Saucony 500 Mile Challenge, Week Eight, Day Five, Friday, August 8, 2014:
This is a good time to get some racing shoes for the fall and use them for tempo runs. If you’re an advanced runner, up your easy runs to 30-35 minutes on Mon/ Wed/Fri, still doing them at the opposite time of day from your hard workout.
Monday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Tuesday: 1-mile warm up; 20-min. tempo run, 1-mile cool down. To determine your tempo run pace, add a half-minute to your present mile pace for a 5K. For example: If you currently run 18:50 minutes for a 5K, that’s 6:05 pace. Add 30 seconds, and your tempo run pace is 6:35 per mile. Recalcu- late your pace as your fitness improves, perhaps once a month.
Wednesday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Thursday: 1-mile warm up; 5 hill repeats (run 200 yards uphill, turn, jog downhill to the start. Repeat 4 more times, no rests); on the flat at the bottom of the hill, try for 8×150 yards as easy strideouts, jogging back to the start, no rest between; 1-mile easy cool down.
Friday: Warm up; 6-mile run (400 Mile: 5 miles/300 Mile: 3 miles); 7×150 yards relaxed strideouts on grass, jogging back to the start after each, no rest between; cool down.
Saturday: Easy 5-mile run or find a hilly 4-mile race. Warm up and focus on running the second half well. You might feel rusty early, but you’ll feel better on the second half.
Sunday: Easy 9-mile run on grass or dirt with friends (400 Mile: 7 miles/300 Mile: 6 miles).
Week 8 Totals: 500 Mile-40 miles; 400 Mile-37miles; 300 Mile-29 miles Mo. 2 Total (To Date): 500 Mile-154 (282) miles; 400 Mile-142.5 (247.5) miles; 300 Mile-111.5 (201.5) miles