Who did NOT die! Founding member of Team Not-So-Fast and costume addict (Comments welcome)

[The Expert]

I did finally get home on Saturday evening. Thankfully they got the causeway opened in both directions overnight before we had to go to the airport, so it was an uneventful trip. Still SO grateful the area we were in was spared the horrible damage this storm caused in so many other places.

Now to catch back up on my training log!

Dopey Training Week 7: The calm between storms
tl;dr: I honestly don't recall much from this week as I was catching up on work from being gone for two weeks and prepping to head to Florida to help DM and DSD organize things for their move. But I did anticipate disruption, so I was sure to get all my training in before I left!

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 2 miles easy

Wednesday: 1 mi WU + (2x100m @R9 w/ 90 sec RI) + (3x200m @R9 w/ 2min RI) + 1mi CD
I do recall this as I had a very busy day and had to cram this in on the treadmill. Using a pace calculator, I figured out what speed/incline/time combo I needed for the intervals. It was NOT easy!

Thursday: Strength
After the conversations last week, I made sure to focus on extra lower leg and calf work and I FELT this the next day!

Friday: 2 miles easy

Saturday: 4 miles easy
I flew down very early Saturday to Florida, landed about 2 and spent the rest of the day with my parents running errands and prepping for the house stuff. I was hoping to get this in later in the day, but there was no way between the activity and heat.


Dopey Training Week 8: Florida strikes again
tl;dr: I was in Florida and got stuck for an extra few days (see post above). Between lack of treadmill, Florida heat and the storm (see post above), I didn't do very well with training this week. BUT I jumped right back in yesterday and it went (relatively) well!

Sunday: 4 miles at M pace 3.54 miles at M-ish pace
I was excited to have a shorter distance (even at a harder pace), since I was going to get out early and try to beat the heat. HA! Florida had other plans. I did get up and out about 7am and weaved around the neighborhood for a couple of miles with lots of shade (but brutal humidity). Then I started to feel it and had to slow WAY down. I had programmed this run in my watch with time intervals as I am usually on the treadmill. I finished them all, but with 3.54 miles clocked instead of 4.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3 miles easy
I woke up with a migraine, so by the time I felt well enough to get out, it was way too hot for me. I did tons of physical work around the house, so we'll call it active recovery.

Wednesday: 1 mi WU + (2x100m @R9 w/ 90 sec RI) + (5x200m @R9 w/ 2min RI) + (2x100m R9 w/ 90 sec RI) + 1mi CD
Between continued work on the house, spending hours on the line with Delta changing flight after flight as they were canceled, and prep for the incoming storm, there was no way I was doing this workout.

Thursday: strength
Hurricane day! Things didn't get going until afternoon but it gave us a chance to tackle some things in the garage and outside.

Friday: 3 miles easy
Clean-up around the yard and neighborhood, and continuing work on the house.

Saturday: 5 miles easy
I spent all day getting home. SO thrilled for fall weather!

Sunday: 10 miles easy
I was so excited to do this at home and on my own treadmill! I probably would have gone outside but there are no good long routes in my area that don't involve roads with no shoulders AND it was FOOTBALL DAY! We had some catch-up to do in the morning so I didn't actually start this until about 3:30 and ended up watching half of the Chiefs game on the treadmill. (You can blame that dreadful first half on me.)

We normally do a Sunday breakfast of eggs and such, which sets me up nicely for a long run starting an hour or so later. But with our errands I had to refuel before my run. DH had bought a tiramisu for me before I got home, so I had that and it actually worked. I felt great for the first hour of my run! I ate a banana about an hour in and that was a mistake. About 20 minutes later I had horrible intestinal cramps and had to get off the treadmill for about 10 minutes! I've never had that happen before and it was disconcerting! I'm not sure it wasn't the tiramisu but I blame the banana due to timing. I sipped tailwind as usual through the run, and I had to stop and pee once besides the cramp episode so I was hydrated. I went back to my intervals and finished the run right about halftime of my game. The 60/30 intervals seem to be working well on both long and short easy runs, but I have bumped my run interval speed up about .2 from where I started, so my endurance seems to be slightly improving!

Despite the two weeks in Europe and this crazy week, I still ended up with decent mileage this month. Feeling good about Dopey!

 

[The Expert]

Autumn is POPPING in Vermont right now! My MIL is in town and we're going to be driving around doing tourist things and taking pics later, but I had to share a few of my own property from this morning. It is glorious!

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 9: It's FALL y'all!
tl;dr: We had MIL coming to visit from Florida, arriving Wednesday night. I am in mid-transition at work moving to a new position, so lots of meetings and things to fit in before she got in. I only missed one run this week, and my tempo run on Sunday was tough but SO GOOD!

Monday: rest
Lots of work things today, catching up after being stuck in Florida and transitioning to a new role within my org. I also did laundry and a grocery pick-up in preparation for MIL's visit.

Tuesday: 2.5 miles easy
Did this on the treadmill between meetings. I'm doing 60/30 intervals for my easy runs, and have bumped the speed up for the run (3.6) interval as the previous setting (3.3) was starting to feel a bit slow. My HR isn't spiking, so I think it's actually an improvement in fitness. Yay!

Wednesday: 2 mi WU + 5x1min I(9:30) w/ 1min RI + 1 mi CD
I had no choice but to treadmill this one as the day was crazy with meetings, and I had to get the pets sorted early to pick up MIL at the airport about 5:30pm. I did cut the warmup and cooldown short to fit this one in.

It's always tricky to figure out effort vs treadmill calculation for these speed workouts. When I look up charts it says I should be at a 6.3 setting on the TM but that feels WAY too fast compared to this speed outside, so I adjust until it seems right and end up about a 5.5. Ideally I'll continue to do more of these outside than on the TM so I can kind of keep it in check.

Thursday: strength
I did my kettle bell/hand weight version of this workout, with extra time spent on calves and legs to help keep my PF at bay. DH had to go into work so MIL and I planned to do the main tourist route hopefully before the weekend leaf peeper crowds arrived. HA! Yeah it was still CRAZY busy, but we did knock out all the must-see things for a first timer to northern Vermont: The Von Trapp family farm, Stowe, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Cheese store, and of course Ben & Jerry's factory. Along the way there were plenty of gorgeous vistas and it was clear the leaves were approaching peak color. We did meet DH in Waterbury for lunch and got home before the bulk of the tourists arrived.

Friday: 2.5 miles easy
I had some work to catch up on and DH went in again, so MIL and I had a down day at the house. She slept in, spent some time reading on the deck and hanging out with the cats while I worked and jumped on the TM for this short run.

Saturday: 4.5 miles easy
Only run I missed all week, but I had a feeling I might. DH and I mapped out a leaf peeping route that avoided the heavy tourist areas and spent all day out enjoying the beautiful fall weather and absolute peak color here in northern Vermont (more pics to come!). We made several stops for local snacks, photos, etc. and didn't get home until almost dark. After feeding the cats and making dinner, there was no way I was getting an hour+ run in.

Sunday: 5 miles M Tempo
We turned on football (yay early game from London), let MIL sleep in. We made our usual big Sunday breakfast a bit late (adding pancakes this time so she could try my maple syrup I made last season). After a bit of time to digest, I snuck down to the gym.

I was a bit worried about this one as my last M tempo run was in Florida and I had to slow way down due to the heat. For my M pace runs (which is about a 12mm for me), I switch my intervals to 70/30 and my run speed on the TM up to 4.3, and this run should take me just about an hour -- more with warmup and cooldown. I had my water with a splash of maple syrup and salt and three of those Brach's pumpkin candies for fuel. (Why not?) I turned NFL Sunday Ticket Red Zone on the TV and got started!

I was feeling good from the start. Very strong. Surprisingly strong, in fact. I was trying not to overdo it on my run intervals. I had calculated when to take my pumpkins -- about 1 mile in, 2.5 miles in and 4 miles in (by time) -- and those turned about to be just about right. I didn't walk through a single interval and finished with tired legs but feeling GOOD. I did some stretching and foam rolling, had some cottage cheese with blueberries and water and I felt great the rest of the day. I'm not sure if it was the pancakes before, the pure sugar fuel during, or just having the day off the day before this run, but it all worked!

MIL did leave for home this morning (right into the midst of hurricane prep). She did insist on going home as she has pets to care for and she's in an area and a condo that is pretty secure. This coming week here should be relatively normal, though my work is talking about sending me to NC to get photos and video of our disaster response there. I'd love to do it, but no idea when that may happen or how long I might be there, so I'm secretly hoping it doesn't disrupt my training too much.

I'll add leaf photos later when I am able to edit!

 

[The Expert]

Nooooooo!! I was on the third repeat of my speed workout this morning and felt a hard twinge in the hamstring/glute/IT band area toward the top side and back of my right leg. I had to fit it in before long meetings today, so I cut my warmup short. I'm sure that contributed. I was also outside on my dirt road, which is a bit cantered, and in my trail shoes as they have just recently laid some new dirt. So I am not sure what to blame it on, but I'm just hoping it's something I can shake fast!

I did about a 5 minute warmup with some dynamic stretches/warmups and a short jog, then I had planned five 100-meter repeats at about a 9 minute mile with 90 seconds rest in between. I did the first one about 9:30, the next one about 9:00, and about halfway into my third I felt the sudden pain down the back of my leg, about a 7 on a scale of 10. I immediately stopped to walk and walked through the 90 second rest break. I tried picking back up on the next repeat, but the pain immediately came back as soon as I started to speed up. I tried slowing down but still jogging, and the pain persisted. When walking, I could feel it but it wasn't super bothersome. I did a bit of stretching and walking through the next 90 second rest, then tried once more to just jog the last interval. I got three steps in and NOPE. AUGHH!!!

I did a five minute cool-down, all walking. I did some extra stretching and rolling and applied some Biofreeze once I got inside. I've been trying to stand and move some during my call and was feeling tight but okay, but when I went downstairs and back up earlier, the pain is still there -- at about a 4 or 5 on a 1-10 scale.

I've got strength training scheduled tomorrow, so I'll take care not to stress anything or make it worse, and I guess I'll see how things feel for my 3-mile easy run on Friday.

The good news, though... it was an absolutely beautiful run!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Oh no! Hope it heals quickly.

 

[The Expert]

Oh no! Hope it heals quickly.

Thank you! My meeting ended early so I jumped in in the hot tub for about 30 minutes, which helped relax everything. Feels pretty good now. I'm hoping it is just a strain.

 

[The Expert]

I woke up yesterday morning feeling very little stiffness or pain. I did my strength workout in the afternoon and dropped about 10 pounds off my leg presses and calf raises -- all good! This morning it feels totally normal, so I'm going to go into my 3 mile easy run today accordingly. Debating whether to try it outside or stick to the treadmill in case something suddenly flares up.

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 10: A not-so-scary injury scare
tl;dr: I freaked out a bit when I had some crazy sudden intense pain in my right hamstring during my speed workout, but it was thankfully short-lived. I got in all but one training day this week -- thanks 13-foot Jack Skellington -- and we have a GUEST DOG appearance this week! (p.s. Plus more leaf photos for @Mr_Incr3dible before they all end up on the ground thanks to wind and rain this week.)

Monday: rest
Dropped MIL at the airport for her super early flight and spent the day doing laundry and getting ahead on work stuff.

Tuesday: 3 miles easy
I don't recall anything remarkable about this, aside from I started it later than I wanted thanks to 4-hour mid-day "virtual retreat" meeting for work.

Wednesday: 1 mi WU + 5 x 100m @ 9mm + 1 mi CD 5 min WU + 3.5 x 100m @ ?? + 5 min CD
I had to squeeze this in around my virtual retreat again, but the weather was beautiful so I went outside. I've previously measured 100m on my dirt road, from my mailbox to the speed limit sign. I cut my warmup short for time -- as it turns out, it was WAY too short, and I ended up with a sudden, scary, intense pain in my right hamstring which I fully panicked over and came here to post about (see above or this link). I was able to do some good stretching after and even jump in the hot tub for a bit later and it felt better, but still tender enough for me to worry about.

Thursday: Strength
I woke up feeling tons better, but still a bit worried about tweaking the hamstring during my strength routine. I waited until I was good and warmed up before doing much with the legs, and by the time I got to the squats, presses and calf raises, it felt totally fine! WHEW! That'll teach me to try and cram in a speed workout without proper warmup (maybe).

DH messaged me in the afternoon asking me if we could keep a coworker's dog for a few days. He's having some mental health issues and has been reluctant to get treatment as he can't take his dog with him and has nobody to care for her. So of course, I said SURE! Willow is a young-ish Ewok mix with just the right amount of energy. She's well trained and respectful (if a bit curious) about the cats. She'll probably be here for a week or so.



Friday: 3.5 miles easy
I had a light work day and had planned to do this outside in the afternoon, doing loops of a few dirt roads nearby. It was about .75 miles one way, so 1.5 miles to each loop. I got dressed for my run and Willow acted like she wanted to go out. This girl LOVES to walk and she's pretty speedy, so I decided to take her on my first loop and see how she did. She LOVED it!



Sticking to intervals was impossible, and by the end of the first loop she was slowing down a bit, so I dropped her at the house and did the second half of my run on my own. Though we've had some wind this week there were still plenty of fall colors hanging on.




Saturday: 5.5 miles easy
I should have easily gotten this run in. We put up our 13-foot Jack Skellington last year in a few hours, no problem. Granted, he had broken in the heavy snow (my fault for adding the hat), but we had new replacement parts and knew how it all went together. BUT I also threw a curveball into things by having rebar welded to the base. We also forgot we have a huge slab of rock about 6 inches under the ground in the area where we put him up. So we got him put together and stood up and then played "find a spot deep enough for the rebar" for what felt like HOURS. We'd dig a pilot hole, move him, then couldn't find a spot for a hole for the other bit of rebar. We FINALLY got him up and secured, and then I put up the 1200 lights that go on "his" tree. UGH! It was almost dark and I was SO dead at the end of it and there was no way I was getting on a treadmill for an hour, so I ditched this run. I MAY sub it in on Wednesday in place of my speed work. We'll see. But Jack looks great, as does his tree!



Sunday: 11 miles easy
I was a bit nervous about this one, to be honest. This takes me nearly three hours, so it involves nutrition strategy, hydration, pre-fueling and the whole thing. It was icky and raining outside, which means my safe roads were mud rather than dirt, so I did my usual treadmill + NFL Sunday Ticket. No worries about timing as the Chiefs have a bye week. We had our usual Sunday breakfast (eggs with cheese and chives, bacon, OJ, coffee), I walked Willow, gathered my UnTapped fuel (regular syrup and coffee syrup, two waffles and the ginger/maple hydration mix), and went to work.

I struggled HARD for the first hour, until I realized my feet just hurt. I had put on compression socks, which were making my calves hot and had zero cushion on my feet. I paused and changed socks -- it was a whole new run! I had no issues with my fuel or timing of it (syrup shot every 20 minutes, waffle every hour, hydration as thirst dictated), though I did have to get off and pee twice. Oops! I did try to mix in the coffee syrup for a few of the early shots, but I don't love it and I'd already had caffeine, so I went to the regular syrup after the first few. I think I'll reserve the coffee ones for early race mornings.

I stuck to my 60/30 intervals (walked through one or two while eating waffles), and paid extra attention to going SLOW during the runs. I was tired and my feet still hurt a bit by the end, but I'm super proud of my 2 hours and 49 minutes of GETTING IT DONE!

We'll have Willow through probably Thursday, so I may take her along on another lap or two outdoors if it doesn't rain all week.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Such a good Jack Skellington! Way to get that 11 miler done!

 

[The Expert]

Such a good Jack Skellington! Way to get that 11 miler done!

Thank you!

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Kudos!

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 11 and a weekend in Montreal with Cyndi Lauper!
tl;dr Well, okay, I did not go to Montreal WITH Cyndi, but to see Cyndi. For the first time in the year and half we've lived here, we finally had a reason to venture up. I'm still nursing some hip and hamstring tightness and occasional PF flareups, but nothing too debilitating (so far).

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 2 miles easy
Treadmilled this one since it was raining and cold. I don't really even remember this run.

Wednesday: some kind of speed work 3 miles easy
I was spooked to do actual speed work after last week's tweak, especially since my PF is still flaring up here and there and my hip and hamstring are still a bit tight when I get up from bed or sitting for long periods at work. So I did 3 miles on the treadmill and that helped loosen things up a bit.

Thursday: Strength
Little Willow went home this morning to her dad - yay! DH took her to work with him for the drop-off, which was good because my day was nuts with back to back meetings. I ended up squeezing in some quick reps just before dinner.

Friday: 2 miles easy
The weather was perfect -- upper 50s and sunny with a light breeze -- so I did this outside on my dirt roads. My hip started barking maybe half a mile in, during both run and walk intervals. I tried slowing down a bit more, switching sides of the road (it's quite cantered, so that helped a bit), running down the middle of the road when there was no traffic, but by the end of the 2 miles I was good and sore. Then I climbed in the car for what should have been a 2-hour drive to Montreal that turned into almost 3 due to border crossing and traffic. By the time I got there, my right hip and hamstring were super tight and my PF had flared back up. I changed clothes for the concert (including putting on boots) and walked the 2 blocks to the arena, which helped loosen things up. I also stood and dance for a good chunk of the show and by the time it was over, I felt pretty good. I had never seen Cyndi Lauper live before and she was SO fun and funny and just emotional as it was the first show on her farewell tour. She said she hadn't done an arena show since 1986!

Saturday: 5 miles easy 6 miles walking around Montreal
I did bring my gear to do a run today, but I also knew the plan was to walk around a good chunk of the city. I actually wore my running shoes (I know, I know) for the day to make sure I had proper support. We started by taking a ride up to the famous St Viateur bagel shop (near Mount Royal), and the bagels were amazing but I also had the best chai latte of my life! DH and I then wandered our way through parks and neighborhoods all the way down to China Town and eventually Old Montreal. It was more than 6 miles of walking and about a 700 foot elevation drop. My hip was still pretty sore, so I decided to pop into one of the foot reflexology places in China Town, which I hadn't done since we last visited Hong Kong in 2019! I had a 30 minute foot massage and it was just what I needed. I think a lot of the hip and hamstring issues were compensation for my PF, so loosening up my feet really helped relieve the pressure everywhere. The pain wasn't gone, but things felt much more balanced.

Sunday: 5 miles M tempo
We got up and drove home, getting in a little after noon. I unpacked and changed and jumped on the treadmill so I could get this run in before the Chiefs game at 4. After the first mile, my hip warmed up and loosened right up! This run felt really good, and the faster I went the better my foot, hip and hamstring all felt, so I just went with it. I did a good long stretch after the run, foam rolled, and used the ball on my feet while I watched my game and so far things have not tightened back up.

Even this morning, when I normally have horrible heel pain from the PF, it was not bad at all! I'm seriously considering finding a foot reflexology spot near Disney and scheduling something for each day during Dopey in case this flares back up again.

Some pics from the concert and around Montreal:

 

[superchime]

What a fun weekend! And I'm glad you found something that helps your pain.

Oh man, I loved Cyndi Lauper so much as a kid. I need to see what she's up to now.

 

[The Expert]

Oh man, I loved Cyndi Lauper so much as a kid. I need to see what she's up to now.

Well, obviously touring. But she's doing another Broadway show! You may or may not know she wrote the music for Kinky Boots and won a Tony Award. She mentioned that she's working on an adaptation of Working Girl!

 

[azrivest]

Just getting caught up on the forum. So happy you enjoyed your time in Mtl last week!

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 12
tl;dr I not only survived the longest run of my training (12 miles = 3 hours), I felt better than I have in weeks and definitely could have kept going! The new Brooks shoes didn't really work out. ::sigh::

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 4 miles 3 miles easy
This was a super busy day at work, so I had to sneak this in between other things. Ended up with only 45 minutes so I shortened it down to 3 miles.

Wednesday: some kind of speed work 30 minute walk
Another nutso work day and my hip/hamstring and PF were trying to flare up again, so I rather than push any speed work, I went for a walk outside. It did help to relax things out a bit.

Thursday: Strength workout + bonus mile
My new Brooks shoes came! I did my strength workout while listening to an all-staff work call, then laced up the Adrenaline GTS 23s to test them out for a quick mile on the treadmill. They felt okay on my feet, though definitely a lot less cushion than the Ghost Max I'm used to. That was kind of the point -- to rotate in a less cushioned, more stability focused shoe on the advice of my trainer/PT friend. I definitely could feel the difference the whole time, but couldn't get a feel if they were better or not. Probably too short of a test, so I decided I'd do Friday's run in them too.

Friday: 3 miles easy
Welllll that didn't work. On this longer run, the Adrenalines flared my neuroma in my left foot and did nothing for the PF in my right. After the run I was pretty stiff and sore, even after a good stretch. I think these are going back. I've still got the Glycerins to try during a short run next week.

Saturday: 6 miles easy
We actually did not have a huge to-do list for this weekend around the house - yay! Though the temps were great, it was super windy outside, so I did the treadmill. I considered briefly trying the other new shoes, but knowing this was a high mileage weekend for my plan, I decided not to risk it. The 90 minutes on the treadmill went by fast, catching up on Real Housewives episodes. I felt pretty good during and after, so no lasting negative effects from the shoe test on Friday.

Saturday: 12 miles easy
The longest single run of my training plan was here! We had to do a quick run to Home Depot for some Jack Skellington supplies (he needed a third anchor tether due to his necessary positioning on a slope in our yard), which took longer than I hoped. I still got on the treadmill about 1:30 with all my nutritional needs and mowed down the miles while watching football. I had some weird pain in my left foot (neuroma?) at first, but paused to re-lace my shoes and it went away. I actually felt GOOD during this run! I've nailed down my nutrition strategy (Untapped syrup every 20 minutes, waffle every hour, sip Untapped ginger hydration mixed with water as needed) and I honestly felt like I could have kept going indefinitely. WHEW! I do like to be done before the Chiefs play, but didn't quite make it this week. I had to watch the first quarter during the run, but we started strong, so no regrets on the superstition front.


This coming week I am rearranging a few things to fit in a quick trip for the W&D 5K, which I'll probably walk. I fly in late Wednesday, will do the expo early entry Thursday, rest up and hit MNSSHP and then be at the 5K for the meetup. TBD whether I'll go from one to the other, but most likely I'll try and at least sneak in a nap. Definitely changing costumes! I'll be back late Friday night, so no disruption to my weekend runs anticipated.

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Weeks 13-14-15
Wow, I didn't realize I'd gone so long without updating!

tl;dr My MNSSHP/5K trip to WDW was quick but successful. I was home for three days before heading to Italy! I built breaks into my training, but thanks to an active vacation style, I was able to slip right back into my plan. In fact, the last few runs this last week were great and I am feeling super strong!

Week 13 (Oct 29-Nov 3)
I honestly don't recall much about this week, but it was a bit of a 'down' week after a higher mileage one, which worked great for my travel.
Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3.5 miles easy

Wednesday: 2 miles easy
I left for Orlando on a 5pm flight and landed about 10:30pm. Picked up my rental car and drove to Poly without incident. I got to bed just after midnight.

Thursday: Expo & MNSSHP
EXPO DAY! I got up early and got in line for Club rD Platinum access about 20 minutes early. We were let in right on time. I was disappointed at the lack of Muppets merch and only bought a few things. Picked up my shirts and bibs and headed back to the car to stash things and wait for the rest of the expo to open.

My plan was to search for costume pieces for my MW races, pick up some socks and body glide and maybe look at shoes. I was marginally successful, grabbed some food and left about 1pm. I drove over to Disney Springs and shopped for an hour or so, then back to the Poly to rest up and change for the party.

I had bought an Oggie Boogie costume at Spirit that was perfect and not too hot for the weather. The party was super fun and tons of people dressed up. I rode a few things, waited in line for pics at HM and caught the first parade from Frontierland. Rode a few more things, made some candy stops and decided not to wait around for the fireworks or stage show as I'd seen them both the year before. I took the monorail back to Poly and got my race stuff set up, took my flat me pics and tried to get some sleep.
Friday: Wine & Dine 5K & home
I ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep, got up at 2:15 to get all the costume bits on (I was a mashup of HM tightrope walker and Miss Piggy). I left the room and drove over about 3, and got parked three spots from the absolute farthest end of the parking lot! I tracked on my Garmin, and it was .8 miles to the start area. Had a nice long meetup with some fellow DISers, then headed to the corral. I took this race easy, planned to just have fun and get pics. I started with 60/30 intervals as I've trained with, but the humidity and my wig started to make me overheated and I ended up reversing them about a mile in. They really played into the Muppets theme, which was awesome. I didn't end up stopping for any characters as none were Muppets, but I made sure to watch all the video loops and heard the playlist through a few times.

Race done, I drove back to Poly, showered and took a two hour nap! I got up and packed, loaded my stuff in my car and headed to Epcot. I ate at a few of the booths, shopped, walked around a bit, and went back to Poly about 1. Grabbed a Dole Whip and headed to the airport for the journey home. I didn't land at my home airport until after midnight, so that 5 total hours of broken up sleep really caught up to me!
Saturday: 5 miles 3.5 miles easy
I slept in and was pretty well recovered, but DH and I had a ton to do around the house and just in general to get read for our Italy trip, so I had to cram this run in. I did what I had time for and actually felt okay. I was also able to try the Brooks Glycerin and they worked well keeping the PF at bay and no neuroma flareups on my other foot. I'll keep these in rotation for short runs.

Sunday: 6 miles at M pace
My notes say this felt strong, so I'll believe it. I don't remember much else.


Week 14 (Nov 4-10)
Monday: rest Strength
I moved my weekly strength training to Monday since I missed it the week before and wasn't likely to have access to any equipment during our trip.

Tuesday: Drive to Boston, Fly to Turin
I worked in the morning and we left about 2pm to drive to Boston. I knew I wasn't likely to get any running in with everything going on, so I didn't even pretend to add it to the calendar. Thankfully the trip was uneventful and we made our flight with plenty of time. We flew Boston to Amsterdam and connected to Turin. We used miles to upgrade to Delta One so we could sleep, which was really good when my body decided to give me a killer migraine. I was able to mostly sleep it off before we landed.

Wednesday through Sunday: Italy!
This was a Covid makeup trip with Italian friends we hadn't seen since at least 2019. We were in the Piedmont region for the Alba White Truffle festival, and spent some time touring castles and vineyards between amazing, giant meals of incredible food. I did take my running gear but we were so busy and the roads so small and congested, there wasn't really any opportunity to even get a short jog in.



Week 15 (Nov 11-17)
Monday: Fly home
The trip home was long, leaving Turin at 6am local time, connecting in Amsterdam to Boston. We landed about 1:30pm local time there, then had a 3+ hour drive to get home. UGH!

Tuesday: 4 miles easy
I was actually relieved to get back to training and while this wasn't easy, it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. I also noticed that my plantar fasciitis seemed to be pretty much gone. Maybe the complete break from running during my trip did the trick?

Wednesday: speed work 2 miles easy/hills
Since I've had to skip training around so much and the PF was flaring with outdoor speed work, I've decided to skip the speed days for the rest of the training and just throw in another short run with some incline on the treadmill. My throat was also a bit scratchy and I didn't want to push it. A slight niggle of PF with the inclines, but not much.
Thursday: strength
Did a short strength workout with kettle bells in the gym and some extra leg presses. My scratchy throat was now a full blown cold, so I took it kind of easy.
Friday: 4 miles easy
Getting back in the groove and felt SUPER strong with this run! I'm not sure why, exactly. I was still fighting off my cold, but I had a salad with tuna for lunch about an hour before my run, and I just felt gooooood, like I could have kept going for another hour or two. No PF or neuroma issues at all. I also got this message at the end of this workout on my Garmin. The green arrows seem to indicate this is a good thing?


Saturday: 6 miles easy
I felt good with this one, too. Maybe not as good as Friday, but confident and strong. Still no PF pain. This is fun!
Sunday: 8 miles easy + 1.25 miles M pace
Interesting workout. My cold was nearly gone. I fueled as usual on Sunday with a nice eggs/bacon breakfast about 90 minutes before starting. I had some new Untapped flavors to try out for fuel, but kept intake to one every 20 minutes with a waffle at the top of each hour.

The first three or four miles weren't great. My left quad was sore, though I didn't recall doing anything to it. As I warmed up it got a little better, but then the pads of my feet started hurting like my socks were too thin? I stopped and applied some biofreeze to my quad and changed socks, which helped. I started to settle in and then noticed about 20-30 minutes later that I was IN STRIDE. Cruising just like I was on Friday! Could it have been at the 1:20 mark when I got to the salted citrus flavor Untapped? Have I been lacking salt this whole time? It might explain why I felt so good Friday after tuna at lunch. I don't know, but I am going with it! When it was time to switch to the M pace and longer intervals, there was no change or lag whatsoever. I finished super strong and in time for the Chiefs game! (And yes, it sucks to lose, but we weren't going undefeated and I'll take a loss now for the win during the inevitable playoff meeting with the Bills.)

Glad to be back on track and back here with you all! At least for a bit. We're heading to Florida for Thanksgiving to be with MIL and DM (they are finally moving to Celebration that week), then I'll be back at Disney the first week of December, but with DH this time. I have my training set up for it and will continue to do runs, albeit shorter ones that week.

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 16 (Nov 18-24)
tl;dr Back in the groove, figuring out nutrition and finalizing costumes. But here comes another break!

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3 miles easy
Did this on the treadmill with my usual 60/30 intervals. My body is really familiar with exactly how long those are now and I almost don't need the prompts!

Wednesday: 2 miles easy
My left quad was really sore for some reason, and didn't want to loosen up, so I did a little progressive climb. I set the speed at a fast walk, did 5 minutes at 1% incline, then 2%, then 3%, then back down and ended with a cool down. Quad felt fine after -- weird.

Thursday: Strength
This felt really good -- and hard! I hadn't had a proper strength workout for almost three weeks due to travel and life. I pushed heavy hoping to work out the quad kink, which did help some.

Friday: 4 miles easy
Quad was still barking a bit, but I was able to go back to my usual run pace and my 60/30 intervals. I did take one salted citrus Untapped about the middle of this workout as I'm trying to play with fueling to see if I actually need it every 20 minutes. Felt okay.

Saturday: 6 miles easy
Again with the quad - ugh! It's weird because I only feel it on the treadmill and when walking up the stairs. Doing some extra stretching, which seems to be helping.

Sunday: 6 miles M tempo
This felt GOOD and STRONG! Yes, the quad was a bit achy at first, but once I warmed up, it was all good. I was able to cruise through 70/30 intervals with my run set at a faster speed.

I'm feeling really ready for Dopey, which is good because we're traveling to see family in Florida for TG and then heading over to Disney next week. I've got a few runs scheduled, but days are flexible so that I can fit them in whenever. Wish me luck!

 

[The Expert]

Dopey Training Week 17 (Nov 25-Dec 1)
tl;dr Got a short run and strength training in before heading to Florida to see family and get in a non-rD Disney visit.

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 3 miles easy Strength training
Normally my strength workouts are on Thursdays, but knowing we were heading to visit family and parks in Florida, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get one of these in, so I did it instead of a run.

Wednesday: 3 miles easy
Took this very easy on the treadmill. Nothing to report.

Thursday - Sunday
Thanksgiving morning we woke up early for a 6am flight and got to MIL's house on the west coast of Florida by about 2pm. We were there for a few days, then drove back to Orlando to see my mom (and help them do some unpacking in their new condo). I had planned to try and get in a few short runs, but it just never happened.

We moved to AK Kidani on Dec 1, but ended up at mom's house most of that day helping with post-move things. We had dinner at Jiko and went back to the room to watch football.


Dopey Training Week 18 (Dec 2-8)
tl;dr Spent most of the week at Disney and did tons of walking. I was rusty for my first run after getting back, but gutted it out and got it done.

Monday - Saturday: Disney World walking
I had already planned this as a down week in the training plan, since my dad and step-mom were coming in to spend a few days with us at the parks. We had absolute perfect weather -- highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s -- and took full advantage. I'd really like to manifest it for MW. Pretty please!!

Sunday: 6 miles easy
Well, I did it. On the treadmill (it was icy and 20 degrees outside). After so much time off running, this one was a struggle but I toughed it out.


Dopey Training Week 19 (Dec 9-15)
tl;dr Easing back in to work, holiday prep and a nearly flooded basement have conspired against me this week. But I'm doing what I can!

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 4 3 miles easy
I had to sneak this in between meetings, so cut it a bit short. Felt much better than Sunday.

Wednesday: 3 miles easy
Woke up with a migraine that I fought all day. Between that and work I just didn't get this one in.

Thursday: Strength training Yoga & stretching
I was feeling a bit sore and achy all over. I thought maybe I was getting sick, though it never did progress (thankfully). I found a Youtube video with some nice yoga and stretching exercises that I did instead of weights.

Friday: 4 2 miles easy
I got out of the shower and heard water RUSHING in the utility room downstairs! Turns out the pressure valve on the well tank failed. Yikes! I got the breaker shut off, dragged out the shop vac to suck up the water (got a quarter inch in the gym next door but thankfully got it quickly and it never touched my treadmill). DH found someone who could come fix it, and they actually got there about 2 that afternoon! We got so lucky this happened while we were home and they got it fixed before the weekend. The gym was totally dry by the time they were done, so I jumped on the treadmill and knocked out what I had time for. Crazy day!

Saturday: 6 miles easy
Finally back to a run as scheduled! I tried out my new Brooks Glycerin Max and WOW do I love them! Springy springy springy! I felt absolutely GREAT on this run -- whew! I've been keeping my roller out in the living room and working on the hamstring/quad combo that's been bothering me, and also my calves. I think between that and the rest week at Disney, it is helping. I do still feel the tightness and am worried about it flaring during Dopey, but at this point all I can do is mitigate it. And I know how to do that.

Sunday: 8.5 miles easy + 2.5 miles M Tempo --> pushed to Monday
I am moving this run to Monday. The Chiefs played early today and DH and I had all the holiday shopping to finish up. I also decided on a whim a few days ago to try making French onion soup. It turns out, like every other French thing I've ever made, it takes forever but was SO GOOD! Thankfully I have some flex time coming for the holidays so I'll take off early tomorrow and knock this out.

 

[nancipants]

The weather was so nice the week you were here (if a tad chilly in the mornings for standing around). I keep checking the long range forecast knowing full well it will change, and right now it’s saying high of 65 and low of 45. I saw that today and told my husband, yes please!!!