Thomas Paquette Is Going to the Next Level With His Running and Coaching

Today I’m going a few easy miles with Thomas Paquette coach and founder of Next Level Running.

Thomas Paquette

Once a collegiate runner, he now finds joy and inspiration in coaching the “everyday” athlete.

Can’t Have the Good Without the Bad

Even a natural runner such as Thomas has experienced his share of bad races.

His collegiate running career ended with him walking off the track in the middle of a race.

Thomas considers himself a better runner due to those less than ideal runs.

“Without hard ones, you can’t see the good ones.”

The best advice he ever received was, “Running will never leave you.”

With that in mind, he stepped away from competitive running post-college and eventually found his way back.

Thomas Paquette Training in the Snow

The Marathon Distance is Elusive

“The marathon is the longest 20 miler to the worst 10k of your life.”

Even with Thomas’s extensive running experience, he is always working towards mastering the marathon.

No two races are ever the same and each provides insights on how to improve.

Thomas provided some tips he learned along the way that can apply to any distance:

• Always emphasize a rest day
• Run easy days easy and hard days hard
• Listen to your body and know what mileage works for you
• Don’t go out too fast
• Fuel appropriately and practice fueling in training
• Take care of your body by eating and sleeping well

Coach Turned Student

Coaching wasn’t always the plan for Thomas.

It started when 2 friends asked him for help with their marathon goals.

In becoming a coach Thomas has acquired knowledge he otherwise wouldn’t have by focusing solely on his own goals.

Running is much more than the “plan” or how fast you are.

A good coach should:

• Be supportive
• Hold the athlete accountable
• Show they care

For Thomas, the value in running ultimately lies in the community and being included.

Thomas Paquette on the Trail

Also Mentioned in this Episode:

• Clarence DeMar Marathon
• Providence Marathon

If you want to connect with Thomas, you can find him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Thomas Paquette's running journey has taken him from collegiate running to coaching the everyday athlete. #runchat #runningpodcast Click To Tweet

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