The heat stuck around this week, without GVRAT and the hope of O24, I wouldn’t be running at all.

I keep wavering back and forth as to whether or not O24 will take place. I’m hopeful, but also have no idea what the state of the world will be in and if I’ll be comfortable going to it. If it does take place, and I go, I’ll be talking with my boss about working from home for two weeks after, just out of an over-abundance of caution for others.

But who knows what I’ll be comfortable with and what will actually happen.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 8 miles. Tiny neighborhood loops with a friend!
• Wednesday: 7 miles.
• Thursday: Rest day. Ozone action day, so I decided to take it off and stay inside, better to be safe than sorry!
• Friday: 10 miles. Speedwork: tempo: 18min/4R/12min. My last tempo run of this cycle!
• Saturday: 3 miles. 5th annual Pittsburgh Frontrunners back of the pack Fourth of July run and brunch (observed), this year celebrating Bastille Day.
  
  So years ago, the Frontrunners cancelled their Fourth of July run because it fell on a Saturday, and the group of us in the back decided to run together anyway, and we did a potluck brunch. We’ve continued this tradition, although this year we did a socially-distanced run and only met outside (spread out at three picnic tables) due to the pandemic. It was a bit bittersweet on top of the pandemic, as two of the group will be moving, but as always, a wonderful time.
• Sunday: 16 miles. Actually ran over 17, miscalculated my route a bit. Still a good run, although was much more humid than I expected, and got sunny by the end.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Gatorade, Gu, Bobo’s bar.
• BWF/Core work: Nothing this week, heat zapped me, I’ll try some more Zombies Run, The Home Front this week, and my yoga in the park class starts next week!
• Stretching: Slowly getting back into it (with thanks to Netflix)
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 500/634 miles. Still going, still motivated to run in the heat due to this, so it’s doing its job!
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 175/283 miles.

The heat came in this week, and there’s no sign of it breaking. So all my running has been late in the evening or early in the morning. Thank goodness for things like the GVRAT and the hope of O24, otherwise, I wouldn’t be running at all.

I did also take time on Sunday to finally buy a membership to the trail I do a lot of my miles on. I’m happy to support it and with the pandemic, it’s getting a lot more use (and there have been two fallen trees in the last week, just on the sections I frequent). Hopefully I can also get out sometime to help with cleanups and whatnot, but happy to start supporting something that’s been so awesome!

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 10 miles. Virtual Race for Pride, put on my a race management company that does a lot of awesome races here and in Cleveland. I will give them props too, I e-mailed them about this asking if they were going to be making a donation to a queer cause, and they actually decided to do that!
• Wednesday: 8 miles. Speedwork: tempo: 18min/4R/12min.
• Thursday: 5 miles.
• Friday: 10 miles.
• Saturday: Rest. Spent a good portion of the day in a pool, which was very nice!
• Sunday: 22 miles. Got up as early as I could (after trying to sleep through the fireworks that everyone seemed to have purchased) and knocked this out on the trail. First half wasn’t too bad, although the humidity was awful. As soon as the sun came out, because it’s so cloudless, I was just baking. Got it done though, and faster than I thought I would.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Skratch, Gu, Bobo’s bar.
• BWF/Core work: Nothing this week, heat zapped me, I’ll try some more Zombies Run, The Home Front this week.
• Stretching: Slowly getting back into it (with thanks to Netflix)
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 456/634 miles. Still going, still motivated to run in the heat due to this, so it’s doing its job!
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 131/283 miles.

Was nice to have somewhat of a down week. The humidity was ratcheted up, and this upcoming week is looking to be steamy again. I hate summer running. With COVID number spiking again, it’s in the back of my mind that my race may be cancelled, or I may not feel comfortable attending it. It’s sad to think about, and the loss of normalcy and events is really starting to get to me.

A friend recently posted some similar thoughts, or at least something close enough to it that it resonated a lot with me. This is only a moment in time, but it’s still a very stressful and scary time, and that’s not abating, even as we reckon with even larger societal problems.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 8 miles. Neighborhood loops and a new stray cat that likes to hang out near my house!
• Wednesday: 7 miles. Moved my speedwork to this day to account for weather: Tempo: 18min/4R/12min.
• Thursday: 5 miles.
• Friday: 9 miles.
• Saturday: 15 miles. Got up early to run before my Dentist appointment. Was the most humid I’ve run in in a long time, and that’s saying something. Absolute soup. Also, a tree down and across the trail, so had to adjust a bit on the fly.
• Sunday: Rest. Spent the morning volunteering with Gay4Good cleaning up Allegheny Commons Park.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Bobo’s bar.
• BWF/Core work: Did one of the Zombies, Run’s The Home Front bodyweight workouts and really enjoyed it. It’s also something different than my normal workout, so it was nice to change it up.
• Stretching: Slowly getting back into it (with thanks to Netflix)
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 401/634 miles. Still going, still motivated to run in the heat due to this, so it’s doing its job!
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 76/283 miles.

The last of three big weekends, so it’s nice to get past this and get these miles on the books. I dealt okay with the heat, which honestly, is a big improvement for me! I still don’t feel entirely comfortable going to a gym (and in my case, finding a new gym), so I’m forced to run outside, which in the long run is a good thing, but I hate the heat, humidity dust and sun.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 10 miles. Neighborhood loops
• Wednesday: 6 miles. Moved my speedwork to this day: Tempo: 18min/4R/12min.
• Thursday: 7 miles. Yet more loops.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 10 miles.
• Sunday: 22 miles. Got up super early to get this in before it got unbearably hot. Still had a lot of dust and sun to deal with, but very proud of myself for knocking this out.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Skratch, Bobo’s bar, Gu.
• BWF/Core work: No workouts this week.
• Stretching: Slowly getting back into it (with thanks to Netflix)
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 357/634 miles. Over halfway! I also passed the other Crane! I’m heading into a down week, so he might leapfrog me, but I’m super excited to have made up this distance in my fake rivalry!
  
  I also used this run for two virtual 5Ks, Stride for Pride (so my Strava route turned rainbow colors) and the Saint Vincent College Student Emergency Fund 5K.
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 32/283 miles. Started June 20, so only weekend miles counted this week.

First off, mid-week 10-milers are bullshit. I know I said this before during Eagle Up training, but it still holds true. This week was also super hot, so I ended up splitting some of these runs up. I know it messes the benefits of the plan up a bit, but when it’s 94 and humid, we do what we have to.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 5 miles. So hot.
• Wednesday: 6 miles. So hot.
• Thursday: 9 miles. Speed work: Tempo: 18min/4R/12min. Finally cooled off and I did one of Zombie’s Run!’s new adventures!
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 10 miles. I went up to camp to help with the Pre-Camp Inspection (no full summer program, but still required to do a safety inspection) and afterwards did two circuits of the lake. I picked up different parts of various trails, so it was a really good time!
  
  This was also the Mostly Harmless Running Podcast’s Festapalooza! I ran, but didn’t compete, as I didn’t want to keep taking my phone out to take pictures of the items on the scavenger hunt, but I still had blast being on the lookout for things and planning a route to hit a couple things on the list!
• Sunday: 21 miles. My normal parking area is open again after the power lines have been fixed, so headed there and did two out and backs. I added the trail in Duff Park for a nice change, as well as a good way to get out of the sun for a stretch.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Skratch, Bobo’s bar, Gu.
• BWF/Core work: No workouts this week.
• Stretching: Not nearly as much as I wanted to, I need to get back into this more seriously.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 302/634 miles. This has really been helping me get out there and running, even on days I don’t want to, which is why I signed up for this in the first place. I’m also secretly racing the other Crane, and I’ve closed the gap to 15.5 miles now!
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 0/283 miles. Starts June 20.

When I stayed out of the sun, things started to feel better this week, so that’s good. My stomach was giving me some trouble, but I think a lot of it had to due with not enough fuel or hydration, so I’m making a big effort to really be on top of those.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 4 miles. Ran with a friend in a local park, and it was so good to be back running with another friend!
• Wednesday: 9 miles.
• Thursday: 8 miles. Speed work: Tempo: 18min/4R/12min.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 10 miles. I thought I got up early enough to beat the heat, but the relentless sun stopped me after three miles. I did the other seven that night when it was getting cooler and felt so much better.
• Sunday: 20 miles. There’s construction near the trail head I normally park at, so I went to a different one, so I basically just shifted my run from last week down two miles. Stopped another runner from a collision with a rat snake, got yelled at by a driver who slowed down to let me cross, just to then yell at me while I was in the crosswalk, but generally had a good run. I really made sure to dial in my hydration, which helped a lot, as did the shade from the trees. I also got to try a new Skratch flavor (strawberry lemon) and I really loved it!
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Skratch, Bobo’s bar, Gu.
• BWF/Core work: Two workouts this week, seeing a bit of a plateau, but that’s okay, I’m still so much further than where I was!
• Stretching: Not nearly as much as I wanted to, I need to get back into this more seriously.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 251/634 miles.
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 0/283 miles. Had my dates wrong, this doesn’t start until June 20.

Things just still felt off this week and I was really slow. I’m sure part of it is a combination of the heat/humidity/sun, and I also need to do a much better job with both my sleep and my nutrition. I tried upping my calories before longer runs, but I’m still bonking a bit.

I keep trying to remind myself that this year is anything but typical. Right now, I don’t feel like I’d be ready to run an ultra in a week (had Eagle Up not been cancelled), but I also don’t have the benefit of the end of that training plan and its taper. Throw on all the psychological craziness and the heat and I need to remember to be more forgiving to myself.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 4 miles.
• Wednesday: 7 miles. Speed work: Tempo: 14min/4R/12min.
• Thursday: 8 miles.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 20 miles. Ran two out and backs on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, and actually met someone from my gym who was volunteering at one of the trail heads! The run felt good, albeit a little slower than I hoped, but not out of any ordinary realm, so maybe I’m more on track than I thought.
• Sunday: 14 miles. My friend Joel was running his virtual marathon so I joined him for two (socially distanced, masked) loops. I specifically ate a bit more and that seemed to help, but about three miles from the end, I caught a huge whiff of diesel fuel from the Parkway and it turned my stomach in a bad way. Joel ran on and I walked/ran in the last bit of it as best I could. The beginning of the run felt good, and was faster than I expected, so not a total loss.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Nuun, Bobo’s bar, Gu, Justin’s honey peanut butter packet.
• BWF/Core work: Just one workout this week, I might add in some of the Zombies, Run! Home Front workouts for something different.
• Stretching: Much better this week, although I still need to get back into the habit of this every day.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 200/634 miles.
• Runnsylvania 283 progress: 0/283 miles. This challenge starts today, I figured since I’m running across Tennessee, might as well also run across my home state!

Temperatures got hot. I melted a bit. Also, my one foot is feeling a bit off, so I’m going to rest a bit more and then get back at it as I can. Bit of a setback, but again, I’m reminding myself that I would be in taper mode at this point.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 8 miles.
• Wednesday: 5 miles.
• Thursday: 7 miles. Speed work: Tempo: 14min/4R/12min.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 10 miles
• Sunday: 6 miles. Slept in after a socially distanced party/campfire for my goddaughter’s first birthday, so didn’t go out until the heat of the day. Part of me thought it would be great heat training, but I went out too fast and there isn’t much shade on my loop (I think I might have been okay on the trail). I’ll try for that 20 mile this upcoming weekend.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind.
• BWF/Core work: Just one workout this week, again, just feeling down.
• Stretching: In need of a reset here too. Back at it this week.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 147/634miles. There’s one other runner with the same last name, so I like to think I’m chasing him. He’s still ahead, but I closed the gap a bit this week!

Temperatures swung from snow last week to 70s and maybe even some 80s this week. Glad I’m doing the GVRAT to force myself into summer miles, but this is a learning experience for me for sure!

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 7 miles.
• Wednesday: 4 miles.
• Thursday: 7 miles. Speed work: VO2: 5K pace, 2×1200, 2x1000x 1×800.
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 12 miles
• Sunday: 18 miles. Met a friend for a socially distant walk/catch up for about an hour afterwards on a couple park benchnes, and it was so, so needed.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Bobo’s bar, Gu.
• BWF/Core work: Two workouts this week again, so on track.
• Stretching: Back into the habit of stretching, but still room for improvement.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress (1021K): 111/634miles. There’s one other runner with the same last name, so I like to think I’m chasing him. He’s still ahead, but I closed the gap a bit this week!

Back at it this week, had to dodge a few rain clouds (and snow on Saturday), and looks like that will continue this week.

• Monday: Rest.
• Tuesday: 7 miles.
• Wednesday: 4 miles.
• Thursday: 8 miles. Speed work: VO2: 5K pace, two sets: 2×1200 1×800
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: 6 miles
• Sunday: 18 miles. Hit up the Jail Trail, which was mostly empty since I got there early and it was still cold. Made a detour to the Point to round out my mileage for the day.
• Long run fuel: Tailwind, Bobo’s bar, Gu.
• BWF/Core work: Two workouts this week! Felt good, but sore to get back to it.
• Stretching: Back into the habit of stretching, so we’ll keep that going.
• Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K progress: 63/635 miles. I’ll have to double check, I think this race is 635 miles, but that number may be a bit off. A 1000K is 621, but the course is a bit longer than that, as is the case with many ultras.