April 30th Results (one hour)

What began as long ago as snowy January concluded today in gray almost-May. It's all over now but the racing. I'll send details in the next few days about plans for half/marathon day.

Thanks to Neal for helping on the course this morning.

TODAY'S ONE-HOUR RUN

(runners listed but no exact time, distance or pace recorded for most of you; target was to relax while tapering for next week's race)

Bill
Jan (ran 11 miles for his race a week after Eugene)
Michele (ran 8 miles for her race later)
Jean
Tatiana
Mike
Stephanie
Gary
Lauren
Kyoko
Leah K.
Alisha
Rachel L.
Anna
Trina
Rhonda

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Daniel -- 5.5 and 4.0 miles with Tuesday-Thursday UO class
Kyoko -- 45 minutes with Saturday team
Julie -- 7.9 miles at 8:18 pace in Salem on Sunday

Two photo choices: one without Rhonda, the other without me. Someone had to hold the camera phone!

April 30th Preview

Everybody runs as one this Sunday, and nobody runs by distance. (I know, of course, that you’ll check, but I won’t record.) This will be our traditional one-hour run to end the training cycle. Two reasons: By-time runs remove the pressure of pace; an hour takes 60 minutes no matter how easily you run… And unlike all other runs, you all will finish close together; that’s important because you’ll see few of your teammates on race day.

This run will not be the Eugene Running Company. Instead we’ll meet at the new Mill Race Path in Springfield for an 8:00 start. If you haven’t been there, you’re in for a real treat. (Directions are coming by email.)

The route: go east from trailhead to intersection with Middle Fork Path, then left until your 30-minute mark. Turn around there and come back the same way.

Bring a drink for delivery at Jasper trailhead, in both directions. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with rain possible.

WEEK 17 LESSON: YOUR TAPER

Question: How much should I run the last week before the race?

Answer: You’ve already been tapering since the longest run. In the final week, run as little as your conscience will allow. It’s too late now, with the marathon just days away, to do anything that will make the race go better. But it’s never too late to make a mistake – most commonly running too far or too fast – that will come back to bite you on race day. Take at least as many rest days as you would before a weekly training run. Take nothing longer than you would on a normal week’s easy run, and ideally shorter. You won’t forget how to run now, and you’ll race better the more rested you are.

April 23rd Results (10.1 miles)

This was the last time in this training cycle that we'll meet at the Eugene Running Company. (Next week it's a "field trip" to the Mill Race Path in Springfield, then after that the race weekend.) Thanks once more to Lindsey Taylor and Bob Coll for supporting us on this journey.

TODAY'S 10.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10.15; target was to run current marathon pace, for recovery and taper, or half-marathon pace, for speed training)

Mike -- 1:15:36 (7:26 pace)
Kyoko -- 1:44:26 (10:17s)
Leah W. -- 1:47:50 (10:37s)

TODAY'S 11.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 11.15; target was to run at your current half-marathon pace)

Bill -- 1:58:20 (10:36 pace)
Jan -- ran untimed
Michele -- 6.9 miles in 1:17 (11:09s)
Jean -- ran untimed
Stephanie -- 2:05:28 (11:15s)
Gary -- 1:41:36 (9:06s)
Lauren -- 1:37:02 (8:42s)
Renee -- ran untimed
Rachel L. -- 1:34 (8:26s)
Scott -- 1:34 (8:26s)
Rhonda -- 2:05:28 (11:15s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal -- in Florida
Jean -- 11 miles on Saturday
Tatiana -- 10-mile race in Seattle on Saturday
Daniel -- 5 miles on Tuesday in UO class
Kyoko -- 12 miles on Saturday
Alisha -- 11 miles on Friday at 8:52s
Jessica N. -- 2-hour run on Tuesday
Trina -- 11 miles in Bend at 12:22s

April 23rd Preview

You’re coming down in distance from now through race day. An oddity of scheduling has you running shorter than our half-marathoners this Sunday, 10 miles for you and 11 for them.

The route (with an eight o’clock 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, past Valley River footbridge, to “0.5” milepost. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: Autzen, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.15 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at about 4.3 and 6.3 miles (small playground at “0.25” milepost). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with rain possible.

WEEK 16 LESSON: YOUR POTENTIAL

Question: What can I expect my marathon race time to be?

Answer: The best predictor of the final race result, I’ve found with previous marathon teams, is the pace of the longest training run. For instance, a runner who trained at 9:00 per mile (for the 21 miles at which our program peaks) can expect to finish the race at very close to that pace. Nearly all of our runners come within 15 seconds, plus or minus – or 8:45 to 9:15 in this example. As with any reliable gauge of potential, this one isn’t based on what you dream of maybe doing someday but instead on what you really have done lately. I don’t say this to drain any of the mystery or surprise from your racing. Mainly I want you to know going into the race what a smart starting pace for you will be. Running at that rate early will assure a better finish.

April 15th Results (21 miles)

Thanks to Eugene Marathon director Richard Maher and his good people for supporting today's Preview Run. It covered the majority of the miles you'll see again on May 7th -- when traffic will be controlled and stoplights/signs ignored. 

TODAY'S 21 MILES

(with per-mile pace; times might have been slowed by frequent stoplights and signs; target was to run at your expected marathon pace)

Mike -- 2:54 (8:17 pace)
Kyoko -- 3:41:33 (10:33s)
Anna -- 2:43:14 (7:46s) longest run ever!
Leah W. -- 3:36:43 (10:14s)
Rhonda -- 4:09:11 (11:52s)

Alumni runners

Dan Kerrigan -- 22 miles
Jerry Stromme -- 17.5 miles
Russell Wingard -- 21 miles

TODAY'S 10 MILES

(with per-mile pace; times might have been slowed by frequent stoplights and signs; target was to run at your expected half-marathon pace)

Bill -- 10.7 miles in 1:43:06 (9:39 pace)
Jan -- 1:48:33 (10:51s)
Stephanie -- 1:53:25 (11:20s)
Gary -- 1:31:00 (9:06s)
Lauren -- 1:34:32 (9:27s)
Renee -- ran untimed
Scott -- about 13.8 miles in 2:11; longest run ever!
Trina -- 2:06 (12:36s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal -- ran earlier Saturday
Michele -- Hot Springs 5-mile trail race on Saturday
Tori -- 8 miles on Monday
Gary -- 5K race on Thursday in 24:53 (8:01s)
Julie -- 5K race on Saturday in Boston, 23:15 (7:30s)
Leah K. -- 2 hours in Florida on Sunday
Alisha -- 10 miles on Saturday at 9:11s
Rachel L. -- 10 miles on Saturday at 8:40s
Jessica N. -- 6.5 miles on Tuesday at 12:28s

April 15th Preview

We’ll join the Eugene Marathon preview run this SATURDAY (with no training scheduled from the Running Company on Easter Sunday). Their scheduled distance is about 17.5 miles, with an eight o’clock start from the turf fields, west of Hayward on 15^th Avenue. Ours is 21 miles, so I recommend starting early to add three-plus.

I’m emailing the route map. The run takes you into Springfield on D Street, 10^th and Centennial, then back to the river paths. From there, you continue to the Owosso footbridge, across, then return to where you started.

The possible early add-on of about 3.5 miles: 15th, to Agate, to 24^th, to bike path near South Eugene track, to 19^th, to Agate and 15^th again.

Bring a drink for delivery at about five miles, on Centennial Boulevard. Later stations will be provided by the organizers. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with little chance of rain.

WEEK 15 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 9th Results (10.1 miles)

Our next run will come sooner than usual. This SATURDAY of Easter weekend, we’ll join the Eugene Marathon preview from the University of Oregon campus. It will cover the Springfield and river-path portions of the race course. I’ll supply details in midweek.

Thanks to Kellen for opening the store this morning (in place of Lindsey, who was running a marathon in Washington; she ran 3:16:00 and won her age group).

TODAY’S 10.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 10:15; target was to run at your expected marathon pace or better)

Mike – 1:15:59 (7:29 pace)

Gary – 1:34:12 (9:17s)
Kyoko --1:43:47 (10:13s)

Leah K. – 23 miles in 3:13:46 (8:25s)

Leah W. – 1:47:29 (10:35s)

Rhonda – 1:51:53 (11:01s)

Guest

Sean – 1:26:00 (8:28s)

TODAY’S 9 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.05; target was to run at your expected half-marathon pace)

Bill – 1:23:13 (9:11 pace)

Jan – 1:39:04 (10:17s)

Jean – ran untimed

Stephanie – 1:38:51 (10:55s)

Lauren – 1:17:20 (8:32s)

Renee – ran untimed

Alisha – 5.8 miles in 52:58 (9:04s)

Rachel L. – 1:17:09 (8:30s)

Scott – 1:17:30 (8:34s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal – Corvallis Half-Marathon on Sunday in 2:19:33 (10:40s)

Jean – 10 miles on Saturday

Daniel – UO 2-mile on Thursday in 16:13 (8:06s)
Julie -- Corvallis Half on Sunday in 1:44:20 (7:59s) PR!

Scott – UO 2-mile on Thursday in 13:18 (6:39s)

Trina – 6K race on Sunday

  

April 9th Preview

You’re at the “only 10” stage of training this Sunday. Ten miles seemed longer to you in January than it does in April. You’ll run the first 4.5 with our half-marathoners.

The route (with an eight o’clock start from the Eugene Running Company): 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, to Autzen footbridge. Turn AROUND at brick crosswalk and come back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.15 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at EWEB (4.5 and 5.6 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 30s with little chance of rain.

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.