2017 HOKA ONE ONE Postal Nationals Fall Cross Country Training Program, Week 23, Day 2, Tuesday Tempo runs Tuesday,

Most of my important friendships,outside of family, forty plus years after high school are from team mates, or with running. There is just something about running, all that time spent together at a pivotal time in your life, that makes connections.

Team mates, photo by Justin Britton

I ran with my brother in his junior and senior year of high school, as I was his team coach, and he had to put up with me. I remember timing him then he ran 10 minutes for two miles. He wanted to break 10 minutes and I had him at 10:00.08. Some had asked me to give him a sub ten minute 2 mile. I could not do that. He knew why, as he knew that he had to earn that time.

It was a fact that, in his senior year in high school and my senior year of college, we both won our first cross country races at the same day, and a few hours apart. Our parents got to see both races. I won and was able to enjoy the victory, having won by a good margin. My brother did not know about his win until afterwards. He chased a guy the entire way, not knowing it was a college runner working out.

I learned about tempo runs from Kim Wrinkle, a 2:22 marathoner who worked with me at Runners World A great guy, Kim now runs ultras and was a football coach a few years ago. I remember doing one in Wilmington, Delaware, about 1987, on a cold, cool night on the track, all by myself, with only a full moon out for company.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017. warm up, 20 minute tempo run on track, run pace at 30 seconds per mile above our current 5k racing pace, so if you run 6 minute pace today for 5k race, run tempo at 6:30 pace, and stay focused. Jog 800 meters, and finish with 4 times 200 meters, easy jog in between, cooldown