My Journey to 50 miles (2nd attempt)... (comments welcome)

[disneygpa]

The moving van is on its way! We won't be leaving until Thursday after I get released from work. We are taking a slightly more scenic route to get to FL with stops in Reno, Vegas, and St. Louis. Stopping to see family and friends along the way.

Running unfortunately has suffered severely. Not only have I been crazy busy at the apartment, but I also haven't been feeling all that well. Turns out even though I'm vaccinated I ended up with a mild case of covid. Lost my sense of smell/taste, have a mild cough but worst of all is the fatigue. Dang, I did everything to avoid this. Wore the mask everywhere I was supposed to, got the shot, washed my hands, blah, blah, blah... still got it. Must have been during traveling sometime. I really didn't think I was sick until I couldn't taste anything. Never had a fever or aches or anything else.

Retirement paperwork is coming along nicely. One thing I thought was funny. I have to provide a copy of my marriage certificate to the retirement office. Interesting that the company has been paying for Donna's benefits for almost 30 years and NOW they want proof that we are actually married. Go figure.....

I think I'm going to shelve running until we are settled in FL. It's killing me to not run but I really think I gotta get over this cough and fatigue before I try again. And even then I'll probably start with some long walks and see how it goes.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Lots going on in your life right now. Running will be there for you when the time comes. Heal up and good luck with the move!

 

[disneygpa]

Lots going on in your life right now. Running will be there for you when the time comes. Heal up and good luck with the move!

Thanks Coach! I'll be back for sure!! Maybe by then, I'll know my new work schedule and I can start a new training plan for something!!

 

[disneygpa]

Well.... today is the day. I retire from the Boeing company after 30ish years. I really have mixed emotions about this. I'm not going to miss the company at all. I feel like they have gone downhill in their maintenance of the plant over the years. But, I'm REALLY going to miss the folks I worked with that helped to make it tolerable and sometimes fun! So many smart talented people that I have learned from and mentored over the years.

I'm hoping this next chapter being surrounded by the kids/grandkids will continue to be rewarding and challenging. I probably won't be on here much over the next couple of weeks. I'll definitely catch up on all your training when I return!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congratulations!

 

[disneygpa]

Wow! 5 weeks since an update. Things have been going pretty well!!!

Road trip across the country went well. Didn’t get to see all the things we wanted to see. But that’s ok. It gives us an excuse for another trip.

Started at Universal, that’s been fun. I’m learning the controls for Rockit. I love learning new things. It’s gonna take awhile to get it all down. Toughest part is being on graveyard again. That first night back after the weekend is brutal. So far, I gotta say Universal is looking like a better company than my previous employer!! Btw… if you’re visiting and you want a day at Universal, message me. I get comp tickets and may have them available.

If you follow me on Strava, you’ve seen that training has been pretty hit and miss. Running down here is brutal compared to Seattle. I don’t think we have had a T&D less than 150 since I’ve been here. Ran on a treadmill the other day and that was dreadful. I think I’d rather run in the heat and humidity.

Donna and I signed up for the Princess half. So now that we have a goal maybe I can be more focused on training. Weather should start getting a little better soon and running outside won’t be quite as tough.

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

 

[disneygpa]

Just put this over in the marathon thread, but figured I’d mention it here. I have 3 comp passes for Universal that have to be used before January 10th. If you are local to Orlando or you can use them before the 10th shoot me a messpage.

As far as running goes, we were doing pretty good with training for Princess until last week. Donna got some pain in her hip that has slowed things down. And now I have a wicked cold (not Covid) that I’m trying to get over. Up until those hiccups we were coming right along! We’ll get back on the horse as soon as I’m done coughing up my lungs!!!

 

[disneygpa]

Well, I'm back! 14 months since I dropped in on this journal.

So, what's been going on? I've been living the vacation lifestyle in FL! Too much food, drinking and laying around on beaches!

I've actually been pretty bad as far as running goes, I'd get on a kick and be consistent for a week or two and then fall off the wagon again. It's really started to show. I've packed on about 10lbs and really felt like I was wasting a lot of the years I have left being lazy(again).

I did manage to run the Goggins 4X4X48 challenge last year with my son in law and youngest daughter. Probably one of the most mentally taxing things I've ever done.

I left working at Universal. I was working the graveyard shift and it just wasn't healthy for me. Then went to work at Lockheed and found that to be quite slow. Not much of a challenge. So I stumbled onto this gig at Port Canaveral. I work on the passenger boarding bridges. Pretty cool stuff if you're a tech. It's a lot more interesting than Lockheed and I'm closer to home, better hours and better pay!!! All in all a much better situation. Only real downside is we start at 0530. Which means I'm back to wee hour running!! That's not necessarily a bad thing in FL where T&D can be in the 150's at 0330.

Behind the scenes I've been talking with Billy @DopeyBadger about how I get back to at least close to where I was and I think we have a plan. Going to start adding miles slowly and run the Rock n Roll half in Clearwater the first part of Oct. Then start another plan to run the Forgotten Florida 50 mile race in February.

I really miss trail running and this race is almost at my back door, so it makes good sense to train for it on the trails.

If anyone has any trail running experience, or hiking for that matter, in FL feel free to drop any hints or tips in here! There are so many things in FL that can hurt you, I'm gonna need all the help I can get down here!!

 

[disneygpa]

First day of my brand spanking new training plan! Thanks Billy!!

Plan was 3 miles at my new very disappointing EA pace of 14:47 T&D adjusted to 15:14.



Had a bit of a rough time getting my Garmin started. I guess it's been so long since I ran a run on my calendar that I forgot how to start my watch.

Anyhow, paces were a little fast considering T&D but overall I'm happy with them. Could/should have been a touch slower.

 

[disneygpa]

Wednesday, hit the gym with Donna for our workout.

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Squats
Lat Pull-down (because I can't do a pull up yet!)
Bent over row

Thursday morning 3 miles @ EA T&D 65+57=122 pace should have been ~ 15:01



I'm pretty happy with this effort. It was easy and other than being dreadfully slow it was pleasant.

 

[disneygpa]

Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday.

EA, LR, EA

T&D 129, 135, 136







All of these were pretty good runs. A little fast considering T&D but all comfortable and easy.

Looking forward to Thursday's M Tempo run!

Got to spend the weekend up in St Augustine watching the grandson & granddaughter play ball. Then had a bbq and played catch with the oldest grandson. That's my kinda weekend right there.

 

[disneygpa]

As expected this was a fun run! I like when I get to run a little (just a little faster).

T&D 72+68 = 140

Paces were a little too fast given the T&D but not too too fast. Plus to be honest I don't think I can run any slower on my WU pace. Nothing really of note other than it's already getting warm and muggy here in FL.

 

[nancipants]

Nothing really of note other than it's already getting warm and muggy here in FL.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[disneygpa]

Thursday afternoon weight session.

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Squats
Lat Pull-down (because I can't do a pull up yet!)
Bent over row

Saturday morning 3 miles @ EA.

T&D 72+66= 138 EA pace should have been around 15:14



Another pleasant morning for a run. First mile was a little fast but the last 2 were pretty good!

It really feels good to have a training plan. I feel far more committed to it than when I just tell myself I gotta get up and run "x" miles in the morning. Thanks for the help, Billy!! @DopeyBadger

Got off work early yesterday. So, I went home and surprised Donna. We got ready and hit the beach for some much-needed surf and sand. Then had lunch at a local brewery. The make some really good and interesting beers!! Had an appetizer called Thai Toast. It is toast (obviously) with peanut butter, honey, siracha, cilantro, crushed peanuts and a lime wedge. I know it sounds a little crazy, but it was actually pretty dang good!!! Then we had a delicious Cuban sandwich and a side Ceasar salad. Great way to spend a surprise day off!!

 

[disneygpa]

Sunday LR T&D = 118 Pace should have been 13:34 ish.

We were up at the kids place in St Augustine for Easter and to celebrate the youngest granddaughter's 7th birthday. It was chilly for FL! I don't remember the exact temp but it was cold and wet. Pacing was a little fast but it was comfortable and felt good to go a little further than I have been running.




Tuesday morning EA T&D = 127 corrected pace 15:05

Nothing to note really. It was a pleasant morning. A little bit on the breezy side. But overall pretty nice!

A little too fast on the first mile, but mile 2 and 3 were ok.

 

[disneygpa]

Tuesday after work.

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Squats
Lat Pull-down (because I can't do a pull up yet!)
Bent over row

Wednesday- core workout

Thursday morning. T&D 71+67=138

Corrected paces WU 16:15, M 12:42


This run felt good! A little fast on my WU/recovery paces but the M paces were pretty dang good! Weather looked a little sketchy on the weather app, but fortunately I got out in between the rains!

 

[disneygpa]

Skipped the gym Thursday afternoon thinking we would go Friday and there wouldn't be anyone there since it was Friday. Well that was a mistake. It was actually busier than on Thursday. No worries, we got our workout in and enjoyed it!

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Leg Press
Lat Pull-down
Bent over row

Saturday morning 3 miles @ EA run forgot to record T&D but I'm sure it was around 136





Sunday morning 5.5 miles @ LR T&D 136 when I left and 141 when I finished. Was nice to run a little further today! I can't even remember when the last time I ran 5.5. It was fun to go a little farther!!




Tuesday morning 3 miles @ EA. T&D 112. What a great morning for a run! Temp cooled down to 57 and that made for a great morning!



That should get me up to date. Gonna hit the gym again tonight!

 

[disneygpa]

Tuesday afternoon gym workout.

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Leg Press
Lat Pull-down
Bent over row

Seeing some strength gains in the gym. Weights are trending upward for working sets.

Wednesday core workout and nice long walk with Donna. 2.58 miles.

Thursday morning 10k interval run. This was fun!!
T&D 127, so not a bad morning for a run.
10k pace should have been around 11:32 and WU pace should have been around 16:06. Pacing wasn't horrible, but not great either.



Heading back to the gym for more strength training tonight.

@DopeyBadger Hey Billy! So, Donna has decided she'd like to start doing some run intervals instead of just walks. Given her IT band issues lately, I'm thinking we should start off with very short run intervals. I was thinking 30 sec runs 60 second walk intervals and only on the flat ground for now. We would slowly build the run intervals up every couple of weeks until she's back to 90 sec run 60 sec walks. It would only be for 2.5 or so miles 3 or 4 times a week to start. First, does this sound reasonable to get her going again and second does this change my training plan in any way?

 

[disneygpa]

Thursday night at the gym.

All exercises are 3 sets of 3-5 reps.
Deadlift
Bench Press
Leg Press
Lat Pull-down
Bent over row

Felt a little strain in my right groin doing leg presses. Decided to shut that down after my second set. Still a little tender and I have some bruising, but that might be from rubbing on it. It's feeling better now (Saturday) just a little tender. Decided to go ahead with my EA run and doesn't feel like it aggravated it. I'll decide on lifting come Tuesday afternoon on my next workout in the gym.

Saturday's EA run T&D = 138 EA paces should have been 15:14. I'm happy to say I kept pretty close to this and it felt like an easy run!





Super excited for my M tempo run tomorrow. We'll see how the groin holds up during a little faster running.

 

[disneygpa]

Sunday's M tempo run was great! I was a little faster than I should have been. But it felt great! Groin is still a little iffy but isn't interfering with my runs. On the other hand I've gotten some sort of pain in my left foot. It's just below the inner ankle and it kinda feels bruised. Doesn't really bother me when I run, but if I put my foot down just right I can feel it. Might take it easy on the leg press this week and see how it goes.

T&D 133, paces should have been M tempo 12:38, WU/CD 16:10

Given the T&D I was probably too fast.



Taking it easy today. We don't have any plans so I think a chill on the sofa day might be good with my minor ailments.