My Journey to the 2016 WDW Marathon (comments welcome) Updated 11/10

[Neoflynn]

so I have been contemplating the idea of posting one of these for a little while and finally decided to bite the bullet. At first I was just going to copy over my blog posts but I have decided to use this more as a day by day training journal with maybe some of my blog posts mixed in so anyway first off a little about my journey so far....

My journey began around May of 2013, I realized that I really needed to live a more healthy lifestyle and finding a consistent form of exercise was tops on that list. I am diabetic and while its fairly well controlled exercise is one thing I had always struggled with. So after seeing two of my friends successfully complete the Couch to 5k program I decided that may be the perfect thing for me. There are many versions of this program out there I used the Active.com version and I think it is a really great program for anyone who would like to start running. I never felt like it asked me to do anything that I wasn't capable of, did I have to push myself at times? of course but I was able to and achieve what the program asked and before I knew it the day of my 5k had arrived

Me before my first ever race

Now lining up for your first ever race is an interesting feeling there are nerves but there is also this overwhelming sense of excitement. You've done the training and now its time to accomplish that goal. My best advice if you are running your first race is don't get caught up in the crown and run your own race. As I came down the home stretch to that first ever finish line I knew one thing, I was hooked on this little thing called running. Crossing that finish was one of the greatest feelings and I couldn't wait for my next race and my next challenge....

crossing that first finish line...


(continued in next post)

 

[Keels]

Yay! About time you started one of these! Looking forward to following along with your journey!

 

[Neoflynn]

Along with any success there is usually going to be some sort of failure along the way, mine came during my 3rd 5k, it was a December race and it was a super cold morning, add to that the fact that my training leading up to it hadn't gone as I would like It wasn't so much that I wasn't enjoying running anymore but fore some reason I found it harder and harder to get out the door for regular training runs, maybe I was becoming too comfortable and I needed a new challenge. So during this race I found myself having to take multiple walk breaks one reason for this was that I went out the gate way to fast and found myself struggling in the later half of the race. I really felt horrible thru out the run and although I was happy to still cross the finish line I was disappointed with the outcome. I had two choices let this discourage me or let it challenge me...I of course chose the later option and decided that I needed to step up my game and try to tackle a 10K. Not a big deal for some but it would be double the distance I had previously run and it was exactly the kick in the butt I needed. The Race would be in February and my training was pretty good leading up to it, I think some of my coworkers thought I was crazy when they would see or hear about me running in the freezing cold but I was determined to succeed in this challenge.

pre 10K

Race Day arrived and while it was another cold morning my head was in a much better spot this go around, and it was during the wait for the start of this race that the idea of maybe tackling a race at Walt Disney World was first approached....We had the Tower of Terror 10 Miler in mind and began to preliminary plan a potential trip in 2015. The 10K was a really good race and I felt really strong until the end, The awesome course designers decided it would be a great idea to but a massive hill right before the end, It totally sapped me but I didn't give up and still came home with a pretty respectable time of 1:04. I was feeling really good after this race and decided to up my game once again and try to tackle a half marathon before the end of the year, I honestly figured that would be the max I was capable of running the idea of a marathon wasn't even in my head yet.

The sign of a race well run LOL


I ran another 10k in march though I ran with a friend for this one so my time was a bit slower but I was feeling really good with where I was at running wise and I had found and signed up for my half marathon It's the Area 13.1 in roswell, GA and its an awesome alien themed night race (check it out here http://alienhalf.com/) it wasn't until November so I had lots of time to get myself ready. I had signed up for a series of 5ks that are run locally here so I had a race every month leading up to my half which kept me from slacking to much on training. While I didn't stick 100% to my training plan I did come pretty close and while there were many days that I struggled to get out there I knew I would regret it later so more often than not I forced myself out the door and got those miles in and before I knew it race day arrived ...

Next time find out the results of that race...

 

[Neoflynn]

Yay! About time you started one of these! Looking forward to following along with your journey!

Thanks @Keels I can honestly say reading yours was part of my inspiration

 

[Keels]

Thanks @Keels I can honestly say reading yours was part of my inspiration

Awwwww. I'm happy my inane rambling inspired somebody!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm so glad I discovered this! It's great to follow along with you and see where you started and how you're progressing!

 

[Neoflynn]

Awwwww. I'm happy my inane rambling inspired somebody!

ha!! nothing about your posts is inane....

I'm so glad I discovered this! It's great to follow along with you and see where you started and how you're progressing!

thanks for joining in hopefully it doesn't wind up being too dull...


Sorry for the delay in updating but I have been out of town (to run another half marathon of course more on it later) and unable to post but here goes...

Pre Race and Ready To Go


So when I last left you I was about to run my first half marathon, now before I continue a small piece of advice, don't choose a night race for your first...it lead to a little to much anticipation as I waited around all day until the race. I had read in various places that its not a good idea to set a time goal for your first race but I am a firm believer in the A, B, C mindset of goal setting. Basically you set an A goal which is something very much achievable, then a B goal wich is something you have to push for and then a C goal wich is if all the stars align and everything goes perfect. I didn't do this for this race but I did set a time goal that I knew I could accomplish wich for this race would be under 2:30 (I had run a 12 mile training run in about 2:10) so I knew this was a safe goal other than that I would be happy to just cross the finish line. Most large Half or Full Marathons use Pace Groups to help runners out and I HIGHLY recommend using these to help achieve your goal. Basically they are set people who will run the race at a consistent pace to achieve a specific time finish (IE 2 hours, 2:15, 2:30, etc. ) Knowing that I wanted a 2:30 or better finish for this race I decided to start out with the 2:30 pace group and then increase my pace as the race went along depending on how I felt, this turned out to be a smart decision as it kept me from committing one of the most common race day mistakes...going out to fast. The course was mostly flat and along the Chattahoochee River and I run here many times in training so I was familiar with it which helped I stayed with the pace group for about the first 4 miles or so then speed up a bit as I was feeling pretty good, now even though it was dark many of the racers wore headlamps and there were light stations set up throughout the course so it was never too dark though in hindsight I wish I had bought myself a head lamp just to give me more light. I wound up making friends with a fellow racer named Jenni as we were running next to each other most of the race, this helped take my mind off things through the middle portion as we chatted a bit and helped each other keep going. One thing I will say about the running community as a whole is its generally a very friendly bunch. We all know what kind of dedication it takes and often strangers on the race course can become your biggest supporters. I felt really pretty good through the whole race and luckily never hit the dreaded wall, as we crossed the bridge over the river and into the park where finish was located I cant really describe what an amazing feeling it was in fact I was so zoned out I didn't even see my wife and friend (who I run with on occasion and
had come out to run the 5k and cheer me on) on my way to the finish. Crossing that line was the biggest runners high I had experienced up to that point and there is nothing better than getting that medal hung around your neck and knowing all that hard work had paid off. I finished with a time of 2:16.55 not bad for my first go round and only the start of bigger things on my running journey.

The sweet feeling of success


running friends are the best kind...


How cool is giant alien head bling?

Next Time: So you finished A Half Marathon now what?

 

[girliea]

Way to go Neo! So, what is next?

 

[Neoflynn]

SO YOU RAN A HALF MARATHON NOW WHAT?

If you were paying attention you may have noticed that I mentioned running a Disney race during my first 10k, our original plan was to do the Tower of Terror 10 miler in 2015 as we would be able to combine a runDisney trip as well as taking our little man to Mickey's Halloween Party (Disney trips are an expensive venture so being able to knock out two things we want to see/do with one trip is a huge plus) but then alas runDisney release the upcoming race calendar and of course ToT is nowhere to be found. So now we were torn I really wanted to run a Disney race but now my options were limited... Wine and Dine didn't really appeal to me, and I would run Princess if my wife wanted to run it but she isn't at the Half Marathon level so that left us with just marathon weekend and that's when my head got a little crazy....
I honestly thought that a Half Marathon would be the maximum distance for me but I was really starting to enjoy this running thing and if one thing was going to push me to take on the challenge of a Marathon why not let it be Disney? So I discussed it with my wife and not only did she support me in my craziness but she decided to up the ante as well, we settled on a plan to run the 5k together and then she would step up and do her first 10k and I of course would do the Marathon. Unfortunately we would have to wait until 2016 to make this happen and that meant I needed some sort of challenge for 2015 I decided to dub it my "epic running year" and tried to sign up for at least one major event each month so my tentative schedule looked like this:

January: Hot Chocolate 15k Atlanta, GA
February: Be The Light 15k (virtual race)
March: Publix Georgia Half Marathon Atlanta, GA
April: Georgia Peach Jam Half Marathon Cumming, GA
May: Fiesta 15k Cumming, GA
June: Cedar Point Run and Ride Half Marathon Sandusky, OH
July: Peachtree Road Race 10K Atlanta, GA
August: Area 13.1 Roswell, GA
September: Tortoise and Hare Trail Half Marathon Canton, GA and Athletes Helping Athletes 5K Kennesaw, GA
October: Michelob Ultra 13.1 Atlanta, GA
November: Volition America Half Marathon Roswell, GA
December: Locomotive Half Marathon Kennesaw, GA

Now obviously with it being June some of these have already taken place I did do race recaps for the Georgia Half (wich you can read here) and the Fiesta 15k (read here) and I am currently writing one for the Cedar Point Half which I will post a link to here once completed. So that pretty much sums up my journey to this point. I am slightly scared about running 26.2 miles but I know that if I stick my training (which will start July 27th officially) then it is something I can accomplish and I am excited to accomplish this and a wise person once said...

The focus of this journal is now going to switch more so to my training specifically for the Marathon but I will also sprinkle in other things that I post on my blog (race reports, product reviews, Etc.) I hope you enjoy following along on what should be an exciting ride...

Next Time: Just Because Things Don't Go as Planned Doesn't Mean You Failed

 

[Neoflynn]

this post is a test to see if I can copy and paste over from my blog and have it format correctly so if it looks weird that's why....if it doesn't work ill just post the links instead

Race Report -- Run & Ride Cedar Point Half Marathon or Just Because Things Don't Go as Planned Doesn't Mean You Failed

I've kind of been dreading writing this particular race report because I didn't have a good run, but now that I have had a chance to sit back and digest how things went, I know what went wrong and just because I didn't hit the goals I set out to achieve doesn't mean I failed, Just means I need to work that much harder for the next one. We set out for our long drive to Ohio fairly early Friday morning and after a few stops and some weather/traffic related delays finally arrived in Sandusky. Once we got figured out where we were exactly we were able to easily navigate our way to the hotel where packet pick up was. Inside the hotel there were plenty of directions pointing the way and we easily found the packet pick up and within minutes had our shirts and bibs and were back to our car but not before a quick picture with a celebrity...

Celebrity Sighting

We got over to our hotel got settled in and I went for a quick shake out run, especially after driving all day I needed to stretch the legs and it also helped get me a bit acclimated to the Ohio weather. It was a good and after that is was off to bed so we could get a good nights sleep. It was an early wake up call as Sam(my wife) was running the 5k the next morning. While were on the topic of the 5k let me say again (if you follow me in any other form of social media you already know about this) I am so proud of Sam for her results at the 5k not only did she break 30 mins (which she had been working extremely hard for) but she took first place in her age group. It was so awesome to see how happy she was and it was cool to be on the other side of it for once. After that we went back to the hotel to clean up and grab Grandma and Jack(my little man) then we headed back to Cedar Point for a day of enjoy the park. We took it easy most of the day and then grabbed dinner at TGI Fridays before heading back to the hotel so we could get a good night sleep as it would be another early wake up call for the half marathon the next day.

Sam on the Podium

So race morning arrived we got up got ready and got over to the park plenty early. I am always of the mind that I would rather arrive early than be rushing to the start right before the gun. I went for a quick warm up jog, used the potty (always a must before a race) and got situated at the start line. I had planned on using the 2:00 hour pacer to help guide me into what I hoped would be a sub 2 finish but I quickly discovered a problem. Whoever was meant to be the 2 hour pacer wasn't there (I overheard that apparently they had gotten injured) this put a dent in my plans but I had my Nike app on my phone that would give me pace updates so I would just need to monitor it myself and hope for the best.



Had to Get another shot with Snoopy


Ready To Rock


The Course


As the gun sounded and we headed off I was feeling pretty good I got in a nice groove early and enjoyed the early part of the course a lot. After short loop around the parking lot we were into the park and it was kind of cool to be running in an empty park (except a few employees and us runners) with the coasters towering overhead (some where even running empty) after exiting the park and going back past the start area (with a quick high five from Sam) we headed down the causeway and towards downtown Sandusky. It was along here that I encountered my first problem, My GPS wasn't synching up with the course in fact I was a good quarter mile behind which meant that while I thought I was running about 9:10 miles I was actually running close to 8:50. This meant that I was expending far more energy than I had planned on and I knew that it wasn't good I kept trying to adjust my pace but with out an accurate GPS it was hard. Now a lot of people might think it was boring to only be in the park for the 3 miles but I actually enjoy running in different areas and it was cool to see these parts of Sandusky, as I hit the half way point my body was really feeling the effects of my early pace and I hit the wall HARD. I normally will walk through water stops get my water down then immediately start running again but as I hit the water stop around half way I just couldn't get going and I took my first walk break. This really broke me mentally and its really hard to recover from it when you are out there all by yourself. I knew my hopes of a sub 2 where pretty much out the window with how I was feeling and probably any hopes of a new PR were gone as well. But I still had over 6 miles to go and no matter what I was going to finish. After walking for a bit I got going again although at a much slower pace I kept trying to get over the mental hurdle of hitting the wall but it was tough I would run for a bit but then my head would tell me I needed to walk and like a dope I would listen to it. After that I wound up taking short walk breaks about every mile and mile 10 to 11 where especially rough but it was then that I finally re-energized myself. I had a talk in my head basically telling myself that it was only 2 more miles and if I couldn't run it now I probably shouldn't be running at all. As we headed back down the causeway and toward the finish I wasn't feeling great but I knew I was going to finish and even if it wasn't going to be a new PR I should still make the best of it so I tried to kick hard into the finish, crossed that line and got my awesome new medal. I was exhausted in more ways than one and I grabbed some chocolate milk (my new favorite post race treat) found a hunk of side walk and sat down and tried my best to recover. Sam was very supportive even though I felt like I had failed she kept telling me that I still crossed the finish and that was something to be proud of.


Not my best post run shot but still proud



It took me awhile to get over how I felt post race. Even with the hiccup with my pace I should have been able to over come that had I trained properly. I knew where I had went wrong in training (not enough long runs) and I knew that I could overcome this result. It was a learning experience for sure and sometimes a result like this can do more for you than a positive one. I am really rearing to get back out there and improve on this race but I'll have to wait till August for that. In the meantime I get to run the worlds largest 10k with 60,000 of my closest friends....Peachtree Here I Come....


My Bling

 

[girliea]

Sorry that it didn't go like you wanted Neo! But great job just the same! Running is so mental, I am amazed at the conversations I can have with myself during a run...and they span from very positive to just down right beating up on myself.

Keep up the training and you'll have a new PR soon!

 

[SarahDisney]

Sorry to hear the race didn't go as planned, but at least you finished (which is an amazing accomplishment), and you're learning from your experience. While it's nice to always have a great run and PR in every race, like you said, sometimes you learn more when you don't have a great race.
Plus, you got to meet Snoopy twice, and isn't that what the weekend was really all about?

And huge congrats to your wife for finishing first in her age group - that's amazing!!

 

[Neoflynn]

Sorry that it didn't go like you wanted Neo! But great job just the same! Running is so mental, I am amazed at the conversations I can have with myself during a run...and they span from very positive to just down right beating up on myself.

Keep up the training and you'll have a new PR soon!

so true about running being mostly mental and this was really the first time that my head got the better of me but once I got over the initial feelings of self doubt I really think I can use it as a learning process and thanks for the positive PR vibes Im really hoping I can make it happen in my august half so I can submit it for PoT for the WDW Marathon

Plus, you got to meet Snoopy twice, and isn't that what the weekend was really all about?

And huge congrats to your wife for finishing first in her age group - that's amazing!!

Thanks for putting it into perspective

and ill be sure to pass along your congrats I think she is still high on the feeling she had when she found out

 

[Neoflynn]

Training Recap for 6/23-6/30
I am going to try to post weekly training updates just to let you all know how training is going especially once my marathon plan officially kicks off on July 27th. I will try to break down each run as best I can and hopefully not be too boring....

6/23
Today's run was a 6 mile evening run around my neighborhood and surrounding area. Even though I ran at 7pm it was still near 90 and humid so I definitely tried t keep my pace down and made sure to hydrate along the way. I averaged a 10:07/mile pace which is right around my zone that I am hoping to run the marathon in so that's good. One thing I am having trouble with right now is pacing, I am torn because while I am gearing up for marathon training I am also hoping to set a sub 2 hour half PR in my august race, so im having a hard time balancing running easy versus pushing myself to work hard for that PR. Although with the heat it makes it tough to run hard anyway so Im forced to lighten up regardless.

6/25
I work retail so my schedule varies but I almost always get off by 3 on Thursdays and I will then go for run at one of my various spots around town. Today I chose to hit Riverside Park wich is along the Chattahoochee River and also the site of my first ever Half Marathon. It was in the high 90's and humid again (pretty much normal for summer in the south) but I felt pretty strong through out all 6 miles and averaged a 10:05/mile pace. One thing I did very well this run was keep my pace consistent my fastest mile was only 9:54 while my slowest was 10:10 this has been one focus of my training runs lately is trying to nail that consistent pacing

6/26
hot and humid afternoon run of 4 miles today at another local park that has a nice 1.75 mile running loop. After working all day I definitely didn't have my best legs under me and my run showed it as I averaged only a 10:22/mile pace.

6/27
My original plan was to get up early and get a nice long run in, Sadly when I woke up I really wasn't feeling well so I decided to listen to my body and not try and push it. As the day went on I started feeling better so after dinner I decided to lace up the shoes and get out the door for some miles. I wound up getting a nice 6 miler in, I took the first mile easy but once I got my legs under me a bit I tried to push it a little as it was a much cooler evening than it had been thanks to some rain. I was able to get my average pace around 9:38/mile for the total run and really ran a strong last mile at 8:39

6/28
Since I didn't get my planned long run of 10 miles in the day before I decided to head out after work and get another chunk of miles in today. I headed to the greenway wich is one of my favorite spots to run, long straight and lots of shade. I had thought of running 6 but was feeling really strong and decided to push it to 7 miles. One thing about training is you wont improve much if you don't push yourself so sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone. after a strong 6 miles yesterday I decided to dial the pace down a bit today and averaged 9:54/mile and I really feel like this will be a doable pace for the marathon.

6/29
another day of work but getting off at 6:30 allowed me to sneak in a quick 4 miler at the closest park to my workplace wich has a 1 mile running path. Today's focus was again trying to keep a consistent pace wich I did pretty well averaging 9:59/mile with a slow mile of 10:06 and my fastest being 9:49

6/30
Tuesday is my one set day off for work and it almost always results in a late evening run through the neighborhood once my wife gets home from work. But this evening the US women's soccer team was playing in the semi final of the World Cup...Luckily I have a treadmill in my living room so I was able to tackle 4 miles on the human hamster wheel while watching the ladies take it to Germany. Im not a big fan of running on the treadmill I don't feel like I get as much out of it but it's nice to have when i need it. This run also closed out my month of June and I was excited as I eclipsed 100 miles for the month


What's on tap for the coming week? Well on Saturday ill be participating in the worlds largest 10k .... The Peachtree RoadRace here in Atlanta, GA. I wont be running this race for time as with 60,000 other runners it can be a bit congested. I am running with a friend so we will just take it easy and enjoy the experience, Ill be sure to post a recap for those who may be interested...

 

[Neoflynn]

Race Report -- Peachtree Road Race

This race had been on my running bucket list ever since I began my running journey. I feel pretty blessed that the worlds largest 10k takes place in my neck of the woods and I would be crazy not to join in on the fun at least once in my life. Normally you have to submit a qualifying time and go through a lottery to gain entry but since I work for one of the sponsors I was able to nab guaranteed entry. So here on with the race report....



The Expo
The Peachtree hosts one of the largest expo's and its free for even non entrants into the race which I think is a nice touch. Although traffic was a bit insane around the expo we eventually were able to park and make our way over to the hall, I had met up with a friend who I would be running the race with so we could carpool to the expo. Bib pick up was a breeze with plenty of volunteers to handle the crazy amount of people. This is the worlds largest 10k with over 60,000 registered runners. After getting our bibs we made our way through the various booths, there wasn't anything there that you wouldn't find at most other expo's but I did pick up a nice mizuno Peachtree 2015 tech shirt that I will add to my running attire rotation (The finishers shirt while awesome is cotton and not great for actually running in) other than that I didn't find anything I couldn't live with out.

Race Day
I met up with the same friend early in the morning so that we could again carpool down to the MARTA (Atlanta's public transit system) train station. With 60,000+ runners you can imagine what a nightmare parking might be so public transit is definitely the way to go not to mention that this is not a typical out and back course but rather a straight-line so you finish 6 miles away from where you started, just another reason public transit was the way to go for this one. Luckily we where able to pre-purchase our tickets at the expo and only had to wait a few minutes for our train to arrive. The station that we got off at had a bit of a walk to get to the start and as we got off it begin to rain a bit, I was hoping that it would not rain during the race but it appeared that this was not going to be the case. It stopped by the time we made it to the start area however. My time that I had entered had gotten me a bib in the B corral but I would be dropping back to J to run with my friend so we made our way to the corral and waited for the start, I must say I was impressed with how many volunteers I saw and they even had water stations at the starting area's for any pre race hydration needs. As with most races the corral control was pretty poor and I saw plenty of people lining up in J that probably shouldn't be there, This is one of my pet peeves when it comes to races that use a corral start, moving back isn't really an issue and most races allow it but, by in large there is a reason that you have been placed in whatever corral you have been placed in and people that move up when they shouldn't only serve to clog the start even more but I digress...it wasn't to long before the race officially began with the elites followed by the rest of the corrals as each corral started we would slowly walk forward until eventually it was our turn.


Having to much fun pre-race



Somewhere between the start of the race and our wave it began raining again but we were not going to let that dampen our spirit. Since I was running with a friend I would not be running this race for time but rather enjoying the company, the course and the amazing atmosphere.




Giant Flag Selfie


As we got started we fell into a pretty good groove and enjoyed the many sights and sounds along the course. The Flag at the start line is huge, about 2700 square feet and running under was pretty awesome. As we left the Buckhead starting area and completed the first mile the next key sight was historic Buckhead Theatre which opened in 1931. Mile 2's highlight was The Cathedral of St. Philip where you could have holy water sprinkled on you if you chose I was getting enough holy water from the clouds. Miles 2 and 3 were downhill and really made you feel like you were running faster than you were which was nice but then we hit the famed Cardiac Hill which rises more than 12 stories in elevation but honestly once we got over it, I thought "well that wasn't so bad". Another cool sight here came as we passed The Shepherd Center which treats spinal cord injury patients and there are some of the patients along the course cheering. I made sure to go over and shake a few hands and thank them for being out there it was a pretty moving experience. Mile 4 features an awesome view of downtown as you crossover Interstate 85 then it was through the Arts District and down toward the finish, one left turn at around mile 5.5 and a downhill sprint to the finish at Piedmont Park and we were done. I tried to capture myself crossing the finish line but my phone was not cooperating with me so it didn't happen. After crossing the finish line it was on to get our famed finisher shirt and our food box and the.n try to make our way out of the park and back onto MARTA. Because of all the rain the park had become a giant mud puddle and so the walk back was not the most pleasant experience but hey its only mud. there were plenty of signs pointing the direction we needed to go, but I didn't realize quite how far away the station actually was, We kept thinking we were going the wrong way because it seemed to far but the crowd was all going the same direction so we figured it must be right. It actually took us back by the course so we got to cheer on runners who were still going which was nice. Eventually we made it to the station and again they had plenty of people direction everyone to make sure you got on the right train.


Final Thoughts
Even with the rain I had a great time and I am glad that I can said I did this race at least once. I was impressed at all the volunteers on hand and how well they manage to handle the crowd I guess after 46 years they have learned a few things. The ultimate question I guess is will I do it again? I don't think that I will do it every year as I am not a fan of running in big crowds but I think maybe every other year or something like that might be fun. As a final note here is really cool time lapse of my starting wave, I'm in there somewhere on the left hand side towards the front...not that you can actually pick me out but I am in there.



http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/timelapse-start-of-wave-j-in-the-2015-peachtree/vDWrS3/

 

[jlovesee]

I ran Cedar Point 1/2 this June as well... and my GPS was completely screwed up the entire race too, it said I was going slower then I actually was, but I always run a 2nd run keeper ap on my iPhone too, and I followed that instead, I ended up with a decent PR for me 2:09, of course this was my 12th half, so I am certainly not as fast! Husband and I are doing our 3rd Dopey this coming January, good luck! I am in training for Chicago as I have found doing a fall full marathon (say that three times fast!) helps with Dopey. Good luck! Where are you staying for the Marathon?

 

[Neoflynn]

I ran Cedar Point 1/2 this June as well... and my GPS was completely screwed up the entire race too, it said I was going slower then I actually was, but I always run a 2nd run keeper ap on my iPhone too, and I followed that instead, I ended up with a decent PR for me 2:09, of course this was my 12th half, so I am certainly not as fast! Husband and I are doing our 3rd Dopey this coming January, good luck! I am in training for Chicago as I have found doing a fall full marathon (say that three times fast!) helps with Dopey. Good luck! Where are you staying for the Marathon?

That's pretty awesome, Im sure we saw each other there somewhere as I was right around that finish time as well, Good luck with Dopey maybe someday ill be that crazy but gotta get a marathon under my belt first, We are staying at Art of Animation for this trip as we will be bringing along the grandparents and thought it would be nice to all stay together

MARATHON TRAINING OFFCIALLY BEGINS
So today officially started my marathon training program, I am using the Beginners Marathon Plan on the Nike Plus running app, This plan starts off pretty easy and slowly ramps up the miles topping out at a 22 mile run a couple weeks before the race. To start with ill be running less miles than I am used to but I think this will help me dial in my pace better as I get used to trying to run slower than what I have been. oddly enough my plan started with a rest day (go figure) so I wanted to get one last long run in to help for my Half in August that I am hoping to PR so I can submit it for PoT. Sadly my long run did not go smoothly I underestimated the heat and probably went harder than I should have early on and paid for it the second half but I'm really trying not to dwell on the negative and instead am really excited about finally being in training mode. I will try to post weekly updates now that I have a stricter schedule and will hopefully not get to boring.

That being said my question for this week is What do you do to get over a bad run?
I know we all have them and am curious how other people deal with them....

 

[SarahDisney]

Congrats on officially starting marathon training! I think starting off with lower mileage is a great way to adjust to a slower pace for the marathon training.

That being said my question for this week is What do you do to get over a bad run?

I'm pretty bad about this - I'll dwell on a bad run for far too long. But eventually I just get over it.
At the end of the day, it's up to you - do you want that bad run to be the start of a trend or do you want it to be an anomaly? If you want it to be the beginning of a trend, then by all means continue to think about it and analyze it. But if you want your next run to be better, then forget about this, write it off as an anomaly, and think about how great your next run will be.
Everyone has bad runs, and it's easy to dwell on a bad run. I think you have the right approach - don't think about the bad run, just focus on how excited you are to be officially training for the marathon!

 

[ZellyB]

Joining in on your journal. I love run training reports. Congrats on all the great races you've done. A fellow runner in our Galloway group always goes to run the Peachtree. He loves it! Can't wait to read more.

 

[cavepig]

Your Team Jack N shirt caught my attention, are you from Nebraska or was the race there? I live in Nebraska so anything related catches my eye! And for bad runs I just get over it then & there, no need to dwell on it. I've been running for over 20 years and used to dwell on bad runs back in high school. If there's a specific issue to address then I attempt to fix that (like not drinking enough or tieing my shoe too tight), but if it's just a 'bad' run then I let it go as tomorrow is a new day.