Weekly Running Report: May 10, 2020

Hi Everyone! Hope you are doing well!

How's training going for you? Any recent "virtual races", or any coming up, which ones?

This was week 2 of marathon recovery for me. Trying to get back to a "normal" schedule but keeping recovery on the back mind to not over do it, too much.

My Week in Training:

Monday: 7 miles before work. Sunday, my usual rest day, did a 5k, a little more than my usual rest day. Trying to get my avg up, hopefully I don't regret that. Did an ice bath, used my Belifu TENS gadget, foam rolled. Hydrated, but offset hydration with a few drinks. Stayed up a few minutes passed bed time, had funky dreams, and up before my alarm. Tired! Coffee and workout done, stretch my back out and out the door by 6. Tired, calves sore. Comfortable pace today, and even that was tiring. Gradually faded but maintained under 8:30 to keep it under 1 hour. 
Sidenotes: Social distancing: seeing more people in my neighborhood in the 6 o'clock hour. Most without masks. Only had to space away from a couple.

Tuesday: 3.11 miles before work. Monday, coffee and hydrated all day long. Foam rolled and in bed early! Excellent night's rest, refreshed! Workout and out the door by 6:10. Streak day used to be 1 mi for me, upping it to 5k for a bit to help my avg for the #GVRAT1000k. I'm sure I'll take better rest days at some point, we'll see how I feel for the following day. lol.. Started today's run comfortable, but could still feel the hills in my calves. 8:15 ish first mile, but gradually brought it down. Got more comfortable as I rolled along.

Sidenotes: Social distancing: only had to space away and cover up twice!

Flowers: didn't really see any flowers on my cool down. :( The tree blossoms and spring flowers are already shedding. :( A few more cool days before everyone brings out summer flowers.

Wednesday: 7 miles before work. Tues, foam rolled and in bed on time. Decent night's rest. Coffee and workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Pace not reflecting it, but starting to feel more comfortable. About 8:15 after my midway hill, doubted that I could hold it there, but tried for a while. Gradually fading to the 8:20's.  Felt decent, but not too many exciting notes to add to that..

Social Distancing: more people out there in the early hour, but only had to space away from three. 

Thursday: 3.11 miles before work. Wed, foam rolled and in bed on time. Decent night's rest! Most of the week so far, knock on wood! Coffee and workout, stretch and out the door by 6:10. Brisk out, 42 but humid. No hat/gloves, figured it would help get me going. Comfortable, pacing over 8 before my hill, under 8:10 after. Trying to bring it back down to 8, but have two more hills. Working on breathing and foot strike, got it down to 7:50's before the 2nd hill. Maintained. Downhill briefly and then another. Kept it under 8. Feel it less in my calves, but feel it in my hips/glutes, but coming along. Air and run felt good out there today!

Social distancing: had to cover up and avoid two ppl today. 

Friday: 6 miles before work. Usually scheduled for 4-5 on Friday's? Thu, in bed on time, decent rest and up before my alarm. Feeling refreshed! Coffee and workout. Workout went well and had a few extra minutes, might as well do a couple extra sets. Out the door a few minutes early. Legs feeling somewhat fresh. Started out in the 7:30's, settled in the 7:40's. 7:55 ish before my first major hill. 8:05 ish after. Pushing it a bit, but felt 8:15 would be more realistic. Feeling good and time to spare since I started early, might as well do the extra mile. Probably could of finished under 8:10 for 5, but more hills for 6. :) Hills are good for you, pretty happy with today overall. 

Saturday: 13.1 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! Friday, carb loaded, foam rolled, relaxed, in bed on time. Up several times overnight, each time thinking it was time to get up. lol.. Slept until my alarm. Coffee, routine, stretch my back out and at my trail by 6. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Started out a bit fast. Eventually settled in the 8:40's early. Trail is 11 miles (back and forth), will be doing 2 miles at the Rockledge end in a nearby neighborhood. Neighborhood has a nice steep hill, then down their main street for a few minutes and back to the trail. Fueled at 1 hour, hydrated as I passed my car. Off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back. Bumped into one of my training buddies. Hesitant to run with them at all, but did for a few minutes at a safe distance. Pacing when we parted ways was 8:55, tried to split a bit on the way back, knocked a few seconds off. Goal was to pace under 9 and was comfortable 8:45-8:50 throughout.

Sidenotes: weather! Friday night's forecast was downpours that may eventually turn to snow! This is May, right?! The rain cleared up by 4, no snow. Wind chill 21 at my starting time of 6. A lot less people at the trail today! I was the first car, when passing my car around 7, only 3 cars, and the lot was only a quarter full when I was done. Loved it! Last week the lot was completely packed when I left! 

Full trail pics on Facebook

Sunday: 3.11 miles. Rest day, a few for the streak/#GVRAT1000k challenge. Saturday, did an ice bath, hydrated. Failed to foam roll, and eventually offset hydration with beverages. Up past my bed time, decent night's rest, up by 6:30. Coffee and taking my time. Eventually out the door by 8. Could feel yesterday's run in my calves, especially through the three hills. Today's run was at a comfortable pace, planned on doing 8:30 ish, but was slightly faster.  Will be taking it easy remainder of the day. Will be sure to foam roll, hydrate, and use my Belifu TENS gadget. 

Social distancing: only had to space away from one person, another runner! 

Weekly Summary:
Miles: 42+  miles completed. 

#GVRAT1000k: 5.2 mi/day avg to complete. Current avg: 6.19 (05/01-current)  
Strength Training: Goal 100 minutes. 152 minutes completed. 
What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 
Training Plan: 

Not back on the plan yet, but would be using the below.

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

05.01-08.31.2020 The "Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k". A good challenge for me. The daily/weekly/monthly average is just a bit beyond my training. My peak marathon training weeks meet it, but not my cutback weeks. Should be a good challenge for me to keep me ready until fall training. 

10.11.2020 - Chicago Marathon

11.22.2020 - Philly Marathon

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

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BibRave Joe G