Pete Tanguay

Another great hill run out to Pickles Gap (you know you live in Arkansas when you do a hill run to Pickles Gap).  Lots of rolling hills and some steep ones as well.  With my run yesterday I did 25 miles this weekend.  Next weekend we jump up to a 16 mile run.  This run is so beautiful, running through the hills and over by Beaverfork Lake in the dark and as the light of day arrives.  Only one car passed so it is pretty much you and the road – and some barking dogs.  Felt a bit fatigued towards the end and probably walked a mile or so of the last part.  But that’s ok, the goal is to cover the miles and enjoy the run. 

Ran a 5 mile run with the group – well I was about 5 minutes late so I chased the group, then ran with the slow group and then ran with someone a little faster than the slow group.  Beautiful morning for a run and felt good.  We went for coffee for about 45 minutes and then met up with the Soaring Wings Half Marathon training group and ran with the intermediate group – mainly to encourage runners and make sure everyone went the right way.  Today was a 7 mile run.  Ran slow the first half and then ran hard to catch someone and run with them.  Most people had headphones on so there wasn’t a lot of talking!  Ran the final mile with a 22 year old kid and helped him some with his technique and helped him finish strong.

Curt, who has run the Chicago Marathon 9 times, mentioned he was thinking of going up and running it with his brother this year if he could figure out a way up there.  This turned into a road trip where he and I and maybe some others are going to leave on Friday night, drive all night (11 hours) to Chicago and spend the day Saturday there, then run a portion of the marathon as a “bandit” – those that jump in but don’t pay to run.  Chicago is one of the top 5 marathons (Berlin, London, New York, Chicago and Boston) and it is a 40,000 runner, 1 million spectator event.  Hope this works out as I have a 20 mile training run that weekend and it would be great to do it in a real marathon.

Ran 37 miles this week – 4 running days.  Things are looking up.  Plan to run 13-14 in the morning. 

Tempo runs are something I look forward to.  They are a 1 mile warm up and then 3 1/2 mile hard run to the top of Country Club Hill.  We rest and then run another mile and a half or so, starting as a recovery run and finishing hard.  Goal today was to keep my tempo run around a 7:30 pace but wasn’t able to.  Not sure why.  The faster group went on to run 8 but I ran with some others that cut it off at 6.  For some reason I’m really zapped after the run, almost dehydrated and light headed.  Again, not sure why as I drank plenty of liquids.  Will cross train in spin class tomorrow and then do a couple of longer runs on Saturday and Sunday.  Plan to run 5 and then 7 with the Soaring Wings training group on Saturday and then run 13 on Sunday with another group.  There were 31 runners in the parking lot this morning at 5am when we started, running a variety of paces.  Great to see everyone out.  It’s a great group of people that are positive and healthy. 

Nice easy 5 mile run this morning after 2 days off.  Felt really good and could have kept the original pace but stayed back with a friend and enjoyed a nice early morning run.  It’s amazing how a couple days of rest and recovery energizes me.  Tempo run tomorrow and I think will do spin class and a run on Friday. 

Great run this morning – did a hilly 13 1/2 mile run with a couple of others.  Ran by myself the last 7-8 as they were a little too fast for me.  Went out to Lakeview Acres and ran along Beaver Fork Lake and down to Pickles Gap.  Great up and down hills and rollers inbetween.  I’ll probably make this my long run route and add on to it to up the distancce.  It’s a good challenge to run the hills and the scenery is nice (once it gets light!).  We ran up and over a new road that cuts through a big hill and it was completely dark.  On the way out we couldn’t see a thing and this is the first time we’d run this before.  On the way back I noticed that about every 40 feet there were survey stakes sticking up out of the ground in the middle of the road.  Could have been disaster if one of us had tripped over those coming down the hill!  Luck is good.  Felt good and finished strong, only walked about 20-30 steps up a real steep part of a hill, other than that I kept moving .

Beautiful morning for a run – got out and did 5 miles with the group.  Warm-up mile at a 8:50 pace, then to 8:20 and finished at a 7:58 pace.  Felt real good.  Looking forward to a long run tomorrow although I know the group I’m running with is going to go faster (at their easy pace) than I probably should go on a long run but a good run with some good hills is what I need.  Had a good running week, 4 days and about 30 miles.

Driving up to the fitness center as the running group was running down the street to the first turn.  Started out about 1/2 mile behind and spent the morning catching up with runners, talking a bit and then going on to the next group.  Nice to run with some of the slower runners and visit.  It was real hot and the air was still and I never really got into a tempo pace which I abandoned for a morning run of catching people.  Ran about 6 miles and felt good.  Trying to decide between a slow 18 on Saturday or a hill run 15 on Sunday with a faster group.  Hmmm.

Did 7 hard hill repeats today with the group on Nob Hill – about quarter mile repeats and they are a good workout.  Did an easy paced 2 mile run (about 9:25 pace) and a little faster run back (about 8:15 pace).  As Paul Turner always says – “Hills are our friends” as they get us ready to race faster.  I’m adding some routes with more hills in them, especially my longer runs, to get ready for the Flying Monkey Marathon.  Total mileage today was just under 7 miles.  I’ve started drinking my Amino Vital Endurance drink before I run and it is really making a difference.  Spin class tomorrow and tempo on Thursday.

Did a 20 mile ride on my bike yesterday and it was nice to be back out biking.  Need to do some maintenance on the bike since it has been sitting in the garage for 5 years!  Ran the Soaring Wings Half Marathon route today and felt good which was surprising.  Last week I struggled on a 10 mile run.  Didn’t try to go too fast, did it  in about 2 hours.  Looking to do this again next weekend and then start increasing the runs up to 18-22 mile runs to prepare for the marathon in November.  Still hot and humid – by mile 4 I was leaving wet footprints with my sloshing shoes, full of sweat!  That’s just summer running in Arkansas.

Out late last night, can’t believe I got up to run but it was a beautiful morning and a great way to start the day running through darkness turning to light.  Just two of us, real slow steady pace.  Taking tomorrow off, going to bike instead of run and then Sunday a group is going to do the Soaring Wings Half Marathon route.  Hope my body is ready for 13.1.