Run like a Horse to the barn

In honor of all things rodeo this week (it is That Famous Preston Night Rodeo week), let me tell you about the workout I call "the horse to the barn" run.  I first became aware of this phenomenon in college, when I was out for an easy run with a group of girls.  The first half was indeed easy, but as we turned around and headed for home, we gradually picked up the pace until we were running at a pace that could be described as a full gallop, much faster than the comfortable trot we had started with.  When we finally stopped and realized how much we had increased the pace, one girl apologized, and mentioned how we were running like horses that could sense the barn and so were racing to get back.  That stuck with me, and now any workout with comedown miles (negative splits) reminds me of a horse running back to the barn.  

My marathon training plan calls for several of these type of workouts on the long run day. For example, it prescribes a 16 mile run.  The first 8 are comfortable pace, but the last eight get progressively faster, decreasing pace by about ten seconds a mile, until the last mile is at half-marathon pace.   This is a challenging workout, but one I highly recommend because it teaches your body to run harder when it is tired.  It really builds confidence that I will be able to push harder those last eight to ten miles of the marathon.  It also feels surprisingly good to shift gears after maintaining a steady pace for so long, and I start getting excited the last few miles when I know I am almost home.  It is a great workout; run like a horse who can smell the barn.