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22 22 February Note

February 22, 2013March 20, 2016

Hello Beginner Runners,

Woo-hooooooo! We rocked our run on Thursday. I know you’re sick of hearing about how brilliant you are, but I can’t help it! You were amazing on Thursday. That was a tough route. There were some inclines and a lot of non-stop running along the canal. We also seemed to catch every “green-man” at each street crossing. That was wonderful or horrible depending on your perspective! This week we’re running to Canary Wharf. It’s mostly non-stop running along the canal but will probably feel easier than the run this past week because it’s absolutely flat. We’ll do gels between 70-80 minutes - that will probably be around Victoria Park (depending on the pace).

Finally.... we get to talk about pace and distance regarding the upcoming race in Bratislava. Most beginner runners can’t put pace in perspective (which is normal!!!!) - so if you’re not interested in these details just skip this info. In Bratislava, Syma will be leading our group followed by Bonnie, Betsy and myself.
Syma will pace the front of our pack with miles 1-3 averaging about an 11:30 min/mile. She will gradually pick up the pace to run the next 7-8 miles at about an 11:00 min/mile. Around mile 10-11, Syma will check in with you. If you are feeling strong and want to pick up the pace, you’ll be free to take off. If you want to stay with Syma, she will do whatever it takes to help you get across the finish line. If you are struggling at any point, you can drop back to Bonnie. Syma’s group should finish somewhere between 2:20-2:25 depending on how well that plan goes. If that pace seems too aggressive for you, either just believe me - you can do it! Or... let Runners World tell you that you can do it. Have a look at this training pace calculator - the link is here: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/general/rws-training-pace-calculator/1676.html I’ll drop in a sample print-out to give you an example. OK, so if Syma will be finishing the half-marathon somewhere around a 2:20, these are the appropriate training paces for different types of runs. Concentrate on the “long run” pace - 12:10 - 13:38. Our numbers should be more aggressive than that because we haven’t started doing tempo/VO2-max/speed work. Our average pace of just under a 12:00 min/mile on Thursday (for the front of the pack) puts you perfectly on target to finish the race in a 2:20-2:25. The world of running becomes a lot more complicated when you start thinking about these things. For now, if you’re not interested, don’t worry about it. Your coaches are worrying about it for you!!! Our training runs are paced to prepare you for this race no matter where you fall into our pack.
OK, let’s move on to Bonnie, Betsy and myself. Bonnie will either pace a separate group or run at the back of Syma’s pack. This past Thursday, our front pack was a huge group. If race day is similar to that, then Bonnie will run at the back of that pack. If two groups emerge, then Bonnie will be pacing group #2 to finish at about 2:30. Betsy’s group should come in about 5-10 minutes behind that, and I’ll be running “the sweep”. My pace will depend entirely on how the day goes for our runners. Throughout the race, each of our beginners can be assured that I’m behind you. If you have any problems, you can always drop back and my group will catch up to you.
For our last two long runs (Canary Wharf on Thursday, 28 Feb, and Kew on Thursday, 14 March), try to position yourself where you think you’ll be on race day. All of our coaches will be there for both of those runs so they will be great practice sessions for the big day.
I look forward to seeing you on Thursday for the Canary Wharf run - it’s the best ever route! I love it. We should be down there by about 10:30. We’ll finish at Starbucks with coffee for whoever has time, then head back to SJW on the Jubilee line.
Happy Running,
Paula

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22 February Note

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