Every Mile is a Miracle

[KSellers88]

LOVEEEE Bay's face at that finish line and love the RNR Vegas report! Really makes me want to join you next year, but we will have to see how other plans go first. Great updates!!

 

[jennamfeo]

Great race reports! RnR Las Vegas is on my bucket list. At the expo for RnR Philly this year they had a giant display for Las Vegas and it was soooo tempting. For some reason I had the idea that it was a NIGHT race, like it started at midnight or something. If it's 5PM that's much more reasonable. Your pics make it look amazing and if I were you I'd buy 10 pairs of those shoes, they are the cutest ever. Also congrats on a) your AG prize and b) having a whole family that runs!

Thank you! Yeah, the race started at 5pm and sunset was around then, so you got the feels of nighttime without it being super late.

RnR Vegas is on my bucket list too! I would love to party run it with you next year, but next fall is already looking very busy, so we'll see if I can swing it.

I love the smile on Bay's face as she's crossing the finish line! Congrats on the age group awards!!

YAY!! And yeah, Bay's face made my DAY.

Oh hey cool, I'm not a real runner.
Sorry, this "real runner" thing drives me crazy. Some people run better when they take walk intervals. Others find that it's easier to just run without changing their stride. Some people prefer to "get in the zone" with their own music. Others feed off the race energy and enjoy themselves more when they're taking in the atmosphere with no interruptions. It doesn't make any one group real runners and the other group not real runners.
We go out (or to the nearest treadmill/indoor track), we run, that makes us real runners.
Ugh.
Okay, rant over.

SERIOUSLY. If you run, you are a runner. Plain and simple. ALSO, the girl who said this to me beat me by like 7 minutes and I ran the whole thing as she did intervals sooooo....

Put me down as a "maybe, but I'm not ready to commit". If I do run it, I might go the charity route. Not sure.

YAY!

The fun thing about smaller races is that sometimes there aren't more than 3 people in your AG, so you're guaranteed an award. I love races like that. They make me feel fast.

So this was definitely the case but it worked out because they were only handing out medals to the people who won AGs so then I was worried that there would be a ton of kids and Bay would run her first 5k and not even get a medal! But she did. Whew. Also, my husband came in dead last and still got a medal for AG. LOLOL. Small races have their advantages.

You'd need to pace it well though - peak too early and you are in for a long and messy finish...

TRUE. But luckily, you can't really pull off for a drink until about the half way point, so that is helpful.

Go Bay Go!!! So sweet! Congrats to her on finishing her first 5k!

Thanks! I have been showing her everyone's comments on her finishing the race! She loves the encouragement.

LOVEEEE Bay's face at that finish line and love the RNR Vegas report! Really makes me want to join you next year, but we will have to see how other plans go first. Great updates!!

"Other plans".... I know what that means.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

First off, congratulations on finishing Vegas RnR. I enjoy your reports and keeping it real as it were. We learn from experience, both the good and the bad.

She commented that I must be a “real runner” because I don’t do run/walk intervals and I don’t listen to music while I race. I mean, okay if you say so. I just like to take in the event I am running in without music. /shrug

To me, it's all about the kind of experience you want. Some races I've run without music in an attempt to better take in the whole experience. Other times I like music to distract my mind. So I'm definitely making sure that I have music during the marathon at Disney World. Hopefully I won't need it, but I want it available if I need to tell my brain to stop complaining and listen to music.

Finally we realized they were gonna be the last two people and I asked the finish line people not to mention that to Bay. They cheered so loud for it when she ran across finishing right before her dad! Their time was 49:47! She walked a lot of it, but she finished and that made me happy.

Hooray for Bay finishing her first 5K and not finishing last. That's so cool that she went out there and did it.

Although, Bay no says she doesn’t want to do a 5k ever again!! LOL. I am sure we have all said that before.

I don't think I ever wanted to run a half marathon again after finishing my first one. Pretty sure I only signed up for races 2 and 3 because finishing them meant I would have the coast to coast medal and could walk away from running have accomplished what I wanted to. And then I had actual fun at both races.

Oh hey cool, I'm not a real runner.
Sorry, this "real runner" thing drives me crazy. Some people run better when they take walk intervals. Others find that it's easier to just run without changing their stride. Some people prefer to "get in the zone" with their own music. Others feed off the race energy and enjoy themselves more when they're taking in the atmosphere with no interruptions. It doesn't make any one group real runners and the other group not real runners.
We go out (or to the nearest treadmill/indoor track), we run, that makes us real runners.
Ugh.
Okay, rant over.

Well said. Any one who looks down on another runner because they're not as fast, need music, use walk intervals, walk at all, etc. misses the point. I have learned things that help me in my real life outside of running precisely because I run. And I have learned so much from very accomplished runners. Some in this very community and others who have ran in the Olympics. These truly accomplished runners don't really care that my goal is much more modest than theirs. They only care to help me accomplish my goal.

But ... it's two weeks after the NYC marathon, so I'm not convinced that I can do it. I know NYC is a hard course, but since it's my retirement marathon, I'm still planning to somewhat race it. So I dunno.

In my case, I once actually thought I might retire from races after the 2018 Star Wars Light Side races were cancelled. Now that was a bit premature. We'll see how I feel about running any more marathons after January.

SERIOUSLY. If you run, you are a runner.

More people need to have this mentality. They might just find that they appreciate their own experiences more if they're not constantly trying to compare themselves to someone else.

 

[sourire]

Your recap and pics make me seriously consider the RnR Vegas...!!
(DH and I did the RnR Philly last year...not that fabulous.)
Congrats to you all on your age group awards and for holding on to your title in the 5k! And big congratulations to Bay on her 5k finish!!

 

[jennamfeo]

I feel like I am weeks off from updating this with my actual training plan stuff, but that's okay. I have been running, so there's that. Here's what I did last week!

Training Schedule for the week of 11/19 - 11/25:
Monday - 5 mi @ EA 11:21
Tuesday - 6 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Wednesday - 1 mi WU + 2 x 2 mi @ MS 9:18 w/ .5 mi RI + 3 x .5 mi @ T Pace 8:46 w/ 1 min RI + .5 mi CD
Thursday - OFF
Friday - 7 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Saturday - 10 mi @ LR 10:19 + 2 mi @ Tempo 9:28
Sunday - OFF

Monday 11/19

• Running - Plan: 5 mi @ EA 11:21 / Actual: 5.01 mi @ 11:27
  • Splits: 10:41, 10:46, 12:02, 11:53, 11:51
  • Cold weather is upon us. I think I even wore gloves for this run.

Tuesday 11/20

• Running - Plan: 6 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides / Actual: 6.01 mi @ 10:25
  • Splits: 10:11, 10:29, 10:23, 10:25, 10:37, 10:26
  • Snoozed too much and had to do this run after work which sucked.

Wednesday 11/21

• Running - Plan: 1 mi WU + 2 x 2 mi @ MS 9:18 w/ .5 mi RI + 3 x .5 mi @ T Pace 8:46 w/ 1 min RI + .5 mi CD
  • MS Splits: 9:13, 9:08
  • T Pace Splits: 8:36, 8:30, 8:32
  • Those first two 2 milers were hard and I wasn't feeling it but by the end I was good to go!

Thursday 11/22

• Running - OFF

Friday 11/23

• Running - Plan: 7 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides / Actual: Skipped!
  • Too hungover.

Saturday 11/24

• Running - Plan: 10 mi @ LR 10:19 + 2 mi @ Tempo 9:28 / Actual: Skipped!
  • I know, I know...

Sunday 11/25

• Running - Plan: 10 mi @ LR 10:19 + 2 mi @ Tempo 9:28 / Actual: 12.09 mi @ 10:02
  • LR Splits: 10:00, 10:29, 10:02, 10:26, 9:45, 10:11, 10:00, 10:16, 9:54, 10:23
  • Tempo Splits: 9:19, 9:46
  • Look!! I got my 12 miler in!!!
  • I ran back and forth in front of my parent's house and as you can see in my times, it was a light downhill and then a slight uphill. LOL. I felt really good though!!
  • I almost got bit by a dog.
  • Marathon training is stupid.

Weekly Totals:
Miles Ran - 30.8
Average Pace - 10:15
Time Spent - 5:16:09

5 weeks down, 7 weeks to gooooo!

Training Schedule for the week of 11/26 - 12/2:
Monday - 4 mi @ EA 11:21
Tuesday - 4 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Wednesday - 1 mi WU + 4 mi @ Tempo 9:28 + 1 mi CD
Thursday - OFF
Friday - 5 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Saturday - 5 mi @ LR 10:19 BLIND
Sunday - OFF

 

[KSellers88]

Marathon training is stupid. And I can't even really complain because my longest scheduled run on this training plan is 14 miles, you guys with your 16-20 milers -- WOOF. But yesterday I did 12 miles and that's basically a HM and it didn't end with a medal and I was tired the whole rest of the day. Not sure why I thought this was a good idea.....

Was going to reply to this in the running thread, but decided to come here instead. Don't get down on yourself, I remember feeling like there was NO way I could get through 26.2 miles after my first 14 mile run. That 12 miler was not just a normal paced 12 miles, it had tempo work involved and you are coming off a lot of traveling, Thanksgiving festivities and lots of mileage. Your body is tired, but we (I say we because this speech is to me too, LOL) need to work most on our mental game. You are so strong, and I know you can do this! Shake it off!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I feel like I am weeks off from updating this with my actual training plan stuff, but that's okay. I have been running, so there's that

Sometimes the first thing to go during training is updating the training journal. Feels like when I finish the run, I don't want to recap it.

I'm also beginning to feel the burnout of marathon training. I keep telling myself it will all be worth it come January.

 

[jennamfeo]

How. Is. It. Already. December.

November Totals:
Miles Ran - 109.48
Average Pace - 10:47
Time Spent - 18:57:59
Miles YTD - 1077.03

I guess I forgot to celebrate that I hit 1000 miles a bit ago sooooo....

I think December is going to be my highest mileage month of the year, which is a great way to end 2018.

 

[KSellers88]

How. Is. It. Already. December.

November Totals:
Miles Ran - 109.48
Average Pace - 10:47
Time Spent - 18:57:59
Miles YTD - 1077.03

I guess I forgot to celebrate that I hit 1000 miles a bit ago sooooo....

I think December is going to be my highest mileage month of the year, which is a great way to end 2018.

Getting closer!! Great month!

 

[jennamfeo]

Training Schedule for the week of 11/26 - 12/2:
Monday - 4 mi @ EA 11:21
Tuesday - 4 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Wednesday - 1 mi WU + 4 mi @ Tempo 9:28 + 1 mi CD
Thursday - OFF
Friday - 5 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Saturday - 5 mi @ LR 10:19 BLIND
Sunday - OFF

Monday 11/26

• Running - Plan: 4 mi @ EA 11:21 / Actual: Skipped
  • Legs were still like meh from that 12 miler that I did the day before so nope.

Tuesday 11/27

• Running - Plan: 4 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides / Actual: 4.01 mi @ 10:11
  • Splits: 10:19, 10:21, 10:03, 10:03
  • Afternoon run during lunch on a track. Ugh.

Wednesday 11/28

• Running - Plan: 1 mi WU + 4 mi @ Tempo 9:28 + 1 mi CD / Actual: 6.01 @ 9:57
  • Splits: 10:53, 9:24, 9:27, 9:26, 9:17, 11:17
  • Actually got my butt out of bed and nailed this workout before the sun even got up.

Thursday 11/22

• Running - OFF

Friday 11/23

• Running - Plan: 5 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides / Actual: 5.05 @ 10:21
  • Splits: 10:22, 10:25, 10:30, 10:23, 10:07
  • I almost didn't get the run in but finally at my last chance to take a lunch I bolted to the track and ran my 20 laps.

Saturday 11/24

• Running - Plan: 5 mi @ LR 10:19 BLIND / Actual: 5.02 @ 10:14
  • Splits: 10:10, 10:10, 10:02, 10:06, 10:39
  • Headed out around 11am for this one along with the rest of the dang town.
    
  • Not sure what happened that last mile.

Sunday 11/25

• Running - OFF

Weekly Totals:
Miles Ran - 20.09
Average Pace - 10:11
Time Spent - 3:24:19

HALFWAY MARK!!

Okay guys, first off thanks to everyone who has left an encouraging comment to me when I say things like "Marathon training is stupid" and "Why did I think this was a good idea?". I appreciate y'all a ton! But secondly, I want to say that I mostly say these things jokingly. Well, I mean, Marathon training is stupid and sometimes I feel like it might even be harder than the actual Marathon itself, but I'll revisit that thought on January 13th. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up. I knew the weather is bat sh*t crazy in Florida. I knew it would be a lot of training. I knew it was 26.2 miles of fun and pain and more fun! But sometimes I have that one moment when I am like "BUT WHY THOUGH." And I don't feel like I will be able to honestly answer that question until January 13th either. So don't mind me when I say these things on the boards. It's just me working through the crazy that is Marathon training.

On a similar note, I was listening to the Bib Rave Podcast this weekend on my (short) long run and someone said something that really resonated with me and I wanted to share it:

"The paradigm of strength, when it comes to sports, is that the first criteria is it’s gotta be hard or challenging in some way shape or form and the second part of that is how you show up.
For me, strength isn’t crushing every work out and being 100% on everything all the time. It’s having really hard challenges that require a lot of you to have to show up and figure out and doing that work to do it. And sometimes you’re successful and sometimes you're not. And how we make sense of that on the back end and what we learn from that on the back end is critical."

Basically: it's gonna be hard, it's supposed to be hard, show up anyway, and do your best.

Anyway, this just got REAL lengthy, so sorry about that. I had to switch up my training a bit this week because of scheduling probs, but I get to run two races this weekend so that's fun!

Training Schedule for the week of 12/3 - 12/9:
Monday - 5 mi @ EA 11:21
Tuesday - 7 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides
Wednesday - OFF
Thursday - 1 mi WU + 5 mi @ Tempo 9:28 + 1 mi CD
Friday - OFF
Saturday - 8 mi @ EB 10:36 + Strides (12ks of Christmas)
Sunday - 13 mi @ LR 10:19 (Scottsdale Half Marathon)

 

[michigandergirl]

Okay guys, first off thanks to everyone who has left an encouraging comment to me when I say things like "Marathon training is stupid" and "Why did I think this was a good idea?". I appreciate y'all a ton! But secondly, I want to say that I mostly say these things jokingly. Well, I mean, Marathon training is stupid and sometimes I feel like it might even be harder than the actual Marathon itself, but I'll revisit that thought on January 13th. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up. I knew the weather is bat sh*t crazy in Florida. I knew it would be a lot of training. I knew it was 26.2 miles of fun and pain and more fun! But sometimes I have that one moment when I am like "BUT WHY THOUGH." And I don't feel like I will be able to honestly answer that question until January 13th either. So don't mind me when I say these things on the boards. It's just me working through the crazy that is Marathon training.

I think many of us have these same thoughts during marathon training, I know I do. It's time consuming and HARD. I am often thinking "why the f*** am I doing this to myself?". Totally normal. You've got this, just keep plugging away.

It will be worth it on January 13th and then your "BUT WHY THOUGH" will be "BECAUSE I CAN".

 

[McNs]

Basically: it's gonna be hard, it's supposed to be hard, show up anyway, and do your best.

This is what makes a marathon such a wonderful horrible event, much more so than a half. The training is HARD, there is so much of it, and it gets wearisome. But the race is even harder - look at most athletes on Strava and with the exception of the elites, they slow down somewhere between mile 20 and the end. You need to dig deep, way deeper than any training, way deeper than a half. But when you get to the end and realise you did it - all those hours of training, the pain you are in now, and know you just ran a marathon, the feeling is indescribable. It is the hardness that makes it so great.

The training for future marathons becomes easier because you will remember the pain of your first one, and will do what ever you can to reduce or delay that pain for subsequent ones!

 

[DopeyBadger]

sometimes I feel like it might even be harder than the actual Marathon itself

I think many of us have these same thoughts during marathon training, I know I do. It's time consuming and HARD. I am often thinking "why the f*** am I doing this to myself?". Totally normal. You've got this, just keep plugging away.

It will be worth it on January 13th and then your "BUT WHY THOUGH" will be "BECAUSE I CAN".

This is what makes a marathon such a wonderful horrible event, much more so than a half. The training is HARD, there is so much of it, and it gets wearisome. But the race is even harder - look at most athletes on Strava and with the exception of the elites, they slow down somewhere between mile 20 and the end. You need to dig deep, way deeper than any training, way deeper than a half. But when you get to the end and realise you did it - all those hours of training, the pain you are in now, and know you just ran a marathon, the feeling is indescribable. It is the hardness that makes it so great.

The training for future marathons becomes easier because you will remember the pain of your first one, and will do what ever you can to reduce or delay that pain for subsequent ones!

 

[ZellyB]

It's cliche by now, but still true

 

[Sleepless Knight]

And I don't feel like I will be able to honestly answer that question until January 13th either. So don't mind me when I say these things on the boards. It's just me working through the crazy that is Marathon training.

I know that being able to work through the crazy in this community helps me out immensely. Hearing what others have gone through and dealt with in races helps me at least know something is coming. Or that it will get difficult. Before my first race, I was only physically prepared. I was not at all mentally prepared. Before my first marathon, I will have at least some mental preparation. I know there will almost certainly be something I don't see coming, but at least I know that I can deal with it when it comes.

I'm still nervous about the custom plan coach came up with having me top out with a much shorter longest run in marathon training. But I also know that I just need to accept that concern and trust the training. I can certainly say that I'm running far more miles than I ever have before, yet don't feel as exhausted as I did before at the end of long runs. That should keep me fresh heading into the marathon.

"The paradigm of strength, when it comes to sports, is that the first criteria is it’s gotta be hard or challenging in some way shape or form and the second part of that is how you show up.
For me, strength isn’t crushing every work out and being 100% on everything all the time. It’s having really hard challenges that require a lot of you to have to show up and figure out and doing that work to do it. And sometimes you’re successful and sometimes you're not. And how we make sense of that on the back end and what we learn from that on the back end is critical."

I believe that to some degree training helps us learn how to get back up again. A tough run, skipped runs for whatever reason, portions of runs being tough. Whatever it is, training helps us overcome those moments and keep going so we know how to do that again if (and usually when) tough moments come in the race.

This is what makes a marathon such a wonderful horrible event, much more so than a half. The training is HARD, there is so much of it, and it gets wearisome. But the race is even harder - look at most athletes on Strava and with the exception of the elites, they slow down somewhere between mile 20 and the end. You need to dig deep, way deeper than any training, way deeper than a half. But when you get to the end and realise you did it - all those hours of training, the pain you are in now, and know you just ran a marathon, the feeling is indescribable. It is the hardness that makes it so great.

The training for future marathons becomes easier because you will remember the pain of your first one, and will do what ever you can to reduce or delay that pain for subsequent ones!

I'm one who really appreciates this. @DopeyBadger has done a magnificent job of making sure that I'm properly terrified of the marathon. And I mean that in a good way. He makes sure that I know how challenging it will be so that I don't head into the race overconfident. Sometimes that scares me. But if I didn't want to deal with it, then I never would have registered for the marathon in the first place.

 

[jennamfeo]

We finally made it to Friday! I have a lot going on the next 4 days and need some help making adult decisions about one part of it.

The Weekend:
Tonight I am driving down to Phoenix to hang out with my friend Diana, whom I haven't seen in years! And while I am there, in order for me to get my two scheduled runs in this weekend, I decided to sign up for two races. Saturday morning I am running the 12ks of Christmas, which is Christmas themed, and the proceeds go to a local animal control. I am pretty sure I am going to be able to pet a lot of doggos and I can't wait! I also have a cute outfit for the race which makes me happy. Then Sunday I am running the Scottsdale Half Marathon. This is perfect because coach wants me to practice my nutrition and what better way to do that than at an actual race! I don't have an outfit planned for this one yet, ugh, but I will pull something together. The weather should be great for both of these races. And somehow they are linked together, so I get a challenge medal for completing both of them back to back. In between the races we are just gonna hang out and I am really looking forward to that! Then Sunday evening I drive home.

This is the part I need some opinions on...

AND THEN, on Thanksgiving, I drunkenly made plans with a friend to go to Disneyland on the 10th. She has an AP that's about to expire and we have been dying to do a trip together. She is a die hard Disney fan so I think going with her will be a blast! We are leaving really early on Monday morning to make it to rope drop (hopefully) and staying all day! We just secured a reservation for dinner at the new Lamplight Lounge (RIP Ariel's Grotto) which are REALLY hard to come by, so I am thrilled! My current dilemma is that since she has an AP we could do a full day on Monday and then go back on Tuesday for a bit, but probably not for the full day because we have to get home and it's a 4 hour drive. So is it worth me getting a 2 day park hopper ticket so we can go both days or would that be a waste of money? I am leaning towards the yolo side of this since I won't be back to Disneyland until spring time. Then the adult in me is like 'But that's another $120 for the park ticket and then spending money"....

Soooo, what would you do?

 

[rteetz]

I say spend the money to go for the 2nd day. You're already there and you know once you're there you're going to want to go inside the park that second day.

 

[TheHamm]

I vote YOLO.
I'm happy to burn money, but hoard vacation days. If you are already there and not taking money from a grocery budget it seems reasonable. If I were to need to justify it, I could trade it for a weekend of buying drinks and still come out ahead.

 

[SarahDisney]

Hmm ... this is a tough one. Normally I'm all for more park time, but you'll be coming off of two races and it's not exactly cheap ...
I think it you trust yourself to minimize spending once you're in the park so that you're mostly just spending on tickets, you should go for it. But if you think you're gonna spend a lot in the parks, it might end up being too much money.
Its tough. Adulting is the worst.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I am leaning towards the yolo side of this since I won't be back to Disneyland until spring time. Then the adult in me is like 'But that's another $120 for the park ticket and then spending money"....

Have you considered an AP? As often as you've gone and will be going in the future, that may be a better option although fronting it now is another matter. I would look at the cost of a 2 day ticket now and then look at what your future known Disneyland visits are in the 365 days after first use. If you're going to spend 5-6 days at Disneyland in that period, it may be cheaper to buy the AP (before discounts) than keep buying park tickets over the same number of days.

If budget doesn't allow for an AP, how many hours are you getting out of it on the partial day? If you go at rope drop and stay until after 2:00pm, then the extra cost may be worth it.