Weekly Running Report: January 17, 2021

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well! 

How's training going? Any races (IRL or virtual)?  

Reminder, if you're just skimming my blog, lol..  reminder that I also have gear and race discount tabs/pages on my blog site to check out as well. :) #BibRavePro

This was Week 6 of 20 marathon training for Gettysburg North-South Marathon for me.

My week started out somewhat well, with an unexpected challenge towards the end. 

My Week in Training:

Monday: 6 miles. Sunday rest day, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, massage gun, and plenty of relaxation. Participated in some SundayFunday beverages, but hydrated along. Decent night's rest, almost 7 hours rest. Looking forward to starting the week running, but not motivated to go to work.  Coffee, workout got going (core/arms), and out the door by 6. Didn't take notes of my run. But pace started better than expected for a Monday. First two sub 8 before the hills. Faded. Think I tied to keep it to 8:15, but missed by a couple seconds. oh well. lol.. Felt like a good start to the day, although wasn't motivated to work after it. lol.. But did get to see a nice sunrise the last couple minutes. 

Tuesday: 7 miles. Monday, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, and a little massage gun. (might have used the gun just a bit much on my calf). Decent rest, up before my alarm, but waited it ut a bit. Coffee, short workout (core/arms), and out the door slightly after 6. "speed" day. We'll see how much I can do with my hills. lol. at least the say hills are speedwork in disguise. Brisk out! (mid 20's). Breathing a bit rugh to start between speed and the cold air, took a bit to adjust. Pace 7:30's to start. Breathing got better, focus on foot strike/breathing. Pace 7:40's after a couple inclines before my fav hill. 7:50 ish as my hill levels out around 3.6. Maintenance mode for a bit, incline and two more hills, faded to 8:00. Wanted to keep sub 8. May have lost some push through the hills and kept comf after, but still felt pretty good overall. 

Sidenote: technical difficulties today. Nike+ minute pace alerts on point, noticed a couple miles in, strava had a timer going, but didn't record a thing! 'doh! I know i waited for GPS before starting! grr! Will be sure to keep an eye on it tomorrow! Happy with my run, but frustrated the the hills won't be included towards the strava challenge that I do. Whatev. Will just have to do more hills. lol.. 

Wednesday: 7 mi. (supposed to be my short streak day?) Tues, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, and in bed on time. Decent rest, but up early! 3:45 ish. Tried going back to sleep, but gave up. Coffee, 45 min workout, routine, and out the door. Usually by 1mi-5k day for the streak, but figured since I was up early I would do a good workout/run. Pace: going for a comfy pace. Started in the 7:50's, but that didn't last long. Legs feeling it, almost like they know I should be resting today. lol.. Felt the inclines before my fav hill. 8:05 before:8:15 ish after. TMI time! Felt some tummy issues brewing. uh oh! Got to the point where I didn't think I could make it 5 more min, much less 20 min. Paused for a moment. Walked, resumed to a light jog home. Always think of emergency plans if I had to go somewhere else, lol.. (alleys, etc) Made it home ok. Could of ended my run at 4.7, but already determined I was going for 7, back out I go!  So, resuming my run from home, I skipped 2 hills and an incline by cutting short earlier. Could of zig zagged for my miles, but did a straight line to those hills! Legs got heavier throughout, but got my mi and most of my avg elevation gain. (my neighborhood 7 mi is about 500-550 elevation gain without repeats)

Thursday: 6 miles. Wed, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, and in bed on time. Decent rest, up once before the alarm, got more rest till time. Coffee, short workout (core/arms, (got chest more core in later)), roll my back out and out the door by 6. Comfy pace today, but change of route! First mi has a small steep hill, flat warm up on a couple side streets. Passed by two blocks I usually get mi 2 in.  Focusing on 3 of my least fav hills today! Down/up hill 1, down, around to my least fav hill. Up, turned around where it levels. Down, up towards my 2nd least fav hill. Did these two hills back and forth three times. Heading back, did hill 1 one more time. A good struggle today, fun. Found that with adding incline, there was also gaps of decline as well. Guess what goes up must come down?! lol.. Overall elevation gain 550 ft over 6 mi. Usually get about 450 in. Besides skipping two blocks earlier, there was about 1.5 skipped elsewhere. The areas skipped have some elevation, but not as much/focused

Friday: 5 miles. Thu, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, and in bed on time (maybe even a few minutes early). Although up once, an excellent night's rest. Up just before the alarm. Coffee, workout (core/arms, shoulders (did chest/core at lunch)). Usually relax the 2nd half of my lunch, had the brilliant idea to get more sets in yesterday. May think about this going fwd. hmm..  Foam roll, light stretch, and out the door by 6. 5 mi day. Figured to be comfy pace after doing hills. Started out comfy, and gradually brought it down a notch. 7:48 ish, inclines, my fav hill around 3.1. Got through my fav hill ok. Still sub 8. Figured to fade again, but hanging. More focus. foot strike/breathing, etc. Couple seconds up/down, but hanging. Another hill around 4.3. Short, but steep! counting steps/breaths on the way up, conquered, smiled for the camera. (security camera just after the top of the hill). Faded slightly, picked it back up for the final stretch. Quads heavy, but got it back down to 8:00.  Much better than expected after a hilly week! 

Saturday: 14 miles. Fri, hydrate (Pretty sure I was hydrated well enough.), foam roll, stretch, carb load, relax and in bed on time. Up before my alarm. Coffee, taking my time, but still ahead of schedule. Packed my headlamp. Raining, but a little "warmer", was sure to not over dress. (but maybe still have?). At my trail around 6:30, dark out, but a few other run groups meeting with their head lamps on as well. Saw more people before daylight than usual. Probably because the trail has been getting packed early.. My trail . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood  Rd. Doing the more gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Pacing.. lol.. Started out slightly faster than planned. But consciously pulled back a bit. First couple miles went well... Things take a turn around 2.5 ish.  First felt like a pinch, but then felt like a punch! Just below my left glute. Top of hammy? or sciatica? Had to stop! Tried to walk a few min. Ok to walk at times. But as I started to jog, as my stride opened, could feel it. Found some logs, tried to roll it out. Hurt like a mofo. This was right near the Rockledge park turnaround, I originally planned on doing 2-3 in their neighborhood, may be a bad idea to continue going further away from my car. Tried walk/run again. on/off. Eventually able to jog. It was obvious that I was favoring my good side. lol.. Made it back to the parking lot (5.5 mi). Hydrated very well, stretched. Hesitated going back out, but did. off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd. Pace at it's worse avg was 10:40's, gradually bringing it back down. This side of the trail was cut short today, scheduled controlled hunt, totally forgot even though it's been posted for months. Turnaround, about 6.7 mi. back to the parking lot, hydrate again. Back to Rockledge and back. Trying not to think about pace, but was. 9:12 overall, would of preferred 9:09 (4 hr marathon pace), but after everything, just glad it's done. Was warm most of the way, especially after daylight, not sure if I was dehydrated early? Legs were tired overall towards the end as well (maybe compensating added as well?). Starting recovery with an Epsom bath, hydrate like heck, foam roll, and massage gun. May even do icy hot. 

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 3.11 miles. Saturday, worked on that knot multiple times. Hydsrated like heck. Did have a few beverages, but hydration definitely outweighed that! Up past my bedtime (playoff football), and up once overnight, but able to sleep in today! 8:30 ish! (8 hours rest). Overall soreness today. Foam rolling the knot, still a bit of a whimper when I go through it. Walking is fine. Seems to only hurt when massaging it out, and the initial steps when starting this morning's run. 5k day, but told myself I'd stop at 1 if it was too uncomfortable. Felt in in the first few steps, but think adjusting my stride and running may have helped stretch it out, or so I tell myself. Comfortable pace today, would of preferred slightly faster, but knew before I got to my hills (around 1.2) that i wouldn't be bringing it back down. through the motions. Legs a bit heavy, but the knot wasn't too bad. Don't think I can do speed work early next week (wider stride hurts a bit more), but we'll see. Will continue to focus on recovery today, and make sure hydration outweighs any SundayFunday beverages. lol..

Sidenotes: this morning I discovered I lost my Aftershokz headphones yesterday! I know they are in my house, i set aside to charge them, but can't find them. 'Doh! Love them! Used backup headphones today, just not the same! Hope to find them today! 

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 48.4 miles running completed 

Year to date: 122.3

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes, 203 minutes completed. What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal:  7 days 

Foam Roll: 7 days 

Training Plan:  Week 6 of 20 using the below training plan. Plan titled "Advanced", please note, I in no way consider myself advanced. I have used the intermediate plan for four seasons, and want to try the next level. We shall see if I survive! lol.. 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

04.25.2021 Gettysburg North-South Marathon

Be sure to check out my Race and Gear discount pages from my blog site. #BibRavePro ;)

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

If you do any races(virtual or IRL), please remember to review them on BibRave.com! 

Weekly Running Report: January 10, 2021

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well! 

How's training going? Any races (IRL or virtual)?  

Reminder, if you're just skimming my blog, lol..  reminder that I also have gear and race discount tabs/pages on my blog site to check out as well. :) #BibRavePro

This was Week 5 of 20 marathon training for Gettysburg North-South Marathon for me.

My Week in Training:

Monday: 6 miles. Oh Monday Monday. We meet again. Sunday, focus on "rest" day after a strong start to the year. Definitely feeling the extra miles. But.. hydrate, foam roll, stretch, massage gun. Did have a SundayFunday beverage or two. In bed on time. Up in the middle of the night, and then up way before my alarm. Up early! Coffee, full workout (core, arms, shoulders, chest), and out the door by 6. going for a comfy pace today. Don't think I would of had much say in that. lol.. Felt it early!  Extra miles over the three day weekend to start the year. Did rest Sunday, but still feeling it. Legs were a bit heavy. Going with the flow today. Wasn't horrible to the point of cussing or exhaustion, legs just a bit heavy. Other than that, was pretty decent.

Tuesday: 6.22 miles. Monday, hydrate, foam roll, stretch, in bed on time.. But.. up again at 3am. In horror movies, 3 am is the witching hour, wonder if I should be concerned? lol..  Try to fall back to sleep. Eventually, and hen the alarm hits. Tired to start. Coffee. Short workout in (arms/core), will try to do more sets later. Foam roll my back, light stretch, and ut the door by 6. So.. new plan this week, going fwd. (hopefully). Tuesday is speed day. 6 miles. Based on yesterday, had some doubts going in. But going to try to push a bit harder.  Got my speed shoes on at least. lol.. A little brisk out, but not bad. Going with no gloves/hat. Focus on breathing and then I'm off! Felt better than yesterday from the start. First couple pace alerts in 7:40's and getting it down to the 30's for a bit. Rolling along. Fading slightly as the inclines added up, but still looking good at the 3 mi mark before my fav hill. Trying not to over do it up the hill, without losing too much. around 7:50 as it levels out. Maintenance mode for a bit, still hangin in there at the gradual incline before a steep hill in mi 5. Pushed through to keep it sub 8. Briefly thought about doing an extra mi, but since it's my first week following this plan, sticking to it. for now, did .22 for 10k. Felt pretty good throughout. A slight pain recently in my right lower calf, but not bad. Breathing was rough to start, but got in rhythm. Crazy how rough the hills were yesterday, but felt good today. 

Wednesday: 3.11 miles. Well, the sleep pattern is consistent, and was rough this morning! Did focus on recovery Tuesday. In bed on time. Am falling asleep right away, but if I wake up a few hours later, issues falling back to sleep again. Up around 3. Also had heartburn this time. (spicy wings). Try not to think too much once up, but once the mind starts going, pressure to fall back to sleep adds up. Eventually got a few more minutes rest. That alarm clock was rough this morning! Up, coffee, got my workout going. (core/arms/shoulders/chest), and out the door around 6:15. Wed is my new "non" running day. Will try doing 5k's, if the plan gets too tough, may cut back more on wed/sun. We'll see. Nice and brisk. Going for a comfy pace today, no pressure. Started out around 8:20 and gradually brought it down. Wasn't pushing too hard, rolling along.  7:55 ish before my fav hill, 8:04 ish after. Brought it back down to 8. Another hill around 2.2 and 2.7. Hung in to keep it around 8. My workout was tough to start, but everything felt good after. I'm sure I'll have plenty of coffee later. lol.. 

Thursday: 7 miles. (scheduled for 6?) Wed, recovery steps and in bed on time. Ready for bed, but with all the craziness in the world, mind didnt shut off right away as it normally does. About an hr late, but quality rest, maybe up once, but not for long. Up just before my alarm. Coffee, workout (core/arms, shoulders), and out the door by 6. Nice and brisk. Probably should of worn gloves, but finding the more comfortable/warm, the more likely to just go with the flow. Briskness has me enjoying the air and trying to warm up. lol.. Comfy pace, started out a bit slow, but gradually brought it down. Picking it up and enjoying the air. Inclines adding up, per usual. Fav hill around 3.1, fading slightly. 8:08 ish as it levels. Not pushing it to bring it down, but focus on breathing and strike. Incline and steep hill at 5.3. Always do a countdown as I go up it. Maintain breathing and focus. Felt good as I got to the top. Smile for the camera (sec camera on a house/car right by as the hill levels.) :) Straight away would end 6 by my end point, but feeling good. Doing a couple more side streets for 7. Which includes a steady decline/incline and a little more incline before the end. Felt pretty good today. 

Friday: 5 miles. Thur, focus on recovery, yada-yada. Did participate in Thirsty Thursday (follow my untappd acct to see what I had.) :) Well behaved, in bed on time and got some rest! Up once, but able to fall back to sleep, and up just before my alarm. Felt somewhat refreshed. Short workout. (Core/chest), foam roll, stretch, and out the door a few min after 6. Was ready at 6, but dilly dallying. Looking fwd to my run, but not feeling work after. lol..  Brisk out! Mid 20's. Wearing gloves today, for sure! lol..  Pacing, planning on a comfortable pace. Felt pretty good early. Not going to over do it, but felt good. Focus on breathing and foot strike. Through the inclines with no issues. Fav hill at 3.2 ish. Pacing 8:03 ish as it levels. Still feeling good. Not going to add distance, or push too hard. After my hill, decided to cut some of the level section out to add another hill. Did have a decline back to get there though. Added one good extra hill before my short/steep hill. Was fun. As I approached my end point found that I could of added another hill. Diff route, mixing it up, had about .3 to add at the end, but no big hill nearby at that point. Felt pretty good today. Hope it carries into the weekend!

Saturday: 13.1 miles. Friday, carb load, foam roll, stretch, massage gun, relax. In bed on time, up once, but a decent night's rest. Alarm set for 5:15, up just before that. Coffee, taking my time, routine, go to warm up my car.. a bit chilly out! Taking my time even more after that. Daylight around 7, forecast for sun most of the day. Over to my trail around 7:20. Sun starting to warm things up, questioned if I needed my hat, started with it (definitely needed gloves to start). My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Starting towards the gradual incline side to Rocklege Park. Pacing: started out much faster than planned. Expecting to pull it back a bit, did slightly, and expected to fade a bit more up the incline. Not so much. Focus on breathing and foot strike. Pace mid 7:30's at the Rockledge Park turnaround. Continued focus and maintain on the return. Trail back/forth is 11 ish. Adding two ish on a side trail. Lorimar Park side trail to Pennypack Park. small rolling inclines, figured to fade a bit over here. Briefly thought about skipping this section for an easier section, but didn't want to take the easy way out. Trail overall is flat enough. Side trail for 10 min then back. Steep incline just before the main trail. Pacing 7:45 ish. Better than expected. Passed my car, skipped hydrating. May not be smart, but didn't feel the need. (was also distracted when parking earlier, talking to a friend, forgot to set my bottles out). Off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back. Once I passed the one hour mark, (before my car), had a count down going rest of the way. (probably also why I skipped stopping). 1:45:ss my unofficial PR, going to try hard to stay sub 8 for the remaining way. Passing more people, mask on/off (which was frozen for a while), fueled later than usual. Found a break from ppl, fueled with about 3 mi to go. Continued focus to maintain an unofficial PR. 1:42:29. Felt good throughout! (never felt bonked, etc) May have even been able to push a little more. My speedy friend once said I'll break 1:40 someday, thought he was crazy, not feeling so far fetched anymore. I know it's unofficial. Especially since I lose some to tangents in a race. Hopefully when it's go time, and with a taper, I'll be ready! Also still love my Saucony Endorphin Pro's! Got another pair for xmas for when these are retired!  

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 3.11 miles. Saturday, Epsom bath, foam roll, stretch, massage gun, and sure to hydrate before any shenanigans. Did have a few beverages, could of hydrated better along the way. Up past my bed time, did however get a good night's rest. Even slept in a bit. Coffee and really taking my time. Wasn't too motivated to get out the door. Not too tired or sore, just wasn't in a hurry. Out after 9:30. Brisk, but sunny. Didnt bother with gloves, but could of used them the first few minutes. Pace, not trying to push it too much, but better than just through the motions. Slow the first couple minutes, but gradually got it down. Faded up my fav hill. Brought it back down briefly before two more hills. Felt decent today, but definitely felt the few hills though. Will try to focus on recovery and behave somewhat to start the week off right tomorrow. 

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 43.6 miles running completed 

Year to date: 73.8

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes, 214 minutes completed. What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal:  7 days 

Foam Roll: 7 days 

Miscellaneous Cardio:  nada

Training Plan:  Week 5 of 20 using the below training plan. Plan titled "Advanced", please note, I in no way consider myself advanced. I have used the intermediate plan for four seasons, and want to try the next level. We shall see if I survive! lol.. 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

04.25.2021 Gettysburg North-South Marathon

Be sure to check out my Race and Gear discount pages from my blog site. #BibRavePro ;)

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

If you do any races(virtual or IRL), please remember to review them on BibRave.com! 

Valley Forge Marathon - Race Review

Race: Valley Forge Half and Full Marathon
Date: October 4th, 2020
Location: Phoenixville, Pa

Hi Everyone! Hope you are doing well! 

I'm here to recap the Valley Forge Half and Full Marathon (I ran the full). My first IRL race of the year!

Background: mid summer (July 13-14th to be exact), the writing was on the wall that my fall races were going to be canceled. Big city races, no way that's going to be "normal", yet.  (Chicago and Philly marathons), well, just a couple weeks before that, this popped up into my fb feed. Hosted by Schuykill River Runners, they already had recent success with a couple small races, and more lined up. Chicago cancels, which I was somewhat relieved since I may of had some reluctance about flying through Philly and Chicago. The next day, Philly cancels. Philly is not as big as NYC/Chicago, but 20k+ ppl over the two days.  Chicago canceled on July 13, Philly July 14th. Literally within 5 minutes of Philly canceling, I signed up for this race! 

Course Scenery/Elevation: "Flat and Fast" paved trail along the Schuykill River that enters the Valley Forge Historic National Park. The course is an out and back for the half, out and back x2 for the full. Overall ascent for the full marathon, 231 ft!

Race is all trail, max 250 people between both races, employees, and volunteers combined.

Crowd Support: not allowed around the finish area to ensure social distancing. Friends/family are permitted along the course as the trail is open to the public. 

Amenities: 
Aid/hydration: unmanned water/Gatorade bottle stations every two miles. Bottles to eliminate human interaction between people, cups, and runners. 
Portable toilets: more than adequate amount at the starting area. Some along the course, but I didn't notice, but did notice a full bathroom off the course in a parking lot. 

Expo: Packet pickup day of race. No mail option. An option was provided to pickup at Valley Forge Running Co on Saturday 3-5 pm. Well... I get there right when it starts. A long line. No prob, no plans today except relax and carb load. Wait in line, get my nice shirt, but.. no bib! Bibs weren't available to pickup. The event was listed as packet pickup, and there was no communication that they weren't available. They did apologize, kinda. Sounded like they were supposed to be there, but weren't. Would of been nice to know! Wish I didn't spend 1.5 hrs+. (driving + waiting), and I know some ppl that spent more time than that. Would of been nice to have my bib ready for the race. Some slight anxiety briefly. The line on race day did move efficiently though, and only redid my pins a couple times. lol.. 

Parking: .7 miles from the race! The race started by a small restaurant by the trail, not enough parking. A couple parks/parking lots along the course, but they are for normal trail use. Parking was at a nearby business complex. No big deal pre race, was a nice warm-up down to the start. But a bit of a hike up a hill after 26.2 miles! But no biggie, it's all good. lol..  

The uncontrollable variable, Weather: The day before the race it stated 44 degrees and clear at start time, which is perfect! Well, as I driving to the race, temps went up just a few. Maybe 47. Still great, but will be warming up during the race. Would of loved one more hour of briskness. Can't be picky, have seen much worse. 

My race: 
Leading up to the race (for those who don't follow my blog/training): May to July, I was in between plans, and ended up participating in the #GVRAT1000k challenge. Was a great challenge, and a bit crazy, most miles in a month for me, 3 months in a row. But towards the end I was very sore, tired, and ended up with shin splints. Focusing on recovery after that, followed my marathon plan to a T, respecting rest days. Summer training kicked my butt as well. Definitely some hesitation. My first 20 miler was exhausting. Continue to follow the plan, recovery, and then seasons began to change, second 20 miler, my best ever! Crazy how things can change in just two weeks. Week after that, my best 10 miler ever (for the Broad Street Run (virtual)). Last month of training had plenty of positives. Time to forget that grueling summer. At least for a bit. Still some anxiety, but not as much. 

Week of the race, was sure to focus on recovery, hydration, some carb loading, no alcohol, proper rest, and no extra miles. Also thankful that I wasn't on-call this week for work. No work interruptions overnight!

Race day: 

Pre Race: 

Packet pickup starts at 6. Race starts at 7, half marathon starts at 8. With the rolling start and the half not starting 'till 8, I can take my time a bit. Still want to start early, but won't feel as rushed. Up just before my normal alarm. Was able to watch the end of the women's London Marathon! (just the last 5 min). Coffee, morning "routine", light breakfast, and on the road before 6. Slightly more traffic on the turnpike than I expected, but everyone flying. Parking lot by 6:30. Short line for my bib. back to my car to get my shirt/bib just right, and head down to the start. Speed walk to get the blood going. Race starting as I get there. Got in line for the other queue. lol.. 

My race: 
Off to a quick start! First mi was way ahead of pace. Continually pulling myself back for a few. But was very comfortable. Enjoying the views. The race was along the river. Clear views across. Was cool to watch the fog/steam lift off the water(sorry, no pics, in a zone, lol..). Entering the valley Forge Historic National Park, meadows on either side, short section with highway 422 on the one side, some slight noise, but not bad. There was one hill around 2.7 mi, a ramp up around the highway. Not bad. Back into the woods, small creek, with a few buildings on the other side. Timing mat at 1/4 marathon, and then turn around to head back to the beginning for the first half marathon. My first half marathon was at least 5 min ahead of goal. Not trying to bank time, but still feeling great/ and not over doing it. Second out and back, really trying to focus on comfort. Didn't hydrate at all, yet, was sure to grab a Gatorade at the half. Didn't see trash cans for a while, held that bottle longer than expected. Saw three deer early in the second half! Pretty close too! Sorry, no pics. Temps were great in the first half. Starting to feel the sun, especially in the meadow portion in the second half. That hill felt fine the second time through. Pace was more relaxed/comfortable, just ahead of target. But at the 3/4 turnaround knew it may get rough at some point. 22 miles, knew the wall was approaching, but saw my wife! A nice boost! Wall around 5k to go. Some negative thoughts kick in, but kept telling myself to think of it as just a tough 5k, you can do a tough 5k, right? lol.. Lost pace in that 5k, but hung in there for a PR! Still room for improvement, but making progress with that darn wall! 

Post race: 

Met up with BibRavePro, marathonmaniac.chloe, from Miami! People want to race and are willing to travel! Passed by mult times in the race, was sure to meet up after! 

Also met up with a social media follower, louamerica, IRL! Always great to meet people you interact with on the web!

After my post race lunch/drink, met up with another BibRavePro, lacey timony, (not pictured). Great people, and they twisted my arm to head over to a nearby brewery. :)

Swag: 

Lunch! Sorry, no pics! The race started/ended in front of "The Fitz". They had a smoker going and it smelled great! Lunch was a nice sized BBQ sandwich, cole slaw, baked beans. Grilled corn also available. I need some time after running before I eat, but once I was ready.. The sandwich was fantastic! 

Beer: one "free" beer! There were two options from Brothers Kershner Brewing Co. There was an american pale ale option, and a hefe option. I went with the Porch Ale. Nice hops and very refreshing.

Shirt: Red tech shirt. American flag: stars section containing '76 with stars rounding it. Soldier. Over the stripes to the right, there is a  circle with Valley Forge Marathon written around and containing trail/highway paths within the circle.  Bottom left of stripes, Schuykill River Runners written and their logo. 

Medal: no medal, yet. It will be mailed. Race management was sure to communicate this ahead of time. Will be sure to update once received! 

Race Management: the race was well put together, and provided proper safety measures. Am very appreciative of them in these unprecedented times. The two cons.. Communication regarding the Saturday packet pickup. The other, which is also on the runners.. There was plenty of litter on the trail. Masks, water/gatorade bottles, etc. Rude of the runners to discard items, but one thing I did notice, trash cans were only by the hydration stations. If you grabbed your bottle on the run, you're responsible to either consume/discard right there, or carry for two miles. Could of used more trash cans. Maybe every .5?. But again, runners need to be responsible as well. Two small items I would definitely not hold against them. Again, I am very appreciative of the opportunity to do this race. Would I do it again? Schedule permitting, yes! 

Let me know if you have any questions regarding the race! 

Site and Socials:

Site: schuylkillriverrunners.com
FB page: Schuykill River Runners
FB group:  Schuykill River Runners

Be sure to to check my blog site tabs for Race and Gear Reviews and Discounts!

Good luck to everyone with racing and training, keep kicking butt! 

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave Joe G 

Weekly Running Report: September 27, 2020

 Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well!

How's training going for you? Any recent races or coming up (virtual or IRL)? Any other outdoor adventures?

This was week 19 of 20 'till the Valley Forge Marathon for me.  One week to go! 

My Week in Training:

Sunday the 20th run is in the previous week's post. Sunday after my run, road trip! Off to Vermont! State number 29 visited for me! Off to check out the foliage, a hike, maybe a cidery, a syrup farm, and perhaps a brew or few, etc.  

Sunday tourism: stopped in Woodstock and Taftsville, VT. Which is about an hour away from our destination of Waterbury (just outside of Stowe), but has noteworthy scenery to check out. IG pics: Sleepy Hollow Farm, Billings Farm, and Taftsville covered bridge. Late lunch at Worthy Kitchen before resuming our road trip. Once at our destination, did some scenic drives before dinner and calling it a night. Stopped by the Von Trappe Lodge. Very pretty grounds and lodge, and cool farm/cows nearby, including a few highland cows. 

Monday: 5 miles. Excellent night's rest. Was in bed shortly after dinner, and up by 5 coffee, 20 min core workout, and out the door by 6:30. Before heading back last night, we did some driving around to find possible routes for me. The hotel is on a highway. Bicycle lane, but is pretty much just a highway shoulder. Asked the concierge for any nearby trails, all would require a drive. So.. I have about .4 mi before I get to a sidewalk. Left on a narrow bridge and I'm on the sidewalk. Down a steep decline. This road ends at their main street. Main street has been torn up! Completely! Dirt and rock. The construction crew was just showing up. I went down the main street and back. Got plenty of looks from the construction crew and the sheriff that's redirecting traffic. lol.. Towards the opposite end, see a road to a large building with a nice back drop, did a couple loops in there, snapped a pic and head back. Found that the building is government, saw a sign for Corrections, etc. Head back, the steep decline was a tough incline. Kept my pace comfortable most of the way as I was exploring, but felt the struggle in the incline. Stayed on the highway back to my hotel, but noticed I could have an option in the parking lot nearby to reduce time spent on the highway. Oh, and the temps were in the 30's today! So refreshing! Looking forward to a few morning's of brisk temps!

Monday tourism:

-Waitsfield, VT: found a park as we were killing time before lunch. The Lareau Park/Swimming hole!    (link directs to fb video)  There  may be some walking trails, but the main parking lot is just feet         away from the main attraction!
-Gold Brook Bridge/Emily's Bridge: The bridge has a few different stories, but most notably Emily's.   The bridge is supposedly haunted by her!
-Nebraska Knoll Sugar Farm (link directs to their site)- Vermont Maple Syrup! Straight from the source! A free sampling of   their very tasty syrups. My fav was the dark! The farm sometimes does tours, walks through the   process, but today, they weren't in the shoppe! Honor system of sampling and purchasing their   products. 
-Cold Hollow Cider Mill (link directs to their site)Cider donuts, cider (cold, hot, hard, etc), and many other tasty options!  

Tuesday: 1 mile. Plans in a bit, no set schedule, but still wanted to get out at a decent time. Up around 6. Coffee, 30 minute core workout, and out the door by 7. Hiking later, keeping it to a streak day today, didn't bother with exploring. Crossed the highway, start my watch, and did a few laps around the grocery store parking lot. Usually do a speed day on streak day, but feeling it and need to be ready for some hills later for hiking. Maintained a comfortable pace. During my run I noticed there may be a back road out of the parking lot that is slightly closer to my hotel. On my way back, found a dam/waterfall! Set in the corner of the side street from the highway. Couple houses there, including a wooden bridge that is a private driveway! 

Waterfall video on Facebook

Tuesday: hiking Stowe Pinnacle Trail  (link to alltrails.com description)

3.7 miles. Rated: hard, 1,604 elevation gain.  
Starting from the Pinnacle Meadow parking lot. About .5 mi up a mostly gravel trail, lined with several feet of wildflowers before the forest borders. Pinnacle Meadow (link to facebook video). a "false" summit. Beautiful view of the meadows with a backdrop of the mountains and lake across the way. Beautiful, enjoy, but now it's time to really go into the woods.  At the top of the meadow there is a sign to enter the woods. Trail was well marked with blazes. Easy to moderate for a while. But as you got higher and higher, it got more technical. Some light scrambling, but mostly technical. Already thinking we were almost there, there is a sign when you get to .62 from the summit. It was a long .62. But well worth it. 360 degree view! Going back down required effort as well. Definitely felt it in the knees and quads since your legs are catching themselves for the 1604 ft descent.

360 video on Facebook

Tuesday tourism:
-Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory! Located about .25 mi from our hotel. Walking to it is not ideal though.
-Mini road trip to Burlington, VT! Approx 45 minutes from Waterbury, VT. We checked out Lake Champlain, strolled the pedestrianized Church Street Marketplace, and stopped by a brewery. 

Wednesday: 5 miles. Road trip in a bit. Woke up a few times, going back to bed each time. Knew I should probably get up by 6. Don't have a set departure time, but it's a long road trip, don't want to dilly dally. Coffee, 30 min core workout, and out the door by 7:30, probably later than I had planned.  Walked across the highway before starting my run. Did a couple loops around the grocery store and then head towards the down town of Waterbury. A couple minutes along the highway shoulder, marked as a bike lane, would not want to be anyone running/cycling in that lane! Several cars drifting into the lane. A couple minutes down the highway, turn left across a bridge, no bike lane or sidewalk for a few feet. Down a pretty steep hill heading into town. The main street is still torn up, made a left to run the street parallel to the end of the construction, passed a cool train station and park. Then made left on the main street (going away from the construction), and went a bit towards the end of town (pretty much missing most of the down town due to the heavy construction). Turn around at that end and on my way back did a few minutes on each side street and back. The decline from earlier.. it turned out to be a killer incline! It was tough. Had a few more minutes to do, did a couple more circles around the grocery store. TMI time.. briefly thought about stopping by the construction site to use a portable restroom! lol.. made it back ok. 

Thursday: 1 mile. Back home :( But the day off from work. :) Chores and errands planned for the day, but have time to sleep in. Wednesday, was up slightly late, 11pm! Watching baseball, etc. Slept in till 7, almost 8 hrs of rest! Back hurt a bit, but other than that, felt good! Coffee, workout (extra sets all around), missed using those weights! I swear they get heavier after a few days break! Workout done, eventually out the door around 8:15. Worked on breathing, and off I go! Felt good at the start, even though I start out with a hill. First pace alert in the 6:30's! Don't plan on staying there, but now determined to fight through to try for sub 7. Focusing on foot strike and breathing, etc. Took a few min for breathing to get back into rhythm after my start. Few minutes in got distracted by trash cans in my way. Busy road, someones trash can from yesterday in the middle of the sidewalk, slanted grassy area on the left or narrow grass to the right by the road. Carefully around. Pace around 6:50 at the hill at .6, fight through and hang on at the end for 6:59. Best 1 miler in three months! Miscellaneous cardio: 2.5+ hours of yard work. 1.5 general maintenance, 1+ extra things to take care of. Hoping my back is ok for tomorrow and the weekend.   

Friday: 5 miles (scheduled for 4). Extra day off from work. Stayed up slightly later than usual, no plans today, sleeping in! Up a few times, but made it 'till about 7 am, almost 9 hours of rest! Very unlike me, usually avg around 7 hrs. A little sore this morning, between yesterday's workout and yard work. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around, 50 minutes). Stretch my back out and eventually over to my trail by 9ish. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Parking lot almost full! Will be doing the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back today. Sun/temps going back up some point today, doing the shaded side. Goal: 8:15 ish. Started out working on breathing and focus on foot strike. First few alerts in the 7's, down to about 7:15. Not realistic for me to try to keep it there, but pushed to maintain 7:45. Felt good at first, but fading to 7:50's before the turnaround. Usually try to split on the decline back, today was more of maintain to hang on. lol.. Wasn't comfortable, but ended for overall sub 8.  

Full pics on Facebook

Saturday: 7 miles. "Long" run day, trail day, yay! "Only" 7 miles! Nice! If this was a different point in the plan, would easily be temped to do 10, but one week to go till race day! Taper time, yay! Friday, was tempted to stray from routine, but stuck to it. Carb load, relax, and in bed by 10. Usually by 9, hopefully that doesn't affect me too much. Couple chores and plans, setting my alarm per usual. A little tired when that alarm went off! First time using an alarm in almost a week! Coffee, routine, and over to my trail by 6:10. Usually aim for 6, but still dark out and taking my time. Doing the opposite trail as yesterday. Mid way parking lot to Rockledge Park. More open, gradual incline. Pace: settled in 8:15 for a while. Bumped into one of my friends for a few minutes and faded closer to 8:30. At the Rockledge Park end, strayed from the trail for about .75. Up nice a steep hill in the neighborhood nearby, and then down their main street for a few minutes. Pacing 8:34 after that hill. Turned around a min after I hit 3.5. Slight incline and then down the hill. Trying to split n the way back. Rockledge Park entrance back to the parking lot. Continued to split for a bit to keep it just under 8:30. Could of avoided the hill, but figured to make it a little tougher than yesterday's elevation. 

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 1 mile. Rest day, one for the streak. RunStreak Day 1709. Decent rest, tried sleeping in, up around 7. Coffee and taking my time. Stretch., and out the door by 8:30. Feel decent, slight tightness to be stretched out further, but not bad. Would usually try to do some speed, going to try to keep it comfortable most of the following week. Up a small hill, level out, pace started out around 7:45. Kept it comfortable on the decline, but pace picked up to 7:30's, down to 7:31. Could have forced the issue to pick it up or maintain there, but relaxed through the hill at .6. Maintained around 7:40 to end. Comfortable, but humid! Did just a few minutes of yard work after, drenched! Will be focusing on recovery today, through next week. Hydration, foam roll, maybe my TENS gadget, Epsom or ice baths, etc. 

Weekly Summary:

Miles:  21 miles scheduled, 24 miles completed 

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes, 181 minutes completed. Not bad for 3 days being in a hotel room of just doing core. Caught up on Thu/Fri!

What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal: met  days

Foam Roll:  days 

Training Plan: Week 19 of 20 until the Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

10.04.2020 - Valley Forge Marathon

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave Joe G 

Weekly Running Report: September 20, 2020

 Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well!

How's training going for you? Any recent races or coming up (virtual or IRL)? Any other outdoor adventures?

This was week 18 of 20 'till the Valley Forge Marathon for me. A pretty decent week for me overall. Still two weeks away, but would love to take this momentum to race day. (and forget about that grueling summer!). 

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 6 miles. Sunday, partaken in some Sunday Funday beverages while watching sports. But was sure to stay on top of hydration before and after. In bed on time and decent rest. Tired, but ready for action. Coffee, workout (30 minutes, +10 later in the day), hydrate, stretch, and out the door by 6. Still a bit sore from Saturday's 20 miler, slightly humid, but temps ok. Goal 8:30-8:45. Working on breathing and foot strike to start. Comfortable at 7:50-8 early. Felt the inclines and humidity, but hanging in there. Worst hill in mi 3-4, faded a bit, but able to regroup and maintain. Comfortable most of the way, inclines and then a steep hill at the end that a cuss out often, felt like I owned it today. Faded past 8:15, but beat goal and pretty happy overall. Especially for a Monday. Best 6 miler in three months!

Tuesday: 1 mile. Strength Training day, plus one for the streak. Monday, in bed early! Decent night's rest. Up before my alarm, but waited a few min to get up before it. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around, 50 minutes). Temps are cooler (49 degrees out), windows open, and had cool air for my workout, very refreshing! Stretch, and out the door by 6:20 ish. Feeling alright, ready to get some speed in! Working on breathing before take off, and go! Up short steep hill to level, felt good! Although pace alert was slightly slower than expected. Continued on. Focus on foot strike and breathing. Hill at .6, faded slightly, but recovered a bit, another slight incline to finish out. Pace 7:05, run felt really good. Thought my pace would of been a little closer to 7, especially since I passed my 1 mi land mark and it took a couple more seconds to get there. Won't frown upon a few seconds, felt good. 

Wednesday: 6 miles. Tues, in bed on time and a decent night's rest. yup, up before my alarm. Coffee, workout (30 minutes), stretch, and out the door by 6 ish.  But.. Had some concerns when stepping out. Having tummy issues this morning! several times, and wasn't sure if I could go 10 minutes, much less 1 hour without going.. We shall see.. at least it's dark out now if I need an ally. lol.. (i kid, well, kinda). Work on breathing and i'm off and running. Fellt good to start, although first pace alert was slightly slow. Continued on and it came down. Few min in and had tummy pains, got better.  

Second block, different issue.. Passing by a playground (playground totally dark), I hear a yell, turn, and a rottweiler is coming at me! Appears aggressive at first, but I stop anyway. I know this dog loves to run and will continue to chase and may get worse. Calms down as it gets close to me and it's owner gets control of the leash. I know this dog is a bit unpredictable. Some days totally calm, other days appears to be aggressive and needs to be held back (and they struggle to, this time they lost it), and when behind a fence runs back and forth like it wants to play. Hopefully they reevaluate how to control it. 

Resuming my run and trying to pick it back up. Comfortable. Think between weather feeling good, feeling decent, and trying to regain momentum everything picked up. Few inclines along the way, trying to keep it going, pace before my worst hill was around 8:02. Don't want to over do it up the hill, which takes restraint. Pace 8:10 ish. A little tired, but had a small burst after. Trying to maintain rest of the way. Two more hills before the end, and picked it up after each. 8:06 overall. orig goal was 8:30, and then had 8:15 on my mind. Trying to not let the hills get me and some how succeeded. Best 6 miler in 3 months, with a little excitement (and no more tummy issues)

Thursday: 5 miles. Usually streak day? Flipping my Thu/Fri sched... In bed on time, up a few trimes, but a decent night's rest. Up before my alarm, but waited it out. What's odd is I know I have enough time, but sometimes I feel rushed if I dont get up and get moving right away.. Ample amount of time. Coffee, workout (30 minutes, +10 later), stretch, and out the door on time. Temps have gone up a few degrees, not hot, just no longer cool, plus 90% humidity. Not stressing about it. Have had a couple good runs this week, won't over do it before the weekend.. Busting out the new shoes today. (Saucony Endorphin Pro's), wearing them about twice a week until race day. Keeping a very close eye on the mileage. Worked on breathing a bit, and I'm off. Took a few minutes, but settled in. Passed by yesterday's dog walker early. They had a good grip, and apologized once more..  Pace felt decent early, and was able to maintain through the inclines. Usually fade a few before my first major hill. Pace 7:40's. Tried to ration energy up the hill, but may have pushed a bit much, a little tired at the top. Not much of a burst as it leveled out. But pace still 7:50 ish. Hanging in there fading back and forth, and able to push through the last hill and split slightly on the way back in the last mi. Goal was 8:15, but still being under 8 after my worst hill had 8 on my mind. Didn't expect it, but felt good. Best 5 miler in a yr!     

Friday: 1 mile. Flipped my Thu/Fri sched. Strength training, plus one for the streak. Decent rest, up before my alarm, yada yada. Coffee and slowly getting into gear. Workout (extra sets all around, 50 minutes). Slow start, but got all my reps in. Stretch my back out, and out the door by 6:20. Planned on along a comfortable mi to not over do it today. Well, comfortable at first, but felt the need to pick it up a bit. And then continued to do so..  7:30 pace split down. Hill at .6ish, pace 7:03, same pace at the top. Usually lose a few there, but felt the extra exertion. Now trying to get it down to 6:59. Which I did with about 1.5 to go. But faded up a couple seconds overall. Hopefully this doesn't affect tomorrow's performance. Don't think it will. Felt good to push it a bit. Think if I had set out to do 6:59, I may have been able to. Getting there. Best 1 miler in three months. Today was also streak day 1700. I swear the round numbers are always on low mileage days. lol.. 

Saturday: 10 miles. "Long" run day, trail day, yay! 10 miles.. Usually wouldn't put too much stress or thought into it. Would normally just go out and have fun, maybe work in a little speed for a bit, but not usually all out.. But.. The virtual Broad Street Run is due in a couple weeks. Registered last November as part of the Broad Street Run and Philly Marathon combo registration for 2020. Race is usually in May, postponed until Oct, and then went virtual. Would of preferred a deferral option, but not avail. At least a portion goes to a good cause. Figured I would put some extra effort into this to earn my swag. My PR is 1:20:ss (8:00 avg). Didn't think i could beat it. Broad Street is the biggest 10 miler (40k ppts) straight and extremely flat course. But based on a few of my recent runs, figured I could hang for at least 7 mi or so.  We shall see..  Fri, carb loaded, relaxed, in bed on time. Up just before my alarm. Coffee, routine, stretch, and at my trail by 6. My trail . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more gradual incline side to Rockledge Park and back first. (the tougher side first). Temps nice and brisk. Pitch black for a few. Focus on breathing and foot strike early and often. First pace alert 7:30's, moving right along. Caught myself doing 7:11 and had to pull back a bit. Orig plan was to avg 7:45, try not to fade past 8. Avg 7:30 early. Fade slightly up the incline and trying to split on the way back. At 5.mi noticed I had 2 minutes extra for a PR (38 min). Trying not to overthink it. Passed my car at 5.5, skipped hydrating. Don't feel the need, hope that doesn't cause issues later. One thing on my mind was the street light by the parking lot, didn't have to stop or run circles! saweet! More wooded side to ByBerry Rd has a slight incline and then hill at the end. Usually non-issue unless I'm pushing or late in a long run. Feeling the inclines. Pace high 7:30's. Still some wiggle room to beat or meet 7:45. Fueled at 7 mi. Turn around from ByBerry with 2.3 to go. Trying to split back on the decline and did for a bit. Best 10 miler ever! 1:16:07, (even with an extra minute for tangents! 1:17:23). Pushed it most of the way, but still had some in the tank at the end. Knew I had a PR and didn't go all out in the last few minutes.  Passed my friends today, but didn't b.s. with them until after. And later got a compliment from a speedster I don't think I can hang with (that I passed). Felt good. Don't think I over did it, hope to take the past week's momentum to race day in a couple weeks. (try to forget about the grueling summer)

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 3.11 miles. Rest day, usually just one for the streak. Run streak day 1702. Saturday, Epsom bath (usually do ice baths after long run, cool down was cold, took a while to warm back up!, no ice!), hydrate, foam roll. Hydration slightly offset, but not that bad, maintained along the way.  Usually try to sleep in on rest day, but plans in a bit.. And of course I'm up before my alarm. Woke up feeling pretty decent. For some reason decided to do a couple extra more even though it's rest day. Coffee, stretch, and out the door by 5:30. Air was nice and brisk. Pace was comfortable in the 8:20's, but picked it up a bit. Didn't want to over d it, but did feel the hills midway and at the end. And tightened up a bit after my run Will be sure to hydrate and foam roll. New scenery for my route tomorrow, looking forward to that! We'll see..

Weekly Summary:

Miles:  27 miles scheduled, 32  miles completed 

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes, 224 minutes completed

What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal: met  days

Foam Roll:  days 

Training Plan: Week 18 of 20 until the Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

10.04.2020 - Valley Forge Marathon

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave Joe G 

Weekly Running Report: September 13, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well!

How's training going for you? Any recent races or coming up (virtual or IRL)? Any other outdoor adventures?

This was week 17 of 20 'till the Valley Forge Marathon for me.  One day so-so, but overall a pretty decent week.

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 7 miles. Day off from work (Labor Day), trail day, yay! Sunday, partaken in festivities. Not the best night's rest, but up at my normal time and feeling alright. Thought about setting my alarm, but didn't, and still up on time! Coffee, workout (extra sets since I had time, 49 minutes), stretch. Taking my time, over at my trail by 7:15. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more open/ gradual incline side to Rockledge Park. Goal: 8:30. Wasn't really in the mood today, but weather was nice and felt decent. Pacing 8-8:15 to Rockledge Park. Trail out and back to parking is 5.5, adding 1.5 somewhere. Ugh. Did this side to add a hill. Off the trail at Rockledge Park. Nice steep hill in the neighborhood nearby. Down their mainstreet for a few min and back. Pacing 8:27 as I returned to the trail. That hill did me in for a bit! On the way back, had to push it a bit till for a few got comfortable again. Neg split for a little, but not much. 8:24-8:26 to end overall. Felt my shin a little more than I preferred, but didn't stop me. Weather was nice, scenery, and run, was definitely in a better mood than before. And turned out to be my best 7 miler in three months!   

Full pics on Facebook

Tuesday: 1 mile. Strength Training Day, plus one for the streak. Monday, sad that the holiday weekend was coming to an end, but was responsible enough to hydrate well and go to bed on time. Up a few times and up again 15 minutes before my alarm, but waited it out. Up and ready to go! Coffee, workout (extra sets all around, 50 minutes total). Stretch and out the door by 6:20. Stairs weren't that bad, not that achy today, going to give speed a whirl. Working on breathing and foot strike. First pace alert as i got to the top of the hill was right where I wanted it and rolling along as the route levels out. Hovering between 6:55-7:00 before the hill sub 7, and 7:03 to end.  Getting there! Felt my shin slightly, but non issue, slight quad fatigue through the hills as normal.  Felt pretty good about today.

Wednesday: 7 miles. Could of used a better nigh's rest. Up slightly past my bed time (only 9:20 ish), but was all hyped up from a movie we watched, issues falling to sleep, watch says closer to 10:30. Was probably too late for me to start that movie, but went along with it anyway, doh! At least I was hydrated, and needed that! Coffee! Workout (30 min, 10 more later), stretch, and out the door by 6. Humid! 'doh! Haven't done my hills in a week, and of course it's humid. Goal 8:30-8:45. Felt decent at first, and pace was within range for a bit. 8:15 before my worst hill, 8:20's after. But still 3 more miles of inclines and a couple hills to go. Got distracted for a bit, angry that my watch was far off from my phone. (like 30 seconds avg). Lost focus. And then faded some more, etc. Missed goal by a little. And had to run an extra few minutes. Probably .3 ish more than strava says. There is literally a block missing from my map. lol.. Like the gps paused while the clock was going. The conversion pulled the missing gap time, as my phone (nike) has like .3 mi and 3 more minutes. Whatever. Hope this isn't an ongoing thing. 

Thursday: 1 mile. Strength Training day, plus one for the streak. Decent rest, tired, was ready for bed early! Up a couple times and again just before my alarm. Up! Coffee and ready to go! Workout (extra sets all around, 50 minutes), stretch, and out the door by 6:20. New shoe day! Saucony Endorphin Pro! Standing in them, definitely feel like they will propel you a bi forward. Work on breathing before taking off and go! Felt good to start, but just a few seconds slower than I wanted. Got it down.. but.. small issue with the shoe, left lace came undone! Didn't stop, remainder of the run was grabbing with my toes to hope the shoe doesn't come off. End of run, most of the lace was loose throughout the shoe. Lace is my fault. Can't really review the shoe just yet.. lol.. Finished 7:09, but really wanted closer to 7. 

Friday: 4 miles. Decent rest, and up just before my alarm, but tired and questioning why we do this everyday. lol.. Coffee, got going. Workout (30 min, +10 later), stretch, and out the door a few min after 6. Yup, still humid! Usually notice the window condensation just before it's go time. 91%, 70% dew point. Not horrible, but bad enough. New shoe day 2, wanting to give them another whirl, trying to do speed as well. Worked on breathing, and was comfortable around 8, but you know, hills and humidity. Worst hill in mi 1-2, flat and inclines after with another hill in 3-4. Faded a bit, and at least 1 second slower than I wanted. Oh well. Shoes felt good though. Definitely encourage more toe strike. We'll see how they do on a long run tomorrow! Packing a change of shoes in  case they kill my legs. lol..  

Saturday: 20 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! 20 miles? Ruh Roh! Did a 20 miler two weeks ago, and it was rough! Weather and in general. Definitely some hesitation going into this.. Fri was sure to hydtrate well, carb loaded, relaxed, and in bed on time. Alarm set to go off a few min early, figured since I'll be out 3+ hours, should try to get there a few min early. Well, up before that alarm too! Coffee, stretch, routine, eat a light breakfast (think I failed on that last time). Wanted to get to my trail around 5:30, but ended up closer to 5:45. Pitch dark out! My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more open, gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Pitch dark through the woods for a few minutes, but the side along the creek opens up for moonlight. Pace: starting out, was pretty comfortable at 8:40's, but not realistic to stay there. Gradually fading to 8:50's up the incline. At Rockledge Park end, I occasionally stray away from the trail for a few on longer runs, but have friends meeting up at some point. Found them on the way back and turned around to Rockledge Park again and turn around. Fading closer to 9. Fueled at 7 mi, hydrated at my car around 7.5 (usually 5.5, that turnaround for my friend added about 2). Off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd. Pace still at 9, and actually picking it up on the way back to the parking lot. My friend dropped off there. Hydrated at my car. Off to Rockledge Park. Just under 7 mi to go, this side of the trail is 5.5. Pace still  8:50's.  At Rockledge, left the trail for 14 minutes. Up a steep neighborhood hill (a little concerned this would kill me being this far in), down their main street for a few and back. Only lost like a second. Maintained the rest of the way. Thought about pushing it, but not much doing. Finished 20 about .2 shy of the parking lot, slightly over estimated my neighborhood distance. Felt pretty good today! Ended up being my best 20 miler ever! Crazy how miserable I was with my last one, have to try to forget those. The weather was nice, 60's, humidity not bad. New shoes felt good, didn't want to slow down at all. Hope this training run translates to a decent race day. Other side note: blood on my shirt! Not chaffed nipples (got those covered), a small birth mark, never had an issue, ugh, something new. Will be sure to cover on long run day going fwd. Plenty of blood,sweat, tears go into this thing... lol

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 1 mile. Rest day, one for the streak. Run Streak Day 1695. Hydrated very well yesterday, ice bath, failed to foam roll. Eventually offset hydration a bit. Felt slight soreness yesterday, but overall not bad. Well, that changed. lol.. Woke up a few times very sore. lol.. Back and overall. Tried sleeping in, but up around 6:30. Coffee and taking my time. Stretch, roll my back out, and out the door around 8. Not messing around with speed today. Just trying to get into a comfortable rhythm for the 1 miler. Started around 8:10 and brought it down to 7:40s to 7:50's. Sore quads,etc, but 1 miler wasn't bad. A few minutes of yard work done, glad I do the worst of it midweek. lol.. Will be sure to focus on recovery (and try not to offset hydration too much while watching sports, lol..) to be somewhat ready for tomorrow's 6 miler.. 

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 38  miles scheduled,  41 miles completed 

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes, 231 minutes completed

What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal: met 7 days

Foam Roll: 5 days 

Training Plan: Week 17 of 20 until the Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

10.04.2020 - Valley Forge Marathon

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

If you do any races, please remember to review them on BibRave.com! Your opinions help other runners decide what races to run! #BibChat Follow me on BibRave Joe G