DopeyBadger
Imagathoner
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2015
- Messages
- 10,346
Way to go!


Thank you!Way to go!
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Wednesday, February 17, 2021
I did it! I ran the half marathon - my first half marathon that didn’t take place in Disney!
I got a little bit of a late start as I tried to decide what I wanted to bring with me. I wore some cold weather gear and was able to remove some and leave them in the car as I got started. The first half was great.
After the halfway mark, things started to go downhill. I started to hit a wall around mile 7. I probably I started too fast for the distance I was going to run. The sun disappeared behind the clouds. The wind picked up like yesterday while I was running against it. I got tired of the runDisney Virtual Princess playlist and decided to switch to my tried and true running playlist, only to find that half of it was missing. I started getting hungry, and I got into a bad headspace. I know a lot about running is mental, and I got a true taste of that today!
Running half marathons in Disney isn’t easy, but when you have the social, emotional, and mental support of a live race in the most magical place on earth with thousands of runners all striving for the same goal, it’s a little easier to stay positive. I found this to be a lot harder on my own. I know I was undertrained and I took on a challenging task, but I accepted that. I hit the wall around mile 7, and had to find ways to push through that second half of the run.
Outdoor Run:
(Nike Run Club)
Focus: TRY.. and finish!
Distance: 13.10 mi
Total Time: 3:24:06
Avg. Pace: 15'35"/mi
Splits:
Mile 1 = 16'16"
Mile 2 = 14'33"
Mile 3 = 14'57"
Mile 4 = 14'54"
Mile 5 = 14'30"
Mile 6 = 15'44"
Mile 7 = 16'26"
Mile 8 = 15'39"
Mile 9 = 15'42"
Mile 10 = 15'40"
Mile 11 = 15'45"
Mile 12 = 16'33"
Mile 13 = 15'49"
0.10 = 16'02"
Despite my second half struggles, I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish. I finished with no pain; I was honestly just tired. I completed all three Princess Weekend races virtually three days in a row, which was not planned, and I did them all with an “easy run” mentality. So what’s next?
My next running goal is the WDW Marathon in 2022. I’m hoping that the race is able to be held live, because I’m not doing my first marathon virtually! If the race is able to happen, I’m also hoping I’ll be able to train for, find and complete a live race for POT.
Once I complete the winter miles challenge that I’m working on, I’m hoping to build in time to restart my DopeyBadger 10K training plan. I’m hoping to start in the spring, but if not, definitely in the summer!
These past few days have been a whirlwind, but I’m proud of my accomplishments! It felt great to find the joy of running again, and I look forward to strength and improvement over time!
Thank you! It definitely was - I’m still on cloud 9!Congratulations! Great accomplishment!![]()
Question for @DopeyBadger:
I'm all set to start my 10K train plan again from last year. My schedule should be better this year so I'll be in a much better place to complete it! Thank you for all the work you already put in for me last year! I know a lot of people already finished their first week of marathon training. Since I'm looking forward to (hopefully) running my first marathon in January, if I complete this plan as is and continue onto another one when it's finished (October/November), should I be ready for Marathon Weekend?
I'm not looking for incredibly fast times, but I want to be sure I'm trained enough to safely and successfully complete the 26.2 miles.
Thanks in advance!
I’d say I’m probably at a similar fitness level as last year. I'm getting more regular exercise with the Peloton bike and app this year, in comparison to my exercise with dance last year, but I feel like I just replaced one with another. I really started running more last year when I started the 10K plan, and it was just about this time last year, so I feel like the running volume is also similar. I'd be comfortable using last year's stats as a baseline.So first things first, the plan is only a good choice if you're at the same fitness level and recent running volume is somewhat similar.
With that being said, the plan is 16 weeks long which leaves 11 weeks until Marathon Weekend. The plan peaks at 3.5 hrs, 15 miles, 6.6 mile max (90 min), three days per week of running.
10/25 - Recover
11/1 - Peak (105 min; 5 hrs)
11/8 - Mod
11/15 - Peak (120 min; 5.5 hrs)
11/22 - Recover
11/29 - Peak (135 min; 6 hrs)
12/6 - Mod
12/13 - Peak (150 min; 6.5 hrs)
12/20 - Taper
12/27 - Taper
1/3 - Race Week
I don't like to have the long run encompass much more than 40% of the weekly mileage. So if we peak at 150 min, then we're looking at 6:25 hours of running total (or 3:55 hours from the rest of the week). If you stick with three days per week, then you're looking at about 2 hours per other run (which isn't really feasible). If you go with four days per week, then you're looking at about 1:15 hrs per run. If you go with five days per week, then you're looking at 1:00 hr per other days.
I worry about the transition point between these two plans. I feel like the ramp rate in those last 11 weeks is going to be really aggressive. Just taking a few moments looking it over doesn't make me really comfortable. You look like minimally you need to be up to about 4.5-5 hrs per week at the end of the first plan. So I think there are a lot of things to talk over about this.
I would like to stick with 3 days per week if possible. I could do more days right now, but when September hits my schedule gets more busy. This year my schedule will be better, so I know I can stick with it to the end, but I want to make sure the schedule is attainable.
I appreciate your honesty! I'll give it a try. Thoughts on starting the Galloway plan a week late? I'm looking at the beginner marathon plan right now and Week 1 is Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, and Saturday 3 miles. Week 2 is Tuesday 30 minutes, Thursday 30 minutes, and Saturday 4 miles. Would it make sense to start with Week 2 and do 3.5 miles on Saturday - a halfway compromise?I think if you're going to want to aim for 3 days per week from September through January, then your best bet is to do the Galloway Marathon plan. It's done the trick for many many other runners. I've only written a small handful (only one off the top of my head) 4 day a week running plans, and a few more 4/5 day plans. I think 3 days per week is really pushing it to properly prepare you for a marathon. The other consideration is to consider capping at a HM distance until you feel like you can devote more time to training. But if you've got your heart set on running a marathon in January, then look into the Galloway plan. The downside is that the max long training run (23 and 26 miles) is going to take you about 5.75-6.5 hrs if they're done at the appropriate pace for your fitness level. So you can do less days per week, but it'll take a large weekend commitment.
I appreciate your honesty! I'll give it a try. Thoughts on starting the Galloway plan a week late? I'm looking at the beginner marathon plan right now and Week 1 is Tuesday 30 min, Thursday 30 min, and Saturday 3 miles. Week 2 is Tuesday 30 minutes, Thursday 30 minutes, and Saturday 4 miles. Would it make sense to start with Week 2 and do 3.5 miles on Saturday - a halfway compromise?
Oh I didn't even look at it that way! Thank you!The Week 2 of Galloway is exactly the same as Week 1 of the 10k plan attached above. So I think you're good to go as long as you feel you're running enough to start the 10k plan.