Training Route for Saturday January 16

Hey there Ethiopian Elites,

Tomorrow's run will not be cancelled, even though we are in the midst of a heat wave. Last week's 13 degrees was delightful, but it probably won't even get below freezing tomorrow.

We are meeting at Veterans' Park at 7:45 a.m. Our schedule calls for 9 miles for the Advanced Half Marathoners and 16 miles for the Advanced Full Marathoners. The route starts with a 9 mile loop, and then the marathoners do additional miles along Riverside. Here are the directions for the 9 mile loop:

Go north on Boulder to 15th St. Turn right on 15th and right on Utica. Just south of 21st St. veer to the right on Troost and turn right on 22nd St. Go south on St. Louis, back north on Terwilleger and go though Woodward Park. Turn right on Peoria, right on 20th St., and left on St. Louis.  Loop around Swan Lake and go west on 19th St. Turn right on Cincinnati and when it crosses the trail turn right and follow the trail to 6th St.  Turn left on 6th, left on Denver, left on Riverside and return to Veterans' Park.

If you have missed your long runs (and maybe even your short runs) due to the inclement weather the last few weeks, some of you might be a little behind on your training, but there is no reason to worry. If you are a marathoner, you can start out with the 9 mile loop and then add whatever miles you are comfortable with along Riverside. It would be great if you could get in at least 12 miles. Then you could do 14 next week, and the following week you will be ready to jump into our second scheduled 16 mile run.

If you are a half marathoner and don't feel quite ready for the 9 mile route, there is a shortcut you can take to make the route a 6 mile loop. In fact, most of the groups have only 6 or 7 miles on their schedule and are running the 6 mile loop. The routes are the same for about the first five and a half miles. Where Cincinnati crosses the trail, the 9 mile route has you turning right on the trail, and the 6 mile route has you turning left on the trail. Directions for the 6 mile route are below. ( you can see the route map at www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ok/tulsa/392125973448266785)

Go north on Boulder to 15th St. Turn right on 15thSt., and right on Utica. Just south of 21st St. veer to the right on Troost and turn right on 22nd St. Go south on St. Louis, back north on Terwilleger and go through Woodward Park. Turn right on Peoria, right on 20th St., and left on St. Louis. Loop around Swan Lake and go west on 19th St. Turn right on Cincinnati and when it crosses the trail turn left and follow the trail to 18th. Turn right on 18th and return to Veterans Park.