Positive Running

Started at 6:20 at Two Rivers and ran to to the BDB parking lot and back to Two Rivers (about 3 miles).  Then ran the 7 mile loop on a beautiful late summer morning at about 65 degrees.  Met Kevin after the run and before he was about to run up the hill at Overlook Drive.  Lot's of people at Two Rivers for a Sunday morning, Nice way to start the week.

AM:  Ran 5 miles on the treadmill.  Central Arkansas received some much needed rain overnight and early this morning. 

LUNCHTIME:  Ran 6 miles north of the Arkansas River at 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. with temps around 94 degrees.  It seemed fairly dry considering we had rain in the morning.

Should be a nice day tomorrow.

This morning was 72 degrees with a dew point of 61, which was terrific.  I'm surprised more people weren't outside enjoying the morning.  I ran 13 miles in 8:34 per mile (slow) but averaged 8:23 per mile for 11 miles, not including the first and last mile.  Overall, a comfortable pace considering that I've run 54 miles in the last four days.

Recovery day.  In The Woodlands on business.

Tempo run with Pam and Mike in The Woodlands, on a hot (82 degrees) and humid Texas morning.  Warmed up with 2 miles at 8:47 per mile.  Ran 1.75 miles at 7:04 per mile.  Walked for 20 seconds because I was running low on energy.  Ran 1.25 miles at 7:26 per mile, while Pam ran the same in 7:00 per mile.  Ran the last mile at 8:21 per mile.

Pam has been training by doing tempo runs like this and could easily have completed the entire three miles at 7:00 per mile without stopping.  I have worked on endurance all summer, and am just starting my tempo run trainning.  So this was a good test.  I'll be doing two tempo runs per week like today's run between now and the first week of December (St. Jude Marathon), as I try to improve on the distance I can run without stopping at 7:00 per mile.

Overall, it was a good run.  I'm a bit fatigued from all the running I've been doing and will appreciate when my tapering for the Philly HM starts the week after next.  

8.5 mile recovery run on the Arkansas River trail on a beautify 82 degree afternoon at an average pace of 8:28 per mile.  It was a lot more humid yesterday morning running in The Woodlands.  I ran a fairly consistent pace between 8:20 and 8:35 per mile.

Ran with the Arkansas Travelers 100 (AT 100) ultra marathon training group. Started from the Lake Sylvia trailhead and ran up Browns Creek Road(probably 70% of that section is a 3% to 7% uphill grade). Ran an extra mile and a half beyond the Ouachita Trail crossing (we just ran past it) and ran back and found the trail crossing. Then ran and walked (in slick sections) the OT for 8 miles. The entire route is part of the AT 100. It started to rain during the 7th mile and didn't let up until approximately the 14th mile.