Weekly Running Report: November 22, 2020

 Hi Everyone!

Hope you are all doing well! 

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

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

My Week in Training: 

Monday: 10 miles. Day off from work, trail day, yay! Sunday, participated in SundayFunday beverages, and could of done a better job hydrating. But decent night's rest. Tried sleeping in, maybe just a bit. Up, coffee, got a good workout in. Over to my trail by 8. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle, Welsh and Terwood. Doing the gradual incline side to Rockledge Park first. Legs feeling the weekend miles, going to do a comfortable pace today. Settled in to an 8:45 pace and maintained. Sunday, there was some crazy wind storm with a little hail. Plenty of debris to keep an eye out for. Don't want to day dream too much and trip over some branches. Moving right along, bumped into one of my speedy friends on my way back from Rockledge. Told them my pace. We b.s.'d for a few minutes, and could feel I was picking up the pace. Down to the 8:30's for a bit. Doable, but not comfortable today. B.s.'d for a few more and I pulled back and let them go. lol.. Skipped hydrating at my car at 5.5. Off to the more wooded section to ByBerry Rd and back. Overall pace was right on target. Comfortable, didn't over do it. Nice day at the trail.

Miscellaneous cardio: 1.5 hrs yard work. 

Hydration goal met, foam roll done, and did an Epsom bath.

Full pics on Facebook

Tuesday: 7 miles. Day off from work, trail day, yay! Four days in a row! Tuesday is usually a cut back day. 1-3 miles, but with the day off, love going to the trail. Always tempting to do at least 10, but don't think it would be wise for me to do 10 four days in a row. Especially since I already felt it yesterday. We'll see... Monday, had a couple beverages since I had the day off. But hydrated much better. Tried sleeping in, maybe a little bit. Coffee, but not motivated to work out. Up for a bit before I got going. Got a decent work out in. Eventually over to the trail by 9. Planned on doing 5 and if I feel any better go from there. My trail Pennypack Creek. Park in the middle. Either side is 2.75 and back for 5.5. Doing the prettier side to ByBerry Rd and back. Tight to start, feeling the recent miles, but manageable. Enjoying the scenery and comfortable. At some point on the way back, figured I'd go for an hour ish to do 7 mi. Passed my car at 5.5, didn't hydrate, and wasn't tempted to quit. Continued on towards the more gradual incline side to Rockledge. Still maintaining 8:20 ish. It took some restraint to not do the entire trail for 10+.. lol Turned around after a few to end at 7 just before the parking lot.  

Miscellaneous cardio: 1.25 hrs yard work.

Hydration goal met, foam roll fail. 

Full pics on Facebook

Wednesday: 5 miles. Tues, back to reality Wed, trying to behave, recover, and get some rest to get back to a set sleep schedule. Wasn't looking forward to being back on an alarm clock, but up before it. Coffee, short workout, and out the door by 6. Looking for another comfortable day, with a decent start. Felt decent early, better than expected. Rolling along, couple inclines before my fav hill. 8:05 ish before/8:15 ish after. Comfortable, and in maintenance mode pretty much rest of the way. Incline and hill in 4-5, faded a little more, but kept it under 8:30. Briefly thought about going for 6, but figured I already had extra miles Mon/Tues. Post run, my left shin did start to throb a bit. Was sure to ice it later.

Hydration goal met, foam roll done. 

Thursday: 3.11 miles. Wed, in bed on time and decent rest. Up a few times, thought it was almost time to get up at 2! lol. A little more rest, but up before my alarm. A little tight this morning going down stairs, had some doubts of any type of speed day. Coffee, short workout, and out the door a few min after 6. Brisk! Temps in the high 20's! Better get used to this. Winter will be here soon enough. Worked on breathing, and I'm off! Small steep hill to start, but motoring. Pick it up as it levels out. Working on footstrike and breathing. Pace drops from 8 to 7:30 and moving along. Feeling better as we go. 7:17 for mile one. But hill around 1.2. Struggling with the hill, up to about 7:50 as it levels out. Regain composure and feeling better. Pace gradually dropping again. Back to 7:20's.  In mi 2, notice my watch gps is acting wonky! grrr!  Trying not to lose focus. And my pace is still dropping according to my phone gps. Another hill, decline, hill, level, slight incline to get through. My watch and phone are totally off,  avg by 30 seconds! had to go another minute for my watch! Whatever, it felt good to push it. Noticed my watch gps has me taking a short cut, parallel line to my route, straight line though buildings/yards/etc.. lol.. Not obsessing over one run being over timed.. 

Hydration goal met, foam roll done. 

Friday: 5 miles. Thu, decent reat. Up before my alarm, but waited it out. A little groggy, slow to get moving this morning. A little achy at first. Coffee, workout helped get going. Stretched, and by the time to step out, feeling much better. Will be going for a comfortable pace today. 8:15-8:30 ish. Felt pretty decent once I got going. 8-8:10 before my fav hill, 8:15 after. Felt the hill, expected to fade a bit more. As it leveled out, pretty much enjoyed the run rest of the way. Comfortable, not over doing it. Tempted slightly to go for 6, but my plan doesn't call for that on Friday's before a long run. Faded slightly more in my incline and steep hill in 4-4.5. Maintenance mode rest of the way. Just before the end, noticed the sunrise at the end of a side street. Albeit brief, was very nice to see.

Sidenote: Did I tell you guys I noticed there is a security camera at the top of a steep hill before the end of my run? Wonder how many times they've seen my struggle face as I get to the top. Or me celebrating on the days I really owned that hill. lol... 

Hydration goal met, foam roll done. 

Saturday: 14 miles. Long run day, trail day, yay! Fri, per usual, carb load, foam roll, hydrate, relax, and in bed on time. Ok rest, up around 3 and thought I was up for the day. Eventually got a few more Zzz's. Up just before my alarm. Coffee, routine, stretch, and over to my trail by 6:30. My trail . So, my plan is to do at least 13 mi, but my trail is cut short at the one end. From the mid way parking lot to ByBerry Rd, usually 2.75 ish out, cut short to about 1.2+. There is a scheduled controlled hunt from the cutoff over. To start, I'm doing the cut short section, back and forth, twice. This is the more wooded, in my opinion, prettier side. Temps high 40's to start, I went short sleeves, no hat or gloves. Pacing, plan is to keep it comfortable. 8:45 ish. Well, felt good from the start. Figured I'd eventually settle in and cut back. Trail was very peaceful this side. Guess since the closure, no one bothered with it. Eventually bumped into my friends, but I didn't want to just my plan. Did this section twice, hit 5 mi just before the parking lot. Was hoping for the section to be 1.5, to be at 6, but no biggie. My hands have been numb much of the way, poor planning on my part. Stopped at my car to hydrate and grab my gloves. Parking lot was packed, guess they all went the other way. Off to the more gradual incline side to Rockledge and back for 5.5, will have to add somewhere.. Pacing still 8:teens-twenties. Moving along. Start to see more people, but well spaced. Fade a little bit up the incline, but still comfortable. Turned around at the Rockledge end, not really going for splits, but did slightly. On the way back, figired I could either do the first side a third time, or explore for 15 min ish and back. Decided to explore for a bit. From the Lorimar Park parking lot, there is a side trail to Pennypack Park, which goes pretty far. Discover early that the trail is not maintained. lol.. Have to keep an eye out for debris, rocks, etc. More ups/downs over here. Feel that early. Probably faded 9 seconds. Pass buy a farm with horses right up to the trail, of course they are on the opposite end. Cross a couple busier roads with no stop signs. The trail is similar in views, but did get a few excellent angles of the creek. 13 min out was another road, decided to turn back there. The hill to Lorimar Parking lot was pretty darn steep! Back on my normal trail. Feels better, for sure. Able to split a bit on the way back. Back at the parking lot, had to turn around to 2 min and back to end at 14 mi. Weather did warm up a bit towards the end, but glad I had my gloves just in case. lol.. Knew I'd get my desired miles in somehow, and it worked out well! And felt pretty decent!   

Miscellaneous cardio: 3.5 hours yard work. Was going to split it up over two days, but felt ok and had decent momentum. I'm sure I'll feel it in the morning! 

Hydration goal met, foam roll done, and did an Epsom bath.  

Full pics on Facebook

Sunday: 3.11 mi. Well, as predicted, woke up sore. Overall. Tried sleeping in, up and down a few imes, made it to 7:30. Sore and slow to get going. Coffee, and really taking my time. Stretch, and out the door after 9. Brisk, was sure to bring my hat and gloves this time. Pace: going for a comfortable pace, whatever that is. Won't be pushing is, that's for sure. Overall sore to start, but got moving along. Mile one went slightly better than expected. low 8 ish. Fav hill around 1.2. Chugged along, 8:13 ish as it leveled out. Regained composure to bring it back down a bit, but not as much as I thought I would. Hill, decline, hill in mi 2, hung in there. 8:04 overall. Kinda figured it may be an 8-8:15 kinda day. Will definitely be working on recovery today. Hope to be somewhat ready for tomorrow. 

Weekly Summary:

Miles: 47.5 miles running completed 

Strength Training: Goal 150 minutes,  211 minutes completed. What type of strength training do I do? Core: crunches, planks, leg raises. Weights: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest. 

Hydration Goal:  6 days 

Foam Roll:  6 days

Miscellaneous Cardio: 6.25 hrs yard work. Love fall, but it all lands in my yard. lol.. 

Training Plan: Not on a plan at the moment, but use the below:

Image from Coach Jenny Hadfield

Race Schedule: (and year end goal)

Calendar is clear 'till next year! 

But.. I did set a new goal for year end! Over the summer, during #GVRAT1000k, I saw that I was on pace for my first 2k year. But as #GVRAT1000k ended, I started to take (and needed) rest days. Followed my marathon training plan to a T. Fell behind a bit for 2k. After my marathon, saw that if I had a decent Oct, I could get back on target. Tried not to force the issue (too much) and now I'm back on track!

As of 11/22: 140 miles to go. 

Do you have any more races this year? Or year end goals?

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

Good luck to everyone with training! Kick some butt! 

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