August 26th Results (9 miles)

High praise to all of you who ran from Mount Hood to Seaside yesterday and today. We took our team run locally on Saturday, in support of your final miles at Hood to Coast.

Thanks to Neal for doing the heavy lifting of organizing Joe’s Team Runs This State. It’s an experience that he’s happy is over, and that none of you will ever forget.

TODAY’S 9 MILES

(with per-mile pace; times are rounded to even minutes because my watch started late; target was to run at a pace you expect to average for a half-marathon next month)

Jan – 1:36 (10:40 pace)

Kyoko – 1:34 (10:24s)

Renee – 1:37 (10:46s)

Steve – 1:36 (10:40s)

Norm – 1:08 (7:35s)

FRIDAY-SATURDAY’S HOOD TO COAST RELAY

(runners averaged 16.5 total miles in three segments, with the team averaging 9:05s for those 199 miles; * = on a team other than the one that “Runs This State”; ours also included Lindsey, AmyLee, Randy and Paul)

Neal

*Bill

Michele

*Tatiana

*Kristin

Stephanie

Leah

Lydia

Sean

Rhonda

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Jenna – 3.1 miles on Wednesday

Suzy – 9 miles on coast at 12:14s
Joe – 3.1 miles on Wednesday

(Van One at Mount Hood)

  

(Van Two before Friday's first runs)

August 26th Preview

Most of our current group is otherwise occupied this weekend. Ten of you are running on four different Hood to Coast teams, starting on Friday and extending well into Saturday. The distance per person averages about 18 miles, split into three segments many hours apart.

We still offer a training run locally of nine miles. Besides being few in numbers here, both the day and location will change. It’s on SATURDAY from the MILL RACE TRAILHEAD, with an eight o’clock start.

The route goes to Clearwater Park and back. To come closer to the scheduled length, we need to add some distance at the start and in the middle.

Directions: Head AWAY from Mill Race Path at the start, to 5^th Street, then circle back join the path. Continue to the intersection of the Mill Race and Middle Fork Paths. Turn left, to end of path at Clearwater park. Turn right and continue to end of boat parking lot. Turn AROUND there and come back the same way: Middle Fork to Mill Race to finish. GPS distance is unmeasured but close to nine miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at Clearwater trailhead (halfway). There are water fountains and restrooms at that spot, and at the Jasper trailhead (about two and seven miles). Weather forecast: sunny with starting temperature in 50s, moving toward an afternoon high of 90.

WEEK’S 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 half-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 do soon enough. Our more experienced runners might want to train for speed during the week. I recommend that this come between Tuesday and Thursday to give enough recovery from the last long run and before the next one. If you run a shorter-distance race during this training period, make it easy. A full effort there would conflict with your weekend long run, which is far more important during this training cycle.

August 20th Results (8 miles)

Most of the talk this morning centered on Hood to Coast. And no wonder, with nine runners from today’s group scheduled for that relay on Friday and Saturday. Safe travels to all of you.

Thanks to Lindsey for opening the store this morning. We will not meet there next weekend, or anywhere on Sunday. The nine-mile run, for those who remain at home then, will move to Saturday at the Mill Race trailhead in Springfield.

TODAY’S 8 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 7.95; target was the pace you expect to average for a half-marathon next month)

Neal – 1:30:25 (11:22 pace) during 15-mile run

Bill – 6.6 miles in 1:04:15 (9:44s)

Jan – 1:24:32 (10:37s)

Jean – ran untimed

Tatiana – ran untimed

Stephanie – 1:30:25 (11:22s)

Renee – 7.7 miles in 1:24:32 (10:58s)

Carrie – 1:30:25 (11:22s) during 15-mile run

Dan – 6.8 miles in 1:16:30 (11:15s) welcome back!

Leah – 1:02:38 (7:53s) during 19-mile run

Norm – 1:04:59 (8:10s)

Lydia – 1:30:11 (11:20s)

Sean – 1:08:52 (8:40s)

Suzy – 7.7 miles in 1:34:15 (12:14s)

Rhonda – 1:30:18 (11:21s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Neal – one-mile race on Saturday in 8:08

Michele – 4.6 miles with Wednesday group

Leah – 5.7 miles with Wednesday group

Joe – 3.1 miles with Wednesday group

August 20th Preview

Eight miles is our scheduled distance this Sunday. Needs may vary for marathoners, and you can make those adjustments.

The route (with an 8:00 start from the Eugene Running Company): Oakway and Coburg Roads to Ferry Street Bridge and don’t cross. Turn left onto bike path, then connect to road at Alton Baker parking lot. Follow road to end at canal. Turn right onto path and follow it under I-5 to end at D Street in Springfield. Turn AROUND there and come back same way: path, road, Ferry and store. GPS distance is 7.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at boat ramp (3.5 miles). Weather forecast: sunny with starting temperature in 50s.

WEEK FOUR LESSON: YOUR EXTRAS

Question: If I have raced this distance before, can or should I do more training than this program lists?

Answer: More isn’t necessarily better. For these months, please buy into this program of long runs as written. It has a proven record of success, with runners who follow this training plan the closest usually doing the best in our designated half-marathon of the season. Stick to the scheduled distances on Sundays, neither shorter nor longer, and take as many of these runs as possible with the group. The increase of one mile week per already pushes the safe limit of 10 percent, and one of the goals here is to keep you healthy throughout the program. Adding extra miles could put you at risk of injury, and a goal is to get you safely to the starting line.

August 13th Results (7 miles, etc.)

We had a welcome-back day today: to Lindsey after her wedding in Vermont, to Stephanie and Steve Laurie with their daughter Sierra from Houston, to Jan from vacation, to Steve and Lydia after taking long or short breaks from team runs.

Our Wednesday group will meet at Alton Baker Park this week, six o’clock for running up to 5.7 miles. We’ll meet as usual next Sunday (aka, eclipse eve), but will run together on the following SATURDAY,  August 26^th.

TODAY’S 7 MILES

(with per-mile pace, based on GPS average of 6.95; target was to run at a pace you expect to hold next month for a half-marathon)

Neal – 1:17:45 (11:09 pace) totaled 9 miles

Bill – 13.25 miles in 2:06:04 (9:30s)

Jan – 1:13:14 (10:32s)

Michele – 1:18:48 (11:16s)

Stephanie – 1:17:45 (11:09s)

Kyoko – 1:11:26 (10:16s)

Carrie, with Ben – 4.9 miles in 1:08:58 (14:10s) totaled 7 miles

Leah – 54:32 (7:50s) totaled 14 miles

Steve M. – 1:08:44 (9:53s)

Norm – 55:18 (7:57s)

Lydia – 1:18:46 (11:20s)

Sean – 59:40 (8:35s)

Suzy – 1:27:30 (12:35s)

Rhonda – 1:17:45 (11:09s)

Guests

Stephanie, with Sierra – 4.9 miles in 1:08:58 (14:10s)

Steve L. -- 7.1 miles in 46:48 (6:35s)

Jenna – 4.9 miles in 1:08:58 (14:10s)

Andy – 1:08:44 (9:53s)

OTHER RECENT RUNS

(those reported to me)

Michele – Scandia 5K on Saturday in 30:41 (9:53s) 3^rd in age group

Jean – Vancouver half-marathon on Saturday in 2:36:09 (11:55s)

Tatiana – Vancouver half-marathon in Saturday in 2:38:02 (12:04s)

Kristin – 7 miles on Sunday

Carrie – OTC 5K on Thursday in 32:54 (10:36s)

(Photo: Refreshing together after Sunday’s run.)

 

August 13th Preview

Cool and cloudy! That sounds mighty good right now, after the hot and smoky summer we’ve had. The forecast conditions will be welcome for Sunday’s seven-mile run, with an 8:00 a.m. start from the Eugene Running Company.

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. Turn left, to Autzen footbridge and across. Back to Ferry and store. GPS distance is 6.95 miles.

Bring a drink for delivery at about halfway, Skinner Butte playground. Weather forecast: starting temperature in 50s with RAIN possible. Afternoon high will only reach 75.

WEEK’S LESSON: YOUR WEEK

Question: What should I do during the week, between long runs?

Answer: On weekdays “rest” and “easy” are the key words. The biggest mistake half-marathon trainers make is trying to increase all their running. The longer you go on Sundays, the less you can or should do the other days. My recommended easy run is one lasting 30 to 60 minutes (usually closer to the half-hour than the hour) at a relaxed pace, totaling no more than two hours of running between Sundays – however those minutes convert to miles for you. I also urge you to take a day or two off (easy cross-training is okay those days) after the long run and one rest day before the next one.