ScoJo's Running Down a Dream Journal (comments welcome)

[AmyBeth68]

Hey there Scott!

Wow...so so so proud of you. First of all....getting up at 5:30 am for any reason...let alone to exercise....is pretty incredible. That shows a level of dedication and heart that I find amazing . Secondly...you are down another pound...awesome job!!! Great commitment to healthy eating . AND.... you're still rockin' on the elliptical. You are going to be so ready for the Peachtree! I know that tomorrow is your 7 mile run.....can't say that I will be running that distance so no head-to-head competition this weekend..you're just going to have to wait until next weekend to see if I can come anywhere near your awesome times . But regardless...take it easy...stay focused and remember....it's just 194 more!!! Everything will be alright .... you're gonna' kick some butt on July 4th!!!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. And for real....good luck tomorrow on your 7 mile run.

 

[CACruisin']

Scott, your training is fantastic. You are definitely going to have a great race. I hope you have another great week. Are you going to taper a little before your race?

 

[kimwim8]

Hey Scott...just poppin in to say GREAT job with your training, and congrats on losing another pound!!

Isn't morning running great (once you get out there)?

 

[ScoJo15]

Thanks as always to those who have posted!!

This week brings the last week before a minor depression sets in. July will be a tough month. Next Tuesday is the Peachtree and will bring to a close this awesome leg of my journey towards WDW. After July 4, I will have to find ways to stay motivated until the real marathon training starts on August 21st. I am planning on running at least one 5k (July 29th) and maybe one more the following weekend. I think what I'll do is train hard for that 5k and see how close I can come to finishing it in 27 minutes or less. That would be a huge accomplishment for me and keep me focused during what is shaping up to be an otherwise uneventful month of July. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I'm really looking forward to embracing the experience that awaits me at WDW in January....

Here's what happened the last few days:

Friday June 23rd
Did 50 minutes on the elliptical again (6.38 em, 158/148 hr) and dropped one more pound down to 203.6. Being so close has me motivated to try and weigh in under 200 one day!

Saturday June 24th
Rested in preparation for Sunday's long run

Sunday June 25th
Was the last planned long run prior to the Peachtree. For some reason, I was really motivated to finish the 7 miles in 70 minutes or less. So I took last Sundays split times, wrote them on the back of a business card and put it in my pocket. This way I could get a feel as to how I was stacking up during the run. The weather was awesome and the run was incredible. I stayed ahead of pace the entire time and finished the 7 miles in 69:41!! My mile splits were: 9:06/9:46/10:03/10:10/10:19/10:10/10:07. I was very pleased whith how consistent I was! HR was in line at 201/174. While this pace is just a bit quicker than I think I want to run each week, I was surprisingly never winded and felt really good afterwards.

Monday June 26th
Rest day to help recoop from the long run. Amazingly enough, I was not sore or tired...I think maybe I've reached a level where I could do this every week? Pretty hard to believe that I am where I am now...I mean back in February, 1 mile seemed tough...now I've got a pretty solid weekly base of 15 miles that acutally (dare I say) seems easy!

Anyway, I've gotta change things up just a little to time it right for the race on July 4th...I think this will be the plan:

Tuesday - 45 min 4/1
Wednesday - 50 min Crosstrain
Thursday - 45 min 4/1
Friday - 50 min Crosstrain
Saturday - off
Sunday - 40 min Crosstrain
Monday - off
Tuesday - Peachtree Road Race 10k

Hope everyone has a great week!

 

[kimwim8]

Scott...you are just AMAZING!! Your training schedule is so impressive, and you just keep on going!! Don't get depressed....look how far you've come!! Are there any 10K's you could do in July? At the rate you're going, 27 minutes for a 5K is definitely attainable! I think that's an excellent way to push through this next month.

You are such an inspiration...and if time was on my side, I'd be right out there tonight because of you. It's actually upsetting that I am not able to run right now (that sounds foreign coming from my mouth). Thank you for continuing on your path...as you are helping me along mine.

 

[CACruisin']

Scott, great training and awesome 7 miler! Have a great Peachtree on the 4th!

 

[toystoryduo]

Way to go Scott on that 7 mile run!!!!!! You are doing an amazing job, Scott! The Peachtree is YOURS!

In your post, you talked about staying motivated for the WDW marathon... I was just thinking that maybe you could "run to Disney" by figuring out how many miles it is to WDW from your house and then plotting the course. You could go to Expedia or maybe even Mapquest, find out how many miles it is from your house to WDW (or a specific place in WDW), and then start your journey. You could then update us as to where you are on your journey. (i.e. I'm entering Florida today...) For example, if the total journey is 500 miles, and you run 6 miles today, then you would have 494 miles until you get to WDW. Once you get to "WDW", you could have a reward set up for yourself. Last year, I tried "exercising" my way to the Beach Club, but I came up a bit short. I hope this makes sense.

In any event, you are doing a great job Scott! Keep up the good work! You are an inspiration to me and to many others as well!

 

[AmyBeth68]

Hi Scott!!!

Once again you amaze me....that 7 mile time is incredible! You are kicking some major butt! The Peachtree will be such a fun experience....maybe not as much fun as WDW....but still something really cool to be a part of! You know I'll be cheering you on July 4th....can't really be there but will be thinking about you racing!!! Have a blast, be careful and enjoy yourself!

I know that for me July is going to be tough too...especially since full training doesn't start until Aug and i have no races scheduled right now....just gotta' try to stay motivated by thinking about the marathon and all the cool things going on that weekend. So much of this is about the journey....there will be bumps in the road and tough times....still I know you'll get through it. Just stay focused on the ultimate goal and everything will fall into place along the way.

 

[AmyBeth68]

GOOD LUCK IN THE PEACHTREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will rock it for sure! Won't be here to say good-luck prior to the race....so just checking in early. I JUST KNOW you are going to kick butt and have a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[toystoryduo]

Go Scott Go!!!!!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hey, Scott! Just wanted to stop by and wish you

GOOD LUCK!

in the Peachtree!!!

Your training is coming along great! You are going to do awesome! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[kimwim8]

Good luck, Scott! We all know you're gonna do GREAT! Enjoy!!

 

[ScoJo15]

Thanks to all of you for the awesome posts and well wishes!!! You have no idea how motivating it is!!

I've been a total slacker in getting to other peoples journals..but I promise to get to them today!!

Doing a bulk update today...here is what happend over the last few days:

Tuesday June 27 - Did 3.95 miles in 41:19 (10:28mpm, 197/176hr)
Wednesday June 28 - 40 minutes on the elliptical (4.19em, 9:33mpm, 167/153) and weighed in at 203.2
Thursday June 29 - Did 3.95 miles in 40:46 (10:19mpm, 195/177hr)
Friday June 30 - off
Saturday July 1 - 40 minutes on the elliptical (4.18em, 9:34mpm, 163/153) and weighed in at 198.6
Sunday July 2 - off

So it was a very very productive week. My neighborhood runs were awesome...I ran both of them faster than I ever had before without feeling any effects. I think I'm progressing to a new level where I can run a bit faster without getting tired or becoming winded. The elliptical trainings went very smooth but I am a little concerned about such a drastic weight loss. I'm not complaining about finally being under 200 for the first time since college, but it is pretty alarming that the weight is just coming off like it is.

So I do want to add some core work plus some weight training. I don't want to mess up the race on Tuesday, so I'm gonna start the additional workouts on Thursday. I know I'll be sore for a little while and I don't want to impact any races or have a negative effect on my running. I figure if I start it now, I'll have it worked into my normal routine by the time that real marathon training starts in August.

And now I'm on the eve of my first major goal that I had set when I started this whole thing...completing the Peachtree Road Race 10k. It's funny that when I started training, I was worried about even being able to finish a 10k race. 6.2 miles seemed like a lot at the time. Now here I am having completed 3 5k's and a 10k, and running 7 solid miles every weekend. The plan is no longer 'just to finish' but to really soak in the event. It will be the biggest race by far that I've ran this year, and may be the biggest that I'll ever run...55,000 participate in the event each year. The crowds are huge...there will be spectators along every inch of the course. The atmosphere should be electric and I can't wait to get down there and line up in my corral. IF, and it's a big IF, I can get through the crowded early part in a decent 1st mile time, then I will be running for time...with an ultimate goal of 62:00. But if I find that the crowds are too thick, then I'm just gonna settle in to a great pace and really take in the sights and sounds of the event. Either way, even though the race goal has changed a little, it is still a significant milestone along the way of achieving the ultimate goal of finishing that marathon in January.

Now it's time to get focused...hydrate throughout the day today, eat pasta for dinner and get a good nights sleep.

Race report will follow sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I hope everyone has an awesome holiday!!! Happy 4th of July!!!

 

[kimwim8]

I'm SO excited for you, Scott! I can't wait to hear all about it!

Oh, and when did you go under 200??? That is AWESOME!! With all of that running, it's no wonder!

 

[Foxfiregrrl]

GO, SCOTT, GO!!

I'm sure you kicked some Peachtree butt! Can't wait to hear all about it!! Inspiring journal entry also!

Great weight loss! All that good running is paying off! That might help to motivate me to get back on track!

Have a GREAT 4th!!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Scott,

Congrats on being under 200! That's great!

I'm looking forward to your race report.

Have a great day!

 

[CACruisin']

Scott, How was Peachtree and your first big crowd race? You have come so far in such a short period of time. It is really inspirational!

Got Tivo set so it will record BB7 tonight. Summer reruns are pretty bad right now.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Scott,

Stopping by to say hi and to see how you are doing..... Hope you have a great Sunday!

 

[kimwim8]

Hey Scott. I hope everything is going well for you. Keep in touch!

 

[RunningLilo]

Dude, How was the race!?!? Don't leave us hanging!!! I bet you're just on soaking it all in. Can't wait to hear from you.