Wednesday evening on the 23rd of March saw the final of the Irish Runner Paced Mile Winter Series at the Alsaa club. 2 members of Dunboyne AC were in attendance, Owen Fletcher & Paul O’Donnell. The event followed the same format as the previous evenings, with a running workshop kicking things off, a warm-up and then the main event with the paced miles.
It’s rare that a runner will admit it, but running conditions were as close to ideal as one could hope for. Only a slight breeze on the home straight to be used as an excuse if targets weren’t achieved.
Paul O’Donnell set off with the 6 minute pacers and crossed the line well under target, in a very strong 5:56. Owen Fletcher ran with the 5 minute pacers and while he didn’t quite achieve his target of sub 5, he knocked 13 seconds off his previous attempt, coming in at 5:05.
Feedback from the Paced Mile Series was so positive that the team are looking to stage events in the Phoenix Park during the Summer.
Paced miles can be used as an effective training tool for any distance runner. Widely acclaimed US coach Jeff Galloway introduced timed mile workouts a couple of decades ago to predict potential performances at longer distances, and his method remains popular today.
Running a timed mile, he says, “provides a reality check on your current goals, helps you determine a safe long run pace, and gives you a tangible way to track your progress during the season. Plus, it’s relatively easy to do and doesn’t require days of recovery.”
Check out the full results here http://www.myrunresults.com/events/day_3_irish_runner_magazine_paced_mile_(alsaa_dub)/564/details
