Marathon Weekend 2016

[PrincessV]

I don't have a lot of experience with run/walk, but as @Pleglech suggests the 3-hour mark may not apply in these cases.

My question to those who do use run/walk is how do you determine your intervals? Let's say you're planning on running the marathon at 16:00 min/mile. It looks like Galloway suggests for a 16:00 min/mile you are to do 10 seconds running / 30 seconds walking. This would mean during a 16:00 min/mile there would be 24 interval sets. You would need to run a distance of 0.04 miles per interval set to complete a mile. Assuming an average walking pace 20:00 min/mile, after 30 seconds of walking you have covered 0.025 miles. This leaves 0.015 miles in 10 seconds or a pace of 11:11 min/mile. Does this sound correct?

So, since you're training for a 16:00 min/mile marathon pace, presumably 80% of your training should be at or slower than long run pace. Long run pace for someone training for a continuous 16:00 min/mile would be around 18:00 min/mile. So, do you adjust your training paces as well to an 18:00 min/mile run/walk interval? To me, it seems like you are already accomplishing the 80% since 75% of your long run is at 20:00 min/mile (below the 18:00 min/mile).

@PrincessV What do you do during the rest of the week beyond the long run?

So math is NOT my thing. lol I really don't analyze it or break down at all: I go with perceived effort more than anything, and I've been an athlete/dancer all my life, so I suspect I'm better than average at making that assessment. I'd think it would be much harder for a true newbie. I don't stick to any one interval ratio - I've used lots of different combinations and have a good feel for what works for various situations. I'm a natural sprinter and endurance is a real challenge for me, so that influences my intervals. Generally speaking, I use longer run intervals (say, 2:00run/1:00walk) in summer because it forces me to slow down to deal with the heat here in FL, but prefer shorter intervals for cooler weather (1:00run/:30 or :45walk is a favorite.) I like a 1:00/1:00 or :45/:45 for racing because it's easy to skip walk intervals when I'm feeling speedy at the halfway point (I'm totally a second-half racer) without having to do math My avg pace is all over the place, thanks to our crazy weather: I'm as slow as a 15:00 mile in summer, but can go sub-12:00 in winter at about the same level of effort. That's regardless of what interval ratios I use; I've never found any correlation between interval ratios and pace in my running.

I do a 2-week cycle that looks more or less like this:

Mon: speed or hill run (generally around 2 miles)
Tue: 45 min run
Wed: Pilates
Thu: 4* mile run - (this is in prep for doing the 10K and full in January - so that 4 is increasing up to 5 next week)
Fri: rest
Sat: long-long run - easy pace, pickups last few miles if weather permits (last one was 17 miles in 4:17:00 - I had a gazillion stops for red lights and water refills, and it was pushing 90* toward the end so I walked a lot of the last couple miles of that one.)
Sun: rest
Mon: yoga
Tue: 50 min run
Wed: Ballet
Thu: 4* mile run
Fri: rest
Sat: cut-back long run (8 miles now)
Sun: yoga

 

[StarGirl11]

Go here to see some photos & video stuff http://disneysportsnews.com/videos/

They really have slacked on social media postings of photos and videosthis year sadly.

Thank you for posting the link! I'm actually in the B-roll video (about the 15 sec mark, female Cap with hydration pack sporting a dorky grin)! Finally made it into one of those. Day made!

Well I'm ready for Dopey. A bit sore after Avengers but nothing really any worse then sometimes I've had after some long runs. Partly it because I'm doing a lot of sitting right now studying for my Calc exam (taking a short break). Time when you take away the stops was just a hair over 3:00 hrs. Lost about 20 minutes at characters so that's not bad and means I should hopefully be able to make a few stops without concerns during Dopey.

 

[DopeyBadger]

So math is NOT my thing. lol I really don't analyze it or break down at all: I go with perceived effort more than anything, and I've been an athlete/dancer all my life, so I suspect I'm better than average at making that assessment. I'd think it would be much harder for a true newbie. I don't stick to any one interval ratio - I've used lots of different combinations and have a good feel for what works for various situations. I'm a natural sprinter and endurance is a real challenge for me, so that influences my intervals. Generally speaking, I use longer run intervals (say, 2:00run/1:00walk) in summer because it forces me to slow down to deal with the heat here in FL, but prefer shorter intervals for cooler weather (1:00run/:30 or :45walk is a favorite.) I like a 1:00/1:00 or :45/:45 for racing because it's easy to skip walk intervals when I'm feeling speedy at the halfway point (I'm totally a second-half racer) without having to do math My avg pace is all over the place, thanks to our crazy weather: I'm as slow as a 15:00 mile in summer, but can go sub-12:00 in winter at about the same level of effort. That's regardless of what interval ratios I use; I've never found any correlation between interval ratios and pace in my running.

I do a 2-week cycle that looks more or less like this:

Mon: speed or hill run (generally around 2 miles)
Tue: 45 min run
Wed: Pilates
Thu: 4* mile run - (this is in prep for doing the 10K and full in January - so that 4 is increasing up to 5 next week)
Fri: rest
Sat: long-long run - easy pace, pickups last few miles if weather permits (last one was 17 miles in 4:17:00 - I had a gazillion stops for red lights and water refills, and it was pushing 90* toward the end so I walked a lot of the last couple miles of that one.)
Sun: rest
Mon: yoga
Tue: 50 min run
Wed: Ballet
Thu: 4* mile run
Fri: rest
Sat: cut-back long run (8 miles now)
Sun: yoga

Thanks for sharing. That helps me understand a little better. I always enjoy learning about others techniques to reach the same goal (cross the finish line) as a means to better me and others around me. I like your method (and the others that have shared as well) because it seems less rigid on race days (not so focused on pace but rather effort). I am a believer in racing by effort rather than pace.

Thanks to @austin&pipermom and @Kathymford for sharing your run/walk intervals as well.

 

[jessicaknarr]

This will be my 5th run disney race. I normally bring bars for breakfast to eat on the way. But was wondering if the Disney hotels offer any sort of breakfast race mornings? I know it is early so just curious. I thought I remember race boxes the night before but never took advantage. Any help would be great! Thanks!

 

[cavepig]

This will be my 5th run disney race. I normally bring bars for breakfast to eat on the way. But was wondering if the Disney hotels offer any sort of breakfast race mornings? I know it is early so just curious. I thought I remember race boxes the night before but never took advantage. Any help would be great! Thanks!

I saw plastic bags with bfast stuff in them for sale as like a to go thing you could pick up the day before at POP this year. I heard it had a bagel, banana and not really sure what else. I just bring my own bfast stuff but do plan on picking up some Entemann donuts from one of the resorts if Sports doesn't have them which is where I'm staying.

 

[PrincessV]

Thanks for sharing. That helps me understand a little better. I always enjoy learning about others techniques to reach the same goal (cross the finish line) as a means to better me and others around me. I like your method (and the others that have shared as well) because it seems less rigid on race days (not so focused on pace but rather effort). I am a believer in racing by effort rather than pace.

Thanks to @austin&pipermom and @Kathymford for sharing your run/walk intervals as well.

Happy to share! I dig run talk, so I love when these conversations start Funny addendum... I'm really, really bad at crunching numbers on the run, but I'm also super self-competitive if I'm looking at numbers. So if I'm chasing a PR I get all flustered and confused when I can't figure out just how far off I am mid-race. I discovered that making a pace band with mile splits ever so slightly slower than I think I'm actually capable of running nets me pretty decent PRs: seeing that number on my wrist totally pushes me to beat it. Don't even ask by how much - I couldn't say lol! Just so long as my watch reads faster - by any amount - than the time on my wrist, I'm happy.

 

[ANIM8R]

Snow alligators are the worst.

Snalligators?

 

[AThrillingChase]

Yup. Next year they are due for either a snowstorm or an earthquake.

HA. Can't wait. It is going to look like The Day After Tomorrow.

 

[margitmouse]

I don't have a lot of experience with run/walk, but as @Pleglech suggests the 3-hour mark may not apply in these cases.

My question to those who do use run/walk is how do you determine your intervals? Let's say you're planning on running the marathon at 16:00 min/mile. It looks like Galloway suggests for a 16:00 min/mile you are to do 10 seconds running / 30 seconds walking. This would mean during a 16:00 min/mile there would be 24 interval sets. You would need to run a distance of 0.04 miles per interval set to complete a mile. Assuming an average walking pace 20:00 min/mile, after 30 seconds of walking you have covered 0.025 miles. This leaves 0.015 miles in 10 seconds or a pace of 11:11 min/mile. Does this sound correct?

So, since you're training for a 16:00 min/mile marathon pace, presumably 80% of your training should be at or slower than long run pace. Long run pace for someone training for a continuous 16:00 min/mile would be around 18:00 min/mile. So, do you adjust your training paces as well to an 18:00 min/mile run/walk interval? To me, it seems like you are already accomplishing the 80% since 75% of your long run is at 20:00 min/mile (below the 18:00 min/mile).

@PrincessV What do you do during the rest of the week beyond the long run?

Is that runners math?!?!

No wonder I'm having trouble!!!

I've never totally understood the Galloway math in his run walk tables, how can he come up with those times unless the run portion is a consistent speed?? Again! That runners math!!

But seriously, my feet seem to only go one speed.
In reviewing my training times I just seemed to have stayed at a pretty consistent time all summer training..... And I think that's partly what happened to me... I didn't slow down enough on my longer runs and I burned myself out.
I think some of the challenge I'm finding as a run/walker is how to slow my feet down.
So my question to you other r/w's, is how do you slow your long runs. Is your run portion actually slower, or do you stretch out your walk intervals?

My question to everyone in general is how do you slow yourself down? I just can't seem to feel a different stride. Any input gratefully received

Hi everyone. Avengers half was great for me as I beat my first half time by almost 15 minutes! I'm not sure that that means I did better or really shows how much I wasn't running at the DLH. But either way I'll take it. I made sure to get to my corral in time (by the way, corral C was awesome). I still feel like I'm slower that I should be, but the soreness I'm feeling today is telling me, maybe I think too much of myself. LOL

Avengers was weird to me. I feel like RunDisney was using some cost savings measures at this race and it's sad. If you didn't preorder the 10k pins, you were out of luck. Zero at the expo. No fireworks at the beginning of the race. Just a little disappointing. Only 4 characters in the parks, not to mention barely 2 miles in the parks.

On the interval talk, I kind of randomly chose 1:1 as that seemed the least annoying. I know that's not scientific, but it works for me. I don't run a 13 min/mile the way a 1:1 suggests I should be. I'm just slow I guess.

Yay Kathy! Congrats on the PR!!! It easy when seeing others paces, to diminish our accomplishments, this is so personal for us. Your victory at your speed means more to me, than- sorry folks!- those who are breaking 2 hour halfs. Thanks for sharing your personal victory!!! Keep up the good work


And @Z-Knight , so glad you avoided the snalligators and PR'd too!

 

[roxymama]

Happy to share! I dig run talk, so I love when these conversations start Funny addendum... I'm really, really bad at crunching numbers on the run, but I'm also super self-competitive if I'm looking at numbers. So if I'm chasing a PR I get all flustered and confused when I can't figure out just how far off I am mid-race. I discovered that making a pace band with mile splits ever so slightly slower than I think I'm actually capable of running nets me pretty decent PRs: seeing that number on my wrist totally pushes me to beat it. Don't even ask by how much - I couldn't say lol! Just so long as my watch reads faster - by any amount - than the time on my wrist, I'm happy.

I like that idea about pace bands and I may use it sometime!

 

[roxymama]

@margitmouse asked how to slow yourself down for training runs. This is just my newbie advise. I asked the same questions a lot a few months ago. I got some great advise and this is what worked for me.
Go by conversation...as in talking out loud. At race pace I can grunt out small syllabic things "On ur Left", "stopping", "woo hoo" etc. My breathing is controlled but heavier than normal.
Training runs at my comfy pace I can totally hold conversations. Although I'm generally running by myself...so yes, I have talked to the air before to check in with myself. "I am doing fine, I have two more miles left and I think I'll run to the college and past the lake" Seriously...I do this. I also use my yoga breathing to make sure I can do long breaths that are not heavy panting and are very controlled.
I also learned that comfy "easy" runs are not devoid of effort. It's still running (or run/walking for those who do intervals) and so I should not get down on myself for being tired at the end of them. I'm can talk but it's not like talking while sitting down.

Once I figured out the above, I actually found that instead of "slowing way down" which ended up feeling not like proper form and was causing pain, I actually figured out my body was capable of running faster at races than I gave myself credit for and that my comfy pace was more in the middle of where I had been originally been training at and where my "way to slow experiment" landed me. YMMV

Right now I "comfy train" at 11-10:30. I do tempo runs that have intervals faster. And I race at 9:00-9:30 but I actually think I'm capable of faster...I just keep needing to give myself permission to attempt to go faster... I know that sounds weird. I've run little clips during my races in the low 8's.

I used to run everything at about 10:00...all runs...training and races. No variances. Maybe you are already at your good training pace and you could try speeding up at races???

So really I am just rambling at this point Someone who knows what they are talking about please chime in.

 

[LSUlakes]

@margitmouse asked how to slow yourself down for training runs. This is just my newbie advise. I asked the same questions a lot a few months ago. I got some great advise and this is what worked for me.
Go by conversation...as in talking out loud. At race pace I can grunt out small syllabic things "On ur Left", "stopping", "woo hoo" etc. My breathing is controlled but heavier than normal.
Training runs at my comfy pace I can totally hold conversations. Although I'm generally running by myself...so yes, I have talked to the air before to check in with myself. "I am doing fine, I have two more miles left and I think I'll run to the college and past the lake" Seriously...I do this. I also use my yoga breathing to make sure I can do long breaths that are not heavy panting and are very controlled.
I also learned that comfy "easy" runs are not devoid of effort. It's still running (or run/walking for those who do intervals) and so I should not get down on myself for being tired at the end of them. I'm can talk but it's not like talking while sitting down.

Once I figured out the above, I actually found that instead of "slowing way down" which ended up feeling not like proper form and was causing pain, I actually figured out my body was capable of running faster at races than I gave myself credit for and that my comfy pace was more in the middle of where I had been originally been training at and where my "way to slow experiment" landed me. YMMV

Glad it seems to be working out well for you!

 

[Mickey Momma]

I have completed numerous halfs and one full (Disney 2014!), but I am still on the slow end of the run/walk spectrum. I have been taking my run/walk cues from heart rate this time around. I keep most of my runs in HR zone 3 and throw in one HR zone 4 run a week. (I run 4-5 times a week.). If I hit a mile mark and haven't "needed" a walking break, I take a one-minute break then start running again.

I feel like this strategy has kept me injury free since June, unlike my last marathon training circuit where I was focused on running/walking very specific intervals. I have tracked my progress and have watched my body adapt to longer and longer running intervals. For about half my long runs, I have done the first 2/3 of my run at the easy HR 3 and the last 1/3 at HR 4 in attempt to mimic the fatigue I know I will feel towards the end of the race.

What will this all translate to on January 10th? Time will tell. I do know that there is no way I would feel comfortable cutting any of my long runs at the three-hour mark. Yes it is torture to be out there for four to five+ hours without the race atmosphere to distract me, but it definitely helps my mental game.

 

[margitmouse]

Happy to share! I dig run talk, so I love when these conversations start Funny addendum... I'm really, really bad at crunching numbers on the run, but I'm also super self-competitive if I'm looking at numbers. So if I'm chasing a PR I get all flustered and confused when I can't figure out just how far off I am mid-race. I discovered that making a pace band with mile splits ever so slightly slower than I think I'm actually capable of running nets me pretty decent PRs: seeing that number on my wrist totally pushes me to beat it. Don't even ask by how much - I couldn't say lol! Just so long as my watch reads faster - by any amount - than the time on my wrist, I'm happy.

Love this strategy!

 

[margitmouse]

I have completed numerous halfs and one full (Disney 2014!), but I am still on the slow end of the run/walk spectrum. I have been taking my run/walk cues from heart rate this time around. I keep most of my runs in HR zone 3 and throw in one HR zone 4 run a week. (I run 4-5 times a week.). If I hit a mile mark and haven't "needed" a walking break, I take a one-minute break then start running again.

I feel like this strategy has kept me injury free since June, unlike my last marathon training circuit where I was focused on running/walking very specific intervals. I have tracked my progress and have watched my body adapt to longer and longer running intervals. For about half my long runs, I have done the first 2/3 of my run at the easy HR 3 and the last 1/3 at HR 4 in attempt to mimic the fatigue I know I will feel towards the end of the race.

What will this all translate to on January 10th? Time will tell. I do know that there is no way I would feel comfortable cutting any of my long runs at the three-hour mark. Yes it is torture to be out there for four to five+ hours without the race atmosphere to distract me, but it definitely helps my mental game.

I've been looking at some heart rate training recently, but not familiar with the ranges 3, 4 you refer to. What is the program you use?

 

[MightyDuck001]

This will be my 5th run disney race. I normally bring bars for breakfast to eat on the way. But was wondering if the Disney hotels offer any sort of breakfast race mornings? I know it is early so just curious. I thought I remember race boxes the night before but never took advantage. Any help would be great! Thanks!

I know some deluxe hotels had their quick service-y areas open earlier sometimes, and for the most part the hotels offer something in a box/bag the night before you can pick up. Food courts in the moderates/values haven't ever been open in my experience. Basically, I wouldn't bank on them having anything available early enough in the morning to grab something on your way to the bus.

 

[SarahDisney]

My two cents on run/walk ...
I don't do it to improve my speed or have a specific pace in mind. I started running using run/walk, then cut out the walk intervals, then threw them back in during the summer when we were having heat waves every week and I just couldn't keep up straight running (even once I slowed down my pace and tried to take it easy). I'm keeping them even now that the weather is cooler because on my long runs I've found that I kinda like having some time to refocus and figure out how my run is going and whether I can do better (I know many people do this while running, but if I think about running while I'm actually running, suddenly running gets harder for me).
I chose 4/1 intervals because I think that 4 minutes is a good amount of time that I can run without wearing myself out too much on each individual run period, so that when I stop for my walk breaks, I don't have to spend the first 30 seconds catching my breath (for a longer run interval, I might), I just spend a few seconds breathing deep and then can spend the next 45-50 seconds thinking about the run and how I'm doing (or eating ... I can't refuel while running, I have to do it while walking). During the summer I was doing 3/1 intervals because with the heat, even 4 minutes was too much and I spent much of the walk break trying to catch my breath and guzzling water.

I am trying to eliminate the walk breaks from my shorter runs, because at 3-4 miles I don't think I need that time to refocus. But that's still a work in progress.

I don't know if this makes any sense ... but this is what works for me. Of course, I'm also one of those runners who only cares about covering the distance and doesn't care about effort, heart rate (unless it's gonna cause me to collapse or something), or pace, so remember that when reading about my strange training habits.

 

[MightyDuck001]

Has anyone ever done grocery delivery? I'm debating trying it out to save a little money on food, save suitcase space. Any suggestions? I'll be at the Boardwalk.

 

[SarahDisney]

Interesting (to me at least) question based on a conversation I just had with my father ...

For those of you headed back to work shortly after the races, will you be wearing your race weekend medal(s) to work?
Students, will you wear your medal(s) to school?
Parents, would you allow/encourage your kids to wear their medal(s) to school?

My dad had two kids in his class today wearing Avengers medals. And one was wearing an Avengers sweatshirt/jacket.

 

[Mickey Momma]

I've been looking at some heart rate training recently, but not familiar with the ranges 3, 4 you refer to. What is the program you use?

Nothing specific program concerning a specific heart rate training program, just lots of reading on the web.

Here is my interpretation based on what I've read:

HR Zone 1 - Sleeping/Sitting
HR Zone 2 - Easy/recovery Walk
HR Zone 3 - Easy Jog/Run (can hold a conversation)
HR Zone 4 - Speed/Interval Training (talk in bursts and phrases)
HR Zone 5 - Sprint (hard breathing, no speaking)

There are lots of slightly different formulas out there that can give you your personal numbers for each zone. Hope that helps!