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

[Ariel484]

Stridebox - April 2014

Gotta say...a little disappointed in this month's Stridebox. It definitely seemed like there was less stuff compared to last month.

First up...a Quest Cravings - Protein Peanut Butter Cups. Simple ingredients, real nutrition with a[sic] essential amino acirs take the popular sweet treat to a healthy level. 10g protein per cup. Retail 37.49/12 bars

I've heard of Quest bars...not good things, unfortunately. We'll see how these are.

NOW - Trail Bar - Raspberry, Peanut & Almond. Gluten free, dairy free, all natural fruit and nut energy bar loaded with chia seeds, and held together with manuka honey. Retail: $26.04/12 bars

This sounds...okay. I don't eat trail mix bars very often and when I do I like Clif Mojo bars, so I'm not too excited about this one.

Huma Gel - Chia Seed Gel - Blueberry. A 100% all-natural gel with chia seeds and flavor from real fruit. Simple ingredients mean energy with no stomach issues. Retail $54.00/24 gels

This is one I'm interested in, just because having more natural ingredients in the fuel I use during runs seems like a good idea. I've tried Honey Stinger gels and they are WAY too sweet for me, so maybe this will be better. On the other hand, the Gu Chomps and gels I've been using for years haven't failed me yet, so is there a point in switching? Also, not sure I want to pay $54 for 24 gels when I can get a box of Gu Chomps (16 packs...32 servings) for $30.

Achiva Native Energy - Chia Seed Chews. A combination of chia, cocoa, agave, sugar and natural flavoring makes this chia chews perfect for natural energy during any run. Retail $36.00/24 pouches

Same as above, except the price doesn't seem as bad.

Cytomax Sports Performance Mix. Designed to deliver energy quickly and efficiently to help hydrate, fueld working muscles, and space muscle glycogen to delay fatigue. $20.95/24 sticks.

Interested to try this, although a little leery after my poor experience with Gy Brew on Saturday!

ZipFizz - Healthy Energy Drink - Fruit Punch. Refresh, refuel, and rehydrate with this sugar-free blend of energy producing vitamins and minerals. Retail $37.99/20 tubes.

Bad first impression of this one as the power seems to be leaking from the tube, making my hands feel sticky and grimy. We'll see.

StrideBox - Running - Running belt. Store your keys, credit cards, phone, gels, chews, or anything you need inside the two expandable, zippered pockets in this belt..

This is probably the thing I'm least excited about. It seems like a good running belt, but I already have one and I never use it because I don't like having stuff around my waist when I run. My Sparkle Skirts have a lot of pockets, as to my pants and jackets, I have a shoe wallet, and whenever I use my Camelbak I can store a lot of stuff in there. I'm guessing this one item is the reason why there are less total items in the box, which is too bad because this is the one thing I'm very sure I won't use.

I think my Stridebox days are numbered. I thought it would be a fun thing to try, but it's ended up feeling like I'm just paying money for things I won't use. I'll see what I think next month and then will probably cancel. Oh well!

Continued in Next Post

 

[annmarieda]

Monday, April 7, 2014 - Sunday, April 13, 2014

20.85 miles complete/21ish miles planned
111.1 miles completed in 10-miler Training so far
162.1 miles completed in 2014 so far[/B]

Yay! My first 20+ mile week of the year!

you did awesome!

Monday, April 7

Anyway...I got to the gym and got the workout in. I actually liked it a lot better today than I did last week, so that's good. After eating crappy food and being a total lazy bum for the last few days it felt good to be back in the gym.

Isn't it funny how we feel better once we get back to it?

Now for the running-related purchases...shoes!

I love your new shoes! I kinda both love and hate black shoes. Currently mine are brooks and black and hot pink. I think they are kinda cool looking, but with my pale legs... I tend to think it makes me look even more ghostly!

Grand total with tax and free shipping…$259.

I am with you on that. Why do running shoes have to be so darn expensive.

Tuesday, April 8

This run felt good, but tough. I definitely felt sluggish and a little - er - jiggly in places, but that was mostly outweighed by that feeling of motivation I started to get yesterday, which thankfully hasn’t gone away yet. The run took me exactly 30 minutes (10:00/mile).

that is awesome!!

After the run I did Ab Ripper X. As I mentioned before the workout is 11 moves with 25 reps per move, but it is TOUGH...so I am working my way up to the 25. Today I did 17 reps per move and I'll probably do the same at least one more time this week before moving up to 18. Seventeen per move was a challenge and there’s no reason to rush to get to the full 25.

Good job!!! I can only imagine how hard they are...and since me and any sort of ab exercise don't mix... I doubt I could do any let along 17 reps!!!

Wednesday, April 9

Halfway done with the Push phase of ChaLEAN! This workout was TOUGH. All of the exercises happen to be ones where the weights are (for me) REALLY heavy (15 pounds for some, most are 20 or 25 pounds) and I was DRENCHED in sweat by the end. I followed it up with a session of Ab Burner...after today I’m switching to the Extreme Abs workout and alternating that one with Ab Ripper X. Looking forward to trying something new!

Thursday, April 10

"This is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10K race pace. A Tempo Run of 30 to 45 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes of easy running, build to 15-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak for only a minute or two. I consider the Tempo Runs to be the 'Thinking Runner's Workout.' A Tempo Run can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it, and it has nothing to do with how long (in time) you run or how far. In fact, the times prescribed for Tempo Runs serve mainly as rough guidelines. Feel free to improvise. Improvisation is the heart of doing a Tempo Run correctly."

I am leaning toward following a HH plan... I think I am beginning to understand what you are doing a bit more with these so maybe it would work for me too.

I know that these are supposed to help me run faster, longer, and while I like that I can make it as hard or as easy as I want to, they just seem to take FOREVER. Something about the build-up period in the middle just seems never-ending. Oh well. This one DID end and it was my last long tempo run before the 10-miler (which is just a little over two weeks away!

ugh.. then you post this and I am all over again.

No Ab Ripping for me this morning because I slept a bit too late to have enough time for that. I'm doing okay with sleeping more but it's still not good enough. I just read an article about how important sleep is for overall health and they say the recommended average sleep time is 7-8 hours...I think I get more like 6-6.5 hours on work nights...close, but no cigar. So I need to work on that and get better at it so I don’t keep bringing it up here! No one wants to read about me whining about my lack of sleep over and over.

Well, if you are needing to bring it up as a reminder to yourself... I am happy to read it. I think the sleep thing can really have an impact on over all performance. I too need to not always be running on fumes...

In other news...my new shoes came today, along with my free hat from Brooks! The hat fits okay, doesn't quite cover my ears but I'm sure I'll use it for winter running (ugh, didn't winter running just end?!)...the shoes are awesome, of course. I'm going to use the black pair for lifting days and save the blue pair for when my current running shoes die (hopefully not for a few more months).

Sounds like the hat fits better than you expected.

I like the black pair a lot more in person.

I think black can look so sharp... I just struggle (like I said) with the contrast agains my white skin.

Friday, April 11

Normally I work from home on Fridays, but not today. I'm still trying to finish up one of my two big projects at work (someday they'll be done and I'll get to work on other things...someday...) - it's almost there, but not quite. My boss and I are collaborating on it quite a bit, and it's much easier at this stage to be in the office so we can work on it together in person. So I hit the treadmill this morning.

I have days where I don't mind the treadmill and days where I hate it...as I was driving in this morning I was definitely feeling the hate. To change things up a bit I decided that I wanted to run/walk this one - running 5 minutes, walking 1 minute. I normally don’t take that many walk breaks because I find that starting and stopping more makes the run feel so long to me, but today it was somewhat refreshing. Not sure why!

That sounds like a great ratio! When I tried the walk run a couple weeks ago I was maybe doing to short of a ratio.

For the first two 5-minute intervals I set the treadmill to 5.8 MPH (10:20 pace)...then to 5.9 MPH for the next two intervals (5.9 MPH). By now I had about 2 miles done.

During the 3rd mile I decided to fool around with the speed even more and copy a workout I’d read online. I started at 6.0 MPH (10:00/mile) and then increased the treadmill speed 0.1 MPH every 30 seconds until I got to 7.0 MPH (8:34/mile). So I was at 6.0 MPH for 30 seconds, then 6.1 MPH for 30 seconds, etc. Once I got to 7.0 MPH and held that for 30 seconds, I stepped back down the ladder every 30 seconds (6.9 MPH for 30 seconds, 6.8 MPH for 30 seconds, etc.) until I was back to where I started at 6.0 MPH. Then I walked for a minute. Whew! This was tough but it seemed to go by really quickly!

sounds like a fun workout overall!

I forget what I did to finish up the run, but I know I kept the 5-minute running intervals somewhere in the 10:00 - 10:20/mile range. My total time for 5 miles was 52:48 (10:34/mile pace) and I felt somewhat decent when it was done. My legs are a little sore now, maybe from that mini speed workout I threw into the middle of the run, but I feel okay overall. Not bad for a run I had been DREADING since yesterday afternoon.

I find those to be the most rewarding runs... the ones I dread and then they turn out to be great runs!

Saturday, April 12: 9-mile out-and-back
Weather: 66 degrees and sunny

Pretty good run today!

9 miles! in sunny warm weather

I decided to try something else from my March Stridebox and mixed up a batch of Gu Brew to take with me instead of my normal, plain ol' tried and true water.

You know how when you see a movie poster there are quotes from people, like..."A Triumph!" "Best Movie of the Year!" etc...

Well, if Gu Brew had a quote from me, it would be..."UUGHHHHCK!" A combination of the words "ugh" and "yuck." Seriously, SO AWFUL. I was excited about this stuff as a potential sodium replacement, but it seriously tasted like someone dumped table salt into my bottle. NOT GOOD!

That is disappointing!

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:15
Mile 2: 10:19
Mile 3: 11:16 --> Stopped for Gu Chomps/Gu Brew /walking at the beginning of this mile
Mile 4: 10:17
Mile 5: 11:03 --> Stopped for Gu Brew /walking at the beginning of this mile
Mile 6: 10:05
Mile 7: 11:43 --> Stopped for Gu Chomps/Gu Brew /walking at the beginning of this mile
Mile 8: 10:22
Mile 9: 11:03 --> Found water fountain and ditched the rest of the Gu Brew...water has never tasted so amazing!

Total time for 9 miles: 1:36:24, 10:42/mile pace

Great consistent pace! I know the goal is suppose to be negative splits.. but I always feel better and recover faster when I run the about the same pace through out the run.

Sunday, April 13: Rest Day

But lots of housework! AND...look what was posted online!!!

And they will both be mine! SQUEEEEEEEEE

I know I had that same squeee and that led to really considering it... but ultimately decided against.

Stridebox - April 2014

I am curious about the chia seeds. I think they might scare me. I have tried cytomax and it isn't too bad. Zipfizz is pretty good normally too but haven't tried any performance stuff. Sounds like there is stuff you won't use. That belt... I wonder if you could sell it online. There is a running gear group on facebook I belong to. I wonder if someone there could take it off your hands.

 

[ZellyB]

I'm curious to see what you think of the Now bar. Since we've gone mostly diary/gluten/grain free and limiting added/processed sugars, we are struggling to figure out what is a good choice for fuel on runs. I also used Cliff bars along with sport beans and jolly ranchers in the past and none of those really fit our new diet.

We've bought some Lara bars and they are okay and might work for us, but I don't like them as well as the Cliff bars. We've actually been trying baby food fruit blends to try and replace gu and the like. They aren't bad actually. And our health food store has dehydrated fruit things like roll-ups, but no added ingredients or sugars. We used those on a 9-miler a couple of weeks ago and I liked them a lot.

Also, cytomax was our go-to electrolyte drink in the past, but I would dilute it more than the directions called for. Generally I liked it better than gatorade or powerade.

 

[ZellyB]

Oh, and, I was all stoked about chia seeds awhile back as this great source of Omega 3s, but then I read that humans really can't process them to get usable Omega 3s out of them. But apparently cows can!

Anyway, not sure what benefits they really have for a runner. I know they are supposed to give you more energy and endurance, but I don't think there are really any scientific studies out there supporting it. I've had them in some kombucha drinks I tried and they really have no taste at all, so I doubt ingesting them does any harm, but I'm skeptical on the benefits.

 

[Ariel484]

you did awesome!

Thanks!

Isn't it funny how we feel better once we get back to it?

Yes, totally.

I love your new shoes! I kinda both love and hate black shoes. Currently mine are brooks and black and hot pink. I think they are kinda cool looking, but with my pale legs... I tend to think it makes me look even more ghostly!

Thanks, I love them too! Although I have the same pale leg problem you to...oops.

I am with you on that. Why do running shoes have to be so darn expensive.

I know...they are important though so I guess it's worth it?

that is awesome!!

Good job!!! I can only imagine how hard they are...and since me and any sort of ab exercise don't mix... I doubt I could do any let along 17 reps!!!

I have a history of back problems so that's part of the reason why I am trying to fit in a decent amount of ab work. The moves are definitely tough! I feel it in my abs, back, quads...yowza.

I am leaning toward following a HH plan... I think I am beginning to understand what you are doing a bit more with these so maybe it would work for me too.

I like them. I don't LOVE the speedwork and tempo runs, but I know they are good for me and I get a little variety, so that's good.

ugh.. then you post this and I am all over again.[/quote
Oops, sorry! Maybe it wouldn't feel so long if I were doing them outside instead of on the treadmill?

Well, if you are needing to bring it up as a reminder to yourself... I am happy to read it. I think the sleep thing can really have an impact on over all performance. I too need to not always be running on fumes...

Well thanks! I've actually been trying out a sleep app on my phone so maybe I will post about that at some point. It's been a little weird to use!

Sounds like the hat fits better than you expected.

It does! Hooray!

I think black can look so sharp... I just struggle (like I said) with the contrast agains my white skin.

I hear you. I'm in my cousin's wedding in June and she requested that we all pick out black dresses... I am going to look like a ghost!

That sounds like a great ratio! When I tried the walk run a couple weeks ago I was maybe doing to short of a ratio.

It definitely worked for me! I think I could deal with a run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute-type thing too but any shorter and I think it would make the run seem a lot longer to me.

sounds like a fun workout overall!

It was! Varying the speed helped a lot!

I find those to be the most rewarding runs... the ones I dread and then they turn out to be great runs!

I so agree with this!

9 miles! in sunny warm weather

I actually had to put on sunscreen! Crazy!!

That is disappointing!

I know...it was soooooo disgusting.

Great consistent pace! I know the goal is suppose to be negative splits.. but I always feel better and recover faster when I run the about the same pace through out the run.

I know what you mean. I think I'd better try to throw some negative splits in from time to time so I can finish stronger in races, but on the other hand...just getting the run done is an accomplishment. Right??

I know I had that same squeee and that led to really considering it... but ultimately decided against.

You can do it if/when you're ready. Goofy will wait for you!

I am curious about the chia seeds. I think they might scare me. I have tried cytomax and it isn't too bad. Zipfizz is pretty good normally too but haven't tried any performance stuff. Sounds like there is stuff you won't use. That belt... I wonder if you could sell it online. There is a running gear group on facebook I belong to. I wonder if someone there could take it off your hands.

Okay, glad to hear you have tried some of this stuff. It's too bad about the belt because it does look decent, I just don't want/need one. Maybe I'll look into selling it like you said.

 

[Ariel484]

I'm curious to see what you think of the Now bar. Since we've gone mostly diary/gluten/grain free and limiting added/processed sugars, we are struggling to figure out what is a good choice for fuel on runs. I also used Cliff bars along with sport beans and jolly ranchers in the past and none of those really fit our new diet.

I forget, have you tried Honey Stingers? The gels were too sweet for me but I might try the chews/waffles at some point. They are GF (I'd imagine they are dairy- and grain-free as well, not 100% sure).

We've bought some Lara bars and they are okay and might work for us, but I don't like them as well as the Cliff bars. We've actually been trying baby food fruit blends to try and replace gu and the like. They aren't bad actually. And our health food store has dehydrated fruit things like roll-ups, but no added ingredients or sugars. We used those on a 9-miler a couple of weeks ago and I liked them a lot.

Wow, that's really cool! While Gu and Gu Chomps have worked really well for me, I do find myself interested in looking for more natural options. I'll have to keep the fruit ideas in mind.

Also, cytomax was our go-to electrolyte drink in the past, but I would dilute it more than the directions called for. Generally I liked it better than gatorade or powerade.

Thanks, good to know. I'm not sure how it would work during the Disney races since I don't carry my own water there...something to think about.

Oh, and, I was all stoked about chia seeds awhile back as this great source of Omega 3s, but then I read that humans really can't process them to get usable Omega 3s out of them. But apparently cows can!

That's hilarious! I had no idea!

Anyway, not sure what benefits they really have for a runner. I know they are supposed to give you more energy and endurance, but I don't think there are really any scientific studies out there supporting it. I've had them in some kombucha drinks I tried and they really have no taste at all, so I doubt ingesting them does any harm, but I'm skeptical on the benefits.

And isn't it supposed to be a *superfood*?! Marketing companies are so shady.

 

[Ariel484]

REGISTERED!!!!!!!

There's no turning back now...

...because I'm IN, baby!!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I have that Black/Purple Pair of Brooks as my running pair. Love them! I like the colors but I don't like bright shoes.

Congrats on getting registered for Dopey!

 

[annmarieda]

REGISTERED!!!!!!!

There's no turning back now...

...because I'm IN, baby!!

Continued in Next Post

Got dh and I registered today too... "just" for the half though. I am in awe of you!!!

 

[Ariel484]

I have that Black/Purple Pair of Brooks as my running pair. Love them! I like the colors but I don't like bright shoes.

You know, I like them a lot more than I expected to! They make me feel...tough or something.

My current pair is this color...not too crazy. The blue pair I ordered is definitely brighter than normal for me!

Congrats on getting registered for Dopey!

THANKS!!!!!

Got dh and I registered today too... "just" for the half though. I am in awe of you!!!

Aw, thanks. ...and WOOHOO ANN AND STEVE!!! In for another Donald medal!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[steph0808]

Yay for getting registered! That's the thing that always stresses me the most about runDisney races (like in college, scheduling the next semester's classes was always the most stressful for me!).

Since I deferred the GSC to next year, I am good. But my brother wants to run one of the races, and registration opens on July 15 - my due date is July 16! I have to make sure I can get in and register him! I don't think he understands how quickly these things sell out!

 

[Ariel484]

Yay for getting registered! That's the thing that always stresses me the most about runDisney races (like in college, scheduling the next semester's classes was always the most stressful for me!).

AHHH, me too! Although I just logged into the passholder site and only the 10K has a note that pre-registration is closed. So the races don't seem to be filling insanely fast at all. I'm curious to see what happens on Tuesday when general registration opens...!

I had the same feeling when registering for college classes! When I first started they didn't have online registration, we had to show up and do it in person. Each department had their own table so I would plan my strategy out ahead of time and run from department to department...it was nuts! Like herding cattle!

Since I deferred the GSC to next year, I am good. But my brother wants to run one of the races, and registration opens on July 15 - my due date is July 16! I have to make sure I can get in and register him! I don't think he understands how quickly these things sell out!

OMG, how is your due date only 3 months away?!

Oh brothers...that sounds like what I would do if my brother were registering for any of these races...we sisters have to take care of everything! I have a feeling the GSC will fill up VERY quickly.

 

[Ariel484]

Week 9 of 10-miler Training
Monday, April 14, 2014 - Sunday, April 20, 2014

23.25 miles complete/24ish miles planned
134.25 miles completed in 10-miler Training so far
185.35 miles completed in 2014 so far

Monday, April 14: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Push 1 + Extreme Abs)

I gotta say, I was FEELING it this morning from the stuff we did around the house yesterday. Between the two of us, my husband and I moved 20 bags of mulch from Home Depot to the car (still can't believe we fit it all in!), then from the car to the front/back.side of the house. Then we mulched the front. But the bigger tasks for us were putting new mortar in the front porch (my husband's job for the weekend...oh the joys of owning an older home...) and removing and replacing a piece of siding. That was my task. It doesn't sound like much but I had such a freaking hard time getting the old piece off of the house - pulling and tugging every which way. My forearms are KILLING me this morning, but the flower beds, porch and siding look pretty good (definitely MUCH better than before) so I guess it was worth it.

Anyway...Push 1 went okay. I lifted the heavy weights like I was supposed to and bumped a few things up. Then I tried Extreme Abs for the first time and Chalene about killed me. It was a LOT harder than Ab Burner, and it finished up with plank moves. I suck at planks on a good day, but the day after tons of house/yard work and right after maxing out lifting? Forgeddaboudit. The move was a side plank where you bring your hips up and down, then back up again, and my arms were shaking so badly that I was 1. Wildly embarrassed, and 2. Pretty sure I was going to come crashing down. Luckily I didn't crash, but I didn't finish the sets like I was supposed to. Lesson learned - Extreme Abs will be done after runs, not lifting. Ab Ripper X (which is tough but doesn't have plank stuff) will be done on lifting days. Yowza.

Tuesday, April 15: 4 miles on the treadmill

Since my run 5/walk 1 strategy worked decently well during Friday's treadmill 5-miler, I used it again today. Once again, I did like it. It just made the whole run seem less daunting...why do I get freaked out for treadmill runs longer than 3 miles?!

Right at mile 3.3 I had to hop off to use the bathroom...this time I wised up and took a phone picture to remember my distance/time since I knew the treadmill would reset itself. I came back and ran the final 0.7 miles in a little under 7 minutes for a total time of 42:35 (10:39ish/mile pace).

In other news...this is my new desktop background for my work computer. It's tiled on the screen so that the pattern repeats over and over. It's a little busy, but I like it.

In even more news...early registration for Marathon Weekend is TOMORROW! I have an AP so you'd better believe I'll be ready to go at noon. I'm excited to officially sign up, but also VERY apprehensive. The registration fee alone will be $530 (!!) ...and I always get the race pins, so with 6 pins (5K, 10K, half, full, Goofy and Dopey) that's going to add another...I don't know, $90? FOR PINS?! (In general I don't collect pins - I only buy them for resorts we stay at and special events we do, such as tours...the races fall into the "special event" category.) Plus those awful Active.com fees...yeah. Ouch. I bought the Marathon Weekend Dooney & Bourke bag in 2013 (LOVE it) and as far as I can see they haven't released 2015's pattern yet...but I saw the pattern from this year and wasn’t a huge fan. Hopefully I can resist whatever they come up with for 2015. Somehow I doubt it though.

And that doesn't even include the stuff I know I'll buy at the expo! I have a Marathon Mickey plush from 2012 and 2013, plus a vinylmation from 2013 with the medals, Sweaty Bands, I Did It shirts… Oh Lord. At least by then I will have forgotten how much I've already spent on registration and pins! And I'll get a small discount for AP/Disney Visa...that's something, right?

My Disney Visa is going to get quite the workout tomorrow…

In other money-related news, I canceled my Stridebox subscription. It just wasn't fun and I felt like I was wasting money. Lesson learned!

And lastly...today is, of course, the 1-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. I'm honestly not sure what to say about it, and I feel that whatever I do say will come out stupidly and won't be enough. What I do know is that my heart still aches for the victims (and the families of the victims) of this awful tragedy. I'm filled with admiration for the survivors and their families, and for the city of Boston...and am so, so proud to be a runner.

Wednesday, April 16: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Push 2) + Ab Ripper X (18)

GREAT workout at the gym today! I felt strong and really good about myself the entire time. Love when that happens!

In other news...today was a BIG day…

...Marathon Weekend early registration opened for AP holders (i.e. ME!) and DVC members! I logged in at 11:30, refreshed the page every 5 minutes, and then the links went live at 11:55. Between registration and ordering the 6 pins (I skipped the breakfast, necklace, jacket, etc.), my credit card definitely got a workout this morning.

You guys.

I am SO FREAKING EXCITED.

Yes, this has been the plan all along...yes, I've been planning to come back for Marathon Weekend since finishing the marathon in 2013...but now that it's official I am practically bouncing off the walls.

I guess I'll need to get back to work (while listening to the Magical Express Loop on my phone!)...gotta pay for this shindig somehow!

Thursday, April 17: Run #2 (8x800 @ 5K pace planned, 4x800 @ 5L pace completed...3.25 miles total)

I could list a few reasons for why I only completed half of this workout, but what it mostly comes down to is that I just didn't want to do it.

After struggling through my last speedwork workout 2 weeks ago, I'd been dreading this one. In hindsight, knowing how much I was dreading it, I should have made extra effort to pump myself up about it...instead I was just focused on how much it was going to suck.

It started off okay. I knew the workout was going to take me about an hour, so I got up about 20 minutes earlier than normal and made it to the gym in good time - I was proud of myself for that! The first 3 intervals were okay, but by the time I started the 4th one I was, quite honestly, looking for an excuse to stop. I started to feel a little soreness in my left foot, near the arch, partway through...I told myself if it didn't go away I was going to pull the plug...it didn't, so I did. Of course, now it feels fine. So did I just create that "soreness" in my mind because I was looking for an excuse to cut the workout short? Who knows...okay, probably. I'm not going to dwell on it too much, but I'm hoping it doesn't happen again and that I will finish this week off strongly. On the other hand, if I'd pushed through and really did end up straining something, I would have been pretty upset with myself. So…???

One thing I did decide is that in the future it would probably be a good idea to do my speedwork runs the day after my rest day...so move them to Monday. While training for this race I've been doing them on Thursdays, always the day after lifting on Wednesday, and I can definitely feel it in my legs. That might help me be more confident when it comes to actually completing these workouts successfully.

Friday, April 18: Run #3 (6-mile loop)
Weather - 61 degrees, partly cloudy and breezy

I set out today hoping to keep around a 10:30 pace, and I didn't really stick to that.

My outfit for the run - the skirt I plan on wearing for the marathon and my 2011 Princess Half shirt...is it considered vintage yet?

The first 0.5 miles were sort of tough - my legs felt sore and heavy. I'm sure it was a combination of lifting earlier in the week and my half-speed work workout yesterday. This really made me think about what I want to do next week with the race coming up - originally I was going to lift only one day, but should I cut it out entirely that week? I'm not sure yet.

After I got warmed up a bit I felt pretty freaking incredible for the majority of this run. I started having some quad soreness during the last two miles (again, made me wonder what to do with lifting on Monday - do it or no?), but for the most part I really had to struggle to slow myself down...and even when I did make a big effort to ease back on the pace I was still going faster than what I'd originally set out to do.

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:20
Mile 2: 9:59 - "Okay crazy lady, slow down!!"
Mile 3: 10:14 - 45-second walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 10:23 - 45-second walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 6: 9:31

Total time for 6 miles: 1:00:41, 10:07/mile average pace

I have to say, this is probably the best run I've had all year. Yes, I felt sore and stiff at times, but overall I felt incredibly strong and my legs felt like they really wanted to go fast. It just made me feel really good about myself, and since my weight loss isn't going the way I want it to right now (as in, no weight is being lost) I've really needed that. I was just...happy to be out there. I'm sure the amazing weather had a lot to do with it, too.

On the other hand...I hope I didn't just screw myself up for tomorrow's long run by doing this one too fast! Eek!

Later in the day I also did a round of Extreme Abs...Chalene is crazy. That is all. AND, I got some new Sweaty Bans in the mail. They were having a sale last week...yay!

Saturday, April 19: Run #4 (10-mile loop)
Weather - 48 degrees, partly cloudy and breezy

Well, this wasn't a perfect run...but it's DONE! And it's taper time, baby!

I remember feeling a little stiff for the first 0.5 miles as usual...then feeling okay. Unlike yesterday I had NO trouble keeping my pace a little slower. In fact, around the halfway point my legs started to buuurrrrn. It went away after 0.25 miles or so, but it returned for mile 9 and 10. So yesterday's run did indeed screw today's up...but just a bit.

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:28
Mile 2: 10:33
Mile 3: 11:06
Mile 4: 10:06
Mile 5: 10:51
Mile 6: 10:33
Mile 7: 11:33
Mile 8: 10:40
Mile 9: 10:54
Mile 10: 10:06

Total time for 10 miles: 1:47:31, 10:45/mile average pace - exactly where I wanted to be.

I dressed similar to how I was dressed yesterday - short-sleeve shirt and running skirt - and I do think I was a bit underdressed. Oh well, better to be underdressed than overdressed. The one really good thing I can take away form this run is that it didn't feel SUPER long to me...that must be leftover from marathon and/or half marathon training past - you get to this pint where 8, 9, 10 miles doesn't seem so long compared to the 18-, 19- and 20-milers you have on the calendar. Hopefully that mentality will stay with me.

So now it's time to decrease the mileage...and the race is a week from today!

Sunday, April 20: Rest Day

Boy oh boy, do I need a rest day!

I was hoping to run some errands today, but DUH...it's Easter. Places are closed. So that messes things up a bit.

Happy Easter!!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

July 2014 Cruise Update - Online Check-in Complete!

Woohoo! The cruise is only 90 days away!!

Since I'm a Silver-level Castaway Club member (meaning I've taken 5 cruises or less...okay, just one at this point) I was able to check-in online and book extra stuff starting this morning, 90 days before embarkation day. We had extra reservations we wanted and on Saturday I was trying to come up with a game plan on how to get them. Similar to ADR day with Disney World - try to start with the most exclusive, hard-to-get reservation and go from there.

I have to say, I wasn't totally sure where to start. I feel like I have a good handle on things with my WDW ADR strategy, but I'm still pretty new to cruising. It was start to get a bit overwhelming. (I know, right? Like...if this is my big problem right now, things can't be that bad.)

Literally as I was doing this I got an email from my travel agent - DUH. She was going to take care of the reservations for me! I have actually never booked a trip through a travel agent and totally forgot that this is one of the perks I get. Sure enough, she took care of everything at midnight my time (works out well since she's based in Las Vegas, so I know she wasn't up all hours!) and we got everything we wanted. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I am normally a total control freak when it comes to my Disney trips, so while it's been odd to have someone else take care of this stuff for me...it's also been pretty great.

Side note: If you're interested in a great travel agent to help with your cruise, PLEASE PM me. I'd be happy to recommend the person that has been helping me. She is a Disney Cruise expert, incredibly helpful and responsive, and her services are FREE! You also get onboard credits.

Anyway...here's what we have booked so far, along with a loose itinerary and other things we still need to take care of:

Day 1: Embarkation Day.

I managed to get up a little earlier than normal this morning and snag the earliest possible Port Arrival time of 10:30AM. Woohoo!! Gotta maximize that ship time.

I'm hoping we can use the extra time to explore the ship (I didn't get to see the kids/tweens/teens areas last time and those areas are only open to all guests while the ship is in port) so I'd like to do that and just spend some time getting re-acquainted with the Dream! I also want to make sure we catch "The Golden Mickeys" tonight. That was my favorite show from last time.

Day 2: Nassau Day

We are not really interested in any of the port offerings here (well, maybe Atlantis someday...but it's so expensive and we're not big water park people. So we're skipping it for now). I doubt we'll leave the ship.

The big event on this day is dinner at Palo. I am sooooo excited for this!

My Palo meal from last time - beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce. AMAZING.

I ate here in September while cruising with my friends, and I know Will is going to love it. Dinner was incredible - completely worth the $25 upcharge.

Dessert - Chocolate Souffle!

Tonight's show is "Villains Tonight!" Um...it was painful to sit through last time. We'll most likely skip it.

Day 3: Castaway Cay Day

This is the day I'm anticipating the most...this place is just amazing!

I'm planning on doing the Castaway Cay 5K for a second time that morning, and Will is thinking about doing it as well! We need to sign up the morning of the race (meet 30 minutes ahead of time in one of the clubs or something) so he has lots of time to decide. Other than that, we don't have any set plans...we'll probably just spend the day lounging at Serenity Bay.

Big plans for the evening though - dinner at Remy! A new experience for both of us! I didn't go to Remy last time, and I've heard it's better than Victoria & Albert's - quite a claim! We ate at V&A for the first (and definitely not last) time in January, so we'll see how Remy stacks up! This is another upcharge, but if it's as good as people say it is I think it'll be totally worth it.

The hallway leading to Remy and Palo:

No show tonight as it's Pirate Party night! Fireworks at sea!!!

Day 4: At Sea Day

We'll kick off the morning with brunch at Palo - another new experience! I've heard great things about this brunch and I'm soooo excited to try it.

Palo chandelier:

The show tonight is "Believe." Not sure if we'll skip that one or not.

Day 5: Debarkation Day

It's over already?! WAHHHHH.


So that's what we have in place for now, along with our room-only reservation at Saratoga Springs the night before.

Things we still need to take care of...

- Magical Express from our hotel to the airport...we're planning on using Disney transfers and the only way we can get to port early is to actually go from the hotel, to the airport, to port. It'll be a lot of bus time but if we just take the transfer from our hotel I think we won't actually get to port until, like 1PM or something. Not good! So I need to call the Magical Express people to get that added. I tried to do it about a month ago and they said I need to wait until the week we travel to do it. Oooooookay?

Port Canaveral

- Get our dining straightened out...we put in two requests for dining. The first was to get our own 2-top table - we're just not great with making chitchat with strangers. The second, to have the following Main Dining Room (MDR) rotation:

Day 1: Enchanted Garden
Day 2: Royal Palace (Palo dinner)
Day 3: Animator's Palate - pirate menu (Remy dinner)
Day 4: Animator's Palate

Of the 3 MDRs, I liked Royal Palace the least and Animator's Palate the most. So I'd like to end with Animator's and skip Royal Palace (which is why our Palo dinner is on night 2). The first Animator's night will be the Pirate menu, and we have Remy reservations that evening (also intentional - I've heard less-than-stellar things about the pirate menu). Hope this works out!

LOVE Animator's:

- Book a Mixology class...this can only be done on embarkation day. For $15 you get 5 drinks, and you learn how to make them! Sounds like a great deal to me!

Cosmos from September's Mixology class in Pink!

- In-room stuff...I'd like to figure out a way to (affordably) get a case of water onto the ship to have in our room. Water/coffee/tea/soda are included in the price of the cruise, but bottled water would be nice. I'm also considering getting a bottle of champagne or something delivered to our room ahead of time as a surprise for Will. Hmm... We'll see!

So I think that's about it! Here's hoping the next 90 days FLY by!!!

Continued in Next Post

 

[ZellyB]

Great update on your cruise plans! Sounds like a wonderful time. I'll be curious about how you think Remy compares to V&A. It's hard to imagine something better than V&A. Chris and I thought that meal was incredible!

 

[Ariel484]

Great update on your cruise plans! Sounds like a wonderful time. I'll be curious about how you think Remy compares to V&A. It's hard to imagine something better than V&A. Chris and I thought that meal was incredible!

Thanks! I am sooooo looking forward to it. It's such a different way to vacation, just so relaxing!

Yeah, I heard that about Remy vs. V&A and was like..."WHAAAAA?" We loved V&A too - worth every penny! I'd love to go back to V&A for a celebration meal in January after the races are over but I think I'll be too wiped out to really appreciate it. But we'll definitely be back some day! Best meal I have every had.

 

[dmross]

Love the Week 3 post! I'm a casual, somewhat free-spirited person, but when it comes to my food before, during and after a run I get all TYPE A!! I've got to have everything all planned out and if I have to substitute items or try something new it leaves me very anxious. My routine sounds much like yours.

Awesome thread!

 

[annmarieda]

23.25 miles complete/24ish miles planned
134.25 miles completed in 10-miler Training so far
185.35 miles completed in 2014 so far[/B]

Monday, April 14: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Push 1 + Extreme Abs)

I gotta say, I was FEELING it this morning from the stuff we did around the house yesterday. Between the two of us, my husband and I moved 20 bags of mulch from Home Depot to the car (still can't believe we fit it all in!), then from the car to the front/back.side of the house. Then we mulched the front. But the bigger tasks for us were putting new mortar in the front porch (my husband's job for the weekend...oh the joys of owning an older home...) and removing and replacing a piece of siding. That was my task. It doesn't sound like much but I had such a freaking hard time getting the old piece off of the house - pulling and tugging every which way. My forearms are KILLING me this morning, but the flower beds, porch and siding look pretty good (definitely MUCH better than before) so I guess it was worth it.

Sometimes I think housework is almost as much of a work out as any other kind of "actual" work out.

Tuesday, April 15: 4 miles on the treadmill

Since my run 5/walk 1 strategy worked decently well during Friday's treadmill 5-miler, I used it again today. Once again, I did like it. It just made the whole run seem less daunting...why do I get freaked out for treadmill runs longer than 3 miles?!

I have yet been able to get in more than 3 miles on a dreadmill. You are doing awesome!

In even more news...early registration for Marathon Weekend is TOMORROW! I have an AP so you'd better believe I'll be ready to go at noon. I'm excited to officially sign up, but also VERY apprehensive. The registration fee alone will be $530 (!!) ...and I always get the race pins, so with 6 pins (5K, 10K, half, full, Goofy and Dopey) that's going to add another...I don't know, $90? FOR PINS?! (In general I don't collect pins - I only buy them for resorts we stay at and special events we do, such as tours...the races fall into the "special event" category.) Plus those awful Active.com fees...yeah. Ouch. I bought the Marathon Weekend Dooney & Bourke bag in 2013 (LOVE it) and as far as I can see they haven't released 2015's pattern yet...but I saw the pattern from this year and wasn’t a huge fan. Hopefully I can resist whatever they come up with for 2015. Somehow I doubt it though.

And all this is why ultimately we decided to opt out of registering for more than just the half. Yowza! That does hurt the bank account!!

And that doesn't even include the stuff I know I'll buy at the expo! I have a Marathon Mickey plush from 2012 and 2013, plus a vinylmation from 2013 with the medals, Sweaty Bands, I Did It shirts… Oh Lord. At least by then I will have forgotten how much I've already spent on registration and pins! And I'll get a small discount for AP/Disney Visa...that's something, right?

That discount is at least something... somehow I think it should be more.

In other money-related news, I canceled my Stridebox subscription. It just wasn't fun and I felt like I was wasting money. Lesson learned!

It is fun to get surprises in the mail...but not if you feel they are a waste. I do just the graze box subscription and have been pretty happy with it. I get to say the types of things I like/don't like. So far it works pretty well. If you are interested in trying the graze box... let me know. I think you still need to have a referral code to get in.

And lastly...today is, of course, the 1-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. I'm honestly not sure what to say about it, and I feel that whatever I do say will come out stupidly and won't be enough. What I do know is that my heart still aches for the victims (and the families of the victims) of this awful tragedy. I'm filled with admiration for the survivors and their families, and for the city of Boston...and am so, so proud to be a runner.

Wednesday, April 16: Strength Training (ChaLEAN Extreme Push 2) + Ab Ripper X (18)

GREAT workout at the gym today! I felt strong and really good about myself the entire time. Love when that happens!

In other news...today was a BIG day…

...Marathon Weekend early registration opened for AP holders (i.e. ME!) and DVC members! I logged in at 11:30, refreshed the page every 5 minutes, and then the links went live at 11:55. Between registration and ordering the 6 pins (I skipped the breakfast, necklace, jacket, etc.), my credit card definitely got a workout this morning.

You guys.

I am SO FREAKING EXCITED.

Yes, this has been the plan all along...yes, I've been planning to come back for Marathon Weekend since finishing the marathon in 2013...but now that it's official I am practically bouncing off the walls.

I guess I'll need to get back to work (while listening to the Magical Express Loop on my phone!)...gotta pay for this shindig somehow!

I am pretty excited too. Weird, right? I mean it isn't like it was unexpected...but still was pretty cool!!

Thursday, April 17: Run #2 (8x800 @ 5K pace planned, 4x800 @ 5L pace completed...3.25 miles total)

I could list a few reasons for why I only completed half of this workout, but what it mostly comes down to is that I just didn't want to do it.

After struggling through my last speedwork workout 2 weeks ago, I'd been dreading this one. In hindsight, knowing how much I was dreading it, I should have made extra effort to pump myself up about it...instead I was just focused on how much it was going to suck.

It started off okay. I knew the workout was going to take me about an hour, so I got up about 20 minutes earlier than normal and made it to the gym in good time - I was proud of myself for that! The first 3 intervals were okay, but by the time I started the 4th one I was, quite honestly, looking for an excuse to stop. I started to feel a little soreness in my left foot, near the arch, partway through...I told myself if it didn't go away I was going to pull the plug...it didn't, so I did. Of course, now it feels fine. So did I just create that "soreness" in my mind because I was looking for an excuse to cut the workout short? Who knows...okay, probably. I'm not going to dwell on it too much, but I'm hoping it doesn't happen again and that I will finish this week off strongly. On the other hand, if I'd pushed through and really did end up straining something, I would have been pretty upset with myself. So…???

The mental side of running is so tricky. I almost find I don't trust myself. Last week... didn't really trust myself. Was I sick...being a baby? In the end... past is past...week is done and nothing more I can do about it. Just hoping to push on and be stronger about it all.

Friday, April 18: Run #3 (6-mile loop)
Weather - 61 degrees, partly cloudy and breezy

I set out today hoping to keep around a 10:30 pace, and I didn't really stick to that.

My outfit for the run - the skirt I plan on wearing for the marathon and my 2011 Princess Half shirt...is it considered vintage yet?

Cute!

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:20
Mile 2: 9:59 - "Okay crazy lady, slow down!!"
Mile 3: 10:14 - 45-second walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 10:23 - 45-second walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 6: 9:31

Total time for 6 miles: 1:00:41, 10:07/mile average pace

You did amazing!

I have to say, this is probably the best run I've had all year. Yes, I felt sore and stiff at times, but overall I felt incredibly strong and my legs felt like they really wanted to go fast. It just made me feel really good about myself, and since my weight loss isn't going the way I want it to right now (as in, no weight is being lost) I've really needed that. I was just...happy to be out there. I'm sure the amazing weather had a lot to do with it, too.

On the other hand...I hope I didn't just screw myself up for tomorrow's long run by doing this one too fast! Eek!

Sounds like you had a great time! Don't you love runs like that?

AND, I got some new Sweaty Bans in the mail. They were having a sale last week...yay!

I have never tried them... do you like them?

Saturday, April 19: Run #4 (10-mile loop)
Weather - 48 degrees, partly cloudy and breezy

Well, this wasn't a perfect run...but it's DONE! And it's taper time, baby!

I remember feeling a little stiff for the first 0.5 miles as usual...then feeling okay. Unlike yesterday I had NO trouble keeping my pace a little slower. In fact, around the halfway point my legs started to buuurrrrn. It went away after 0.25 miles or so, but it returned for mile 9 and 10. So yesterday's run did indeed screw today's up...but just a bit.

Splits:
Mile 1: 10:28
Mile 2: 10:33
Mile 3: 11:06
Mile 4: 10:06
Mile 5: 10:51
Mile 6: 10:33
Mile 7: 11:33
Mile 8: 10:40
Mile 9: 10:54
Mile 10: 10:06

Total time for 10 miles: 1:47:31, 10:45/mile average pace - exactly where I wanted to be.

10 miles is a great distance! Good job!!!

I dressed similar to how I was dressed yesterday - short-sleeve shirt and running skirt - and I do think I was a bit underdressed. Oh well, better to be underdressed than overdressed. The one really good thing I can take away form this run is that it didn't feel SUPER long to me...that must be leftover from marathon and/or half marathon training past - you get to this pint where 8, 9, 10 miles doesn't seem so long compared to the 18-, 19- and 20-milers you have on the calendar. Hopefully that mentality will stay with me.

I have not done a marathon... but 10 is a nice distance for me. I tend to hit about mile 8 and just get in weird sort of place where it doesn't feel like I need to stop any more...at least this is how it is during training. Now...during a race not so much.

So now it's time to decrease the mileage...and the race is a week from today!

I can't wait to read all about how your race goes!

Sunday, April 20: Rest Day

Boy oh boy, do I need a rest day!

I was hoping to run some errands today, but DUH...it's Easter. Places are closed. So that messes things up a bit.

Happy Easter!!

I hope you had a nice Easter!

And... congrats on your cruise stuff! Sounds like the plans for that are really coming together.

 

[pxefig]

I can't believe how many of your trip reports have missed! Stupid actual life messing with my internet time!
Interesting with your StrideBox- when reading these posts and seeing what was inside my brain added the sound effects that they play when someone goes over $1 on the wheel on Price is Right. It seems like you'd be better off just going to RunOn and spending $15 on stuff you actual have an interest in trying instead of leaving it to them!

 

[pxefig]

Thanks! I am sooooo looking forward to it. It's such a different way to vacation, just so relaxing!

Yeah, I heard that about Remy vs. V&A and was like..."WHAAAAA?" We loved V&A too - worth every penny! I'd love to go back to V&A for a celebration meal in January after the races are over but I think I'll be too wiped out to really appreciate it. But we'll definitely be back some day! Best meal I have every had.

I need to offer caution for Remy- since people are puffing it up as better than V&A- we've done V&A, Remy and the chef's table at Napa Rose and Remy's at the bottom of the list for the three food stars of Disney dining. My husband actually left the dinner still hungry. Don't get me wrong- everything was delicious and it is totally worth the upcharge and the views and restaurant are all amazing and you WILL like it- but those expectations need to be lowered so you can appreciate it for what it actually is
My favorite meal onboard was the Palo brunch!