Thursday - Another Good Workout Day

We want to get into the rhythm of a good conditioning workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because during the season those are the days of our races and our best practices.

The base off-season conditioning workout is a twice-a-week run equal to 20% to 25% of your weekly miles. If Tuesday was on the long side at 25% of your weekly miles, then Thursday should be a little shorter, at 20% of your weekly miles. Or vice-versa.

 You run the first 75% of the distance at an easy pace, then pick up the pace and run the last 25% as a tempo run. It’s good to get into the habit of a strong finish!

Doing a group run with a couple of running friends makes it easier and more enjoyable. Run easily together for the first part; it’s OK to get a little competitive at the end.

Don't worry about the exact pace of your conditioning runs. As long as it's slow enough to pass the "talking test" for the easy first 75%; and fast enough so that it's difficult to carry on a conversation for the last 25%, you're OK.

If you did a short and easy day Wednesday, or didn’t run at all, then you should feel good and feel strong during this workout. A common training mistake is to run too much or too hard on “easy” days, resulting in being sluggish and not feeling strong on targeted good workout days.

Best,

Coach Bob

P.S. Don’t forget your stretching. It doesn’t matter what time during the day you do it