Terapin's Journal: 5 yrs running! Couch to Goofy, Fracture to Fab, Baby to Dopey. Comments welcome!

Hi Terapin,

Just found your "journal" while looking for info on the Dumbo Double Dare.

I read most of your entries and just wanted to comment on how impressive your progress and committment have been! :thumbsup2 Great job!!

It's truly amazing how much our stats and stories are similar! I am roughly the same speed, weight, (even shoe size - ha!)......so I can relate on a bunch of levels to your struggles and your triumphs! (Tho you have certainly been so much more consistent than I have managed to be!). I'm back at steady training now (I'm also registered for the DDD - ack!). Running with Running Room (in Alberta) in a 10k now - just finished a different 10k clinic before xmas. Then I'll join up with the Half'ers and do that a couple of times before Sept. I have only run ONE half before (it was disastorous!)....but I'm ready to take it on again (I think!) :rolleyes:

I'll definitely keep checking in with your posts for inspiration! So thanks! Nice job :woohoo:
 
Hi Terapin,

Just found your "journal" while looking for info on the Dumbo Double Dare.

I read most of your entries and just wanted to comment on how impressive your progress and committment have been! :thumbsup2 Great job!!

It's truly amazing how much our stats and stories are similar! I am roughly the same speed, weight, (even shoe size - ha!)......so I can relate on a bunch of levels to your struggles and your triumphs! (Tho you have certainly been so much more consistent than I have managed to be!). I'm back at steady training now (I'm also registered for the DDD - ack!). Running with Running Room (in Alberta) in a 10k now - just finished a different 10k clinic before xmas. Then I'll join up with the Half'ers and do that a couple of times before Sept. I have only run ONE half before (it was disastorous!)....but I'm ready to take it on again (I think!) :rolleyes:

I'll definitely keep checking in with your posts for inspiration! So thanks! Nice job :woohoo:

Thank you for your post - it is really great to know that people read and enjoy, and it is great to meet other runners, especially ones with a similar profile to me! Good job on getting back to training and congratulations with finishing your RR 10k group! That particular clinic is quite the slog as you get up in the mileage quite quickly! The half clinic is way more gentle. You'll probably enjoy starting at the 3-6km runs the first week! :cool1:

I have started a FB running page: Canadian Mama Runners. Send me a PM if you are interested - totally supportive all-levels group.
 
I'm so proud for you Carolyn! Great job!!!!!!!! Sorry I couldn't catch up with you in person at the race, but I'm glad to hear you are Goofy!!!!!! I did finish my 1st marathon this weekend as well, but I'll post the details of that in my own journal this morning! Big Congrats!!!!!
 
I can finally change the title of this thread to "Couch to Goofy in 18 months!".

I am sitting in bed, with a nice coffee, and my 5 year old snuggled up beside me. My legs are achy, my toes are still swollen and sore, and I am wearing my marathon shirt.

MY MARATHON SHIRT. That I earned running a MARATHON. Me = Marathoner. I cannot believe I did it.

18 months ago I decided that I was DONE being significantly overweight. I was on the verge of 40, and feeling that my body was hindering me. So I changed. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, told everyone I was a work in progress (I like public accountability - it works for me), and started my journey.

One foot in front of the other, one day at a time, one honoured commitment at a time, and lots of support and love from people around me. And some joined me!

And now I have conquered my first marathon, and my Goofy Challenge!

TRIP REPORT:

My sister Sharon and I flew down from Buffalo. Our flight was delayed from a 6pm departure to one just before 10pm. Jet Blue was nice about it, and gave free headphones and movies, comped me my meal box, and gave a $12 airport food credit in addition to a $75 flight credit (flight was only $220 so that was good). We arrived at ME around midnight and the lines were packed!!! We got put on a bus that went to Caribbean Beach, POP, Coronado Springs, and one other hotel before we got dropped off at AKL. We were in our rooms by 2am.

I had asked for a room as close to the lobby as possible. We got 5th floor, 3rd from the last section. Yep, nice and close :rolleyes2

We headed pretty much straight to bed. Our plan was for breakfast out, but we had groceries from Garden Grocer so decided to sleep in a bit and eat them instead. In the morning we got up and headed to the expo for about 930. It was already super crowded. We made our way to pick up my Goofy bib, then my sister's Donald bib, got our corrals changed to D, picked up my necklace (the pins were with my Goofy bib but not the necklace), got our race retreat bracelets and then hit the official merchandise tent. Even on Friday at around 1030 many things were sold out or had restricted sizes. I got my oldest son a marathon vinylmation and my youngest son a marathon stuffed Mickey. I got a Goofy warm-up jacket, a Goofy t-shirt and some car magnets.

Then we went across the the other building to get our t-shirts and browse. I bought a few little things, but not very much.

We headed back to the resorts on the very prompt bus and decided to spend the day at the resort rather than go to the parks. We got some food from The Mara and sat on our balcony watching the animals and sipping a Chardonnay. I had a lovely nap in the room with the door wide open and the sun and warm breeze pouring in. Bliss. My sister found her own bliss in a poolside lounger and napped too.

Dinner was at Boma and it was good. I ate a bit too much to be honest but I chose mostly healthy stuff. Then we headed back to the room and got our stuff ready for the next day.

0300 the alarm went off and I got my Stitch wake-up call. We were up and out by 0330, and brought food from our room for the bus. We were excited!

We headed to the Race Retreat:

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We headed to the starting corrals and the crowds were horrible. I had to pee so bad it was all I could think about but there was not enough privacy for using the bushes like the guys did, but eventually we all made our ways to the corrals and there were blessed POPs. We had next to no time in the corral at the walk from the staging area to the corrals had been so slow and crowded and soon we were off!

My sister and I stayed together until mile 10. She was slowing down more than I wanted to run and I lost sight of her when she stopped for a gel. I was a bit disappointed, but decided to finish on my own. I walked a bit around mile 11 and then finished strong. I finished 30 minutes slower than my last half. I was concerned about going out too fast in the heat, and wanting to avoid any muscle strain, so I took it easy. I finished in 3:16:33 Not a time I am particularly proud of, but I am proud of the finish.

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We loved the Race Retreat tent afterwards. We both enjoyed sitting and recovering, and the food. I also liked the commemorative socks and the golf towel.

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My sister with her FIRST HALF-MARATHON finish:

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After enjoying the Race Retreat we headed back to the room for showers and some rest. Dinner was at Saratoga Springs at the Turf Club meeting the Ducks. It was really great to meet folks I had been talking with online, and great to share the experience with other folks doing the same thing. Nice, nice dinner.

We took a cab back to AKL ($20) and I got my stuff out for the next day. I was in bed by 830pm and asleep by 9pm.

To be continued...
 


I'm so proud for you Carolyn! Great job!!!!!!!! Sorry I couldn't catch up with you in person at the race, but I'm glad to hear you are Goofy!!!!!! I did finish my 1st marathon this weekend as well, but I'll post the details of that in my own journal this morning! Big Congrats!!!!!

I look forward to reading about it! Congratulations!!!
 
Part 2-

So the alarm went off again at 0300 and I was so glad that I had had such a good night's sleep! My dear, dear sister woke up with me and made me coffee and a bagel and didn't crawl back into bed within my view. :banana:

I got all ready to go and headed out the door - solo. Even writing and reliving this morning brings on a nervous tummy! Got on the bus and chatted with a nice gal doing her first marathon, too.

I got to the staging area and met Zela. We walked to the corrals, me in D and she in E. I was sad for us to part but I didn't want to go back into E. I was really worried about needing the time for walking.

In corral C I met Joe, Liz and Tanya and pretty soon we were off. Joe left us pretty early, and by half a mile Liz and Tanya were starting to pull ahead. I kept my own pace and ran 5:1s. I managed pretty well until mile 10 - I was on target for a 6:00 finish. But the mental aspect of how far I had to go - especially daunting in kilometers, and I started to slow down a bit. I really had to fight with myself to not get worried about all the hours left to come. A friend texted me encouragement and that helped.

At 9:52 I was at 15 miles. Chugging along with lots of power-walking with running interspersed.

At 11:54 I was at 22 miles. I knew I was safe from sweeping, but had another hour to go. These last 4 miles I was slow. My feet felt like swollen knobs in shoes 2 sizes too small. Every step was pain, pain, pain. Other than my feet I was ok. I managed to run the last 50 meters to finish "Upright and Smiling". Or at least upright. Or at least not too very hunched over.

I finished around 1:05 at 7:09:13.

I look at the '7' as the leading number and think, "ugh". But I think of finishing and think, "yay!!!!".

My sister saw me finish and shouted out my name. That was awesome. I crossed the line and the tears started flowing. I got my Mickey medal and then my drinks, and then headed to the Goofy tent. I had a small moment of panic when I saw the pegs all empty, but alas, there was still a medal for me - likely among the last few hundred medals left to be awarded. But mine! Mine! I did it! I finished Goofy! I bawled like a baby - and the Goofy medal presenter was so sweet about it and told me she was proud of me. I was a big blubbering mess - thank goodness I run with a hankie.

I got my food box and texted my sister to meet me. We hugged and cheered, and when she asked me what I wanted, I said, "the bus!". It seemed the most logical thing to do next as 1) it was air conditioned 2) the seats were padded 3) it seemed the shortest thing between where I was currently and where I wanted to be shortly (in my room!).

We got on the bus and headed back to the resort.

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At the resort I had a lovely shower and sat and drank and ate and called a few folks. My Dh had the lovely treat of being the first person I called at the finish line after I got my medal. He tried hard to understand me through my sobbing. :lovestruc

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I had packed up the night before as ME was picking us up at 4pm. I had enough time to get clean and dressed, and to pack the last few things, and then rest a bit. We headed down the ME and off to the airport home. We had an uneventful trip home (after the jet engine started on the SECOND try and they cleared the cabin of the smell of jet fuel. Yuck and a wee bit scary).

Home and in bed by 130am. Delicious. Home safe. Returned triumphant. Unmistakably sore. Proud. Really proud. I'M A MARATHONER. Can never take that away from me. :hippie:
 
Wow wow wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!! Thank you for sharing! What an amazing accomplishment!
 


:worship: OMG - :banana: You look GORGEOUS (even after)! Such an inspiration to us all here :surfweb:. Congratulations and thanks for sharing the journey and victory ...:thumbsup2
 
Thank you so much! I am so proud of myself for all the training and getting out there that day and giving it my all. I wish I had been faster, but that will keep for another day, another race...
 
So this is how this week went, post-marathon:

Sunday: got home from the airport at around 1am. Fell into bed.

Monday: declined to take the kids to school in the a.m. due to fear of stairs. Got up slowly, had a bath, and got myself together to take the kids in. Luckily school principal is a runner, and I got to show off my medals and fess up about why the kids were late. He completely understood. Weight up to 220 (!!!) with my feet and legs very swollen. I mostly laid around in my Marathon shirt and my socks from the Race Retreat tent, and chuckled at the incongruency (?) of needing to lay around but being in a marathon shirt...

Tuesday: Not needing to hold onto walls anymore, stairs are getting better, too. More baths, and this seemed to help. Feet still swollen but legs feel better. Weight down to 219.

Wednesday: Back to work - showing off my medals of course! Weight down to 216. Went into Running Room where I met another local Goofy and the store clapped for us. That was pretty awesome. Went for an hour walk with my running group who were doing hills. I walked to the hills and then walked the hills. I wore my Goofy shirt all day. Hips sore, like a mild sensation of my hip being out of the joint.

Thursday: Full day at work. Went to running class to show up at least, but didn't run. Hip sore but much better. Weight down to 214.

Friday: Got the last of my trip stuff put away. Weight down to 212. This is my new starting point. I joined a weight loss contest (for fun - only $20 is at stake). Went to hot yoga and it felt goooooood. Really pleased that my knee was feeling so much better than it did back in November when I last went to hot yoga. I was able to bear full weight with only a little guarding on my knee when fully bent underneath me. That wasn't possible in November. Also pleased that my core strength was feeling pretty good. The instructor liked planks a lot so got lots of that in. Went to work from 2345 to 0500.

Today: Down to 211. Had a nice smoothie (date almond berry) for breakfast and recommitted to weight loss. I'd like to be 199 by my 41st birthday in May. Today I am headed out for a long hike on the trail. Planning on 90 minutes/10-12k.

Hope you all have had a great week.
 
Today's food has been:

Breakfast:
-date and almond smoothie with berries and apple
-coffee with milk and honey

Lunch:
-homemade hummus
-1/2 cup stir-fry veg from dinner
-1.25 cup veggie bean soup
-1 naan
 
Ok, back to running tonight! We are doing 7-8k and baby, it's cold outside. It will be about -12c (around 10F) tonight, without factoring in wind chill. Whine. Gonna wear my Under Armour cold weather wear, and really bundle up.

I'm actually kind of nervous to run again - I guess because the last time I ran it was really tiring, and well, a marathon! Tell me that 7-8k will go by in a flash and be ok!

I'll be glad to just get back into it.

Saturday is 12k.

My weight is sitting at around 212. Not that pleased, but trying to be as good as possible with some challenges. I'd like to be 199 by my 41st birthday.

Well, that is my update. Happy Thursday! :cool1:
 
Carolyn, I am so proud of you!!!! Love all the bling around your neck!!

Thank you! I love it too!

I want to get a medal rack for my current year's medals, and then shadowbox them for each year as I go on. I like the one from Sparkle Skirts that says, "Neener, neener, neener". LOL
 
Weight coming down. 211.0 this morning.

Got in a steady 7k last night. Ran it pretty well, in about 57 minutes. Sitting about an 8:10/km. It was a pretty slope-y run, with a good long burn of a hill. Looking forward to getting some speed back.

The first few KM were rough as it took awhile to find my stride. Last few km were great, and I really picked up the pace and ran the last two km at 7:15/km. Felt good for my confidence that I didn't take any walking breaks, as my marathon was all about the walking breaks!

I am surprisingly sore this morning under my patellas. Going to go back to the sports chiro and get this worked on so I can up my speed.

Got new shoes last night: Gel Nimbus 14s in neon pink! I don't think it was the shoes causing the pain btw, because my knees were hurting before I ran. No new pains this morning, just achy patellas.

Tonight I am going to work on core and balance and quad strengthening. Should go to hot yoga but we got a dump of snow and it is colllllld. Will do my own stuff at home.

Tomorrow I might head out early in the morning for a short run with the Learn to Run group, now called The Runs since they all graduated and hired Coach Paul to keep coaching them privately. 0830 comes awfully early but I miss them all.
 
Thank you! I love it too!

I want to get a medal rack for my current year's medals, and then shadowbox them for each year as I go on. I like the one from Sparkle Skirts that says, "Neener, neener, neener". LOL

LOL I think I need that rack too!!!

I got new shoes this week too, my goodness world of difference. You don't think you put on as many miles as you do, until you get new shoes! DS16 got new trainers 2 weeks ago too. We figured out he logged 900 miles on his last pair. They held up surprisingly well, but they were way overdue to be replaced.
 
Good morning!

I'm not loving running these days. I think I could have given myself some more time mentally to jump back into the game. The other thing is that after my eleven days off after the GOofy, I jumped back into HM training into week 12 of 18. I thought the miles would be low enough to feel like a breeze after Goofy, but I am resenting them. Live and learn. As my next HM is in one month I have to stick to it and remember that tapering is just 3 weeks away!

This is my race schedule so far:

March - Chilly HM
April - 8k Harry's Spring Run off (in a hilly park - hard route I am told)
May - 10k (a repeat of the first 10k I did last year! Sporting Life)
June - Niagara Women's HM
July - ??
August - Mud Hero 6k
September - DDD 10k and HM

I'd like to fill July with some 5ks and I am not sure about what October will bring.

This week I ran Sunday (12k), Monday (sprint of 2.5k), Wednesday (7.5k of hills), and last night (a quick 2.5k in the deep snow - slippy and slidey). I got in two 30 minute core sessions too.

Sunday is 18k. I should run tomorrow according the the schedule but I am not sure. I had some work done on my IT band and it is still quite sore. I'm debating still holding back and giving a day of rest or going for it. My two running coaches for the clinic I am pacing keep telling me I am still recovering and to not push it. My right knee is at it again, so maybe I should cross train tomorrow. Might do hot yoga tonight... The DH is not so happy with how many nights I have been out running so I am not sure...

I am actively working on my weight but it isn't coming down. I know I say that all the time but I have ramped up my efforts again. Will hang in there for a week or two and then readjust what I am doing.

I am rocking the super healthy smoothies:
-spirulina
-maca
-Vega One protein powder
-hemp hearts
-chia seeds
-banana
-berries
-spinach and/or kale
-almond, rice or coconut milk
-3-6-9 oil

I'm feeling the intestinal love of my new improved smoothies. And by love I mean, um, activity. They say that new stuff, especially the maca, can cause intestinal activity. I'm just glad I run at the back of the pack... :rotfl2:

I'm in for a busy month at work. Lots of pregnant mamas and I am not off call for several weeks. Let's hope they birth smoothly and during daylight hours! It is the all-nighters that throw me for a loop in my running schedule.

Anyhow, that is me. I any readers are well, and hang in there: winter is moving along!
 
I hear you on the HM training so soon after the marathon! I didn't run Goofy, but I did do an 8 mile run 2 weeks after the full and have already starting pushing at half-marathon paces. I feel good (no pain, no soreness), but I'm finding it harder to run that pace than when I was training for the full. Tomorrow's 10 mile at sub 9 minute pace avg. will be a challenge, but I'm up for it! You know you are too! You've come so far in really such a short time, you can do this. I've used your story to a few of my students at church. I've got about 8 students (I'm a youth pastor in case you forgot) that have taken up running. Most of them are college age so it's a little tougher to start up, but there is a group of them that has challenged themselves to go from couch to the Disney half-marathon in a year. I said, yeah, I know a lady who started running in her late 30's and did Goofy in just 18 month! They're all like, "NO WAY!"
 
Aww thanks dragitoff! That made my day. :cool1:

I had a GREAT run on Sunday! I was dreading, just dreading it. If I wasn't a pacer with the group I would have stayed in bed. But I take my commitments seriously and so dragged myself there, going through the motions.

As usual, the first 3k sucked. I felt like lead, but was amused by the usual progression of hurt from feet to thighs that I experience early in a run, and was amazed, once again, that my body stopped fighting and adapted, and my legs warmed up from the feet on up. It was cold (-10c) but the roads were mostly clear, it was sunny, and no wind. After warming up with 10:1s, I decided I wanted to the the run easy as my knees have remained sore, and I didn't want to push it. Goofy was only 3 weeks ago! I stepped down the 8:3s (my watch was already on the 10:1s and 2 minutes seemed to come to quick).

To back up a sec, I was running with a running friend who really struggled with his last long run. This was his first HM clinic. He walked a lot last week and I could tell it affected his self-esteem. I suggested trying intervals less than 10:1s but he initially balked. I discussed the theories about shorter intervals (prevents repetitive stress injuries, sometimes you go faster, leaves more in the tank, etc).

So anyways, we both stepped down to 8:3s after the other runners were getting ahead of us - no competition to worry about anymore. After a few of the new intervals I pointed out that we weren't further behind than before. In fact, we were creeping up towards the rest of the pack. And then passed them. We leapfrogged a bit as they didn't walk as long as we did, but eventually we kept ahead of them, finishing a few minutes sooner.

Then one joined us, saying, "You guys are flying today!" and we mentioned that we were both feeling really good and strong, and the longer walk breaks meant the 8 minutes of running were naturally faster. I did not look at my watch for pace, I just did what felt right.

We finished our 18k in about 2:29 - about an 8:15 pace which is great for our LSD. And both felt really good! My actually hugged as it was terrific to finish a long run feeling so good. My running friend even posted on FB how much he enjoyed the run, and usually he complains about hating running all the time.

A lot of the members of our club were really curious about the intervals and asked a ton of questions as it was obvious that my struggling running friend was on cloud nine.

Anyway, that in the run-down (ha ha) of my last run. I did 20 miles/32 kilometers this week. Should do about the same this week or a little more. Two weeks until taper for the CHilly HM.
 
So I joined a FB running weight loss challenge and I lost a whopping .4 pounds this week. Wahoo. :lmao:

I have started to fill up my racing calendar:

Jan - Half Marathon and Full Marathon (done!)
March - Half Marathon
April - 8k and a 10k
May - 10k
June - Half Marathon
July ??
August - 6k Mud Run and a 10k
September - Half Marathon

I would like to register for 3 more races, and I think I'd like to do at least 2 5k. My goal is 13 in '13.
 

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