Team 'Ohana--No One Left Behind: The Continuing Adventures

[MouseDogMom]

Julie - It's still on the table. Although I'm leaning heavily toward NOT running, even if Bill does. The more I think about it, 3 marathons in 4 months just doesn't sound smart. But I'd love to meet everyone and hang out, so I'm not scrapping it yet!

Jackie

 

[deekaypee]

Oh, I should be working - but instead I'm doing some travel planning for September and January.

For those who didn't catch my Facebook update, DOOD and I finally committed to Goofy. The last time we did the Goofy was 2010, the year of the icicles. We wanted to get into an every-other-year cycle, but it just wasn't happening last year. So, we'll try it again this year.

That said, it might be our last Goofy - it'll erase the memory of 2010 and replace it with a memory of the bill for 2013!

I gasped when we sent in the registration fees. It really takes a big bite out of our budget right now. (Mainly because I'm cheap, cheap, cheap.) And runDisney fees show no signs of stalling - did everyone see that the Disneyland Tinker Bell Half Marathon is sold out already? It just opened a month ago!

Jackie: You know, I'm not surprised that you've got such a packed race schedule. Or that Bill is obsessed with the Mickey 20th anniversary medal. It seems to be drawing a lot of people's attention - that and the course changes. And I hope you don't mind me saying that I wouldn't be surprised if you were tempted by Mickey too, no matter how much you "protest" right now. I would absolutely love to run in Paris, btw!

Julie: I'm soooo happy you'll be there for WDW Marathon Weekend, and am sending PD for your PF and all the training that the Mickey will mean for you.

On a related note, I know exactly what you mean about crunching the numbers for WDW Marathon Weekend. We don't have kids - a selfish decision, as I've been recently told (as if you want selfish people to have kids?) - but we've been doing a lot more traveling in the past couple of years. Even in the off-season, a trip to WDW isn't inexpensive. Especially if you don't have the DVC "free" room. Have you booked SSR?

About running outdoors. Ironically, I'm back outdoors now. I've been getting the headaches in the gym, too, as they keep it at a nice and balmy 70 degrees. What with the artificial lighting, my vision blurs once I begin to really exercise. So I figured I'd doomed either way.... (Of course, if we hit many more mid-90 days, I'll switch up again.)

Richard: I can totally (hypothetically) understand wanting to focus on your best case IMTX finish - that's a wonderful, worthy goal. Is the Disney Cruise a potential reward for the training/trade-off for not going Goofy? In other words, the question I really want to ask is, does this mean WDW Marathon Weekend is totally off the table for you?

I mean, *you* (and so many other cousins) could do the Half easy-peasy; I'm working on getting my base back up, but you give me something to shoot for.

AquaDame: I know nothing about Disney Cruises, but DOOD says he wants to do one. Finally. After years of my not-too-subtle hinting that we need a vacation where neither one of us can be connected and thus in work mode. So I love hearing that the experience is almost immediately addictive. If I get DOOD to commit-commit, I'll be bothering you incessantly.

As for getting faster, I do think you have a good amount of time to adjust to tweaking your intervals and getting faster. I think that you'll notice it especially as it cools down. (I keep telling myself this, too.)

John: What do you call Dopey followed by DATW? There should be a name for that kind of multi-sport endurance event.

AFM: Well, the big news is Goofy. We still haven't bought airfare yet, as we're trying to figure out our travel dates. But Southwest, for those who can fly it, has some decent prices out right now. (At least in our area). So if you're looking around....

I'm trying to get accommodations for Tower of Terror, too. We'll probably stay at WBC. It's become our go-to place for race and work trips. Not Disney themed, but cheap and we can cook. Great for breakfasts. We'll be staying through Monday, at least, for Epcot's 30th anniversary. No Free Dining for us!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Debra - The dining gods are shining on us. Our arrival just happens to fall within the dates offered, so our October bill just dropped by over $800. I'm pretty sure I screamed while on the phone with WDTC. Of course, all it really accomplishes is paying for the Wild Africa Trek and MNSSHP tickets, but I'll take it! Another way of looking at it would be to say it COULD pay for a cheap January trip...
And yes, Goofy is ridiculously expensive. Even though we say we've committed for 2014, I shudder to think of how much it will be next year.
And I have considered the option of JUST running the half in 2013 if Bill is determined to run the full. Then I could cheer on all my Galloway peeps and WISH peeps during the full. Decisions, decisions.

Ran The Scream yesterday. So the website bills it as "2400 feet of descent with two noticeable climbs between the start & finish, neither of which could really be characterized as challenging hills." Ha! The first 2 miles are COMPLETELY uphill on a paved road, then you turn down the forest service road. 2 miles of really fun downhill, then a mile of uphill. 2 miles of not-so-fun almost painful downhill, then another mile of uphill. A couple more miles of downhill, then the last 2 miles are gradual, miserable, what-in-the-**** uphill to the finish. (Don't do the math - it doesn't add up!) Somewhere around mile 11.5 I decided I didn't care what my time was and just started walking. Still finished with my second best time, and by far the best part was the cold mountain stream at the end where we all sat for about 20 minutes chilling our legs! Long shuttle ride through beautiful mountains back to the parking area, where they had burritos and chips and salsa for us.

And the reason I'm sitting here posting this morning instead of at the early service at church? If I were at church I should be in the choir. And the choir room is on the third floor. And there is NO WAY I could climb 3 flights of stairs right now! I'm going to the 11:00 service where I can enter on ground level.

Jackie

 

[chimera]

I also don't own a watch, so I have no idea of how speedy (or not, which is more likely) I am.

One of the famous running coaches (Jack Daniels IIRC) has his athletes run fartleks by number of steps. You go fast for 10 steps, then easy for 10, fast for 20, easy for 20 until you work up to being able to do 100/100.

Jackie...did you get any rain during your race? The weather dudes were predicting doom and gloom for Morganton and Asheville yesterday.

I am currently planning to be there in jan, though not sure at what level yet.

Congrats to all you Goofy kids!

 

[laughinplace199]

One of the famous running coaches (Jack Daniels IIRC) has his athletes run fartleks by number of steps. You go fast for 10 steps, then easy for 10, fast for 20, easy for 20 until you work up to being able to do 100/100.

Jackie...did you get any rain during your race? The weather dudes were predicting doom and gloom for Morganton and Asheville yesterday.

I am currently planning to be there in jan, though not sure at what level yet.

Congrats to all you Goofy kids!

Thanks, Mel. This is great info. I'll be trying it out tomorrow!


Debra - Thanks for the PD for my PF. Have your headaches improved with running outdoors? I hope so. I got up at 5:00 on Saturday morning to do my 10 miler before it got too hot (I only run outside) and I didn't get a headache. I don't love getting up at the crack of dawn, but it's worth it for no headache.

We did book SSR for the marathon trip, but we're on the waitlist for BCV or BWV. Where are you staying?

Jackie - Are the stairs any easier today? I hope so! I see that you saved some $$ on your Oct trip. Sounds like a good reason to plan a Jan trip. Just sayin...

 

[MouseDogMom]

Julie - Stairs were darn near impossible yesterday. Today, I'm beginning to feel human again. It also helps that I was wise enough to schedule an appointment with my favorite sports massage therapist several weeks ago for this afternoon, and I just got home from one of the best sessions ever!

Mel - It didn't rain during the actual race. But when we arrived at the parking area where we had to shuttle to the start, I can truly say I was terrified. It was pouring rain, and the lightning and thunder were possibly the worst I've ever seen. We stepped out of the car into 6 inches of water and were completely soaked before we ever got on the bus. Nothing like starting the race with wet shoes... What was the weather like in your area? Your photos were gorgeous!

Jackie

 

[AquaDame]

Julie - Stairs were darn near impossible yesterday. Today, I'm beginning to feel human again. It also helps that I was wise enough to schedule an appointment with my favorite sports massage therapist several weeks ago for this afternoon, and I just got home from one of the best sessions ever!

Mel - It didn't rain during the actual race. But when we arrived at the parking area where we had to shuttle to the start, I can truly say I was terrified. It was pouring rain, and the lightning and thunder were possibly the worst I've ever seen. We stepped out of the car into 6 inches of water and were completely soaked before we ever got on the bus. Nothing like starting the race with wet shoes... What was the weather like in your area? Your photos were gorgeous!

Jackie

WOW! I am surprised they didn't cancel the race... lightning can be dangerous! We had a few storms earlier this summer and I could not believe the amount of damage done to trees around here!

 

[laughinplace199]

Hello cousins!

Well, I'm all booked for January - registered for the full, bought plane tickets, and booked resort.

I haven't even started my official training yet, but I had my first marathon anxiety dream last night. I really didn't expect them to start this soon!

I dreamt that I was at WDW to run a half, even though it was supposed to be a full. Anyway, the race started on a pirate ship. There was such a bottleneck to get off the ship and onto the race course, that, by the time I got off the ship, there were only one or two runners ahead of me and I had no idea where to go. I followed the other runners and pretty soon, we were all lost in the mountains. I was really mad that I didn't familiarize myself with the course before the race. I pulled out my phone and was trying to google the race map when I woke up.

I guess I really am afraid of being slow - gotta work on those fartleks!

 

[tiberius]

I've come back after a month that was so busy that I hardly had time for even being online. Now that work is winding back a bit I've come back here, though find I'm not that far back on the discussion. I suppose I'm as much a part of that as anyone with my own absence. In addition to work I've also finished a couple sprint triathlons during August, and even scored an age group win along the way. Now I'm taking a short break while I organize my fall and winter training plans before I get to next year's Ironman Texas training plan.

I hope all is well with all of you out there and hope to hear from you all soon!

 

[FFigawi]

Congrats on your age group win! That's a great accomplishment.

I haven't been keeping as up to date with the cousins as I should either. Didn't really have much going on to report on since everything pretty much shuts down here during Ramadan. I did get to spend 10 days on a boat diving in the Maldives, so I'll post pictures from that soon.

 

[deekaypee]

I'm here, too, with today being the last day of summer and onto the fall training.

Of course, I have been training for Goofy, but I like to pretend I'm not really serious until after Labor Day! And we have the Tower of Terror 10 Miler at the end of this month!

To make me accountable over the next few months, I decided I'm donating some $ to Give Kids the World for each mile of training. After all, GKTW is the DIS' charity of choice, and I wouldn't get to the start line without my (too-often neglected) WISH friends. Plus, I'm overly dependent on the DIS Unplugged podcast on long runs.

Other than that, not a lot going on. Most of you heard on FB that my female cat, Caliban, has been diagnosed with cancer. It's a huge tumor, so surgery and radiation isn't a truly viable option. We're going with metronomic chemotherapy to slow its growth and hopefully give her a more pain-free passage. Wow, what a downer, huh? She's feeling fine, though, and as demanding as ever.

As Al Roker might say, what's up in your neck of the woods?

 

[tiberius]

I was sorry to hear the news about Caliban, Debra, but I think you're making the right decision. With Coco being 12, I worry about any little thing with her.
AFM, I'm training for my last big race of the year, a half iron distance during the first weekend of November. It looks like I may o another sprint tri a couple weeks before as a tuneup race and I'm contemplating an early December 50K trail run as well.

 

[FFigawi]

As Al Roker might say, what's up in your neck of the woods?

Hi Cousins! Not much new going on over here. I'm just trying to get through my marathon training without totally wilting in the heat. While it's getting slightly cooler (lows of 88-92 now), that doesn't really help much once the sun comes up in full force. Today's long run was brutal, 16 miles with 12 at marathon pace + 15 seconds. Needless to say, I'm glad it'll be much cooler in Dublin.

 

[deekaypee]

Richard: Thanks for your kind words about Caliban - and give Coco a hug for me. She's a beauty.

I look at your distances these days, and think your off-season "smaller" races (sprint tris, 50Ks) might just tucker me right out.

John: Similar to Richard, I look at your heat indexes on FB (and here) and think that I'd just pass out if I tried to run like you do. But that Dublin marathon certainly is an incentive to train. Or maybe it's the promise of Guinness. You've got to have some strong conditioning - and I hope for your sake (and all of ours) that January isn't a 2010 record-setting low kind of year.

AFM: Training is going well. Tower of Terror 10 Milers is in a couple of weeks. I was supposed to do 11 miles last weekend, but only got in 10. I had to cut my run short so we could make it to the Steel City Big Pour, a craft beer tasting festival. If only I were a bit faster, or could get up earlier, I would have had time to run, shower, eat and make to the festival for three hours of fun. Ah, decisions, decisions!

But speaking of time/pacing, I'm pretty happy with my mid-week, hour runs these past couple of outings. I've been hitting sub-12 mm again, something I haven't done since I broke my toe! I know that's not fast for many of you, but I'm durned pleased about it.

Hoping all the cousins check in soon! It's that time of year!

 

[FFigawi]

I hope for your sake (and all of ours) that January isn't a 2010 record-setting low kind of year.

Call me crazy, but I'd take a repeat of Disney on Ice over heat & humidity or a raging downpour. Ideally, I'd like it to be 42 at the start, 55 at the finish, with a slight breeze. That's just about perfect running weather. In the end, though, I'll be out there no matter what since I bought our tickets for the trip the other day.

 

[deekaypee]

Call me crazy, but I'd take a repeat of Disney on Ice over heat & humidity or a raging downpour. Ideally, I'd like it to be 42 at the start, 55 at the finish, with a slight breeze. That's just about perfect running weather. In the end, though, I'll be out there no matter what since I bought our tickets for the trip the other day.

You're crazy. No, your preferred temperatures are similar to mine. But 2012 was exceptionally rough weather for me, and I have no desire to repeat the experience. Between the cold and the sleet and the Goofy, my feet were a bloody mess - quite literally - that took weeks to heal and left scars.

The heat is no fun, of course, but I was thinking about what *you* were acclimated to currently. You must adapt very quickly, John.

As for my own training, today was the last LR before Tower of Terror. I experienced the most painful side stitch I've had in a long while, although I had other issues that I can't talk about in polite company. (That's you all, I think!) On the upside, I think a challenging LR now bodes well for a good race - at least, I'm taking it was a sign that it will.

In more social news (and hopefully we'll be increasingly social in the weeks to come ). I really enjoyed reading the novel "Year Zero." If you're looking for a light read while you're traveling, or waiting for something, I recommend it. Light satire.

 

[deekaypee]

I'm soooo late with asking this officially...any cousins going to ToT 10 Miler?

I've been distracted by everything else going on for this trip that I haven't thought about social things. How sad....

 

[tiberius]

I'm soooo late with asking this officially...any cousins going to ToT 10 Miler?

I've been distracted by everything else going on for this trip that I haven't thought about social things. How sad....

No TOT 10 miler for me. :-( However, I am running a local 10 miler next weekend and hoping for a PR race. I'm recovering from a couple bruised ribs last weekend and only today am I really starting to feel decently following that injury.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Have a great race Debra--and anyone else running the TOT!

Richard--I hope those ribs heel soon! What happened?

AFM--I apologize for being so--absent. I have been having a slight (ok large) pity party this summer. The running has been going great. No injuries and I feel so healthy. But honestly, sometimes being g-f is just unfun. And I find the longer I am off it, the less I can tolerate. I don't cheat, but even a little bit accidentally causes all kinds of issues. We have just about given up on eating out except at WDW cause it is just too much of a hassle. Mike has been great about it though, and he is really being good about my need to "go out to eat" every 6 or 8 weeks.

--Almost forgot, I had a PR at the Parent's Weekend 5k last weekend. It wasn't a great time, but it was my fastest 5k in a race, so that was pretty cool!

If anyone will be at W&D and would like to have dinner at Boma Sunday night, please let me know. We would love to see you!

 

[deekaypee]

John: How are your final LRs for Dublin coming along? Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Richard, I'm sorry to hear about the bruised ribs. I assume it was doing something sporting? Are you recovered now?

Rose: I thought of you this last week. We visited the Art of Animation Resort, scouting things out for a possible WISH meet there instead of at POP for January. They serve GF beer. I've heard that the longer you go GF the more sensitive you are. I can only relate with the vegetarianism aspect; it's the same way. But that really makes it hard on you.

Congrats on your PR, btw! That's awesome. I wish I were going during Wine & Dine, but this last trip was it for the year.

AFM: I got back in early Saturday a.m. from my trip. It was the usual - I packed too much in. We did the Tower of Terror race/party (for which we didn't stay at the party long), then the D23 Epcot 30th event, then Epcot's 30th anniversary celebration proper, then DOOD flew back and I worked/met some writing colleagues. I need a vacation!

The ToT 10 Miler was...okay. It was hot and, worse, humid. More than usual for the time of year. The course was pretty much what I expected...some dead areas (but not in that good themed way). Lots of tight turns and the usual curved embankments. There can always be more entertainment on the course, but I really liked the whole ESPN Wide World of Sports bit - saw the gravediggers and a loop in Champion Stadium was welcomed.

What didn't work for me. 4 corrals for 10,000+ runners. Some of the tight turns and areas that narrowed down were overly congested. The lack of characters at the finish line. The runDisney post-race refreshment boxes....ugh. I appreciate the bananas, but really...crackers & cheese? Sweets?

Other people didn't like long walk from the finish to the bag check at Indy Jones. I didn't mind that, or the stairs, too much. But having the meet-up area inside Indy Jones kept a lot of people from hanging out there, I think.

And I liked the idea of the changing areas, but those tents trapped the heat! Wowsa.

The party, what I saw of it, was okay. I understand spectators could get FPs to rides, while athletes (who weren't carrying tickets) couldn't. I wasn't paying that much attention - we left early to get sleep for our Sunday event.

Mostly, people seemed to not like the heat - understandable. And I saw a lot of people get sick and/or bonk on the course. A lot of DNFs came in before DOOD finished (all with medals).

So if you hadn't trained in hot/humid conditions, there was a good chance you were hurting. And even if you had trained in those conditions there was a good chance you weren't going to set a PR or feel 100%. A lot depends on how you deal with heat, night races, dining. (Me, I had a burrito pre-race and was fine; DOOD discovered it wasn't a good choice for him.)

Also, many people got sick at ESPN WWoS after going from the heat of the race/DHS party to the air conditioning of the bus and then out in the heat again. It was ugly.

Overall, I was okay with my performance. Not happy about the conditions, but okay. I ended up running at my training pace, but not exceeding my PB. In fact, the 10 miles on my 13 mile training run today beat last Saturday's race pace (as did the entire run). But I walked away fine, and was able to sit for 9 hours at the D23 event without too much discomfort.

Would I do it again? I don't know, to be honest. While the heat/humidity isn't under Disney's control, the dates of the race are. And they know there's a good chance early October will be hot - they've tested this time out for Wine & Dine.

I prefer cooler temperatures and morning races, generally. Plus, and this might just be an ego thing...if I'm traveling to a destination race I think I'd rather just get another half under my belt.

But...never say never. I'd like to really experience the full after-party. So, we'll see. If I go to WDW during the same time frame, I could be convinced. (I'm thinking about pushing back my fall travel dates in general, because I'd like to have a better chance of avoiding the humidity and storms.)

And how is your training/fall going?