Life After Marathons: A Running/barre3/Coffee/Life Journal

[Naomeri]

I’m not sure there are many “unnecessary” movies in the MCU because of the way things tie together.

 

[SarahDisney]

Update: I tried to watch Thor but it was too dark and I was too distracted. Maybe I'll try again Saturday Night. But I may end up giving up because there are a lot of Marvel movies and I'm rarely in the mood to watch movies.

 

[FFigawi]

While watching all 22 of the movies gives you the full breadth of the stories and the characters, you don’t need all of them to enjoy the MCU. Some of the best ones to watch would be:

All three Captain America movies
Guardians of the Galaxy
Black Panther
Dr. Strange
Thor Ragnarok
The two Spider-Man movies
Infinity War and Endgame

 

[garneska]

I have watched most of the MCU. I am bit like you though it took the pandemic to get me to watch them. I have tried to watch Iron Man 3 times (should be one of the best movies) and I still have not watched it. That being said i really like Guardians of the Galaxy but I had to watch it twice. The first time i got through it. The second time i absolutely enjoyed it and picked up on more of the humor. I also was a big fan of Black Panther. I thought the story was very good.

 

[SarahDisney]

While watching all 22 of the movies gives you the full breadth of the stories and the characters, you don’t need all of them to enjoy the MCU. Some of the best ones to watch would be:

All three Captain America movies
Guardians of the Galaxy
Black Panther
Dr. Strange
Thor Ragnarok
The two Spider-Man movies
Infinity War and Endgame

This is a good list. Thank you!

I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy and I liked it. I also saw Ant-man, which is not on this list, but has Paul Rudd.
Maybe I'll start with this list and if I can get through it I'll go back and try to watch the missing ones.

 

[shellott-hill]

Based on liking GotG and Ant-man, I am pretty sure you would like Thor Ragnarok. It is heavy on the comedy.

 

[SarahDisney]

Based on liking GotG and Ant-man, I am pretty sure you would like Thor Ragnarok. It is heavy on the comedy.

Good to know! I was afraid all of the MCU movies were completely serious, so it's nice to have a comedy to look forward to.

 

[SarahDisney]

So ... an actual exercise update.

Last week was supposed to be my "back to normal" week - 3 runs and 3 barre3 classes. But between some bad decisions and an unexpected "crisis" (I put that in quotations because it felt like a crisis to me but I'm sure most people would have seen it as some little nothing), things didn't go as planned. Not even trying to get this week on schedule because of something that's very up in the air, but I do want to try to get out for a run tomorrow, assuming I'm still at my parents' (when I go back to the apartment is the up in the air thing). And then the next 4 weeks will be off schedule because of holidays. But I want to maybe try to actually write out a schedule for training starting in October that would end with the Princess Half (which is a maybe stretch option and I'm not super excited about (I would rather do the 5K, which is sold out), but is better than no runDisney).

Plan will be a 3-week cycle of running (with 2-3 barre3 classes every week, depending on scheduling):
Week 1 - 3 miles, 4.5 miles, 5 miles
Week 2 - 3 miles, 4.5 miles, 7 miles
Week 3 - 3 miles, 4.5 miles, 8-12 mile long run (this will change based on where I am in training)
So it's a recovery week, a middle distance week, and a long run week. Most of those 3 milers will actually be 5Ks because I'm weird.

Anyway ... sorry if this sounds mostly grouchy. It's because I am grouchy. I have slept about 9 hours over the last 2 days, and that's only because I didn't get up to do morning exercise today. Also, not excited to throw out everything in my fridge and freezer and then have to do a lot of grocery shopping to replace it all. It's been a fun few days.

 

[SarahDisney]

Okay, so ... my weight is up (which as an isolated factor doesn't bother me too much because weight is just a small part of overall health) and I think my activity level is down (which does bother me a bit), so I need to do something to get that back to normal. September is a crazy month so maybe I'll wait until October to do anything concrete. But I gotta think about what I want to do. Do I want to just update here and hope that helps? Set another activity goal? Set a food-related goal (because I do think my eating is a little bit off track )? Actually sign up for a race? (Princess, which was still an option, has now most likely been ruled out in favor of a Disneyland trip, which I'm actually really happy about)

I gotta think about this.

 

[SarahDisney]

An Update: Princess, My Future With Running, Finding Something New​

Been meaning to update for a bit. Things have been a lot so its been hard to remind myself to take the time. But here we are. Hopefully I can get through all this today.

runDisney Princess Weekend
When Princess Weekend was first announced, I was interested, but I didn't know if it was gonna happen. Once the themes were released, I wasn't in love with all of them, but I was kinda thinking about 5K (Cinderella) and Sunrise Yoga (because why not). But my sister's life is a little unsettled right now (honestly, everything has been a little unsettled lately, but that's a different story) so I didn't really bring it up with her because I didn't think she could make it happen. As registration drew closer, I thought about mentioning it, but I was mad at her about something and decided not to. So no registration happened.

A little bit later, I was talking to Beth, and Princess came up. She asked why we hadn't talked about it yet. At this point, the 5K was sold out. We talked about the half but we didn't pull the trigger. We agreed on discussing it again a few weeks later. But ultimately, we weren't ready to commit. We did an early look at Princess Weekend vs a Disneyland trip and DL actually turned out to be cheaper. I was a lot more excited about the Disneyland idea, but we weren't ready to commit to that either. We left things up in the air and now everything is sold out, so I guess no Princess.

I've been thinking a bit about whether I think this was a right move. If I could go back to registration day having already had all of these conversations, would I register or would I still hold off? Honestly, I'm a little bummed about missing the yoga thing (although the no race transportation thing killed that for me), but I am fine with not registering for the races. I feel like runDisney has taken over my Disney experiences and I'd like to do a "normal" Disney trip (I reaalllyy want to do this DL trip, but we'll see). Maybe in the future I'll go back to runDisney, but for now I'm okay with not doing it.
We'll see if all that changes after Wine & Dine weekend.

My Future With Running
Okay. So we've established that I'm okay with taking a break from runDisney. And I decided a while ago that I didn't really want to do races outside of runDisney. So where does that leave me?
I've had a difficult relationship with running for a while now. And it's gotten worse over the last few years. In the early days of COVID I appreciated running because it got me out of the house when not much else did, but those days are behind me and the shine has worn off again. I still love really long runs, but I don't know that I love them enough for it to be worth suffering through the shorter runs that are necessary to survive the long runs.

So where do I go from here?

I've been tossing around 3 options in my head:

• Option One: Go all in. Force myself to fall back in love with running by just doing it. Register for a race. Get back to training levels of running. Just keep running until I love it again. The problem with this is that I think being signed up for races that I didn't really want to do and forcing myself to train when I didn't feel like it is what got me into this situation. So I don't know that this wouldn't make things worse.
• Option Two: Dial back, but keep running. Run twice a week instead of 3 or 4 times a week. Start off with no specific distance or pace goals but maybe eventually find ones that make sense. The idea here is to keep running but not really focus on it. Running will be like grocery shopping - it's not something I particularly look forward to, but I gotta do it and I gotta do a little planning before it can happen.
• Option Three: Stop running entirely. Fill in the gaps with more barre3 and probably some new type of exercise. Maybe come back to running if I find that I really miss it, but don't try to force it.

I don't know where I'm leaning right now. Option two is the least extreme option. But I think option three may be the most psychologically healthy. Option one is likely the most physically healthy, particularly since I like beer. So there are pros for all the options. I just think I need to take some time to figure out which of these options truly represents who I am and who I want to be.

Finding Something New
The thing about options 2 and 3 above is that in both cases, I'd want to find some new exercise to fill in the gap left by cutting down on/cutting out running. But I don't know what. I'm not really sure what I'd love or what I find missing in my routine.

I'm not really into anything that involves weights (I mean, we use some weights in barre class but it's for less than 1/3rd of the class and it's really not at all emphasized). I tried a dance cardio class online during the early days of COVID and it just made me feel super uncoordinated. Yoga doesn't really agree with me overall, and the parts that I can tolerate are similar enough to my barre class that it doesn't feel like something different.
I did like spin classes when I took them pre-COVID, but the studios I had tried back then have all closed. So do I want to try to find a new spin/cycling studio? Or do I want to try something new entirely? I really don't know. I've done okay sticking with what I know I like. I'm not sure I can find something new.

(I do also have a fitness center in my building, but it's like 2 treadmills and a few stationary bikes and some handweights so not really much doing there.)


So anyway ... that's what's up with me. I have a lot of decisions to make and hopefully a Disneyland trip to plan.
Life, y'all.

 

[jmasgat]

Option 4: Run only if and when you feel like it. The whole "what do I need to do to keep fit" question aside, I would never want to feel like I "have to" run. If it feels like a chore/job/trial, then bleh.

I've done okay sticking with what I know I like

Barre works for you and you like it--that's a great thing.

I'm not sure I can find something new.

Sure you can, but you may just not want to. And the mental game is half the battle. I never got into running until I was almost 50--I just never wanted to before that. And I don't regret that--it just wasn't the right time.

You mentioned spin....do you own a bike? If so, you could get a basic trainer and do your own indoor spins sessions with peloton, for example.

Hope you figure something out, but for now, go with the flow of what you like.

 

[garneska]

One comment is don't be afraid to try something you have not done. If you don't like it don't do it again but you might find that you like something you did not expect to. Generally I think you do this but want to reinforce it.

 

[FFigawi]

If you’re forcing yourself to run or to do something because you feel you have to, it’s time to take a break and find something you want to do.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I feel like runDisney has taken over my Disney experiences and I'd like to do a "normal" Disney trip (I reaalllyy want to do this DL trip, but we'll see). Maybe in the future I'll go back to runDisney, but for now I'm okay with not doing it.

In both 2012 and 2017, I ran races as part of my Disney World trip. I loved it, but at the end of that 2017 trip, I said my next trip needed to be race free so I did not have to worry about doing too much before the races and recovering after the races. And then I proceeded to run races for my next 3 trips, two of them involving Dopey. And a 6th consecutive race trip would have happened if not for the pandemic. So yeah, I miss the normal Disney World thing and very much understand your thought process there. And there is just something different about Disneyland. I'm not sure when I'll be going back to my home park yet. Hopefully next summer.

I've been tossing around 3 options in my head:

Whatever you decide, pick the option that makes the most sense for you. That may involve a combination of all three at different times. While the pandemic taught me to love running in a way I hadn't before, that doesn't mean it will work that way for everyone.

Oh and watch the Yankees in the playoffs. Maybe we'll both get lucky and can cheer for our respective teams in the World Series!

 

[SarahDisney]

Option 4: Run only if and when you feel like it. The whole "what do I need to do to keep fit" question aside, I would never want to feel like I "have to" run. If it feels like a chore/job/trial, then bleh.

In my head, this is the same as option 3. Any time I'm not running with some sort of regularity, it feels like I'm starting from scratch. So "never run" and "run when I feel like it" feel like the same thing to me.

Sure you can, but you may just not want to. And the mental game is half the battle. I never got into running until I was almost 50--I just never wanted to before that. And I don't regret that--it just wasn't the right time.

I think the mental game is a big part of it. I've had a lot of change and uncertainty in my life lately and I like sticking to my routine when I can. Something new is the exact opposite of sticking to my routine. And I'm not sure I have the emotional bandwidth for more change right now.

You mentioned spin....do you own a bike? If so, you could get a basic trainer and do your own indoor spins sessions with peloton, for example.

I do not. I haven't ridden an actual bike in about 20 years. My building has a fitness center which might have stationary bikes, but I don't want to tie myself to using the fitness center because a) I don't know how long I'll be in this building, and b) I don't want to have to worry about whether equipment is available when I want to use it.
I also don't know that I'd enjoy spin outside of the class environment. I think the low lights and group setting are part of the fun for me.

Hope you figure something out, but for now, go with the flow of what you like.

Thank you!

One comment is don't be afraid to try something you have not done. If you don't like it don't do it again but you might find that you like something you did not expect to. Generally I think you do this but want to reinforce it.

Thank you for the reminder. I've had a lot of change in my life lately and the idea of trying something new is hard, but ... I'm going to have to do it. Most things are worth trying at least once, right?

If you’re forcing yourself to run or to do something because you feel you have to, it’s time to take a break and find something you want to do.

Rationally, I know this is right. I shouldn't force myself to do something I don't enjoy. At least not without getting a paycheck for it.
But easier said than done.

Whatever you decide, pick the option that makes the most sense for you. That may involve a combination of all three at different times. While the pandemic taught me to love running in a way I hadn't before, that doesn't mean it will work that way for everyone.

Thanks. Yeah, this probably won't be a "make a decision and stick with it" situation, it'll probably change from time to time. Just gotta figure out what's working at any given moment.

Oh and watch the Yankees in the playoffs. Maybe we'll both get lucky and can cheer for our respective teams in the World Series!

I haven't been paying much attention to the national (/inferior) league this year, but from what I heard the Giants are having themselves a bit of a season. How many wins are they at now? 103? Is that the franchise record or do they still have one more to go for that?

And yeah ... hockey season starts soon and it's almost baseball playoffs - this is why I pay the big bucks for cable.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I haven't been paying much attention to the national (/inferior) league this year, but from what I heard the Giants are having themselves a bit of a season. How many wins are they at now? 103? Is that the franchise record or do they still have one more to go for that?

And yeah ... hockey season starts soon and it's almost baseball playoffs - this is why I pay the big bucks for cable.

Inferior league?!? I think not. I know that most pitchers are awful hitters. I just prefer the strategy aspects that come into play in the NL due to pitchers hitting.

The Giants now have 104 wins, which breaks the San Francisco era record of 103 set by the 1993 team that was the second best team in the majors, but not in the playoffs because of no wild card. I can't remember if 104 is a franchise record going back to their time in New York or if it's just the SF era record. Their magic number to clinch the west is 3.

 

[SarahDisney]

Option 2: An Update​

So, it looks like I'm going with option 2, at least for the next few weeks.
As a reminder, this is option 2:

• Option Two: Dial back, but keep running. Run twice a week instead of 3 or 4 times a week. Start off with no specific distance or pace goals but maybe eventually find ones that make sense. The idea here is to keep running but not really focus on it. Running will be like grocery shopping - it's not something I particularly look forward to, but I gotta do it and I gotta do a little planning before it can happen.

I'm doing a 2 week trial. We'll see how it goes. After two weeks of two runs per week, I'll see how I feel. If I think this is working, I'll keep going with option 2. If not, it's time to put my running life behind me.

This week's plan is running on Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon, probably 4-5 miles per run. Scheduled for barre3 on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Rest day will probably be Friday, and I'm searching for something to do Saturday night (or potentially if I finish my cooking on Thursday night I could do something Friday morning and take Saturday as my rest day).

So that's where we're out. Hopefully I'll be back in 2 weeks with another update and some plans for the future.

 

[SarahDisney]

It is day one of week one of the 2 week trial and things are already off schedule.
I had a run scheduled for Thursday after work. But I have a happy hour at the end of the day and I won't have time to run after that ends. So I guess no Thursday PM run for me.
Options are:
1 - Do it Thursday AM
PROS: It gets done
CONS: But my grocery shopping (that was the original plan for Thursday AM)! Also, I wanted to sleep a little later on Thursday morning.
2 - Do it Wednesday PM and do something else Thursday PM that can be done later at night
PROS: It gets done
CONS: I'm running two days in a row. Also, I was gonna go to the library on Wednesday after work.
3 - Do it Friday AM
PROS: Minimal schedule disruption
CONS: I'd have to get out around 6:45am (aka a bit before sunrise) for this to work. Also, I probably skip Friday runs more than any other day.

Right now I'm leaning towards Friday and if I skip it, I'll make it up by running to barre3 on Sunday. But I'm thinking about it.

I'm sure I'll figure something out.

 

[FFigawi]

I vote for option #4 - skip it altogether if you don't feel like doing it.

 

[SarahDisney]

I vote for option #4 - skip it altogether if you don't feel like doing it.

Yeah, that's an option too. During my 2-week running trial I'm trying not to skip runs, but I'm also not going to force it if it feels wrong.