In my opinion, you never sound whiney...I come back to your thread when I need some encouragement. Anybody trying to do something hard has troubles. Most people aren't brave or transparent enough to post about it. Thank u thank u thank u! You inspired me to run my first marathon back in 2015!
I'm glad that I don't sound whiney. I feel like I sound like such a drama queen sometimes! And thanks for your nice comment, that means a lot.
BTW
@DopeyBadger cracks me up. When he first designed a plan, I said "I don't run 4 days a week. That's too much." So my plan had me running 3 days a week. Last weekend I glanced at my plan. I've been running 4 days a week for the last 4 weeks and didn't even notice. It just snuck up on me.
Have a good week!
Oh yeah, he's sneaky like that.
You have a good week, too!
I love the new plan.
@DopeyBadger rocks! I can definitely see the benefit of running blind. It kind of reminds me of a book I liked called, "Women, Food, and God," where she basically says you should get in tune with your body and it's hunger cues and simply eat when you are hungry and stop when you are not, instead of counting calories, etc. Running blind seems similar that you are trying to get in tune with your body instead of what the numbers tell you.
Me too! I honestly didn't know that he could make such a "basic" plan like that, so that was a nice surprise.
I think I need to check out that book of yours. My cruise weight is sticking around.
And you look so cute in your "new cute outfit" Very pretty!
Thank you!!
Not yet ... i'm trying to work out all three of our schedules ... it looks like so much fun! We are a Disney family and have plans for next June already so I'm trying to squeeze in another trip
Yeah, it's tough to find a time that works if you have to consider school schedules and whatnot. But more trips are always a good thing!
We have a pool at work too. It's so awesome to walk over and work out ... I used to go three times a week to swim 2000 yards. Like other exercise routines it's easy to burn out on so running has been a nice diversion for me. Maybe I should start biking again and maybe do a tri?
Maybe, I mean - you're 2/3 of the way there already!
I'm only a little responding because I'm in the car, but I wanted to comment on the blind running.
I do blind running, kinda. I don't really have different effort levels, I just kinda go out and run at whatever effort feels good on that particular day. I usually run by time, and when I do run by distance (which is something I started doing on my longest runs a few months back, but I'm suspending for the summer), I always "estimate" that it will take me significantly longer than I think it will so that I'm never pressuring myself to go fast. I also do look at my pace, but I do it because I'm curious, and I don't let it affect my pacing.
I think this is what I need to be doing. I have been so locked into focusing on pace to try to beat PRs or get good PoT and it's just not enjoyable anymore!
Honestly, I think blind running is the only reason I will make it through the summer. It's so much easier to go out there and know that I'll be done in an hour, whether I make it 4 miles or 5.
YES!! I love this part of it! That is a benefit that I didn't think about before I started this but I have liked that a lot!
The only problem I have is that because I do an out and back route, sometimes I turn around in the wrong place because my pace does change during the run sometimes. But it's really not a big deal. I think that if you're worried about what focusing on pace could do to you, blind running is definitely the way to go.
Focusing on pace has made me feel like crap, like I'm failing or something if I am not doing the paces correctly. So I definitely want to not do it for awhile.
Just wanted to share that. I'll read through the rest of your plan tomorrow and I'm sure I'll have something else to say
Thanks!! I've seriously never heard of anyone else doing this but apparently it's more common than I thought??
While there are certainly plenty of horror stories about people getting kicked, punched, and elbowed during the swim, most of which are true, it's fairly easy to avoid this from happening. For a mass start or wave start from the shore, you simply wait 30-45 seconds for everyone else to get going before starting your swim. This gives you relatively clear water and a lot fewer people around you during the swim. For a wave start in the water, line up to the outside of everyone else and wait 30 seconds or so before beginning to swim. I'm a fairly strong swimmer, and I still use both of these approaches. Why should I plan on getting into the scrum when I can give up a very minor bit of time for clear water and less people around me?
So simple, I never would have thought of that. But it totally makes sense. If I ever do a tri, not getting kicked, elbowed, etc. will definitely be a goal of mine.
Laps are no fun regardless of how big or small they are. It's mentally challenging to keep going around and around the same loop knowing you've still got a lot more of them to do. I ran a 50k once that was 10 laps of 5k each. The first five were fine as we all felt fresh and excited, and the last one was great because it was the last one. Laps 6-8 were a real struggle.
That sounds awful! I think I would have gone insane. I really feel like running laps is the only thing that makes a treadmill not seem quite so bad.
And for what it's worth, I do nearly all of my run training without a set pace in mind. Everything is by level of effort and heart rate. It takes some getting used to, but I think you'll find it's a lot more enjoyable, especially as the weather heats up and you naturally slow down.
I was thinking about the heart rate thing...makes me wonder if I should have gotten the Garmin FR 235 and switched to training by HR. That is something that I have never tried before.
When I took one of my first running hiatuses, this was exactly how my Dad (who was a running coach) got me back into it. Although he took it one step further, and forbid me my watch. I was just to go run at the perceived exertion levels, for as long (or as little) an amount of time, as I wanted. Now obviously this isn't practical if you have races planned, but it did bring back my pure enjoyment for the sport, when the pressure to "perform" or stick to a plan was removed.
That makes a lot of sense - and if I let go of any kind of time goals I have for these upcoming local races, all I have on my calendar are Disney races - and I NEVER have time goals at those. So why am I putting this pressure on myself??
I thought about ditching the watch entirely or not keeping track of my mileage...but I'm pretty anal about keeping track of how many miles I have on my shoes. So I don't think I can let the watch go completely.
Those colours look fantastic on you!!! I can not believe how fast you get your orders, so jealous! But I am even more excited to get my "cute outfit" too!!!
Thank you!! I'm so glad that you were able to order, I couldn't believe how quickly that top sold out! Eeeeek I hope you get yours soon!
I read this post last week and I related so much to how you were feeling. Putting all this pressure on ourselves to run at a certain pace or even just to run at all takes the fun out of it and when one of the big reasons we run is to have a blast at Disney races it just makes you want to throw the towel in!
Yes, exactly! It's not fun!
’ve been really frustrated that I’ve been feeling so fed up with running lately and even more so when I read every one else’s training journals and wonder if I’m the only one feeling like this! So to draw some positive from your post I felt kinda relieved that someone else felt the same way!
Yeah, I thought I was the only one feeling this way here on the DIS too, but apparently I'm not! It makes me feel a little better.
This is a great idea!! There's nothing worse than completing a distance you've set yourself for training and still feeling like you've failed because you aren't happy with your time. I think with the frustrations you've had this could be a really good way to go!
I'm trying to stick to it! I did look at my pace again today when I was done and it was slower than my last "effort 1" run - and for a second I was just like, "crap." So I'm really gonna try hard to not look at it, at all. Because really, who cares?!
YES!!! Cute new outfits always help!
YESSSSS, shopping eases the pain.
YAH!!!
(I would've went for the banana but I think we've really over done it with the jokes)
HAHAHAHA this one was too perfect!!
Oh also... if you are feeling a bit fed up do remember.... it could be worse... you could be this guy
or worse still...
this guy
Oh man, and the guitar falling is just icing on the cake for the top guy.
Bottom guy - what even is that contraption?! I think it's for pilates but it looks like he was just doomed from the start!!
. I'm so tired of schedules, and not sleeping in on weekends, and not getting to just go home after work and enjoy a nice evening with a drink 
I think I'll be happier that way!
I'm sorry you're still having issues. For me, I'm still feeling weakness and nerve pain in my left calf, and I still have numbness on the outside of that foot. It is LIGHT YEARS better than it was, but I still have days where it's frustrating. Of course, a little under 5 months ago I couldn't make it across the street without taking a break due to the pain so at least it's not like that anymore!!
