8:00 am Western Greenway trailhead on Pleasant Street in Belmont: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sDTsN5CfSsXDa4ff7
Group leader: Tom
Long (L) run at 8:00-9:30 min/mile pace
RSVP on the private Shamrock Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/245182721273311/posts/535615915563322/
8.8 mile “Western Greenway Loop” course: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/11053913
We’ll all start together. Please feel welcome to go shorter or longer, faster or slower, depending on your weekly mileage and (E)asy pace range.
Notes: This is mostly trails. I’m not familiar with these trails, and much of this course is not on Google street view, so I may need to stop and orient myself at times, and may go off course by accident in places. If you want to tack on more miles at the end, the Mass Central Rail Trail is nearby.
The purpose of the weekly L run is to spend lots of time at (E)asy pace, which strengthens your heart, improves the blood supply to your muscles, and enhances the oxygen and fuel-to-energy conversions in our muscle cells. Many of these benefits accrue with more time spent running, and you needn’t go fast to reap these rewards. E pace is typically an intensity about 59 to 74 percent of VO2 max or about 65 to 79 percent of maximum heart rate. If you’re running less than 40 miles per week, the L run should be no more than 30% of your weekly mileage. If you’re running 40+ miles per week, the L run should be whichever comes first: 2.5 hours or 25% of your weekly mileage.