Tuesday – A 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.

It’s usually not a good idea to plan a good workout for a Friday. We all have lives outside of running, and conflicts with our non-running lives often happen on Fridays.

A great off-season conditioning workout is a run equal to 20% to 25% of your weekly miles. 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!!!

If you are running 10 miles a week, this conditioning run should be 2 to 2.5 miles long. If you are running 20 miles a week, it should be a 4 to 5 mile run. If you do 30 miles a week, it should be 6 to 7.5 miles.

After warming up, you should run faster than a jog, but slow enough that you can talk to others in the group while running (the “talking test”). This “easy run” pace is about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per mile slower than your 5K race pace. If you can run a 5K at 5:30 per mile, then your easy run pace is between 7:00 and 7:30 per mile. If your 5K time is 7:00 per mile, then your easy runs might be at 8:30 to 9:00 per mile. For the last 25% of the workout, pick your pace up to within a minute to 45 seconds per mile of your 5K pace; even faster if you feel good as you get near the end. If your 5K pace is 5:30 a mile, you want your tempo run pace to be 6:15 to 6:30 per mile. It’s OK to get a little competitive in a group run like this over the last 25% of the distance. No reason to hold back. The next day will be an easy day or an off day. 

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% part; 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 Monday, or didn’t run at all, then you should feel strong and “full of running” doing this workout.

Best,

Coach Bob

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