To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[Ariel484]

Sounds like I need to find a way to get a fritter your way.

That or I need to get my love of sugar under control!

 

[DopeyBadger]

That or I need to get my love of sugar under control!

That's crazy talk!

 

[garneska]

Back from the dr. He took an Xray (which i expected) and the hip joint looks good. I told him all my stuff and he is all "time to inject it" (again which i expected). He was actually like if you want you can run that marathon on Saturday. I am not going to because i am still recovering from my sickness and let's face it i have not had great training the last month. While I don't want to be a DNS, it does not serve my long term plan to do this local race. i do not think I am recovered enough to BQ and with Disney 11 weeks out, I would rather get myself trained for that and feeling good. He also said to go to some therapy. I have a therapy appointment tomorrow afternoon. She is highly recommended and runs triathlons. I know she will be able to help figure out stuff i can do to get it better. The dr said i could start running but i think I will wait till after i see the therapist. She is actually a Dr too. It will be a bit expensive but she focuses on athletes so I think it will be better for me. Also means i may be able to do my training for Disney. I may try and use it to BQ but will see how the training goes. I would rather take it easy now and just get through Disney healthy (or in this case healthier than i am now) and the use Chicago to BQ.

Did you sign up yet? That is the next thing on my list. Assuming the Rock n Roll races are certified (i think they are) I have a qualifying time as well.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Back from the dr. He took an Xray (which i expected) and the hip joint looks good. I told him all my stuff and he is all "time to inject it" (again which i expected). He was actually like if you want you can run that marathon on Saturday. I am not going to because i am still recovering from my sickness and let's face it i have not had great training the last month. While I don't want to be a DNS, it does not serve my long term plan to do this local race. i do not think I am recovered enough to BQ and with Disney 11 weeks out, I would rather get myself trained for that and feeling good. He also said to go to some therapy. I have a therapy appointment tomorrow afternoon. She is highly recommended and runs triathlons. I know she will be able to help figure out stuff i can do to get it better. The dr said i could start running but i think I will wait till after i see the therapist. She is actually a Dr too. It will be a bit expensive but she focuses on athletes so I think it will be better for me. Also means i may be able to do my training for Disney. I may try and use it to BQ but will see how the training goes. I would rather take it easy now and just get through Disney healthy (or in this case healthier than i am now) and the use Chicago to BQ.

Well this is all great news. I'm glad to hear you got it checked out and have been given the green light thus far. Hoping the therapist has some good input as well. Once you get back into it, we can try and assess where you are to figure out Disney goals. But there's definitely still some time between now and then.

Did you sign up yet? That is the next thing on my list. Assuming the Rock n Roll races are certified (i think they are) I have a qualifying time as well.

Now just the short waiting game (10 days) to see if I'm accepted. Not concerned it will be denied (I triple checked the info).

 

[ZellyB]

Woohoo!!

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

I have a therapy appointment tomorrow afternoon. She is highly recommended and runs triathlons.

I like her already

 

[garneska]

@CheapRunnerMike i prefer my Doctors to be runners (triathlon counts), they just understand the need to get back into it.

I forgot that appointment is tomorrow afternoon so by the weekend I am hoping to at least be doing a few miles.

 

[GollyGadget]

 

[avondale]

Hi, all. I wanted to introduce myself. @canglim52 and @DopeyBadger know me as "Melissa" from @canglim52 's weekly step challenges on Garmin. (But "Melissa" was taken for a username! "avondale" is an older username from college. ) I've been lurking for a few weeks, but finally signed up for an account to be able to post. I've been enjoying reading about the upcoming races many of you are planning. It will be nice to be able to chat with some runners, since none of my family and very few of my friends run. I just finished my first marathon this past Sunday - the Marine Corps Marathon.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Trying to immerse myself again in all the data intensity of a @DopeyBadger training journal and race recaps as it's been a while. At least signing up for Avengers snapped me out of my no Star Wars Light Side news becoming really bad news running funk.

My thoughts on those expressing doubts are as follows.

I always feel bad when I see fellow runners finish a race (and maybe even set a PR) and feel like they failed because they didn't meet their goals. Or even have a less than optimal race and feel like they somehow failed. Even if you didn't meet your stated goal, you certainly did not fail. Maybe the time wasn't what you believed would happen. But it was certainly not a failure. So many people are so convinced that they can't do this that they don't even try. In the end, the running journey is not about the bling, BQ, PR, or any number of other worthy goals. Although I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't take a whole lot of photos of my Kessel Run medal flying around Walt Disney World. Rather, the running journey is about undertaking a difficult challenge, applying yourself to it, preparing for it, training for it, and achieving it. Somedays we fall short of whatever goals we have set, but if we take the lessons we learn along the way and apply them to becoming a better person in our day to day lives, and especially towards becoming a better husband, father, wife, mother, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, et all to our family members and loved ones, then we have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.

I was listening today to an interview with leaders of my church who also happen to be runners. One of them related a story where she was running up a hill, and being competitive and falling very far behind her husband, who according to her was a much faster runner, she yelled out that she was heading back to the car. Her husband replied that running up a hill is not the time to quit. So she kept going, made it up that hill, and saw a beautiful vista. That she would have missed if she had simply turned back to the car.

Running is like that sometimes. We are tempted to quit because it's too hard. People tell us we can't do it or that we're crazy, or that the goal is too lofty. Yet sometimes those who say we can't do it are those who have never even tried to do it. But only the individual themselves knows what success feels like. And if you fall short of that goal, keep working at it. @DopeyBadger wants to run a sub 3 hour marathon. I have yet to run a sub 3 hour half marathon. Maybe I never will. But as I look back on this whole crazy running journey, I realize that if I had quit less than 1 mile into my very first race when part of me really, really, really wanted to, I would have missed out on so much. I'm far prouder of my Kessel Run medal than my very first half medal. But I also know that if I had not fought through the self doubt during that very first race, I never would have dreamed that a Kessel Run was even possible. Instead, I would have thought "oh that's so cool. Too bad I'm not fast enough to do that."

Maybe I'm preaching to the choir, but I say use the naysayers comments to motivate you to prove them wrong. And then really, really enjoy it when that moment of triumph comes. And if, somehow inexplicably, that moment never comes, appreciate all the hard work and effort it takes to reach this point and remember how it's all worth it to see your little girl grow up because running made you healthier.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hi, all. I wanted to introduce myself. @canglim52 and @DopeyBadger know me as "Melissa" from @canglim52 's weekly step challenges on Garmin. (But "Melissa" was taken for a username! "avondale" is an older username from college. ) I've been lurking for a few weeks, but finally signed up for an account to be able to post. I've been enjoying reading about the upcoming races many of you are planning. It will be nice to be able to chat with some runners, since none of my family and very few of my friends run. I just finished my first marathon this past Sunday - the Marine Corps Marathon.

Glad to see you've decided to join in! How did the Marine Corps Marathon go?

If you want to join in on an even bigger level, come join us in the Running Thread (link)! We cover a question of the day (QOTD) on a range of topics and everyone is free to give their input. It's a great thread to learn from others. Another bonus is you can let LSUlakes know your upcoming races, and then we can all cheer you along your journey! Thanks for posting and hope to see more!

Trying to immerse myself again in all the data intensity of a @DopeyBadger training journal and race recaps as it's been a while. At least signing up for Avengers snapped me out of my no Star Wars Light Side news becoming really bad news running funk.

My thoughts on those expressing doubts are as follows.

I always feel bad when I see fellow runners finish a race (and maybe even set a PR) and feel like they failed because they didn't meet their goals. Or even have a less than optimal race and feel like they somehow failed. Even if you didn't meet your stated goal, you certainly did not fail. Maybe the time wasn't what you believed would happen. But it was certainly not a failure. So many people are so convinced that they can't do this that they don't even try. In the end, the running journey is not about the bling, BQ, PR, or any number of other worthy goals. Although I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't take a whole lot of photos of my Kessel Run medal flying around Walt Disney World. Rather, the running journey is about undertaking a difficult challenge, applying yourself to it, preparing for it, training for it, and achieving it. Somedays we fall short of whatever goals we have set, but if we take the lessons we learn along the way and apply them to becoming a better person in our day to day lives, and especially towards becoming a better husband, father, wife, mother, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, et all to our family members and loved ones, then we have succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.

I was listening today to an interview with leaders of my church who also happen to be runners. One of them related a story where she was running up a hill, and being competitive and falling very far behind her husband, who according to her was a much faster runner, she yelled out that she was heading back to the car. Her husband replied that running up a hill is not the time to quit. So she kept going, made it up that hill, and saw a beautiful vista. That she would have missed if she had simply turned back to the car.

Running is like that sometimes. We are tempted to quit because it's too hard. People tell us we can't do it or that we're crazy, or that the goal is too lofty. Yet sometimes those who say we can't do it are those who have never even tried to do it. But only the individual themselves knows what success feels like. And if you fall short of that goal, keep working at it. @DopeyBadger wants to run a sub 3 hour marathon. I have yet to run a sub 3 hour half marathon. Maybe I never will. But as I look back on this whole crazy running journey, I realize that if I had quit less than 1 mile into my very first race when part of me really, really, really wanted to, I would have missed out on so much. I'm far prouder of my Kessel Run medal than my very first half medal. But I also know that if I had not fought through the self doubt during that very first race, I never would have dreamed that a Kessel Run was even possible. Instead, I would have thought "oh that's so cool. Too bad I'm not fast enough to do that."

Maybe I'm preaching to the choir, but I say use the naysayers comments to motivate you to prove them wrong. And then really, really enjoy it when that moment of triumph comes. And if, somehow inexplicably, that moment never comes, appreciate all the hard work and effort it takes to reach this point and remember how it's all worth it to see your little girl grow up because running made you healthier.

An eloquent and very well written post, as always. You really help put it all into perspective.

 

[roxymama]

I was listening today to an interview with leaders of my church who also happen to be runners. One of them related a story where she was running up a hill, and being competitive and falling very far behind her husband, who according to her was a much faster runner, she yelled out that she was heading back to the car. Her husband replied that running up a hill is not the time to quit. So she kept going, made it up that hill, and saw a beautiful vista. That she would have missed if she had simply turned back to the car.

I really like what you said about the hill. Got me a little choked up thinking about what would have happened if I one and done'd my first year of running 5ks.
I feel like Dopeybadger gives a lot of us that push (or pull) up our hills and then when we are enjoying the view he hands us a pair of binoculars and when we start seeing new bigger hills in the distance he's there to hand us a road map when we are ready (and on-star support when we get lost.) And there's always plenty of people here to give us a little push down to get our feet moving again.


Since Chicago is pretty flat, I just have to stick to metaphorical hills

 

[avondale]

Glad to see you've decided to join in! How did the Marine Corps Marathon go?

If you want to join in on an even bigger level, come join us in the Running Thread (link)! We cover a question of the day (QOTD) on a range of topics and everyone is free to give their input. It's a great thread to learn from others. Another bonus is you can let LSUlakes know your upcoming races, and then we can all cheer you along your journey! Thanks for posting and hope to see more!

Thanks! My delay in participating is that work is very, very busy for me at this time of year, and so any kind of social media is really a luxury that I can't often enjoy. But at the moment I am not running since I am supposed to be recovering, so there's a little time!

The MCM did not go as well as I was hoping, but in the spirit of @Sleepless Knight , I am not really disappointed with it. I know that I run SO much better in cool weather...I was hoping that by Oct. 22 it would be at least seasonable temps if not cool, but instead it was unseasonably warm and very sunny. During the race, once I accepted that, it was better, but still miserable conditions.

I was hoping to start pretty strong while it was still cool and then intentionally cut back in the second half when it was hotter. I ended up cutting back a lot more than I hoped, ha ha.

A big issue with the MCM is the absolute hordes of people. For the first 10 miles or so, it was like pinball, dodging around people and stepping on people's heels. I'm so glad I didn't trip and take a bad fall - really just so crowded. It took a lot of energy to keep with the pace group and get around people.

But on the other hand, there are so many spectators that it's pretty neat. Many signs and people cheering, which is pretty cool. And Marines out in various places giving encouragement.

So, more detailed. I stuck with the 4:45 pace group for about the first 9 miles. This wasn't too hard. There is quite a bit of uphill the first 2 miles, but this part of the course is shady and it was still relatively cool. My left achilles was really bothering me off and on, which is not a typical problem for me. I think I stopped feeling it later because I starting feeling other things more.

After about mile 9, the course starts approaching Haines Point, which has hardly any shade and it was very sunny and much warmer by then. I slowed down and tried to go more with my slower pace. This went OK until about 13 - 15 miles. Somewhere in there it started to get really really hard with the heat and Sun.

Around 15 miles, I started run/walk intervals. At this point, we were going around the National Mall. Lots of spectators, which was encouraging, but not much shade and still warm. At least the crowds of runners had thinned out a lot by then. Kept up the run/walk until about mile 18. By then, my heart rate wasn't recovering at all in the walking intervals and with the heat, I felt like I couldn't even get a good breath. So I decided to walk for awhile. Mental calculations told me that if I kept up a brisk walk, I could likely walk out the rest of the marathon even and still finish under 5:30.

Once we got over into Arlington and the last 4 - 5 miles of the race, I started adding in some short running intervals again - mostly whenever we had downhills! The course didn't have too much in the way of hills, but every downhill counts!

Despite drinking nearly 2.5 L of Gatorade throughout the race, I got dehydrated enough that my ears stuffed up in the last mile or so. But by then I had to stop my music anyway, because my phone battery was almost dead. Ha. Put in some good running in the last mile. There is a famous, nasty, short and steep hill right before the finish line. Luckily also a lot of Marines there to give some last-minute encouragement, so I managed to finish on the run, which felt good. Ended up with 5:25:04.

I will have to try another marathon someday when I know it will be COLD, but it won't be for awhile. The training time for this was enormous, and I can't devote that again right away. My husband is also very happy with that decision - he did not enjoy me getting up at 4 or 5am on Sundays to get my long run done before it got into the 90s F.

I'm definitely happy to have done it, and the marathon being the MCM was quite an experience. I more regret that I was too miserable (heat, Sun, HR, breathing) in the second half to have enjoyed the experience itself as much as I had intended.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I really like what you said about the hill. Got me a little choked up thinking about what would have happened if I one and done'd my first year of running 5ks.
I feel like Dopeybadger gives a lot of us that push (or pull) up our hills and then when we are enjoying the view he hands us a pair of binoculars and when we start seeing new bigger hills in the distance he's there to hand us a road map when we are ready (and on-star support when we get lost.) And there's always plenty of people here to give us a little push down to get our feet moving again.

Well put! And a nice visual!

Here's the marathon in the distance!



This must be what's it's like at the top of the hill with DopeyBadger. Lots of people looking through binoculars.

Since Chicago is pretty flat, I just have to stick to metaphorical hills

Thanks! My delay in participating is that work is very, very busy for me at this time of year, and so any kind of social media is really a luxury that I can't often enjoy. But at the moment I am not running since I am supposed to be recovering, so there's a little time!

The MCM did not go as well as I was hoping, but in the spirit of @Sleepless Knight , I am not really disappointed with it. I know that I run SO much better in cool weather...I was hoping that by Oct. 22 it would be at least seasonable temps if not cool, but instead it was unseasonably warm and very sunny. During the race, once I accepted that, it was better, but still miserable conditions.

I was hoping to start pretty strong while it was still cool and then intentionally cut back in the second half when it was hotter. I ended up cutting back a lot more than I hoped, ha ha.

A big issue with the MCM is the absolute hordes of people. For the first 10 miles or so, it was like pinball, dodging around people and stepping on people's heels. I'm so glad I didn't trip and take a bad fall - really just so crowded. It took a lot of energy to keep with the pace group and get around people.

But on the other hand, there are so many spectators that it's pretty neat. Many signs and people cheering, which is pretty cool. And Marines out in various places giving encouragement.

So, more detailed. I stuck with the 4:45 pace group for about the first 9 miles. This wasn't too hard. There is quite a bit of uphill the first 2 miles, but this part of the course is shady and it was still relatively cool. My left achilles was really bothering me off and on, which is not a typical problem for me. I think I stopped feeling it later because I starting feeling other things more.

After about mile 9, the course starts approaching Haines Point, which has hardly any shade and it was very sunny and much warmer by then. I slowed down and tried to go more with my slower pace. This went OK until about 13 - 15 miles. Somewhere in there it started to get really really hard with the heat and Sun.

Around 15 miles, I started run/walk intervals. At this point, we were going around the National Mall. Lots of spectators, which was encouraging, but not much shade and still warm. At least the crowds of runners had thinned out a lot by then. Kept up the run/walk until about mile 18. By then, my heart rate wasn't recovering at all in the walking intervals and with the heat, I felt like I couldn't even get a good breath. So I decided to walk for awhile. Mental calculations told me that if I kept up a brisk walk, I could likely walk out the rest of the marathon even and still finish under 5:30.

Once we got over into Arlington and the last 4 - 5 miles of the race, I started adding in some short running intervals again - mostly whenever we had downhills! The course didn't have too much in the way of hills, but every downhill counts!

Despite drinking nearly 2.5 L of Gatorade throughout the race, I got dehydrated enough that my ears stuffed up in the last mile or so. But by then I had to stop my music anyway, because my phone battery was almost dead. Ha. Put in some good running in the last mile. There is a famous, nasty, short and steep hill right before the finish line. Luckily also a lot of Marines there to give some last-minute encouragement, so I managed to finish on the run, which felt good. Ended up with 5:25:04.

I will have to try another marathon someday when I know it will be COLD, but it won't be for awhile. The training time for this was enormous, and I can't devote that again right away. My husband is also very happy with that decision - he did not enjoy me getting up at 4 or 5am on Sundays to get my long run done before it got into the 90s F.

I'm definitely happy to have done it, and the marathon being the MCM was quite an experience. I more regret that I was too miserable (heat, Sun, HR, breathing) in the second half to have enjoyed the experience itself as much as I had intended.

Phenomenal recap! The weather this running season has been rough for racing. Congrats on getting through it and sharing all of your viewpoints on the experience! So, what's next on the running list?

 

[roxymama]

If that guy with the telescope finds a race on the moon, how quickly are you adding that to your goal list?

 

[DopeyBadger]

If that guy with the telescope finds a race on the moon, how quickly are you adding that to your goal list?

Like instantly! Although I'd need to go to WDW and practice on the Mission Space simulator. Not sure how this body would tolerate the trip.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Since Chicago is pretty flat, I just have to stick to metaphorical hills

They managed to place the only hill in Chicago 42km into the marathon as you head to the finish line in Grant Park.

 

[roxymama]

They managed to place the only hill in Chicago 42km into the marathon as you head to the finish line in Grant Park.

Oh I know that hill well. Instead of sprinting to finish lines, I like to sprint to that hill. Because I know I will suck on it so might as well get a running start (disclaimer: for far shorter races than marathons.) It is a cruel mistress Mt. Roosevelt.
Also they put race photographers on that hill all the time and I'm always like "Come On!"
But its good incentive to not get caught with photographic proof of walking it.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Glad to see you've decided to join in! How did the Marine Corps Marathon go?

If you want to join in on an even bigger level, come join us in the Running Thread (link)! We cover a question of the day (QOTD) on a range of topics and everyone is free to give their input. It's a great thread to learn from others. Another bonus is you can let LSUlakes know your upcoming races, and then we can all cheer you along your journey! Thanks for posting and hope to see more!



An eloquent and very well written post, as always. You really help put it all into perspective.

Thank you. I'm just glad that it came across in the spirit in which it was intended. We can disappointed that we did not achieve a specific goal, but not at the expense of losing sight of how far we have come. Or since I'm on a superhero kick having just registered for Avengers Half, this line from Batman Begins:

Alfred: Why do we fall master Bruce?

Bruce Wayne: So we can learn to pick ourselves back up again.

I really like what you said about the hill. Got me a little choked up thinking about what would have happened if I one and done'd my first year of running 5ks.
I feel like Dopeybadger gives a lot of us that push (or pull) up our hills and then when we are enjoying the view he hands us a pair of binoculars and when we start seeing new bigger hills in the distance he's there to hand us a road map when we are ready (and on-star support when we get lost.) And there's always plenty of people here to give us a little push down to get our feet moving again.


Since Chicago is pretty flat, I just have to stick to metaphorical hills

Sometimes, I think it's very difficult to explain to someone that doesn't run why exactly we do this. Or it's very easy for a non runner to think "why would I even want to run for fun? I'm not in high school anymore and nobody is forcing me to do this." Maybe it's me getting philosophical about the temporary (and hopefully not permanent) hiatus of runDisney at Disneyland as I prepare for what could be the last runDisney event ever at Disneyland, but as I reflect on all this, I can't help but look back on my very first race and how I really wanted to quit less than half a mile in. If you told me then that 6 years later, I would have ran 4 multi race challenges, one of them mere days after the busiest work deadline of my professional life and would actually believe that I could run a half with just 3 weeks of consistent training, I would have wondered if you needed your head examined. In that race, I literally decided to keep going albeit much slower than I started until they swept me or I finished, whichever happened first.

Like instantly! Although I'd need to go to WDW and practice on the Mission Space simulator. Not sure how this body would tolerate the trip.

I fully endorse research trips to Disneyland and Disney World to determine the effect on running. It was a 2 consecutive visits to Disneyland over Half Marathon Weekends 2008 and 2009 that resulted in me actually asking some runners about the experience and them convincing me that even I could do it. And in 2012 I came down with a cold 2 weeks before the Wine & Dine Half which was also part 2 of my Coast to Coast. So I was still battling the last remnants of that cold at the start of my Disney World visit. When Light Side Challenge was announced, I concluded that if I could do my normal touring of Disney World coming off a cold and still finish a half marathon at the end of that visit, that with training, I was certainly physically capable of running a 10K and the Half on back to back days. And it just keeps snowballing from there.

 

[avondale]

Phenomenal recap! The weather this running season has been rough for racing. Congrats on getting through it and sharing all of your viewpoints on the experience! So, what's next on the running list?

Looking for a HM PR. I will train better over the winter in the cold and probably pick a HM in March when it's still going to be cold here. Last March, I almost PRd the RNR half, and the temp started around 20 F and got all the way up to about 30 F by the time the race finished. I slightly overdressed, but that was a great temperature.

Thinking about @Sleepless Knight and why we run...yes, my friends and family pretty much think I'm crazy. I partly started to help with endurance for tennis and weight management and partly started because it was something that I knew would be a big challenge for me. I do like to try to improve, although in this it has been a struggle.