Bibbity Bobbity Back Pain...a Midlife Crisis Journal

[choirbird]

Hello World! I am starting a training journal here to give me a place to rant about running so my friends don't disown me. I have been a Disney fan for about a decade, but took 2022 off when I had my son, with whom we spent a month down in Disney for his 1st birthday in 2023. We stayed offsite for the first time (my husband was working remotely) and it was a great experience hanging out with a baby! We took 2024 off due to my husband's layoff and our trying to buy a house, which we just did in May and we will be headed back for a regular vacation at the end of August for my birthday! BUT what if I told you...I could justify additional trips to WDW by making it be part of a fitness program? Girl math!

Returning to Running

As a lifelong gym class hater, I first completed Couch to 5K in 2009 while in college. I managed to lose about 60 pounds over the course of two years and in Summer 2010 I was running 4-5 miles 3 times per week and strength training twice a week. I graduated and became busy with Adult Life, and abandoned running. I had a couple other stints of training for and completing 5Ks but was never particularly consistent about it beyond that.

I'm now 36, almost 37, and have a 3 year old. I've lost 66 pounds since he was born but had not been exercising consistently. I started powerlifting at a CrossFit gym 2-3 days a week (another thing I've done periodically but not consistently for any length of time) and have been enjoying it. This July, on a whim, I signed up for the Runna app. I was inspired by a YouTuber who did C25K last August and is now training for her first Half Marathon. On July 5, I did my first run/walk run with Runna and LOVED it. For the first time, I had a goal of enjoying the runs - pushing myself just a bit so I improve, but not so much that I start dreading it.

After returning from my first run on July 5, I immediately signed up for a bunch of races. I'm having a midlife crisis or something. I'm not planning to treat those runs as races so much as Instances of Running in Public for Accountability.

A Moment of Destiny: runDisney

Four weeks later, I have been thrilled with how training has been going so far and today I completed my first 5K in years with a time of 41:59 (It was a speedwork run, not a race, but I did better than I expected, particularly in the heat and the day after deadlifts!). Yesterday, on another complete whim, I decided to look into runDisney and was shocked to find out that there were still places available for the Springtime Surprise 10 Miler. (I have since learned that this often happens because it's hot and a terrible idea...oh well!) I signed up and immediately revised my training plan to extend into April, and signed up for yet more races to keep myself on track.

Current Race & Training Schedule

August 2025
I am finishing the "Return to Running" 5K plan with Runna. I might end up skipping the last 2-3 runs because I will be at a retreat in Maine Aug 13-21 and then turning around and flying to Florida on Aug 23. I am OK with this, especially since I did complete a 5K today.

While at home in NJ, I will continue to lift 2-3 days a week at the Crossfit gym, although I anticipate that I will ask my coach to modify my training as time goes on to focus more on upper body and give my legs a break.

September-October 2025: 10K Training Plan
September 7, 2025: 5K (official goal: do it and enjoy myself; unofficial goal: complete in 40:00)
October 5, 2025: 5K (goal: improve in some form from September)
October 25, 2025: complete my first ever 10K (goal: finish)

November 2025-April 2026: 10 Mile Training Plan
November 23, 2025: 10K (I think this is a trail run actually)
December 13, 2025: 10K
January 1, 2026: 5K
February 14, 2025: 5K
March 29, 2026: 10K
April 19, 2026: Springtime Surprise 10 Miler <3

I know this is a midlife crisis/hyperfocus hobby, but I am already feeling more confident and am excited to keep growing along the way!

 

[choirbird]

Springtime Surprise Travel Plans

I will update this when I know more, but my current plan is to fly into MCO on Saturday, April 18 (arriving about 9am). I will attempt to wake up very early to run for several weeks before this race so the 6:00am flight shouldn't be too terrible. I'll be waking up by 3 on race day anyway.

I have to go to the expo at some point between 11-4. I'm not sure whether it makes more sense to drop off my luggage at Pop first, or take an Uber right to the expo...if anyone reads this, feel free to let me know your advice!

After the expo, I would like to have some (very light!) park time but nothing terribly crazy on my feet if possible...and then get to bed early. I also intend to do some mild carb-loading (gluten free) somewhere and put some breakfast in my hotel room. (Does the Pop quick service area have anything available for this?)

I am planning to get an early bus but whether I need to get the first bus or not will depend on advice I get along the way...I don't like to be late for things so I will probably be That Guy.

I hope to have some park time on Sunday and Monday, and maybe a little bit on Tuesday, before flying back at 2:11 on Tuesday. I could only take 2 days off work for this solo trip so I decided to take them after the race rather than before, because I didn't want to risk walking too much and hurting myself...

 

[nancipants]

Welcome, and congrats on returning to running! Looking forward to following along!

 

[Herding_Cats]

Welcome! (to your new obsession)

My midlife crisis/hyperfocus obsession with running is going on 5 years now.

Springtime Surprise Travel Plans

I will update this when I know more, but my current plan is to fly into MCO on Saturday, April 18 (arriving about 9am). I will attempt to wake up very early to run for several weeks before this race so the 6:00am flight shouldn't be too terrible. I'll be waking up by 3 on race day anyway.

Unless you're coming from a very different timezone, there's no reason to make yourself [potentially] miserable for several weeks leading up to race day. You'll have plenty of race-day excitement and adrenaline to get you up and moving.

I have to go to the expo at some point between 11-4. I'm not sure whether it makes more sense to drop off my luggage at Pop first, or take an Uber right to the expo...if anyone reads this, feel free to let me know your advice!

If you have more than just a carryon, drop off the luggage first. The expo is pretty spread out, and stairs can sometimes involved. You won't want to deal with suitcases AND looking at stuff.

*If you see pre-order merch that you REALLY want, order it as the expo will be very picked-over by Saturday.

After the expo, I would like to have some (very light!) park time but nothing terribly crazy on my feet if possible...and then get to bed early. I also intend to do some mild carb-loading (gluten free) somewhere and put some breakfast in my hotel room. (Does the Pop quick service area have anything available for this?)

Be sure to practice your carb-loading strategies before your long runs so you know what works/doesn't work for you.

I am planning to get an early bus but whether I need to get the first bus or not will depend on advice I get along the way...I don't like to be late for things so I will probably be That Guy.

Just don't wait until the last minute and try to catch the last bus. There are some things you can do pre-race (some character pics, usually a small disboards meetup at a specific lightpole) and it's about a 10-15min walk from the bus drop-off to the staging area. But there is also a lot of waiting around in the corrals.

I hope to have some park time on Sunday and Monday, and maybe a little bit on Tuesday, before flying back at 2:11 on Tuesday. I could only take 2 days off work for this solo trip so I decided to take them after the race rather than before, because I didn't want to risk walking too much and hurting myself...

This is a great plan! And the walking will be good active recovery.

 

[choirbird]

Training: July 31, 2025

0.95mi warm up at a conversational pace (13:04)
120s walking rest

---

6x:
0.10mi running, pushing the pace - 9:34; 9:29; 9:24; 9:34; 10:01; 10:17 - very proud of this honestly
90s walking rest

---

0.95mi cool down at a conversational pace - I did end up adding some walking into this, but I'm pleased with my average pace! (13:13)
120s walking rest

Overall I am VERY proud to have completed this workout, especially considering that Tuesday's workout was 0.95mi conversational pace x2 as the "working" part of the run! Today that was the warmup/cooldown!!! It was also hot and I did deadlifts yesterday, so I am extra stoked that my 41:59 5K time felt fairly easy. I added a bit of extra walking into the cooldown just to make sure I was enjoying myself and not feeling sick.

Race Time Predictions (just for fun - I don't expect this to be accurate, but I like data):

• Strava now predicts my 5K as 40:58 and 10K as 1:23:51.
• Runna now predicts my 5K in October as 39:30-43:00 and in February as 32-33:55
• Runna: my first 10K in October as 1:17-1:24
• Runna: 10 Mile time in April as 1:43-1:50. (I know with crowds & characters that this is unlikely at Disney!)

Tomorrow's plan: upper body lifting and some mobility stuff

 

[choirbird]

Welcome, and congrats on returning to running! Looking forward to following along!

Thank you! I'm looking forward to the community aspect!

 

[choirbird]

Welcome! (to your new obsession)

My midlife crisis/hyperfocus obsession with running is going on 5 years now.




Unless you're coming from a very different timezone, there's no reason to make yourself [potentially] miserable for several weeks leading up to race day. You'll have plenty of race-day excitement and adrenaline to get you up and moving.

If you have more than just a carryon, drop off the luggage first. The expo is pretty spread out, and stairs can sometimes involved. You won't want to deal with suitcases AND looking at stuff.

*If you see pre-order merch that you REALLY want, order it as the expo will be very picked-over by Saturday.

Be sure to practice your carb-loading strategies before your long runs so you know what works/doesn't work for you.


Just don't wait until the last minute and try to catch the last bus. There are some things you can do pre-race (some character pics, usually a small disboards meetup at a specific lightpole) and it's about a 10-15min walk from the bus drop-off to the staging area. But there is also a lot of waiting around in the corrals.

This is a great plan! And the walking will be good active recovery.

YAY thank you for the advice!!! I will definitely be trialing my fueling and such since I tend to struggle with dizziness and blood sugar fluctuations even in normal life, plus the celiac disease of it all...but I have plenty of "practice races" to practice. I will probably just do one smaller "fun" Disney meal on Saturday midday (if anything) and eat "boring" food Saturday night and Sunday early morning. Another bonus to doing the park days post-race!

I will drop the luggage at Pop first - I'm just doing a carry on, but crowds make me nervous as it is so it'll be easier to not be carrying anything major.

I already pre-ordered the spirit jersey and pin bundle! I'm not a huge merch person typically, but it's my first time and I didn't want to risk FOMO.

Glad to know that I can strike a balance between early and late bus...and I have to get to work at 7:30 as it is (and am better at working out consistently in the morning) so there's a good chance I will be waking up and running at 4am on weekdays anyway, so waking up at 2:30am for my flight on Saturday should be enough preparation for Sunday! Fortunately, I'm in NJ so FL is the same time zone. I do not envy the folks coming from the west coast...

Feeling pretty sore so I'm going to do some grad school work from an Epsom salt bath!