Running Recap

My first run of the week was on Tuesday. I contemplated going Monday, but decided that I wanted to spend time with my family so I went Tuesday after work at my parents house. I started out going my normal route, but then decided to cross the street so that I could have a slightly different course. I can't even tell you what a difference it made to just be one block over.

The plan was to turn at the normal street in order to get back on track and to continue running the 2.2 mile route. But I felt great and I wanted to keep going. So I did by turning left instead of right. This course would include a lot more hills, but what the heck. I love hills!

I was running along, doing my thing, clearly not paying as much attention as I should have. I ended up running right past a bee hive, which was located at the base of a light pole. So I was literally running through it. My watch beeped at me to walk, but I just kept running. When I finally felt like I had gone far enough I started walking, but I could still hear buzzing. I couldn't figure out where the bee was until I looked back and saw that the sleeve of my shirt was moving.

The bee had found it's way inside of my shirt...

One of my fitness/running goals is to eventually be confident enough with my body that I would be able to run on a hot day in just a sports bra and running shorts/pants.

I may not have been confident, but I don't believe I have ever taken my shirt off as fast as I did. I shook my shirt out and the bee flew away. I lucked out that 1. I wasn't stung and 2. That only one car had the unfortunate experience of seeing me in my sports bra and running pants.

I continued on my run without any more excitement. I feel like it was a good run with a pretty good average pace.

Distance: 4.23mi
Time: 52:33
Avg Pace: 12:25
Elevation Gain: 307ft
Mile 1- 11:57
Mile 2- 12:16
Mile 3- 12:42
Mile 4- 12:27
Mile 0.23- 7:53
Temperature: 72*, 73% humidity

I decided to run again on Wednesday. We were going to go to dinner with the family for our weekly trivia night. The restaurant is probably less than a mile away if I take the shortest path. I decided, however to go the long way around and make it worth my time.

It was definitely a good use of my time and I'm really glad I decided to run there.

Distance: 2.56mi
Time: 30:31
Avg Pace: 11:54
Elevation Gain: 264ft
Mile 1- 11:48
Mile 2- 11:41
Mile 0.56- 7:02
Temperature: 73*, 73% humidity

Patrick and I had plans Friday afternoon so I decided to take the whole day off of work. This gave Patrick and I a chance to take Isabel to school together. Since Patrick's schedule didn't really work to my advantage to run this weekend I decided I would run after dropping Isabel off at school. The first two miles were a little rough with some shin/calf pain as well as a little ache in my knee. It went away though and I feel like I did well in staying strong and slowing down. I'm still not quite where I want to be speed wise on my long distance runs, but I'm learning to listen to my body and let the time figure itself out.

I have a mile time in mind that I would prefer to stay under so anything under that is fine by me, especially since I'm going to need to hold that time for 13-26 miles while in a race.

Distance: 5.17mi
Time: 1:06:04
Avg Pace: 12:47
Elevation Gain: 136ft
Mile 1- 12:31
Mile 2- 12:54
Mile 3- 13:14
Mile 4- 12:41
Mile 5- 12:28
Mile 0.17- 2:14
Temperature: n/a

As soon as I got home from my run Friday morning I really wanted to go out and run again. My next opportunity was Saturday morning, but I wasn't sure what time we would be home from the concert. We ended up getting home after midnight and I didn't fall asleep until close to 1am, however I had already made plans to wake up at 630am and head out for my run.

The course was from my apartment to my niece's soccer game. I mapped it out on map my run and it totaled just over 5 miles. I figured it would be a good distance to run again and since it was my first time running that distance two days in a row it would give me a small idea as to what training for Dopey would be like (on a much smaller scale).

I woke up early and headed out. The course was simple. All I had to do was stay on the wash the entire time and when it ends I would be about a block away from the soccer fields. Unfortunately, and I have no idea how this happened, I ended up going the wrong way. I would love to walk the course again in a few days to see where I should have gone because I've done this run before and I have zero idea as to what happened. Anyways, the run ended up being 6.65 miles due to this little detour.

I felt great. The first mile or two was a little rough starting out. I felt stiff and obviously pretty tired, but I did it and I feel great that I did.

It's weird thinking that I'll be adding another 20 miles on top of that 6 mile run. I often think about that when I'm running and I really need to be kinder to myself. I have to realize that taking two months off means that I am starting over completely. My fitness level is not the same and I have to reteach my body how to run for this amount of time and for these distances. It doesn't take away what I've already done and it doesn't mean that I won't be able to do it again. All that it means is that I have to take training seriously in order to make it.

Distance: 6.65mi
Time: 1:25:04
Avg Pace: 12:48
Elevation Gain: 300ft
Mile 1- 12:43
Mile 2- 13:06
Mile 3- 13:12
Mile 4- 12:44
Mile 5- 12:45
Mile 6- 12:13
Mile 0.65- 8:17
Temperature: 64*, 94% humidity

My Current Top Ten Future Running Goals

1. Finish 12 or more half or full marathons in 2014.

2. Complete the Dopey Challenge in 2015.

3. Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge in 2015 (Dopey and Dumbo).

4. Volunteer at nearby races.

5. Run consistent sub 9 minute miles.

6. Run a 5K straight through.

7. PR my 10K time (currently 1:15:00)

8. Run a marathon in another state.

9. Run at least 1 mile (intervals) every day for a year.

10. Complete a 50K.

Uh Oh...

Rachel and I participated in the Disney half marathon last year and although it has been the most expensive half marathon I have finished, it is also up there for one of the best. Definitely worth the money.

Which is why I put the Goofy Challenge on my bucket list. It was a new challenge, it was exciting and it was something that was worth spending the money on to me. Well, something that was worth saving the money for.

Then this year they added the 10K, which means they added a new challenge. Obviously you know what I'm talking about.

It was pretty obvious to me that after completing the Dopey Challenge (pending I get a spot- which is my number one concern) that I would sign up for the Disney half marathon in September in order to get the Coast-to-Coast medal.

I found out a couple days ago that they have added an extra challenge to the Disney race in September.

It is called the Dumbo Double Dare. 10K on Saturday, half marathon on Sunday. Nothing compared to Dopey. And pretty obvious that this is one challenge that has to be accepted.

I mean, come on!

Completing all 6 races will result in a total of 10 medals.. 10! 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey, 10K, Half, Dumbo and Coast to Coast. And that's nothing compared to the experiences I'll have during the races.

This may be the second time I plan on having my racing memorabilia professionally put into a shadow box. The first will be (has yet to be, but sometime soon I hope) my first marathon. I can't just allow 10 Disney medals to be put aside. That needs to be displayed.

Dopey Challenge Training

I wanted to know how much time I needed to set aside to train for Dopey.

I went looking on the runDisney website and found a great training schedule by the one and only Jeff Galloway.

This is the training program I plan to follow for Dopey. training will begin the middle of June next year. A year away.

It gives me a lot to think about. There is a lot I would like to accomplish between now and next June, both physically and financially. 

I would like to be in better shape before starting to train and with the way weight loss has been going this go around it may be awhile before I see any progress. 

I am hoping that if I continue to run daily then I should easily earn about $100 a month to put towards my Dopey Challenge Savings. I just have to really focus on getting the daily workouts in and I know as soon as I go back to work and start up my daily walks again on top of my daily run it will be no problem making it to $100 a month.

I'm getting excited to start focusing again on training and when Dopey training starts it's going to be a busy and stressful six months. I think the important thing is to make sure everyone is 100% on board with it. The training doesn't just impact me, it impacts my entire family but especially my mom and Patrick. They are the two people who help me the most during training and are always available to help watch Isabel and to provide support along the way. I do not know what I would do without them.

Training is going to be taking up a lot of time, so it's important to make sure my priorities are straight going into it. There's going to be no point starting the training if I start skipping scheduled workouts like I sometimes tend to do. I think that as long as I keep the goal in the front of my mind then nothing can steer me off course.

And of course, there's no guarantee that I will get a spot in the race. From what I can tell this year Dopey filled up fast. I need to keep an eye and ear open to know exactly when registration is and be ready to get my spot as soon as it opens. I really can't imagine anything worse than looking forward to a race only to have it be full when you go to register. And that is my number one fear for Dopey.

I won't say that I don't fear the distance, but I'd rather look at it like a challenge than a fear. If I fear it then I have a greater chance of not completing it. And I'm sure the fear will truly set in after I pay the registration fee and am actually starting to train for it...

Running Without Music

When I first started running on my own to train for my first mud run I used music. Every single run. It was part of my running gear to have my iPod in hand and I couldn't make it through a run without it. I realized early on during that race that it was not a smart idea to train with music if you can't use it on race day.

It was back then that I started using intervals without realizing that it was thing. I would run a song, walk a song and repeat. It was tough and it made me hate running and I would dread any scheduled run. It was not fun.

When we started training for the LA Marathon almost three years ago, I started out using music. It didn't take long before I realized that I could run without using music and quickly trained myself to run anything under 13.1 miles without music. It wasn't too difficult after getting used to it and I am really grateful that I am able to run for long distances without that tool.

I'm mostly grateful for it because I am able to use it as a tool. I was able to run both the 26 Angel Run and this years LA Marathon without music for more than half of each race. In being able to do this I gave myself an extra boost when I started listening to the music and it really helped me get past some mental walls.

The last time I updated my iPod I got rid of my running play list. I don't know why other than I didn't have any plans on running any distances over 13.1 miles. Then I decided that I was going to run the Dopey Challenge. I knew that at some point during the four day race I was going to need some help, most likely on the last day during the marathon.

So I updated my play list. As of right now I have 114 songs on my running play list. It consists mostly of Britney Spears, Ke$ha, The Black Eyed Peas (no shame!) and a bunch of other music that has a good beat that will keep someone pumped up while putting their body and mind through hell. This play list will last a little over 7 hours and should be more than enough to get me through the Disney weekend. I'm sure it will change between now and that weekend, but for now I'm happy with it and will use it when needed during the training process.

Another suggestion I've heard before is to download an audio book. It is supposed to distract you enough while running so that you're focusing on the words of the book and not about the pain you may be feeling or the distance you have left. I have not tried this yet, but it might not be a bad idea to have the option on my iPod.

2014 Running Goal

Since 2013 is already half over and I have my running goal decided for 2015 (Dopey Challenge in January and Disneyland Half in September), I needed something for 2014, you know, other than just training..

So when my sister asked if I was planning on signing up to run the LA Marathon again next year I quickly decided to do it. Along with 11 other races through out the year. 

I am planning on signing up for one race a month for the 2014 calendar year. They will most likely all be half marathons with the exception of LA in March. 

I have never done this money races in a year and I am really excited to attempt it. Having races lines up keeps me motivated and focused and I am starting to get excited again. 

This is a great time for me to make this goal for many reasons. First of all, I am finally 100% debt free. I have paid off the rest of my debt and Patrick is finishing up with his. Once we are both out of debt we will focus more on saving for a house, but that is still a little ways off. Secondly, the races are still far enough away that I am paying the least expensive price. Races tend to raise their prices the closer you get to race day, so as long as I am paying attention to sign up dates, I won't be paying an arm and a leg. 

I'm really excited to run in a race again. The spectators, the race day experience and of course the bling are so worth it, in my opinion. Plus I have to go out with a bang!

I don't plan to stop running or stop racing entirely, but after Dopey, it would be financially wise for me to cut back to 1-3 races per year. It only makes sense to run all the races now and make it through Dopey while I can afford it. You know, before we buy a house and we're putting all of our money towards that.

Plus, I think I have decided that in order to be a surrogate I need to do it in good conscience. In order to do that then I need to be selfish now. I want to finish my running goals before I can commit my body to someone else. I know that it is selfish of me to wait to do this, but I know that if I don't take care of me first then I'm not going to be much help to anyone else, especially my own family. Thankfully I didn't get into the process too far before making this decision and I know that when the time is right to be a surrogate then it will happen.

Saturday Morning Running Recap

It's been a few weeks since I have stuck with my scheduled long run. I know that in order for me to improve my running then I need to actually go for my run.

Today was an easy 3 mile run, 2 miles using intervals and a 1 mile run to continue the streak.

I felt tired just setting my alarm last night for 6:30, already dreading the early morning annoyance of that dreaded beeping sound. But, after pressing the snooze button twice, it wasn't that difficult to get myself up out of bed and dressed for my run. I kept telling myself that I would feel great when I got back, I just had to get myself out the door first.

The first two miles felt faster than they actually were. I didn't experience too much pain like I normally do the first few miles, so I was a little disappointed when the time showed up as 13:59 for mile one and 14:04 for mile two. My goal was to run both miles under 14 minutes because I wanted to increase my time on the running interval to 45 seconds, but I wanted to earn it.

That's not to say that I can't just up the time, but I think I'm going to keep it at 30:1 intervals until I can successfully run two miles using intervals under 14 minutes each. This could be tomorrow, sometime next week or on my long run next Saturday. Who knows! All I do know is that I am really loving my me time out there running and I am excited to keep up with my schedule.

I can definitely tell a difference in my legs. They are getting stronger and I am really excited to see the difference physically. I missed these runners legs the last few months and I am proud of what I've been doing to get them back to where they were and then some.

I really do miss being able to run 11-13 minute miles consistently. I know this is slow to some people, but it was fast for me and I can't wait to work my way back to that. I know that when I do up my running interval time I will be running faster miles just based on the fact that I'll be running farther per mile than I am now. I need to learn patience...

Mile 1- 13:59
Mile 2- 14:04
Mile 3- 11:13
Mile 0.24- 3:15

Total distance: 3.24 miles
Total time: 42:48

Today's run brings my Dopey Challenge Savings to a total of $63.52, which I think is pretty awesome since I've only been at this for a little less than a month.

I started thinking about the Dopey Challenge while out there today and was getting excited thinking about making a training schedule. There are going to be a lot of miles happening next year and I am really excited for the physical and mental challenge. I know it's crazy to start thinking about already since it's a year and a half away, but this is my purpose for running right now and I can only hope that I get a chance to run it.

Running Stickers

I take pride in running. And I'm one of those annoying runners that puts stickers  and license plate frames on my car so that everyone knows what I am and what I've done.

My license plate frame is from my mom. She gave it to me after completing our first marathon. It's says "The pain is temporary, pride lasts forever." I love it. I doubt I'll take it off any time soon.

The first sticker I received and put on my car was for my first half marathon. Patrick surprised Rachel and me at the finish line with our 13.1 sticker. It went on my car immediately. I thought that it was the sweetest thing for him to do for us. It meant so much that he cared enough to do this because he usually doesn't do surprises and when he tries I tend to ruin them. It means that he knows how much running means to me.



Then my parents got us a 26.2 sticker along with the license plate frame. That also went on the back window as soon as I got home. I love having these stickers on my car and what I love even more is when I see another car with the same stickers. It's just one way to know you're part of something bigger in this world. 

That same day I also got a sticker from my niece. It meant a lot to me that she would pick something out for me. She saw it and thought of me and what I had trained so hard to do. Since that first marathon she has shown an interest in running as well, running her first 5K with her mom last year and asking if she can run a half marathon with us sometime in the future. 

I can't wait to finish the Dopey Challenge so that I can add a 48.6 mile sticker to my collection. This is such an amazing way to push myself and the ultimate goal that I can put my body through. I know there are many MANY more intense ways of pushing yourself, but for me this is what I feel I can do to push myself without injury and without going completely broke.

I think that in order to give back to Patrick for all of the support he has shown me I want to get him this sticker. He is not a runner and never will be, it just doesn't interest him. But he's been there to rub my calves, watch Isabel while I'm out running, usually at the finish line and always there for the emotional and mental support I need after a difficult run. There is no one I'd rather tell about my running experiences and no one I'd rather run to when finishing a race. I sometimes wish he was out there running with me, but this is my hobby. He can have his golf while I have running. It makes it more exciting when we can talk about the things we love, even if they are completely different.

Paying for the Dopey Challenge

A couple years ago I started training for my first marathon. I was running anywhere from 10-30 miles a week, not to mention the additional miles I was walking.

At that time I was also doing Weight Watcher's and was finding myself drifting off plan. I needed something to bring me back on track to reach my goal weight and become a lifetime member. 

One day I was on the Weight Watcher's message boards and saw someone suggest that you pay yourself $1 for every pound lost or 25 cents for every activity point earned or every 100 calories burned. This way it was even more of an incentive to stay on plan or to go for a workout.

For me I decided to use this idea to pay myself $1 for every mile that I ran and/or walked with the intentions of going on a shopping spree with the money I had earned. I felt this plan to be manageable financially and it gave me the push I needed to literally go the extra mile.

I reached my goal weight and allowed myself to use the $1000 I had earned on myself with a shopping spree for new clothes to fit my new, smaller body. I had a blast treating myself and I felt like I had earned everything that I bought.

I tried this same tactic when I decided that I wanted to do the Goofy Challenge. It was a way to pay for the trip without feeling guilty and instead feeling like I earned it. But that quickly ended when I realized that there were a lot of other things I needed the money for at the time.

But I'm back to this same money saving tactic. I feel like it's such a positive way to save money. It puts focus on how I'm saving and spending the money. I'm not just spending money on a race, a flight and a hotel. I'm earning that trip and I'm earning the entry into the race. It makes me want to stick with my planned run and walks and it makes me want to go just a little bit further.

I know that I will not be near where I need to be to pay for the race, flight, hotel and extra money for food and miscellaneous items, but I know that if I try my hardest and can earn at least half of what I plan on spending for this trip then it will be worth it.

I highly recommend this way of saving for people who are in need of that little push to get themselves moving, or for those who feel guilty spending money on themselves like I do. It's such a great way to earn what you want by benefiting in other healthy ways.

So get out there and start moving in order to start saving!

I'm Not Goofy, I'm Dopey!

It's been almost two years since I heard about the Goofy Challenge. It didn't take me long to decide that I would, without a doubt, complete this race at some point in my life. I was so sure that I put it on my bucket list.

I started saving for it by paying myself $1 for every 1 mile I walked and/or ran.

Then something happened and I needed to use part of that savings. Then I needed to buy gifts for my bridesmaids for the wedding and ended up wiping out all of that savings. I tried to pay myself back little by little, but things would come up and that would be the first place I would go.

Then I got into this little kick about saving as much as I can and paying off as much debt as I can. I came to the decision that I would not be running The Goofy Challenge any time soon. I really think that it was the best decision for me at the time.

I thought that something like The Goofy Challenge is something that will have to wait until after we have a house and other things that we need as a married couple. Not something I want as a runner. But the dream of running it wasn't gone, just put on hold for a while.

And then I received an email from my sister with the following:
Dopey Challenge - for the ultimate endurance test, sign up for the all-new Dopey Challenge where registrants will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon. In addition to earning the four race medals, Dopey Challenge participants who complete all four races will also receive the Goofy Challenge and all-new Dopey Challenge Finisher Medals for a grand total of six pieces of "bling!"

I decided to not do the goofy challenge in 2014 for financial reasons, but now that I am out of credit card debt and we are actively saving for a house, I want to run Dopey in 2015. Plenty of time to train and save. I figure that as long as I continue to save a small amount per paycheck then I should be able to easily reach my goal.

I've added a visual tracker to watch my progress as I work on saving up enough money for the races, a flight and a hotel. Since I don't want to travel alone (or complete this race without some mental, emotional and physical support), I'll need to save up enough money for Patrick to go with me.

I think that this will be my ultimate physical challenge and I can't wait to prove to myself that I have the discipline to train for it and the stamina to complete it! It's going to be one heck of a journey for the next year and a half, but I couldn't imagine a better physical and mental test to put myself through.

I'm not crazy or even goofy. I'm freaking dopey!!

Defining the Dopey Challenge

According to The Free Dictonary, dopey is defined as:

 

dop·ey also dop·y

adj. dop·i·er, dop·i·est

1. Dazed or lethargic, as if drugged.

2. Stupid; doltish

3. Silly; foolish

According to the most magical place on earth, dopey is defined as:

An ultimate endurance challenge.

A four day, 48.6 mile race.

Participants will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon

and if you complete all four races within the pacing requirements

you will be awarded the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge medal

and the brand new Dopey Challenge finisher medal

for a total of six pieces of "bling."

 

According to me, dopey is defined as:

wanting nothing more than to complete the dopey challenge

planning on spending a lot of money on four races, hotel and flight

being over prepared for a race in 2015

having a slight obsession/extreme dedication to making this happen



image from Disney Wikia



This is the first year the Dopey Challenge has been introduced as part of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Meaning this particular race is already sold out, and sign ups have only been open for a month...

 

This is only one of a few reasons as to why I'm not running this race until 2015.
It's also only one of many reasons as to why I plan on running this race in 2015.