Dizzy Dancing Dope Runs Disney (comments welcome)

[dancingtodisney]

DizzyDancingDope@Disney

Disney Marathon Week 2016 I’m going Dopey

Welcome to my journal! I'm Karen a 27yr old dancer with a tiny bit of a Disney obsession currently taking on the biggest challenge of my life so far!

Ye so in reality I'm a full on Disneyworld addict, I run a dance school with my sister but I'm ac accountant to pay the bills and even though I live approximately 4,000miles away I’ve manage to visit a grand total of 7times and right now I’m planning my 8th. My last trip included my first ever RunDisney Race being the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November 2014. Since then I like running and I LOVE running at Disney.

I’m from a small town in Dublin, Ireland and within that town is a local cancer support centre that I hadn’t even heard of until my Mam started attending. That centre made a massive difference in my Mam’s life all throughout her treatment and recovery and I want to give back. Myself (27), my Dad (49) and my Sister (22) will all be travelling to Orlando in January 2016 to participate in the Dopey Challenge with the aim of raising funds and awareness for this wonderful support centre.

For those of you not familiar with the Dopey Challenge it's a 5k, 10k, half marathon and full marathon completed in four consecutive days. Ye ye I know what you're thinking ARE YOU CRAZY??! BUT most importantly it's in Disneyworld so you know it's going to be fun… right?!?

RIGHT?!?!

Our 'official' training started in April 2015, prior to our half marathon in November 2014 we had never really run. I sprinted a bit in school and I once walked and jogged a little bit in an official 10k but nothing more than that. We started with the couch to 5k programme and then just kinda ran a bit afterwards and that really was the extent of our half marathon training. The Wine and Dine Half was so much fun despite how under prepared we felt.

We've just completed Phase 1 of our training plan which finished up with a 10mile run in the Pheonix Park in Dublin. We've now just started Phase 2 and are working towards our first ever marathon! This will be the Dublin Marathon on October 26th 2015 and I'm so incredibly nervous! After our first marathon we'll continue our training until January 2016 when it'll be time to get DOPEY ​

 

[dancingtodisney]

Running Background

I’ve been running for just about a year and a half now, I started from scratch with a couch to 5K program with the aim of running a 10k in the summer of 2014 and a final goal of completing my first half marathon at Disney.

In July 2014 I ran a 10k race and finished in 1hr13mins48secs which I used as my proof of time for W&D 2014 with an estimated finish time of 2hrs40mins.

From then on I continued running regularly and by October 2014 I ran a training 10k in 1hr04mins10secs. We flew to Orlando on 24th October and had a fantastic holiday and ran not only our first ever RunDisney event but our first ever half marathon and the longest distance I’ve ever run. You can find a Wine and Dine recap in my TR from last year HERE.

I continued running when I returned home although not following any training plan, it wasn’t long before I was thinking about returning to Disney and after a discussion with Rachel we both decided that Dopey 2016 was going to be our next big goal. It wasn’t long before Dad was looking to join in on the action too and now it’s become a proper family affair!

The Cancer Support Centre in my hometown Balbriggan in Dublin, Ireland was holding a charity 10k event on St. Patricks Day 2015 so I decided this would be the perfect way to kick start my training RECAP HERE. Unfortunately Rachel wasn’t able to run as she was on holidays stateside in Vegas (lucky thing!) but my Dad ran it with me and my Mam and aunt also entered the walking section.

Shortly after we started our Dopey Training Plan

Training Schedule

I put together a training schedule that combines Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme Marathon training plan & Dopey Training Plan with some alterations to account for a 10mile run and a half marathon both to be considered for our proof of time for Disney. I've also made an alteration for the Dublin Marathon which will be our first ever. I've broken the training plan down into three phases.

Unfortunately I had a niggling knee issue that had been bothering me before the 10k but flared up more in the first training week. Initially I didn’t feel any discomfort or pain when running but it was sore and tight afterwards. This 'knee' problem turned out to be quite the issue and was actually caused by muscles in my quad that were in desperate need of attention. I started regular physio and although I continued training I also continued to have issues resulting in missed runs and LOTS of frustration!

We've just completed Phase 1 of our training plan which finished up with a 10mile run in the Pheonix Park in Dublin. We've now just started Phase 2 and are working towards our first ever marathon! This will be the Dublin Marathon on October 26th 2015 and I'm so incredibly nervous! After our first marathon we'll continue our training until January 2016 when it'll be time to get DOPEY

My only time goal for Dopey is to meet the pacing required of 16-minute per mile, my aim is to build up the endurance needed to finish Dopey.
​

 

[dancingtodisney]

RACE RECAP: St. Patrick’s Day 10K in aid of Balbriggan Cancer Support Centre​

Date: March 17th 2015
Location: Balbriggan, Dublin​

Entry Fee: €25 plus minimum €5 donation
Distance: 10KM​

I was feeling a bit nervous the morning of the 10k in my hometown of Balbriggan. This was my first official run in four months and I really wanted to get a good time so I’d know that my training had resulted in some solid progress.

My average pace on training runs leading up to this race was between 9mins 39secs and 10mins 11secs per mile and that felt very comfortable but was generally over a short distance of 3-4miles. My No.1 goal for this race was to set a PR for the 10k Distance
Goal No.1: Beat my official 10K PR
Official 10K PR Malahide Castle 10km July 2014: 1hr13mins48secs - average pace 11min52sec/mile (7min22sec/km)
Goal No.2: Beat my fastest 10K run
Training 10K 10/05/2014: 1hr04mins10secs – average pace 10mins19sec/mile (6min25sec/KM)
Ultimate Perfect Eveything Going My Way Goal : 10km in under 1hour
This was an all-time goal of mine from the time I started running! It seemed an impossible task back then but now a year in it was my secret goal of the day although I didn’t dare say it aloud because in my head I thought it was possible but that it would be seriously tight!​

Race Recap​

I got up and ate some toast with peanut butter and drove myself and my Dad into Balbriggan. My mam left earlier as the 10k walkers were first to set off at 8.45am. The half marathoners at 9.00am and the 10k runners were paddy last at 9.15am.
We parked at my grandparents’ house a short 5min walk from the start, I popped into the house to drop of my keys and was offered a cup of tea, I don’t think I’ve ever set foot in my grandparents’ house without my Nan offering me a cup of tea! I would have loved to sit and chill out with a nice cup of tea but I had a RACE TO RUN! (I may or may not have returned for tea later… you’ll have to wait and see… Oooooh the suspense)

We walked to the ‘staging area’ which was basically a small carpark off the main road. We passed some very serious looking runners that were running already to warm up. I don’t think I’ve ever run before a run to get warm, I mean it makes sense that you should warm up your muscles but it’s just that I already had a whole 10km to run and the last thing I wanted to do before I had to run was run ya know?? Instead I warmed up with some dynamic stretching (oooh check me out with my fancy running lingo) because I read somewhere that you should stretch with movement when you’re warming up.

A quick picture in the staging area:

See the blue balloons? They were the pacers for the race, more on them later!

There was just enough time for a quick toilet break before lining up at the start line. There were no corrals or anything it was a small enough event, I looked around a noticed that lots of people had really fancy numbers with their names and everything on it. I figured these were the serious runners!

Now I had continued running after our W&D Half in November, it was suggested that we tag along with the >60min balloon ladies setting the pace so we took up a spot beside them ready to start. My Dad had been given prior consent to go on ahead of us, I like running with company during a race but he was likely to finish a good bit ahead of us DESPITE being out on the town the night before with the lads he plays football with…!!

3-2-1… HERE WE GO… well kinda… we moved forward and I had no idea when we passed the actual start line but the crowd thinned quickly and there was plenty of space to run. We settled in behind the balloon ladies and I tried to get comfortable with the pace. I felt like we were going quite quick and was already convinced I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. The course started with a STUPID hill, one of those gradual but still steep goes on for ages kind of hills. It was tough and we had to push to stick with the balloon ladies! There were a few little groups of supporters out cheering which was really nice.

The first marker I saw was the 2KM mark and I was already feeling a bit tired. We stuck with the pace which still felt pretty quick and came across our first water stop which we both decided to pass, they were handing out full bottles and although I wouldn’t mind a small sip of water it seemed like a waste to take a full bottle.

I was feeling like this was the longest kilometer EVER so I pulled my phone out (using the Nike+ App) and realised we’d already passed 3KM! I figured we’d just missed the marker. We needed to keep a pace of under 6mins per KM or lower in order to break the hour mark and my phone was telling me our average pace was at 5mins45 which should be re-assuring but we were starting to lose a good bit of ground on the balloon ladies! I had a horrible stitch like pain in my side from about the 2KM mark and it was just not GOING AWAY! I took the odd very short walk break and tried stretching it out a bit by putting my hands behind my head which helped but then it came right back again… gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I was keeping an eye out for the 5KM mark and I planned to check our time at that stage to see just how much under the 30mins we were. The course was quite rural at this point as you can see from my race pic

It seemed to be taking FOREVER again to get to the next marker so I whipped my phone out and it told me we were past the 5KM mark… Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? I’m so confused! Also our average pace had creeped up to 5mins50secs…

We came across the 6KM marker right as the course came back out onto a main road. This was a sort of out and back and just as I came around the corner my Dad was passing on the other side…. YAH HEY DAD!!! He told me we were doing great and I got a massive boost seeing him and also seeing the balloon ladies again not too far ahead. I decided at this point that they seemed to be running with the aim of finishing with a pretty decent cushion under the 60min mark.

We grabbed a bottle of water and continued along the route to a turn around and back down the other side

I was feeling good and my hopes of sub 60mins were returning. That was until….. THE HILLS OF DOOOM!!!!!! There was a REALLY steep downhill followed by a REALLY steep uphill followed by the same again… AAaaaaaaah
I felt unsteady on the downhill parts and partially walked them or went with a slow jog. I got chatting to a girl with a Garmin and confirmed with her how she was doing pace wise as I wasn’t sure how accurate my phone was because we were running IN THE STICKS (countryside).

Some people were tricked by an 8KM marker which was actually meant for the half marathon runners who’s course was slightly different. EVENTUALLY we made it past the hills but at this stage we couldn’t see the balloon ladies at all which made me all kinds of sad…

I whipped out my phone and realised we were pretty much right on the button of 6min average pace and if we managed to do the final 2 and a half KM sub 6mins we could reach our goal. I consulted with my running buddy and although he was pretty tired too after THE HILLS OF DOOM we both really wanted to get that goal time!!

By now we were steadily overtaking walkers that were kindly giving way and giving us words of encouragement, we were passing some houses as well and people were out to support us too. Also on the other side of the road the half marathoners were running and there were lots of shouts back and forth which was cool. All of a sudden I felt great. The sitchy pain was gone, my legs felt great, my breathing was relaxed and I was confident I could do this!
The 9th kilometer flew by! It was partially downhill which helped and I was keeping a keen eye on my phone and providing updates to keep us both motivated. We ran round a roundabout and down a small hill where one of the locals from my area that I knew was there and shouted that we were doing great and got a snap of us running past

I could see finish line now but according to my phone we still had a bit of distance to do, the finish line looked too close to me, it was when we got closer we realised that there was a short out and back before it… HOW CRUEL!

I was still feeling good though and knew I had a bit left in the tank for a fast finish. As we ran up towards the finish line (on the opposite side of the out and back) we ran past two walkers and that started shouting at us, I realised it was my Mam and Aunt that had set of 30mins ahead of us to walk the 10K!! We’d over taken them right at the end! I also saw my Dad on the other side of the road at the finish and he cheered us on saying we were doing great, the balloons ladies were stopped just short of the finish line cheering on anyone that had been in our group, they saw us coming and gave us a massive shout of encouragement saying we could still get under the hour and encouraging us to COME ON!!!! Well that was all I needed, I had the energy left so I full on sprinted my way to the finish line, I had no idea who was behind me or beside me I just wanted to get to that finish line! The balloon ladies were delighted and kept cheering as I ran best them and my Dad and over the finish line. I wasn’t sure of my time from the clock over the finish but when I turned back soon after I saw that the time was around 59mins… WE DID IT!!!!!

A friendly lady approached me with a medal… I was a bit confused at first I kinda forgot all about getting a medal I was just so happy to get my goal!

Pretty Bling

My Dad was behind me now and gave me a massive hug. I grabbed an energy drink and a banana and around then my mam and aunt crossed the finish line. It was so much fun doing an event like this with my family. We went into a kind of barn building attached to the cancer support centre and collected our race goody bags that had some discounts for local stores, a protein bar and a pen. There was a drink and snacks area too so I picked up a cup of tea (HELL YEAH!), some biscuits and some brown bread.

The results were posted on a board shortly while we were chilling out and we went to check them out… only… we couldn’t find any of our names! Eventually I realized we were down as ‘late entry’ because we signed up within two weeks of the run. It then dawned on me that was the reason why other runners had fancy bibs with their names on. DOH!


Official Result:

Me randomer running buddy

Dad

My Mam and Aunt don’t have an official time as the walkers were not chipped (registration was also 5e cheaper).

We got a group photo taken

And hung around for a little bit before heading back to my grandparents. On our way back we walked by the course and cheered on the runners going past. There were half marathoners finishing only 20mins behind us???! SAY WHAAAAAAT????

Back at the house my uncle made us all sausage sambos (that’s sausage in a white bread sandwich with ketchup in case anyone is wondering) and my Nan made us a cup of tea… All is right with the world! ​

 

[dancingtodisney]

RACE RECAP: St. Patrick’s Day 10K in aid of Balbriggan Cancer Support Centre... CONT​

Finisher photos were posted soon after

BUT SOMEHOW I WAS MISSED OUT COMPLETELY… Boo L​

Race Evaluation​

​

Organisation: I was really impressed with how well organised the day was, I wasn’t too sure what to expect as Balbriggan isn’t a large town but the whole event ran so smoothly. My only complaint is with the lack of photos, there should be at least 1 on course photographer and I didn’t get a finisher photo L​

My Performance:​

I was so happy and proud of myself I actually felt emotional at the end. It was a long term goal of mine and I smashed it. SOLO DANCE PARTY

 

[dancingtodisney]

Frank Duffy 10Mile Pheonix Park - Race Recap


Date: Saturday 22nd August 2015
Location: Pheonix Park, Dublin
Entry Fee: €20
Distance: 10miles

Again I was nervous the morning of this run (becoming a running trend for official races) this time because of the problems I've been having with my right quad. I went for Physio the day before back in Dublin (I flew home from London for this race) and I was told that I was fine to run but that I should come back on the Monday for Dry needling.

Rachel and my Dad had already run a half marathon two weeks previous (the Rock 'n' Roll Dublin Half) in a time of 2hrs 25mins which is a pace of 11:04/mile.

Our goals today:

Goal A: Finish the race - this seems like an obvious one but with my injury I was worried

Goal A+: Beat the pace set by Dad and Rachel of the half marathon so that this race could also be a good POT especially for me as my half marathon wasn't until the end of September which is cutting it close for POT

Goal A++: 10miles in 1hr37mins which sits right at a pace of 9:45/mile which is about the pace I ran the 10k in earlier in the year.

Race Recap

The morning of the race we got up early, I ate my usual pre-run breakfast of a bagel with peanut butter and banana (I sometimes forgo the banana). Me and Rachel decided to wear our red minnie sparkle skirts for the first time as a sort of trial run for the Dublin Marathon and Dopey (and because I already want another one but felt I should try it out first!). I was also wearing my fitletic belt and filled both 80z bottles with power aid as there were water stops on the course.

We arrived and parked close to Phenix Park and made our way towards the start. This race was part of the official race series for the Dublin Marathon so it was really busy

We stopped to use the portable toilets, there were a few different groups of them and we walked further from the start for a shorter line. Soon after we lined up to start.

There didn't really seem to be an official start and before we knew it we were crossing the start line which was right when Dad realised his Nike Plus watch hadn't got satellite signal so me and Rachel ran on ahead and he caught us a few minutes later.

I was feeling good, my quad was taped up from phsyio the day before and my legs felt strong. The new sparkle skirt was comfortable and we got lots of compliments from fellow runners and spectators.

We were about a mile into the run when my positive outlook changed. Rachel was really struggling, she wasn't feeling great at all and we stopped for an early walk break. Unfortunately it was an uphill battle from there, she was getting really frustrated as she'd never struggled this early on. We were taking regular walk breaks and our pace was suffering which just added to the frustration. I had been sipping my poweraid and thinking I probably should have done one bottle power aid and one water as the first water stop wasn't until 4miles and it was quite warm and sweaty!

When we got to the water stop around mile 4 there were no cups left so all they had were the large water bottles they'd been using the fill the cups so we grabbed one of them that was about 1/4 full and shared it. It was so awkward to drink out of!

Random running pic of Rachel and Dad

We continued to push on, when we were running our pace was still about our usual running pace of 9:45/mile but our walks were more frequent and longer than usual. We continued getting lots of cheers for the 'minnie's' which was fun! The temperature however was more humid than we'd been used to which didn't help our situation. We were coming towards the half-way point when we were blessed with a long hill that gave us a little boost. At the bottom of the hill was this beauty

A fire truck spraying us with water... HEAVEN

We continued to push on and the course took us outside of park along the main road. We came back in to find our next water stop around 8mile and AGAIN it was a bit of a disaster with only large water bottles. We took another one to share. We took our final walk break about 500m out from the finish line. I was feeling good push to the finish before that but it just wasn't Rachel's day.

We got close to the finish line and the crowd support was great. The announcer shouted out my Dad's name saying that he must thinking 'I would've been finished AGES ago if it hadn't been for these two' which gave me a bit of a giggle because it's totally true! We finished strong as we normally do and collected our race bags and tech t-shirt but NO MEDAL... Seriously grinds my gears when there is no medal!

Myself and Rachel had to go straight to dance class to teach for two hours. My legs were TIGHT which I think is down to all the walking as they'd cool down and tighten up before we'd run again. We got a nice photo back home in our new shirts

My official finish time: 01:49:45
Pace: 10:58/mile

A new PR at the 10mile distance WHOOP!
(ye it was our first 10mile SO WHAT?! haha)







​

 

[dancingtodisney]

Week 1 - 24/08/2015

​

24/08/2015 - DRY NEEDLING & REST - Completed
25/08/2015 - REST - Completed
26/08/2015 - 3k run - Completed
27/08/2015 - 7k run Pace & Stretch&Strength - Completed
28/08/2015 - 4k run - Completed
29/08/2015 - Stretch
30/08/2015 - 15m run - Completed 12.5/15​

​

General

This week started out with dry needling on my right quad on Monday. It... was... PAINFUL! My physio told me I would need rest Monday and Tuesday but would hopefully be able to run Wednesday so I adjusted my plan accordingly. I decided to scale down the mid-week runs to the same distance but in KM instead of Miles (which is about 60% of the original plan)

I've got 9weeks of training until my first ever marathon! Wow that sounds scary!

I joined a running club in London. I've never been part of a club before but since I moved I've struggled a bit with motivation as I used to always run with my Dad and Sister. My long runs in particular I'm struggling with by myself so hopefully this club will work out well! My joining fee came with an initial assessment with a trainer. She had me running barefoot and also assessed my flexibility and strength. From this I was given a programme to follow around my running schedule that includes a stretches, rolling and strength exercises. Also as an added bonus I noticed that they sold my trainers (Brooks Adrenaline 15GTS) and when I asked about them they were being sold off at 50pounds each which was a lot cheaper than the original pair I bought earlier on the year (I was fitted in a running store if you're interested you can read about it HERE). I bought two pairs, unfortunately they only had one pair of 15GTS in my size but they did have a pair of the 14GTS so I tried them on and decided to get both. I figure I can easily break in the two new pairs between now and Dopey and I'll be sorted with three for the race weekend.

My main focus over the next 9 weeks is to stick to my training plan, I want to get the mileage under my belt without any more injury. To help prevent injury I'll be adding in the strength and strength programs to my timetable and rolling everyday. The strength training plan isn't super hardcore but focuses on building strength in my legs and core. I'm running a half marathon in week 5 and want to finish in under 2hrs25 as this is the time my Dad and Sister finished their half that they'll be using for POT for Dopey.


Week in Review

Mid-Week Runs

I am really happy with how this week went. The only downside was that all of my midweek runs were in the gym. I much prefer to run outside but it was a very rainy week in London and as I've only moved recently I've got two routes that I've tried and neither in the rain before. I've also not found a route near my job as I'm quite centrally located (Old Street near Shorditch for anyone familiar with the area) the streets are really busy all around my office so any lunch time runs will have to be at the gym which is conveniently located around the corner to my office. I did however feel GREAT after my midweek runs! I rolled and stretched each time and did a longer stretch session on Thursday as well as the strength training exercises I've been given. I didn't do the strength training Friday as I was a little sore from Thursday and wanted to make sure I could complete the 15m run on Sunday



Long Run

This weeks long run was scheduled for 15miles which would be a pretty big step up from the 10miles the week before. As I've mentioned before I am following a plan that is a mix of Hal Higdon's 10mile, novice supreme marathon and Dopy training plans. We were following the novice supreme marathon plan however we adjusted the week prior to the 10mile down to match the final week in his 10mile plan to insure we were in a good place for a run to get a good POT. As a result last weeks run was still at the right length of 10miles per the Novice Supreme Marathon plan as this was a step back week (our long runs alternate so every second weekend is shorter). It feels so strange calling a 10mile run a 'step back' week, that 10mile run was LONG!

So coming off the back of a difficult 10miler we also had another complication. Our family vacation this year was in Spain and we arrived on Saturday. I was traveling from London on a very early flight so I was up at 4am Saturday morning with about 3.5hrs sleep. We had checked the temperatures in advance and it was looking pretty hot indeed. So Sunday morning we get up at 5am (which is 4am home time) big sleepy heads on us and get ourselves dressed, eat my usual bagel with peanut butter. I strapped on my fitletic belt with both 8oz bottles filled with cold water. My Dad has a large sports bottle on his belt with water mixed with tabs and we all carry an additional 500ml bottle of power aid. I strap on my Garmin and we hit the road.

It was SO HOT!!! The air felt heavy as I tried to breath it in, I was sweating like crazy and I could already feel the additional effort this was taking just 1mile in. We took a short walk break and already felt defeated. We pushed on and it was tough, our pace was BAD, we usually run about 6mins a km and we were up at 8mins initially. We dropped a bottle of power aid and water around this point to pick up on our return. We got to about the 4mile mark and my sister was really struggling. There was a little meltdown had at this point and we walked it out and I said let's just get to the 10km mark and then we can reassess and continue or turn around if needed (we were doing an out and back). I should note at this point that my Dad was of course fine at this point as he always is because he is some sort of MACHINE! We continued with frequent walk breaks and made it to 10k when my sister was set on turning around. TBH I was happy to cut it short too as I was struggling with the heat pretty bad. We made the U-Turn and started running back.

Mentally the way back was easier. Rachel seemed happier and we ran some pretty good stretches without stopping. We started setting ourselves landmark targets that we'd run to without stopped as well. We did however realise at this point that we should have taken more fluids. The heat meant we needed more water, an extra bottle or two would have done it and had we frozen them and left them on our trail even to tip half over us and drink the rest would have been heaven. Physically I was starting to hurt more. My legs felt heavy and I was getting some discomfort in my shins and calf which I am putting down to wearing new runners. I was running for the first time in my new 15GTS which I know wasn't the best idea but I left my original pair of 15GTS back home in Dublin after the 10mile so I have them there to do my training runs anytime I'm home and for the BIG ONE… The Dublin Marathon!

Back to my run. We had a strong couple of miles on the return journey but the last few were tough. We were low and then out of fluids and really hot and bothered as the sun had started to rise. We made it back though and I didn't feel terrible afterwards. I was just HOT! I quickly caught my breath and enjoyed a cold drink of water and then felt like I could run more if necessary. So in the end we made 12.5/15. Not what we wanted but considering the circumstances I'll take it and I'm proud of us for getting through a second mentally tough run together.

Next week's long run is down as 16miles and we'll still be here in Spain. Wish me luck!
​

 

[dancingtodisney]

Running Shoes​

I've seen a lot of people asking questions about running shoes and going for an analysis to insure they buy the right runners so I thought it would be worthwhile to share my experience

Recently myself my Dad and Sister went to a running store where they analysed the way we ran barefoot and then recommended runners that would help correct any issues we had. I needed arch support and also stability as my knees were turning out slightly. I was recommended three difference shoes each from a different brand (Brooks, Asics & Sonia) and decided the Brooks Adrenaline 15GTS were the ones for me! They carried a pretty hefty price tag at €135. My sister was recommended three completely different styles as she required a different type of support (I believe her knees were bending slighting inwards) and it seemed like the guys in the store really knew what they were talking about. My sister and I bought the New Balance Cinderella RunDisney trainers at the Wine&Dine in November and they said we could continue running in them for our short runs and use the new trainers for the longer runs so we get more life out of them.

I’d been to one of the larger sports stores before and ran on a treadmill but the guy doing the analysis wasn’t a runner and it seemed like he just said some random generic stuff that could apply to anyone. We got lots of tips and advice so it was a pretty productive trip!
My New Trainers:

​

 

[LSUlakes]

I want to say I have seen your training program somewhere posted on this site (maybe) before and have read a little about your running. For some reason, I did not have a chance to comment on it at that time. You have a lot of new challenges coming up and they are exciting one for sure! The biggest thing I wish I wasn't so focused on for my first marathon was having a time goal. If you have one, let it go and just enjoy the experience. Its hard to achieve a time goal for your first marathon, and finishing your first, and being disappointed because you did not meet your goal is a waste of a really great moment.

If I may, I would suggest reducing the long run miles before your half that you plan on using to submit for POT for Disney. I say this, based on the assumption that the 18 miler will be your longest run to that point, and will require a little more recovery than expected. Since you want the best run possible, you would want your legs as fresh as possible for the half. I would change up the runs leading up to the half by changing 9/22 to 4 Mi, 9/23 -6, 9/24 - rest, 9/25 - 4 Mi 9/26 - Rest, 9/27 - Half Marathon. The 18 miler is important, but maybe moving it the week before and running 12 the week before the half would be best. I do admit though, that you will end up with 3 hard long run weeks in a row.... If a coach has reviewed your plan, then disregard everything I have said because that person will know a lot more about your running then I will.

I also noticed you ran a 10 mile race... You may have commented on it already and I am sorry I haven't had the chance to get through everything... How did it go? If you had a good run, it may be better to use it for your POT... (I noticed a place holder for the 10 mile Race)

Sorry for the poor structure and many grammar mistakes. Just wanted to make a few comments on what I was able to cover to this point. Good luck with your training program and enjoy the 16 miler this weekend!

 

[dancingtodisney]

31 /08/2015 - REST - Completed by the pool soaking up the SUN
01/09/2015 - 4m Run - Completed
02/09/2015 - 8m Run PACE- Completed 7m/8m
03/09/2015 - 4m Run - Unscheduled rest taken
04/09/2015 - REST - Completed
05/09/2015 - 16m Run - Completed
06/09/2015 - REST - Completed

TOTAL MILEAGE: 27 Miles​

General

So we're still in sunny Spain this week! I fly home to London Saturday evening the day of our 16mile run. This is a big one. This will be the longest run I have ever done. Last week would have been at 15miles but we only managed 12.5miles which is shorted than the half marathon I completed last year. I feel ready for it this week unlike last. We learned a few lessons last time and we've more time to adjust to the weather now as well.

After the 'difficult' run last weekend I was thinking about what we could do differently in particular to help our mental game as I feel like that really defeated us on the out portion. I've been suggesting for a while now that we try run /walk intervals which we kinda already do but with no real structure. We take a walk break when we 'need' it but when we're having a bad run we tend to 'need' more which is what happened last weekend. Not only that but when we stop the length of the walk break is not specified. If we're running strong it'll be just enough to get some fluid maybe a cliff block and slow our breathing down a bit so we're talking 40secs - 1min. On a difficult run when we're struggling it could be upwards of 2mins. I feel like having a set interval will help, I know for me if I'm struggling and feel I 'need' that break and look at my watch and see that I've only 30secs to go until a scheduled break (or you've got a landmark up ahead like a water stop in a race or a set point we've agreed to stop at) I'll push that extra bit and take the break then. With it being so hot I figure a 4:1 run/walk interval would be a good place to start.

I'll also start including our average pace on here for reference.


Week in Review

Mid - Week Runs

01/09/2015 - 4m Run
For our first run of 4miles we stuck with our original style of stopping when we needed it and it was an alright run overall. I actually probably struggled most this time with sore legs, not where I've been having issues in my quad but again in shins and calf and I think this could still be down to breaking these new runners in.

We did an out and back along the same route, we're happy with the route, there is a good path and it's well lit which we need as we've been running before sunrise to avoid the heat.

Our pace for this run was 12:09/mile

02/09/2015 - 8m Run
This was a great run! Rachel had been feeling ill so didn't join us this morning. We decided to try the 4:1 intervals so I programmed that into my Garmin 220 and off we went. We had plenty of fluids with us and I settled in easily to the structure of the intervals.

The first time we stopped I did feel it was a bit soon to need a walk break but easily but the second stop I was starting to feel the heat again. By the time we were hitting the 4th and 5th interval I was pushing myself to get through those 4mins before talking a walk. Just as I suspected I would want to stop but took a look at my watch and push until the next walk break instead. I also noticed that the walk breaks felt really short. Like I would breath deeply take a sip of water and poof 40secs were gone and it was almost time to run again. This makes me think that we were taking long walking breaks before.

Only once did we break from the scheduled stops and it was about halfway through. We took an extra min walk followed by a 3min run to stay on the interval notifications from my Garmin. Other than that we were pretty strict.

So with the run being quite strong why did we cut it 1mile short? Well… we didn't realise we did! We obviously hadn't checked our plan properly and thought we were only down for 7miles… DOH!

Our pace was 11:13/mile so I guess that speaks for itself, a better pace on a longer run.

03/09/2015 - 4m Run
We took an unscheduled rest today. We've been struggling to sleep with the heat (about 80degrees overnight), we're staying in my uncles villa and there is NO AIRCON! I was having a great sleep when my alarm went off at 6am and so too were Dad and Rachel so we quickly agreed to sleep in and try and catch up on some lost Zzzzzzzz's. It was the right choice. I slept for another 4hours. We are on holiday after all so I'm not going to be too hard on us for skipping this one.

Long Run

05/09/2015 - 16m Run

Today we were up at 4.45am on the last day of our vacation in Spain to run the longest distance we've ever run. I got up and had two slices of bread with peanut butter and two cliff blocks. This time we were more prepared hydration wise. I filled my bottles for my fitletic belt with water, my dad had a full sports bottle with water mixed with a hydration tablet and we each carried a 500ml bottle of water and poweraid. We froze some of these bottles that we'd be dropping off along our route. We started with a short 2.5km out and back in the opposite direction to which we normally run. From there we continued out to do a 10km run along the path we’d been running all week. It was a little bit cooler today which was so nice!

We decided to use the 4:1 intervals again and I feel like they worked really well. I felt comfortable and never out of breath. The route was quite hilly and I found that tough on my right leg (the one always causing me problems) and I could feel every now and then a slight twinge in my right knee but nothing major.

We dropped a few bottles on the way out and took sips of our fluids on each walk break and a cliff block about half way out. Eventually we came to our turn-around point. We had driven the same route the night before for dinner and it still amazes me how far 16miles is and just how far we had run at the half way point! By half way I think we had taken maybe 2 or 3 longer walk breaks making it 3:2 on those intervals.

I’d say we got about halfway back when he hit a bit of a struggle, my legs at this point were TIRED but other than that mentally I felt good and my breathing was steady as was our pace. We took an extended walk break and a cliff block. From here on out it was more difficult, Rachel was starting to struggle a bit and we had a few more extended breaks between our intervals but still the intervals provided us with good targets to aim for running wise. Collecting the frozen bottles was so nice, by this stage they were just really cold and the poweraid was a welcome boost. We managed ok until about 2miles short of the end when it got really tough, Rachel was getting some pains and running became more difficult but I think for me I feel the last few miles is the mental challenge. My legs were shot at this point, they felt like jelly and were really tired but I knew I was going to finish and mentally I felt strong so I was fine running, putting one foot in front of the other and just getting closer to home. The funny thing was even when Rachel was the one to ask for a longer walk when she actually ran and had her head in it I was struggling a bit to keep up with her! At some point during the run something funny happened with my Garmin, it beeped to signify the end of a lap (being 1km) at 3mins which was not right but yet my distance compared to my Dad and sister was about .2miles short. So strange!

Running to the end I was still feeling good and already proud that we had managed the full distance, I had to run past our finish point and loop around our complex to complete the full 16miles on my Garmin.

I’m so so happy with this run! Not too long to celebrate though, next week is 18miles
​

 

[dancingtodisney]

I want to say I have seen your training program somewhere posted on this site (maybe) before and have read a little about your running. For some reason, I did not have a chance to comment on it at that time. You have a lot of new challenges coming up and they are exciting one for sure! The biggest thing I wish I wasn't so focused on for my first marathon was having a time goal. If you have one, let it go and just enjoy the experience. Its hard to achieve a time goal for your first marathon, and finishing your first, and being disappointed because you did not meet your goal is a waste of a really great moment.

If I may, I would suggest reducing the long run miles before your half that you plan on using to submit for POT for Disney. I say this, based on the assumption that the 18 miler will be your longest run to that point, and will require a little more recovery than expected. Since you want the best run possible, you would want your legs as fresh as possible for the half. I would change up the runs leading up to the half by changing 9/22 to 4 Mi, 9/23 -6, 9/24 - rest, 9/25 - 4 Mi 9/26 - Rest, 9/27 - Half Marathon. The 18 miler is important, but maybe moving it the week before and running 12 the week before the half would be best. I do admit though, that you will end up with 3 hard long run weeks in a row.... If a coach has reviewed your plan, then disregard everything I have said because that person will know a lot more about your running then I will.

I also noticed you ran a 10 mile race... You may have commented on it already and I am sorry I haven't had the chance to get through everything... How did it go? If you had a good run, it may be better to use it for your POT... (I noticed a place holder for the 10 mile Race)

Sorry for the poor structure and many grammar mistakes. Just wanted to make a few comments on what I was able to cover to this point. Good luck with your training program and enjoy the 16 miler this weekend!

HEY! Thanks for reading and for your comment!

Yes I posted it before on the Marathon thread actually...
Thanks very much for the advice on the first marathon. We've got a sort of time goal but it's not really important to us more of a calculation of how long we think it will take. For us it will be a MASSIVE achievement to cross that finish line and that's the big goal for the day.

Yes I think you're right there. I didn't want to miss the 18miler but ye I think it's a bit dangerous the week before the half. I might do as you've suggested and swap with the 12mile. As you've said that'll be three tough runs in a row but I think after running last week and tomorrow in this HEAT in Spain we might be tough enough for the 18 next week. I don't have a running coach so all input is welcome!

I've just posted up my race recap now. I think it'll be pretty close, the 10mile run was a pace of 10:58/mile and all three of us ran that. The half marathon that my Dad and sister ran was 11:04/mile but it's a longer distance so I was thinking that would give a better finishing time for the POT for Dopey?!

Thanks again for the comment and the good luck tomorrow. 5am start on the last day of our holiday. That's Dopey for you!

 

[roxymama]

I just read through your thread @dancingtodisney

I feel like a kindred spirit because I am both a dance teacher (so I like your screen name) and Irish...well "Chirish" aka Chicago Irish. My mom is 100% Irish and second generation (parents hail from County Cork) and my Dad is like 90% Irish. I live on the southside of the city in an area that is pretty much "little Ireland."
Looking forward to your training recaps!

 

[dancingtodisney]

I just read through your thread @dancingtodisney

I feel like a kindred spirit because I am both a dance teacher (so I like your screen name) and Irish...well "Chirish" aka Chicago Irish. My mom is 100% Irish and second generation (parents hail from County Cork) and my Dad is like 90% Irish. I live on the southside of the city in an area that is pretty much "little Ireland."
Looking forward to your training recaps!

Oh really?! What kind of dancing? I've just started reading your journal but I didn't see anything about it just yet. I teach street dance / hip-hop!
Oh that's cool... you can join me in my campaign for an Ireland pavilion in Epcot. I mean seriously, there are so many Irish or Chirish or American Irish I can't believe there isn't one already. AND Guinness and Butlers Chocolate in the UK... REALY?! Rant over haha

I've always wanted to visit Chicago, I have relatives in New York so I've been there but other than that it's only Orlando I've travelled to (well and Tampa). Good to know there are lots of Irish in your area

Thank you, I'll have to update shortly, I'm just back from my 16mile run!! That's the longest run I've ever done! Before that it was the wine & dine half marathon last November.

I'll hopefully get through the rest of your journal today and then you can count me in as your newest cheerleader!

 

[roxymama]

Swing dancing, lindyhop, charleston, jazz, etc. my husband is my partner and teaches too
I teach outside of my regular non-glamorous sales job.
We don't really compete anymore but I kind of miss that.
And we dance less and less now that we are parents.

One reason running is working for me is that it's replacing some of the exercise dance used to provide for me.

I'm on board for an Irish pavilion!!! It's cool you say you have relatives in New York because that's where my mom was born and raised

 

[dancingtodisney]

Swing dancing, lindyhop, charleston, jazz, etc. my husband is my partner and teaches too
I teach outside of my regular non-glamorous sales job.
We don't really compete anymore but I kind of miss that.
And we dance less and less now that we are parents.

One reason running is working for me is that it's replacing some of the exercise dance used to provide for me.

I'm on board for an Irish pavilion!!! It's cool you say you have relatives in New York because that's where my mom was born and raised

Oh wow that's cool! I've tried partnered dancing before but just salsa, it was great fun! Ye that's just like me, teaching outside of my job as an accountant!
I can imagine it's difficult to find the time and with your running as well...

New York is amazing I love it! I'm hopefully going to get back there soon

 

[SarahDisney]

I finally found some time to sit down and read through your journal.

I love that you're doing Dopey to raise funds and awareness for the cancer center - that's such a great way of giving back!

I really enjoyed reading your detailed race and run recaps. I'm really a beginning runner and don't know much about running, so I really appreciate being able to read about other people's races and training run experiences.

Thanks for sharing your story!

 

[dancingtodisney]

I finally found some time to sit down and read through your journal.

I love that you're doing Dopey to raise funds and awareness for the cancer center - that's such a great way of giving back!

I really enjoyed reading your detailed race and run recaps. I'm really a beginning runner and don't know much about running, so I really appreciate being able to read about other people's races and training run experiences.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Thanks for reading!

Yes we'll be hoping to try and raise a nice sum between the three of us and my job have said that they match anything I raise up to $1,000 so that's our initial target. It would be really nice to be able to give back to a place that really made a difference for us and I'm sure many others.

Thank you, I'm no expert that's for sure but through trial and error as well of forums like this I'm definitely learning a few things along the way. I really enjoy reading race recaps too! My next race is in just over two weeks and it's my first half marathon since Wine&Dine last year.

 

[dancingtodisney]

I got some photos from our 10mile run online (just thumbnails) but LOOK HOW HAPPY I AM

This is the only one from the course I think

The rest are from our sprint to the finish!

This has to be one of the happiest running photos I've ever seen

 

[roxymama]

In the fourth pic down you have "disney princess arms"...this is what I call it when the photogs catch me mid-wave

 

[SarahDisney]

I love those pictures! You're smiling in pretty much every picture!

 

[dancingtodisney]

In the fourth pic down you have "disney princess arms"...this is what I call it when the photogs catch me mid-wave

Ha so true! I'm a natural

I love those pictures! You're smiling in pretty much every picture!

Thanks! We do look pretty happy in the photos which was mainly because we were finally at the finish line!