My Dopey Birthday - Training and Pre-Trip Report

[sumlee]

Hello!

I can't believe I'm actually going to attempt a full marathon! If you would have told me that three years ago, I would have laughed in your face! Even once I started running races, I said I would never do a Full - that's a mind-boggling distance. Yet somehow the idea kinda creeps up on you, and then you start imagining it, and then you even start considering it, then you find yourself agreeing to a $500 race fee and clicking "submit." Then you go, "Oh my gosh, what did I just do?!" I guess when I saw that the Full was going to fall on my 35th birthday (Jan. 11th), and I found out that it will be an anniversary year for the Goofy, it just seemed like the right time to do it, if I was ever going to. Then I guess I lost all my senses when I thought of the possibility of going home with 6 medals (heck, if I'm going to do it, what's another 5K and 10K?) I might never get this chance again, right?

Anyway, my Dopey training officially begins this week! This will be my first full marathon, and I'm so excited/nervous/scared out of my mind! I decided to try a pre-trip report (my first) as an outlet for my thoughts, plans, and concerns without driving my family and friends completely bonkers talking about it all the time. I also thought it would be nice to have a little journal of my experiences while training. I've never done a pre-trip report before, but I've been inspired by a few other training/pre-trip reports including annmarieda and Ariel484, so a big shout out to those ladies!!!
OKAY! (big breath) Here we go!

Table of Contents

The Cast

Resort

ADRs

Training Plan/Race Calendar

Weekly Training Recaps
Week 1: Sept 7-13
Week 2: Sept 14-20
Week 3: Sept 21-27
Week 4: Sept 28-Oct 4
Week 5: Oct 5-11
Week 6: Oct 12-18
Week 7: Oct 19-25
Week 8: Oct 26-Nov 1 (Hawaii)
Week 9: Nov 2-8 (Hawaii)
Week 10: Nov 9-15
Week 11: Nov 16-22
Week 12: Nov 23-29 & Turkey Trot
Week 13: Nov 30-Dec 6
Week 14: Dec 7-13 & Santa Run
Week 15: Dec 14-20
Week 16: Dec 21-27
Week 17: Dec 28-Jan 3
Week 18: Jan 4-11 DOPEY WEEK!!!

Aulani Trip/Cruise

 

[sumlee]

First things first -
THE (very small) CAST

ME - Hello, I'm Summer. I'm 34 years old and live in Olympia, WA with my hubby, Bryan, and our four kiddos, ages 12, 9, 6, and 3.

I still feel relatively new to running. I've always admired runners and wished I could run, but I didn't really think it was possible for me. When I would attempt to run even short distances, I would really struggle, and I didn't have the motivation or even the confidence to keep trying. I was sure I would fail, so I didn't want to try.

After my youngest was born, we took our first family trip to Disney World in October 2011. Walking through DTD, I saw a pink RunDisney t-shirt and thought, "Running races at Disney?! Is there really such a thing?!" Being the Disney geek that I am, that idea of running a race through the parks totally motivated me! I still wondered if I would fail, but was certainly going to give it my best shot.

I started running in December 2011. My hubby bought me an iPod, I picked up the cheapest running shoes I could find at Famous Footwear, and started a Couch-to-5K program. At first, let me tell you, it sucked!!! Bad! I could barely make it a block and would have to stop to walk, my throat burning. I thought, "How could this possibly ever be enjoyable for me?" But I kept going, 'cause I was going to run a race at Disney! Eventually I could run through a whole song on my iPod, and then a whole mile, and then 3 miles. My first race was a local 5K, Run for Rett, which I now run every May to celebrate my Runniversary. When I finished that first race I got all teary-eyed; I was so happy and proud of myself!

That summer, I talked my hubby and some friends into a Caribbean cruise (leaving from Port Canaveral ) in September 2012, which just happened to coincide with the Inaugural Tower of Terror 10-miler. In the process of training for that race, I did a local 10K, and then somehow managed to get myself registered for the TinkerBell Half Marathon in January 2013 by planning a family reunion in California on a certain week in January. Was I crazy?!! Yes, maybe a little. Sneaky? Definitely.

September came, and we went to WDW for the ToT race. At the expo, I told my hubby about the Coast-to-Coast Challenge and the extra *bling* and he, being the super sweet supportive guy that he is said, "You should do it! Since you're already registered for TinkerBell Half, you may as well do the Princess Half too!" I was totally not expecting that! I was ecstatic, and registered right then and there. Ahh, the naivete! I had now agreed to not one, but THREE Disney races, before I'd ever completed one. It's probably a good thing I did, because otherwise, ToT might have been the end of my short running career. That race was HARD! Like, REALLY HARD. I had never run in Florida before, and coming from my training in nice, mild, Washington, I was completely unprepared for the heat and humidity in September! I got through it, but can't say I enjoyed much of it. I did love the sections where there were spectators cheering us on, especially on the baseball field. But most of it was just a hot, sweaty, miserable blur.

Did I mention I was wearing a Maleficent headpiece and a cape?

After ToT, I was more than a little nervous about the two Half Marathons I had hastily registered for. I didn't need to worry though, because TinkerBell. Was. Awesome!!!

I could go on and on for days about how perfect that race was, but really I'll just say, it will never be topped in my mind! The weather was perfect, the course was a dream come true, running through Disneyland and DCA in the wee hours with all the lights on - truly magical! The volunteers and spectators were inspiring! The miles just flew by. I didn't even turn on my iPod till mile 7; that's how completely enthralled I was! I ran the whole time, other than stopping for photos, which was my only goal. When I rounded that last curve and saw the finish line and I knew, really knew, that I was going to make it, it was such an exhilarating feeling! This was something that I truly thought was impossible for me, and here I was, accomplishing it! The song "When can I see you again?" by Owl City was playing on my iPod when I crossed the finish line, which was totally appropriate - I was completely hooked on Disney Races!

 

[Ariel484]

Yay Summer! Thanks for the shout-out!

I think you hit on a lot of the reasons why I myself am doing a PTR/training report..."an outlet for my thoughts, plans, and concerns without driving my family and friends completely bonkers talking about it all the time." YEP! I can relate!

Looking forward to following along with your training!

 

[sumlee]

Yay Summer! Thanks for the shout-out!

I think you hit on a lot of the reasons why I myself am doing a PTR/training report..."an outlet for my thoughts, plans, and concerns without driving my family and friends completely bonkers talking about it all the time." YEP! I can relate!

Looking forward to following along with your training!

Thanks Shannon! I'm getting over a super nasty cold or something (hubby thinks it's Strep - worst sore throat I've had in forever), so my training and and my intentions for this report have gone down the toilet this week! Oh well. I did manage to drag myself out for 2.5 miles this morning as well as a Zumba class, and I felt surprisingly great afterward! Go endorphins!

 

[sumlee]

ME, ME, ME (continued)

Immediately after TinkerBell, I felt amazing, but my knees did not! They really hurt, and were so inflamed, that they kept locking up as I walked back to my hotel. Not a good thing. My running friends repeatedly told me that I needed to get fitted for some proper running shoes, and though I was skeptical, I did go to my local running store to get fitted in some shiny new Brooks with a price tag. It was more money than I'd ever spent on shoes. Ever. But, come to find out, it was money well spent! My knees healed up in a couple of weeks, and when I ran the Princess Half one month later, I had absolutely no knee issues! That made me a convert! I'm a believer in good running shoes!

Oh yes, the Princess Half Marathon!

I dressed as Cinderella and had a good time running through WDW, but the Florida humidity got to me again, and I had to slow down quite a bit when I started to feel sick to my stomach. I ended up having a slower time than I did at TinkerBell, even though I didn't stop for any pictures. But I finished and was thrilled to receive my Coast-to-Coast medal along with the gorgeous Princess bling!

The best part of the trip was just enjoying some Disney time alone with my mom... which brings me to the other member of our cast:

My Mom - isn't she cute?! Mother/Nana extraordinaire to five kids and ten grandkids. She and I did a Mother/Daughter trip for the 2013 Princess Half weekend. We completed the Royal Family 5K together, which was her first race ever!

She jumped at the chance to go with me for another race weekend! I am registered for the Dopey Challenge (5K, 10K, Half, and Full) and my mom is registered for the 5K and 10K. It will be just the two of us again for the 2015 Marathon Weekend. My hubby is super supportive of my running, but is less of a Disney fan than I am, so he's perfectly happy letting me go to Disney without him every now and then.

Since the 2013 Princess Half, I've finished 5 other half marathons, including the TinkerBell Half again this year (2014). Yes, I wore the same pink fairy costume two years in a row - gasp! For shame!

It was extra fun to add the Tink 10K this year and bring some good friends along as well!

I LOVE running at Disneyland! I swear I'd do it every year if I could!!!

 

[sumlee]

The Resort

So as of right now, we have Pop Century booked January 4 - January 12. My mom and I stayed at Pop during Princess weekend and were pleased with our stay. The room was comfortable and clean, the CMs were wonderful and everything went fairly smoothly with the buses.

We've been tossing around the idea of maybe a split stay with a few days at the Poly. I've never stayed at a Deluxe before, and the idea of riding the Monorail on those early race morning is very appealing! Hmmm.... we'll have to see what discounts, if any, are offered in the fall.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

That summer, I talked my hubby and some friends into a Caribbean cruise (leaving from Port Canaveral ) in September 2012, which just happened to coincide with the Inaugural Tower of Terror 10-miler (heehee). In the process of training for that race, I did a local 10K, and then somehow managed to get myself registered for the TinkerBell Half Marathon in January 2013. Was I crazy?!! Yes, I certainly thought so at the time. September came, and we went to WDW for the ToT race. At the expo, I told my hubby about the Coast-to-Coast Challenge and the extra *bling* and he, being the super sweet supportive guy that he is said, "You should do it! Since you're already registered for TinkerBell Half, you may as well do the Princess Half too!" I was totally not expecting that! I was ecstatic, and registered right then and there. Ahh, the naivete! I had now agreed to not one, but THREE Disney races, before I'd ever completed one. It's probably a good thing I did, because otherwise, ToT might have been the end of my short running career. That race was HARD! Like, REALLY HARD. I had never run in Florida before, and coming from my training in nice, mild, Washington, I was completely unprepared for the heat and humidity in September! I got through it, but can't say I enjoyed much of it. I did love the sections where there were spectators cheering us on, especially on the baseball field. But most of it was just a hot, sweaty, miserable blur.

I'm laughing at having the 3 races registered for prior to having finished your first long race. I pretty much did the same thing with registering for ToT this winter. I have since registered for the Rebel Challenge & Glass Slipper Challenge prior to having finished ToT.

Running Outside in Florida is always hot, sweaty & miserable no matter what time of year.

 

[sumlee]

I'm laughing at having the 3 races registered for prior to having finished your first long race. I pretty much did the same thing with registering for ToT this winter. I have since registered for the Rebel Challenge & Glass Slipper Challenge prior to having finished ToT.

Haha! Glad I'm not the only one!

Running Outside in Florida is always hot, sweaty & miserable no matter what time of year.

Yeah, I'm trying to come to terms with that hard truth. That's probably the thing I'm dreading most. Maybe the weather will be unusually mild for us that week? I'm still in denial.

 

[sumlee]

Training Plan/Race Calendar

I've decided to follow the Hal Higdon training plan created specifically for the Dopey Challenge. I tweaked it just a bit to make Sundays my rest day, and then I shifted one of the mid-week runs over a day to better accommodate my daughter's preschool schedule.

I also added strength training on Mondays (lifting with a friend) and Wednesdays (Les Mills BodyPump), and Zumba or Spin on for cross training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm going to plan on doing 30 min of stretching/rolling on Wednesdays after BodyPump. I'd like to throw some yoga in there too, but the instructor I love teaches on Thursday nights, which wouldn't work with my Thursday Zumba, so we'll have to see...

So...my adapted Higdon plan looks something like this:

How does it look? Kinda hard to read that small, but you get the idea.
I'm planning on running the following races as part of my training. They all seemed to fit in so nicely with the mileage I was supposed to do anyway!

Race Calendar

9/13 - Discovery Trail Half Marathon - Long Beach, WA - cancelled
11/27 - Oly Turkey Trot (4 miles) - Olympia, WA - not registered
12/13 - Santa Runs Tacoma Half Marathon - Tacoma, WA - registered
1/8 - WDW 5K - registered
1/9 - WDW 10K - registered
1/10 - WDW Half Marathon - registered
1/11 - WDW Marathon - registered

 

[sumlee]

Okay, one more post for tonight to get caught up, and then I need to GO TO BED!!!

I have a race coming up on Saturday - the Discovery Trail Half Marathon in Long Beach, WA. I thought this would be the perfect thing to do to really kick-off my Dopey training, since I am supposed to do 13 miles this Saturday anyway!

I've never done this race before, but listen to how nice it sounds: "Run a Half Marathon on the Discovery Trail through ocean dunes with ocean waves breaking nearby." Ahh, sounds fantastic, right? It's a paved trail through the dunes - so cool. Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it...except...

I've been sick most of the week, so it will be interesting to see how my energy and stamina are. My throat is still pretty sore/dry, and drinking water KILLS, so that might be an issue too. I guess we'll see.

Long Beach is about a two hour drive away, so we'll be going Friday with the whole family and camping at Cape Disappointment State Park (funny name, I know. But it's a really fun and beautiful place to camp - not disappointing at all )

Aaand last but not least, the outfit! I don't have a flat runner to post and my clothes are in the washer, so...

I'll be wearing this Champion tank from Target (my fav running tank! I have it in multiple colors) and the Antigua Capris from Albion Fit. I wore this combo for the first time to Zumba and a short run this morning with no problems. The pants are a little "slippery," so my SPI Belt wants to slide up a bit, but NBD. I'll just have to keep pulling it down.

Hmm...anything else I wanna say about this race? I don't know. My brain is pretty fuzzy. That'll do for now. Time for bed!

 

[annmarieda]

Summer, I am here to follow along! I am so hopelessly behind on dis, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to follow you along in preparing for January! I do have to go back and read all that you have already posted...but just wanted to first say I am here!!!

 

[sumlee]

Summer, I am here to follow along! I am so hopelessly behind on dis, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to follow you along in preparing for January! I do have to go back and read all that you have already posted...but just wanted to first say I am here!!!

Hello Ann!!! So glad you're here!

 

[sumlee]

Okay, I am a little behind on my training recap for last week, but better late than never, right?

Week 1: Sept 7-13

S: scheduled rest
M: 3 mile run, 60 min strength training with Chanel
T: sick day
W: sick day
TH: Zumba, 2.5 mile run
F: scheduled rest
S: nothing
Total Milage: 5.5 miles

SO, my first official week of training was a total flop! DH and I came down with with a rotten cold or something - terrible sore throat, cough, fever, body aches, etc. We were both pretty miserable for a few days. I didn't start feeling it till Monday, so I did get my 3 miles and strength training done that day. My awesome friend, Chanel, took DD (3) with her to the gym so that I could run the 3 miles there and join her for 60 min. of weights. Chanel knows her way around the weight room, so she was wonderful to work out with me and show me some things to do. Did a little stretching afterward.

The next few days I felt like death, so I took Tuesday and Wednesday off - ugh!

I was still feeling icky on Thursday, but I was dying to get out and move, so I went to Zumba and then squeaked in a 2.5 mile run, and felt surprisingly well right afterward!

At that point, I totally planned on my half marathon scheduled for Saturday, so I intentionally took Friday off to rest. Turns out I shouldn't have, cause DH felt so bad on Friday that we cancelled our camping trip.

So that was that. I didn't feel like driving the 4 hours round trip by myself just to run the race, so I DNS. Saturday ended up being very busy and fun though. I was able to go with DS (12) on his first temple trip to Seattle with our church youth group, so that was pretty special. And then we attended our annual neighborhood block party that evening. So, life happened I guess, and even though I didn't get my miles in, it was a good day! I'm trying not to beat myself up over my poor training week; just keep moving forward right?

 

[sumlee]

Week 2: Sept 14-20

Sunday: scheduled rest
Monday: 3 mile run
Tuesday: 11 mile run, Zumba
Wednesday: BodyPump, stretch & roll
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: rest, run postponed to Sat.
Saturday: 7 mile run
Total Mileage: 24 miles

After my abysmal training week last week, I was really looking to redeem myself this week. Did an early morning 3 mile run on Monday while the little kids were still sleeping. That seems to work okay for my short midweek runs - I wake my oldest DS (12) at 6:30 and he starts getting ready for school while I get out and run for 30ish min. That gets me back home in just enough time to wake the other kids for school and see DS out the door. We'll see how well I do with that once it's darker in the mornings.

On Tuesday, I had 5 miles scheduled, but I wanted to make up some of the mileage I missed last week. I was hoping to get 13 miles in, but I was late getting DD to preschool, so I only had time for 11 miles. Felt pretty good. Went to Zumba that evening, so it was a 2 shower day! I was pretty beat after that.

Wednesday morning was BodyPump at the gym. I really love that class! It's a 60 minute choreographed barbell weight lifting class set to music. I've been doing it for 2.5 years now and have seen a lot of improvement in my strength and muscle definition, especially in my arms. Not that I'm ripped or anything. It felt really hard this week, like my regular weight really wore me out! Probably because I missed last week, being sick, and was still getting my strength/stamina back. I did 30 min of stretching and rolling with the foam roller afterward, so I felt really good and loose after that.

Thursday morning was a quick 3 mile run. I didn't go to my usual Thursday morning Zumba while DD was at preschool because I had a Dr. appointment. Nothing too exciting, just my annual lady doctor checkup (actually, I hadn't been since 2011 after my DD was born, so I was definitely overdue!)

Friday I decided to postpone my scheduled 7 miles to Saturday, because I was having some friends come over for lunch (my turn to host our monthly recipe group) and I really needed to clean my house!

So Saturday morning I ran a very enjoyable 7 miles. It was nice and cool and I got to run in new clothes! My last mile was my fastest of the run purely because there was a man running in long khaki cargo shorts on the other side of the road and I was determined to pass him, because I didn't want to be beat by someone running in cargo shorts!

So all in all, it was a pretty good training week, I think. I have had a couple of concerns this week though:

1) Pace. For the last 3 months or so, it seems like I've slowed down a bit. Last spring, I think I was frequently running around a 10mm pace, but now, it seems like I struggle to get under 11mm, and on my longer runs I'm closer to 12mm. Not sure why. I was thinking it was the summer heat, but the temps have gone down in the mornings here, and I don't seem it be getting any faster. Maybe it's okay. I'm not really going for a time goal, since this will be my first full marathon, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it and just focus on my mileage... Any thoughts?

2) IT band soreness? The last few months I've been noticing a soreness/aching along the lateral side of my left leg, usually down near my knee, but sometimes up near my hip as well. It seems to flare up during car rides or anytime I'm sitting with my leg in a bent position for an extended period of time. Is this the dreaded IT band that runners talk about? It's not even very painful; it just bothers me a little and makes me nervous that it will get worse and interrupt my training. I've started using the foam rollers at the gym during the week, but I don't even know if I'm doing it right. When and how often should I be rolling?

 

[annmarieda]

I have to comment on your intro... First, thanks for the shout out. Second, I live your explanation of how you came to sign up for a full. I am at the imagining part. Still not yet to considering it. Third... Our journeys began very much around the same time. I always thought you were this major accomplished runner. Tot2012 was your first rd event too? I too then ran phm2013

I am sorry you were sick recently. That is not fun.. Especially when you are trying to get training in.

Glad to hear that this last week went better!

As to your concerns .. Have you read my constant whining about my own pace? I feel for ya! I feel frustrated by what this summer has done to my pace. I have been trying to tell myself it has I have had to do with the unusual hit summer we have had. But then just like you I have noticed temps coming down and my pace not recovering. But... Have they really come down? I mean Saturday I ran and at the start it was nice and cool but by the end it was over 70. Perhaps we just think temps have come down because a. It is almost October and it should an b. we start our runs when it truly is cooler. An finally... I think the humidity has still been brutal regardless, right? I don't know.... I do know I too am frustrated.

And it band.. I hope it isn't. I suppose it would not hurt to do some foam rolling on it just in case?

 

[sumlee]

I have to comment on your intro... First, thanks for the shout out. Second, I live your explanation of how you came to sign up for a full. I am at the imagining part. Still not yet to considering it. Third... Our journeys began very much around the same time. I always thought you were this major accomplished runner. Tot2012 was your first rd event too? I too then ran phm2013

Haha! Definitely NOT an accomplished runner! I'm still a newbie. That's fun that we got started around the same time! ToT 2012 Forever!

I I am sorry you were sick recently. That is not fun.. Especially when you are trying to get training in. Glad to hear that this last week went better! As to your concerns .. Have you read my constant whining about my own pace? I feel for ya! I feel frustrated by what this summer has done to my pace. I have been trying to tell myself it has I have had to do with the unusual hit summer we have had. But then just like you I have noticed temps coming down and my pace not recovering. But... Have they really come down? I mean Saturday I ran and at the start it was nice and cool but by the end it was over 70. Perhaps we just think temps have come down because a. It is almost October and it should an b. we start our runs when it truly is cooler. An finally... I think the humidity has still been brutal regardless, right? I don't know.... I do know I too am frustrated. And it band.. I hope it isn't. I suppose it would not hurt to do some foam rolling on it just in case?

Thanks Ann! Yeah, I'm feeling much better! I think you're right about it being more humid than usual. I think I just need to be more patient with myself and try not too worry too much about my pace. Yeah, I'm going to try to be more regular with the foam rolling. It seems like I saw in Runners World an article called "Foam Rolling 101" or something like that. Maybe I'll look it up and see if I can get some pointers for how to do it right.

 

[Ariel484]

Alright, Summer. I vowed I'd get caught up today!

First of all, I LOVE that you signed up for 3 Disney races right away in the beginning...they're just so addicting, even if you haven't done one yet! I love even more how sneaky you were about it.

Love, love, LOVE your ToT costume. Hate that it was such a miserable race. I so want to do this one because I love Tower of Terror so much, but pretty much everyone I read about that has done it just says how awful it was! Hmm...

Your review of the Tinkerbell Half REALLY has me wanting to try it some day. I don't even like Tinkerbell. Like, at ALL. But I have heard such great things about that course.

We wear the same shoes! Hooray for Brooks Adrenalines!

I'm sorry the Princess Half was so tough for you! You're right, that Florida humidity is no joke!!

So great that your mom is going to do the 5K and 10K with you!! How fun! And I love that she dressed up, too.

 

[Ariel484]

Okay, almost caught up!

Glad to hear that you like Pop. I'll be staying there for the first time next month (!!). Which section do you like?

That would be awesome if you could make a few days at the Poly happen! We were booked at the Poly for Marathon Weekend 2013 - discounts never came out, though, so we ended up switching to the Grand Floridian. Not too shabby!

Love those flowered capris you posted! So pretty!

I'm so sorry you weren't able to do your half marathon - what terrible timing! Maybe you just got it out of the way and you won't be sick at all for the rest of training!

Looks like you had an awesome week 2!! Way to go!

I don't know what to tell you about pace. Is this more mileage than you normally do? Maybe that has something to do with it.

I am ALL too familiar with the IT Band soreness. I think I posted a link in the marathon thread with some videos when you posted about this originally, did you get to try those? After going to the doctor for my own issues she recommended hip strengthening exercises, so that may also be something to look into. Also check to make sure your shoes are not shot.

Hope you're having a great week!

 

[vleeth]

This is such a great idea for my family.

My husband starting running in June. I went to the track with him a few times, but it's just not my thing. But, if I were training to run at Disney....