Flying Pig Marathon Training - Week 5 - Weekly Running Update: January 20, 2019

Hi Everyone!

Hope everyone is doing well. How's everyone's training going? Do any races recently, or training through winter for a spring goal? Which race(s)?

Question: are you a solo runner, "lone wolf", or group runner?

If you follow my posts, you'll see I'm primarily a solo runner. But I have learned the benefits of the occasional group run. Especially as the training runs get longer, a great way to catch up and be there for each other as you question yourself/sanity. lol..

My Week in Training:

Mon: 6 miles before work. Sunday, had a few beverages during football and stayed up past my bed time. Up before my alarm. Surprisingly, not tired. Coffee, work out, foam roll, and out the door. Chilly out! (wind chill 12). Monday's will be getting longer for me according to the plan. I don't do 6+ around the neighborhood often, may take a few weeks to figure out the ideal route. But, at least I get more hills!? 500+ft ascent today. Yay hills!?

Tues: 3.11 miles before work. Hydrated well yesterday and went to bed on time. Unfortunately, not a good night's sleep though. I regretted that last afternoon coffee as I tossed and turned to fall asleep. A rarity, I slept until my alarm. Coffee, slowly worked out, foam rolled and head out. Brisk air helped. Wasn't too thrilled with a few neighbors that neglected to shovel Sunday. My 5k route involves a few sidewalks along busy roads, the snow did melt, but refroze for those that didn't do anything. 8:06 pace after 1, before the hills, maintained under 8:20.

Wed: 4 miles before work. Tues, made more of an attempt to get a good night's sleep. A little better, but still slept until my alarm again. A little less tired/groggy than yesterday. Coffee, work out, foam roll, and out the door. Mile 1 8:03, 8:15 after the hills, to maintain at 8:20.
Today, afterward, I realized the side of my shoe ripped! Last time this happened, I was a bit upset as I didn't get my money's worth (less than 200 mi). This pair was still feeling good. But after 350+ miles not as upset as before. I have had plenty of shoes go 4-600, but these have not. No worries, I have two other pairs in rotation, and two new pairs to be broken in in a couple months. (xmas presents)

Thu: 1 mile before work. Excellent night's sleep. Felt refreshing. Up a few min before my alarm. Coffee, work out, foam roll and out the door by 6:15. 1 mile days are usually fun when well rested. Brisk air, stretch, feeling loose, work on breathing, just before take off. First alert was 7:45 as I was going up the short steep hill, continued through it as the hill leveled out and maintained around 7:30 remainder of the way. Felt great!

Fri: 5 miles after work. After a few days of sleeping to my alarm and finally getting a great nigh't sleep, had a work issue. 3rd shift called at 2 am. Back to bed at 2:30. Tossed and turned for a while before I gave up. Up. Coffee, work out, and out the door. Snow overnight, some roads were well salted but others needed more treatment, and some of my route has sidewalks. Yaktrax day.. First mile felt good, but was through the motions for a bit. Legs starting to get a bit heavy, strayed from pace for and after the hills was a bit slower than I preferred, pushed a bit harder than I should have to get it back down before the end.Tired, time to shovel before work. Coffee and hydrate remainder of the day.

Sat: 11 miles. "Long" run, trail day, yay! 11 miles? But scheduled for 10? Well, today I hosted a few people for a group run at my trail. One of the other runners was scheduled for 11. I wasn't going to do a tour of my trail and back out of a mile. What kind of a host would I be? lol...
My trail Pennypack Creek. Mid parking lot (Welsh and Terwood). Which I gave a google map out, but a couple passed it and another totally missed it and got directed to one of the other parking lots. lol.. Mid parking lot to Byberry (the more wooded side, more bridges over the creek), usually 2.5 and back for 5.25,  but today was partially closed for a controlled hunt. Got about 3.25 on this side. Back to the mid parking lot to  the other side to Rockledge Park (gradual incline side).  As we got to the end, Rockledge Park, I decided to introduce them to a steep hill I do sometimes before turning around. The trail has a slight incline, but not hills, this nearby neighborhood hill is a bit steep! Up the hill, to the town's main street, turn around and back to the trail, back to the parking lot, hit 10 mi, turned around for .5 and back for 11. Pacing: today was more about comradery, touring the trail, getting our goal distance in than it was pacing, as we were mindful of all pace levels. Some of the group was going to do 8 miles, I calc'd they'd get about 8.25-8.5, but adding that neighborhood got them a bit more (closer to 9.5). Oops. ;)
Group run: was great meeting up with a few members of our online group! Great people, great support system, I consider them family, love them. The facebook group is #RWRunStreak, participating in the Runner's World 40 day challenge, but many of them streak year round. You don't have to be doing a runstreak to join, encouraged, but the main thing is that we support each other. Members across the country and a few worldwide. There's a bunch of us in the tri state area. I've met a few at some of the Philly races, and a ton of them at the Runner's World half festival. We are definitely going to try to meet up more often!

IG pics

Sun: 1 mile. Rest day, one for the streak. Run Streak day 1,093. Last night, dinner plans and a show down in Philly. Home a bit late, not extremely late, just late for me. (normal bed time before 9-10, was up a few min past midnight. Sleep in? Nope. Still up before 6. Coffee.. taking my time, stretch, and out the door around 8:30. Last night we had a heavy rain storm, was predicted to be 3-4 inches of snow, happy the temps didn't go that low, we would have had much more. Hope the ground dries up today, they are predicted a 40 degree drop by tomorrow!
1 milers, sometimes work on speed work. Started out working on pacing/breathing, could feel it, didn't want to over do it to get it to 7:30. Maintained for 7:45. As I was nearing the end (.8), saw three swans across from their hidden pond. Turned around after to get a pic. Hope they make it back safely, it's a busy road! Will load a few more pics of them to my IG shortly!

This was week 5 marathon training, using the below plan.

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Weekly Summary:

Miles: scheduled  28 mi / completed  30 mi
Strength training: scheduled  80 min/ completed  97 min
Foam roll:  7 days
Hydration goal met: 7 days 

Spring Schedule 

03.31.19 - The Love Run! Love the Love Run Philadelphia half marathon! Check out my review from last yr, here.   Use code LOVEBR10 for 10% off!

04.06.19 - Hot Chocolate 15k Philadelphia. Use code BRHCPhilly to receive a free smart phone arm band. Check out my preview, here. 

05.05.19 - Broad Street Run! - Love this race, but won't be doing it. Sometimes you have to pass on repeat things to try something new! My review from last year, here.  

05.05.19 - Flying Pig Marathon! I am officially booked. Looks like a fun themed race, a great spring challenge, and somewhere I've never been (Cincy, Oh)! Hope to also check out Indiana and Kentucky while I'm out there! 

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