3, easy

My easy runs on Monday have to date been timed. The Katy Fit schedule called for a 35 minute run today, an increase of 5 minutes over last Monday. I favor distance runs over timed runs, mostly for recording purposes, so I decided to just make this a 3 mile run. My 30 minute runs so far have been a little over 2 miles so my run tonight was less than a mile increase from previous Monday runs. It's an easy effort so I don't think the extra mile per week is going to kill me.

So, my goal for this run was to run easy. I wanted to follow McMillan's description of the easy run. Here it is:

The final true Endurance workout is the easy run. The majority of your training is likely to be comprised of easy runs and the purpose is to fully develop your aerobic fitness and then maintain it. The pace for easy runs can be as fast as 30 seconds slower than marathon race pace and as slow as one minute slower than marathon pace. Your heart rate is around 75% of maximum though it can reach 80 to 85% near the end of the run. Easy runs last anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour and a half. Again, one of the common mistakes we make is running our easy runs too fast. Keep them steady but don't get into a pace where your breathing becomes noticeably faster.

Here are my splits:
Mile 1 - 14:32
Mile 2 - 15:05
Mile 3 - 15:25

HR splits:
Mile 1 - 147 bpm (~70% HRr)
Mile 2 - 157 bpm (~76% HRr)
Mile 3 - 161 bpm (~81% HRr)

I'm happy with this workout. I still need to even out my pace a little. I think holding back just 15-25 seconds on mile 1 will produce more even pacing. I'd like to negative split without going over 80-85% HRreserve. Of course I'm totally ok with my effort as it was very hot and humid. A south breeze in my face on the mile 1 leg really pumped me up but it disappeared as soon as I turned the southeast corner of the loop. It was brutally hot and humid. Regardless, I like the effort that I maintained.

Looks like some of the SMARTies were out doing a boot-camp-like workout at the west end of the quarter-mile track. I walked by there on the way to the car to see if there was anybody I knew. Someone waved at me but without my glasses, I couldn't make out who it was. I didn't want to go over and interrupt the workout so I just waved back and went on to the house.