2011 Super Goofs

[lenshanem]

Hey Goofs! I'm so sorry I have been so MIA!
I really don't even know when I checked in last, maybe shortly after marathon weekend? I hope everyone is doing well.

I'm running, although very sporadically. I have a half in March I'm signed up for that I'm still not decided on. My DH is doing the full so it would be nice if I went and finished the half so I could be at the finish to cheer for him. But, that course is an awful hilly one...

I'm still having issues from the Disney full. Really, kinda falling apart?
Got my unreliable left knee, left ankle I hurt during the full and right hamstring is still bothering me! Luckily, the right shin finally healed up. Yes, I know this is all pretty pathetic.

Thought maybe hamstring was sciatica and went to my doc, then an orthopedic worrying I did something in my wreck I had a few months back. Got nowhere. I even had a massage. I did read hamstring injuries take forever to heal so maybe I just need to be patient?

Then to add to it my doc thinks I have a hernia?!? I have a spot sticking out above my belly button. It has been there for awhile so I guess I ran the full with a hernia, too. I'm going for an ultrasound in a couple weeks.

So, something is telling me to skip the half in March?

Other than me falling apart, life is swell. Girls are keeping me insanely busy with swim, orchestra, gymnastics and Girl Scouts. Cookies currently have invaded our living room. And DH has a 30 mile trail run coming up in a couple weeks. Nothing is slowing him down!

So, I hope all my fellow Goofs are doing well and I'll try to be a better Goof!

Oh and Maura, I ordered a pair of our beloved Ride 2s off Amazon! I got them for like $50 with free shipping. When I put them on I almost cried from happiness! I swear I think those Nikes caused some of my issues.

 

[IamTrike]

Hey there goofs,
I hope everyone is having a good week. Good luck to everyone getting ready to run the princess. I'm in London this week and was pretty excited to run in Hyde Park, (I wound up packing as much stuff for running as I did for my business meetings). 8 hours in coach did a number on knees though so I had major ITB issues the two times I had tried to run earlier this week. I finally managed to get a 3.5 miler in today and was feeling a little better. I really wish I had more experience running because I don't think I know the difference between "expected pain" and "I'm really injuring myself pain".

Shan. Congrats on the new shoes. I hope your issues start to clear up.

Suzanne I hope that the race planning is going well. Are you going to have a cool t-shirt?

 

[jmasgat]

Ashleigh You know a race is getting close when you start having nightmares! I think there was even a thread on WISH once about race dreams. Hope your trip is great.

Nicky I think shorts is the right call. I ran in Orlando last weekend and the start temp was probably in the 40's. I wore shorts and a short sleeved shirt along with a "throwaway" shirt for the first little bit. I was comfortable.

Shan Congrats on finding the Ride 2s! And more importantly, I hope your ailments heal soon and that you don't have a hernia. Maybe the March half isn't meant to be. And one thing I want to know is where the heck all the MI girls scouts have gone. I haven't seen a one selling cookies. Saturday, as I was driving back to POP from my race, I saw some girls selling cookies. I pulled over (hope I didn't cut anyone off) and bought 4 boxes. Would probably have bought more, but I didn't have that much space in my carry-on!

Ryan I love Hyde Park. It would be neat to run there. Did you go by the Peter Pan statue? Along the Serpentine Lake? Hope your IT band pain goes away. Stretching, foam rollering, yada yada (I have to tell myself this all the time). One thing my sports med doc told me is that IT band issues, while painful, will not cause any worse ailment on their own. So one can still run with it and not risk further injury. Although if you alter your stride to deal with it, then I suppose it could cause something else somewhere to start hurting.

As for me...yeseterday I finally made it rhough speed work after 2 previous weeks of none/short session. I was pleased. And right now it is 50! So I am really looking forward to clear roads this weekend. And my croci are beginning to pop up trhough the snow. Spring may actually come one day!

Maura

 

[FLORIDA_GIRL]

Hey Goofs! It's been a while since I posted, but all that snow was de-motivating...I hate the treadmill. Since the weather has been warmer this week I'm finally getting back into a routine. I ran a local 5 mile race last Saturday and then managed to run 4 days this week, so I'm feeling pretty good. Let's hope the weather stays nice!

 

[FLORIDA_GIRL]

Forgot to ask...are any of you using 'The Daily Mile'? I just discovered this site (heard about it from a friend and a couple of running podcasts I listen to). It's an awesome way to track your workouts!

 

[IamTrike]

Maura. I did run by the Peter Pan Statue. My hotel was close to Kensington palace so the serpentine was pretty close. Running around it and the long water made for a nice loop. Were the mirror sculptures up when you where there? Sky Mirror was pretty amazing. One of the things I like about traveling for business is getting to run through different parks. For me, exploring new park> re-running local greenway > treadmill. Stretching is my weak area. I stretch, but I still have all the flexibility of a glass toothpick. Tried the foam roll tonight. Maybe that will help?


Hope spring is poking its head out for everyone. Today was our first 70 degree day here in NC. Should be a nice day for a long run tomorrow.

 

[jmasgat]

Hey Goofs,

So training is going reasonably well, except now we have gotten more snow--10 inches (our biggest of the season and more than expected). And we're getting more snow later this week. So I am trying to figure out what the heck I will do about my 20-miler. I really need clear roads. It is too hard on my body trying to run on snow. Looks like I'll have to do a recon mission on Saturday. If I can't find any suitable roads, I may have to do--gulp!--20 on a TM. Or rather 4 TM, because I have already decide I will do my usual fuel break at 5 miles and switch TM. But please, Lord, don't let it come to that!

Ryan It's been almost 4 yeas since I've been to London, so no Mirror sculptures (or I never saw them--but then, the whole park was taken up by the Tour de France!). I'm not very flexible either, but yoga has helped somewhat with that. Even if you don't do classes, there are still some great yoga videos/routines on Runner's World, including these:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287--13300-0,00.html

http://www.runnersworld.com/video/1,8052,s6-1-0-5,00.html?bcpid=2888993001&bclid=1504353751

Shannon Glad your weather has been cooperating to let you run outdoors. I have limited TM tolerance (about 7 miles). Haven't looked at Daily Mile. I know some people who use RunKeeper over on Facebook. Don't even know if that's similar. I just track my own workout.

Off to feed the dog and fix dinner.

Maura

 

[suzannews]

Hi Goofs,

Quick drive by to say HELLO to everyone!!

Planning the 5K is currently at a stand still. Emailed the school principal and she responded that she was booked up but would pass my info to one of the vice principals who would call me. That was a week ago and nothing. Its been a busy week here so I haven't had the chance to send another email but will do that maybe tonight.

Princess 5K and 1/2 are quickly approaching. Had a great shirt made for the 5K to honor my friend Jennifer who is currently battling breast cancer. Just want to finish both and hang up my medals!

Sorry to all those who got snow yesterday. Beautiful 80 degrees here today for my 5 mile walk around the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. I posted 2 pictures on facebook.

 

[FLORIDA_GIRL]

Is there a WISH page on FB, or is everyone friends on an individual basis?

 

[DisneyMomma09]

Maura-The only thing that is keeping me smiling through this latest snow is the fact that I will have clear roads for running this weekend at the Princess!!!!! Good luck with your 20 this weekend. I cannot imagine trying to go that long on the TM. It would take me days I think...

Suzanne-I, too, just want my medal from the 1/2! Good luck on Sunday! Maybe we will run into eachother!

As for me....I am having a difficult time containing myself these days...we leave Friday night to fly down to Disney! And my first 1/2 is on Sunday! I think I have just about everything packed. All I have to do is finish up my grad work for this week (which I am procrastinating doing by checking in on the DIS), finish the work week and hit the road!

I am a little worried about the temps for the race. It is looking like the lows are barely going to be in the 50's. I am used to running in sub-freezing weather! I am worried about how I will handle the heat. Any advice? TIA

 

[jmasgat]

First, Good Luck to all the Goofy Princesses!!!! I REALLY wish I was there this weekend, even to cheer you on (since I know then I would have somewhere nice to run my 20 miler )

Shannon No WISH facebook page that I know of. People are friends on an individual basis. Join the fun! I am a late comer to Facebook, but I know that it is sometimes easier for people to stay in touch via FB than other means of communication.

Asheligh I find that running in the cold can be just as challenging as running in the heat effort-wise. So if the temp isn't in the 50-60 range, then keep in mind that you won't be able to run as fast. Make sure you stay hydrated--a good rule for any race in any weather. By now you should have a fuel/hydration strategy that works for you--stick with it. If it's warmer, you will need some more fluid, but don't dramatically increase your intake--You don't want to "overhydrate" either.

[Hey, they're playing "When you Wish Upon a Star" on the classical musci station now!]

Maura

 

[SAHDad]

Hey Goofs!

Good luck to all the Princess runners! It's almost the big day!

Ashleigh - I am a cold weather runner, so I can empathize. By 50 degrees, I am definitely in shorts and a t-shirt (and my trusty running hat), with no gloves or long sleeves in sight. You will probably need more water than you are used to, as Maura said.

Speedwise, YMMV - my fastest races have had starting temps in the high 30s or low 40s, with finishing temps not much over 50.

Maura - I have done 20 on a TM before, and it is not fun. At home, it is tolerable, mainly because I pop in a movie that I have seen before and just let it run. I chose an old favorite, because I don't want to get too caught up in it, and the noise of the TM can drown out dialogue. It's not fun, but it is possible.

Locally, we lost power Sun night (snow, followed by rain, which became freezing rain), and power was not restored until the wee hours of this morning. Still a few thousand in my county without power, and the nearby counties are worse off. At least the Y had power, and the child watch center was open, so I got my runs in.

 

[jmasgat]

First day of March Goofs! Spring is coming.

I was fortunate enough not to have to do my 20 miler on the TM on Sunday. It snowed Saturday might, but I was able to find mostly snow-free roads (except for the first 5 in my town--we don't seem to spend the money on salt and plows except for a few key roads). So it went okay.

Not much else happening here. I was able to take off the cone from my dog, Buddy, and his ear seems to be healing. Also got a check from the neighbor to cover the vet bill. Still don't have a good feeling that they will do anything more permanent to keep the dog from getting loose. Next time I see the dog loose, I am calling the police. Maybe that will get them to do something.

Hope everyone is well. Hope the Princess went well for those who ran it. Come tell us about it!

Maura

 

[IamTrike]

Still don't have a good feeling that they will do anything more permanent to keep the dog from getting loose. Next time I see the dog loose, I am calling the police.

You need to channel, Gru ( despicable me) and let them know that people don't have problems with dead dogs escaping.

Hope everyone is enjoying spring. Here in NC we are in danger of skipping right from "it's too cold to run outside" to "it's too hot to run outside". It seemed like it skipped right from the 20s to the 70s. My knees are still killing me every time I run so I decided to take 2 weeks off from running and use the time to lift weights and swim. ( yes I am stretching and foam rolling up a storm too.). Hopefully they'll get better soon. I've got a quick trip to Aus coming up and I'd like to be able to run while I'm there.

 

[suzannews]

Happy March Goofs!!

Report from Princess weekend...I am tired! I signed up for the 1/2 back in October. About a month and a half ago, a friend whom I've known for 20 years was diagnosed with breast cancer so I decided to also sign up for the 5K and do it in honor of her. I had a shirt made and was excited! Morning of the 5K, I was up at 4:30, out the door before 5:30 and made it to Epcot and parked by 6am. Met 2 friends from work and got into the corrals. Finished in my normal time zone, got my medallion and a great picture with Belle and the Beast. Saturday night we stayed at All Star Movies so my family wouldn't have to get up with me a 3am and/or we wouldn't have 2 cars out at Epcot after the 1/2. Didn't sleep well at all, maybe 2 hours max. I remember looking at the clock every hour. Tossed and turned. Got up at 2:30 and out the door at 3:15. No wait for the bus, there were 5 lined up! Made it to Epcot, found a friend from work, found a few Wishers and headed to the corrals. I was in "E". Race started and I just wasn't feeling it. Can't describe it. Don't know if I was just really tired or I knew what was ahead for the next 13 miles but it just wasn't there. Jogged the first 1/2 mile and then pretty much walked the rest of the way. Kept my pace until about mile 10 when I slowed down a bit and the overpass and hills came. Finished about 3 minutes slower than I wanted but I FINISHED and got my medal. Maybe the 1/2 marathon distance is just not for me? Did I train enough? Could I have made myself jog even when I didn't want to? Was the 5K the day before just too much? Who knows. I will say though that I don't know how the Goofy runners do it. Anyways, glad I did it and glad its over.

My husband and I are doing the ESPN 5K this Saturday, (his first!!!) but we are just walking it in the back so no pressure. That makes 2 5K's and a 1/2 marathon in 7 days for me. I am crazy. Only other race that is definite right now is a 2 mile followed by a 10K at the end of the month called a distance dare.

If you've made it this far...sorry for rambling! I am still really tired from this weekend. I have lots of pictures on facebook if we are friends. I will try and post a picture or two here if I can get photobucket to cooperate.

Hope everyone has a great week and hope its warming up in your part of the country!!

 

[DisneyMomma09]

Hi Goofs! I am fresh back from my long Princess weekend! My SIL and I had an awsome time! It was both of our first 1/2 and our first Disney race, so it was a brand new experience for both of us!

To start, I was scheduled to leave from Buffalo on Friday evening. Well, we had a HUGE storm move through on Thursday night and most of the day on Friday. Most of the morning flights out of Buffalo were cancelled. Needless to say, I was near panic mode that I would not make it down to Florida at all. Fortunatly, everything worked out, the stars alligned, and we made it down, albeit a little late...well I guess early Saturday morning. We arrived at Bay Lake Towers at around 1:00 am and I was hugely relieved.

Onto the race: I actually slept pretty well on Saturday night before the race, probably because of the late night the night before! We were up at 2:30 and on the road by 3:15...my SIL drove us. We got to the parking lot with no problems and sat in the car as long as we could stand not being with everyone else. I only had on an extra long sleeved shirt over my t-shirt and skirt and it was very comfortable.

I was placed in coral C, but SIL was in D, so I started with her. I have to say, I felt great through the whole race! I could not believe how quickly the first few miles flew by! The first mile felt like it was about 6 minutes, not the 13 it really was! We did stop for a few pictures along the way and before we knew it we were getting the the Magic Kingdom. Once we left MK, we were starting to feel the heat of the day more. I do not think my SIL was drinking nearly as much as I was and she started struggling. Mile 8 was the most difficult. We kept encouraging each other, though, and managed to run to mile marker 9. We took a walking break for the 9th mile, ran mile 10, walked mile 11, and then ran the last 1.1 through Epcot and the finish!

Our official time is 3:13. I used my MyTracks app on my phone and that distinguishes between moving time and total time. According to that, our moving time was 2:57. I did not really have a goal, but I thought I would be around 3 hours. I am VERY happy with my time and had SOOOO much fun!

Sorry to be so long winded here...I just got home from the beautiful Florida sunshine today and am back to the 20* & snow reality...I have enjoyed reliving my race for you all! I hope to find some time to do a proper race report.

Congrats to all the other Princesses!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

 

[IamTrike]

Congrats Ashleigh and Suzanne.

 

[ksoehrlein]

Hi Goofs. Congrats go Princess Suzanne and Princess Ashleigh!

Yesterday, I finished my third marathon of the year -- Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Marathon -- along with my running partners. We are submitting our information to Marathon Maniacs today!

Mini race report: The event was small (only 631 marathon finishers and 816 half finishers), but the support staff, volunteers and cheering rivaled that of bigger races. Albany (Georgia) is the friendliest city! The course was set up well, with the half marathoners going left after crossing the start line and the "fool" marathoners heading right. I didn't see anyone who messed that up due to the announcer and crystal-clear signage. I kept a conservative pace for the first hour and really pushed the second, bringing my average pace down more than a minute. I tried to hold the more aggressive pace but hit the wall hard around mile 18. This is surely because in the three weeks prior to the race, I hadn't run more than 3 miles and had only run four times due to a painful black toenail. I gutted it out, running slowly and taking more walk breaks than normal, and finished with a new PR (18-minute improvement).

The weather was just about perfect; 60-ish degrees and overcast the entire time with a drizzle every now and then to keep us cool. The rain was heavy for two brief periods, which worried me, but it let up both times.

Only two negatives for this race: the B-chip timing system and boring, ill-fitting race shirt. The B-chip stays on the back of the bib, and participants are told to pin all four corners, keep it smooth, and don't cover it with a fuel belt. Well, I have a short torso, so this was a challenge. I finished with a bib that looked like it had been run through the wash and chewed by a dog and it wasn't until I found my race results that I knew for sure my time had registered.

 

[jmasgat]

Kim Wow! Congrats on your race and new PR, you Maniac! And now for the burning question.....what kind of Snickers products did you get before, during or after the race? (Bling and food....I guess you can see what I care most about for races!)

AshleighCongrats on finishing your first 1/2! sounds like you and your SIL had a great experience. What's up next?

Suzanne Great races, as usual. Saw your ESPN photos...and the first ones where I saw your DH.

As for me, after getting 4" of snow last night and winds of 15mph today, I decided I just couldn't battle slippery roads for my 15 miler. So I sucked it up and went to the gym. I treated the 15 miles like 3 5-mile runs (which corresponds with my gel breaks) and actually switched treadmills after each 5 miles. This kept me mostly sane and I made it through. I kept telling myself the +'s of doing this--running in shorts & T-shirt, plenty of water available, easier on the legs. That helped somewhat. Plus I got to do my post-run yoga stretches and foam rollering without my dog jumping all over me.

Off to grocery shop and walk the dog.

Maura

 

[SAHDad]

Hi Goofs,

Maura - yeah, treadmill long runs are a pain. Originally, I was going to run with one of DWs former coworkers who was in town for the weekend. Unfortunately, her ankle is messed up, so she bailed. So, instead of a slow 18 outside, I wound up doing 15 inside on the dreadmill. (I would have kept going, but she and DW wanted to meet up for coffee, and I needed to go watch the kids.) Good thing I have a collection of 2-3 hour long movies and a DVD player by the hamster pad.

Kim - congrats on being a maniac! I hope to become one later this year.