Please help warm my cold feet! (PHM first-timer)

[mommy2lt]

UPDATE:

Thank you to EVERYONE who responded to my post from yesterday. I truly appreciate and respect your stories, advice, and kind words and am VERY EXCITED to say I am officially registered!

I feel a huge sense of relief now that I've committed. Those of you who said I'll feel much better after registering, you were 100% right. Wow!

Next up, a proper pair of running shoes and Jeff Galloway's book to help me get started...

Again, thank you ALL! I'll definitely stick around the boards for the long term -- this is a wonderful place to be. Many blessings to everyone!

Yay !!! So glad you will be joining us on this journey ! It really means something different to everyone. To some, it's just another race, but for many of us this is BIG ! I know for me, it's HUGE ! If you would have told me last year that I would be doing this I would have laughed in your face. My entire family and all my friends think I have lost my mind. But every time I think about what this really means to me I tear up. This is SO much more than just a race, this is (for me) proving that I am capable of doing (again, for me) the impossible !
In the words od Walt himself - "If you can dream it, you can do it" and my personal fave, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible".
Happy training !

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Yay! Congratulations on registering!

The Princess was my first half marathon back in 2010. I also did the Disneyland Half in 2010 but haven't really walked, jogged, or run since, except for a local 10K a few months ago. I'm basically starting fresh again this year, but at least this time I have the added bonus of knowing what to expect.

I wrote up a fairly detailed trip report (with photos) of my 2010 PHM experience. However, I was hosting my photos through Webshots, which closed down and deleted ALL the photos back in December. I have screenshots of the entire report and the photos saved to my hard drive, so I'll attempt to fix the report this weekend and post the link to my signature.

 

[jmasgat]

Congratulations!

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Aww! I appreciate the support everyone, thanks! I'm just in from a long weekend of back-to-back 12-hour shifts and I'm exhausted but very much looking forward to this coming week. I'll be sharing the news with my closest loved ones and will be getting started as soon as possible. See you all around the boards!

 

[princessbride6205]

The Princess was my first half marathon back in 2010.

Me too!
I just finally made a photo book of it last night, so it's fresh in my mind. That race got me hooked on Disney races and spurred me to continue running and training. You can absolutely do this - Galloway's beginner plan is a good place to start. In the meantime, you can start with Galloway's 5k plan or just start walking to get used to being on your feet and moving more (if you aren't already exercising).
You will have an amazing time!

 

[Ariel484]

I think I need a vacation, because when I read this thread title I literally thought you were saying your feet were cold when you run...like, you needed suggestions on how to keep your feet warmer.

LOL!

Congrats on signing up! You'll love it.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

In the meantime, you can start with Galloway's 5k plan or just start walking to get used to being on your feet and moving more (if you aren't already exercising).
You will have an amazing time!

PrincessBride, thank you for this excellent suggestion. I was JUST going to ask about which plan I should start with as I'm a bit early in starting Galloway's Half-Marathon plan (from the runDisney site). Some have mentioned C25K as a starter prior to the Half-Marathon plan. Any pointers?


LOL @ Ariel. Oh my... Most days I wish my feet were literally cold but here in Florida, it's hot hot hot.



ETA: After looking at the calendar, if I start C25K next week (this gives me a week to buy proper shoes), it will end within one week of the first 5K I'm eyeing (9/14). Would it make sense to do C25K and then start Galloway's Half-Marathon plan the week after the 5K? All advice welcome!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

ETA: After looking at the calendar, if I start C25K next week (this gives me a week to buy proper shoes), it will end within one week of the first 5K I'm eyeing (9/14). Would it make sense to do C25K and then start Galloway's Half-Marathon plan the week after the 5K? All advice welcome!

I'm no expert, but I think this would work out okay. The first "long run" on Galloway's training plan is 3 miles, and a 5K is 3.1 miles, so I think they would mesh pretty well.

The difference, though, is that C25K trains you to run the entire 3.1 miles by the end of the 9 weeks, if I recall correctly. The Galloway method has you alternating walking and running at intervals.

I've heard from many people that they've repeated weeks on the C25K because it builds the running intervals pretty quickly, so it takes longer than the 9 weeks. I would just be cautious of pushing too hard too quickly and getting an injury. From what I understand, the Galloway method is more gradual and focuses more on building distance than building speed.


P.S. I haven't forgotten about the photos from my 2010 trip report. For some reason, the photos are not in one place on my hard drive and so it's taking me a lot longer than anticipated to deal with it. It's driving me crazy though; I want to relive the experience!

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Where'sPiglet?, thanks for your input! You raise a very good point -- one of the things that draws me to Galloway is his walk/run/walk plan. Given the fact that I do have some weight to shed, I need to be cautious in my approach to avoid injury. I have a good week to prepare and my Galloway book might tip me off to a good plan as well. On another note, I can't wait to see your photos!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

My personal feeling on both methods, your mileage may vary, lol

I have done both the C25K and the Galloway method. I actually prefer the Galloway method as a newer runner. C25K is set up to build to longer runs and to eventually run a full 5K. I will not lie, it was hard to finish. I never actually finished the program before my first 5K. It did prepare me for the race to an extent but I feel like I set myself up for failure because I could not maintain my runs because during the race I was running faster than I did at home, thus getting tired and winded quicker. While I had fun doing the race (Expedition Everest) I didn't have the energy to really enjoy the experience. I feel like I missed a lot because I was just wishing it was over.

The good thing about the Galloway method is if you get the app, you can set your interval ratio as you train. I started with a 1/1 run/walk interval I'm now at a 2/1, so 2 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. Jeff also talks to you during the runs and gives pointers and motivation which is also a positive.

Personally I would start with the Galloway 5K then move up to the 1/2 program. You can make adjustments as you go in terms of running times since there is a lot more flexibility with the ratios.

 

[TigerTown]

Where'sPiglet?, thanks for your input! You raise a very good point -- one of the things that draws me to Galloway is his walk/run/walk plan. Given the fact that I do have some weight to shed, I need to be cautious in my approach to avoid injury. I have a good week to prepare and my Galloway book might tip me off to a good plan as well. On another note, I can't wait to see your photos!

First off congratulations on signing up for the race! The most stressful part is over and now the fun begins.

The C25K plan works for some and doesn’t really work for others. I personally didn't like it because I don't plan on running 3.1 Miles without a walk break any time soon. This, however, is a personal decision and varies by individual. When I first started I was really out of shape so I just started with a slow 10/50 (10 sec Run/50sec walk) pace for a mile. After a few weeks I was able to draw that same pace out for 3 miles. Once I could do that I started to play around with different intervals to see what worked until the Galloway plan started. The good thing about starting your training early is that you have time to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.

If I can give you one piece of advice it would be to not get too down on yourself when something doesn’t work or when you have a bad run. Let me tell you up front that you WILL have bad runs and you will want to beat yourself up over it. Just realize that it happens to every single runner! You are not alone. Try and use the bad runs as a tool for improvement. When you have a bad run ask yourself three questions:

1. What went right?
2. What went wrong?
3. How can you fix what went wrong?

I actually use the website Daily Mile to track my runs and I have recently started to answer these questions after all of them (good or bad). It really helps me to analyze what happened during my run and try to correct things the next time I go out.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

BernardandMissBianca and TigerTown, I appreciate your feedback! ALL excellent points and suggestions... I'm starting to lean against the C25K plan as I don't intend on running 3 straight miles for quite some time. I'll most likely end up loosely following a plan a la Galloway's 5K and then progress to his half-marathon plan once the time comes. Luckily, time is on my side. I'm thankful for that!

I feel I'm off to a great start though thanks to you all -- once I have my game plan and shoes on board, it's time to hit the neighborhood. I do have a treadmill that will be moved to my spare room this weekend but I really want to run primarily outside. This is all so exciting!

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

PS, TigerTown...your website is incredibly inspiring! I love it!

 

[TigerTown]

PS, TigerTown...your website is incredibly inspiring! I love it!

Thank you! I really have enjoyed doing it. Feel free to stop on in and comment any time and let me know of you have any questions. I'm still pretty much a newbie myself but I'm learning more every day.

 

[mommy2lt]

I plan on starting the Galloway 1/2 plan in October, but for now, I'll tell you what works for me. It's pretty simple really, I just do what I can do. I have a number of miles that I want to do on each run ( 3-4 days a week, long run on the weekend) and I just do what I can do. If I can run, I do. If I need to catch my breath or need a break, I walk just until I am comfortable enough to start running again. I tried the Galloway method and find that stopping to walk when I could still run was a bit annoying, and having to keep running when I needed to stop sucked ! So for now,, until the "REAL" training starts, I just listen to my body and do what I feel like I need to do. Hope that helps. The only way to get better at running is to run, and the only way to increase mileage is to go farther Happy running !

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I actually use the website Daily Mile to track my runs and I have recently started to answer these questions after all of them (good or bad). It really helps me to analyze what happened during my run and try to correct things the next time I go out.

Kyle I saw a link to your blog via Daily mile and I have a question.
Which app are you using for your Dumbo countdown? I'm trying to find one for the Princess.

 

[DisneyRunnerGirl]

Where'sPiglet?, thanks for your input! You raise a very good point -- one of the things that draws me to Galloway is his walk/run/walk plan. Given the fact that I do have some weight to shed, I need to be cautious in my approach to avoid injury. I have a good week to prepare and my Galloway book might tip me off to a good plan as well. On another note, I can't wait to see your photos!

May I suggest Jenny Hadfield's Half Marathon plans? These are free on her website and includes a variety of plans including run/walk.

http://www.jennyhadfield.com/training-plans/half-marathon/

I love her plans and have used the different variations as I moved from walking only in my mid 40s to run/walk in my 50s. Also used one of her marathon plans for my first full in Jan and got the 20th anniversary Mickey medal with run/walk

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Mommy2lt, I did some more reading and I'm leaning against my original plan of following a training schedule right off the bat. I love your idea (which TigerTown touched on too) of just doing what I can and then in October, I can start the Galloway Half schedule. Sometimes my mind wants to make things really technical and I forget I'm JUST starting out as a brand spankin' newbie to this and I need to slow down and ease in. I have a lot of excited energy built up and I need to use it wisely. I work the next two days but on Friday, I'm going to drive around my neighborhood and map out some routes to start with.

DisneyRunnerGirl, congrats on your medal! That's fantasic! I'm off to check out the link you shared. Thank you!

 

[ZellyB]

UPDATE:

Thank you to EVERYONE who responded to my post from yesterday. I truly appreciate and respect your stories, advice, and kind words and am VERY EXCITED to say I am officially registered!

I feel a huge sense of relief now that I've committed. Those of you who said I'll feel much better after registering, you were 100% right. Wow!

Next up, a proper pair of running shoes and Jeff Galloway's book to help me get started...

Again, thank you ALL! I'll definitely stick around the boards for the long term -- this is a wonderful place to be. Many blessings to everyone!

Congratulations! You have a great journey ahead of you.

 

[fruitcakes24]

....I'm new! This is my first post! Haha...

You can *absolutely* do this! I could have written your post verbatim last year and signed up to do PHM on a whim with zero running experience and really, aside from chasing after 2 kids, very little physical activity. I very casually trained and ended up finishing the race, but knowing that I could have done better had I really put in the effort to properly train.

As you can see from my brand new, shiny signature below, I've decided to run the W&D Half this fall, then the GSC in Feb. I encourage you to find a training plan that works for you. I wanted to start from nothing and build my way up to increase speed and distance without injury or burnout. So, I went with the Couch to Half Marathon plan - ok, apparently I can't link but it's the first link on google when you search . I'm on Week 6 and I *love* this plan!! I'm so excited to run and have set up little mini goals along the way to help keep me motivated.

Good luck and congratulations on taking the first step!