the three Fredes for coming to see our finish.

TODAY’S 7 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 6.95; target for marathoners was either to recover from last week’s race or to run this shorter distance faster, for speed training)

Bill – 7.35 miles in 1:07:30 (9:10 pace)

Michele – 1:15:00 (10:47s)

Jean – 1:12:14 (10:23s)

Tatiana – 1:15:16 (10:50s)

Chris – 1:21:51 (11:46s) welcome back!

Norm – 59:00 (8:29s) welcome to the team!

TODAY’S 4.9 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 4.87; target was to run at a pace you expect to hold eventually for a half-marathon)

Neal – 54:05 (11:06 pace)

Jeff – 49:20 (10:07s)

Rachel F. – 54:05 (11:06s) welcome back!

Leah – 44:32 9:08s)

Jeanine – 51:39 (10:36s)

Miranda – 56:15 (11:33s)

Trina – 1:00:26 (12:24s)

Rachel W. – 44:32 (9:08s)

Max – 43:40 (8:58s)

Guests:

Dave, Jeanine’s dad – 51:45 (10:37s)

Alyse

Rachel F.’s 2 friends

OTHER RECENT RUNS

Rashi – in Minnesota

Amy – Cottage Grove Triathlon on Saturday, with 56:51 10K (9:10s)

Leah – CG Triathlon on Saturday, with 48:13 10K (7:47s); 3^rd in age group

Laurel – in Massachusetts

Sara – in California

Rachel W. – CG Triathlon on Saturday, with 55:40 10K (8:58s) 1^st in age group

Jeanette – 21 miles on McKenzie River Trail on Sunday

Joy – 21 miles on McKenzie River Trail on Sunday

Max – CG Triathlon on Saturday, with 51:19 10K (8:16s)

Rhonda – in California