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

[*DisneyDreamer]

Great recap @DopeyBadger!

I want to thank you for all your help and guidance over the past few months. I'm disappointed that I didn't meet the goal we initially set out for, but life got in the way and the last few weeks of training just didn't happen as planned. But everything you laid out for me was achievable in my mind and I hope you're willing to help me out again in the future. I did begin to notice changes in my running and will definitely keep your key ideas for training in mind moving forward. And you've got it right when you mention me having unfortunate luck with race day weather. My last half marathon was a day that ended with a high in the 90s and high humidity after a solid week of low 70s. And although I'm glad temperatures and humidity were lower this past weekend, that wind was a huge factor. I'm still waiting for that "perfect" race day forecast (if such a thing even exists!)

Thanks again for the amazing apple fritter - what a wonderful surprise after the race! I also enjoyed seeing you and @opusone there at the finish line and getting the high fives. I'm looking forward to another DIS Meet in the near future!

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Oh, and along with the 10K course being short, it sounds like the marathon was as well. Another situation of a possible early turnaround on an out-and-back.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I loved the old name - Milwaukee Running Festival!! It was festive, and it was kind of "in theme" with all the Milwaukee festivals. I'd also like for them to put the expo back in the Harley event center instead of throwing us into that tent. And I'd like for them to display merch on racks at the expo so that we can actually shop instead of tacking it up on the wall - I might have bought something if they did. Completely agree on the shirt. Also, the shirt is too busy for me - so much stuff on there! And please, please, please add mile markers for every mile!! (Maybe Qdoba could give them burrito themed mile markers instead of handing out burritos the day before to mile runners!!)

They get tons of points for a really great half marathon course, bouncy houses at the end for the kids and all the chocolate milk!!

All great suggestions!

I'm looking forward to another DIS Meet in the near future!

May I suggest First Call HM. I know @pixarmom and I will very likely be there. It's in Oconomowoc. (link) Looks like the date shifted next year to 3/25. Mostly flat, fast, out and back course.

 

[opusone]

And please, please, please add mile markers for every mile!!

I actually think they did have mile markers for each mile, but several had fallen over in the wind, so you had to really look to find them.

 

[rteetz]

I actually think they did have mile markers for each mile, but several had fallen over in the wind, so you had to really look to find them.

I noticed this with the 10K.

 

[pixarmom]

May I suggest First Call HM. I know @pixarmom and I will very likely be there. It's in Oconomowoc. (link) Looks like the date shifted next year to 3/25. Mostly flat, fast, out and back course.

I'll second this advice! I'm planning to run First Call again next year!

I actually think they did have mile markers for each mile, but several had fallen over in the wind, so you had to really look to find them.

Ha! That makes sense!

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

May I suggest First Call HM. I know @pixarmom and I will very likely be there. It's in Oconomowoc. (link) Looks like the date shifted next year to 3/25. Mostly flat, fast, out and back course.

I will add that one to the list and keep it in mind!

I actually think they did have mile markers for each mile, but several had fallen over in the wind, so you had to really look to find them.

Yep, I definitely saw a couple blown over. One even blew over while I was approaching it and a guy running nearby picked it up and flipped it so the mile number was facing up instead of down.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I want to thank you for all your help and guidance over the past few months. I'm disappointed that I didn't meet the goal we initially set out for, but life got in the way and the last few weeks of training just didn't happen as planned. But everything you laid out for me was achievable in my mind and I hope you're willing to help me out again in the future. I did begin to notice changes in my running and will definitely keep your key ideas for training in mind moving forward. And you've got it right when you mention me having unfortunate luck with race day weather. My last half marathon was a day that ended with a high in the 90s and high humidity after a solid week of low 70s. And although I'm glad temperatures and humidity were lower this past weekend, that wind was a huge factor. I'm still waiting for that "perfect" race day forecast (if such a thing even exists!)

Don't even worry about it. Life happens and it's just part of the training. I will certainly be ready to help in any way I can when you're ready.

Ahh, yes.... the elusive perfect weather day. I think what we can all appreciate is that when we get one of those we should really relish the opportunity on that day. Because some years it seems like they come so few and far between.

 

[DopeyBadger]

A few notes:

-G has decided on her Halloween costume. A unicorn. And she wants all of us to be unicorns. A Blessing. Not sure if she's playing some cruel joke on me yet...
-Resting HR is still higher than normal at about 17 days from the marathon. Just another way to show that while I feel reasonably fine, the body is still not fully recovered.

Daily resting HR



Weekly average resting HR


-Looks like Post-Dopey took about 6 weeks to return to normal. Although the sinus infection make interpretation a tad difficult.

-Stepped on the scale today and got the news I knew was coming. Eating 4 pounds of apple fritter over the last 3 days has been enjoyable, yet probably not the best short term decision. Also had another apple fritter on marathon day, so 6 pounds of apple fritter in the last 2 weeks. So, I'm at 170 pounds which puts me at my highest since early 2016. Time to shed some weight by paying attention to the diet again. Promptly re-opened MyFitnessPal and typed some numbers in to get a general idea of what I've got to do. Won't track calories on a daily basis, unless the weight doesn't start coming off after the next few weeks by just making good decisions.

-Training is going fine. Still getting back into the groove of it, but can tell I'm still not 100% recovered from the marathon. The groin has been an issue again like I said in the race recap. So I'm going to add back in the MBW twice per week to see if I can strengthen those muscles.

 

[roxymama]

Well at least you lost that ~160 lbs of weight you were carrying on sunday morning.

I don't know if it's brutal or funny about the unicorn costume. I do love unicorns so I get where G is coming from.
Maybe you all can get them out of storage for next year for other celebratory reasons?

 

[DopeyBadger]

Well at least you lost that ~160 lbs of weight you were carrying on sunday morning.

I don't know if it's brutal or funny about the unicorn costume. I do love unicorns so I get where G is coming from.
Maybe you all can get them out of storage for next year for other celebratory reasons?

Guess we know what they'll be wearing on 10/7/18.

 

[GollyGadget]

All this talk of unicorns reminded me of my favorite unicorn, Charlie.

 

[ZellyB]

All this talk of unicorns reminded me of my favorite unicorn, Charlie.

OMG!!! You have no idea how much @Chris-Mo and I love this insane video. We quote lines from this to each other. "Come on, Charlie! Come to Candy Mountain"

 

[GollyGadget]

OMG!!! You have no idea how much @Chris-Mo and I love this insane video. We quote lines from this to each other. "Come on, Charlie! Come to Candy Mountain"

Shun the nonbeliever! Shunnnnnnnn.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

All this talk of unicorns reminded me of my favorite unicorn, Charlie.

Ahh! I had forgotten about this video! I am dying.

 

[bovie]

All those graphs make my heart happy. How do you collect your data? Garmin, just palpating RHR? Is this something I should be doing?

 

[DopeyBadger]

All those graphs make my heart happy. How do you collect your data? Garmin, just palpating RHR? Is this something I should be doing?

LOL, why does it make your heart happy? My Garmin 235 measures HR using an optical wrist monitor. Back before my Garmin 235 I used to measure my RHR via my neck each morning. It is a nice thing to track over time because you can tend to see some things coming in advance (like sickness or overtraining). Like in my graph above the second red bar is the peak of my sinus infection and temp of 103(?). I like the weekly average better than the daily because it eliminates the noise of the day to day. Also not surprising to me is that my peak in performance and VO2max came when my RHR was the lowest (43.9) and interestingly started shifted from there, as did my performance, as did my Stravistix. So it can serve as interesting data.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Don't even worry about it. Life happens and it's just part of the training. I will certainly be ready to help in any way I can when you're ready.

Ahh, yes.... the elusive perfect weather day. I think what we can all appreciate is that when we get one of those we should really relish the opportunity on that day. Because some years it seems like they come so few and far between.

I appreciate it! I think I'm going to use the next couple months to casually run and get a better sense of where I am and just maintain what I have, and then set out on perhaps the bigger goal of the full marathon in 2018. I'm seriously considering taking the chance and putting in an application for Chicago. Nothing to lose. But the sub-2:30, perhaps even 2:20 half marathon is also a goal. I think you'll be hearing from me again once I decide where I want to go moving forward (distance or time)!

 

[DopeyBadger]

I appreciate it! I think I'm going to use the next couple months to casually run and get a better sense of where I am and just maintain what I have, and then set out on perhaps the bigger goal of the full marathon in 2018. I'm seriously considering taking the chance and putting in an application for Chicago. Nothing to lose. But the sub-2:30, perhaps even 2:20 half marathon is also a goal. I think you'll be hearing from me again once I decide where I want to go moving forward (distance or time)!

Maybe a HM goal in Spring and then transition to M training for the Fall. I know someone else planning the same 2018 plan.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

Maybe a HM goal in Spring and then transition to M training for the Fall. I know someone else planning the same 2018 plan.

That sounds like a solid plan. Apply for Chicago and if it doesn't work out, Lakefront is the other option out there for fall.