A Pink Pixie Princess - Complete!

[Keels]

I know I've already told you this ...

BUT I'M SO EXCITED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your trip report (and @FFigawi prodding me) was the reason I became a Dope in the first place - I can't wait to run my second Dopey, and to be doing it at the same time as you!!!!!

The way Dopey 2017 is shaping up, Dopey 2018 is going to have to be epic or it's REALLY going to be a let down at this point!

You also need to update your signature.

 

[Anisum]

Nice! So excited for you!

 

[Ariel484]

Niiiiice!!

I know I've already told you this ...

BUT I'M SO EXCITED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your trip report (and @FFigawi prodding me) was the reason I became a Dope in the first place - I can't wait to run my second Dopey, and to be doing it at the same time as you!!!!!

The way Dopey 2017 is shaping up, Dopey 2018 is going to have to be epic or it's REALLY going to be a let down at this point!

I just got the email from runDisney that the transfer was processed (weirdly fast for runDisney, I would say), so now that I know that my Goofy registration is begin refunded...I'm even more excited!!

You also need to update your signature.

Noted!

Nice! So excited for you!

Thanks!! I'm pretty excited too! I NEED that Pluto medal!

 

[ZellyB]

YAY!!! Exciting news!!!!!

 

[Ariel484]

YAY!!! Exciting news!!!!!

Oh yeaahhhhhhh

 

[pxefig]

Wow! Dopey! Time for the new training plan of extra early wake ups! All the medals are really well done for those races so what lovely bling you will be adding!
This pic made me totes LOL after your vacation pics!

 

[Ariel484]

Wow! Dopey! Time for the new training plan of extra early wake ups! All the medals are really well done for those races so what lovely bling you will be adding!
This pic made me totes LOL after your vacation pics!

View attachment 197190

Look at that magical crane!

I really should put in some early morning wake-up training...that's the true challenge!!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

GO you for switching to Dopey!

 

[Ariel484]

GO you for switching to Dopey!

 

[Dis5150]

So excited for you! And I'm over here thinking I won't even be ready to run just the marathon, lol! So glad you are healed up enough to take on the challenge!

 

[FFigawi]

So excited for you! And I'm over here thinking I won't even be ready to run just the marathon, lol! So glad you are healed up enough to take on the challenge!

There's no such thing as "just the marathon." Every race is important in and of itself, and running any or all of them is equally important and worthy of respect too.

 

[Ariel484]

So excited for you! And I'm over here thinking I won't even be ready to run just the marathon, lol! So glad you are healed up enough to take on the challenge!

You WILL be ready!! I know you will! Also...

There's no such thing as "just the marathon." Every race is important in and of itself, and running any or all of them is equally important and worthy of respect too.

^^ THIS!!

 

[Ariel484]

Checking in...

Oh my gosh this is so long. Apparently this is what happens when I don't do weekly updates...

Remember me?

I feel wholly unsatisfied leaving this journal with my last post being all, "I ran a race and it was terrible...well, bye!" so I thought I would check back in every few weeks or so. Even though all of my reasons for "ending" the thread are still there...I miss writing here! So I'm taking inspiration from the way @Dis_Yoda does her updates and am moving to more of a monthly format...possibly every 2 weeks, not sure yet.

After my crappy 10-miler, Goofy training started - and as I posted here earlier, Goofy training is now Dopey training! Yeehaw!

I decided to go back to what I know has worked for me in the past - Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Marathon Training plan with Galloway-like run/walk intervals (I shall call it "the Higdo-way method!" ) + yoga, and...strength training (see below)! Here's what I have been up to over the past 4 weeks (how has it been 4 weeks already?!)…


Week 1 (9/5) - 15 miles
MO: rest
Tu: 3 miles
We: 3 miles
TH: 3 miles
FR: yoga
SA: 6 miles
SU:yoga

Week 2 (9/12) - 16 miles
MO: 3 miles
Tu: 3 miles
We: 3 miles
TH: rest
FR: rest
SA: 7 miles
SU:yoga

Week 3 (9/19) - 15 miles
MO: 3 miles
Tu: 4 miles
We: 3 miles
TH: rest
FR: yoga/ST
SA: 5 miles
SU:yoga/ST

Week 4 (9/26) - 19 miles
MO: 3 miles
Tu: 4 miles
We: 3 miles
TH: rest
FR: yoga/ST
SA: 9 miles
SU:yoga/ST

It's been going really well so far - I've just missed 1 yoga class and have gotten all of my runs in. And the runs have been feeling pretty good overall, which has made me feel SO much better. I just really, really think I wasn't patient enough with myself and greatly underestimated how long it would take me to recover from my injury, and how long it would take me to get back "into shape" (which...I’m still not totally recovered or totally back in shape, but I do feel much better - I feel like this month has been a turning point for me running- and recovery-wise. My mental state today is WAY better than it was just 4 weeks ago). Looking back, having races with time goals this year was not a great idea!

Weekday runs are back on the treadmill at work - I liked running at home in the mornings but by running and THEN starting my drive into work (as opposed to driving to work first and THEN doing the run), I was hitting rush hour traffic and my commute in the morning pretty much doubled - blech! Plus, it’s getting pretty freaking dark out, and I’m not a fan of running in the dark. It’s actually been...nice (??!) to go back to the gym to do my runs. I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand the treadmill after a 2-month break from it, but it feels comforting and familiar. After all - this gym is the place where I did the majority of my marathon, Goofy and Dopey training over the years. It does mean having to shower in the locker room each morning, but I haven’t seen Ol’ Foot Shaver around lately, so that’s a plus.

One thing that I realized is that I do need to get back to some sort of strength training regimen...sigh. Ditto with the back stretches Dr. Spine gave me way back in January (sidenote: haven't been back to see him! So far it hasn't felt necessary, which is a huge win!). Double sigh. My 7-mile long run in mid-September was the wake-up call - I could just feel that my legs and core are SO weak, and my back was feeling a little tired (and I still get the occasional twinge). So that is what the "ST" is on my yoga days - strength training. I'm going back to the lifting plan I used earlier in the year from the trainer at work - just using the "at home" day (which is all free weights) twice per week. It hasn't been as boring as I remembered it being so far, and I know it will be worth it! The back stretches are daily - I’m aiming for 3-5 times per day on those.

Random pic of yours truly before said 7-miler.

But back to running. After the 10-miler, I started out with intervals of running 1:30 and walking 1:00 - the first few runs after the race were tough because I was SO sore, but by the end of week 1 it was like my body was remembering how to do this again, which was an amazing feeling. On Monday I'm planning on starting to run 2:30 and walk 1:00 (I add 15-30 seconds to the running intervals each week) - my initial goal was to work my way back to running 4:00 and walking 1:00 by Wine & Dine Weekend, which is the interval that Mr. A uses when he runs (his training is going well - he’s up to a 4.5-mile long run and is feeling great!). I don't think I'll quite get there, but maybe I can try 4/1 for the 10K only and stick to shorter intervals for the other two races. We'll see!

Speaking of Wine & Dine (1 month from tomorrow, EEEEEK)…we're pretty much completely done planning for that trip. Mr. A's return flight STILL has not dropped in price...ugh! I check twice almost every day but it’s still hovering right around $250, and sometimes gets as high as $297!! Oh well, at least it was booked on points! I think when I booked it, it was $220 and I thought, "oh, that will definitely come down!" NOPE. At the beginning of the month I purchased our park tickets (3-day hopper for Mr. A and a WDW Annual Pass for myself - woohoo for that 20% discount they announced today!!) and made fastpasses.

But enough of that...let's talk outfits (all INKnBURN, of course)!

Mickey's Holiday 5K

Last year's Christmas kit. If this race was any longer than a 5K, I would wear something else that doesn't have long sleeves or a head covering involved! This outfit will change if I get this year’s Christmas items before the race weekend, but I doubt they will get here in time.

BUT LOOK AT HOW CUTE! I probably need to sign up for a locally holiday-themed race just so I can wear these!

Wine & Dine 10K
When Mr. A agreed to sign up for this race, he was like, "we could even wear matching shirts!" How cute is he? So that is what we're going to do!

The top is the Circuit tech shirt (Mr. A's favorite of the 3 INB shirts that he owns), which is a men’s only design - I liked the art so much that I bought a men’s size small and had it altered to a women’s medium (which...I love this pattern, but I won’t be having men’s shirts altered again unless it’s a 100% must-have pattern. This alteration was EXPENSIVE...it pretty much doubled the price of the shirt!!). Please note my amazing MS Paint Skillz to make the concept art of that shirt look like a women's tank. Bottoms are the Bee Skirt for me and the Rockstar Shorts for Mr. A (which have a compression layer underneath complete with a phone pocket!).

For the half, I'm going with the newly released Kimono kit. I've been hoping it would come in time for the race, and it should arrive on Monday...so clearly I'll be okay.

And lastly...since the theme of this post is all, "Things I said before but now I'm changing my mind!' (i.e. 'hey I said I was done with this thread...LOL J/K I’m back!")...as I said above, I transferred my Goofy registration to a Dopey registration. I read a post about someone who had transferred from the half to Goofy somewhere here on the DIS, and up until reading that post, I’d sort of forgotten that transfers were a thing. So the seed was planted...it wasn’t something I thought about a ton, just a small idea in the back of my mind. Then the medals were released.

Let’s talk about the medals for a second (although I should REALLY probably reserve judgment until I see higher-quality photos)…

5K: J'ADORE. I love the art, I love the finish they chose, and I love that it's METAL!
10K: I don’t know, you guys...Minnie's my girl, but I can’t say I totally understand what’s going on with this one. Initially I was just like, "why is it in the shape of a...gear?" but taking another look, it looks like there’s polka dots on it, so I guess it’s her dress or something. I need an explanatory blog post from Disney, stat! And MAN, is she shiny. I feel like there’s so much shine going on that she doesn’t really stand out.
Half: Hmm...it’s okay. Nowhere near as good as the 20th marathon medal was...they set high standards for themselves with that one! Again, super shiny. But there will never be another half medal like this again, so that’s pretty cool...it’s definitely unique!
Marathon: LOVE. Just like the 5K, I really like the finish they chose, and I LOVE the retro look. Ever since I started doing runDisney races, I’ve wanted a Mickey head-shaped medal, so I’ll finally get one! I am most excited to get this medal (which is a little sad since it’ll barely get worn that weekend).
Goofy: Another one that I don’t totally understand. Again, it looks like he’s running in a gear…?? And again, SHINY (apparently I am not a fan of super shiny medals)! I think this one is just okay.
Dopey: About what I expected...it looks a LOT like my Dopey medal from 2015 (shiny Dopey basically stepped to the side and is waving his hands in the air like he just don't care), so I can't say this one thrills me all that much. I'll be curious to see what they do for next year.
Castaway Cay Challenge and Kids races: PERFECT. I wish I was getting these!

Overall, I think it’s such an odd assortment! They don’t look like a cohesive set at all...not that they have to, but they are just so random!

So anyway...the 10K and Dopey medals didn’t really light a fire to transfer (I fully believe that is why the medals were released so early, to sell more registrations), but I was a little sad to not be getting the 5K medal. Then I did my 5-miler stepback run on September 24...I normally do not run with music, so I just spend my runs thinking about whatever…on this day, "whatever" turned to "I wonder if there are any Dopey spots still open?" I checked on one of my walk breaks, and the link was there! So then I kept running and thinking...I wondered what it would be like to be there in January and NOT do the 5K and 10K. A few months ago I thought I would be okay with it (hence signing up for Goofy), but I realized that now, I wouldn’t be. I decided that if the Active link for Dopey was still there when I got home, and if Mr. A gave the okay, I’d transfer.

So I got home and talked it over with Mr. A - obviously I don’t need his permission to do things, but I always value his input. And he was not excited about this idea, purely because he was concerned that I would re-injure my back. Once I told him that the training would be pretty much exactly the same, he was onboard. I registered for Dopey, sent in the transfer paperwork (they were taking transfers up until October 4, so I'm glad I decided to do this now!), added a hotel night and changed my flight (thank you, Southwest points!). I got an email on Monday the 26th that my transfer was approved and that I’d be getting my Goofy registration refunded...minus the $45 transfer fee, of course. The money was back into my account the next day! Shockingly fast for runDisney. And I'm pretty darn excited about this turn of events, so I think it was the right call.

WHEEEEEE

Assuming anyone here is actually reading this thread...well, hi again, and thanks for reading!

Continued in Next Post

 

[roxymama]

I promise to post more, but I have to chime in with my input on the goofy medal. It's not a gear...it's a peanut butter cup! Obviously

 

[CherieFran]

Love your W&D outfits! And super jealous of your Goofy-to-Dopey move! If I had a bunch more vacation days, I'd be all over marathon weekend. The marathon medal is fantastic!

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

So glad you're back posting in here occasionally! I missed your updates. I'm glad things are going better, and awesome on transferring to Dopey! I could never do Dopey (the thought of a marathon the day after a half marathon is terrifying to me) but I admire those who do it. Your INKnBURN outfits for Wine and Dine weekend look nice. Too bad this year's Christmas ones probably won't come in time - that shirt is adorable!

 

[pxefig]

I loooooove the Donald one because of its funky shape. It's like the medal is ready to throw a tantrum at any moment- very Donald! And the fact that it's not a circle just adds to it for me. So excited for you! I wish the sign ups hadn't been during my I super duper hate running phase or I would have seriously thought about it. Oh well. I hadn't signed up for Avengers for pretty much the same reason but managed to snag the challenge for half off yesterday so I guess I'm doing that one again! Lol

I know I said it on FB, but I love the yellow and blue combo for you InB. I'm oddly fascinated by the doesnit match thread but some of the combos hurt my poor eyeballs! This combo is so on point.

Is nice that you'll do some heck ins for this thread. I'm far too lazy to look up new things to read on Dis. And I'm glad the running is going better. Keep on keeping on!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Glad my monthly update gave you a format you would like for a less intensive update! The weekly (when I've done that in pre-trip reports) just drains especially when you aren't in a good place.

Running is such a mental sport but I'm glad you are in a better place now!

That pluto metal is adorable! I love that they are metal finally.

 

[ZellyB]

Yay!! Happy you'll be posting some again. Looks like training is going well. I'm so happy you are able to get back to some normal training again.

Love your planned outfits and great idea to modify the circuit shirt into a tank.

 

[jhorstma]

I still say that the Dopey medal looks like Jar Jar Binks...