12 Months of Medals: My 2015 (And Beyond!) Running Challenge

Congrats on running the world's first 10.88k!!!! I'd be pretty miffed if I had my heart set on that chip time helping with a POT...but you have such a good attitude about the corrals. Still, I'd be like "money back please" if you paid extra for that chip time. Or credit card dispute it.

But HIGH FIVe to you. I ran just shy of 3 miles today and am the color of a tomato still...so lots of hats off to you!
 
DH and I did our 10k this morning. It went really well. The weather was perfect and we were able to run the entire course without walking! I've been training quite a bit but my DH hasn't been able to because of work and he's our sons lacrosse coach but we wanted to run together since the whole point of this race was a POT for W&D, which we want to run together. I definitely ran a little slower for him than I could have but I felt so good the entire race that I was very happy! We finished in a 1:06:20
 
I'll be the first one to admit that I don't do enough races to really understand the inner workings of race courses, but ... what? Does USATF not need to see the actual course before they certify it? Or did they just see the same certified course map that was apparently wrong?

In terms of corrals at Disney races - just because your PoT puts you in a particular corral, doesn't mean you have to go out with the fastest runners in that corral. You can plan to start at the very back of the corral and just take your time. You may get passed by people who started in a later corral, but you also may catch up with them later. And I'm fairly sure (but not 100%) that Disney lets you start in a later corral (just not an earlier one), so if you're worried that the corral you're assigned to will be too fast for you, you can move back to the next corral and start with them.

Wait ... Dopey wasn't a long-thought and rational decision? I thought you've been thinking about Dopey your whole life and not just for the few weeks before registration? It's not like peer pressure was a factor in your registration decision or anything ...

I love the finish line selfie - you guys look so happy!
 
I'm just really angry with the race directors for this thing. It wasn't a cheap race (considering - I think, with fees and timing chip we paid around $50), the shirt is a 100% cotton throwaway shirt, there was no medal and no charity aspect - but through all of their marketing they kept crowing about how it's the only USATF-certified race other than our big marathon weekend here in town.

I feel so bad for you @Keels there is nothing worse than a race over promising and under delivering...the problem is unless its a race you have run before you have no way to know until you do it. Ive never seen a race charge separate for chip timing, and for them to claim certification and not actually be...that's insane. Sorry you had a bad experience but sounds like you tried to make the best of it
 


Sorry to hear about the race - I would be upset if I paid $50 for a 10k and found out that the actual course length was known by the race committee to be longer, but that they were reporting it as a 10k. If they change the official course length, runDisney will still accept it and apply your earned pace to pick your corral since it is "at least 10k".

I also know how it feels to have really prepared for a race and not perform to your expectations. Just remember that every run is different, and you, the runner, are different every day. Accept the "you" that is running today and give it your best. That is always good enough. The time on the clock means less than the effort when measuring success.
 
Congrats on running the world's first 10.88k!!!! I'd be pretty miffed if I had my heart set on that chip time helping with a POT...but you have such a good attitude about the corrals. Still, I'd be like "money back please" if you paid extra for that chip time. Or credit card dispute it.

But HIGH FIVe to you. I ran just shy of 3 miles today and am the color of a tomato still...so lots of hats off to you!

It's so funny - when I first planned on Disneyland, I was all "Corrals, corrals, corrals!! I need to be in the best corral!!" ... and man, how times have changed. I'm SO glad that I decided to run those two half marathons, even though I probably wasn't ready for them and sped up my training to get there. I've really learned a lot about myself as a runner through those, so I'm comfortable with where I'm at!

DH and I did our 10k this morning. It went really well. The weather was perfect and we were able to run the entire course without walking! I've been training quite a bit but my DH hasn't been able to because of work and he's our sons lacrosse coach but we wanted to run together since the whole point of this race was a POT for W&D, which we want to run together. I definitely ran a little slower for him than I could have but I felt so good the entire race that I was very happy! We finished in a 1:06:20

That's AWESOME!!!!! Way to go!!!

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't do enough races to really understand the inner workings of race courses, but ... what? Does USATF not need to see the actual course before they certify it? Or did they just see the same certified course map that was apparently wrong?

I have no idea how it works. If I had to guess, Junior League was involved in it somehow because they wanted finishers to run through the festival grounds. IDK? :confused3

I feel so bad for you @Keels there is nothing worse than a race over promising and under delivering...the problem is unless its a race you have run before you have no way to know until you do it. Ive never seen a race charge separate for chip timing, and for them to claim certification and not actually be...that's insane. Sorry you had a bad experience but sounds like you tried to make the best of it

This is the second time I've had to pay a separate fee for chip timing (the other was Komen Race for a Cure). The fee plus taxes worked out to be $5.80, so it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I certainly wouldn't have bothered with timing if I knew it wasn't going to be something I could ultimately use.

Sorry to hear about the race - I would be upset if I paid $50 for a 10k and found out that the actual course length was known by the race committee to be longer, but that they were reporting it as a 10k. If they change the official course length, runDisney will still accept it and apply your earned pace to pick your corral since it is "at least 10k".

I also know how it feels to have really prepared for a race and not perform to your expectations. Just remember that every run is different, and you, the runner, are different every day. Accept the "you" that is running today and give it your best. That is always good enough. The time on the clock means less than the effort when measuring success.

I think my real clarity about running has come when - at this point, mind you - I've determined that it's not so much about time, but about finishing the distance. If I put in the miles, the time will eventually come! But I can't finish the distance if I don't work and don't try.
 
I totally agree about the first 5k. Miles 2-4 are always my worst.. my body needs time to warm and get over the fact that I'm making it move :)
 


I think my real clarity about running has come when - at this point, mind you - I've determined that it's not so much about time, but about finishing the distance. If I put in the miles, the time will eventually come! But I can't finish the distance if I don't work and don't try.

this is the absolute best attitude you can have...there will be good days and bad days but if you cover the distance that's what truly matters
 
Rain, Rain .. Go Away!

Well, we're going on Day 10 of what feels like Seattle-like monsoon conditions here in Texas. Yeah, I don't want to complain about the rain because we REALLY need it (our poor lakes and rivers are really suffering around here), but I really can't do another run on the Dreadmill.

Between the rain and my charity event that I hosted this past Saturday, I've really had to squeeze training runs in at the gym and here at the house on the Dreadmill, because it's just been too difficult to get out and run.

So, hopefully I can get a little break here and get my training back on track - because it's just a real struggle for me to run on the Dreadmill.

Anyway. Here's a look at the hybrid plan I'm working on. Immediately, I'm working on time improvement for Disneyland. Long-term, I'm working to build up mileage and back-to-backs for Dopey. I'll do this through Week 6 of the Galloway Time Improvement Plan for the DLH, and then I'll start increasing my long-run mileage incrementally as well as increasing my speed work.

Cross-Training will be cycling and swimming, or maybe even yoga.

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: 4x800 speed work
Friday: Rest/Light Cross Training
Saturday: 7 miles
Sunday: Cross Training

If I've done my planning right, DLH race week should work out as Week 1 of the Hal Higdon plan I will follow for Dopey. By that point, I should be comfortable with adding on mileage. Week 10 is where Wine & Dine will fall, so I'll be doing a little longer for the Saturday run for that distance, but I'm not really concerned.

I think the only slight tweak I might do is Week 15 (which is basically like a Dopey Dress Rehearsal). Since I haven't done a full yet, and might not have a chance to, I may push that 20 mile run out to 22-23 miles. But, I'll probably play that by ear as I get closer to Week 15.
 
Total newbie question, but can you help me understand how to do speed work. Do you basically run at a high tempo for a certain distance and then rest for a period of time? I'll be done with C25k next month and am thinking I'll start doing something similar with easy pace distance days and then speed work days. I'm just so new at everything.
 
Total newbie question, but can you help me understand how to do speed work. Do you basically run at a high tempo for a certain distance and then rest for a period of time? I'll be done with C25k next month and am thinking I'll start doing something similar with easy pace distance days and then speed work days. I'm just so new at everything.

Basically!! I go down to the track at the junior high in my neighborhood. Depending on what the schedule calls for (4x, 6x, 8x), I'll basically do an easy mile around the track and then run two laps as fast I can go, take a one-lap walk break, and then do two more laps fast followed by a one-lap walk until I hit the requirement for that day. Then, I'll do another cool down mile or so (or more like half mile on the track, half mile to get to my house from the track).

That's just how I'm choosing to do "speedwork". From the Time Improvement plan, this is what Galloway says about Speedwork:

Speedwork: 800 meter repeats are included to improve speed. Do the standard warmup, followed by 4 accelerations that gradually increase to workout pace. Run each 800 meter segment 15 seconds faster than your goal pace for half a mile, and walk for 3 minutes. Then repeat as noted on the schedule. Example: if goal pace is 10:00, half mile goal pace would be 5:00. 800 workout pace would be 4:45​

I'm not going to lie - speedwork is not super fun right now. Sometimes, I feel like it's hard to breathe, but that's something I know I need to work on so I keep plugging away.
 
I'm going to preface what I'm about to say by pointing out that despite the fact that I run twice a week, I know nothing about running or training. That said ...

I think you should be okay with 20 miles as your last long run pre-Dopey. If you feel okay going a little farther, you can try it, but you don't want to overdo it (although you will have a few weeks to "recover" if you push too hard). From what I've discussed with my father (who ran 3 NYC marathons), 20 miles is definitely okay as your farthest run before a marathon, and I think it should be okay for Dopey too.

Overall, the plan looks great! I love that you're including speed work ... that's the one thing I can't convince myself to do. I've basically just accepted that I will never be any faster than I currently am, because even the idea of speed work freaks me out.

I hope the weather improves and you can get back outside soon!
 
So, hopefully I can get a little break here and get my training back on track - because it's just a real struggle for me to run on the Dreadmill.

I hate running on a treadmill too, but I have no other choice. We're not allowed to go run outside over here. I pass the time during long runs by watching episodes of TV shows (an hour makes a good break point to refill water bottles and change shirts). For shorter ones, I find that intervals help keep me focused because I've got to change the incline or speed every few minutes. Plus, it's not easy to watch the iPad screen when I'm huffing and puffing up a "hill."

I think the only slight tweak I might do is Week 15 (which is basically like a Dopey Dress Rehearsal). Since I haven't done a full yet, and might not have a chance to, I may push that 20 mile run out to 22-23 miles. But, I'll probably play that by ear as I get closer to Week 15.

There's no need to go beyond 20 miles in training for a full, especially if your primary goal is to finish strong and upright and not a specific PR. Doing more than that greatly increases your risk of injury. If you think you need more for mental or physical preparation, you'd be better off making your long runs of a little more quality than just an LSD (i.e. run your fastest pace at the end rather than the beginning) than you would by just adding in a few extra miles.

Overall, the plan looks great! I love that you're including speed work ... that's the one thing I can't convince myself to do. I've basically just accepted that I will never be any faster than I currently am, because even the idea of speed work freaks me out.

So don't look at it as speed work. Look at it as "I'm going to sprint to that next telephone pole" work. :) You don't have to do speed work on a track. You can do it anywhere and at anytime during your run. Run hard to a telephone pole, mailbox, or end of the block. Pick up your pace by 20 seconds/mile for 2 minutes, jog slowly for a minute, and repeat a few times. All of those are perfectly good ways to increase your speed without getting anywhere near a track.
 
but I really can't do another run on the Dreadmill.

You are so not alone on this one...I feel like 3 miles on the treadmill is harder than 5 outside

I think you should be okay with 20 miles as your last long run pre-Dopey. If you feel okay going a little farther, you can try it, but you don't want to overdo it (although you will have a few weeks to "recover" if you push too hard). From what I've discussed with my father (who ran 3 NYC marathons), 20 miles is definitely okay as your farthest run before a marathon, and I think it should be okay for Dopey too.

20 miles is what ive heard many times as enough pre race distance for your first marathon and even for dopey you should still be ok, the first two races really aren't that hard and assuming you don't go full throttle through the half you should still have a good amount of energy for the full not to mention the boost you will get from shear race day adrenaline, I know the plan ill be doing has me going up to 22 miles as my longest run pre race but 20 should be good as well

Overall, the plan looks great! I love that you're including speed work ... that's the one thing I can't convince myself to do. I've basically just accepted that I will never be any faster than I currently am, because even the idea of speed work freaks me out.
So don't look at it as speed work. Look at it as "I'm going to sprint to that next telephone pole" work. :) You don't have to do speed work on a track. You can do it anywhere and at anytime during your run. Run hard to a telephone pole, mailbox, or end of the block. Pick up your pace by 20 seconds/mile for 2 minutes, jog slowly for a minute, and repeat a few times. All of those are perfectly good ways to increase your speed without getting anywhere near a track.

Exactly what @FFigawi said if your mind is getting hung up on the term "speed work" then you have to not let it know that's what you are doing like he said just play with it a little bit, you may have heard the term "fartlek" before and its really just a fancy word for speed play and it can be anything you want, I listen to music while I run so Ill say ok the next song that comes on im going to push it then slow down again the song after that, you just have to find something that works for you, also if you are a fan of The Walking Dead or zombies in general there is a great app called "Zombies, Run" that actually has a mode that simulates zombies chasing you (through your headphones) wich is a really fun way to get some speed work in LOL
 
I don't want to hijack Keels journal, but I must ask @Neoflynn what exactly it sounds like in your headphones when zombies are coming after you. I'm a big scaredy cat baby, so I gotta know if it is creepy or funny. Or annoying??
 
Keels - Tried the Sports Beans on my 12 miler on Sunday and loved them. I am going to try them on longer runs to see how my body reacts, but they taste much better than the Gu and Chomps that I have been eating.

Thanks for the recommendation!
 
Keels, sorry to hijack your thread, but I just had to say...

So don't look at it as speed work. Look at it as "I'm going to sprint to that next telephone pole" work. :) You don't have to do speed work on a track. You can do it anywhere and at anytime during your run. Run hard to a telephone pole, mailbox, or end of the block. Pick up your pace by 20 seconds/mile for 2 minutes, jog slowly for a minute, and repeat a few times. All of those are perfectly good ways to increase your speed without getting anywhere near a track.

Exactly what @FFigawi said if your mind is getting hung up on the term "speed work" then you have to not let it know that's what you are doing like he said just play with it a little bit, you may have heard the term "fartlek" before and its really just a fancy word for speed play and it can be anything you want, I listen to music while I run so Ill say ok the next song that comes on im going to push it then slow down again the song after that, you just have to find something that works for you, also if you are a fan of The Walking Dead or zombies in general there is a great app called "Zombies, Run" that actually has a mode that simulates zombies chasing you (through your headphones) wich is a really fun way to get some speed work in LOL

Thanks for the suggestions! I think not focusing on calling it "speed work" will definitely help me ... I just have to get over my laziness now (seriously, getting used to going out twice a week to run was hard enough for me, and now I'm trying to add in a third run...). But thank you so much for the ideas and suggestions!
(Although ... I'll be skipping the zombie stuff, that's a bit too creepy for me)
 
Keels - Tried the Sports Beans on my 12 miler on Sunday and loved them. I am going to try them on longer runs to see how my body reacts, but they taste much better than the Gu and Chomps that I have been eating.

Thanks for the recommendation!

You're welcome! They're definitely my favorites, even though the sugar content may be questionable. But whatever. I even keep a little pouch in my purse - I was down in Austin for a weekend out with friends, and I ended up eating some during our long day bar-hopping on Saturday and they gave me a nice little boost during that as well. :D

For runs, I think the packaging is just cumbersome. I'll throw them in a little snack-sized Ziploc baggie - much easier to access that way!
 
I don't want to hijack Keels journal, but I must ask @Neoflynn what exactly it sounds like in your headphones when zombies are coming after you. I'm a big scaredy cat baby, so I gotta know if it is creepy or funny. Or annoying??

Im sure @Keels will forgive us :D


the app works kind of like an interactive audio book, basically you play a character in a story, normally its telling you the story through your headphones if you have the zombie chase mode turned on then sometimes youll get an alert that zombies are nearby and you have to run faster to get away from them, in your headphones you might hear the grunts of the zombies if they get closer, its not really scary by any means because you know its not real but it is a fun way to mix up your runs I don't use it every run maybe once a week or so just to have some fun but if you aren't into zombie stuff to begin with then it probably wouldn't do the trick for you lol
 

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