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 

Weekly Running Report: September 6, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all well!

How are you spending your Labor Day weekend? Getting some extra miles in? Relaxing/recharging?Any recent races or coming up (virtual or IRL)? Any other outdoor adventures?

This was week 16 of 20 'till the Valley Forge Marathon for me. Included a rough day all around (Wed), but remainder of the week felt pretty good. Trying not to jinx myself, but this shin splint may soon be over. :) Although 3 of 4 days were on flatter surfaces. Should hold that comment until we get through more hills unscathed. lol.. 

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 7 miles. Day off from work, trail day, yay! Sunday, focused on recovery. Epsom, TENS gadget, compression, foam roll, etc. Did have a few drinks and stayed up past my bed time since I had today off, but was sure to drink extra water as well. "Slept in" a few minutes past 6. Coffee and taking my time. Workout done with a couple extra sets since I had time. Over to my trail by 8:30. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood. Today I will be doing the more shaded/wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back (5.5). Weather was great! At least nicer than recent anyway. Lower temps/humidity. Still sore from my 20, but feeling ok. Goal a comfortable 8:45. That was the plan. Well, starting out, everything felt pretty good once I got going. First mi was around 8. Bumped into my speedy friend that I haven't even tried to run with for a while, turned around and did a little under a mi with them. (8-8:10 ish) They were still able to talk at that pace, lol, not me. .. I turned around as we approached the midway intersectin. In rhythm, didn't want to stop for light or traffic, and I prefer this side. Moving along. Although I did feel some stiffness in my shin, and some quad fatigue pain. Incline/small hill, 8:20's by the ByBerry Rd end turnaround. Goal changed to 8:30 early and pretty excited that I was able to make that. Fastest 7 mi in a month. Progress. Although it is worth noting that my neighborhood 7 miler is 500 ft ascent, this was only 100. This side of the trail is 5.3 ish, the couple turnarounds to run a few minutes with my friend was almost perfectly timed, only ran in a circle for .2 to cap it at 7. lol..  

Full pics on Facebook

Tuesday: 1 mile. Strength training day, plus one for the streak. Decent rest, but up a couple times and before my alarm. Achy to start. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around), ... including 1000 crunches! First time doing that many in a million years. Been doing a few extra sets here and there, once I got to 6-700, was wondering if I could do it. Done. Last few were rough, we'll see how often I try that..  Stretch, and out the door by 6:15. Worked on breathing before taking off. A decent start, but tougher than expected. 7:40. Picked it up a bit. But shin felt a bit stiff and quads really felt it. Think I forgot that I did a 20 miler somewhat recently. lol..  done under 7:30, but it wasn't an easy one for me.

Wednesday: 7 mi. Decent rest, of course up early. Coffee, workout, and feeling decent. Out the door by 6. Ready to do this! Or so I thought. Goal: 8:45. Usually my Wed goal is to beat my Monday. But Monday was under different conditions.. Today was 97%/71 humidity/dew point! Who knew that Pa is so swampy?! lol.. rough summer humidity wise. Anyway, ready to give this a whirl.. Doing alright to start, first couple were 8:15 ish.. But the inclines and humidity started to get me.. Inclines adding up before my worst hill, paced faded to high 8:30's by the top of the hill. Before mi 4 had serious doubts about 8:45. no splitting after that. barely hanging on.. It started to rain briefly, face was already burning up too much to really enjoy. Don't think it cooled me off at all. Took my glasses off, got dizzy for a second, fun times. By mi 5, was ready to just get it over with. Drained, but still trying to at least keep it a shade under 9. My shin hurt briefly earlier, mostly when I was trying to push it down a notch, non issue remainder. Issues breathing with the humidity, and noticed air quality wasn't exactly good for allergies.. lol.. Definitely a different experience than Monday. but done.. 

Thursday: 1 mile. Strength Training day, plus one for the streak. Decent rest, but per usual up several times and again before my alarm. Up and ready to go. Coffee, workout (extra sets all around, 51 minutes today), stretch, and out the door shortly after 6:15. Already planning on pushing it today. Up my short/steep hill, felt it in my quads, but rolling right along. Pace slightly slower at the first couple minute pace alerts, picked it up and going. One thing I noticed very early, I was more naturally launching/leading with my dominant leg (that has had the shin splint). Midway, I did feel some stiffness in the shin, but non-issue. Quads felt the hill at .6 and incline before the end. Pace went from 7:30's to 7:00's to 7:teens. Shin did throb slightly after, but not as much as previous weeks. Progress. 

Friday: 5 miles. Day off from work, trail day, yay! Thu, participated in Thirsty Thu, hydrated well beforehand, could of done a better job of hydrating along. Even with the day off and no major plans, didn't stay up too late. Alarm set to my normal time, at some point overnight decided to try to get another hour of rest. Up a couple times and then up by 6. Coffee, workout (a few extra sets since I had time), hydrate, stretch. Eventually over to my trail by 8:30. My trail Pennypack Creek. Doing the more wooded side to ByBerry Rd and back (again, same as Mon). Temps ok, some humidity (low 90's). Feeling pretty decent, goal 8:30. Progress from the start with naturally leading/launching from my dominant leg. First couple pace alerts way too fast. First alert started with a 6! Eventually settled in around 8. Figured I'd pull back again to 8:15, but ended up rolling with it. Focus on breathing/foot strike, etc. Incline then hill before my turnaround at ByBerry Rd, pace around 8:12. Alright, new goal, 8:15. Can usually split a little on the way back, but was pretty much in maintain mode. Hung in there to 8:16, faded 1 second just before the end, grrr! lol..  Did feel my shin a bit during and after, but getting better. 

Full pics on Facebook

Saturday: 10 miles. Long run day, trail day (again! :) ) , yay! Fri, carb load, relax, in bed by 9:30. Up before my alarm, thank goodness, actually forgot to set my alarm! When I disabled it yesterday, it disabled the M-Sat week setting.. lol.. Coffee, stretch, and over to my trail by 6:15. A few minutes late today! Stomach needed a few extra minutes to feel safe. My trail . Park in the middle. Today I will be doing the more open/gradual incline side to Rockledge Park and back first. (get the tougher section done first) Goal 8:30-8:45. Felt good from the start! 8-8:10 to the Rockledge end. Passed a couple friends that were on their way back (opposite direction), they ragged on me for the late start time. lol.. Maybe 1 mi ahead of me, trying to catch them on the way back. Usually try to split back from Rockledge on the decline, but at this pace, pretty much in maintain mode. Fueled at 5 mi, hydrate at my car at 5.5 mi. Off to the more wooded side ByBerry Rd. Pacing 8:13. Somewhat confident at this point I can keep it under 8:30, but some anxiety about something going wrong either shin or fatigue, but moving right along. 8:20 at ByBerry Rd turnaround with 2 mi to go. Bumped into my friend again with about 1.5 to go, we kept each other going till the end. 8:21 overall, my best 10 miler in three months! Post run caught up with three of my friends that we passed along the way. Great catching up. Run felt good throughout. Noticed my shin once or twice, but didn't hold me back at all. Weather was fantastic to start, mid 60's. Some humidity, but temps refreshing enough that it didn't matter.      

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 1 mile. Rest day, one for the streak. Run Streak Day 1688. Saturday, did an ice bath and hydrated well. Eventually offset hydration a bit with beverages. but feeling alright this morning. Coffee and taking my time. Stretch and out the door by 8. A little tired, feel yesterday's run a bit, but not that bad. Going to give it a whirl. Focus on breathing and foot strike. A bit winded at the first short/steep hill, but in rhythm. First pace alert slightly slower than expected, but continuing to push. Pace came down to 6:58-7:05 and back down to 6:58 just before my hill. Faded up the hill and again in the slight incline before the end. Better than expected for day after my "long" run, but felt I could of had to closer to 7 at the end. Felt my shin slightly, but not bad and quad fatigue through the hill. Sunday Funday, will try to focus on recovery, day off tomorrow, will try to keep hydration in mind as I may partake in beverages. ;)

Weekly Summary:

Miles:  29 miles scheduled, 32 miles completed 

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes. 230 minutes completed! Put in extra time on my days off from work!  :)

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

Hydration Goal: met 6 days

Foam Roll: 5 days 

Training Plan: Week 16 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