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Runner’s World November 2005
By Jeff Galloway
Q & A
Q. How can I gauge my running progress if I don’t race?
A. Many of my e-coach clients don’t race at all. To help them
measure their improvement, I’ve designed a way to predict
achievable paces at various distances:
>>Go to a 400-meter track. If there is no track nearby, you
can use a treadmill.
>>Warm up thoroughly by doing a mixture of walking and slow
jogging for five minutes, then jogging for another five minutes.
>>Finish your warmup with four 100-yard accelerations. Don’t
spring - just gradually increase your speed each straightaway and
walk for 30 to 60 seconds between each.
>>Time yourself while running four laps (one mile) at the
top pace you can sustain for the whole distance. By the end, you
should feel that you couldn’t maintain the pace for another
full lap. Cool down with at least 10 minutes of easy jogging and
finish with a five-minute walk.
>>Record your mile time and use the following table to assess
your current ability.
PERFORMANCE PREDICTOR
5-K pace: add 33 seconds
10-K pace: multiply by 1.15
Half-marathon pace: multiply by 1.2
Marathon pace: multiply by 1.3
So, if you run the time trial in 10 minutes, your predicted 5-K
pace is 10:33 per mile, 10-K pace is 11:30 per mile, half-marathon
pace is 12 minutes per mile, and marathon pace is 13 minutes per
mile. The predicted pace in longer events assumes that you have
done the necessary training and that you’ll be running near
top speed. Take this test once a month to gauge your progress.
Quick Fix OVERUSE INJURIES
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR COMMON RUNNING MISTAKES
Imposing the inevitable left-right, left-right on the body several
hundreds times every mile leaves runners vulnerable to a wide array
of overuse injuries. With a few preventive measures, however, you
can sidestep most of them. Try these four strategies: (1) Run every
other day. By allowing 48 hours between your workouts, you enable
your body to recover from the previous run and minimize your injury
risk. (2) Schedule long runs every other week. Weekly long runs
may not give your body the time it needs before going long again.
(3) Increase total mileage by no more than 10 percent a week. Also,
take a “half-mileage” week every three or four weeks.
(4) Build intensity gradually. Add only one quality training element
(hills, tempo runs, speedwork) at a time to your schedule. So if
you begin doing hill workouts, wait at least three weeks before
adding a track workout or other speedwork to your routine. And keep
in mind that quality workouts should make up no more than 20 percent
of your total training.
(SAY WHAT?) RUNNING JARGON, TRANSLATED
PR or PB These acronyms stand for personal record or personal best
and are used to denote a runner’s fastest time at any given
distance.
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