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Bloomsday is near, but there’s still time to train

Opinion

Bloomsday is near, but there’s still time to train

With the sun out and the warmer weather, running enthusiast can rejoice. Not only is the weather finally good enough for running, but there are a plethora of events catered toward runners.
The most notable of these events is the seven and a half mile Bloomsday race in Spokane.
One of the most notable stretches around mile five is Doomsday Hill. The hill rises at a six and a half percent incline for roughly three-quarters of a mile and ending 152 feet in elevation gain.
If you haven’t already greatly decreased your pace by mile five you most likely will. Have no fear though; you can still train up for the race with three weeks left until the starting gun.
To start off with it is unadvisable to train for Bloomsday like Biology instructor David Cunnington, who’s only training is running the Bloomsday the year previous.
As Cunnington puts it “if we were in a car crash seven miles from the nearest help, and I had to run for help. I want to know how long it takes me. It turns out it will take me a while and I will probably be throwing up by the end.”

BD16_Poster

Poster for this year’s Bloomsday event

With only three weeks until race time you don’t have time to do much conditioning but you can still train for it. According to communications instructor and former NIC cross-country coach Lewis Watkins, there is still plenty you can do with three weeks to go.
There is not enough time for a tempo run – a longer 20 minute run at a fast pace – to make much of an effect on race day. However there are a lot of hills in Bloomsday and training to run hills is relatively easy.
“What you want to do is find a smaller hill that will take you thirty seconds or less to climb at 90 percent of your maximum pace,” Watkins said. “And do six to eight reps running at 90 percent of your maximum speed up the hill and a slow steady jog or fast walk on the way down.”
Besides running hills you can get in a longer slower run at a pace you can keep a conversation at. Run at that pace for one hour just so you can get used to running at a constant pace.
Another thing you can do to help build up your endurance is interval training. You probably won’t have distances marked out but you can still do interval training using time.
Spend five minutes at a faster pace keeping your breathing at two in two out, this will keep you from going anaerobic.
Also as part of the intervals training after you do the run at a faster pace slow down to a slow jog or a fast walk for about five minutes.
End with controlled sprints, again at about 90 percent speed.  Since it is intervals, don’t do a race paced run followed by a slow walk just once but do it three to four times, and at the end of your third or fourth run do four to five controlled sprints.
Do all of these workouts at least three days a week and you should be in decent shape for the 40th running of Bloomsday on May 1.
Bloomsday is a slightly difficult race with all of the hills and the elevation change, so train up for the race.
It sure to be a fun race for everybody so enjoy it. Early bird registration online ends on April 17 so if you don’t want to pay $35 for being late, register now at www.bloomsdayrun.org/registration. Stay safe and have fun

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