DopeyBadger
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Happy Birthday! How was the pie?
avondale training journal, starting Dec. 2018 (comments welcome)
- Thread starter avondale
- Start date
avondale
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Good as always. I've had it for my birthday most years since I got the recipe from you. Thanks!
avondale
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@Herding_Cats @garneska @GollyGadget Thanks for the birthday wishes!
@The Expert The pie is very good, but EXTREMELY rich.
@jmasgat @col1 I'm used to the 10k steps, so it feels like nothing now. I've been doing a Garmin challenge with friends so that I'm getting more like 15k most days and more on the weekends, and that has definitely been keeping me busy!
@The Expert The pie is very good, but EXTREMELY rich.
@jmasgat @col1 I'm used to the 10k steps, so it feels like nothing now. I've been doing a Garmin challenge with friends so that I'm getting more like 15k most days and more on the weekends, and that has definitely been keeping me busy!
avondale
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Nov. 13, 2025 was Kali's 18th birthday!
She has outlived her two brothers from the same litter and is so happy being an "only" cat!
We have been giving her subcutaneous fluids three times a week for her failing kidneys for almost a year. She also gets a monthly injection to help with her arthritis. She doesn't really care to eat like she used to, so she's very slowly wasting away - she's a bit over 6 lbs now, when in her prime she was close to 10 lbs. But despite all that, she seems very happy and relatively active for her age. She still has a purr that would fit a cat three times her size.
We're not really expecting her to reach another birthday with her kidneys, but obviously we'll see what happens! Just hoping she'll be happy and comfortable for as long as possible. The cat bed you see her in has a pressure sensor and heating pad in the bottom, so it warms up a bit when she lays in it - it took us forever to get her to like it and try it out enough to lay in it, but now she loves it! She will also follow sunspots around the house to lay in.
Cute photos from the last couple of months.
She has outlived her two brothers from the same litter and is so happy being an "only" cat!
We have been giving her subcutaneous fluids three times a week for her failing kidneys for almost a year. She also gets a monthly injection to help with her arthritis. She doesn't really care to eat like she used to, so she's very slowly wasting away - she's a bit over 6 lbs now, when in her prime she was close to 10 lbs. But despite all that, she seems very happy and relatively active for her age. She still has a purr that would fit a cat three times her size.
We're not really expecting her to reach another birthday with her kidneys, but obviously we'll see what happens! Just hoping she'll be happy and comfortable for as long as possible. The cat bed you see her in has a pressure sensor and heating pad in the bottom, so it warms up a bit when she lays in it - it took us forever to get her to like it and try it out enough to lay in it, but now she loves it! She will also follow sunspots around the house to lay in.
Cute photos from the last couple of months.
The Expert
Has been to every Disney park in the world
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Happy birthday, Kali! What an amazing cat, and she's so lucky to have you taking care of her. We're going through the same things with our Audrey, who is also a beautiful black kitty and turned 24 this summer. It's hard to see them slow down, but so fulfilling to be able to give her what she needs.
avondale
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Week of Nov. 10 - 16, 2025
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 13. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks, and this week was the peak training week with the longest long run. I also turned out to be an EXTREMELY busy week at work, too, which was not the best timing.
Monday after work:
Health
No real changes since last week.
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 13. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks, and this week was the peak training week with the longest long run. I also turned out to be an EXTREMELY busy week at work, too, which was not the best timing.
Monday after work:
- Speed intervals -- 15 min easy + 10 x (1 min fast + 1 min walk) + 15 min easy
- T+D 61, no effect, T 42 F, WC 34 F
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.36 mi
- interval splits: 8:43, 8:21, 8:15, 8:16, 8:36, 7:51, 7:57, 7:57, 7:42, 8:03
- elevation gain: 141 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- Before breakfast: unilateral strength workout
- 4 x 6 each leg - straight leg reverse lunges with 20-lb vest + 24 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric step-up on bench with 10-s hold
- 4 x 6 each leg - heel taps from low step with 20-lb vest + 12 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric one-leg hip thrust with 10-s hold with 20 lb
- 4 x 6 each leg - hip airplanes with 20 lb
- After work:
- 60 min easy
- T+D 57, no effect, T 41 F
- time: 1:00:02
- distance: 5.02 mi
- average pace: 11:58 (GAP ave pace: 11:46)
- splits: 12:10, 12:01, 11:54, 11:49, 11:56
- ave HR: 134 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 320 ft (corrected)
- route: neighborhood loop 1
- 60 min easy
- Before breakfast: upper body strength
- Superset
- 3 x 5 - triceps push-ups with 20-lb vest
- 3 x 5 - dumbbell reverse-grip rows with 27.5 lb per arm
- 3 x 5 - dumbbell pull-overs with 35 lb
- Superset
- 3 x 1 - unassisted chin-ups
- 3 x 5 - front raises with 15 lb per arm
- 3 x 5 - dumbbell reverse flyes with 16.25 lb per arm
- 3 x 5 - deep swimmer's press with 16.25 lb per arm
- Superset
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 44:04
- distance: 2.58 mi
- average pace: 17:05
- incline: 0%
- comments: Getting some steps in before tennis.
- In evening: 2-hr tennis doubles round-robin
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 51:25
- distance: 2.97 mi
- average pace: 17:19
- incline: 0%
- comments: Getting some steps in before tennis.
- In evening: 90-min tennis doubles round-robin
- 40 min easy
- T+D 86, no effect, T 52 F
- time: 40:01
- distance: 3.45 mi
- average pace: 11:36 (GAP ave pace: 11:36)
- splits: 11:49, 11:40, 11:20, 11:33, 11:36
- ave HR: 130 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 79 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- comments: After a pretty horrible and busy week, I had several things get canceled on Friday at the last minute so I could go home early and run before it got dark!
- Really liked this image!
- 220 min LR on trail
- T+D 86, no effect, T 52 F
- time: 3:36:26
- distance: 16.56 mi
- average pace: 13:04 (GAP ave pace: 12:37)
- splits: 11:59, 12:21, 12:45, 12:09, 14:03, 13:38, 12:42, 12:18, 12:38, 14:39, 12:24, 13:50, 12:47, 12:42, 13:06, 13:43
- elevation gain: 1952 ft (corrected)
- route: Blue Lake Marsh State Park
- comments: I took 1.5L of water + Nuun and 1 L of water and drank most of it. I ate about 180 g of dried pineapple rings, four Honey Stinger waffles, and two servings of M&Ms (one just before starting).
- comments: This is where the Naked Nick 25k race will be held, so I wanted to check it out. This park is in Pennsylvania, almost a 2.5-hr drive from my house, so this was an all-day expedition. But I do enjoy a road trip!
- comments: I was happy with how well this run went! The trails aren't too technical, although there are some hilly parts. It's not all that scenic really, but not much would be in December. It definitely gives me some confidence before the race.
- comments: Normally I would have run around the parking lot to finish out the 220 min exactly. However, since I had a long drive to do afterward, I just stopped when I got back to my car so that I could leave sooner.
- T+D 89, no effect, T 61 F - very windy!
- time: 2:18:29
- distance: 7.55 mi
- average pace: 18:21
- elevation gain: 866 ft (corrected)
Health
No real changes since last week.
avondale
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@The Expert and @garneska : Kali says thank you for the birthday wishes!
avondale
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Week of Nov. 17 - 23, 2025
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 14. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the first week of the taper leading up to the race.
Monday
Health
No real changes from last week.
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 14. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the first week of the taper leading up to the race.
Monday
- Before breakfast:
- Core workout
- 90-sec plank with 20-lb vest
- 20 starfish
- 20 dead bugs
- 20 bird dogs
- 20 each side flutter kicks
- 20 bicycle crunches with hold
- 5 10-sec hollow-body holds
- 2 30-sec side planks
- 20 double leg lift/lowers
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Core workout
- After work:
- Hill repeat HIIT -- 13min easy + 3 x [7 x (20sec sprint uphill + 20sec walk downhill) + 4min walk downhill]
- T+D 67, no effect, T 46 F
- time: 40:00
- distance: 3.0 mi
- repeat splits: 8:56, 8:30, 8:39, 8:34, 8:37, 8:41, 9:06, 8:00, 8:40, 9:01, 8:38, 8:35, 9:03, 9:46, 8:16, 8:11, 8:40, 7:43, 8:45, 9:13, 9:09
- elevation gain: 199 ft (corrected)
- route: neighborhood loop 1
- Hill repeat HIIT -- 13min easy + 3 x [7 x (20sec sprint uphill + 20sec walk downhill) + 4min walk downhill]
- Before breakfast:
- Unilateral strength workout
- 4 x 6 each leg - straight leg reverse lunges with 20-lb vest + 30 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric step-up on bench with 10-s hold
- 4 x 6 each leg - heel taps from low step with 20-lb vest + 12 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric one-leg hip thrust with 10-s hold with 20 lb
- 4 x 6 each leg - hip airplanes with 20 lb
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Unilateral strength workout
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 1:26:02
- distance: 5.02 mi
- average pace: 16:58
- incline: 1%
- 60 min easy
- T+D 82, no effect, T 43 F
- time: 1:00:00
- distance: 5.23 mi
- average pace: 11:28 (GAP ave pace: 11:18)
- splits: 11:35, 11:34, 11:10, 11:35, 11:30, 11:13
- ave HR: 141 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 338 ft (corrected)
- route: neighborhood loop 1
- Walk on treadmill
- time: 1:28:39
- distance: 5.08 mi
- average pace: 17:27
- incline: 0%
- comments: My Garmin team was getting close to winning a challenge, so I needed extra steps.
- Before breakfast:
- Workout 2
- 3 x 5 - heels-elevated suitcase squats with 57.5 lb + 20-lb vest
- superset
- 3 x 5 - one-arm rows on bench with 32.5 lb
- 3 x 5 - wide push-ups with 20-lb vest
- 3 x 5 - bench step-up-and-overs with 20-lb vest
- superset
- 3 x 5 - parallel-bar dips
- 3 x 5 - supermans with 5-s hold
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Workout 2
- After work:
- Speed intervals -- 15 min easy + 6 x (1 min fast + 1 min walk) + 15 min easy
- T+D 86, no effect, T 46 F
- time: 42:01
- distance: 3.62 mi
- interval splits: 8:54, 8:26, 8:26, 7:55, 7:54, 7:53
- elevation gain: 106 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- Walk on treadmill
- time: 43:15
- distance: 2.38 mi
- average pace: 18:10
- incline: 0%
- comments: We needed more steps to finish the challenge. We won!
- Speed intervals -- 15 min easy + 6 x (1 min fast + 1 min walk) + 15 min easy
- Before breakfast: foam rolling and stretching
- After dinner: walk on treadmill
- time: 47:47
- distance: 2.65 mi
- average pace: 18:02
- incline: 0%
- comments: After all the steps the day before, I was just doing the minimum to get to my 10k steps for the day.
- 150 min LR on trail
- T+D 102, 0.5% effect, T 56 F
- time: 2:30:00
- distance: 11.6 mi
- average pace: 12:56 (GAP ave pace: 12:46)
- splits: 12:52, 12:46, 13:06, 12:36, 12:41, 13:14, 12:56, 13:17, 12:53, 13:29, 12:38
- ave HR: 139 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 842 ft (corrected)
- route: Muddy Branch Trail
- comments: I took 1.5 L of water + Nuun and 0.5 L of water and drank most of it. I ate five dried pineapple rings, three Honey Stinger waffles, and a serving of M&Ms.
- T 59 F, T+D 102, 0.5% effect
- time: 2:19:07
- distance: 8.0 mi
- average pace: 17:23
- elevation gain: 185 ft (corrected)
- comments: This was all paved.
Health
No real changes from last week.
avondale
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- Oct 24, 2017
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Week of Nov. 24 - 30, 2025
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 15. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the second week of the taper leading up to the race. I realized this week that when I adapted my original plan, I made a taper that was a week longer than I usually do. Oh, well.
This was a mixed-up week, with Thanksgiving travel and weather.
Monday
Health
On Friday, I whacked my kneecap really hard into the corner of a coffee table! GRRRR!!!! It really hurt. I felt it during my run on Saturday.
No other new issues.
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 15. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the second week of the taper leading up to the race. I realized this week that when I adapted my original plan, I made a taper that was a week longer than I usually do. Oh, well.
This was a mixed-up week, with Thanksgiving travel and weather.
Monday
- Before breakfast: foam rolling and stretching
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 1:29:57
- distance: 5.24 mi
- average pace: 17:10
- incline: 0%
- comments: I was hoping to avoid running at night this week (I would have had to on this night) by using my days off for Thanksgiving to run in daylight.
- Before breakfast:
- Unilateral strength workout
- 4 x 6 each leg - straight leg reverse lunges with 20-lb vest + 30 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric step-up on bench with 10-s hold
- 4 x 6 each leg - heel taps from low step with 20-lb vest + 12 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric one-leg hip thrust with 10-s hold with 20 lb
- 4 x 6 each leg - hip airplanes with 20 lb
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Unilateral strength workout
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 46:27
- distance: 2.65 mi
- average pace: 17:32
- incline: 0%
- comments: Again, avoiding running in the dark. Also, I had project grading to do, so a short evening workout was helpful for this.
- 60 min easy
- T+D 120, 1% effect, T 66 F
- time: 1:00:01
- distance: 5.04 mi
- average pace: 11:55 (GAP ave pace: 11:50)
- splits: 11:36, 11:51, 11:43, 11:42, 12:41
- ave HR: 133 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 325 ft (corrected)
- route: Forest Glen Annex and Rock Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run.
- time: 1:29:18
- distance: 4.71 mi
- average pace: 18:58
- incline: 0%
- comments: I started this before 5am to get my steps in before we drove 5 hours to my mother's house for Thanksgiving.
- Walk on treadmill
- time: 43:02
- distance: 2.34 mi
- average pace: 18:23
- incline: 0%
- comments: This is where my plan for the week broke down. The forecast changed rapidly, and my mother's area got a bunch of snow Thursday into Friday, so I couldn't run outside as I had planned. I got a guest pass for the YMCA to use the treadmill.
- Walk on indoor track
- time: 38:26
- distance: 2.1 mi
- average pace: 18:18
- comments: The YMCA had a time limit on the treadmill (and heavy demand), so I went to the indoor track for more steps. The track was 22 laps = 1 mile, so very short. I did 47 laps! I'm glad I didn't seriously consider running on it because it was short enough that I almost got dizzy walking as briskly as I did.
- 60 min easy on trail
- T+D 60, no effect, T 43 F
- time: 1:00:01
- distance: 4.64 mi
- average pace: 12:56 (GAP ave pace: 12:45)
- splits: 12:58, 13:05, 12:46, 12:57, 12:56
- ave HR: 130 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 364 ft (corrected)
- route: Northwest Branch Trail
- comments: Back home, where there was no snow! Yay!
- 120 min LR on trail
- T+D 71, no effect, T 39 F, some light rain at the start
- time: 2:00:00
- distance: 8.63 mi
- average pace: 13:54 (GAP ave pace: 13:32)
- splits: 12:43, 12:55, 14:18, 16:05, 14:46, 15:12, 13:18, 12:54, 12:23
- ave HR: 133 BPM
- elevation gain: 526 ft (corrected)
- route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
- comments: I took 1.5 L of water + Nuun and drank most of it. I ate some dried pineapple rings, dried baby bananas, and two Honey Stinger waffles.
- comments: There is a section of very technical trail with short, steep hills that really slowed me down.
Health
On Friday, I whacked my kneecap really hard into the corner of a coffee table! GRRRR!!!! It really hurt. I felt it during my run on Saturday.
No other new issues.
nancipants
DIS Veteran
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- Nov 18, 2013
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Ouch! I hate when stupid injuries end up bothering you on runs. I hope it’s cleared up!
WillRunForPizza
DIS Veteran
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- Apr 20, 2022
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- 1,639
Wow! I feel like you could get the same result just walking around your house!
avondale
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- Oct 24, 2017
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- 2,196
I was thinking this showed me what I had always thought: I don't have the temperament for one of those "backyard ultra" type events where they run a tiny loop hundreds of times. I suppose there would be ways to take your mind off of it, but sheesh!Wow! I feel like you could get the same result just walking around your house!
avondale
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 24, 2017
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I've reached sort of a crossroads in what I want to do with my fitness and "extracurricular activities". I'm hoping that writing out some of it will help me think things through. It's not really something that I expect others to read through and comment on.
I did not grow up in an active life. My family didn't do anything very active or even much outside, and I was not inclined toward sports. I realized much later in my life how much that limited my possibilities - my husband, who grew up very active and playing several different sports, is so naturally fit and coordinated from that even though he does much less now.
In my late 20s (after getting married), I started getting into strength training. I also got a treadmill and started walking on it. Over a couple years, I built up to walking for ~90 min at 4 mph with a pretty high incline, which was excellent aerobic fitness. My husband and I also got into hiking.
When we moved to Maryland in 2004 (about 30 yo for me), I kept developing the strength training, getting up to very respectable weights and the ability to do multiple unassisted pull-ups. (Beachbody P90X, mostly!) I continued with the fitness walking and also started doing increasingly intense aerobic workouts (culminating in Beachbody Insanity and Asylum).
After we were here for a couple years, my husband realized he needed to do something more structured to keep himself motivated to do activity to stay healthy. He had played tennis in high school, so he decided to take some lessons to get back into tennis. I had never played tennis, but I did some lessons to start - the idea being we might be able to play together some of the time. Even if we didn't play together, it would be something we could both talk about and relate to.
Tennis was hard for me since I hadn't really done anything like it before. But I stuck with it. After a few years, we both (separately) joined recreational leagues with the US Tennis Association (USTA). The leagues enable competitive play between non-professionals in the area. Everyone gets a rating, which is a statement of the level of tennis skill and ability you have (higher is better) - leagues are within rating levels, with the idea being that you play against people of similar ability so it's relatively even. There is still a lot of range of abilities even at the same level.
I started out as a 2.5 player and in a year or two, improved enough to be rated at 3.0. I really started to enjoy it a lot and besides playing in leagues, did weekly clinics and drills to try to improve. I also met some fun women on a team and consistently played with them. After a couple years, I took over as team captain and really worked to organize team practices and recruit players.
Also soon after we moved to Maryland, I had started kickboxing in a club. This turned to just boxing after a couple of years because my hamstrings are too short to consistently kick and not get injured. There was a club I went to 1 - 2 times per week for boxing on a heavy bag, which was a whole different sort of workout and a lot of fun.
By 2015, I improved enough in tennis to move up to the 3.5 level. This was something I really wanted because the play is much more strategy-based and much less "who makes fewer errors" because the skill level is better. Also, this level of the league has the most women players, so there's more variety of play.
But that is when things got complicated. In 2013, when I was 39, a tennis teammate had asked me to join a group of her friends to do a 5k Diva Dash (obstacle course race). I had never been a runner, but something on my bucket list was to complete a marathon. I thought that if I was going to do that, I should probably get started on running. So I started running 2 or 3 times per week to train for the 5k.
This was the time of my life when I think I was in the best fitness I have ever been.
I ran a plain 5k as a "test run" before the Diva Dash in Aug. 2023 and got the best time I've ever gotten: a few seconds over 27 min. The Diva Dash the following month was fine (not impressive on the time because of the obstacles).
I continued running 2 - 3 times per week. I trained myself up for a 10k in April 2014 and got my best 10k time ever: 56:36. Then three weeks later, I ran my best half-marathon ever: 2:07:16. I generally ran no more than 3 times per week in this whole period, and honestly most of the running was the "I must run as fast as possible the whole time" because I didn't know any better. I was still playing tennis 2 - 3 times per week and boxing 1 - 2 times per week. (Plus doing strength training at home.)
If this all sounds like a lot, it was. Sometime after the half-marathon, I stopped boxing (canceled the boxing gym membership) so that I could run more - after all, the common wisdom is that if you want to get faster/better at running, you do it more. I started running more like 3 - 4 times per week and still playing tennis 2 - 3 times per week.
I trained myself for another couple half-marathons and 10ks from 2014 - 2017, trying to beat my initial PRs, but most of the time I didn't even come that close - I just seemed to get slower. I did train up for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2017. I finished it, but it was a hot and sunny day, so the last 10k was a death march, but I did it.
By that point, I had gotten on the RunDis boards and talked with DopeyBadger. He kindly developed training plans for me for a couple half-marathons, a 10k, and a marathon. I committed to running 5 days per week and generally didn't play tennis more than 2 times per week. I had been cutting down on cardio workouts, and pretty much stopped doing them by this point - after all, wasn't running enough cardio? I was running at a much more appropriate "easy" pace instead of going all-out the whole time.
I didn't have any luck catching my PRs. The HMs were several minutes off, at least. The 10k was a minute slower - so close. Even though it seemed like I should be able to get them, and I followed the training plans closely. I did get a much better marathon time, but I suspect that was due to the MUCH more favorable weather conditions (45F and breezy versus 75F and sunny) than to much else. That was in 2019.
Since then (and with the help of the covid pandemic), I have transitioned into trail running and racing. I do enjoy the adventure aspect of it more. But it seems like even there, I mostly just keep getting slower...yes, I would expect that as I age, but this seems too fast. I also seem to have a lot of trouble improving my ability to run and hike inclines - crucial for trail running.
When I trained for my first 50k and raced it in January 2024, both of my knees developed a lot of pain. I kept running and even racing through 2024 and to the current day, but I did a lot of PT to help the knees. With an MRI, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the trochlear groove of both knees - it's not from weight-bearing, but just the way my kneecap tracks. The PT and unilateral leg exercises have helped manage the pain, but during this time, I feel like my running declined - especially in 2025, even though my pain was a lot less.
I feel like my overall fitness has actually declined significantly since I started running. If I could claim that at least I've gotten really good at running, then that might balance that, but I don't feel like I've become a good runner. I've put a ton of time into it and feel like I've pretty much been spinning my wheels at it for over 10 years. I know that PRs aren't everything, and that's only part of it. I've been trying to improve my fitness at hills and trail running so that I could at least complete more challenging races (as a way of showing progress), but I feel like that hasn't been going anywhere.
Back to tennis. In the last couple of years, there have been some administrative and organizational changes in how USTA is running leagues in Maryland. I had been captaining tennis teams continuously from about 2011 through that time, and the changes made a lot more administrative and accounting work for captains like me. During the same period, I had been putting more emphasis on running and cut back on the tennis to about once per week, so my skills were declining. Between the administration issues and the fact that I wasn't playing as well, I was not enjoying the tennis as much. I have continued to captain teams, although I have taken some periods off from captaining, because I am concerned that if I stop, a lot of the ladies who play on my team would also stop playing. (Because of the USTA changes, DH quit league play. He does a couple of weekly clinics and has a contract time group, so he plays 2 times per week and is happy with that.)
In the last couple years, I did get into a contract tennis group. "Contract tennis" is when a group of players sign a contract with a tennis facility to rent a court at a specific day/time weekly for a year, and then players from the group play each week. Indoor tennis time is very expensive and hard to get around here, so this is a good way to get some consistent play and mitigate the cost a bit. The group is friendly and fun - it's not a league, so not competitive.
This year, I got into a second contract tennis group, but the facility has problems and I'm not really gelling with the players, so I probably won't continue with them.
Finally, we are at the present time and the event that has put me at this crossroads: for the new tennis rating year, I was rated down to a 3.0. It was not really a surprise, given the decline in my skills, but it's still a bit of a blow. It seems like a time to re-think my priorities.
So now I need to decide: do I want to try to improve my tennis again and try to get rated back up for next year? If I want to do that, I'm going to need to put more time into tennis than I have been, which will mean taking time away from something else - probably running.
Or I could continue as I have been: most emphasis on running with tennis about once per week, and try not to care that my tennis playing has gotten crappy. (One big issue with this is that I am COMPETITIVE - I hate to lose, and so that's been sucking and also making me unhappy with my tennis. I haven't won a tennis match since 2024.)
I could even just decide to stop playing tennis. I've been very frustrated about captaining with the changes that USTA has made to the leagues, so I could just decide this is it. But another aspect of the tennis is that the ladies I play with are some of the only friends of any sort that I have, even though they are really just a bit more than acquaintances. I don't have family in my area (neither does DH), so DH and I mostly just know and do stuff with each other. So cutting out tennis would shut that down.
I've been thinking about how I could try to make connections/friends with running....the obvious thing is group runs. There are organizations in my area. But I don't really like to run with other people. Running is "me" time. What I would love to do is to be able to talk with people ABOUT running, races, and so on, and maybe get together before/after events, etc. But that seems weird to try to make a friendship on. I'm mostly pretty introverted and like to do things by myself, but I do sometimes enjoy groups, and I know a lot of psychological research says friends are good for you.
And I'm writing this all out because I don't really have any family or friends that would understand the issues. My husband understands some of the tennis issues, but doesn't get my running goals. I'm also not sure that he really understands my quest for making some friends. My mother has no understanding at all of why I want to do any of the activities I do (tennis, running, hiking, etc.), and my sister not much more - I'm just totally different than both of them.
Other one-off thoughts:
I have been thinking that January through July is some 6 months to train for the stage race, and even if I have some intermediate events, surely I could train for that while also playing a bit more tennis. Maybe I could do roughly a clinic + match per week. The wild card in that is WORK - I do have some evening events with that.
Hmmm......
I did not grow up in an active life. My family didn't do anything very active or even much outside, and I was not inclined toward sports. I realized much later in my life how much that limited my possibilities - my husband, who grew up very active and playing several different sports, is so naturally fit and coordinated from that even though he does much less now.
In my late 20s (after getting married), I started getting into strength training. I also got a treadmill and started walking on it. Over a couple years, I built up to walking for ~90 min at 4 mph with a pretty high incline, which was excellent aerobic fitness. My husband and I also got into hiking.
When we moved to Maryland in 2004 (about 30 yo for me), I kept developing the strength training, getting up to very respectable weights and the ability to do multiple unassisted pull-ups. (Beachbody P90X, mostly!) I continued with the fitness walking and also started doing increasingly intense aerobic workouts (culminating in Beachbody Insanity and Asylum).
After we were here for a couple years, my husband realized he needed to do something more structured to keep himself motivated to do activity to stay healthy. He had played tennis in high school, so he decided to take some lessons to get back into tennis. I had never played tennis, but I did some lessons to start - the idea being we might be able to play together some of the time. Even if we didn't play together, it would be something we could both talk about and relate to.
Tennis was hard for me since I hadn't really done anything like it before. But I stuck with it. After a few years, we both (separately) joined recreational leagues with the US Tennis Association (USTA). The leagues enable competitive play between non-professionals in the area. Everyone gets a rating, which is a statement of the level of tennis skill and ability you have (higher is better) - leagues are within rating levels, with the idea being that you play against people of similar ability so it's relatively even. There is still a lot of range of abilities even at the same level.
I started out as a 2.5 player and in a year or two, improved enough to be rated at 3.0. I really started to enjoy it a lot and besides playing in leagues, did weekly clinics and drills to try to improve. I also met some fun women on a team and consistently played with them. After a couple years, I took over as team captain and really worked to organize team practices and recruit players.
Also soon after we moved to Maryland, I had started kickboxing in a club. This turned to just boxing after a couple of years because my hamstrings are too short to consistently kick and not get injured. There was a club I went to 1 - 2 times per week for boxing on a heavy bag, which was a whole different sort of workout and a lot of fun.
By 2015, I improved enough in tennis to move up to the 3.5 level. This was something I really wanted because the play is much more strategy-based and much less "who makes fewer errors" because the skill level is better. Also, this level of the league has the most women players, so there's more variety of play.
But that is when things got complicated. In 2013, when I was 39, a tennis teammate had asked me to join a group of her friends to do a 5k Diva Dash (obstacle course race). I had never been a runner, but something on my bucket list was to complete a marathon. I thought that if I was going to do that, I should probably get started on running. So I started running 2 or 3 times per week to train for the 5k.
This was the time of my life when I think I was in the best fitness I have ever been.
I ran a plain 5k as a "test run" before the Diva Dash in Aug. 2023 and got the best time I've ever gotten: a few seconds over 27 min. The Diva Dash the following month was fine (not impressive on the time because of the obstacles).
I continued running 2 - 3 times per week. I trained myself up for a 10k in April 2014 and got my best 10k time ever: 56:36. Then three weeks later, I ran my best half-marathon ever: 2:07:16. I generally ran no more than 3 times per week in this whole period, and honestly most of the running was the "I must run as fast as possible the whole time" because I didn't know any better. I was still playing tennis 2 - 3 times per week and boxing 1 - 2 times per week. (Plus doing strength training at home.)
If this all sounds like a lot, it was. Sometime after the half-marathon, I stopped boxing (canceled the boxing gym membership) so that I could run more - after all, the common wisdom is that if you want to get faster/better at running, you do it more. I started running more like 3 - 4 times per week and still playing tennis 2 - 3 times per week.
I trained myself for another couple half-marathons and 10ks from 2014 - 2017, trying to beat my initial PRs, but most of the time I didn't even come that close - I just seemed to get slower. I did train up for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2017. I finished it, but it was a hot and sunny day, so the last 10k was a death march, but I did it.
By that point, I had gotten on the RunDis boards and talked with DopeyBadger. He kindly developed training plans for me for a couple half-marathons, a 10k, and a marathon. I committed to running 5 days per week and generally didn't play tennis more than 2 times per week. I had been cutting down on cardio workouts, and pretty much stopped doing them by this point - after all, wasn't running enough cardio? I was running at a much more appropriate "easy" pace instead of going all-out the whole time.
I didn't have any luck catching my PRs. The HMs were several minutes off, at least. The 10k was a minute slower - so close. Even though it seemed like I should be able to get them, and I followed the training plans closely. I did get a much better marathon time, but I suspect that was due to the MUCH more favorable weather conditions (45F and breezy versus 75F and sunny) than to much else. That was in 2019.
Since then (and with the help of the covid pandemic), I have transitioned into trail running and racing. I do enjoy the adventure aspect of it more. But it seems like even there, I mostly just keep getting slower...yes, I would expect that as I age, but this seems too fast. I also seem to have a lot of trouble improving my ability to run and hike inclines - crucial for trail running.
When I trained for my first 50k and raced it in January 2024, both of my knees developed a lot of pain. I kept running and even racing through 2024 and to the current day, but I did a lot of PT to help the knees. With an MRI, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the trochlear groove of both knees - it's not from weight-bearing, but just the way my kneecap tracks. The PT and unilateral leg exercises have helped manage the pain, but during this time, I feel like my running declined - especially in 2025, even though my pain was a lot less.
I feel like my overall fitness has actually declined significantly since I started running. If I could claim that at least I've gotten really good at running, then that might balance that, but I don't feel like I've become a good runner. I've put a ton of time into it and feel like I've pretty much been spinning my wheels at it for over 10 years. I know that PRs aren't everything, and that's only part of it. I've been trying to improve my fitness at hills and trail running so that I could at least complete more challenging races (as a way of showing progress), but I feel like that hasn't been going anywhere.
Back to tennis. In the last couple of years, there have been some administrative and organizational changes in how USTA is running leagues in Maryland. I had been captaining tennis teams continuously from about 2011 through that time, and the changes made a lot more administrative and accounting work for captains like me. During the same period, I had been putting more emphasis on running and cut back on the tennis to about once per week, so my skills were declining. Between the administration issues and the fact that I wasn't playing as well, I was not enjoying the tennis as much. I have continued to captain teams, although I have taken some periods off from captaining, because I am concerned that if I stop, a lot of the ladies who play on my team would also stop playing. (Because of the USTA changes, DH quit league play. He does a couple of weekly clinics and has a contract time group, so he plays 2 times per week and is happy with that.)
In the last couple years, I did get into a contract tennis group. "Contract tennis" is when a group of players sign a contract with a tennis facility to rent a court at a specific day/time weekly for a year, and then players from the group play each week. Indoor tennis time is very expensive and hard to get around here, so this is a good way to get some consistent play and mitigate the cost a bit. The group is friendly and fun - it's not a league, so not competitive.
This year, I got into a second contract tennis group, but the facility has problems and I'm not really gelling with the players, so I probably won't continue with them.
Finally, we are at the present time and the event that has put me at this crossroads: for the new tennis rating year, I was rated down to a 3.0. It was not really a surprise, given the decline in my skills, but it's still a bit of a blow. It seems like a time to re-think my priorities.
So now I need to decide: do I want to try to improve my tennis again and try to get rated back up for next year? If I want to do that, I'm going to need to put more time into tennis than I have been, which will mean taking time away from something else - probably running.
Or I could continue as I have been: most emphasis on running with tennis about once per week, and try not to care that my tennis playing has gotten crappy. (One big issue with this is that I am COMPETITIVE - I hate to lose, and so that's been sucking and also making me unhappy with my tennis. I haven't won a tennis match since 2024.)
I could even just decide to stop playing tennis. I've been very frustrated about captaining with the changes that USTA has made to the leagues, so I could just decide this is it. But another aspect of the tennis is that the ladies I play with are some of the only friends of any sort that I have, even though they are really just a bit more than acquaintances. I don't have family in my area (neither does DH), so DH and I mostly just know and do stuff with each other. So cutting out tennis would shut that down.
I've been thinking about how I could try to make connections/friends with running....the obvious thing is group runs. There are organizations in my area. But I don't really like to run with other people. Running is "me" time. What I would love to do is to be able to talk with people ABOUT running, races, and so on, and maybe get together before/after events, etc. But that seems weird to try to make a friendship on. I'm mostly pretty introverted and like to do things by myself, but I do sometimes enjoy groups, and I know a lot of psychological research says friends are good for you.
And I'm writing this all out because I don't really have any family or friends that would understand the issues. My husband understands some of the tennis issues, but doesn't get my running goals. I'm also not sure that he really understands my quest for making some friends. My mother has no understanding at all of why I want to do any of the activities I do (tennis, running, hiking, etc.), and my sister not much more - I'm just totally different than both of them.
Other one-off thoughts:
- I feel like one of the few people ever who has started running and their overall fitness has declined.
- I like that running can be done pretty much anywhere and on my schedule - traveling, bad weather, etc. Tennis needs a court and multiple people. It's also not win/lose, but I'm competitive enough that I like to have SOME sort of metric improve.
- I have mentioned tennis friends, but unfortunately most of my closest tennis friends have moved away, gotten injured and had to quit, etc. over the last few years, so I don't have that many left at the moment.
- I was hoping to do the TransRockies Run next July - a 3-day 50+mile stage race in the Rockies. That's going to take a ton of training time, so not so much time for other things like tennis. But maybe they're both do-able if I start the running training in January?
- I could quit tennis and bring back boxing.
I have been thinking that January through July is some 6 months to train for the stage race, and even if I have some intermediate events, surely I could train for that while also playing a bit more tennis. Maybe I could do roughly a clinic + match per week. The wild card in that is WORK - I do have some evening events with that.
Hmmm......
jmasgat
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2006
- Messages
- 5,386
You have a lot to process and I recognize some of it in me-especially the part about groups/friends (only you actually have some!) and the whole self-competitive/expectations.
It may sound trite, but there is something to be said for “do what makes you happy”. Example: Maybe it doesn’t mean giving up tennis, but can you give up being a captain? And the way you post about your trail runs, it seems like that is a thing to be enjoyed.
I have absolutely NO pearls of wisdom about the whole competitive thing. I still struggle with the absolute decline in performance and can’t really get excited about keeping things up on an age graded basis. What that means for me these days is that I train to race….but then don’t do the race. I like the idea of the variety of pace etc in a plan, I just don’t like the pressure of trying to produce a result that I know I won’t be thrilled with.
Good luck with your decision making on this.
It may sound trite, but there is something to be said for “do what makes you happy”. Example: Maybe it doesn’t mean giving up tennis, but can you give up being a captain? And the way you post about your trail runs, it seems like that is a thing to be enjoyed.
I have absolutely NO pearls of wisdom about the whole competitive thing. I still struggle with the absolute decline in performance and can’t really get excited about keeping things up on an age graded basis. What that means for me these days is that I train to race….but then don’t do the race. I like the idea of the variety of pace etc in a plan, I just don’t like the pressure of trying to produce a result that I know I won’t be thrilled with.
Good luck with your decision making on this.
The Expert
Has been to every Disney park in the world
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 4,906
A lot of this sounds SO familiar to me. I didn't start running until I was 45, and I was SO disappointed when I wasn't just naturally good at it. I have struggled for every gain I've made, only to lose it again when I inevitably burn out on training. I'm also super competitive, including with myself, and it's hard not to beat yourself up over it.
I hear you too on the group/friends thing. I'm too self-consciously slow to join group runs, and I also prefer to run on my own (except at Disney). This group has helped, as has my new training group, but I know it would be better to do something IRL. Maybe the friends/group thing doesn't have to be fitness related? I've been thinking about joining an open maker's night at my local yarn store (I'm a knitter) just to push myself out there.
As far as what to do... from a purely outside perspective it sounds like you're missing some strength training. You said you used to lift -- why not go back to that? It would complement whichever cardio you do and probably help strengthen and reinforce your joint issues. There are also likely some hormonal changes impacting all of this -- I know that's been the case for me. Going on HRT, being consistent with weight training, adding Pilates, plus changing up my nutrition this past year has made a big improvement in how I feel overall. It's also made running feel easier and more fun.
Whatever you do, don't wait too long to decide. Pick a direction and go for it!
I hear you too on the group/friends thing. I'm too self-consciously slow to join group runs, and I also prefer to run on my own (except at Disney). This group has helped, as has my new training group, but I know it would be better to do something IRL. Maybe the friends/group thing doesn't have to be fitness related? I've been thinking about joining an open maker's night at my local yarn store (I'm a knitter) just to push myself out there.
As far as what to do... from a purely outside perspective it sounds like you're missing some strength training. You said you used to lift -- why not go back to that? It would complement whichever cardio you do and probably help strengthen and reinforce your joint issues. There are also likely some hormonal changes impacting all of this -- I know that's been the case for me. Going on HRT, being consistent with weight training, adding Pilates, plus changing up my nutrition this past year has made a big improvement in how I feel overall. It's also made running feel easier and more fun.
Whatever you do, don't wait too long to decide. Pick a direction and go for it!
avondale
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2,196
I still lift several mornings per week. You can see that in my posts about my weekly training. That's not something I will compromise because it's so crucial to retaining strength when I get older. But it means less time for other things.
The Expert
Has been to every Disney park in the world
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 4,906
Oops you're right! And I do usually read your posts -- it just didn't click in my brain. I agree it's super important and I find myself prioritizing it more and more each year.
avondale
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2017
- Messages
- 2,196
Week of Dec. 1 - 7, 2025
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 15. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the third week of the taper leading up to the race. I realized that when I adapted my original plan, I made a taper that was a week longer than I usually do. Oh, well. This taper has been so long that it's been like "what am I going to be doing? Oh, yes, I have a race soon." But I realized it too late to really do much about it.
Weather forecast: currently the race day forecast is COLD - high below freezing and low in the teens F. I don't mind the cold - better than warm, for me. The question to me is whether there will be significant snow on the ground. I think they got a few inches of snow this past week, but there have been a number of days above freezing and some Sun, so I am hoping the snow will be mostly gone. There may be another snow possibility a couple of days before the race, so we'll see how that turns out. An issue may be: how will I keep my straws from freezing? I have a long straw from my hydration reservoir and two shorter straws from small flasks in my vest pockets. Edited to add: Problems solved! I ordered insulating hose covers from Amazon. Who know they existed?
I'm driving up to the race area on Saturday so I can do some hiking on the trails and check out the condition. Also, that way I won't have to get up "stupid early" on race day to drive to the race in the dark. The down side is sleeping in a hotel bed and not my bed.
On a different topic, for the month of December, I'm doing a quick and easy daily strength challenge with a Garmin group: https://darebee.com/programs/fit-december.html
Monday
Health
I may have tweaked my right hamstring (or associated tendon) - up high where it inserts at the butt. I didn't notice an event where it happened, but it was pretty sore when bending over Saturday night. A bit better today (Sunday) and didn't really seem to bother my run.
For the fall, I made a 14-week training plan for the Tuckahoe 25k on Nov. 22, 2025; this was week 15. I was on the waitlist for that race. I removed myself from the waitlist for the Tuckahoe 25k and registered for the Naked Nick 25k on Dec. 14. Now to hope they don't get a bunch of snow/ice by then.
I adapted the original 14-week plan to be 17 weeks; this week was the third week of the taper leading up to the race. I realized that when I adapted my original plan, I made a taper that was a week longer than I usually do. Oh, well. This taper has been so long that it's been like "what am I going to be doing? Oh, yes, I have a race soon." But I realized it too late to really do much about it.
Weather forecast: currently the race day forecast is COLD - high below freezing and low in the teens F. I don't mind the cold - better than warm, for me. The question to me is whether there will be significant snow on the ground. I think they got a few inches of snow this past week, but there have been a number of days above freezing and some Sun, so I am hoping the snow will be mostly gone. There may be another snow possibility a couple of days before the race, so we'll see how that turns out. An issue may be: how will I keep my straws from freezing? I have a long straw from my hydration reservoir and two shorter straws from small flasks in my vest pockets. Edited to add: Problems solved! I ordered insulating hose covers from Amazon. Who know they existed?
I'm driving up to the race area on Saturday so I can do some hiking on the trails and check out the condition. Also, that way I won't have to get up "stupid early" on race day to drive to the race in the dark. The down side is sleeping in a hotel bed and not my bed.
On a different topic, for the month of December, I'm doing a quick and easy daily strength challenge with a Garmin group: https://darebee.com/programs/fit-december.html
Monday
- Before breakfast: foam rolling and stretching
- After work:
- 50 min easy
- T+D 62, no effect, T 37 F
- time: 50:01
- distance: 4.21 mi
- average pace: 11:52 (GAP ave pace: 11:51)
- splits: 12:01, 11:57, 11:36, 11:40, 13:00
- ave HR: 130 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 140 ft (corrected)
- route: Sligo Creek Trail
- comments: This route was paved, so it was not a trail run
- FIT December Group Challenge - time: 6:20
- 50 min easy
- Before breakfast:
- FIT December Group Challenge - time: 4:21
- Unilateral strength workout
- 4 x 6 each leg - straight leg reverse lunges with 20-lb vest + 30 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric step-up on bench with 10-s hold
- 4 x 6 each leg - heel taps from low step with 20-lb vest + 12 lb
- 10 each leg - isometric one-leg hip thrust with 10-s hold with 20 lb
- 4 x 6 each leg - hip airplanes with 20 lb
- Stretching
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 1:29:36
- distance: 5.29 mi
- average pace: 16:56
- incline: 1%
- Before breakfast:
- Core workout
- 90-sec plank with 20-lb vest
- 20 starfish
- 20 dead bugs
- 20 bird dogs
- 20 each side flutter kicks
- 20 bicycle crunches with hold
- 5 10-sec hollow-body holds
- 2 30-sec side planks
- 20 double leg lift/lowers
- FIT December Group Challenge - time: 10:01
- Foam rolling and stretching
- Core workout
- After work:
- 50 min easy
- T+D 65, no effect, T 37 F
- time: 50:00
- distance: 4.18 mi
- average pace: 11:57 (GAP ave pace: 11:47)
- splits: 11:57, 12:00, 11:37, 12:11, 12:14
- ave HR: 136 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 273 ft (corrected)
- route: neighborWorkout 1 - hood loop 1
- 50 min easy
- Before breakfast:
- FIT December Group Challenge - time: 5:00
- Workout 1 - first half, because I didn't have time for all of it
- 3 x 5 - suitcase squats with 62.5 lb + 20-lb vest
- superset
- 3 x 1 - unassisted chin-ups
- 3 x 5 - lat pull-downs with 49-lb bands
- 3 x 5 - bench presses with 62.5 lbaf
- After work:
- Hill repeat HIIT -- 13min easy + 3 x [7 x (20sec sprint uphill + 20sec walk downhill) + 4min walk downhill]
- T+D 71, no effect, T 37 F
- time: 40:00
- distance: 2.97 mi
- repeat splits: 9:08, 8:49, 9:09, 8:46, 8:32, 8:53, 9:32, 8:21, 8:32, 8:57, 8:34, 8:40, 9:09, 9:31, 7:49, 8:21, 9:09, 9:08, 8:32, 9:04, 9:40
- elevation gain: 202 ft (corrected)
- route: neighborhood loop 1
- Hill repeat HIIT -- 13min easy + 3 x [7 x (20sec sprint uphill + 20sec walk downhill) + 4min walk downhill]
- Before breakfast:
- FIT December Group Challenge - I forgot to start my watch until the last round, so I don't have a good time measurement.
- Workout 1 - second half, finishing the workout from the day before
- 3 x 5 - Romanian deadlifts with 62.5 lb
- superset
- 3 x 5 - shoulder presses with 45 lb
- 3 x 5 - band pull-aparts with 13-lb band
- After work: walk on treadmill
- time: 45:32
- distance: 2.63 mi
- average pace: 17:19
- incline: 1%
- Before lunch:
- FIT December Group Challenge - time: 6:54
- Walk on treadmill
- time: 43:19
- distance: 2.5 mi
- average pace: 17:20
- incline: 1%
- During afternoon: 2-hr tennis doubles match - my partner and I won 6-1, 6-4 - I played the best that I have in years!
- 90 min LR on trail
- T+D 74, no effect, T 44 F
- time: 1:30:00
- distance: 6.96 mi
- average pace: 12:56 (GAP ave pace: 12:47)
- splits: 12:50, 12:27, 14:22, 14:28, 12:29, 12:45, 12:26
- ave HR: 135 BPM - within my target range
- elevation gain: 417 ft (corrected)
- route: Valley Trail, Rock Creek National Park
- comments: I took 1.5 L of water + Nuun and drank about half of it. I ate three dried pineapple rings and had one serving of M&Ms before the run.
Health
I may have tweaked my right hamstring (or associated tendon) - up high where it inserts at the butt. I didn't notice an event where it happened, but it was pretty sore when bending over Saturday night. A bit better today (Sunday) and didn't really seem to bother my run.
Last edited:
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That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE
