In Training: Marathon Weekend 2015 (Dopey Challenge)! **COMPLETE**

[Ariel484]

Week 3 of Dopey Challenge Training
Monday, November 24, 2014 - Sunday, November 30, 2014

10 miles completed
63.55 miles completed in Dopey Challenge training so far
710.16 miles completed in 2014 so far
Total miles run in November 2014: 84.45

Well, I wish I could report that I had a great week of training! Nope...I was mostly a lazy slug. Ugh! So ashamed.

Monday, November 24: 60-minute Core class

I FINALLY did some cross training today! Gold star for me.

My ankle feels fine after rolling it on Saturday, and my legs felt pretty well recovered after that long run, but Core KICKED MY BUTT this morning. I guess this was my first class in, what 3 weeks maybe? So that should not have been a surprise. I didn’t totally feel like I was starting back at zero, but I did have to modify a lot of stuff and took breaks. Although I guess I was doing that pre-Wine & Dine too...

Today we just used big, inflatable stability balls, discs (like upside-down frisbees...you put your feet on them and slide around) and the TRX straps. Lots and lots of push-ups today. By far the thing that killed me the most was the chest press using the TRX straps toward the end of class:

(source)

I could do maybe 2 like in the picture...for the rest I ended up bringing one foot forward so that I was sort of in a lunge. That made it a lot easier - and let’s face it, a lot less effective. Then we were back to doing regular push-ups and I thought my arms were going to buckle at one point - but I did NOT faceplant. Yay!

In other news, I asked for, and got, my days off of work for January. I’m taking Wednesday - Friday of Marathon Weekend week, and then the entire next week off. I remember being so freaking tired at the end of Marathon Weekend in 2013, and this is what I did then (marathon weekend + the next week off), and I just slept and slept and slept after we got home. So I’m thinking I’ll need to do the same this year. As a result I’m taking off very little time over the next month - this week I’m taking Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving (normally I’d take Wednesday as well). At Christmas I’m just taking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and then New Year’s Day. That’ll kind of suck but it’ll be worth it to have that recovery time after Dopey. Plus tons of people work over the holidays and live to tell about it, so I shouldn’t complain.

Tuesday, November 25: 8-mile run planned, 1-mile run completed

Yep, that’s right. A whopping 1 MILE. Yay?

I forgot to mention it, but during my run on Saturday, from the beginning, I felt like I was getting a blister on the outside of my left little toe. I was able to finish the run and when I was done, I saw that I DID in fact have a blister - but it was actually on the inside of my toe, between that toe and the next toe. : Weird spot. I’m thinking it’s the result of wearing thicker-than-usual socks for runs two days in a row (Friday’s 8-miler and Saturday’s 16-miler). I NEVER get blisters, so it’s really weird for me. I drained it (ew) and it didn’t bother me at all yesterday (even during Core class) or at all on Sunday.

Then I put my running shoes on this morning and headed to the gym. As I was walking in from my car, suddenly I could feel it again. I asked the guy at the check-in desk for a band-aid, but having that on just made the rubbing feel worse. I took the band-aid off, started to run...and had to stop after a mile. I felt like my toe was going to rip open. Ugh!

On my way into work I bought Neosporin and band-aids, and of course wearing my work shoes pretty much doesn’t bother it at all. It seems just the running shoes are the issue. I’m going to take the rest of today off (was initially planning on spitting my 8-miler into an AM/PM two-part run) and probably tomorrow as well. Hopefully the stupid thing will be gone in time for Thursday’s Turkey Trot!!

Also - definitely sore from Core yesterday! Not as bad as I expected but I can feel it, for sure!

Wednesday, November 26: 4-mile run planned, unscheduled rest day taken

The blister has definitely improved, but it still looks very red and angry. So no run for me today. I tried to find a yoga class for this morning, but the only one that would have semi-worked with my schedule was a hot class. I definitely need a shower after hot or warm yoga classes, and I wouldn’t have had time for one before work, so that was out. Another rest day it is!

So weird how one little blister just shuts me down...but it’s actually been pretty good timing. It’s happening during a step-back week, so while I’m missing some mileage I don’t feel like I’m missing really IMPORTANT training, if that makes sense. And I have been freaking exhausted this week - the last 2 nights I have slept hard, all through the night, without waking up. That’s pretty unusual for me - normally I wake up at least once. Lately it’s been like my head hits the pillow and the next thing I know my alarm is going off. So my body is definitely welcoming some rest and extra sleep this week!

Thursday, November 27: Run #3 (Turkey Trot - 5-mile race)
Weather: 36 degrees and windy with light snow

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Today was the Turkey Trot! This was my second time doing the race, and the first time for my brother. It’s also the longest race he has done since his car accident, which was about a year ago.

I’d done the packet pick-up for both of us early last week. We didn’t get much...just the race bib and long-sleeved t-shirts, which we both like a lot. Not terrible for a $25 race.

I arrived downtown first and stayed in my car as long as possible - it was COLD and wet outside! Not as bad as the conditions had been for the Bernie Shuffle earlier this month, but not great!

My mom arrived with my brother and drove both of us over to the starting line. We ended up arriving about 5 minutes before the race began!

The roads were not in great shape - they were covered in slush, and in some areas snow had melted to leave deep, freezing cold puddles. Craig was paranoid that he’d slip and fall and re-break his leg (his most serious injury from last year’s accident) and with my recent string of ankle rollings, I was a little nervous about the conditions as well. We both agreed from the start that we weren’t gunning for PRs today.

My mile splits are pretty messed up from this race - I somehow didn’t start my watch on time and I accidentally paused it at one point as well! Oops. Basically we kept things pretty relaxed the entire time and took minute-long walk breaks at each mile marker. I barely paid attention to the course because we were chatting the entire time, which was really enjoyable.

There were lots of costumes - people dressed as turkeys, pilgrims, etc. Then more random ones like a gorilla and a banana, the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2, and my favorite...PAC-MAN and Ms. PAC-MAN:

(PAC-MAN was up ahead. Pretty sure that person in pink is one of the ghosts from the game!)

This is what I wore...a Peacock skirt. Closest thing I had to turkey-like:

Official time: 56:01, 11:21/mile pace. Ten minutes longer than it took me to do this same race in 2012 (but the conditions were a LOT better that day...and I didn’t have the ankle-rolling paranoia).

After the race I came home and showered, and we went to my aunt’s house for Thanksgiving! Somehow I didn’t eat a ton of food...I’m ashamed. I feel like I wasted Thanksgiving!!!

Also, I remembered to weigh in this morning - I forgot when I first woke up and remembered by the time I was home from the race. I wasn’t expecting much since I haven’t done a great job of tracking my food this week, so I was surprised to see that I was down 1.6 pounds this week! Okay, I’ll take it!

Friday, November 28: 12-mile run planned, unscheduled rest day taken

No good reason for skipping this run - I just really, really didn’t want to do it. I wanted a day where I could just be completely lazy from start to finish, so that’s what I did. I feel a little bad about it, but mostly not. I did mop a little bit, though.

Will took the dog out at one point and came in to tell me that the sidewalks are pretty icy today, so maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go? Or maybe that’s just me justifying my laziness...who knows.

The real way I’m justifying it, though, is by telling myself that one week like this is not going to kill me - and it’s not something I do often, skipping runs just “because.” Having said that, it’s not something I hope to repeat over the next few weeks.

ANYWAY - I did do some running-related Black Friday shopping today. Raw Threads was having a sale - I think their stuff is pretty over-priced in general but their Black Friday pricing was reasonable, and now that I know I like their Street V shirts, I got a few of those. SweatyBands was having 25% off their entire site, so I cleaned up there as well - now I have everything I need for my Marathon Weekend outfits! I’ll start posting those in a couple of weeks.

I got my best deals on the Brooks website, though - my shoes (Adrenalines GTS 14s) were on sale for $90 (down from $120) so I got a pair of those, along with a new hoodie - regular price was $110 and I paid $55. It’s the Utopia Thermal Hoodie - it gets good reviews and I’m thinking the hoodie will be VERY helpful for colder runs. My current running jacket does not have a hood. Since I spent at least $100 I also got a free long-sleeved dri-fit shirt - and free shipping!

Also, we put up our Christmas tree - now I just need to start getting some Christmas gifts.

Saturday, November 29: Rest Day planned, 4-mile run completed
Weather: 36 degrees with sun

Okay, I redeemed myself a bit! Yay!

Happy outfit:

Originally today was supposed to be my rest day, but since I’ve skipped one run and cut another WAY short I decided I needed to do something. I felt pretty stiff for most of this run...didn’t feel loose until the last mile. But at least I got out there. Total time for this run was 45:18, 11:19/mile pace.

My in-laws came over for Thanksgiving today! We had lunch at our house and then went out for Greek for dinner - YUM.

Sunday, November 30: Warm Yoga Flow

Woohoo!! Finally went to yoga!

I dragged my butt out of bed for the 7:15AM class today. First time in almost a month! My hamstrings felt sooooo tight at the beginning but I felt better by the end. Namaste!

I was thinking about the rest of my run schedule today, leading up to Marathon Weekend...I’ve been eyeing a half marathon in my area and I think I’m going to sign up for it. It’s about 50 minutes away from home but it doesn’t start until 9AM, and they have race-day packet pick-up...so I wouldn’t have to get a hotel room or anything, and I could leave my house by, say, 7AM and still get there early.

The big wild car is the weather - the half goes through Cedar Point Amusement Park, which is RIGHT on the lake. So I know it’ll be pretty windy. On the other hand, it would fit in really well with my training schedule (I have a 14-mile run scheduled for that day) and with 3 looooong runs left, I think it would be easier for me mentally to do one of them in a different place and not by myself (there’s a good chance my brother would sign up for the half as well).

Plus I would get a funny dri-fit Santa hoodie and Santa finisher medal - and a Santa hat and beard! Haha.



I think I’m going to watch the weather for the next few days and make a decision by the end of next week. But I’m leaning toward doing it. Like the Turkey Trot, I would NOT be going for a PR - just getting some miles in.

Continued in Next Post

 

[RnbwSktles]

I had a lazy week too so you've made me feel a little better! I was supposed to do 30 miles this week and only did 17, although it was almost only 5 because I came close to not doing the 12 miler yesterday. This week is supposed to be 42 so that's a huge jump!

I wish I could find a Turkey Trot worth doing around here. I want to do one that's either longer than a 5k, or has a cool medal to make it worth it.

 

[Ariel484]

I had a lazy week too so you've made me feel a little better!

Hmm, good?

I was supposed to do 30 miles this week and only did 17, although it was almost only 5 because I came close to not doing the 12 miler yesterday. This week is supposed to be 42 so that's a huge jump!

Similar for me. I was supposed to do 29, did 10 (although you definitely came closer to your planned mileage than I did). This week I jump up to 36.

I don't know about you, but I think the weather and darkness has been affecting me a LOT. It just makes me want to stay inside all day and snuggle up under a blanket.

I wish I could find a Turkey Trot worth doing around here. I want to do one that's either longer than a 5k, or has a cool medal to make it worth it.

Yeah it's kind of nice that we have the 5-mile option! It would be even better if we'd gotten a medal but at least the shirt is nice. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!

 

[Ariel484]

Packing!

Yesterday I was looking at my work calendar, and it's really starting to hit me that this trip is ALMOST HERE! I have 3 more full work weeks (including this week), then a partial week for Christmas, a partial week for New Year's, two days and then I fly to Disney! And I know this next month is going to fly by.

Someone asked about packing for the races in a thread in the WISH section, which prompted me to dig up my packing list from my 2012 pre-trip report and post it there. So I thought I would post it here too!

I actually have a little pile going of some stuff...DME booklet, luggage tags, etc. And I've started to set other things aside as well.

For the expo (all of this will be in my carry-on bag):

- $$$...so Disney and the various vendors can take it. I actually think most of my cash will go to official Disney merch, unlike Wine & Dine - SparkleSkirts doesn't come to the January expos, and I've been taking advantage of Black Friday/Cyber Money deals from SweatyBands and RawThreads (I know their expo prices will not beat the prices I got this week) so I am not sure how much vendor shopping I'll actually do.
- The gold AP card so I can get a discount on the official merch
- My signed race waiver for bib and packet pick-up - this probably should have been listed first as I guess it's TECHNICALLY the most important thing...but but but SHOPPING!!
- Related to above, my driver's license (though I guess I need that to actually fly to WDW anyway)
- Order confirmation for my Dooney & Bourke bag

- Print-out for the free art card I assume they will be offering

Race Stuff:

- shoes (one pair for the 5K and half, one pair for the 10K and marathon - going to start breaking these in the week of Christmas)
- Balega socks (4 pairs)
- running skirts (4)
- running bras/underwear (4)
- running tops (4)
- Garmin Forerunner 220 + charger
- SweatyBands (4)
- Running sunglasses

Basically what I will look like for every race...smile included, hopefully!

- Throwaway clothes, if needed - I have some set aside but almost always forget to bring them
- Sweat- and water-proof sunscreen
- Body Glide...!!!
- Race day breakfasts - Bruegger's bagels with peanut butter (Jif-to-go containers) + disposable plastic knives (4).
- Granola bars (?) to take with me to eat on the bus to the corrals (4)
- Disposable coffee cups with lids, along with my normal coffee mix-ins (4) so I can make coffee in the room and take it with me to the corrals
- A bottle of water for each race...drink in the staging area and toss it near the corrals (4)
- A few Ziploc sandwich baggies (see below)
- Some way to carry my phone during the race - I wish LifeProof would come out with iPhone 6+ cases already!!
- In my pockets during each race in a Ziploc baggie: some cash, an extra hair tie and a small packet of Kleenex.
- Honey Stinger Waffles - 2 for the half marathon, 3 for the marathon
- A grocery bag for the finish area, to carry all of the stuff they give you (banana, Powerade, water, snackbox, etc.) --> one item that I did not have at Wine & Dine that would have been REALLY nice
- Most importantly: THE POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERA and CAMERA CHARGER. If I forget this, I'll weep.

Recovery:

- The Stick
- Possibly a tennis ball

2013's piles of stuff:

Is it possible I'm a little high maintenance? Maybe?

I hate, hate, hate packing for any kind of trip. It's just so overwhelming! Add in a race - or 4 - and that overwhelming feeling increases a crazy amount! Somehow it makes me feel better to list it out here...even though I can't shake the suspicion that I've forgotten something.

In other news...waivers should be posted any day now!! I check once in awhile, but nothing yet.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Miffy2003]

Hahaha! I might even be an OCD step further than you, as I'm ziplocking my separate outfits into different days so I can just lift them out and save rummaging!

My trainer policy matches yours. Mine are all broken in though (but not too broken in!!)

 

[Miffy2003]

Oh and I bought some Mylar blankets as insurance against really cold weather

 

[Ariel484]

Hahaha! I might even be an OCD step further than you, as I'm ziplocking my separate outfits into different days so I can just lift them out and save rummaging!

...I'm doing the same thing. Except not with Ziplocs, with grocery bags. Then those become laundry bags when the race is done.

We're just smart planners, that's all!!

My trainer policy matches yours. Mine are all broken in though (but not too broken in!!)

Yeah, I've seen people buy the runDisney shoes at the expo and then RUN THE RACE IN THEM! I could not do that!!

Oh and I bought some Mylar blankets as insurance against really cold weather

That's a great idea! I think I have a few extra lying around, might save me some packing space that way. Thanks!!

 

[Miffy2003]

...I'm doing the same thing. Except not with Ziplocs, with grocery bags. Then those become laundry bags when the race is done.

We're just smart planners, that's all!!

Yeah, I've seen people buy the runDisney shoes at the expo and then RUN THE RACE IN THEM! I could not do that!!

That's a great idea! I think I have a few extra lying around, might save me some packing space that way. Thanks!!

I really did only buy the Mylar blankets as I thought that if I had them it wouldn't snow

I have actually no idea why anyone would run in brand new trainers. That's a little bit crazy!! Mind you, I might be jealous - tried and failed on three separate days to get a pair, this Feb.

 

[Ariel484]

I really did only buy the Mylar blankets as I thought that if I had them it wouldn't snow

Well I hope your plan works!!!

I have actually no idea why anyone would run in brand new trainers. That's a little bit crazy!! Mind you, I might be jealous - tried and failed on three separate days to get a pair, this Feb.

Me neither! I agree, I certainly would never do that!

I hope that you get a pair eventually. I got a pair last year but they ended up hurting my feet so I sold them on eBay. So sad!!

 

[Ariel484]

Week 4 of Dopey Challenge Training
Monday, December 1, 2014 - Sunday, December 7, 2014

36 miles completed
99.55 miles completed in Dopey Challenge training so far
746.16 miles completed in 2014 so far

Monday, December 1: 60-minute Core class

Alright, time to start a new week! My goal (as it is - and should be - every week) is to just get all of my runs in. The weather looks decent for this week - temperatures in the 30s and 40s with little chance of rain or snow. Hopefully it'll stay that way so that I can get those miles in! Any cross training I can do will be gravy.

So I started off the week with a little gravy! Normally there are 10-12 people in the Monday morning Core class, but this morning there were only 5 of us! Maybe everyone else was still in a post-Thanksgiving food coma.

Today we used body bars, BOSU trainers, discs, medicine balls, my #1 nemesis TRX straps (just for stretching today, thankfully) and a new-to-me piece of equipment - kettleballs!

I felt like I kept up pretty well today overall! The last 10 minutes or so were tough, and I found myself taking some extra breaks, but overall I think it went okay! My back was sore from yoga last night (I think just because I hadn't done it in so long) and it feels okay this morning...which is good because now the rest of my body is hurting from Core. Especially my arms/pecs (push-ups continue to be the death of me), obliques and hamstrings. But I still really like Core class! I wish it was offered more times during the week, and that there were more 6:15AM options. I'm just not sure the 5:15AM classes agree with me.

In other news, I got an email from Brooks that the hoodie I bought from their site at 50% off on Friday is out of stock and will not be shipped to me. Ugh! Not impressed, Brooks - keep your site updated better!!!!

Tuesday, December 2: Run #1 (4 miles on the treadmill)

Good run today!

I was nervous for this one because I am VERY sore from Core class. Arms and pecs are still sore, but feel better. But MAN...my obliques. They are killing me! Just lightly touching them makes the pain buuuurrrrn. Apparently that was quite the workout yesterday!

So going into this morning's run I was more than okay with keeping things relaxed (although I guess that is what I have been doing for awhile now!). I just didn't want this soreness to turn into an injury. I decided not to play around with the inverals or the speed at all - for the entire run I stuck to intervals of running 4 minutes at 5.8 MPH (10:20/mile pace)/walking 1 minute at 3.3 MPH (a little over 18:00/mile pace I think?). This worked out well - it didn't feel great at first but I really focused on keeping my core stable and it was okay. I felt good the whole time! Total time for this run was 45:17, something like a 11:19/mile pace I guess. Fine by me! I also wore my new wine skirt that I got at the Wine & Dine expo for the first time today - finally! It is soooo cute and super comfortable!

In other news, I'm thinking that waivers for Marathon Weekend should be posted this week or next week...EEK. I've checked a few times, haven't seen anything yet. I feel like this will be one of a few signs that Marathon Weekend REALLY is almost here (D&B pre-order being the first sign...then waivers, corrals, taper time, merch preview…).

EEK EEK EEK!!!

Wednesday, December 3: Rest Day

No workouts today. Woohoo! Although I definitely find that even with the extra hour or so of sleep that I get in the morning from not having to go to the gym, I feel even groggier sometimes on rest days. It certainly happened to me today. I guess it's true that exercise does give you more energy!

Today was my department's Christmas event. Why so early, I'm not sure - Monday and yesterday I kept feeling like I didn't have to go to work for the rest of the week, and I think the reason why is because this Christmas thing was scheduled for today. So my brain took that to mean that it's Christmas already and that I have days off coming up! Nope.

Basically we just got to ditch work for a few hours and have a big breakfast together. The were not a lot of options to choose from and the eggs were not that good, but it was still nice. There was also a Secret Santa event (I did not participate - I HATE doing those things because I always end up with junk I don't need! But it's fun to watch).

I've been checking the weather daily for both this weekend at home and for next weekend for the site of the Santa Hustle Half Marathon. The weather for this weekend is okay, not great - mid-40s, which is good, but a chance of rain. The extended forecast for the half marathon actually looks really good - right now AccuWeather.com says high 40s/low 50s, "perhaps a shower" (LOL). I need to pull the trigger on that one soon - I have a $5 off discount code that expires on Friday!! Unfortunately I just read that they are OUT of the gender-specific dri-fit hoodie that is supposed to come with registration...so if we sign up now we'd still get a hoodie, but it would be a unisex cotton one. Hmmm...

Thursday, December 4: Run #2 (5 miles on the treadmill)

Not a bad run today! The only bad thing I can say about it is that I woke up too late, so I was really rushing around afterward in the locker room. I need to work on that.

I did 4:1 run/walk intervals and, unlike Tuesday, I changed the speeds a bit so that some of them were faster. Total time was 55:25, 11:05/mile pace - so quite a bit better pace-wise than Tuesday's run!

In other news, for a variety of reasons, I've officially decided not to do the Santa Hustle Half Marathon next weekend. I wish there was a closer, cheaper option that weekend. I looked, but that's really the only one. Oh well.

Also, here's something weird that happened yesterday - I got another envelope from Magical Express in the mail. Inside were 2 more luggage tags and the DME booklet. So then I checked the other envelope that we'd received earlier - somehow I'd failed to notice that the first envelope had just tags in it - no DME book! And just one tag for each of us. So weird. And I didn't call after the first one or anything...?! Strange. I'm glad the book came though - every trip where I've had Magic Bands they have worked fine for DME but it's always reassuring to have the paper back-up (I have the same mindset with park tickets/Annual Passes - Will's Park Hopper that we bought for January came in the mail a couple of weeks ago, I think I forgot to say that).

Speaking of paper stuff...I have a little PILE going right now. This is another sign that a trip is getting really close - documentation or other items I need start making their way into this pile that just grows and grows...

Currently in the pile: some throwaway clothes for the races (need to rummage around in my dresser to find more), a copy of my registration receipt for Dopey/race pins, similar receipt for the Dooney I just ordered, the DME stuff, and a printout of that page in My Disney Experience that shows all of the plans - I just like having the paper to write notes on and whatnot. I'll probably print a few more of those out as I fiddle with plans. And some point I'll be adding my waiver (!!) and form for the free art card to this pile...along with our Magic Bands, which should ship out sometime over the next couple of days (red for me, blue for Will).

Getting closer!!!

Friday, December 5: Run #3 (9-mile out-and-back)
Weather: 39 degrees and overcast, no wind

GREAT run for me today! Possibly the best I have had in the past month - I think the weather had a lot to do with it. It just felt really pleasant out...I think the fact that there was no wind was a big boost for me mentally.

My total time for this run was 1:43:02, 11:27/mile pace - I had half a Honey Stinger Waffle at about the 4-mile mark and had the rest at the 8-mile mark (because I was SO HUNGRY). I made a real effort not to look at my watch, something else that I think really helped my mindset. I wish my pace was faster, but I'm trying really hard not to care. It's still well within Disney’s sweeper pace, and the only goal for Dopey is to finish. So no point in freaking myself out over my pace when it really doesn't matter all that much.

After this run, for the rest of the day/evening I drank a TON of water. Maybe 2.5 liters? While I was out running today I was thinking about how good I am with drinking water during the week at work (at least 64 ounces every day) so I was wondering if maybe that was part of why this run today felt so good? I definitely don't do as well with drinking water on Fridays (when I work from home) and on the weekends.

Saturday, December 6: Run #4 (18-mile run)
Weather: 39 degrees, overcast and windy

WOOHOO!! Only one more run longer than this one left!!

The temperature today was exactly the same as yesterday, except today there was wind - it wasn't TOO bad, but I could definitely feel it in my head. If it gets really bad I'll end up with a headache after running, but luckily today wasn’t like that. I just felt a wee bit colder today.

But I was actually pretty excited for this run! When I was training for the 2012 marathon my longest run was 18 miles - there was a blizzard the weekend of my scheduled 20-miler and I never got to do it - and I finished that race. So in my mind if I can make it to 18 miles, I know I'm good. I was pumped for this one.

Woot! Dressed like a pretty peacock...that neck thing is my new favorite piece of winter running gear. It definitely helped!

Right before starting my run I decided to switch to 3:1 intervals instead of 4:1 intervals. I think this is something I'll stick with for my looooong runs. I felt really, really good for quite awhile - I actually think I had a bit of a runner's high going on as I got to mile 8 (10 miles to go!). I just felt so HAPPY - "I'm doing this!! I'm going to finish this run and I feel great and it's not going to rain!!!" (Something I had been fearing all week.) Really the first 12 miles were like that - it just felt easy. In fact I think my pace was about 11:28/mile? I was trying hard not to look at my watch too much but I was still happy that I was going much faster than last week.

The last 6 miles were pretty tough though. I realized that I hadn't brought nearly enough water with me - only 20 ounces. Luckily my husband was home, so I sent him a text and asked if he could meet me on my route with a Gatorade. He rescued me!! Yay. When he met up with me to make the hand-off I was at 13.30 miles and really struggling...funny how it can go from great to not-so-great that quickly! I didn't love carrying the Gatorade bottle in one hand and the water bottle in the other, but I definitely needed that Gatorade. I need to re-think what I take with me over the next 2 weeks.

I do think the Gatorade, and an extended walk break of about 3-4 minutes, helped me quite a bit. I was able to finish somewhat strongly...but overall my pace slowed down a ton and in the end I did finish slower than last week. Total time for this run was 3:34:42, 11:56/mile pace.

What else, what else...oh. I wore my thinner socks this time, unlike during my 16-miler - NO BLISTERS!!! So basically I am never wearing those thicker socks again. AND I didn't roll an ankle! I had visions of myself doing that (how fun! ) but I didn't. What a triumph.

The week...from Instagram:

Almost 7 hours of running this week...yikes!

Despite the fact that the last 6 miles were so hard, I just don't even care...I feel so awesome right now. This was such a confidence booster...I think I really needed it!

This is what the rest of my day was like...lounging in an EPCOT t-shirt with my favorite snuggle buddy:

Sunday, December 7: Warm Yoga Flow

Another week is done! Just 2 weeks left until taper!!

I feel really, really good after yesterday's run. I felt good last night, too - not as tired or as sore as I expected at all. Nowhere near as sore as I felt after the 16-miler 2 weeks ago. I'm sure it was the combination of the 3:1 intervals and all of that water I drank on Friday. Going to keep that in mind going forward!

Yoga was really, really good today. Just what I needed after running yesterday. I went in fully expecting to modify every pose, thinking I'd need to give my legs a break...but I really didn't have to at all. I felt awesome when I was done.

Oh, and also...I'm flying in to Disney one month from TODAY!! Woohoo!!

Continued in Next Post

 

[garneska]

Shannon am so glad you are writing this again. They give me inspiration. I did not find this one till late, and i just could not read everything, but am following along now.

Am so glad one more long run and then marathon weekend.

Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[Ariel484]

Shannon am so glad you are writing this again. They give me inspiration. I did not find this one till late, and i just could not read everything, but am following along now.

Am so glad one more long run and then marathon weekend.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Thank you so much for leaving such a nice comment! I really, really appreciate it.

"Am so glad one more long run and then marathon weekend." - YES!! I cannot agree with this more!!

 

[Ariel484]

2015 Walt Disney World 5K - The Outfit!

Alright, where's TigerTown?! It's another outfit post - the first of 4!

Because 4 races means 4 outfits for Marathon Weekend!

The WDW 5K is one month from today (!!) so it seems appropriate to kick things off with my outfit for that race. I've changed my mind one the outfits for all of the races approximately 2347348967983 times, but I think I'm set now.

For race #1, I'm (loosely) representing Mulan! You know, as much as a fair-skinned, mild-mannered redhead can represent a kick-butt Chinese warrior. Seriously love that movie...I feel like it's super underappreciated.

First of all, my shoes. My current pair of shoes is sitting at 317 miles...I'd really like to get the next 2 weeks (70.5 miles) out of these shoes so I can start breaking in my 2 Marathon Weekend pairs during my taper. I'm not sure this pair will actually last that long...we'll see.

But anyway! My shoes for Marathon Weekend are the exact same model as what I have now...Brooks Adrenalines GTS 14. My current pair is blue...I have another blue pair along with a pink pair for Marathon Weekend sitting in my closet:

Currently planning on wearing the blue pair for the 5K and half marathon, and the pink pair for the 5K and marathon. Neither pair matches any of my outfits AT ALL, but whatever. I won't lose sleep over it.

The Mulan-ness of this outfit comes from the Red Warrior shirt from Raw Threads (purchased during their Black Friday sale - got a little over 25% off plus free shipping! ):

As usual, I think Raw Threads is so clever with the way they represent the Disney characters on their shirts. I love the sword, the nods to Mulan's warrior uniform (for lack of a better term) and the small white flowers. This is probably my favorite RT shirt that I own (and I own a lot of them!).

To match the white flowers, I'm wearing a sparkly white SweatyBand! They don't seem to make the one I have anymore, but it's this exact one, except white:

And then of course, the SparkleSkirt:

This one is called Fiesta. Every time I get a new skirt I think the new one is my favorite...but this one MAY actually really be my favorite. It's really lightweight, sparkly and pretty. Love it.

And that is as creative as I get with race outfits.

Continued in Next Post

 

[RnbwSktles]

I received a "Warrior" sticker with my last Raw Threads purchase and didn't even realize it was supposed to be for Mulan. Now I know!

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Shannon

We really run quite similar paces. I've managed to speed up quite a bit since doing my first half in Feb (I'm not fast no way, just less slow than I was then. Not that I'm calling you slow. Oh this is coming out wrong! )

We did 18 miles yesterday, with 10 the day before. We took the approach of walking the ten (trying to ensure the walking muscles are as ready as the running ones!) and that went well, smidge over 15 minute miles (ie sub Dopey pace). It just took forever!

We are now using a 12/3 interval for our long runs. I was really against the idea when it was suggested (12 minutes felt like too darn long) but, the three minute walk break works really well, as you feel properly recovered at the end of it. It's also a great opportunity to get some water / gel / whatever. I really didn't think I'd like it, but now find at no point in the long run am I breathless / hurting (well: usual aches and pains for the last couple of miles!)

We averaged a little over 11 minute miles yesterday for the 18 miles which I was exceptionally happy about!


Love your Mulan costume! Will you have a Mushu?

 

[Ariel484]

I received a "Warrior" sticker with my last Raw Threads purchase and didn't even realize it was supposed to be for Mulan. Now I know!

If the sticker just said "Warrior" on it I could totally see that. I didn't know this shirt was supposed to be for Mulan until one of my friends told me. I think because when you look at the shirts on RT.com you only see the fronts, so I assumed it was like the Merida Warrior shirt, except a red version.

Then my friend kept saying "the Mulan shirt" and eventually I asked which one she was talking about, and she said it was the red Warrior one...and then I saw the back. AH-HA!!

Hi Shannon

We really run quite similar paces. I've managed to speed up quite a bit since doing my first half in Feb (I'm not fast no way, just less slow than I was then. Not that I'm calling you slow. Oh this is coming out wrong! )

No worries! I think it's hard to talk about pace without potentially offending someone (for the record - I am not offended). That's something I try to be careful with, so I totally get your concern. Congrats on speeding up!

We did 18 miles yesterday, with 10 the day before. We took the approach of walking the ten (trying to ensure the walking muscles are as ready as the running ones!) and that went well, smidge over 15 minute miles (ie sub Dopey pace). It just took forever!

Wow! You walked 10 miles?! I could NEVER do that. I think I'd just get bored and quit. Good job!!

We are now using a 12/3 interval for our long runs. I was really against the idea when it was suggested (12 minutes felt like too darn long) but, the three minute walk break works really well, as you feel properly recovered at the end of it. It's also a great opportunity to get some water / gel / whatever. I really didn't think I'd like it, but now find at no point in the long run am I breathless / hurting (well: usual aches and pains for the last couple of miles!)

We averaged a little over 11 minute miles yesterday for the 18 miles which I was exceptionally happy about!

Sounds like you are in awesome shape! I still haven't totally decided what I'm going to do for the races... I think 3 minutes of walking would be a little too long for me. Different intervals work for different people, I guess.

Love your Mulan costume! Will you have a Mushu?

Thanks!

Ooh, I hadn't thought of carrying a Mushu! I'll definitely think about that! Thanks for the idea!!!

 

[ZellyB]

Yay!! Race outfits!!!

Love the first outfit for sure. The Mulan shirt is really cute. I've seen the fiesta skirt on the site and thought it looked pretty. Glad to know you like it so well in person.

Anxiously awaiting the next outfit.

 

[Miffy2003]

Yes, walking the 10 miles was exceptionally dull!

I'm debating whether to dress up a little for the 5 and 10k. Nothing major, but thought it might be fun. I'm sticking to plain old boring comfortable for the two longer races!

Very excited to get our bib numbers yesterday

 

[Ariel484]

Yay!! Race outfits!!!

Love the first outfit for sure. The Mulan shirt is really cute. I've seen the fiesta skirt on the site and thought it looked pretty. Glad to know you like it so well in person.

Anxiously awaiting the next outfit.

Thanks!! I love that shirt too!

I love the skirt. Maybe you have seen on SFZ, but that skirt gets pretty mixed reviews - sounds like the sizing is off sometimes? I'm not sure if I got lucky or what. The only thing I DON'T like about it - and I didn't notice this until I'd already received the skirt in the mail - is that you're supposed to handwash it. I put it inside out in a lingerie bag on the "handwash" cycle my washign machine has and that seemed to work out okay.

Yes, walking the 10 miles was exceptionally dull!

I'm debating whether to dress up a little for the 5 and 10k. Nothing major, but thought it might be fun. I'm sticking to plain old boring comfortable for the two longer races!

Very excited to get our bib numbers yesterday

Can't blame you at all for wanting to be comfortable for the races. That's how I think, too! I like seeing the costumes other people come up with but comfort is my main priority!

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5 of Dopey Challenge Training
Monday, December 8, 2014 - Sunday, December 14, 2014

29.6 miles completed/33 miles planned
129.15 miles completed in Dopey Challenge training so far
775.76 miles completed in 2014 so far

Gonna throw in some random pictures so this isn't a wall-o-text...

Monday, December 8: 60-minute Core class

Really getting down to the wire...the WDW 5K is one month from TODAY. Where the heck have the past few weeks gone?!

Random thought on the 5K: for the 4 5Ks I have done at Disney (WDW 5K, Royal Family 5K, and the Jingle Jungle 5K twice) I have not worried about pace at all - just getting lots of character pictures. But I guess I'll actually have to pay attention this time since Dopey runners are chip-timed for all races!! This seriously did not occur to me until like 2 days ago...I need to remember that!

Anyway...

This morning was a first for me with Core - I was late to class! How embarrassing. I feel like I am late all the time in life, and that is something I have been really trying to get better about. I was doing a good job with Core until today - just got up a bit too late. There were only 4 of us there today (and one of them was also named Shannon ) and I just did not feel like I kept up as well this week as I did last week. Maybe that's not so surprising since I ran more this past week.

Today we used discs, body bars, medicine balls, the BOSU trainer and the TRX straps. I hate TRX straps. They are the devil's tools. I had a panicky moment very early on in class - we were supposed to be lying on the BOSU trainers holding the medicine ball. We'd do 2 crunches, then stand up and put the medicine ball over our heads. I did okay for the first couple of reps, but then my right knee popped. I thought maybe it was just a consequence of my arriving a little late (and thus missing part of the warm-up). Nope - I did maybe 3 more reps, with my knee hurting a little more each time, and then finally I pulled the plug and just did crunches from there on out - no standing up. I'm thinking I must have had really bad form or something right from the beginning, because I was extra cautious after that and paid super close attention to having good form for the rest of the class (hmm, maybe not a bad idea to do that ALL OF THE TIME?! ) and the knee felt fine. It feels completely normal now...but definitely something to watch.

My schedule is going to be weird this week. I don't want to do two long runs back-to-back again this weekend - that would make 3 weeks in a row (last week - 9/18, this week - 9/14 and next week - 2.5/5/10/20). So I'm planning on doing my 9-miler tomorrow, which means I'll definitely have to break it up into an AM/PM run. Because I'm not getting up at like 3AM to get that done. That's going to suck (especially since we're supposed to get snow tomorrow - oh boy!) but if I keep the 9-miler on Friday I'd need to do my long run on Sunday in order to not have another back-to-back...and I hate Sunday long runs. I like doing yoga on Sunday mornings and then being as lazy as humanly possible for the rest of the day. So I may as well get the 9-miler over with as early in the week as possible. I know it’s the smarter thing to do but I certainly will not enjoy it!

WHINE WHINE WHINE!

Tuesday, December 9: 9-mile run (6 miles AM/3 miles PM)

1 month from today...WDW 10K. So excited for this one! It'll be my first time running this course!! Epcot + the Epcot resort area...sounds like a winner to me!! And I am soooo excited to get a Minnie Mouse medal!!

AM portion
Anyhoo...today I had a 9-mile run scheduled. I was originally hoping to get 5 miles in on the treadmill at work this morning, and then come home and do the final 4. But in thinking about it last night, I realized that my treadmill runs (somehow) have not been so mind-numbingly boring lately...and that the part of this 2-part run I was looking forward to the least was the after-work portion. I REALLY like just coming home and sitting on my lazy butt. So I thought that if I could get myself out of bed just a little earlier this morning, maybe I could get 6 miles in on the treadmill.

And I did! Woohoo! I was out of bed about 15 minutes earlier than normal and made good time on my drive in. I played around with the intervals a decent amount today…all walk intervals were 1 minute long at 3.3 MPH (about 18:00/mile pace):

Mile 1: 5-minute running intervals at 5.8 MPH (10:20/mile pace)
Mile 2: 4-minute running intervals at 5.9 MPH (10:10/mile pace)
Mile 3: 3-minute running intervals at 6.0 MPH (10:00/mile pace)
Mile 4: 2-minute running intervals at 6.1 MPH (9:50/mile pace)
Mile 5: 1-minute running intervals
Mile 6: 1-minute running intervals

I forget exactly what I did for miles 5 and 6 but I know I cranked the way up (for me) here and there. Those 1:1 intervals really slow down my overall pace!

I had to restart the treadmill after 5 miles (because I knew it would automatically stop after 1 hour)...overall the 6 treadmill miles took me almost exactly 70 minutes (about a 11:40/mile pace). So it took me a decent amount of time...but I don't care because now I only have to do 3 miles at home! Somehow that sounds like a lot less than 4 miles...weirdly enough. Still - and I never thought I'd say this - I'm glad I did most of this run on the treadmill. The weather forecast for when I get home is 39 degrees and rainy - yuck!!
--------------------------

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Waivers and corrals were released today! I am in Corral I...I'll be honest, I wish I was in a higher corral, but I do think they corralled me properly for the marathon. For the half, not so much - I think I should be up 1 or 2...but whatever. The 10K and the 5K are a mystery to me...the 10K because there are only F Corrals (so clearly I'm not in I for that one), the 5K because no corrals were released for that one. We'll see!

Also, I got an email that our MagicBands shipped today! Woohoo!

PM portion
Weather: 37 degrees and windy...dark

Not gonna mince words - this run SUCKED!! I got home and changed as quickly as possible - hoping to avoid the forecasted rain (which I did, yay!). But by the time I got out there it was pitch black out since the sun had set an hour earlier. I live in a nice little suburb, but they do a really poor job with street lighting in some areas, so I found myself going extra slowly to try to avoid stepping on anything that could cause me to roll an ankle. Also, I was being extra, extra cautious of cars - I know from driving home that it's really hard to see people outside this time of year. And since it was dark out and not a lot of other people were around, it was just a little creepy out there.

So since I was being extra cautious, that meant I was going pretty slowly...and that just did not feel good on my legs. UGH!

Then with 0.25 miles to go I ran by a house with a German Shepard, who ran at me barking. I was looking at the dog and not where I was going and managed to step on something on the sidewalk...I didn't roll my ankle, but it was close. And this reaffirms my thought that running at home in the dark is just NOT A GOOD IDEA!

This run seemed to take foreeeeever - 35:20, 11:46/mile pace. Blech!

Wednesday, December 10: 5-mile run planned, 1.6-mile walk completed

My blech feeling from last night carried over into this morning - I feel a little wiped out, and once I stepped on the treadmill this morning, my brain was just like "NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!" So I walked for 30 minutes instead and ended up going 1.6 miles. Funny how I did so well on the treadmill just 24 hours earlier...last week was such a great running week for me overall, and suddenly I feel - dare I say it - burned out…?! How is that even possible? I feel like I have only had a couple of good training weeks here! UGH! Maybe it’s just a little funk that I'm in...that sounds a lot less extreme than "burnout."

In better news, the WDW Half Marathon is 1 month from today...so yay for that.

Thursday, December 11: Rest Day

The marathon is 1 month from TODAY!! Where has this year gone?!

Glorious rest day today - I went to bed a little earlier than normal last night and got up an hour later than I would if I was running...I feel much better today than I did yesterday. I had tons of energy after Saturday's 18-miler - I felt awesome Saturday and Sunday - and then the work week started and I just hit the wall. Woof!

I've started looking ahead to the weather forecast for the next 2 weeks. I just need the serious snow to hold off for like 10-11 more days so that I can get through my Dopey rehearsal next week. Here's my upcoming schedule:

Today - rest
Tomorrow - 5-mile run (35 degrees, 0% chance of rain) + yoga
Saturday 12/13 - 14-mile run (37 degrees, 10% chance of rain)
Sunday 12/14 - yoga
Monday 12/15 - 60-minute Core class
Tuesday 12/16 - rest day
Wednesday 12/17 - 2.5-mile treadmill run → “few snow showers” on this day
Thursday 12/18 - 5-mile treadmill run (let’s hope this goes better than yesterday’s planned 5-mile treadmill run )
Friday 12/19 - 10-mile run (37 degrees, 0% chance of rain)
Saturday 12/20 - 20-mile run (38 degrees, 60% chance of rain)

While I don't love that 60% chance of rain on the day my 20-miler is scheduled, and I know this forecast will change (because, come on...it's a weather forecast)...DEAR SWEET LORD PLEASE LET THIS HOLD UP!!!

In other news, I've started a list of things I know I will want to pick up at the expo (beyond my race bibs and shirts, of course). Having the list at Wine & Dine was really helpful - I'd like to get in and out in January just like I did last month. As of right now my only must-haves are from the official merch areas...once I get those items I'll still look around at the other booths.

- Dopey medal pin (normally I pre-order the official race pins - which I have done - and don't get the medal pins, but I want the Dopey medal pin for the C2C medal I plan on getting in September 2015 in Disneyland)
- 2015 runDisney Vinylmation + medals (half marathon, marathon, Goofy and Dopey...I don’t think they’ll have medals for the 5K and 10K)
- I Did It shirt (s) - definitely for Dopey, I'll have to see what the others look like
- A hoodie - not sure which one, will have to see what I like
- runDisney SweatyBand(s) - again, not sure which one yet
- Coffee mug(s)

I'll also be picking up my Dooney and the free bookmark (ooookay? Hey, it's free!). I'm not as concerned about those items because both will be pre-reserved ahead of time (and in the case of the Dooney I've already purchased it)...I just need to remember to actually pick them up. I'm more concerned about the list above just because it's first come, first served, and I know stuff sells out. It's entirely possible I'll be heading back to the expo on Thursday to get anything I miss, but I'd REALLY like to not have to do that.

I'm guessing a merchandise preview will be released on Facebook the Monday or Tuesday of marathon weekend (January 5 or 6) so that'll help me refine my list a bit more.

Friday, December 12: 5-mile run
Weather: 30 degrees with a little wind

So today I tried something I have not done in awhile - rather than doing 4/1 intervals, I did run 1 mile/walk 1 minute intervals. It wasn't that bad!

Mile 1: 10:26
Mile 2: 10:39
Mile 3: 10:49
Mile 4: 10:53
Mile 5: 10:38

Total time: 53:32, 10:41/mile pace

I've been a little discouraged with my pace lately - I know I shouldn't care because I'm well under Disney's 16:00/mile time limit, but still...no one likes to get slower. So it was nice to be a little faster today. I know I can't keep that up for longer runs right now, though.

In other news, our MagicBands came today!!! Woohoo!

Saturday, December 13: 14-mile run
Weather: 34 degrees and overcast

Alright, only one more training run longer than this one!

So today I did something kind of stupid - I read somewhere online that Jeff Galloway has been recommending 30-second walk intervals lately. I thought, "hey, I haven't been thrilled with my pace - I'll shorten my walk intervals!" So instead of the 3:1 intervals that worked so well for me last week, I tried 3:30 running/30-second walking intervals this week.

The verdict? Sometimes it was okay, sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes I felt like it was enough time to recover, sometimes it didn't seem like enough (especially when I was eating Honey Stinger Waffles). I started off this run in a really good place mentally and the first 10-11 mile seemed to fly by, the the last 3 miles were really, really tough. By the time I was done I felt more tired and sore than I did after last week's 18-miler. So overall I would say this interval did not work for me and I'll be going back to 3/1 for next week's 20-miler (!!).

Total time: 2:43:39, 11:41/mile pace.

Screenshot of my running playlist

I'm pretty sure changing the interval was the problem, but I was a little discouraged by how I felt when this run was over.

Sunday, December 14: Warm Yoga Flow planned, unscheduled rest day taken

I was ZAPPED after yesterday's 14-miler, so I slept in this morning. Oh well!

I got all my Christmas shopping done today...yay! I also got a Be Our Guest lunch FP+ for me and Will. I have no idea if we'll actually be able to use it though...I'd really like to change the time. I hope they release more FP+ sometime over the next couple of weeks!

Less than 1 week left until taper!!!

Continued in Next Post