Day 23 is a red star run: 30 minutes, run or jog, beat Day 21's distance. Six stars in, and the last full week of the program starts here.
If you guessed your distance on Day 21 before looking, you now have a sense of your own pace that most runners never develop, and this is the run to use it. Set out at what feels like Day 21's effort plus a notch, and check the number only at the end. The stars are meant to teach you to run a little better without being told how, and by now you have your own methods: an even run, a stronger second half, a quicker cadence, whichever has worked. Use the one that has.
Keep the first five minutes deliberately controlled - the star tempts you to go out too fast, and the distance lost to that in the last ten minutes is more than it gains. Breathe in rhythm, relax the hands, drive the arms. When the timer stops, compare and record.
The sixth star, and the method for beating it is finally yours rather than the card's.
Make it Harder: Beat Day 21 on a harder route than the one you ran it on.
Make it Easier: Take walk breaks whenever you need them, but keep each one under 30 seconds so the distance stays within reach.
