April 10th Preview

Once each round of training, we take a road trip to the Row River Trail in Cottage Grove. This is that week, which also brings the longest run of this cycle -- 21 miles. Directions for driving or car-pooling to the to the start, along with a course map, come by email.

The route (with an 8:00 start from the trailhead gazebo at 10th and Main in downtown Cottage Grove): follow the paved path to the "10.5" milepost (these posts appear every half-mile, starting at "3.0"). Turn AROUND there and come back the same way. GPS distance is about 21.2 miles.

Bring two drinks -- the first for delivery at Mosby Creek Trailhead (about 3.0 and 18.0 miles), the second at Harms Park (about 8.5 and 12.5 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in high 40s with little chance of rain, with day's high reaching the low 60s.

If you can't make this trip, I recommend running a similar with the Eugene Marathon preview on Saturday. It starts at 8:00 from the turf fields between the Rec Center and Hayward Field on 15th.

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 3rd Results (10.1 miles)

We're into the final month before the Eugene Marathon. Or looking at it another way: one more step up in distance during April, with next week's 21 miles.

Thanks to Bob Coll at the Eugene Running Company for supplying team shirts. If you didn't pick up yours today, I'll have it for you next week.

TODAY'S 10.1 MILES

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

Bill -- 1:28:57 (8:47 pace, -20 sec. per mile)
Tanya -- 1:38:10 (9:43s, -35 sec.)
Nancy -- 1:28:57 (8:47s, +2 sec.) day's best pacer
Mike -- 1:19:13 (7:50s, -50 sec.)
Dan -- untimed 10 miles
Leah -- 1:27:58 (8:42s, -23 sec.)
Sean -- 1:22:24 (8:09s, -56 sec.)
Michelle R. -- 1:24:12 (8:19s, -4 sec.)
Kathleen -- 1:42:08 (10:06s, -1:22) day's most improved
Joy -- 1:41:03 (9:59s, +7 sec.)
Max -- 1:26:30 (8:33s, -31 sec.)
Russell -- 1:22:14 (8:08, -28 sec.)

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS

Gina -- 10 miles in Cottage Grove
Laurel -- Half-marathon race in Massachusetts, 1:56 (8:51s) plus 5 miles
Jeanette -- 11 miles in Boise
Rhonda -- 8 miles with us, 1:32:36 (11:34s); 9 trail miles on Saturday

April 3rd Preview

Ten miles this Sunday -- aka "only 10." Remember how you once thought of this first step into double-figures mileage as really long?

The course for both you and the half-marathoners, who go the same distance this week (with an 8:00 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 and turn AROUND at brick crosswalk. Come back the same way: Valley River, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 10.11 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Skinner Butte playground (3.5 and 6.5 miles). Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s and sunny!

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.

March 27th Results

This was a weekend of firsts for our team: first time that Bill, Gina, Sean and Kathleen had gone as far as 19 miles.

Our Eugene runners sampled the marathon course (twice) between race miles 17 and 25+ miles today. Thanks to Rachel Frede and Steve Modee for helping at the "21-mile" mark.

TODAY'S 19 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 19.00, and comparison to your last long run here; target was to match that pace for this longer distance; results here don't include stop times and detours, so you might have gone faster than listed)

Mike -- 2:44:37 (8:40 pace, +18 sec. per mile)
Jenna -- 3:41:40 (11:40s, +29 sec.)
Leah -- 2:52:46 (9:05s, +9 sec.) day's best pacer
Sean -- 2:52:34 (9:05s, +51 sec.) longest run ever!
Kathleen -- 3:27:48 (11:28s, +1:11) longest run ever!
Max -- 2:52:12 (9:04s, +20 sec.)

Guest:
Shannon -- 3:41:40 (11:40s) congrats on Western State 100 entry!

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS

Bill -- McKenzie Half in 1:52:23 (8:35s) PR, plus 6.1 miles = 19.2 total, longest ever!
Tanya -- 19 miles on Saturday
Gina -- 19 miles in Cottage Grove on Saturday, longest run ever!
Chris -- 9 miles with us in 2:13:27 (14:54s)
Dan -- McKenzie Half in 2:15:25 (10:21s) plus 6.5 miles = 19.6 total
Laurel -- 12 miles in Boston
Sara -- 2.75 hours in Berkeley
Russell -- 11.9 miles with us, 1:42:30 (8:36s)
Rhonda -- McKenzie Half in 2:23:27 (10:57s)

March 27th Preview

Complications abound this weekend. It's Easter and the store won't open, so we'll start/finish at Alton Baker Park. It's McKenzie River Half day, and some runners will choose that race. And I'm due back from a spring-break trip, but barely and could be delayed. If you can make it there, you'll still run the scheduled 19 miles.

The route, from Alton Baker parking lot with 8:00 start: bike path to Owosso footbridge and across. Turn left, to Autzen footbridge and across. Back to Alton Baker, then turn AROUND and repeat in opposite direction: Autzen, Owosso and Alton Baker. GPS distance unmeasured but about 19.2 miles.

Bring two drinks, the first for delivery at Owosso (about 4 and 15 miles), the second for turnaround (9.5 miles) and finish. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 40s with low chance of rain.

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.

March 20th Results (9.1 miles)

Early warning for next weekend, which is Easter. There'll be no store opening, so we'll use the Alton Baker parking lot as our start/finish area. Details will coming on Wednesday.

Thanks to Shivaun for opening the store, to Michele ("Shelli") for helping on the course, and to Michael for his photo work.

TODAY'S 9.1 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 9.10, and comparison to your last long run here; target was either to match that pace for this shorter distance, for recovery, or to go faster, for speed training)

Bill -- 1:19:23 (8:43 pace, -5 sec. per mile) day's best pacer
Tanya -- 1:37:01 (10:40s, +22 sec.)
Mike -- 1:09:14 (7:36s, -46 sec.) day's 2nd most improved
Amy -- 1:24:03 (9:14s) welcome to the Eugene team!
Dan -- 1:34:38 (10:23s, -1:03) day's most improved
Leah -- 1:19:30 (8:44s, -12 sec.)
Michelle R. -- 1:15:10 (8:17s, -6 sec.) day's 2nd best pacer
Sara -- 1:15:10 (8:16s)
Kathleen -- 1:32:01 (10:06s, -11 sec.)
Max -- 1:15:45 (8:19s, -25 sec.)
Russell -- 1:13:16 (8:03s, -21 vs. Napa marathon) 

OTHER WEEKEND RUNS

Bill -- 5K trail race, 25:52 (8:20s) 2nd in age group
Michele C. -- Half-marathon trail race, 2:36:15 (13.9M at 11:24s) 3rd in age group
Gina -- Half-marathon trail race, 2:10:12 (9:57s) 2nd in age group
Laurel -- 20 miles in Boston
Jeanette -- 19 miles in Cottage Grove; 8 miles with us, 1:20:35 (10:08s)
Joy -- 19 miles in Cottage Grove
Rhonda -- 8 miles with us, 1:34:33 (11:53s)

March 20th Preview

So far, you haven't ventured onto the Springfield street portion of the Eugene Marathon course in Sunday training. That will change (slightly) this week, when you cover the 12th mile there -- twice.

The course (from Eugene Running Company with an 8:00 start): Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don't cross. Turn left onto bike path, to Alton Baker parking lot and onto road. Continue past Autzen Stadium to end of road ponds. Turn left on canal path, under I-5, to end of path in Springfield. Turn right onto D Street, to 4th Avenue. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: canal path, road, Ferry and store. "Mile 12" of the marathon is I-5 to 4th Ave. Sunday's GPS distance is 9.10 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Springfield boat ramp, about 3.5 and 5.5 miles. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 50s with light rain likely.

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.