Closing Out the Month of June

The interval workout went well last Thursday. Six bouts of 800 meters with about three minutes rest in between. In cooler times the rest period would have been shortened, but it was in the 90s and pretty humid. Stormy led the pack with, I don't know, maybe a little under 3 minutes per 800. Sally and I ran together and averaged 3:20 for the 800s. Andy and Steve kind of hung together, and Beth, Patty, and Kaci made good running partners for this workout. Larry also ran with us. I think that's everybody, but I may have inadvertently left somebody out.

I recovered well from that workout by Saturday. Not too much soreness in the legs. It was warm and humid again when we did our long run - so much that we are going to try starting an hour earlier beginning next week. Our eight miles was at a fairly brisk pace for a sort of long run. Will held back and led us at around an 8:15 pace for about five miles, and then I think the pace picked up. But I'm not really sure because Steve and I lingered at the water stop. I ended up with an 8:15 average for 8.23 miles. I think Brian, who was with the lead group said his average was about 8:09. I'm sorta hoping that as our runs get longer that the pace for most of us will slow down just a bit.

After the run I went with Kathy and Brian to LaFortune Park and played tennis for an hour and a half. It was the first time I picked up a racket in 20 years. I had a lot of fun, but it exercised a few muscles that running doesn't seem to get too well. My glutes were a bit sore Sunday and even Monday morning.

It's Monday night now, and I'm in Memphis. I missed the hill training this evening. In fact, I didn't get in my run today. But I did take about a three mile brisk walk in downtown Memphis and pumped some weights in the hotel fitness center. After the workout I looked just like Arnold Schwarzenegger. After that I went to eat at Corky's Barbecue and had dry Memphis style ribs. They were pretty good, but I think I prefer the wet ribs. Too bad I overate, and now my body doesn't look like Arnold's anymore. On the way back to the hotel I passed a convenience store and took a picture of their sign, and it reminded me that I should try to run some this week.

Hopefully I will be back in time for our Thursday group run, but there actually is a pretty good chance I will miss it. For sure I will miss next Saturday's run, but I should be back on the 5th for another hill run.

Saturday's run will start at Veterans Park at 5:45 a.m. The route is to go south on the River Parks trail and then turn around and return to Veterans Park. Where you turn around depends on what group you are in:

Beginner Half: 4 miles. Turn at 41st Street. There will be an aid station there for the Midnight Madness 50 mile race.
Advanced Half, Beginner Full: 7 miles. Turn at the 4.5 mile marker (or you can go on to the park at 56th
Street, which will add about a half mile to your run, but there is a nice water fountain there.)
Intermediate and Advanced Full: 9 miles. Turn at about 61st Street. I would say the 5 mile marker, but they took it down when they redid the trail.

Everybody should offer words of encouragement to the 50 milers, who will be into their 6th hour of running when you guys get started.

Take it on the run!
TATUR Dave

Marathon Training - Week 2

Last Saturday we had a good turnout of runners, I'd say about 20 in the RWT Speedwagon group, and well over 200 overall. Temperature was a bit warm for that early in the morning, but we survived. The marathoners ran a little over 7 miles, and the half marathoners about 5.

Will and Stormy really got off to a fast start, averaging something like a 7:15 pace. I was happy keeping close to an 8:30 pace, and as the runs get longer, I will probably slow that down to near 9 minute pace.

We had a bunch of people show up Monday evening for our hill trainining. There was Brian, Steve, Steve (yes, there were two Steves), Patty, Kaci, Andy, Sally, Beth, and me. Others from our group opted for just an easy run on Monday. We will continue to have hill training workouts on Mondays throughout the training session. We meet at RunnersWorld at 5:30 and run in the neighborhood behind the store.

It is at noon on Thursday as I write this. Tonight we will do intervals on the River Parks trail. Last week we did 12 x 400 meters (although it was hot, and some stopped at 8), and tonight we do 6 x 800 meters. Our plan is to start at the store at 5:30 p.m. and run easily to just south of where I-44 crosses Riverside. From the water fountain to the restrooms at 56th is 800 meters. There are paint marks on the trail every 100 meters, and the trail is pretty well shaded. Plus, there usually is not much congestion on that section of trail.

This Saturday we will meet at Veterans Park at 6:45 and run either 6 miles for the half marathoners or 8 miles for the full marathoners. The six mile route is as shown below.

Take it on the run!
TATUR Dave

Start of Marathon Training

Well, it's time to start gearing up for the fall marathon season. Sure, it's not even close to fall, but training for a marathon takes a long time. Our first official training run will be June 19 at 6:45 a.m. at Veterans Park at 21st & Boulder. Our training schedules are geared for the Route 66 Marathon in November, but if you are looking to do another fall marathon or half marathon, you can still run with us and just modify your long run distance as necessary.

Training is free, and you are welcome to join us. If you have not done so already, please sign up with Brian and Kathy at RunnersWorld. That way you will get regular email updates that will give you training tips and will remind you of the runs and tell you our starting location and time, etc.

Training schedules and routes are on the RunnersWorld Tulsa website.

By the way, our group name has changed from Ethiopian Elites to RWT Speedwagon. No special reason. I just thought it was time for a change. Besides, the wings on our new group logo goes well with the wings on the RunnersWorld Tulsa Route 66 training logo.

Besides the Saturday long runs, RunnersWorld continues to have the Tuesday and Thursday night runs at 5:30. Right now the Tuesday night runs start at Helmerich Park, and the Thursday night runs begin at the store.

Starting this coming Monday, a group of us will be meeting at the Turkey Mountain parking lot at 5:45 p.m. for hill workouts. We will start with hill sprints (click here for a good article on hill sprints), and as time goes on, we will begin to do longer hill repeats.

Take it on the run!
TATUR Dave