Running for my Disney - a PPTR...

[zanzibar138]

I hope it's ok that I start a PTR this early... I'd love to have the support of fellow DISers in achieving my goal.

When I want something, really want it deep in my heart, I am completely determined and will do anything to achieve that goal. I've had some awesome achievements in my life so far! Trouble is, I am a bit lazy, and if I don't really want something so badly it consumes me, then I get distracted and procrastinate.

My big, all-consuming goal at the moment is to visit every Disney destination. I'm well on my way, having already been to Anaheim and HK, and a trip to Paris planned for February. There is something more important I *should* be putting my energy into, but because it's nowhere near as exciting as a Disney holiday, I just can't get myself into it. The goal I speak of is getting fit and healthy.

Now I'm not a massive woman, but I do keep getting bigger and bigger, and I know that if I don't do something to stop it, it could get out of control. But more than that, it's about improving my fitness and spending more time being active and exercising. And the only way I can get motivated to do it is, yep, attach it to my Disney goal!

I've been eyeing off the RunDisney website for a while, but I have always considered the half marathon just a little bit unachievable. Of course it's not, and I have actually tried to do the training program before, but going in with that attitude means that I inevitably think it's all too hard and give up. I hate running and the area I live in is NOT designed for it so unless I can really see that finish line firmly in my sights, I get discouraged.

Enter the TOT 10 miler! Now that's a distance I *know* I can do. I've done it before... at a walk. I *know* that I can string together enough distance around my area to train for it. And I can see myself crossing that finish line at WDW after having a great time running the entire course (aside from the stops for character photos of course!).

It also helps that my birthday is in September, so I can sneak in a birthday Disney trip

So why aim for 2014? Why not 2013? Well, I'm afraid that comes down to finances... You see, while my DH is very supportive of my Disney addiction, and has accompanied me on my Disney trips so far, and yes, even enjoyed himself! But I know there are other places he would prefer to visit, and feel bad that we keep spending our money on Disney trips. So for this one, I am planning to finance it myself with my rather modest 'pocket money' allowance. To finance a basic WDW trip, it will take me 2 years of solid saving. I just hope that they still have the 10 miler on at the same time of year in 2014

So this PPTR is not only about staying motivated for training, but also for saving! A big part of that is being accountable, so if I know people are reading about my progress, it will be a big motivator for me and I'll be less likely to fall off the wagon! I'd love to have you aboard for the journey

 

[PrincessInOz]

Marking my spot...and I thought I was bad with an October 2013 PTR..but 2014?

I'm in for the long haul.

 

[zanzibar138]

Glad to have you aboard PIO

 

[Millie12591]

I'm on board!!

This in part is what I did. It's always good to put a incentive in front of you when wanting to achieve a long term goal.

I don't know if you've read through my PTR, but I put up pictures of my inspirtation wall. I have heard other people doing this and thought it would totally inspire me while I exercise.

I put up a couple of pictures (to start) of women in swim suits (since I'd like to be able to get back into one without total dread-I said total-LOL!) and women who were in shape and looked the way I want to look, with a few Disney World pictures thrown in.

As the year went by I wasn't as inspired by the pictures of the gals I wanted to look like, so the start of this summer I put up a ton more pictures of WDW, the resorts we'll be staying at, and some of the parks, of course.

I also have a quote of Walt and some scriptures, they help inspire and stay focused. The pictures of the gals in shape were fine to start, but it was the pics of WDW that motivated me the most since I don't want to go back feeling anything like what I've felt in the past. I want to go back pain free, feeling in shape and happy with how I look and not hiding behind my daughter in pictures!

I've now put up signs to get to my short term goals. I want to be 70 lb. down by Thanksgiving (at least), so that's what I have up around the house to remind me I'm working towards that at the very moment. For some reason having short term goals helps me more than shooting for my long term goal. When people would find out I was losing weight they would asked me what I wanted to lose. I would always say 2, they would ask 200?!? And I would tell them no, two pounds, that's all I would allow myself to think about is the next couple of pounds (kg) or I would be overwhelmed, of course I had a long term goal, but for that moment it had to be that next two. I think it's all about mindset, and if your mindset is good and you feel you can do what ever is in front of you, then it's a loooot easier for me.

I know I'm going on, but I just wanted to share incase it might help or inspire you!

 

[autoracepr989]

Joining in on here! I'm already planning & saving for a 2014 attempt at the Disney 1/2 marathon with an ultimate goal of both the half and the 5k that weekend. Just keep going with your smaller goals and you'll make it.

 

[zanzibar138]

Welcome aboard Millie and autoracepr

Millie I've subbed to your PTR - need all the inspiration I can get! Thanks so much for all the tips, an inspiration wall might be just what I need! I think what would work for me is putting up photos of myself a few years ago and people enjoying Halloween time at WDW, as well as crossing the finish line of the race

autoracepr that is an awesome goal! I just *can't* get motivated to do the extra mileage for a half just yet... But who knows? Maybe when I've got the 10 miles down I'll be willing to try a half next Thanks for your support!

I've been planning to introduce my 'training partners' all week, but just haven't had time to sit and write out a post yet!

I also plan to do a weekly update with my progress, but for now I'll just say I've completed my first 2 training runs and so far so good Only problem is my Garmin has packed up on me and refuses to turn on... hopefully DH can find the receipt so I can get it fixed/replaced under warranty. Or else I know what I'll be asking for as a birthday present

 

[zanzibar138]

Hi, my name is Lana and I am a Disneyholic. I live in Melbourne, Australia – much too far away from my Disney, but in a beautiful little area out of town known as the Dandenong Ranges. DH and I are recently married, engaged at Disneyland California and honeymooned at HK Disneyland

DH doesn't 'get' Disney as much as I do - he enjoys it when we're there, but there are other places in the world he wants to go to as well . It’s mainly because of him that I was able to go on my very first trip to Disneyland, something that I’m sure he sometimes regrets I was surprised to find out that he's not averse to tagging along on this trip! But has yet to decide whether he will.

These are my parents. Mum is part Mum, part sister, part best friend, and I love her to pieces! Although she lives on the other side of the country, she will be training along with me in spirit. Dad is part Dad, part mentor, part advisor, and I love him to pieces too! They have announced that they are planning to come with me and are now planning a much bigger and better holiday than me

Mum and Dad both completed their first half-ironman last year, which is not only a half-marathon distance run, but also a 90km bike ride, and a 1.9km open water swim. They have been an inspiration to me and I’m so proud of them both.

Meet Riley (the border collie) and Benny (the kelpie). They are awesome dogs and get along so well together (similar age but we’d already had Riley for a year when we got Benny). Benny is a rescue dog and came to us very skinny and needy, with no training (not even house training). I’m proud to say he is now a happy, healthy, well-adjusted and well-behaved dog. Riley is quite exuberant and gets very enthusiastic about playing fetch and greeting visitors but he is also a lovely and well-behaved dog most of the time! Unfortunately not well-behaved enough just yet to come on my training runs with me, but I do plan on taking one at a time after a bit more training.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Zanzibar - those are great wedding pictures.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks PIO I LOVE our wedding photos Our photographers were beyond awesome, especially given the circumstances (constant rain)!

 

[zanzibar138]

Well, I made it through my first week relatively unscathed...

I've decided to follow the Couch to 5k to kick-start my training, so my first week was 60 seconds running followed by 90 seconds walking. Did that 8 times to make up the 20 minutes, with a 5 minute walk at the beginning and end for warming up and cooling down, then a couple of minutes of stretches at the end as well.

Whenever I have done running training before, I've gotten pain in my shins, which has either stopped me entirely, or made me really slow down and I've never gotten past it. Mum kindly offered to buy me a pair of full length compression tights for my birthday, and we hoped they would help with the shins.

My shins have been hurting, but I decided as an experiment (since I have so much time to train) I would just train through it. On the first run, my shins were starting to hurt by the end of the walk... They got pretty sore throughout the run, but started to actually feel better on the last couple of runs. On my second run, my shins held out for a bit longer, and didn't hurt quite as much. And on the third run, they didn't really start hurting until the second half. So I think as long as they keep improving, I'll keep going. Mum has also kindly offered to buy me a new pair of shoes for Christmas, so I plan to go to the sports shoe shop after work one day and get fitted for a pair. Hopefully that will help my shins even more.

The only time I really struggled to last the whole 60 seconds was on the first run where I was running uphill into a strong headwind! I think if I had a flat couple of kms for training I'd be doing well aerobically.

Now budget wise... I haven't spent a single cent of my 'pocket money' since I started this endeavour I've been taking my lunch to work every day, and resisting the urge to buy drinks from the canteen (which is probably good for my health too!).

Feeling good so far

 

[zanzibar138]

I've had a small technical hitch this week, having had my Garmin out of action for a couple of workouts, and now it seems to be fixed, but I can't upload any data to the website. I'm dying to see what kind of pace I'm doing!

I did get my new pair of shoes during the week. I had to walk on the treadmill so they could observe my feet and ankles, then got fitted for size. Turns out my feet roll just a little too far inwards, so my new shoes have a harder padding on the inside to discourage too much rolling. I was instructed to wear my new shoes in gradually, wearing them around the house a few times before actually running in them.

This week I have been doing 90 second runs followed by 2 minute walks (and of course warming up, cooling down, and stretching). I've still been noticing a gradual improvement with my shins, so I'm quite pleased with that. But that hill is killing me! The timing works out so that the 90 second run starts right at the bottom of the hill and finishes when I get to the top Mum gave me a tip to decrease the length of my stride and slightly increase the speed of my legs while going up the hill (kind of like going the next gear down on a bike ). Sometimes it feels almost like I'm running on the spot, but it sure helps keep me going up that hill! Hopefully next week's timing will see me going up the hill at a walk

I haven't lost any weight yet, but I haven't really been doing much cross-training or made any changes to my diet, so still a lot of room to do more.

Finances are going good too. I still haven't spent any of my pocket money, no matter how tempted I have been! Need to get onto some ebaying now to give my savings a kickstart.

 

[zanzibar138]

Well... happy place anyway! I thought I would put my inspiration board in my most favourite spot in the house, the Disney cupboard in my crafting room

Most of my Disney stash is tucked safely away in this cupboard - as much as I would love to display it, I just can't trust the kitten yet! He's already destroyed my Minnie bookend

The cupboard also contains a fair amount of scrapbooking products, which also make me happy and a stash of sashes from my horse-riding days, to remind me of my achievements.

For the inspiration board itself, there are photos of Disney runners, a couple of TOT 10 miler promos, WDW at Halloween time and MNSSP, old photos of me with family when I was more active and healthier, and wearing clothes I can't get into anymore! There's also a photo of my bathers on a model (that is NOT my body shape at all, but I love my bathers and would like to look nicer in them), Mum's official race photo from her half iron-man, and a photo of me and Mum, a photo of the medal for this year's race, and the seven dwarves mine train which should be open for business by then. Then for good measure there's a few Disney quotes, the medals from walks I have done, and a couple of Disney crafty items.

The lanyard on the door handle contains my HK AP

Thanks for the great idea Millie!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm almost inspired enough to get off the couch myself and join you in spirit. I was going to start this week but got sick again. My cough is back and I really wish I could shake it...and the bad sore throat!

Great inspiration board.

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks PIO

Sorry to hear that you're sick again But don't worry, with more than 2 years to go, you'll have plenty of time to join me in spirit when you're well again

 

[zanzibar138]

This morning we were given the awful news that one of our colleagues passed away on Friday night. It was a real shock, completely unexpected - she was only young (around 40), fit and healthy, was always running and cycling and taking care of herself. We don't know the cause of death yet.

She's left behind her husband, 5 year old daughter, and 14 month old son. When I think about what they must be going through it makes me terribly sad

The company is offering support to its employees (they had a counseller on site today for anyone who needed it, and have said to make sure we take a break any time if we need one), and her family (they are trying to get in contact with the husband to see how they can help most - they are thinking of providing a nanny or house-keeper temporarily while he gets things together).

It's really a tragic death, and a reminder of how unpredictable life can be, and that we need to cherish every moment, especially with friends and family.

 

[PrincessInOz]

OMG. That is such a shock and so young. Keep well Zanzibar. And you're right. Treasure every moment.

 

[zanzibar138]

Training Update

Well this week has stepped up a level in intensity. I'm now doing 90 seconds running, 90 seconds walking, then 3 minutes running and 3 minutes walking, repeated twice. That darn hill is now at the very start of my 3 minute run, but it's great to know that I can not only run up it (which I never thought I'd be able to do), but also keep running after I get to the top! My last 2 workouts have actually been 3 1/2 minute runs due to a technical glitch with the intervals on my Garmin. I've struggled lasting the distance with the first run after that hill! But the second long run on the way back (which of course is downhill) I have been finding surprisingly easy! Of course, the only race I'd have a hope of winning would be one against a snail, but I can work on speed later

I had a bit of a surprise with one of my workouts this week, just as I was getting to the end of the first 3 minute run. A guy driving past stuck his head out the window and called out some (genuine) words of encouragement

Motivation Update

I've had 2 extra motivations this week. One is that I have signed up for a local 5k fun run on 6th October! I won't be up to running the whole lot yet, but that week I am supposed to run 3.6k without stopping, so I should be able to run the majority of it. It's pretty exciting because most fun runs are in the city which is a pain in the backside to get to for us. And I know this one is on the flat with no hills to speak of

The other motivation is one of my colleagues. She has always been a very large woman, and this year has been on a mission to lose weight. She has lost about 40kg so far this year, and 4 dress sizes. She's still got a way to go, but her progress so far has been inspirational. Not only is she healthier, she has also seemed a lot happier this year (she was always known as a bit of a grump before!), and she is able to walk and move around normally now. Anyway, during the week she told us that she is doing the Eureka Climb in November, which is 88 flights of stairs. As part of their entry fee, her team have to raise money for charity (the team have lost over 130kg altogether so far). I was the first to make a donation. I wish I could tell her how much she inspires me and how proud I am of her, but we're not that close and I'm not sure it would be appropriate, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to show how much I care in a different way

Finance Update

Now I have done my end of month 'leftovers' transfer (where I just transfer whatever's left in my account to my bonus saver), I have so far managed to save $160. Still must get onto ebaying - I've got some stuff ready to sell, just need to do put it up for sale!

 

[zanzibar138]

Have been running for 5 minutes at a time now It's been tough, but I've kept at it, and it feels great knowing I can do it! I'm nearly doing 2 miles in distance too, so feeling good about my progress. Not much else to report at this stage.

By this time next week I will be up to my 'run 20 minutes without walking' workout, which I have to say I am NOT looking forward to! I'm going to attempt it anyway and if I don't make it I'll have to repeat this week's workouts again.

If I stay on track I should be able to run 3.6k of my 5k fun run in 2 week's time.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Doing great on the training front AND the saving front!

 

[zanzibar138]

Thanks for your support PIO