From Coach Toby……..
Last week we climbed Buena Vista Park. This week we’re dialing things back for a steady, rhythmic pacing workout as we kick off our seasonal book club run at Green Apple Books (1231 9th Ave).
Tonight is all about even effort. Three 1.1 mile loops and seeing how closely you can match your pacing across each loop. No progression, no speed changes, just consistent pacing from start to finish — with a fun Book Club Pacing Honor Roll twist!
The loops will be clearly marked and if you’d like to participate in the optional Honor Roll you can DM your splits to me or Matt in Slack afterward.
Meet: Tuesday 6:30pm at Green Apple Books 1231 9th Avenue (NOT our usual meet-up at 7th Ave and MLK)
Start: 6:35pm
Post run social: Back at Green Apple Books for our post run holiday shopping party. Generous discounts (20% off EVERYTHING excluding sale items), snacks and bevies included!
Warm-up
Easy group jog from Green Apple into the park + dynamic stretches
Main Workout
We’ll run three 1.1-mile clockwise loops
Here is the Strava map/route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3275853603279079896
Run each loop at a consistent, comfortable effort you can hold for all three
This is NOT a progression run.
The goal is matching effort, not increasing speed.
Pacing Tips
Choose an effort you can comfortably repeat for all three loops
Sync up with a buddy beforehand and support each other in running each split evenly. Matching effort can be more fun with a partner!
Avoid surges —smooth, steady consistent effort is the goal
Optional: Book Club Pacing Honor Roll
Make the Run Club Honor Roll by running all three loops within +15 seconds of each other.
Example: 10:02 – 10:14 – 10:09 qualifies.
If you’d like to participate in the optional Honor Roll, you can DM your splits to me or Matt in Slack afterward. If you don’t use Strava, no problem. The honor system works great! Just send us your loop times from your watch or whatever app you use.
Cool Down: Easy jog back to Green Apple Books
Why we practice pacing
Consistent pacing is one of the most useful skills you can develop as a runner. When you learn how to settle into an effort and repeat it everything becomes more efficient — your breathing, your rhythm, and the way your body uses and manages energy. It also teaches awareness: you start to recognize what different efforts actually feel like instead of relying on your watch to guide every step.
Pacing becomes especially important in racing and long runs which many of you already do or will do in the future. Even pacing helps you avoid going out too fast, prevents late-run fade, and sets you up to finish stronger rather than just trying to hang on. For long runs, it builds durability and teaches you how to stay relaxed, controlled, and steady for extended periods of time.It’s a simple skill with a big payoff, and this week’s wildcard is a great low-pressure way to practice it.
See you tomorrow (Tue) night!