Week 7: The Long(er) Game

Welcome to Week 7. We’re officially on the back half of the plan - which means it’s time to get serious about pace and perspective. The mileage is building, the calendar is speeding up, and your legs are probably giving you some notes on how they’re feeling. But this is where the real momentum starts.

Time to Level Up Those Intervals

For the speed workout this week, consider trading your 400s and 800s for something with a bit more bite, 2Ks, mile repeats, or 10–15 minute efforts at threshold or race pace. Why?

Because long intervals build endurance and rhythm. These longer efforts help simulate what race day feels like: steady, controlled discomfort without stopping every few minutes to check your splits. Think of it as mental prep just as much as physical. You’re teaching your body how to flow at a challenging pace, and more importantly, how to stay there.

Yes, this will feel hard. That’s the point. But the payoff is big. You’ll show up on race day with a stronger aerobic engine and the confidence that you can settle into pace without needing to babysit your watch.

Race Pace: From Math to Muscle Memory

By now, your race pace shouldn’t feel like a wild guess. It should be something you can almost feel in your stride. The goal over the next few weeks? Learn to run it without constantly checking your wrist like you’re waiting for a text from your boss.

Race pace should start to feel familiar. Not easy, but not foreign either. Think: a firm handshake, not a slap in the face. And pay attention to how it feels. Your breathing, your cadence, how your feet hit the ground. If you can internalize that rhythm now, it’ll be there for you when the starting gun goes off.

Why Your Recovery Runs Matter (Even When You Feel Like a Wreck)

Yes, you’re sore. That long run cooked your legs. But unless you’re injured, skipping your easy run because you’re tired might be doing more harm than good.

Here’s the science: light aerobic activity increases blood flow, which helps flush out waste products like lactate and brings in fresh oxygen and nutrients to sore muscles. In other words, moving helps you recover.

Recovery runs are called that for a reason, they’re like a walking meeting with your legs. Low intensity, low pressure, high benefit. You don’t need to hit any pace. You don’t even need to go far. Just lace up and go shuffle around the block if that’s all you have in the tank. The movement matters more than the mileage.

Remember:

Keep showing up. We’re past halfway, and the finish line is getting closer - even if today, it feels like you need a forklift to get up from your desk chair.