Coach's Update
Hello, UO Running Club
Sunday, July 12, 2026
It’s mid-July but it still hasn’t been really hot here in Eugene. It’s probably hotter and more humid where you are. Be wise with your running! Go in the morning and hunt for shady routes. Check below for sample methods for buildup.
Thanks to our all-comers long jump crew for last Wednesday’s work … just two more meets to go!
World U20 Championships will be at Hayward Field on August 5-9. It’s a remarkable meet!
Volleyball is coming in September. We’ll need a new organizer. You?
OFFICIATE THE KIDS’ LONG JUMP
Two more Wednesdays at Hayward Field. 5:30pm...
Contact Avery Hackenberg at <612-417-0790> or <ahacken3@uoregon.edu>.
VOLLEYBALL CREW
We have a $2000 fundraiser again this autumn. We’ve been the ball crew for the women’s NCAA team at their home matches for 20+ years. I’m 81 years old, though, and won’t be able to organize the crews, oversee them at the matches at Matt Knight Arena, and be one of the participants anymore.
So, we need one or two of you to step forward and lead this effort this fall. If you want details, please contact me at 541-954-0263 or <heino@uoregon.edu>. There are 14 matches at home this season.
The matches are really fun and are a valuable fundraiser for Club!
‘RACE? (same as last week)
If you feel the urge to race for fun and you’re in Eugene, here are opportunities:
Oregon Track Club’s all comers meets at Hayward Field on Thursdays:
https://www.oregontrackclub.com/summer-all-comers-meets
Scandia Run 10km and 5km, August 16, in Junction City.
https://scandiarun.com/scandia-run
VOLUME BUILDUP …HOW?
‘Want to do some races in the fall? It’s time to prepare.
Some of you count miles, some of you don’t. This is the time of year when cross country runners do mostly easy-paced, steady runs in gradually increasing amounts. (We’ll add some quality beginning in August.)
These relaxed-paced runs establish an aerobic base, build muscular endurance, and toughen connective tissue (tendons, ligaments) and cartilage. The intensity stays low as the volume increases.
There are 11 weeks until fall term starts…probably plenty of time to accumulate a slightly greater volume of running this summer than you’ve done before. But where to start?
You can build from whatever volume you are doing now to some amount that, for you, is a lot.
Aim to hit your high mileage in early or mid-September. Get some work done, and arrive in the fall feeling that you’re well prepared...ready to do hard days once or twice a week in late September, and a long run on the weekend.
But don’t be a slave to mileage! There is virtue in rest. And it’s better to not risk a blowup. If you get five or six days in a week exactly as you want them, that’s a pretty high success ratio. It’s better to get to Eugene in the fall healthy and ready, than to have gone over the edge by pushing too hard.
Strive for excellence, not perfection!
You can arrive here in the fall ready to start some racing. I’ll give you sample workouts of faster runs and reps in August so that you can be ready to do to full workouts by mid-September.
If you’re just now starting your buildup of volume, and you want to count weekly miles, here are three ways to progress:
Plateau method: example — 30-30-35-35-41-41-48-48-56-56
--a gradual mileage increase, but with plateaus to “consolidate your gains” and be sure that you’re ready for the next step up.
Dropback method: example — 30-36-42-36-42-49-42-49-57-49
--you build up two weeks then drop back for one week. The progress seems slow but the chance of being hurt or worn out is small. You still get there!
Count-your-runs method: Borrowing a page from Jack Daniels, if you did six runs last week, increase your week’s mileage by no more than six miles this week. And “plateau” or “drop back” when you feel the need.
If you have specific questions now, email me at <heino@uoregon.edu>.
CAN’T COUNT?
Are you a non-counter? ‘Like to run, but don’t like to count miles? That works!
If you want to run some cross country or road races in the fall, just try to get out the door most days for a run. Go whatever pace feels good. Keep the routes varied. Find someone to run with.
Running without counting and timing can be fun and rewarding. And you’ll end up running farther and faster over the summer, without trying to.
Come back to Eugene in September, fresh and ready for an enjoyable fall!
SPRINTERS!
Have you found an activity or two that you really enjoy? A team?
Be creative!
We hope to have an active sprint training group this fall on the turf fields right next to Hayward Field. Michael Donawa will to be involved with Club again next year!
‘Summertime!
Tom Heinonen
cell 541-954-0263
