Pete Tanguay

5 miles seems like a non-run, and we didn’t even run quite 5.  Did the downtown route to see the crazy people who are www.stuckonatruck.com.  Nice comfortable pace with 3 others, 

Good thing we started at 5:30 this morning because I was lying in bed arguing with myself about whether to get up and run or not.  I’ve been tired and thought about taking the day off but the prospect of running Richland Hills with a faster group was quite enticing.  So I did.  I hung on well and they were on a recovery run pace.  One was injured and one wasn’t feeling well and so I was able to hang with them.  It didn’t help that they were talking about doing one arm pushups while we are trying to make it up a big hill! 

Felt good the entire run, although they were just on the edge of my comfort zone for some of the run.  A lot of it was comfortable and I was able to get into a groove.  Nice to see the overall pace under 8:30, especially with the hills.  It was a bit cooler this morning, in the 40’s, and the sun came up as we got into our run.  It’s 7:15 and I’ve gotten my run in, checked my email, caught up with the activity on Facebook since last night and posted my run report.  I think I’ll take a quick shower, go out to the #4 green and do some putting and should be in to the home office by 8. 

I haven’t done hills in a long time and it was good to get back out.  Felt a little sluggish today but worked into the run.  I arrived as the group was leaving the fitness center and had to play catch up for the first mile.  I ran with the back group to Nob Hill which was a slower pace but a good way to get going.  Did one over the top and down the back and then a couple quarter mile repeats on the bottom hill.  Ran back with another runner and we added Country Club hill at the end for “good measure”.  I see my splits were negative from mile 3 on which is good.  I’m feeling a little worn out the last couple days and look forward to a day off of running tomorrow, if I take one!

This is the time of year in our little town where they celebrate Toad Suck Daze.  All of the kids need to catch a toad so they can race it, and the schools have toad races as well.  Not a good time to be a toad in this town. 

So when we headed out for our run one of the runners asked us to keep an eye out for a toad for her daughter.  She had her bag to keep it in if we found it.  When we started along the bike trail in mile 3-4 we were stopping and looking for toads with a flashlight.  That was definitely a first.  Only saw one and he jumped in the water too fast. 

Had a good start the week run, not too hard, but steady with walk breaks looking for toads. 

Ran the Pickles Gap route today but cut it to a 10  mile route.  Love this route.  Great hills going out and back and it was a beautiful morning to be out with a group of about 15 runners.  Although the pace is not real fast, it was good considering the hills and I had a nice kick at the end that felt good.  Finished and saw 9.88 and started a new lap on my watch and ran another .12 to get 10.  This must qualify for some kind of Garmin disease!  Why can’t I just round up to 10?  hah!

Had a good 5k run this morning.  I had hoped to get under 22 minutes and missed it by 5 seconds on my watch and 3 seconds official time.  You would think there were three seconds to be found out there!  Honestly, I didn’t leave it all out on the course.  I finished with a lot of gas left in the tank.  I ran too conservative.  It didn’t hurt like it should.  I could have squeezed another 10 seconds out of that race if I would have pushed.  Great learning experience, I’ll do better next time.  I am not disappointed, just wiser.

Great weather for the race.  When I woke up at 5:30am it was thunder and lightning real close and the electricity was going on and off in the house.  But weather.com said there was a clearing about race time!!

I headed out and sure enough when we go there the rain was gone and other than wet roads, we had perfect weather.  Right after the awards, it started pouring again.  I focused on running where I was in the race – pick up the pace to the corner, catch up and pass that person, etc. rather than focusing on my time.  I got 3rd in my age group again which is nice. 

Nice to be back running with the group on Tuesday and Thursday.  Nice tempo run this morning with a coouple of faster runners.  I started to lag behind and Dustin told me to pick it up and hang with them.  I did.  They stop the tempo after a couple of miles, walk a bit and then finish to the top of the hill on College.  We stop up there and then finish out with a recovery and then a pick up kick at the end.  Great run and a beautiful morning.  I’m running a 5k this weekend and would like to do try and finish under 21 which would be a 6:45 pace.  That will be a stretch but we’ll see.  Planning to take tomorrow off.

I’ve been looking forward to the day when I could get back out and do some speedwork.  Why didn’t I just go out and do it on my own?  I do what the running group does and speed work is every other Tuesday morning.  I’ve been teaching tennis so no speed work.  Got there a couple minutes late today so the first mile was a little faster than I had planned as I was playing catch up.  Did 4-3-2-1 laps with rest between.  Why?  Because that is what everyone else was doing.  Someone suggested we add on 3 miles at the end so … I did.  What a sheep I am. 

Felt good to run on the track.  It’s so much softer on the feet than pavement and it seems easier to get a quicker pace.  1/4 mile divided into 2 straight aways and two corners.  Had planned to run the last 3 miles at about an 8:30 pace but 2 guys took off and then another guy talked me into trying to “reel them in”.  We cut the distance in about half and then I told him to go on.  He caught them.  I kept my pace and had a good run.  Focus today was on leaning forward more when I ran and kicking back to create pace.  Beautiful day for a run, I feel so lucky.

Monday is one of my favorite days to run.  But today I was tired and needing some more sleep.  I drug myself out of bed to a beautiful site – rain.  Not that much, but enough to “justify” jumping back in bed for a couple more hours of sleep.  I feel much better now!

Had a nice run with friends this morning. Relaxed and short.  42 minutes of running and a little over an hour of drinking coffee and talking at McDonalds after the run.  Now that’s a great way to start a Sunday!!!