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

[DopeyBadger]

@DopeyBadger: I just want to say that I am very, very glad to read your revised plan. I mentioned it once to you during your Lakefront training, but I was worried throughout that you were over-training on your last cycle, and I think the tempo runs were the first indication of possible over-training. I do understand the weather issue, but I would still expect more of the tempo runs to be closer to goal pace. BTW, your tempo run results are actually how I came up with my guess time for your marathon... which wasn't too far off.

In any case, you still made progress by lowering your PR, so that's always a great reason to celebrate!!

I think your new plan looks rock solid, and you are now well on your way back to steady, smart BQ progress.

In complete agreement. Maybe in a smaller dose (like 8 weeks) the plan was doable. But for 20 weeks with little to no step back it became too much for me. And while I could complete it, it stopped making me better and started the turn into diminishing returns. Your guess was very solid and if not for a slight down tick because of the pain I think you would have nailed it. I'm hoping this 2 weeks off and 2 weeks easy will help perform a reset so that I can get back to making my normal progression of gains. I wouldn't be shocked if I am able to PR all 4 distances at Dopey based on where I thought I was. But the first step is get healthy and start running again.

Did I miss what became of the "cloudy" x-ray?

Unfortunately, no real update. As of Wednesday at noon (once we crossed from early next week to mid-week) I called and the MRI is still pending approval from the insurance company. After approval they'll let me schedule, but no idea how quickly they'll get me in once approved. All I know is I'll be taking the first available time slot no matter the circumstances. 2:00am on a weekday, sure see you then! Lol! It seems to be weighing on Steph way more than me. But I said there's nothing I can do right now and I'll deal with whatever the results are at that time. Thanks for asking.

 

[roxymama]

I'd love for one day to feel what a 9:47 Warm Up effort feels like! Your plan looks very well though-out and I'm praying to the run gods that your MRI and foot-related questions get answers (and good ones at that.)

So I'm guessing this means that you won't be stopping for characters along the way, right? Well, if you do have a sub 7:00 5k, then at least you will get 100% darkness in Epcot which is soooo coool when everything is all lit up. But you probably already know that from last year.
And first crack at the resort busses!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I'd love for one day to feel what a 9:47 Warm Up effort feels like! Your plan looks very well though-out and I'm praying to the run gods that your MRI and foot-related questions get answers (and good ones at that.)

So I'm guessing this means that you won't be stopping for characters along the way, right? Well, if you do have a sub 7:00 5k, then at least you will get 100% darkness in Epcot which is soooo coool when everything is all lit up. But you probably already know that from last year.
And first crack at the resort busses!

Some day I hope you get that 9:47 WU as well. I look at CheapRunnerMike and his easy/WU days are my 5K paces, so you're not alone.

I'm hoping the MRI just gets scheduled... Then I'll start to even think about results. LOL! But thanks I appreciate it.

Yea, probably not stopping for characters at this point. My wife and family are the true Disney lovers. I'm there to run and have fun with the family on vacation so the characters don't mean that much to me. However, if there's pain or another reason any year that I can't compete at the Dopey, then I'm always willing to take a different stance and enjoy the character picture side of the run.

For the 5K, I finish before many of the other corrals even start. So I could theoretically, finish the 5K and then run over to the start area to cheer on everyone yet started. But because of that the busses don't start for 20-40 minutes after I finish, so I've got first dibs on busses but a lot of standing around for nothing. Since none of the family is coming to see me finish for any of the races other than the marathon I've got the freedom to do whatever I want post-race.

For the HM, I finish just as the balloon ladies finish the original straight-away (roughly mile 1.5 vs me at 10.5). So I actually finish the 5K, 10K, and HM in darkness. Which is nice because then I never have to deal with the sun until around mile 12-14 of the marathon.

 

[roxymama]

For the HM, I finish just as the balloon ladies finish the original straight-away (roughly mile 1.5 vs me at 10.5). So I actually finish the 5K, 10K, and HM in darkness. Which is nice because then I never have to deal with the sun until around mile 12-14 of the marathon.

As an extremely fair Irish lass who becomes kind of like a vampire in the sun...that sounds lovely!
I was in corral B for the 5k last year but took my sweet time with pics, let a million people pass me (not dopey, so not timed), and I got a bit of sunrise at the finish line. And that suited me just fine.

 

[DopeyBadger]

NEW GEAR!

It was time to update my nighttime running vest. I've been interested in the Noxgear Tracer 360 for quite some time. But after the recommendations from a few here on the dis as well as the green light (and urging from my wife) I went for it and purchased it. Here are two pics of my old vest (on the right) and the new tracer 360 (on the left).





The lights on my old vest stop working after about a year because the battery center got rusted out. Thus I added my own lights to the front and the back. Then the strap broke a few months ago and I pink duct taped it back together. Thus my wife urged a new purchase and who am I to refuse.

As you can see from the second picture the tracer 360 has two cree led lights with the capability of several different colors and flashing sequences. Between that and the bike light I attached to it for my own viewing I think I'm set now. Excited to try it out on my next night time run.

 

[opusone]

NEW GEAR!

It was time to update my nighttime running vest. I've been interested in the Noxgear Tracer 360 for quite some time. But after the recommendations from a few here on the dis as well as the green light (and urging from my wife) I went for it and purchased it. Here are two pics of my old vest (on the right) and the new tracer 360 (on the left).

View attachment 201357

View attachment 201358

The lights on my old vest stop working after about a year because the battery center got rusted out. Thus I added my own lights to the front and the back. Then the strap broke a few months ago and I pink duct taped it back together. Thus my wife urged a new purchase and who am I to refuse.

As you can see from the second picture the tracer 360 has two cree led lights with the capability of several different colors and flashing sequences. Between that and the bike light I attached to it for my own viewing I think I'm set now. Excited to try it out on my next night time run.

I just purchased the Tracer 360 about a month ago and have been running with it in the mornings before sunrise. It's pretty awesome so far. I think you will be very happy with your new purchase.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I just purchased the Tracer 360 about a month ago and have been running with it in the mornings before sunrise. It's pretty awesome so far. I think you will be very happy with your new purchase.

Happy to hear another positive review. It really seems like a slam dunk type of product. So light, bright, fits well... I'm excited to try it out. G told me it looks so cool and like a superhero.

 

[surfde22]

NEW GEAR!

It was time to update my nighttime running vest. I've been interested in the Noxgear Tracer 360 for quite some time. But after the recommendations from a few here on the dis as well as the green light (and urging from my wife) I went for it and purchased it. Here are two pics of my old vest (on the right) and the new tracer 360 (on the left).

View attachment 201357

View attachment 201358

The lights on my old vest stop working after about a year because the battery center got rusted out. Thus I added my own lights to the front and the back. Then the strap broke a few months ago and I pink duct taped it back together. Thus my wife urged a new purchase and who am I to refuse.

As you can see from the second picture the tracer 360 has two cree led lights with the capability of several different colors and flashing sequences. Between that and the bike light I attached to it for my own viewing I think I'm set now. Excited to try it out on my next night time run.

I purchased the Tracer 360 about a month ago as well. And it totally agree with @opusone, it's been an awesome product so far. I definitely feel much safer during my early morning/late night runs these days. It's definitely very bright, so visibility should be no problem.

 

[dis_or_dat]

@DopeyBadger @opusone and @surfde22 I got the tracer 360 too when it was on sale! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for headlamps. I got a cheap one from Amazon and it's not bright enough and I have to carry it in my hand and scan the ground in front of me - not optimal.

 

[roxymama]

That's pretty cool looking. This would be a pretty cool present for my hubs for xmas. Let us know how it works out.

I feel like this would lend itself well to an Iron Man costume if worn with the big light in front. That or Tron.

 

[roxymama]

Also, tell your wife that I like those placemats...they match my shower curtain

 

[dis_or_dat]

That's pretty cool looking. This would be a pretty cool present for my hubs for xmas. Let us know how it works out.

I feel like this would lend itself well to an Iron Man costume if worn with the big light in front. That or Tron.

It's still on sale with free shipping on noxgear's website (maybe it's a permanent sale?). Tron is a great idea!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I purchased the Tracer 360 about a month ago as well. And it totally agree with @opusone, it's been an awesome product so far. I definitely feel much safer during my early morning/late night runs these days. It's definitely very bright, so visibility should be no problem.

Sweet! Seems like a consensus around here. As well we should have gotten a group discount, LOL!

@DopeyBadger @opusone and @surfde22 I got the tracer 360 too when it was on sale! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for headlamps. I got a cheap one from Amazon and it's not bright enough and I have to carry it in my hand and scan the ground in front of me - not optimal.

I use this bike light from Target (link). I just strapped it to my old vest, and plan to strap it to my new vest as well. It can blink or consistent. It is USB charging. It does slip from head-on to ground view every once in while, but not much of a bother for me. Although I do have a lot of street light areas I run in so I don't need the light per se to see my route.

That's pretty cool looking. This would be a pretty cool present for my hubs for xmas. Let us know how it works out.

I feel like this would lend itself well to an Iron Man costume if worn with the big light in front. That or Tron.

It would be a great xmas present and could easily be incorporated into a halloween costume.

Also, tell your wife that I like those placemats...they match my shower curtain

Steph says, "nice!"

It's still on sale with free shipping on noxgear's website (maybe it's a permanent sale?). Tron is a great idea!

I've been tracking it for a while and I think it is kind of a permanent "sale" as well. I got mine for $50 with free shipping. It's the Kohl's model of pricing (always on sale). They make money on most of their product until it is 90% or more off. Most products are regular price only for one day, and then a single day every few months to satisfy the laws. (Shhhh, don't tell anyone...)

 

[surfde22]

@DopeyBadger @opusone and @surfde22 I got the tracer 360 too when it was on sale! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for headlamps. I got a cheap one from Amazon and it's not bright enough and I have to carry it in my hand and scan the ground in front of me - not optimal.

I use the Princeton Tec Byte. You can find it for around $20 on Amazon. It has three different brightness settings and has a fairly decent battery life, though I never feel it lasts as long as the package says.

 

[FFigawi]

A lot of my ultra running friends use these lights

https://www.amazon.com/ThorFire-Headlamp-Rotatable-Hunting-Camping/dp/B018VP3JJE
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Petzl-Tikkina-Head-Lamp/dp/B0156GL1OQ

 

[MissLiss279]

I just recently purchased the Night Runner 270 shoe lights. I tried them out for the first time this morning, and I think they will work great! They are LED lights that clip to your shoe laces and are really bright. They have rechargeable Li-Ion batteries.
My local running store was advertising them, and they were apparently on Shark Tank as well.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I just recently purchased the Night Runner 270 shoe lights. I tried them out for the first time this morning, and I think they will work great! They are LED lights that clip to your shoe laces and are really bright. They have rechargeable Li-Ion batteries.
My local running store was advertising them, and they were apparently on Shark Tank as well.

I saw that shark tank episode! It definitely piqued my interest.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I'll be honest. This was the most nervous I have ever felt prior to a run. More than my first run ever. More than my first marathon. More than my first Dopey. More than any other run I've ever attempted. While I've been pain free since last Saturday, I have had a different sensation in the leg the entire time since. It's not a pain. It's an odd sensation (like cold, tingling, dull buzz, etc.) I'm chalking it up to mental, but I can't be sure at this time what it is or isn't. Last night I slept horribly. My leg just wouldn't stop buzzing and I'm sure it was because I was just really nervous. Nervous about running and nervous about the future of my leg.

I strapped on the shoes. Did my stretches. And...



Finished the run PAIN FREE! Not a hint. Nada. Nothing. Not even like the pre-warmup to the marathon where I felt the twinge. However, the dull buzz is still there. I'm still sure it's mental and until I have the MRI it won't go away. I'm just being hyper aware to that area right now. So a definite hurdle has been cleared. I'll be closely monitoring how the leg feels over the course of the next 24 hours, but I feel as if I have cleared a major hurdle.

As for the run, I was super stiff and out of shape. I could definitely tell I've taken off the last 2 weeks. But, it's still there and I'm not overly worried.

Lastly, a review of the two weeks off. Weight...

Weight on morning prior to marathon (carb loading day) - 156
Weight on morning of marathon - 156

Actually quite surprised I didn't gain any weight from the carb loading (the last time I gained 3 pounds).

Weight on day after marathon - 167

As is the MO for my body I gain a ton of weight post-marathon. It typically takes me 5-7 days to work that weight off during a normal training cycle.

During the last two weeks I opened up my diet to enjoy more things. I ate my normal training diet (oatmeal, eggs, chicken, etc.), but added in some other foods I've ignored. Like pizza, ice cream, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, apple fritter doughnut (?!?!), apple crisp, big thick burger, pound bag of chocolate pretzels, just to name a few.... Needless to say dietarily I've been enjoying myself the last two weeks. Thus, the scale this morning was...

Weight on first day back to running - 157

LOL! Only one pound gained after all that. Now to be fair, I'm not nearly as lean right now as I was pre-marathon. The weight has just shifted places. But overall, I'm happy with the enjoyment:weight gain tradeoff.

So, now it's the waiting game. How will the leg feel in 24 hrs? How will it feel after another short training run? And when is this darn MRI going to be scheduled....

 

[opusone]

Finished the run PAIN FREE! Not a hint. Nada. Nothing. Not even like the pre-warmup to the marathon where I felt the twinge. However, the dull buzz is still there. I'm still sure it's mental and until I have the MRI it won't go away. I'm just being hyper aware to that area right now. So a definite hurdle has been cleared. I'll be closely monitoring how the leg feels over the course of the next 24 hours, but I feel as if I have cleared a major hurdle.

Congrats!! This is awesome to hear.

 

[canglim52]

I'll be honest. This was the most nervous I have ever felt prior to a run. More than my first run ever. More than my first marathon. More than my first Dopey. More than any other run I've ever attempted. While I've been pain free since last Saturday, I have had a different sensation in the leg the entire time since. It's not a pain. It's an odd sensation (like cold, tingling, dull buzz, etc.) I'm chalking it up to mental, but I can't be sure at this time what it is or isn't. Last night I slept horribly. My leg just wouldn't stop buzzing and I'm sure it was because I was just really nervous. Nervous about running and nervous about the future of my leg.

I strapped on the shoes. Did my stretches. And...

View attachment 201461

Finished the run PAIN FREE! Not a hint. Nada. Nothing. Not even like the pre-warmup to the marathon where I felt the twinge. However, the dull buzz is still there. I'm still sure it's mental and until I have the MRI it won't go away. I'm just being hyper aware to that area right now. So a definite hurdle has been cleared. I'll be closely monitoring how the leg feels over the course of the next 24 hours, but I feel as if I have cleared a major hurdle.

As for the run, I was super stiff and out of shape. I could definitely tell I've taken off the last 2 weeks. But, it's still there and I'm not overly worried.

Lastly, a review of the two weeks off. Weight...

Weight on morning prior to marathon (carb loading day) - 156
Weight on morning of marathon - 156

Actually quite surprised I didn't gain any weight from the carb loading (the last time I gained 3 pounds).

Weight on day after marathon - 167

As is the MO for my body I gain a ton of weight post-marathon. It typically takes me 5-7 days to work that weight off during a normal training cycle.

During the last two weeks I opened up my diet to enjoy more things. I ate my normal training diet (oatmeal, eggs, chicken, etc.), but added in some other foods I've ignored. Like pizza, ice cream, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, apple fritter doughnut (?!?!), apple crisp, big thick burger, pound bag of chocolate pretzels, just to name a few.... Needless to say dietarily I've been enjoying myself the last two weeks. Thus, the scale this morning was...

Weight on first day back to running - 157

LOL! Only one pound gained after all that. Now to be fair, I'm not nearly as lean right now as I was pre-marathon. The weight has just shifted places. But overall, I'm happy with the enjoyment:weight gain tradeoff.

So, now it's the waiting game. How will the leg feel in 24 hrs? How will it feel after another short training run? And when is this darn MRI going to be scheduled....

Glad you're pain free!!