Fairy tales can come true, you got to make 'em happen... it all depends on you. (comments welcome!)

[superchime]

Christmas is not my favorite time of the year, for... reasons, but this past week was especially bad. I am really looking forward to it not being Christmas.

Dec 18 - 24

Mon - Kung Fu - not good. Like, really not good. Like, spent most of class in the community center bathroom crying, not good.

Tues - more Kung Fu -better but I tweaked my ankle again! I need to get better at telling my teacher "no" when I'm asked to do something that I know is going to upset it. It's hard, though. I'm in this class with a bunch of younger people. There's zero judgement (which is why I stay) but I still criticize myself when I can't keep up. This being a rough week anyway, I think I was especially harsh with myself.

Wed - plan: 3 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 0:58:57
3 miles on the treadmill in 1:04

Thurs - plan: 3 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 0:58:57
Nope. It’s killing me. This is the first run I’ve missed from this whole training plan! But it’s that sort of thinking that causes me to push too hard and injure myself. I did push through and do yesterday’s run, and it felt ok while I was running but once I stopped it was hurting a bit more. It was still hurting this morning, but I hopped on the treadmill anyway just to see, and the pain didn’t go away after about half a mile, so I called it. I’ve done everything up to this point. I’d rather miss these last few runs and head into my races strong rather than push myself and end up racing injured like last year.
Kung Fu was also not great again and I am feeling pretty grumpy about it. I did take it easy on my foot, though.

Fri - plan: 4.5 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 1:28:26
Another day off. Foot is feeling better. I might try some easy miles tomorrow.

Sat - plan: 7 miles @ 20/30 @ 14:45/20:00 2:02:33
Nope

Sun - Managed to do three miles, most at my slow pace. Foot feels fine now and I’m glad I took the days off to let it rest.
Mile 1 - 21:02
Mile 2 - total time 38:32 (17 min mile) - walking quickly but felt like I could have kept going
Mile 3 -58:38 total time - 20 min mile

I had planned to do one more fuel test to try out what I thought I’d actually use for my two upcoming races, but that didn’t happen. Luckily all of this is stuff that has worked for me in the past, so I feel pretty good about it.
Mostly Mott’s Fruit Snacks - 1 pouch has 19g total carbs
One or two ucan edge pouches - also 19g total carbs
A couple of mini payday bars - 11g total carbs each

My goal is to use some combination of these three things to hit close to 60g total carbs per hour. Probably saving the ucan for later in the race in case I start feeling dizzy like I did at Wine and Dine.

I will also use saltstik fast chews as needed, but will wait to see what race day weather is like before deciding how many of these I need. Each one only has 1 g carbs, though, so they won’t affect my overall fuel plan.

I think I'm going to look into race walking after Disneyland is done. It's not like I run all that fast anyway, and if it keeps my ankle happier I might end up faster than I am now. Might try race walking the Princess and Springtime 10ks. I know the dynamics are different from running, though, so I will be careful with the transition because the last thing I need is another injury (so help me, if I hurt myself walking...). I'm wondering if I can still do intervals if I race walk. I don't see why I couldn't. So much to learn!

I'm also going to dial up the strength training after Disneyland (I know I keep saying that, but this time I really mean it!). PT says my foot pain is due to weak glutes/core and I have worked on that but obviously what I'm currently doing hasn't been enough so it's time to get serious about it.

 

[superchime]

Dec 25 - 31

Mon - off

Tues - off

Wed - plan: 2 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 0:39:18
2 miles in 39:44

Thurs - plan 1.5 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 0:29:29
1.5 miles in 32:52

Fri - plan 3.25 mile @ 25/30 sec @ 19:15/20:00 paces 1:03:52
My husband and I went for a hike instead. We ended up doing 3 miles. The pace was a bit slower but not bad for the trail we hiked.

Sat - plan 3.75 miles @ 20/30 @ 14:45/20:00 1:05:39
I had hoped to get in one more run this year but it’s just not going to happen. The hay is in the barn.

Sun - rest

I had run a bit in the past, and started running again in the summer of 2022 to train for the 2023 Marathon weekend half, but this was my first full year of running, and my first year of RunDisney races. I learned a lot. I still have a lot to learn. The past couple of weeks notwithstanding, I’m proud of myself for sticking to my training plan and for not getting injured (like I was going into my first half last January). I went from a single half marathon that I wasn’t sure I could finish, to finishing two challenges (Springtime and Wine and Dine). I’ve also gone from rather sedate running outfits to running a race dressed as a spork.

“You’ve done harder things than this on less sleep” is a mantra for me now.

I’ve learned to just put my shoes on and go, even if I don’t feel like running. Sometimes I’ll feel better after I get started, sometimes I won’t but I’ll at least be glad to have done it. I’ve learned about fuel and protein and I’m figuring out what works for me during the early race morning wake ups.

The next year is going to be about continuing to find out what works best for me and trying really hard not to compare myself to others. I’m going to work on realizing when I need to push and when I need to cut myself some slack. I got better at that this year but I still have room to improve, especially where Kung Fu is concerned. It’s ok to skip a class. It’s ok not to do a jump that I know is going to hurt. It’s ok not to be 29 any more.

For a while now I’ve wanted to do Dopey 2025. 48.6 miles when I’m 48.6 years old. I really don’t know if I can do that. On the one hand, I went from not sure I could complete a half marathon in January to finishing two challenges this year. Big, scary goals motivate me. On the other hand, a marathon alone is no small feat. Adding that on top of three other days of early wake ups and races seems like a lot. And it’s a lot of training. I’d have to commit to it fully, and even then I’m worried I’d hurt myself. Then again, failure is an option. There’s no shame in trying really hard to do something and not succeeding. Getting swept isn’t the end of the world. Will I regret it if I don’t even try?

I don’t have to decide right now. Registration isn’t for a few more months. I’ve got time to finish my coast to coast races, start learning how to race walk, try that out during Princess, and see if it seems like an option for me.

Regardless, in 2024 I'm going to get stronger, I'm going to challenge myself, and I’m also going to do a better job of keeping track of my workouts because I have absolutely no idea how many miles I ran this year!

A pic from this week. I finally hung up my medal display!

 

[superchime]

Half half notes

I'm horrible about writing race reports, so I'm just jotting a few notes here that I can maybe (or not) come back and flesh out later.

Planned outfit for this race didn't even make it into the suitcase, and now I'm glad for that decision. I just went with a sparkle skirt and visor.

Half marathon was cut short due to the potential for severe weather at 9am. They started the race 15 min early and wanted the course clear by 8:00.

Up at 2:00, banana and a little coke (this is the combo that's working for me on race mornings! the soda, not the drug) on the bus by 2:45. It wasn't the first bus but they were stacked up and ready to go.

Real bathroom at Epcot, through security, Spaceship Earth selfie, dropped bag at bag check, didn't go to dis meetup because it didn't look like the right place and the corrals were opening soon. Had part of a blueberry muffin in the corral and a ucan just before we started, because why not!

I enjoyed that they started the race earlier. Less time sitting in the corrals is definitely a plus. It was also a bit warm but the breeze was nice, although this was the first time my two-pin bib strategy didn't work out so well.

Since the course was weird anyway, and the first part was all road, I decided to just walk the 5 miles until I got to Epcot, to have a baseline as a potential starting point for future racewalking.

Mile 1 - 16:30 (I did run a bit of this at the beginning until the crowd thinned out)
Mile 2 - 17:05
Mile 3 - 17:29
Mile 4 - 19:05 (bathroom stop)
Mile 5 - 17:18
Mile 6 - 20:52 (another bathroom stop)
Mile 7 - 18:36

I slowed down when I got into Epcot, and even more when it started raining and the ground was slippery in spots. I got to run World Showcase but the course by the new Walt statue was cut when I went by and the last characters were no longer out. It was a pretty steady rain as I crossed the finish line. Kudos to whoever told me to wear a visor because I was very happy with no rain in my face.

Roads weren't super fun, kind of congested, but everyone was cheerful and course support was amazing. So many water stops! So many cheering cast members. I know a lot of people were disappointed to not do the whole distance (and I was bummed not to run through the castle) but I really felt like the people out there today (volunteers and cast members) were doing everything they could to make the best of the situation. As my teen says "it be like that sometimes."

I planned on finishing the miles to make a half but my shoes were wet and I was just kind of done by the time I got on the bus, so I don't consider the medal earned yet. Kind of disappointed in myself for that, so the medal stays in the package.

 

[Scootin'By]

Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to these posts sooner. The last few weeks of the old year and the first few weeks of the new year just fly by.

Christmas is not my favorite time of the year, for... reasons, but this past week was especially bad. I am really looking forward to it not being Christmas.

I hear you. This year was really hard for me too with family stuff going on. We all got through it for another 12 months.

Mon - Kung Fu - not good. Like, really not good. Like, spent most of class in the community center bathroom crying, not good.

Don't you hate when this happens. I was talking with my therapist a few weeks back about something I've talked about a lot over the years and a whole lot of emotion just sort of welled up in me and I started started crying. It took me a good 10 minutes to get it all out and keep going.

A pic from this week. I finally hung up my medal display!

I am very jealous of this medal rack. SO cute!

Up at 2:00, banana and a little coke (this is the combo that's working for me on race mornings! the soda, not the drug) on the bus by 2:45.

2 in the morning?! I am seriously re-thinking signing up for the half marathon next week LOL

Since the course was weird anyway, and the first part was all road, I decided to just walk the 5 miles until I got to Epcot, to have a baseline as a potential starting point for future racewalking.

These are awesome times for run-walking. Great idea!

I planned on finishing the miles to make a half but my shoes were wet and I was just kind of done by the time I got on the bus, so I don't consider the medal earned yet. Kind of disappointed in myself for that, so the medal stays in the package.

You should not be disappointed in yourself. You should be proud! The weather was nasty, the whole race was thrown into chaos 12-hours before the starting gun, it was not what anyone expected, planned for, or thrives in. Pat yourself on the back for making it to the finish line

 

[superchime]

I hear you. This year was really hard for me too with family stuff going on. We all got through it for another 12 months.

Thanks for the replies! <3 This is exactly what I said! One day I'll work through all my "Christmas stuff" but for now I'm just glad to have it over with for another year.

Don't you hate when this happens. I was talking with my therapist a few weeks back about something I've talked about a lot over the years and a whole lot of emotion just sort of welled up in me and I started started crying. It took me a good 10 minutes to get it all out and keep going.

I was so dang frustrated! I knew that what triggered it wasn't the real issue, but I had to sit in there and just deal with it anyway.

I am very jealous of this medal rack. SO cute!

Thanks! I think it came from etsy. I got it for my birthday, which was in June, so I was glad to finally get it on the wall!

2 in the morning?! I am seriously re-thinking signing up for the half marathon next week LOL

Next week's Disneyland half? I'm so looking forward to the "later" start time because, coming from the east coast, I'll feel like I'm sleeping in. For WDW races I just tell myself not to plan on getting any sleep, so whatever I do get feels like a bonus.

These are awesome times for run-walking. Great idea!

Thanks! After Disneyland is over I'll start to play around with my form and see if I can get any faster. For now I'm just watching a bunch of youtube videos.

You should not be disappointed in yourself. You should be proud! The weather was nasty, the whole race was thrown into chaos 12-hours before the starting gun, it was not what anyone expected, planned for, or thrives in. Pat yourself on the back for making it to the finish line

I'm feeling a little better now. I got a button to modify my race shirt.

 

[Scootin'By]

The button is awesome! I love how the CM did the dot as a little Mickey. Leave it to Disney to make lemon meringue out of lemons

 

[superchime]

Adding more info from this weekend. I've just started using Strava, and the pace info it's giving me is very different from what my Apple fitness app says, even though both apps got the info from my Apple watch.

Strava has these splits for me:
Mile 1 - 13:21
Mile 2 - 17:05
Mile 3 - 16:59
Mile 4 - 18:38
Mile 5 - 15:36
Mile 6 - 20:40
Mile 7 - 18:53

For reference, so I have all the numbers in one post, here's what Apple fitness says again:
Mile 1 - 16:30 (I did run a bit of this at the beginning until the crowd thinned out)
Mile 2 - 17:05
Mile 3 - 17:29
Mile 4 - 19:05 (bathroom stop)
Mile 5 - 17:18
Mile 6 - 20:52 (another bathroom stop)
Mile 7 - 18:36

Weird that Mile 2 is exactly the same, and miles 6 and 7 are close to the same.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Adding more info from this weekend. I've just started using Strava, and the pace info it's giving me is very different from what my Apple fitness app says, even though both apps got the info from my Apple watch.

Is your Apple Watch set to auto-pause when you stop moving? Strava typically does that when it imports the data, so it could be giving you moving time and Apple elapsed time. On the other hand, while usually I find them both to be reasonably accurate and similar, sometimes things get wonky if you manually pause your watch and then move before you restart - Strava does not do well with that.

 

[superchime]

I just checked and I don't have auto-pause turned on. That was definitely a good thing to check, though, because this is a new watch. I should have manually paused for the bathroom breaks but I always forget!

In the Strava app I do see moving time and elapsed time, so I guess that's what's happening vs Apple just doing elapsed time. Neat! Thanks for the help!

 

[NYC_MW]

Yep, when importing from my watch (which doesn't have auto-pause turned on), Strava automatically removes any time when I've stopped. Though, if you compare "splits" versus "laps", one has moving pace and the other elapsed pace. Weirdly, if I do actually manually hit the start/stop button on the watch in the middle of the run, Strava no longer automatically removes stops and only has elapsed time .

 

[Scootin'By]

Birthday cake - yep, just like eating a spoonful of icing. I normally love icing but it turns out that’s not what I want when I’m running.

I ordered a box of this on Amazon after Christmas and it finally arrived! Talk about slow shipping. I think a lot of people must have been ordering it for MW

Anyways, today on my maintenance run I tried my first Birthday Cake flavored Gu and you are right! It tastes just like cupcake frosting. The texture is also interesting, eh. It's definitely not a liquid. It's kinda like a piece of gum that has food stuck to it, but not as gross. I managed to get it down while running (success!), but I can't imagine eating three of those flavor on a 10-miler, let alone more for a HM. Have you tried just strawberry or banana or something a bit more plain?

 

[flav]

I ordered a box of this on Amazon after Christmas and it finally arrived! Talk about slow shipping. I think a lot of people must have been ordering it for MW

Anyways, today on my maintenance run I tried my first Birthday Cake flavored Gu and you are right! It tastes just like cupcake frosting. The texture is also interesting, eh. It's definitely not a liquid. It's kinda like a piece of gum that has food stuck to it, but not as gross. I managed to get it down while running (success!), but I can't imagine eating three of those flavor on a 10-miler, let alone more for a HM. Have you tried just strawberry or banana or something a bit more plain?

I have tried them all! Back when the races were canceled, I ordered a trial pack of everything and reported on each of them on these thread. It was an interesting experience

 

[superchime]

The texture is also interesting, eh. It's definitely not a liquid. It's kinda like a piece of gum that has food stuck to it, but not as gross.

A more accurate description has never been written.

I found out this weekend that I like the texture of the the ucan gels better after they've been in my pocket for a few hours, maybe that's the case with Gu as well. I need to get some more flavors to try.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Just be aware for Disney races it is wise not to manually pause your watch if there’s any concern about being swept. Because you’ll influence your race splits and might be deceived about how fast you’re actually moving in real time.

 

[superchime]

Home for two nights, doing laundry and getting a few things done. The flight home last night was very rough at the end. I was glad I had a light lunch.

I'm thinking about my plan for Disneyland. This is the goal race that I've been training for and I would like to beat last year's WDW half time of 3:49:47 (the only other half I've done). I really have no idea how it's going to work out.

Also, I'm running this race for Give Kids the World, so I'm feeling the added pressure of doing well for all of those who donated to my fundraiser!

Mile 1 - looks like all roads leading to the parks. Jumping into running cold after standing around in a corral is just asking for trouble from my knees, so I'll probably hug the curb and do a couple of minutes of fast walking to warm up, then switch to 20:30 intervals so I don't start out too fast.

Miles 2 - 5 - park. Not really sure what this is going to look like, so it's hard to plan. I guess I'll try to run when I can, walk when I have to. Probably stick to the 20:30 intervals? I dunno, though, if it opens up and I can run a bit more maybe I will. Definitely planning on a bathroom break here, too. Looking forward to running through the castle, since I missed that at WDW last weekend.

Miles 6 - 9 - look like all open road. Hoping these won't be too crowded. Planning on switching to 60:30 intervals at this point.

Mile 10 is that bit of trail, which might be a pinch point. I'll continue my intervals if I can, but I'm mentally prepared to have to walk if necessary.

Miles 11 - 13 - more of the same, 60:30 intervals whenever possible.

And, it goes without saying, if I see balloons my plan goes out the window and I'm doing whatever I can to stay ahead of them.

Nutrition: I'm planning on a grocery trip of some sort before I get to my hotel so I should have all of the pre-race foods that I prefer. As far as race day, I'm going to bring one ucan gel for the corrals and then three more for during the race. It's going to be cold so I will have extra pockets. I really like the energy these give me better than the fruit snacks, so I'm going to find a way to carry more this time. I'll make up the difference with fruit snack packets, and probably one mini payday for the end if I need it.

 

[superchime]

Notes about the Disneyland half:

This was my 10th RunDisney race!

I had been trying to stay on east coast time to make the wake up easier. I did have a much easier time falling asleep last night, but around midnight something happened. I think the people in the room next door were taking showers, and the pipes were wailing and honking. This hotel has been great for its proximity to the parks and the races, but it's definitely an older building.

Even with that issue, though, I still managed 6 hours of sleep, which is just unheard of for a Disney race for me. Waking up was fine. Had a banana and very little to drink. I'd been really focusing on hydration in the previous days so that I could worry less about it this morning (and hopefully not need so many potty stops).

Security was better than I hear it was for previous days, so that was good, but we immediately got split into corrals so I didn't make it to the meetup. I don't think I even saw the meetup area until the end of the race. I brought a mylar poncho, hot hands, gloves, a blanket, and a hoodie that I was prepared to toss. All of these were very needed and appreciated (thanks past-self!).

I like the corral arrangement, without the WDW shuffle and turns towards the start, but the corrals weren't big enough. We were made to stand up well before anyone really wanted to, so they could squeeze more people into the back of our corral. Also no trash cans or bins for donations.

Weird delay at the start, but eventually we were off. The first mile always stinks. I don't know why, but I'm just always in a negative headspace. My heart rate was also really high. 170 just sitting in the corral. Thanks anxiety. I knew I didn't have much to work with if it was that high before I even started.

Made it to the parks and started my 30/30 intervals as I could. The photopass person was fussing with his camera when I ran out of the castle, so no castle photo for me this year. The mile 3 water stop was a special experience. Who thought that was a good idea?

I knew with how fast they were releasing corrals that I wasn't going to have much of a buffer between myself and the balloons. I did make two potty stops while in the parks, but I didn't really stop for anything else. As a result I didn't really enjoy my park time all that much. It was also kind of crowded and I was worried about my heart rate and... meh.

Coming out of the parks the 3:20 pace group surrounded me and I just jumped in and turned off my brain. And this was what I did for the rest of the race. I've never run with a pace group before but it was great. I especially appreciated not needing to worry about moving to the right when I walked because I was in a clump of people who were all doing exactly the same thing.

I hoped that being with the pace group would let me relax enough that my heart rate might drop a little. That didn't happen, but it didn't go much higher, so I'm still calling it a win. I wasn't out of breath at really any point, I definitely wasn't working at what 170 feels like to me on a normal day. (For reference 150 is usually an aerobic hr for me, 170 is getting close to VO2 max).

And that's really it. At the end I realized that I was close to finishing in 3:30 (a 20 min PR for me) so I gave it a little gas and made it in 3:29:46.

Other than the heart rate, everything else was fine. I definitely preferred the ucan gels to the fruit snacks. Got a little side stitch at one point and took in a bit more water and it went away. Also had weird top of foot pain on both feet, which is new for me. They still don't feel great. Doesn't feel like anything is broken but they're tender. Shoes and socks weren't new. I did run with bows clipped to my laces, though, and I use caterpy laces so maybe they couldn't stretch as much as they usually do? I tried the bows on a training run but not for 13 miles.

I don't know that I need to do another Disneyland half. The roads were not super exciting, although I did appreciate the cars and bands and people who came out. I did not enjoy the trail or the parking lots. Got a little taste of Blizzard Beach there, didn't I marathoners? They also had a lot of hazards and I saw so many people fall! I would come back for a 10k in a few years, though, so I can really enjoy a run through the parks. But that's not super high on my list right now.

I've never run with a pace group before, so maybe this sort of camaraderie is standard, but I was super impressed by how many people in our group were helping out. Someone would spot an obstacle (like train tracks) and the call would ripple through the group. There were also helpful calls of "caution athletes, sharp turn ahead" and jokes about the course and so on. Everyone seemed to be looking out for each other and I wasn't sure if that was specific to this race or pace group, or if that's just how things are when you run with a group.

I am thrilled with these splits (miles 2 and 4 included potty stops and the mile marker 3 logjam) and can not say enough wonderful things about the plan that DopeyBadger wrote for me. Just coming into this weekend uninjured was enough of a win over last year, but these splits are icing (or birthday cake flavored Gu) on the cake.

 

[azrivest]

Congratulations on the PR!

I appreciate yours and everyone's honest opinion. I was pondering the Halloween races but now I'll wait a few years for them to work out the kinks. It seemed like the courses were better at DL but everything else is better at WDW

 

[superchime]

Congratulations on the PR!

I appreciate yours and everyone's honest opinion. I was pondering the Halloween races but now I'll wait a few years for them to work out the kinks. It seemed like the courses were better at DL but everything else is better at WDW

Thank you!

Yeah, definitely room for improvement. I hope they send out surveys!

 

[superchime]

Major points for Disneyland as a park for hand sanitizer everywhere! And they’re not empty!

 

[NYC_MW]

Congrats on the PR!