Weekly Running Report: July 26, 2020

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you are all doing well!

How's training going? Doing any virtual challenges, or dare I say an IRL race? How'd they go? Doing any other outdoor activities to keep yourself busy?

I have been doing the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee, aka #GVRAT1000K, which was really 1023 km / 635 miles since May1st. Just completed this week! So happy to have completed it, and ready to take it easy and work my way back into marathon training. I will be doing a separate post for #GVRAT, keep an eye out for it!

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 7 miles before work..Excessive heat warning in effect yesterday through today! Hydrated well yesterday, but offset a bit with beverages. up before my alarm, but tired. Coffee, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Steaming! Rough from the get go! Sore from the weekend (60 mi previous week, 25 over the weekend), quads overall fatigue, shins splints, and fun. This was a rough one for me. pacing 9's early and letting go. Last major hill in mi 5 almost had me quitting..lol, but regrouped to finish. Ugly, but done.

Tuesday: 7 miles before work. Tues used to be rest day, wth? lol.. Almost done with #GVRAT, soon back to a schedule with "rest" days... Monday, hydrated like heck. Really needed it! Foam rolled, and in bed n time. Well rested and somewhat better prepared for the heat.Coffee, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Still a little warm, but air quality felt better. Slight discomfort to start, but felt better as we moved along. Pacing 8:30 to start, but closer to 9 before hills... Faded through the hills, yada yada, fatigued, but not as grueling as yesterday. Definitely much happier with today.

Tuesday, part 2!: 5 miles after work. Once I saw that I was down to less than 9 miles to go for #GVRAT, I thought about getting it done by Wed. Was thinking about doing a two parter on Wed. Well, I found out that I may have some time on my hands after work today. Feeling ok, going to do a few! Still really hot out, but slightly less humid. Got to my trail by 5pm. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Will be doing the more shaded section. Pacing: started somewhat comfortable at 9, but definitely tight. Fading along in the heat and tightness. Shade helped in places. But not by much. And I swear the sun always finds me through the trees. lol.. Loosened up after the turnaround, but no neg splits on the way back. 

Wednesday: 5 miles! #GVRAT, according to my calc, I owed about 3.5 miles to complete. Decided if I felt ok, would go for 5, just in case. ;) Tues, did an ince bath, but failed to roll or stretch. Hydrated like heck, and in bed on time. A little tired this morning. Up before my alarm, but a little groggy. Coffee, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Only 95% humid/72% dew point! Sweating within 3 minutes. Pacing 8:45 till the hills, 9-9:15 after. I did start out wearing my bib that I printed out, but being so soaked, the paper melted around the pins. :(  Another fun summer run, but  #GVRAT is done! 635 miles in 83 days! Keep a lookout for a more in depth write up on the #GVRAT!

Thursday: 1 mile before work. Streak day run! Starting to go back to a "normal" schedule, with a 1 mi for what should be "non-running" days. Wed, hydrated like heck, foam roll, stretch. A bit tired, in bed on time! Decent night's rest, but a little tired to start. Coffee, workout (a few more minutes on 1mi day day), stretch, and out the door by 6:10. Still sore and stiff, don't think I'll be seeing much speed for a while, but got a decent start. First min pace alert around 7:30, but that was a struggle! Faded throughout, and mid run a branch reaching over a sidewalk ripped my headphones of my head, had to go find them! Resume for a few to finish. Humid, drenched even for a 1 miler. Oh, you know I had to rock my newly earned #GVRAT shirt, right?!

Friday: 5 miles before work. Thu, in bed on time, but could of used a little more rest! But.. up! Coffee, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Some ankle/shin discomfort while getting ready, sore to start, but got better as it warmed up. Humid, of course! ugh.. Whatever. Light rain to start, a little refreshing, but mostly humid. Still some overall fatigue in the legs to go with the ankle/shin pain. Pacing 8:45 for a bit, but faded 9-9:15 through the hills, yada, yada..  

Saturday:  1 mile. No long run this week? Woah! Plans in a bit, no time. But according to my training plan, I'm only scheduled for aong run of 8, and 25 for the week. Already got that in. Road trip at 6am, just doing my streak mi. Up before my alarm, out the door by 5. Forgot my headphones, they are already packed. Pacing myself with no music or pace alerts. Only a mi, but shin still stiff. And of course it's humid out. Wasn't fast, but better than lately. 

Sunday: 3.11 miles. Early plans the next few days, alarm set! Of course I'm up before it. Rest day, would do a 1 miler, but did 3 since I only did one yesterday. Staying in Gatlinburg, TN. Scouted yesterday for a route. Pretty simple, follow main street to the end and back. No hills! And very little traffic! 

Miscellaneous cardio: 5 mi hiking. 

Clingmans dome - 1 mi (.5 mi x 2), 332 ft ascent. Paved trail, but a little steep! 

Made it halfway up the observation tower before I realized the railing was short (just above waist high), and I'm scared of heights. 😱🤣 Made it to the tower, but a few pics a couple feet from the balcony. 🤣

Full pics on Facebook

Andrews bald - 3.6 mi (1.8x2)

Steep decline, a little technical, through a mossy forrest to a meadow vista. The meadow is supposed to have wildflowers and view. No flowers, and too hazy this morning, no view. But the hike through the forrest was great, steep incline back.

Full pics on Facebook

Weekly Summary:

Miles:  25 Scheduled vs 34.8 Completed, plus 5 hiking. 

#GVRAT1000k: 5.2 mi/day avg needed to complete. Current avg: 7.66 (05/01-current)  

635 miles needed, 636 done. 

Strength Training: Goal 120 minutes. 157 minutes completed. 

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

Week 10 of 20 until Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: 

05.01-08.31.2020 The "Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k".  - completed this week! Full review forthcoming! 

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: July 19, 2020

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you are all doing well!

How's training going? Doing any virtual challenges, or dare I say an IRL race? How'd they go? Doing any other outdoor activities to keep yourself busy?

Rough week as far as cancellations go, huh? For me it was Chicago Marathon and all of the Philly races (Broad Street, Love Run, Philly Marathon). But one thing we've learned through all this, running is definitely not canceled. I have run more miles the past three months than any month before all this... 

Were you affected this week by cancellations as well?

I'm still doing the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (for another week or so),  Experiencing some over training aches/pains, but getting through it (for now).  I can almost see that finish line, can't wait! 

I have also found a small marathon that may have a chance.. Week 9 of 20 of marathon training. 

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 7 miles before work. Sunday, I did an additional long run to cap the previous week at 60 mi. Expected to be a little sore today.. I did an ice bath, used my TENS machine, wore recovery socks, hydrated well, and in bed at a decent time.. Tired to start. Completely asleep when my alarm went off, still mid dream! Am usually up by my alarm, not even close today! Coffee and taking my time, workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. "Cooler" out, but still humid. Slow to start and just kept getting slower. Strongly considered cutting today short. Gave up on pace and drudged through to get my 7 in. Wasn't pretty, but done!

Tuesday: 5 miles before work. Forgot to make any notes.. but workout and 5 mi day, done!

Miscellaneous cardio: 2 mile walk after work. Did a 2 mi stroll with my spouse over near my trail. Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. Some dirt trails through the woods/light hiking, some grass trails around a farm. Partially somewhat maintained, but overgrown. Stopped by a farm with horses, but the rancher called them in shortly after we got there.

Full pics on Facebook

Wednesday: 7 miles before work. Tues, iced my ankle/shin, failed to foam roll or stretch much. A bit sore this morning. Stairs hurt. Coffee, work out, stretch, and out the door around 6. Ankle/shin sore to start, but got more manageable early. Much better than expected after the earlier discomfort this morning. Faded through the hills, but not as tired as at the end today.

Wednesday (part2!) 5 miles after work. Still chasing this GVRAT thing, doing at least one 2-a-day to get at least 2 double digit days in.. Wore my compression socks during work to try to freshen my legs up for after work. Over at my trail by 5. My trail . Doing the more wooded side to Byberry Rd and back. Started out feeling decent, more comfortable than this morning. Heat started to set in, and as shaded as this side is, I swear the sun found me through the woods more than I expected it to. Feeling it in my legs before the turnaround, tried picking it up at the turnaround, felt decent and consistent remainder of the way, but not really splitting. Warm out, another reminder why I changed to mornings to beat the heat, but glad I went!

Thursday: 5 miles before work. Wed night, iced my ankle/shin, foam roll and stretch before bed. Good night's rest, up a few times and again before my alarm. Up and ready to go. Some ankle/shin discomfort going down stairs, a little concern, but not much. Coffee and workout. Glad I was up early, didn't feel rushed. Light foam roll my back, stretch my shins, and out the door by 6. Ankle/shin felt decent to start. Pacing was comfortable, but fading along my fav hills, blah! lol.. Half mi straight away with a couple inlines before the end, was able to regroup and pick up the pace to finish out. Overall felt decent. Shin started to throb shortly after my run though... 

Friday: 5 miles before work. Thu, wore compression socks, hydrated, stretched a little. Participated in Thirsty thurs, but hydrated along the way. Failed to foam roll or stretch, in bed on time. Decent rest, slept till my alarm. Coffee, workout, roll, stretch, and out the door by 6. Slow from the start! Pushed it a little bit at first, but sore, pulled back. 9 ish before hills and faded along. Went into a more conservative approach to get ready for tomorrow's long run. We'll see how that goes.. 

Saturday: 14+ miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! Ruh roh, excessive heat warnings for the next few days! Fri, ankle/shin seemed to be ok remainder of the day. Iced a bit and stretched. Hydrated like heck, carb loaded, relaxed an din bed by 9:30. Alarm set, but up around 4! Up for a few minutes and then decided I may as well try to get to my trail even earlier! Coffee and morning "routine", stretch, and at my trail shortly after 5:30. Temps not bad yet, but a little humid. My trail . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Going to to the side to ByBerry Rd and back first. Doing this in case I have to do a section twice, will be the more shaded side. Comfortable to start. 9:30 ish Going to be a long, possibly grueling day, not going to over do it. Felt pretty decent. At the ByBerry Rd end (2.6 mi), decided to do some time in the nearby business complex. A little over 2 miles and back to the trail. At 7 mi, bumped into a small group of friends. They split up shortly thereafter. If I wanted to hang with either, either slow it down, or pick it up. Told my friend my current pace, sure we'll hang. Of course we picked it up the next few miles. Fueled and hydrated at my car (9  mi). Off to the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park. Could feel the sun a bit and a little steam off the creek. At the Rockledge turnaround, was apparent I would need to add at least .5 mi somewhere. Pace slowing back down to my comfortable pace. Told my friend to take off, but I'm pretty sure he was trying to push me, not happening. lol.. On the way back, we took a side trail from Lorimer Park to add that .5, steep decline to start. Plan was to go a few minutes, but we went a bit further to a landmark. Turnaround, back, up that steep hill, back to the main trail, and back to the parking lot to end at 14.5.  Was not planning on doing extra, but it happens (math), and when seeing that near then end, no plan on going the extra to cap at 15. lol.. Overall a good day though. Comfortable to start, comfortable to finish, with a little extra push in the middle. 

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 10+ miles. Yup, another double digit day. It was rough! Saturday, did an ice bath and hydrated well. Failed to foam roll or stretch. Shame on me. Offset hydration with beverages and stayed up past my bed time. Sunday is usually my day to sleep in, but with the heat wave I should be rethinking that. Up around 6, but really taking my time.  Coffee, stretch my back out and over to the trail by 7:30. Parking lot packed! That's what I get for sleeping in! Last parking spot. My trail . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more open/gradual incline side first to Rockledge Park. Pacing goal, just keep it around 10. Slow to start and paced at 9:50 most of the first half. Definitely feeling yesterday's run, poor rest, and the heat. Fueled/hydrated at  the parking lot at 5.5 mi. Briefly thought about calling it quits, but resumed. Off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd. Shade definitely helped, but still warm out. Pacing faded to 10, but split on the way back to bring overall down to 9:45. Tired, drained, sore, but done. And glad I did. Just wish I got out a little earlier.

Full pics on Facebook

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 62 (includes 2 mi walking)

#GVRAT1000k: 5.2 mi/day avg needed to complete. Current avg: 7.65 (05/01-current)  

612.19 miles done, 22.81 to go! 

Strength Training: Goal 120 minutes. 154 minutes completed. 
What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 
Training Plan: 

Week 9 of 20 until Valley Forge Marathon using the below plan 

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 barely meet it. Should be a good challenge to keep me ready till fall training. 

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

Product Review: Extreme Fit Compression Socks!

Disclaimer: I received an Extreme Fit Compression Socks to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well!

I am excited to announce that I am testing Extreme Fit compression socks! 

Benefits include some of the below (varies by sock style). I'm currently running more miles than ever, can definitely appreciate the benefits! Assist with blood flow recovery, help prevent cramps, etc!

Benefits & Features: 

• Circulation support to fight Reduced Injury, Swelling, and Fatigue.
• Improve venous blood flow. Stimulates blood flow
• Prevent varicose veins
• Stimulates oxygen delivery to muscles.
• Prevents lactic acid production and cramping.
• Keeps your feet dry and minimizes blisters.
• Provides for a full range of motion and joint flexibility.
• Prevents recurrence of thrombosis of lymphedema after surgery.
• Anti-bacterial properties to promote foot health.
• Protect your legs from small scratches.

Low Cut: The first pair that I tried were the low cut Ultra V-Stripe compression socks. I typically wear a moisture wicking low cut sock, with the occasional compression sleeve. Starting my trial with a low cut sock for my weekly long run. I felt the snugginess around my fat feet at first, but barely notice them shortly thereafter. The socks may be thinner than my usual socks, felt more space in my shoes, had to tighten them up (already needed to, but they were even more loose now. lol). It's been humid here (to say the least), my feet were able to breath, some dampness to be expected, but were not that bad. My feet felt good throughout my run, and no blisters! 

Compression Sleeve: I did enjoy the compression sleeve, felt good on my shins and my calves. I am currently experiencing shin splints, they provided relief, as well as preventing cramps. One thing worth noting, they are longer than the typical calf sleeve. They went below my ankles to my low ankle socks.

Knee Length: 

Several styles to choose from!

Themed socks! They also have themed options to choose from. I went with a pair of coffee and a pair of pizza! I live on coffee, and pizza is one my fav carb load meals the night before my long run! Pic below, my feet and legs felt good throughout my morning run! 

Reflective!: Safety feature! They have at least three pairs to choose from that are Run + Reflective!

I typically run in the dark throughout winter. Additional reflective gear is always great! You'll already be wearing socks, right? An added function without additional gear to carry!

Recovery: Since compression socks are also great for recovery, I have been wearing a fresh pair post run. Occasionally during work, and usually towards the end of the day when I'm really in recovery mode. They feel good to lounge around in, and when taking them off for the night, my legs feel refreshed! Other recovery recommendations, they are great for blood flow when traveling! 

Quote from the Travel Channel:

"While the risk of developing blood clots on a flight is low, it goes up as travel time increases. Enter compression socks. Yes, really. ... These stockings help increase circulation and reduce the risk of swelling or worse deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting on a long flight."

Additional disclaimer: I am in no way qualified to provide medical advice. lol.. But I can confirm I did not experience any cramps or blisters during any of my runs while wearing Extreme Fit compression socks. I may be experiencing overall fatigue due to my increased miles and summer conditions, but my legs definitely feel the benefits of Extreme Fit Compression socks, especially for recovery!  

See what my fellow #BibRavePro's are saying!

The Late Runner

Oatmeal Runner

This Old Runner

Discount: 

Be sure to check them out and use code BRP20 for 20% off $50+ purchase!

Sites and Socials:

Site: extremefitusa.com

Facebook: @extremefitusa

Instagram: @extremefitusa

Twitter: @extremefitusa

Weekly Running Report: July 12, 2020

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you are all doing well!

How's training going? Doing any virtual challenges, or dare I say an IRL race? How'd they go? Doing any other outdoor activities to keep yourself busy?

I see some smaller races popping up in the fall, very tempting! 

I'm still doing the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (for a few more weeks),  Experiencing some over training aches/pains, but getting through it (for now). Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Less then a month to go! 

Week 7 of 20 until Chicago Marathon?

My Week in Training: Without reading my daily summaries, pretty much just humid/tired most of week! lol.. How about you?

Monday: 7 miles before work. Sunday, hydrated like heck! Foam roll, failed to stretch. Sunday blues, didn't want to go to bed, up a few minutes late, but not too late. Up before my alarm. Coffee, workout, and out the door just before 6. Heat wave warnings in effect this week, plus humidity! Punched in the face right away, fun stuff! Ankle/shin a little sore before starting, but not bad. Did feel some fatigue. Pacing was ok to start, slightly slow, but not bad. Felt the heat, drenched early! Fading before my midway hills, and through them. At mi 4, strongly considered adjusting my route to 5 mi. Kept going as I passed the turn to cut it short. Countdowns in my head till the end, just wanted to get it over. Will be sure to hydrate to be as ready as possible for tomorrow. 

Tuesday: 5 miles before work. Hydrated plenty yesterday! We ended up having storms yesterday afternoon, helped break the heat temporarily, but not with the humidity! Coffee, workout, hydrate, stretch, and out the door by 6. Just a little humidity, 97%! Through the motions, done. At no point did I think about doing anymore extra.. (shouldn't even be doing 5, but #GVRAT cant really take rest days)

Wednesday: 7 miles before work. Struggle bus today! Hydrating like heck, but tired, sore, drained. But slightly less draining thank Monday's 7. Forgot to make any notes, just remember the basics. lol.. 

Wednesday (part 2!): 5 miles after work. For some reason I have been wanting to do at least one 2-a-day a week, was supposed to do yard work after work, but rain in the forecast about 30 min after work. Not enough time for that.. But I don't mind rain on the run, would rather prefer it right now.. hydrated like heck after my morning run till now. At my trail after 4:45. My trail Pennypack Creek. Did the more open side to Rockledge Park. A few less trees if there is a storm, but still need to be alert though. Heat/humidity kicking! Especially along the creek, felt like there was steam as well! Questioned my decision early, pace was drained, but enjoyed being out there! No rain, and it kept getting pushed back from the orig forecast, could of gotten my yard work done, oh well. lol.. But that means I'll have to do it over the weekend, I try to avoid that anymore.. Already tired on weekends, more work!

Thursday: 5 miles before work. Wednesday, ice bath, hydrated like heck, foam roll, and in bed early! Had some concerns that I may have overdone it yesterday that I may regret today, but ankle/shin are about "normal" today. Some light discomfort going down stairs. Coffee, tired, workout done slowly but gut all my sets in, stretch, and out the door by 6. Overall fatigue, but moving along. Pace alerts disabled in error, grrr. Not stressing. Will go on comfort and not worry about pace today. Still have mi pace alerts from my watch, just not minute alerts from my phone. First couple miles were 8:50 ish, feeling the midway hill and last hill at the end. mi 3-5 were 9+. Felt slow, but not horrible. Humid as heck today, was sweating up a storm in the first 5 min! Fun times!

Friday: 5 miles. Thursday, foam rolled midday, and hydrated like heck. Did participate in Thirst Thurs, but behaved and continued to hydrate. In bed on time, but tired. Up at 3, tossed and turned, may have gotten a few more minutes sleep before the alarm. A little sore going down the stairs, but not horrible. Coffee, workout, and got the blood flow going. Much more awake. Hydrated, stretch, and ready to do this! Or so I thought.. Storm on it's way, but heat/humidity barely budged. Humid! Slow to start, but got moving. Slowed down before the midway hills and faded from then on. Just a bit drained, thought about pushing it to bring it back down, but thought to just keep it comfortable. Hope to have more in the tank for tomorrow's long run!

Saturday: 14 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! Friday, hydrated well, foam rolled, carb loaded, and in bed on time. Up way before my alarm, but fell back to sleep until time. Coffee and getting ready. At my trail by 6. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. As I was parking, bumped into a couple friends and invited me to tag along. Warned they'd be a bit slower than usual, no problem, trying to be comfortable anyway. Did the side to ByBerry Rd and back first. Pacing about 10:15. I was leading the way, but could tell they weren't going to budge much more. Weather was still a bit humid, 80%, temp not as hot, yet. Humid, but tolerable. Fueled/ hydrated at the parking lot. (5.5 mi). One of our friends dropped off at the parking lot. Off to the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park. My other friend dropped out at 6 mi. On my own for now. Trying to pick up the pace! Picked it up slightly, but not as much as I wanted, but still comfortable. The more open side, sun wasn't bad yet, although I could feel steam off the creek a bit. At the Rockledge end, I did the loop around the dog park, small hill, and then off into the woods for a few minutes, a side shoot. A few minutes in, trees across the path, at this point I wasn't going to waste energy climbing trees. Back to the main trail. Fuel/hydrate at the parking lot, 11.5 mi. Back to the more wooded side for a bit and turned back to complete 14 before the parking lot. Goal was to do 12-14 mi, so I could keep it short tomorrow and still get 50 mi for the week. Comfortable most of the way, with some exertion, but not too much. Pacing: 10:15 for 6 mi, got it down to 9:45 overall for 14. So I did get some splits in, but would have preferred a little more. lol... 

Miscellaneous cardio: 2 hours of yard work. Was not looking forward to it, to say the least! lol.. I prefer to do my yard work mid week so I don't have to do a long run plus, but I pushed it off, had to do it. Still warm/humid, etc. blah!

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 11 miles? Saturday, my plan for today was do one to few to cap the week of a 50 miles. Saturday, did an ice bath after yard work, hydrated like heck all day, offset hydraytion a bit with drinks, but still maintained hydration somewhat. Got an excellent night's rest! Slept in! Up a couple times, but went back for more. Up around 7:30! (a bit later than 4:45, lol) Coffee and taking my time. No major plans for the day, decided to go back to my trail for a few. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more open, gradual incline side to Rockledge Park and back first. Plan was to take it easy, go on feel. Slow to start, but pace getting faster in the first few. Actually had to pull back a bit. Feeling decent as I was approaching the midway parking lot, decided to keep going. Fueled/hydrated as I passed my car. Off to the more wooded section to ByBerry Rd. Starting to get tired before the turnaround, but kept on going. At the turnaround, there was free cold water for all from one of the local clubs. Hesitant with all that's going on, but had some. lol..  Hit the spot! Tried picking up the pace on the way back, but not much doing. After 7-8 mi, questioned my decision to keep going, but done. First 60+ mile week! yay! Hopefully I don't regret it too much tomorrow! lol.. 

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 60.8 miles 

#GVRAT1000k: 5.2 mi/day avg needed to complete. Current avg: 7.53 (05/01-current)  

549.85 miles done, 85.15 to go! 

Strength Training: Goal 120 minutes. 169 minutes completed. 
What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 
Training Plan: 

Week 7 of 20 until Chicago, loosely following the below, will adhere a bit closer in a few weeks. 

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 barely meet it. Should be a good challenge to keep me ready till fall training. 

10.11.2020 - Chicago Marathon

11.22.2020 - Philly 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: July 5, 2020

Hi Everyone! 

Hope you are all doing well!

How's training going? Doing any virtual challenges, or dare I say an IRL race? How'd they go? Doing any other outdoor activities to keep yourself busy?

I'm still doing the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee (for the foreseeable future),  Experiencing some over training aches/pains, but getting through it (for now). Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Less then a month to go! 

Week 6 of 20 until Chicago Marathon. 

Monday: 10+ miles. Day off from work, trail day, yay! Sunday, foam roll/stretch, hydrate. But with the 3 day weekend, offset hydration a bit, stayed up past my bed time, and even slept in! Coffee and taking my time.. Got to the trail a later than usual, almost 9 o'clock! So late, and the parking lot was packed! Was not expecting that on a "random" Monday. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Doing the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Hobbling a bit to start, but eventually settled in. Then the heat/humidity set in! Fueled at 5 mi, hydrated at my car at 5.5 mi. Then off to the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd. I swear it's more shaded over there, but the open gaps of sun were still rough. Drained early, but got my 10 in. 

Full pics on Facebook

Tuesday: 5 miles before work. Monday, hydrated like heck, foam roll, stretch, iced my shin as it started to throb later in the day.  Decent night's rest. Shin still feeling it this morning, had some concerns if i'd get 5 in. Coffee, workout, stretch, KT Tape, and out the door by 6. Slow to start! Short/steep hill to start, felt like I was in slow motion! Ankle/shin tight to start, but was more manageable after .5 ish. Comfortable pace, but felt like I could push it near the end, which I haven't had energy to do in a bit!

Month End: Tuesday was the last day of June. A few stats below.

Wednesday: 7 miles before work. Tuesday, iced my shin, foam rolled, stretched. Feeling decent before bed. In bed on time asleep.. but woke up at 2:30 and was eventually wide awake! Tossed/turned for a while, actually thought about just getting up. Fell back to sleep before 4 and had funky dreams, up just before my alarm. Coffee, a little slow to start. Ankle/shin weren't bad going down stairs, could feel the discomfort, but not bad. Workout, stretch, and out the door by 6. Of course the humidity is still 90+%, whatever, it's summer. Hydrate, drain, and deal, and then hydrate again. Could feel my ankle/shin slightly at the start, but better than yesterday. Pace was slow to start, but got more comfortable in the first mile. Felt decent until the hills, legs got a bit heavy and energy drained. But overall comfort level wasn't bad. 

Thursday 4 miles before work. Wed, iced my ankle/shin, foam rolled, stretched, and in bed on time. Thank goodness for that! 3rd shift called me at 3:45. Valid issue to be escalated, reviewed, yada. Once verified to a point, was able to get my workout in while monitoring the situation. Stretched. Issue still ongoing at my normal run time, grrr. lol.. Not that bitter, will still get my run in. Situation was at a point where my first shift teammates can monitor/handle when they get in. Stretch and out the door by 7. "Only" doing 4 today. Will be doing a couple extra tomorrow for the holiday. Started out in a hurry to get back to work, pushing it slightly. But overall soreness took care of that. Couldn't breathe either. Not sure if it was the humidity or pollen count, etc, but completely stuffy. Faded in the second half after the hills, per usual. Back to work by 8! Oh, and I had to use backup headphones, my AfterShokz weren't with my gear and I was in a hurry, found them later on my backup charger! 'doh! 

Friday: 11 miles. Day off from work (July 3rd gov holiday), extra day at the trail, yay! Decided to do 11 today. My Chicago Marathon training plan is starting to go into double digits, I probably would of done 10 if I didn't double check the plan. lol.. Figured I'd do it today and wing it tomorrow. Thu, iced my ankle/shin, foam rolled, hydrated. Did have a couple Thirsty Thu drinks, but behaved myself. In bed on time and up before my alarm. Coffee, taking my time, stretch, and at my trail by 6. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood. Doing the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Ankle/Shin a bit tight, a bit of a limp the first 3 minutes, but stride opened up as I warmed up. Pacing goal was 9-9:09, but had doubts early. Started out in the 8:50's but faded to low 9's early. A bit warm and sore, wasn't able to really push it. At the Rockledge turnaround, decided to do an offshoot trail for about 5 minutes. Trail is 10.7 ish, adding a few minutes somewhere, decided to get it in there. But had to keep an eye on footing because it's a real trail with rocks/roots, etc  Back to my trail, back to the parking lot. Pacing 9:09, usually able to split on the way back from the incline, barely. Fueled at 5.5, hydrated at my car at 6. Off to the more wooded/shaded side to ByBerry Rd. Legs started to feel better for a bit. Pace didn't pick up, but felt better. Turnaround at the ByBerry end and back. A little warm, tired, sore, but felt great to get it in! 

Full pics on Facebook

Saturday: 10 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay?! Friday, did an ice bath and hydrated very well.. but.. Since I already got my "scheduled" long run in, I treated Friday night more like a Saturday night.. Went out to eat, had beverages, and stayed up past my bed time. up before my alarm, but tired! Coffee, and really taking my time. Hydrate, stretch, and at my trail shortly after 6. My trail Pennypack Creek . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Bumped into my friend before starting. Thankful for that. Started out on the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park. Started off with the slight limp again, but got better as it warmed up. Humid as heck! Between humidity/allergies, could barely breathe! Drenched very early. As we were progressing towards Rockledge, my buddy suggested we go check out another section of the trail for a few minutes. Few minutes? sure.. Near Lorimer Park, we took a side shoot to Pennypack Trail. Down a steep hill, a paved trail connecting to the main Pennypack Trail, which goes all the way to Philly! I committed to a few minutes, that turned into a couple miles. Made sure we turned around at 3.5 miles. If I had a hydration vest, would definitely love to see more! Pacing slowed down a bit on the way back, with a wicked hill at Lorimer Park. Fueled at 5.5 mi. Bumped into another buddy at Lorimer and took a 5-10 min break, it was a nice break. Resuming, had slightly more energy and being drenched was nice and cool for a bit. That only lasted for so long, reality set back in. Warmed up, and fading. Hydrated as we passed our cars at 7 mi. Bumped into our speedy friend, did 3 miles with them, but felt like we were holding them back the entire time. Humid, tired, but fun! Would love to check out that other trail, but would have to rethink my hydration strategy. Currently, I can pass my car once an hr, if I did that side trail towards Philly, would have to bring my hydration with me.. We shall see! 

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 5 miles. Rest day? Ha.. Good one. Saturday, hydrated really well, did an ice bath. Failed to foam roll. :( Hydration offset by a few drinks, but hydrating along the way. No alarm this morning, but didn't exactly "sleep in". Coffee and taking my time, foam roll/stretch my back out, and at my trail by 6:45. Another trail day? Sure, why not. No major plans, will take it easy and see how many miles are left in the tank. Planned on doing at least 5, possibly 10. Ankle/shin felt some discomfort, but much better than recently. My trail Pennypack Creek . Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood Rd. Did the more open side to Rockledge Park first. Pacing. Well, my pace alerts were accidently disabled in my Nike+ app. Usually have them set to 1 minute notifications. No alerts was a little frustrating to start, but decided to just keep going on feel. Went with a "comfortable" pace. On the way back from Rockledge, decided to end my run at 5. Could probably have done a little more, but warm out and drained, wanted to conserve whatever I have left. Still glad I got out to the trail for a bit.  If I knew I would only be doing 5, I would have chosen the more wooded/shaded section. Whatevs

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 53.5 miles 

#GVRAT1000k: 5.2 mi/day avg needed to complete. Current avg: 7.4 (05/01-current)  

489.05 miles done, 145.95 to go! 

Strength Training: Goal 120 minutes. 95 minutes completed. I am such as slacker! Two days off from work, two days off from working out, "sleep in" until running time? Slacker!
What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 
Training Plan: 

Week 6 of 20 until Chicago, loosely following the below, will adhere a bit closer in a few weeks. 

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 barely meet it. Should be a good challenge to keep me ready till fall training. 

10.11.2020 - Chicago Marathon

11.22.2020 - Philly 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