Good Golly Gawrsh! It's a 2015 10-year anniversary Goofy PTR

[ZellyB]

I've been reading a lot of other pre-trip/training reports and they are really great to read. It's about that time to start our training schedule to run some local races and our ultimate goal of the Goofy in 2015!!



I've never really tracked my training before as we've always just had a goal to finish our races upright and happy, but this year we are going to try and do a better job with our training and set some specific improvement goals.

First, some introductions...

My name is Gisele. I'm a 49-year old who only took up long-distance running a couple of years ago.



My husband and running partner is Chris. Here he is giving his best "Flynn Rider smolder."



We've got three kids. Our son, Drake, is 16 and our daughters, Paige and Sophie are 10. Here we are being silly for our Christmas card.



We've got two fur-babies too. Patsy the cat...



And Sandy our golden retriever...



I've been to Disney several times. Twice in my youth and then with our entire family we went twice and then in 2013 and 2014 with just Chris to run the WDW marathon.



Ever since we ran the marathon in 2013 and saw people walking around later with their Goofy medals we have planned to one day tackle the Goofy. With 2015 marking the 10th anniversary, how could we resist?

One other item of history, while in training that first year for the 2013 marathon, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a bilateral mastectomy in late November and then ran the marathon in January. I started on my chemo the day after we returned from Disney. This was me in all my bald glory.



I finished up my heavy chemo treatments in May of 2013 and then started training for the 2014 Marathon. It was a tough training season getting back to full strength, but we managed to get through it and have another great race in Disney.

That brings us to today. I'm back to feeling like my old self and we've spent the last couple of months getting back comfortable with running. Our last few races had plenty of challenges and it was really all about just finishing them, but this year we really want to commit to a more rigorous training schedule and improve our time. I hope this training journal and PTR will help keep me on track. We are planning to take along our girls this year for the trip, but our son will probably stay home. My sister, Damaris, is going to join with us as well to enjoy the trip and help out with our kids while we are running.

Anyway, that's the introductory information. Looking forward to sharing more about our training and, of course, all our Disney plans as the report continues.

 

[Ariel484]

Woohoo, another runDisney pre-trip report!

Love the pictures of your fur-babies, and kudos to Chris for a great smolder!

Sounds like it will be a family affair for you guys this year! Are your girls or your sister planning on participating in any of the races, or are they there more to be awesome cheerleaders?! That would be fun if they could catch you guys on the course(s)!

We're less than 8 months away already! Can you believe it?!

 

[ZellyB]

Woohoo, another runDisney pre-trip report!

Love the pictures of your fur-babies, and kudos to Chris for a great smolder!

Sounds like it will be a family affair for you guys this year! Are your girls or your sister planning on participating in any of the races, or are they there more to be awesome cheerleaders?! That would be fun if they could catch you guys on the course(s)!

We're less than 8 months away already! Can you believe it?!

Hi! Glad you found me.

We will see if I can be good and keep this up. I really do want to journal this training season, so I figure this is as good a place as any to do that. Plus, I get to talk about all my Disney plans.

Nobody else is doing any races, just coming for the trip. I'm thinking they can cheer us on hopefully in a couple of spots during the marathon.

I can't wait for tomorrow to get registered.

 

[ZellyB]

So, as I mentioned, this year we are excited to try and make some real progress on our time and pace. We've never been fast runners and that's okay, especially for a Disney race, but we are excited to try and improve in a local race here.

We've run in the past doing a 2:30 minute run interval with a 1:00 minute walk interval. That has usually averaged out in long runs to an 11:45 or so minute/mile. Our best run was the first half marathon I ran which had me finishing in 2:34. My second half was not as good since I was dealing with IT band issues and so I finished that one in 2:49. Boo.

So, this year, I'm healthy and excited for a good training season. We are planning to work toward somewhere in between a 10:45-11:00 minute mile with the ultimate goal of finishing a local marathon in November with a sub 5 hour time. We have adapted our intervals to a 1:30 run and 0:30 walk. We may eventually transition that to a 2:00 run and 0:30 walk. It's an aggressive goal and not one that I'm sure we can accomplish, but we are going to do our best. We just did a 6 mile run last weekend with an average pace of 10:58, so I do think with good training we can reach our goal. Then we just hope to maintain our fitness and be strong going into the Goofy. No real time goals for that race, just want to be able to finish it feeling strong (and, of course, having lots of fun!!)

So, we spent a few hours yesterday laying out the schedule in a very detailed spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets. We have a plan that mixes speedwork, distance running and strength training. If we can survive it, we should be in great shape!

We are using the Jeff Galloway year round training plan for our running schedule.



He's got a 52 week plan and you basically count back from your goal race date to decide which week to start with. At least, I think that's what we are supposed to do. Anyway, it's what we did.

For strength training we are using a book that Chris has had for several years and used for weight training.



Chris likes to say, "Hey! How did they get a picture of me without my shirt on."

So, those are the resources. The plan for this week then is:

WEEK 1

Sunday 4/20 Rest day
Monday 4/21 Strength - Stage 1 Week 4
Tuesday 4/22 4 Cadence Drills (CD)/4 Acceleration Glides (acg)/10x400m at 10K pace
Wednesday 4/23 Rest
Thursday 4/24 Rest
Friday 4/25 Strength Stage 1 Week 4
Saturday 4/26 Run 10 miles 1:30/0:30 intervals

This week we have some extra rest in there because Chris has to travel a couple of days this week for a conference.

So, we will see how tomorrow goes with trying to work through the various drills, but hopefully we will figure it out.

And, just to end on a Disney note. A picture of Sophie with Tigger during a trip when she was 4. I love this shot. I think their expressions look identical.

 

[Ariel484]

Hi! Glad you found me.

We will see if I can be good and keep this up. I really do want to journal this training season, so I figure this is as good a place as any to do that. Plus, I get to talk about all my Disney plans.

I find with the journals it's all or nothing - I'm either all about writing them really regularly, or I forget they're there and never update.

Nobody else is doing any races, just coming for the trip. I'm thinking they can cheer us on hopefully in a couple of spots during the marathon.

Yay!!! Cheerleaders are fun!

I can't wait for tomorrow to get registered.

So, this year, I'm healthy and excited for a good training season. We are planning to work toward somewhere in between a 10:45-11:00 minute mile with the ultimate goal of finishing a local marathon in November with a sub 5 hour time.

Good for you for going for a local marathon!

We have adapted our intervals to a 1:30 run and 0:30 walk. We may eventually transition that to a 2:00 run and 0:30 walk. It's an aggressive goal and not one that I'm sure we can accomplish, but we are going to do our best. We just did a 6 mile run last weekend with an average pace of 10:58, so I do think with good training we can reach our goal. Then we just hope to maintain our fitness and be strong going into the Goofy. No real time goals for that race, just want to be able to finish it feeling strong (and, of course, having lots of fun!!)

Sounds like you are improving already! That is awesome.

So, we spent a few hours yesterday laying out the schedule in a very detailed spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets. We have a plan that mixes speedwork, distance running and strength training. If we can survive it, we should be in great shape!

I love spreadsheets too. I have my running schedule for the year laid out in a Google Doc.

Chris likes to say, "Hey! How did they get a picture of me without my shirt on."

WEEK 1

Sunday 4/20 Rest day
Monday 4/21 Strength - Stage 1 Week 4
Tuesday 4/22 4 Cadence Drills (CD)/4 Acceleration Glides (acg)/10x400m at 10K pace
Wednesday 4/23 Rest
Thursday 4/24 Rest
Friday 4/25 Strength Stage 1 Week 4
Saturday 4/26 Run 10 miles 1:30/0:30 intervals

Woohoo! You got this!!

And, just to end on a Disney note. A picture of Sophie with Tigger during a trip when she was 4. I love this shot. I think their expressions look identical.

Love this picture! Adorable!

 

[ZellyB]

So, one of the things I like best about a running Disney trip is the number of months I have to obsessively plan out every aspect of our trip. Yeah, I'm in good company on this board, I know.

The first thing I started researching was where we wanted to stay. We stayed at Shades of Green on our first trip when it was just Chris and me. Last year with my SIL and BIL, we got a 2 bedroom condo in Windsor Hills. That was great and we really appreciated the space, the kitchen and the laundry. Hello, stinky, smelly running clothes. So nice to be able to wash them rather than pack them up in their stinky state. But, you do have the added hassle of driving to the races.

This year, I thought I'd do some looking at staying onsite again but maybe at a deluxe or renting points for DVC. But, in order to get something large enough for the 5 of us, it was just going to cost sooooo much versus getting something offsite. So, we ended up with a 4 bedroom pool home in Emerald Island. We stayed at EI back in 2011, and it was a great location and the home was wonderful, so I'm happy we are going back. One of these trips (Dopey in 2018 maybe???), I'd like to splurge and stay deluxe. We shall see.

So, the place is really beautiful looking.



That hot tub after the race will be awesome!



The girls will love these bunk beds.



Nice open dining/living/kitchen combo

And a heavenly king size bed to sleep in after the races.



It was just too good to pass up for the price. To get enough space for us onsite in a deluxe or DVC would have cost us easily 3 times what this house is going to run. So, not this year, but I'm determined to do it one year in the future!!

I also scored a great deal on a rental car. I usually check periodically to see if there are any good rates, but you usually don't find them until much closer to the trip. So, one day I check and Enterprise had a minivan for $9/day!! Holy cow!! So, you can bet I reserved it quick. Plus, if I have to for some reason I can cancel it. I was so stoked to get that price!!!

So...

Housing...check
Rental car...check



And, again to end with a Disney pic. From our family trip in 2007 again...



Ha! Sophie was clearly less impressed with Sully than she had been with Tigger. And, Paige looks like she's trying to bolt out of the picture!!

The girls were initially terrified of all the characters, but eventually Pooh and friends won them over. That and the fact that their brother assured them they were just people in costumes. After that whenever Sophie would see a character she would say to me, "Mommy, they're just people in Hostumes, right?" From that point on we've always refered to them as people in hostumes.

Up next: Our first full completed "official" training week and first Galloway group run.

 

[ZellyB]

Week 1 of our official training is complete! Woohoo!!

It was an abbreviated week because of Chris's work trip, but still overall a pretty good week. We had planned for about 13 miles, but only completed about 11. Today was a weird running day, so we didn't manage as many miles as we intended.

Monday - Strength training. So, we meet with another friend of Chris' to lift weights at the high school. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks with them, so today on some of the stuff I jumped up from 5lb weights to 10lb weights. HA! Yeah, I'm weak. It's a good all around workout with both core, arm and leg exercises run in a circuit. I'm anxious to start seeing some results.

I've got no relevant pictures to post throughout this report, so I'm just going to throw in random Disney shots.



Had to share this one. Classic shot of the big brother harassing the little sister.

Tuesday - 4 CD (cadence drills) 4 acg (acceleration glides) and 10 x 400. This was our first time doing these drills, so I really worried it would be just a big mess, but it actually wasn't too bad. We run at 5 in the morning along with two other friends of Chris (Gerald and Dave) and for this we met at the local high school track. It was actually harder than I thought it would be. Hopefully this kind of drills will pay off.

Wednesday and Thursday - Rest days because Chris was out of town.

Friday - Strength workout. Same routine as Monday, but two circuits. My triceps are feeling it which is a good thing. Means I'm getting stronger. Right?

And from the marathon in 2013. Oh how sweet it was to see that sign! So close to the end.



Saturday - First group run with our Galloway group. We've run with this same group the last two years and I absolutely love being part of this group. The motivation and accountability just can't be beat. The last two years we have run with the Pink group (we are designated by colors) which runs a 2:30/1:00 ratio. This year, we asked if we could lead a new group that would run 1:30/0:30 at an average of a 10:45 - 11:00 min/mile. Our ultimate goal is to run the local marathon this fall at an average 11:00 min mile pace which would get us a 5:00ish finish.

So, we were scheduled to do 10 miles by our schedule, but the group only doing 2, so we went early with Dave and ran 6. Did that at a 10:49 pace which was great. Our first time as leaders went well too. There were about 8 of us total and we had a good run. By the time we got back and finished visiting with everyone we really didn't want to mess with running 2 more, so we called 8 total good. Our new group is fuchsia, by the way. Totally should have asked for a color that is easier to spell. I didn't run with my phone and I wish I had. On our early morning 6, we run a trail that goes through a conservation center. Our fauna count for the day was 9 dear, 2 bunnies and 10 or so turkeys. It was about 52 degrees. A perfect running day.

Week 1 in the books. So excited to be officially training again.

Next week:

Sunday: Rest - May go for an easy bike ride
Monday: Strength training
Tuesday: 4CD/4acg/12x400
Wednesday: Strength training
Thursday: 4 miles - 2 hills
Friday: Strength training
Saturday: 4 miles with Galloway group + 1 mile for us - Total 5

Total miles planned approximately 13.

 

[Ariel484]

The house you found looks so pretty! Glad you got a great deal on it. And your rental car deal!!!... Very impressive. $9/day is a steal!

I hear you on wanting laundry facilities during race week! LOL!

Sounds like Week 1 went pretty well! That's cool that you guys are leading a group now. And you were right on pace! Good job!

Love the picture of you and the kids by the castle!! And Mile Marker 25 of course...that's one of the easier ones for me to remember where it is so it's become sort of a big milestone in the marathon.

 

[ZellyB]

The house you found looks so pretty! Glad you got a great deal on it. And your rental car deal!!!... Very impressive. $9/day is a steal!

I know, right? I think I looked at it about 4 times to be sure I was actually reading it right.

Sounds like Week 1 went pretty well! That's cool that you guys are leading a group now. And you were right on pace! Good job!

I was really pleased overall with the week. I was a nervous wreck leading that group because I was paranoid about being at the right pace. It was a good thing we did those first few miles ahead of time. The first mile or so, we were flying, so clearly I had some nervous energy I needed to drain off. I think leading the group will be good for us in terms of training as it should really discipline us on monitoring our pace. At least I hope so.

 

[ZellyB]

Week 2 is behind us and it went quite well.

Sunday was scheduled to be a rest day and that's exactly what we did. We took a short walk up and down our road but that was about it.

Monday was scheduled for strength training. Unfortunately, Sunday night my dad got sick and we had to take him to the hospital. I didn't get home until 2 AM and when the alarm went off at 4:30 to get up, there was just no way. I am glad to report that my dad is getting much better and is home again after spending a few days in the hospital.

Tuesday was cadence drills, acceleration gliders and 12X400s. It was a really good run again. Total ended up being 5 miles.

Wednesday strength training and I did manage to get up and go this time.

Thursday was a 4 mile run with 2 hills after the run. This was also a good run although I was pretty tired at the end.

Friday strength training again.

Saturday, our 2nd group run with Galloway. We gained a couple of new members for our group and had an absolutely glorious day to run. We ran a total of 5 miles and kept right at our 11 min/mile pace again. We run on a trail here that is just beautiful. I love running here.



Total miles completed: 14 miles

Well, that was kind of a boring update wasn't it? So, to conclude with a Disney shot. Drake is a huge fan of Pooh, so he loved this.



Next week:

Sunday: Rest/bikes or easy walk
Monday: Strength training
Tuesday: 4CD/4acg/14x400s
Wednesday: Strength training
Thursday: 4 miles/2 hills
Friday: Strength Training
Saturday: Galloway group run - 12 miles

Total miles planned: 21

 

[Hockeychic]

Hey there!!! Really enjoying your PTR and continued good health to you!!!!

I am also going for Goofy 2015. I have done a ton of Disney races including Goofy 2010 and Unofficial Dopey in 2013 (5K, half and full) I am strictly a walker but 2015 I do plan on doing intervals so working up to that now. I also have about 40 pds I need to lose before any official goofy training starts.

Keep posting!!!!!

Kim

 

[ZellyB]

Hey there!!! Really enjoying your PTR and continued good health to you!!!!

I am also going for Goofy 2015. I have done a ton of Disney races including Goofy 2010 and Unofficial Dopey in 2013 (5K, half and full) I am strictly a walker but 2015 I do plan on doing intervals so working up to that now. I also have about 40 pds I need to lose before any official goofy training starts.

Keep posting!!!!!

Kim

Welcome, Kim! And thank you.

Glad to meet another Goofy runner and congrats on all your previous races. I love interval running, so I hope you really enjoy it once you start with it. Thanks for joining in.

 

[Ariel484]

I'm so sorry that your dad was so sick! Glad to hear he's on the mend.

Sounds like a really solid week overall!! Great pace on your long run...how do you guys like being the pace leaders for your group?? How do you like the strength training?

Your trail looks so pretty!

Great shot with Drake and Pooh!!

Good-looking schedule for next week...Tuesday looks intense!!

 

[disneybarbie]

Subscribing! Just read your 2014 marathon TR

It's great to hear how your training is going each week - I followed Jeff Galloway's half marathon 'time goal' plan for the 2014 Half Marathon and really liked it - I don't use walk-run method but found the suggested mileage and cross-training so helpful.
Do you have his 'mental training for runners' book? That's really good - it's helped me manage and understand those negative thoughts you can have while out on a run or in a race!

Looking forward to reading more as you train for the Goofy - I am jealous!



Emma x

 

[annmarieda]

Yay, I found one of your reports!

Joining in!

 

[annmarieda]

Ok, went back and read....

First, your back story is amazing! You are so inspirational! I am sure you have had to have heard that before. But seriously.... I am not sure many people have your kind of strength.

Second, your training seems to be going well! I am impressed with your schedule. I knew I wanted some schedule for all of the disney races... but I was at a loss. I still kinda am.

Third, your rental car rate is enviable! I so want that rate. I need a car for when we are down for the ToT race... so far I have not booked a car cause rates are a bit higher than I would like.

Fourth, your rental house looks like a real find! I think you maybe lose a bit of the convenience by not staying on property... but what you are maybe losing by having to drive yourself to and fro you certainly are gaining by the space and just overall amenities there. Seriously? A hot tub RIGHT THERE and you don't have to share with a half dozen rowdy kids or better yet a large gentlemen smoking a cigar? I think you found a great option!

Last, I am so excited to follow along!!! It won't be long before race weekend is here.

 

[ZellyB]

Subscribing! Just read your 2014 marathon TR

It's great to hear how your training is going each week - I followed Jeff Galloway's half marathon 'time goal' plan for the 2014 Half Marathon and really liked it - I don't use walk-run method but found the suggested mileage and cross-training so helpful.
Do you have his 'mental training for runners' book? That's really good - it's helped me manage and understand those negative thoughts you can have while out on a run or in a race!

Looking forward to reading more as you train for the Goofy - I am jealous!



Emma x

Welcome! I don't have Galloway's mental training book, but I have heard him talk in person about various mental tricks he uses. They really do help and I've used them some. Especially during a tough run, I tell myself that it's my "left brain" talking to me and I need to push through!

And, no need to be jealous. There are still open slots for Goofy you know.

Ok, went back and read....

First, your back story is amazing! You are so inspirational! I am sure you have had to have heard that before. But seriously.... I am not sure many people have your kind of strength.

Thank you.

Second, your training seems to be going well! I am impressed with your schedule. I knew I wanted some schedule for all of the disney races... but I was at a loss. I still kinda am.

I'm going to do a longer update tonight about my training, but I've hit a bit of a bump. Nothing that can't be managed, but

Third, your rental car rate is enviable! I so want that rate. I need a car for when we are down for the ToT race... so far I have not booked a car cause rates are a bit higher than I would like.

It's crazy, right? I couldn't believe it when I found it. I don't know what that was about or why, but I feel really lucky.

Fourth, your rental house looks like a real find! I think you maybe lose a bit of the convenience by not staying on property... but what you are maybe losing by having to drive yourself to and fro you certainly are gaining by the space and just overall amenities there. Seriously? A hot tub RIGHT THERE and you don't have to share with a half dozen rowdy kids or better yet a large gentlemen smoking a cigar? I think you found a great option!

I'm excited about the house, too. And, a private hot tub will be fantastic after the runs. The space is also really nice to have for all of us to get some separation. Plus, Chris and I won't disturb everyone as much on our two early wake-ups as we would if we were sharing a hotel room.

Last, I am so excited to follow along!!! It won't be long before race weekend is here.

I know! Right now it sort of feels like it's an eternity until the trip, but I know that time will fly by.

 

[ZellyB]

So, this past week was set to be a pretty intensive amount of training. Unfortunately, I managed to ignore my own commitment to listen to my body if I felt like I was pushing too hard...and paid the price.

So, the week started out on Sunday where the plan was to take a nice easy walk through a really beautiful nature park south of us.



Dogwood Canyon is really beautiful. I went with Chris and my two sisters as well as Paige and Sophie. The trail goes for a little over 3 miles one way, so a 6 mile round trip walk. It was a gorgeous day although a little warm.





It was a beautiful day, but we ended up having to walk pretty fast to get Paige back for softball practice, so what was supposed to be was a casual leisurely walk turned into a 6 mile speed walk.

Tuesday was our speed work and amounted to a total of a little over 5 miles. Somewhere around 4 1/2 miles, my hamstring on my left leg started to bother me, but I finished out the run.

Thursday was our regular 4 mile run and my leg was still bothering me and I had a really terrible run. Much slower than I had been running and just some real pain in my leg.

So, here is where a smart person would say, "Hey, you know what? Your leg is bothering you and you should probably listen to what your body is saying and back off." Yeah, that's what a SMART person would do. I, on the other hand, instead decides to go ahead and do our Saturday run. We were scheduled to do 12, but realized that we had also committed to doing a 17 mile bike ride later in the day. So, we decided to run just 6 (which is what our Galloway group was scheduled for) and then do the bike ride. My leg was bothering me from the start, but I kept pushing on. Somewhere around mile 5, it was just no good and the pain was increasing so Chris finished out leading our group while I hobbled in. Chris was able to do the bike ride, but I sat waiting for him as my leg got increasingly more painful.

All that to say, that I'm now dealing with a strained hamstring and pulled groin muscle in my left leg. Sigh. I'm very frustrated with myself right now and irritated that I didn't back off when I knew I should. I guess the upside is that it's really early in my training and there's plenty of time for my leg to heal and get back on track. But, I also know realistically, I probably am out of running for a couple of weeks at least.

So, training for this week consists of rest, ice, ibuprofen and hope that it heals quickly.

So, after this depressing update, I'll end with another fun memory from a Disney trip gone by.

 

[Ariel484]

Hi Gisele!

So, this past week was set to be a pretty intensive amount of training. Unfortunately, I managed to ignore my own commitment to listen to my body if I felt like I was pushing too hard...and paid the price.

I paused right here in your post and just though..."Uh-oh."

Dogwood Canyon is really beautiful. I went with Chris and my two sisters as well as Paige and Sophie. The trail goes for a little over 3 miles one way, so a 6 mile round trip walk. It was a gorgeous day although a little warm.

Wow, beautiful pictures! That sounds like a nice hike, even if it was a tad bit warm. You're encouraging me to check out the parks in my area, I'm sure a change of scenery is really nice every once in awhile.

So, here is where a smart person would say, "Hey, you know what? Your leg is bothering you and you should probably listen to what your body is saying and back off." Yeah, that's what a SMART person would do. I, on the other hand, instead decides to go ahead and do our Saturday run.

Honestly, I think I would have done the same thing. I think it's hard sometimes to know the difference between pain that is an injury and pain that is soreness. I mean, it's not like running is EASY and feels like rainbows and unicorns all the time!!!

All that to say, that I'm now dealing with a strained hamstring and pulled groin muscle in my left leg.

Yeeeeouch! So sorry to hear about this! A couple of weeks off of running doesn't sound ideal, but you're smart to shut it down now. Like you said, you still have tons of time left in your training!!! I hope you feel better soon!

 

[annmarieda]

I am sorry that you are now injured. Like Shannon... I too would have pushed. I think it is hard for runners for the exact reason she mentioned. We always are aching or are sore. So when is it an injury or something to just push through is a hard call. On the upside though, that does look like an amazing place! So pretty!