Weekly Roundup 11.7-11.13

Week 5 of 16

Another week done and another week closer to Miami!

Overall I had a good week of running.  On Monday I had a brief encounter with the turkeys.  On my way out they were lining both sides of the road so I literally ran in the middle of the road—with cars coming both directions.  I didn’t care.  I wasn’t taking any chances.  On the way back, they were all on one side of the road so I sprinted past hoping they didn’t notice me.  What was supposed to be an easy run turned into a sprint as I found myself going fast long after I passed them.  Oops.  You could also say I was rushing home to a hot shower, footed pajamas and the Bills playing on Monday Night Football!  Don’t even get me started with how horrible and frustrating the game ended up being… AND I stayed up til the end!  YOLO.

I skipped Run Club on Tuesday because I honestly needed a day off after running 4 days straight.  Wednesday was fun.  I got to get the legs moving with a 2 mile Fartlek then a short run with the pup on Thursday.

On Friday I had to work.  WOMP WOMP.  I got out at 4 and didn’t really want to rush my run—the sun set at 4:25pm—so I ended up sucking it up and hitting the treadmill for the first time since January.  It was just as bad as I remember it being.

The came Saturday’s long run and it was awesome!  Another perfect weather day.  I ran 8 miles comfortable and 2 miles pushing the pace for a fast finish.  Everything about it went right and it was another confidence booster run as I prepare for 12, 14 and 16 coming up in the next 3 weeks.

Other highlights:

·      I signed up for the Jingle Jog!

Upcoming events:

·      11 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

Monday 11.7.16

5.25 miles (39:54)

17,307 steps

Tuesday 11.8.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Lost Control Spin Playlist

8,762 steps

Wednesday 11.9.16

5 miles (37:18) with 2 mile Fartlek <--6:56, 6:46

17,770 steps

Thursday 11.10.16

1.50 miles with G (13:13)

Taught spin class

Power Water

13,619 steps

Friday 11.11.16

4.25 treadmill miles (33:14)

14,525 steps

Saturday 11.12.16

10 miles (1:15:53) with 2 mile fast finish <--7:05, 7:01

27,827 steps

Sunday 11.13.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Jumpin’, Jumpin’ Spin Playlist

Burdenko H2O

13,444 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16

Week 2 of 16

Week 3 of 16

Week 4 of 16

This week’s mileage: 26 miles

This week’s G mileage: 1.5 miles

November Totals: 45 miles

2016 Totals: 756 miles

I signed up for the Jingle Jog!

2015 with Run Club friends!

What: 5th Annual Jingle Jog 5k

Where: Falmouth, MA

When: December 3, 2016

I love running and I love Christmas.  That’s why I’m running the Jingle Jog for the second year in a row.  Last year I even squeezed out a PR a day after I ran 18 miles for Houston Marathon training.  (This year I will be running 16 the day before…)

The first 200 registered receive heavy cotton long sleeve shirts and everyone gets jingle bells so grab your Christmas compression socks and join my dad and me for a scenic 5k in Falmouth! 

Register here: http://web.falmouthchamber.com/events/5TH-ANNUAL-JINGLE-JOG-5K-AND-KIDS-ELF-RUN-6810/details

PS – 42 days until Christmas!!

[Related Posts: Race Report: Jingle Jog 5k 2013 & Race Report: Jingle Jog 5k 2015]

Weekly Roundup 10.31-11.6

Week 4 of 16

I can’t believe I am already 1/4 of the way through training!  One of the best forms of motivation is watching a major marathon on TV and just this weekend was the NYC Marathon.  I loved watching the race unfold as Molly Huddle grinded out a 3rd place in her marathon debut when Abdi surprised everyone with a 3rd place finish on the men’s side.  You can never count him out!

As for my running… I started the week pretty tired and a little sore after running and working Cape Cod Marathon weekend.  I had a pretty good progression run on Wednesday—even though I started out a little faster then I wanted to.

I had to take Georgie to the vet on Friday so I took her out for a short run to drain some energy.   About a mile into our 2 mile run, she stopped to face plant into a pile of leaves, flipped over onto her back and started rolling around.  Well she emerged from the pile of leaves covered in poop!  I was not happy.  When we got home I threw her in the tub, which is always a traumatic experience for both of us.  Thanks G.  I hope you had fun with your poop-capades.  And thanks to the asshole that didn’t clean up after their dog.

I met one of my running clients for coffee on Saturday morning and ended up running my long run in the afternoon.  I stayed in Mashpee and had one of those runs that everything just went right.  My goal was to run comfortable—even if it was slower than normal—but I ended up finishing at a pretty good pace so I was really happy.  I was also really happy to get it over with because I almost pushed it off one more day but it ended up raining most of Sunday!

Upcoming events:

·      12 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

Monday 10.31.16

Happy Halloween!

0.98 miles with G (8:52)

11,629 steps

Tuesday 11.1.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Boom Boom Pow Spin Playlist

9,694 steps

Wednesday 11.2.16

5 mile progression (36:55) <--7:33, 7:32, 7:21, 7:17, 7:08

50 squats

10 lunges, 10 back lunges, 10 side lunges

18,565 steps

Thursday 11.3.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Harder to Breathe Spin Playlist

Power Water

12,430 steps

Friday 11.4.16

1.93 miles with G (18:59)

9,899 steps

Saturday 11.5.16

8 miles (1:00:37)

22,987 steps

Sunday 11.6.16

1 mile with G (8:12)

3 miles (22:50)

10,831 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16

Week 2 of 16

Week 3 of 16

This week’s mileage: 20 miles

This week’s G mileage: 4 miles

October Totals: 103 miles

November Totals: 19 miles

2016 Totals: 730 miles

BibRave Pro Product Review: Legend Compression Performance Socks

Disclaimer: I was recently sent a pair of Legend Compression Performance 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!

“Demand that your sports compression socks be LEGENDARY”

Have you ever heard of the compression company Legend?  Me neither until the BibRave Pro ambassador program introduced them to me last month!  

I’ve always been a big wearer of compression gear, especially socks and sleeves so I was totally on board to test out the Performance Compression Socks.

Legend Compression is a relatively new company with a 30+ year medical background.  They launched in August of 2015 with the mission “to help individuals extend the life of their legs through graduated compression technology.”

Some of the Performance Compression Sock features:

·      Granulated Compression for Improved Athletic Performance

·      Enhanced Endurance

·      Greater Power Output

·      Decreased Recovery Time

·      Achilles & Arch Support

·      Calf Muscle Containment

·      Cushioned Sole, Toe & Heel

·      Comfortable & Breathable

·      Seamless Toe Construction

·      Prevent Blisters

·      For Men & Women

#RIGHTNOTTIGHT

What makes Legend Compression unique is their theory behind their motto, “Compression done right not tight!”  The performance sock use 15-20 mmHG level of compression whereas the recovery sock features 20-30 mmHG.  In their words…

“Based on our experience in medical compression and understanding of that athletes need, we believe that this moderate or therapeutic level of compression is more effective during exercise. We use the hashtag #rightnottight to combat the common misunderstanding that you need to feel the squeeze in order for compression to be working. Our product is easier to get on and easier to get off, but provides just the right amount of support to help you perform and train at your best.”

The website says that their socks run true to size and there is a size chart based on your shoe size and your calf circumference.  My problem came when choosing sizes.  The socks come S-XL and the small is meant for a women’s shoe size 5.5-7.5—which is my range but for calf circumferences 13-15”—and I measure less than 13 inches.  While the whole “Right Not Tight” concept intrigues me, I’m not totally convinced I’m receiving the “RIGHT” amount of compression.

The material is super stretchy and slide on and off with ease.  I love the wiggle room in the toes and the added “arch clencher” in the arch of the foot to help stabilize the sock.

When do I wear compression socks?

From workouts to recovery days to even a half marathon race, I have been rocking my Legend Compression Performance Socks as much as I can on my runs and we’ve been seeing the perfect weather on Cape Cod to do so this fall.  They are great for those in between days when you want to wear shorts but you’re just not sure you will be warm enough.

 

Timing for this product was perfect as I am currently in Week 4 of Miami Marathon training.  As I increase mileage and intensity, I need to feel confident in my gear and I look for anything to speed up recovery while keeping my legs happy!  In fact, during the Cape Cod Half my inner thigh was cramping but my calves did not—as a forefoot runner, they are usually first to go.

 

Other bonuses:

·      They are moisture wicking and provide UV protection.

·      Legend Compression Performance Socks are manufactured in North Carolina and all products are made in the USA.

·      The socks come in 7 fun colors!  Not a huge fan of socks?  They also make Compression Leg Sleeves.

Cons:

·      I am SO BAD with products that require special attention in the laundry department.  Like most compression socks, these are recommended to be hand washed or gentle cycle with mild detergent.  As for the dryer?  Tumble dry with no heat and no fabric softener or lay flat to dry.  Every time mine made it into the dryer.  No issues but I’m pretty sure this means they aren’t guaranteed to last as long.

·      I wish I had more pairs.  I wore them for the Cape Cod Half on Saturday morning but I was too lazy to wash them to wear them to work on Sunday for my recovery day.  I also could have used them that Friday when I stood around at the expo for 4 hours the night before the race.

·      During the Cape Cod Half, I experienced a little bunching up of the sock on my right foot.  The socks weren’t falling down at all just felt like I had some extra material gathering around my arch.  Weird feeling to try to describe but I haven’t noticed it on any run since.

·      I’d love to see an XS!

·      The Performance Compression Socks price at $49.99 which is mid-level to high end in the compression sock world but use code bibsave15 for 15% off your order!

 

Join us on Twitter for the Legend sponsored #BibChat on November 8th at 9pm EST!

And don’t forget to use code bibsave15 for 15% off your order!

Happy running!

Weekly Roundup 10.24-10.30

 

Week 3 of 16

I backed off the training this week to get ready for the Cape Cod Half which was nice after last week’s higher then normal mileage.  I got in a bunch of easy runs with Georgie and got the legs moving with some strides.   

The half was ok.

You can read my full race report here: http://www.jenrunsfastblog.com/2016/10/race-report-cape-cod-half-2016.html

Upcoming events:

·      13 weeks until the Miami Marathon!

Monday 10.24.16

1.97 miles with G (18:05)

2 miles (15:52)

14,579 steps

Halloween Spin Class 2016

Tuesday 10.25.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Halloween Spin Playlist 2014

9,860 steps

Wednesday 10.26.16

2.43 miles with G (21:00)

11,690 steps

Thursday 10.27.16

Taught spin class. The playlist: Bon, Bon Spin Playlist

Power Water

13,168 steps

Friday 10.28.16

0.99 miles with G (9:27)

2 miles (16:04) + 4 strides

16,520 steps

Saturday 10.29.16

Cape Cod Half Marathon (1:36:09)

Race Report: Cape Cod Half 2016

0.9 miles with Daddo (8:51)

38,011 steps

Sunday 10.30.16

Taught spin class

Burdenko H2O

14,400 steps

ICYMI

Week 1 of 16

Week 2 of 16

This week’s mileage: 24 miles

This week’s G mileage: 5.5 miles

October Totals: 102 miles

2016 Totals: 710 miles