Don't Just Fly.... Soar! A couch to Dumbo training journal (comments welcome)

[AZMermaid]

Hello Run Disney Friends!

I am officially signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge! Hey- as I typed this, I remembered my family was picked for Double Dare at the AZ State Fair in the early 90s. We made it through the first round where we put chicken hats on and peaked balloons with the beaks, but got knocked out in round two where my parents had to shake pies off their butts into a tube. So- basically what I am saying is I have this Double Dare thing covered! So that's it- training over.

No? Okay. Well then let's get this started. I am a friend, wife, mom, teacher and trying to be a better runner. I ran Track and Cross Country in high school and then quit to party I mean study in college. Many many years, two kids and too many McFlurries later I found myself very overweight and out of shape. I decided to get back into running using the Couch to 5K model. It took a few restarts and tries- but it worked. DH and I ran Avengers 10K in 2015 and 2017 and then ran Princess Challenge in 2019 for DH's 40th birthday. DH said he will never run another Half again, but I loved it. I loved running through Magic Kingdom and the castle and all the people and all the things! Then covid hit and some people got fit.... I did not. I went back to the couch. Argh!!!! I decided I wanted to do Marathon Weekend 2024 because it aligned nicely with my school schedule (I teach first grade). But then Disney announced the return of the DL races. We live in Arizona so those are much easier logistically. I decided if we got in, I would do that instead. Well- I am in and here we are! I am hoping this journal helps me stay motivated and accountable. Thanks for reading along!

Goals:
Finish the C25K program
Run a full 5K
PR the 5K
Run a 5K under 30 minutes
Maintain a 3 day a week 3-4 mile run through the summer
Complete the Hot Chocolate 15K in December
PR the Half Marathon
Go under 2:45 in the HM

Adult PR/ This training cycle PR
5K 31.37/ 37.53 3/4/23
10K 1:08.01/
HM 2:59.38/

Me from Disneyland December 2022- I found this Sweatshirt in the hotel gift shop and guarded it while my 10 year old got my wallet from DH. She thought I was insane. But we never saw it again the whole trip.... sooooo...... who was right?

Princess 2019

This one is funny because I grew a head!

DH and I in the 10K

 

[AZMermaid]

C25K Week 3 Day 2.

I ran this today after securing the Dumbo Dare race. It was cold (for AZ- mid 50s haha) and kinda rainy. I took the day off to register. If I tell 6 year olds to work quietly and independently, they hear come tell Mrs B about every thought they have ever had. Last week I had two kids screaming at each other about whether "Ohio is sus." Best fight this year! Is it? I am not sure? I didn't think they knew about Ohio. They also predicted a Spanish Coin may have come from Indiana a few days ago. Geography isn't our strength. Anyway, My starter route takes me through a park and the grassy hill is sorta killing me. I think next time I will just go around even though I will probably finish before coming back home. I have done C25K enough times to know I will probably need this route for week 4 anyway. Also my eye looks weird in this picture. I realized my hair went in front of it. But overall this felt decent. Run Pace was 10:18 but I walked the last 30 seconds because of the grass issues.

 

[azrivest]

Great title, really appropriate for the Dumbo challenge

 

[AZMermaid]

I may have Googled Dumbo quotes….

 

[DopeyBadger]

Excited to follow along!

 

[xjillianpaige]

Ohio is definitely sus.

Following along!

 

[lookingforsunshine]

Hello, fellow teacher! I teach the opposite end of the spectrum… college students. They, too, though would agree that Ohio is sus. Granted we live in Ohio and thus can confirm.

 

[AZMermaid]

Hello, fellow teacher! I teach the opposite end of the spectrum… college students. They, too, though would agree that Ohio is sus. Granted we live in Ohio and thus can confirm.

Oh man! That’s the other end for sure!

Thanks to everyone for following along!

So apparently the Ohio thing is from a song that’s on the internet? I just found that out today. Its really just one kid, but he is saying Ohio like 50 times a day!

I ran Week 3, day 3 today. I’m on the upswing of a slight chest cold and felt it today. I’m still struggling with the final run and I went around the park, guess it wasn’t the grass! But I’m glad I got out and did it! I should repeat… but I’m gonna move on. I’ll repeat in week 4 if needed.

 

[AZMermaid]

Ran W4D1 today. Basically 3 min, 5 min, 3 min, 5 min with walking in between. I didn't make the last 5 min. Ugh! I did 2/1/2 basically. But it felt good. It was not freezing today so that was a plus.

I currently have 8 5th grade girls at my house for my daughter's birthday sleepover. It. Is. Loud.

 

[AZMermaid]

C25K week 4 Day 2. I did it! I ran the full second 5 minutes! I was reading another thread and DopeyBadger was saying people often run too fast. I decided to jus5 go for completion and took it slow and steady. I was tired… but I finished it. Woot! I almost Didn’t make it out because my daughter took For.Ev.Er at Target but got home just in time.

I also recomitted mentally to Weight Watchers. I lost About 25 lbs from July to Oct and then fell off the wagon and gained about 5 back. I’ve been paying this whole time, of course, but I’m back on! I’m hoping to lose another 15-20 before we go to Aulani in late July.

 

[GollyGadget]

Yay! Slowing down is such good advice. It can be difficult to do at first but I love my slow easy runs now.

 

[SheHulk]

I also recomitted mentally to Weight Watchers. I lost About 25 lbs from July to Oct and then fell off the wagon and gained about 5 back. I’ve been paying this whole time, of course, but I’m back on! I’m hoping to lose another 15-20 before we go to Aulani in late July.

I’m a WW devotee too! The only approach that leads to lasting results for me.
Congrats on the running victory too!

 

[AZMermaid]

I’m a WW devotee too! The only approach that leads to lasting results for me.
Congrats on the running victory too!

Works for me when I stay on program

 

[AZMermaid]

It has been a pretty decent week training wise. I continue to plod along with C25K completing week 5 this week. I am slow but completing all the workouts. I even got up early Thursday and ran before work. It was still dark but fine. It did feel good to get it done early.

Personally work has been crazy. Well, all is well in first grade. There has been some Drah- Mah in 5th grade. Whooooooo boy! And my daughter is in 5th grade so that adds a layer to things. When they were little I never wanted them at my school for a few reasons and one being- I know too much. I am sure there is drama everywhere but sometimes not knowing is better. But during covid, their district was really struggling with communication and such so I moved them with me. We have School Choice in AZ- you can go anywhere as long as it isn't full. Which my school became full because their district was struggling so much- but I digress. Anyway- lots of drama and tears this week. My son also broke his wrist and had surgery a month ago. He is a swimmer and has his State Meet next weekend. We thought cast was coming off on Thursday but no- it was a move to a waterproof cast. It is a step forward but still a huge bummer. It is removable and they gave him the okay to take it off to race.... but he can hardly move his wrist. So that decision is weighing over us too.

But with all that.... I did a race today! I did the Nun Run 5K in Tempe, AZ. I have done races at this park before and had signed up with my mom quite a long time ago. When I look for local races- I look for cost, dates, location and this one fit the bill. My mom got injured so it ended up being just me. I knew I haven't completed C25K yet but today was the 20 minute run. I figured I would do that and then see how it felt from there. I was hoping to be under 40 and had a distant thought that under 38 would be great. A few thoughts on the race:

- There were a lot more people than I expected. Results have 390 in the 5K and there was a 10K too. Not Run Disney by any means, but in my head this was a dinky little race- not so.
- I thought it was the same course I ran last time and a few times in the past. I learned same park does not mean same course. This one was roughly backwards which meant the hilly parts were all at the end.
- There were no mile markers. I only was using the C25K app so I had no idea what my overall pace was or how far I had to go. Only that there were a lot of hills the last mile, lol! and I mean park hills, so small- but they seemed bigger!
- The 10K went off 30 minutes before the 5K. I initially was worried about this timing because their course was two loops. I thought they'd all be passing me but I didn't see them or notice them to feel impacted by this. What did happen was the kids 1 mile went off 30 minutes after us. As I came down past the park lake, all of a sudden a ton of kids run past me coming from around the lake. My first thought was "What?! We have to go around the lake still?" I had looked at the course map but didn't really remember. It felt like we should be close to done. They kept coming and sprinting and then walking and sprinting and walking like kids do. Most seemed in the 4-8 year old range and I couldn't figure out where they were all coming from! There had been kids on the course sure, but not this many. Finally it dawned on me that they were from the mile.
- Panera cookies at the end makes up for lack of mile markers.

There was no clock at the finish. I knew it had started a couple minutes after 8 and it was 8:42. I was like ok. I was right around 40 minutes. I will have to see what my official time was. No board anywhere. I got my water and cookies and made my way back to the car where I checked on the website. I finished in 37:53.9- a full 5 minutes faster than my last 5K in November! Woot!!!!! I am super happy about that!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Congrats on a great race!

 

[AZMermaid]

Thank you!

In Tucson for my sons meet. I had some hopes of running this morning but it involved getting up at 5:15 and I slept terribly. Have clothes to run but unlikely I’ll get a chance.

He had a good swim this morning in the relay- actually a slight PR which is great news for his wrist. Getting out of the pool is still a bit rough. But we are here and making the best of things!

 

[LSUlakes]

If you dont mind me asking, which c25k program did you decide to go with? I am about 3 weeks away from starting one that is 6 weeks long that I found off runners world website. I think the first time I did one over 10 years ago it was maybe 8 or 12 weeks. I didn't have garmin then to keep records and it was all on a app I no longer have. Best of luck with the remainder of c25k and your future goals!

 

[AZMermaid]

Oh hey guys, where have you been? Oh. Me. So much for updating this thing!

But I’ve officially started Dumbo training as of a few weeks ago. I’m using Hal Higdon which Iused for Princess a few years ago successfully.

I was pretty successful with my goal to run throughout the summer. I didn’t do as well as I wanted, but I kept moving forward. The summer was brutally hot with the most 110 degree days on record by a lot. I know you can’t count on cooler weather until Halloween and sure enough, it was still 100 up and down until two weeks ago. But it’s been beautiful the last week or so. 93 today though. But more importantly…. The lows are great! Upper 50/low 60!

So as I started to get closer to start time and was still struggling to keep running even 3 miles…. I really contemplated switching to a run/walk. I’m not getting younger (or thinner unfortunately). I didnt really know where to start. I decided to keep with the full run on the shorter runs but run/walk the weekend long run.

I generally use Map My Run and listen to podcasts when I run. I looked up some free interval apps you know, at 6:30 this morning minutes before my run! Found a simple one and got started with my 4 miler. it’s going great and beeping away. But I have it set for 60/30 and I’m like the walk seems awfully long. So I dig my phone out of my sparkle skirt and realize it’s only beeping at the run, not the walk. I’m not sure if they assumed I’d be looking at my phone in the walk? But anyway, that’s not gonna work. Around this time I ran into a teacher friend and her husband and I felt slightly embarrassed to be fiddling with my phone instead of running. But okay. I sorta Ran/walked a while looking at the app and on the walks looking for a new timer.

I found one and it beeped at all the right times! Woot! Around this time Map My Run told me I had gone a mile at 12:53 which is not that much slower than the run pace I’d been doing despite more than expected walking. Hmmm….. interesting. So I keep going and hit the two mile mark. My split was 11:23. I was shocked. my full run is usually 12:30 more or less. I was like dang. It’s true. It’s faster!

Oh! But now I had a new problem. When MMR went off telling me my splits, it stopped my podcast. That wasn’t happening before the addition of the timer. Then when I turned it back on, it was super soft. Argh! I just cranked the volume and figured I’d get blasted at some point when it fixed itself. So I keep run/walking and am feeling good. I make my way around to the park and think it’s weird I haven’t hit 3 miles yet. Well….MMR stopped. This happened last weekend too! Argh! I restart it but now I’m annoyed because I dont have a great feel for my splits.

I passed by my friend again and was happy to be running this time! They had donuts and Starbucks from the local Safeway which looked good. I get back around and MMR says it’s 3.6 miles. I had mapped it before and knew I should be at 4. But this also is about what it said last week. I look at the map and there are no breaks So I looped around a bit more to hit 3.8 and decide I’m good with that. Ifelt good. I was a bit tired at the end but it really felt so much better. MMR had me at 11:54 on the glitchy mile and 11:35 for the last one.

So at home I map it out again and the route was 4…. So I went slightly over! Yay but hmmm…. I go old school and drive it out, yep 4. so I’m very happy I did do the right mileage but need to figure a few things out this week.

1- maybe a new app besides MMR. Free is ideal, but not necessary if there is something great.

2- figure out if using my Apple Watch would streamline things at all. I have one I hardly wear. My son gives me a hard time for that so I know he’d love to see me wear it. I only use it as a clock. I’m not very techy.

In other news…. After looking for two years… I found Christmas Tree Cakes at Walmart!

 

[AZMermaid]

If you dont mind me asking, which c25k program did you decide to go with? I am about 3 weeks away from starting one that is 6 weeks long that I found off runners world website. I think the first time I did one over 10 years ago it was maybe 8 or 12 weeks. I didn't have garmin then to keep records and it was all on an app I no longer have. Best of luck with the remainder of c25k and your future goals!

Sorry I know this is soooooooo late, but I use the one by Active. It’s blue and says 5K on it!

 

[AZMermaid]

Oh! In other other news…. I got to go to the World Series! Not the result we were hoping for- but it’s been exciting around here lately!