Cottage Grove Half-Marathon results

Good day to run (with the rain pausing for most of the half-marathon race hours). Great place to race (Row River Trail, which is one of the best).

We were well represented here. Eight from the current team ran, with Neal Benson, Gary Hair and Leah Kirkland all placing second in their age group. 

An equal number of team alumni were there. Three of them – Karen and Rex Prater, and Jon Stinnett – trained with our very first team, in early 2005. Soto Yodokawa, from my UO class, placed fifth overall and won his age group while debuting at this distance.

TODAY’S COTTAGE GROVE HALF-MARATHON RESULTS

(with official chip times; target was to go faster than last long training run, which everyone did)

Neal – 2:18:51 (10:35 pace) 2nd in age-group

Bill – 1:57:37 (8:58s)

Rachel F. – 1:49:20 (8:21s)

Stephanie – 2:20:30 (10:43s)

Gary – 1:53:46 (8:41s) PR! 2nd in age group!

Julie – 1:45:49 (8:04s) PR on her birthday!

Leah K. – 1:38:20 (7:30s) 2nd in age group!

Trina – 2:26:18 (11:10s) PR!

Alumni Results

Jan Buhmann – 2:24:19 (11:01s) PR!

Gina Clifton – 1:58:45 (9:04s)

Pete Dolan – 1:36:52 (7:23s) PR! 2nd in age group

Mike Frede – 1:40:44 (7:41s)

Karen Prater – 2:16:36 (10:25s) on her birthday!

Rex Prater – 2:16:38 (10:25s)

Jon Stinnett – 1:34:55 (7:15s)

Sota Yodokawa – 1:2447 (6:28s) 1st in age group!

(Photo: Leah Kirkland with her age-group prize.)

March 12th Preview

It’s a weekend of choices: Cottage Grove Half on Saturday, Eugene Marathon preview that day, or our regularly scheduled run of eight miles on Sunday. Our run begins at eight o’clock (on the first day of the Daylight Time switch).

The route: Eugene Running Company, Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn right, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to Ferry Street. Turn AROUND there, and go back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 8.00 miles. You’ll run the first four with our half-marathoners.

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

WEEK 10 LESSON: YOUR HEALTH

Question: What happens if I get sick and have to stop running?

Answer: The most common ailments are the flu and colds. Never, ever run with the flu’s fever. Don’t just rest while feverish but take an additional day off for each day of the illness, or you risk serious complications and much-delayed recovery. Colds usually pass through you in about a week. Rest during the “coming-on” stage (usually the first two to four days). Then run easily (slowly enough not to cause heavy coughing and nose-throat irritation) during the “coming-out” stage. Throughout recovery, obey your fatigue signals. You got sick in the first place by overtiring yourself.

Cottage Grove Half preview

Our first half-marathon buildup for 2017 peaks this Saturday for many of you at the Cottage Grove Half. You can find details of this race at… http://www.cottagegrovehalf.com/index.php.

The essentials: early packet pickup at Run Hub on Thursday, 2 to 7 p.m., and at the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove on Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. Race-day pickup at Bohemia Park in downtown C.G. until 8:15 a.m.

Buses leave for the Dorena School start at 8:30. The race starts at 9:30, with the course running back to Trailhead Park (near Bohemia), mostly on the Row River Trail.

I’ll be Bohemia Park by about 7:30 and near the halfway point (“7.0” milepost). Bring drinks if you’d like one besides what the event offers at its stations.

If you’re NOT running Cottage Grove, come to our regular Sunday session. It’s five miles (to start Eugene Half training) or eight miles (for marathoners) this week. I’ll preview it later this week.

(Photo: Leah Kirkland in last year's Cottage Grove Half.)

March 5th Results (15 miles)

It’s only a rumor (reaching me in the Napa Valley of California), but I hear your run today was a challenging one. Praise to those who met that challenge.

And thanks to Lindsey for opening the store, plus Jean, Tatiana and Shelli on the course.

I helped down here where longtime teammate Sara Tepfer ran 20 miles of the Napa Valley Marathon as training for next month’s Boston. She’s fit, averaging about 7:45s!

TODAY’S 15 MILES

(with per-mile pace; target was to run at your eventual marathon pace)

Rachel F. – 2:14 (8:55 pace)

Gary – 11 miles in 1:50:28 (10:02s)

Leah K. – 2:14 (8:55s)

Leah W. – 2:41:03 (10:44s)

Rhonda – 2:55:06 (11:40s)

TODAY’S 6.2 MILES

(with per-mile pace; target was to run at your current half-marathon pace, as taper for next week’s race)

Neal – 7 miles in 1:24:02 (12:00 pace)

Bill – 1:01 (9:51s)

Stephanie – 7 miles in 1:24:02 (12:00s)

Trina – 4 miles untimed

Rachel W. – 6.2 miles untimed

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Jean – 10 miles on Saturday
Tatiana – 10 miles on Saturday

March 5th Preview

I’ll sneak out of town this weekend, but the running here will go on as planned – with the store opening as usual. That is, you’ll have plenty of support – with Jean and Tatiana on course for your run.

The distance will step up to 15 miles (starting with our half-marathoners, who are going 6.2). 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 Owosso footbridge and across. Back to Alton Baker Park, to east end of parking lot. Turn AROUND there, to Valley River footbridge and across. Turn left, to Ferry Street and across, and back to store: GPS distance is 15.00 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at senior center (3.1 miles), Owosso (6.5) and turnaround (10.5). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with rain likely and snow possible.

WEEK NINE LESSON: YOUR REST

Question: How should I schedule my rest days through the week?

Answer: Rests do the most good before and after the weekend long run. If you take it on Sunday, you profit from taking every Saturday off to refill your energy tank before the big effort. Afterward, my rule of thumb is one rest day for every hour of the long run: two hours, two days, etc. This might mean resting most of the week after the longest runs of this program. Which is okay; you need it. However, “rest” doesn’t mean you must do nothing physical that day. Easy cross-training – with walking, biking, swimming is not only allowed but encouraged. You can stay active in other ways while resting for and recovering from the big runs.

February 26th Results (7 miles)

I’ll disappear next weekend, but the runs will move ahead as planned – with a different yet skilled set of supporters. Previews for that day will come at midweek. I will rejoin you at the Cottage Grove Half on March 11^th.

Thanks to Lindsey for opening the store this morning, after co-coaching the Saturday team and running long on Friday.

TODAY’S 7 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 6.95; target was either to match last week’s pace, for recovery, or to go faster, for speed training)

Manuel – 1:17 (11:04 pace)

Mike – 56:49 (8:10s)

Rachel F. – 56:57 (8:11s)

Jenna – 1:17 (11:04s)

Gary – 5 miles untimed

Kyoko – 1:12:19 (10:24s)

Leah K. – 56:59 (8:11s)

Anna – 51:00 (7:20s)

Sara – 53:06 (7:38s)

TODAY’S 11.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 11.10; target was to run at about your current half-marathon race pace)

Neal – 2:15:03 (12:10 pace)

Bill – 1:47:58 (9:43s)

Stephanie – 2:15:40 (12:13s)

Rhonda – 2:15:40 (12:13s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Jean – 21 miles on Saturday; longest before L.A. Marathon

Tatiana – 21 miles on Saturday; longest before L.A. Marathon

Kyoko – 13 miles on Thursday
Trina -- ran for 2:20 on Sunday

February 26th Preview

We’re back home this Sunday – starting and finishing at the Eugene Running Company. As the week before last, you go shorter than the marathoners (seven miles versus their 11). This is your recovery weekend before next week’s 15.

The route: Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn right onto bike path, to Valley River footbridge and across. To Autzen footbridge and across, then back to Ferry and store. GPS distance is 6.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Ferry Street (four miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with rain likely and some snow possible.

WEEK EIGHT LESSON: YOUR PACE

Question: How fast should my long runs be?

Answer: Let your pace find itself. Don’t try to force an arbitrary pace (such as a marathon time goal) onto these runs. Instead, run comfortably, letting whatever happens with your pace happen. Finish with the feeling that you could have gone a little longer that day, which you will soon enough. This is just one meaning of “pace” – your average time per mile. The other meaning is how well you pace yourself during the run. The least efficient way is to start too fast and slow dramatically later one. Better to run evenly or to finish faster than you start – known in the trade as “running negative splits.” The best way to check your pacing skills is to compare times for the two halves of your run, aiming for equal or negative finish.