This midweek update is brought to you by the letter “R” for RUN!
So far my official training (all 3 days of it) is going well. This training cycle I’m adding more back-to-back runs during the week and slowly increasing my overall training volume as I inch toward the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. It’s hard to believe I’ll be back for my fourth trip around the world in just over 111 days!
Training on Tuesday was a 3 mile run. I pushed the speed on this shorter run so I was running at a sub 9-minute/mile pace except for the warm up. I also managed to get an extra 1.5 miles of walking on campus going to my classes. I am working on my PhD in Education so I park as far away as possible from the building where my classes are held so I can get just a bit more of a calorie burn for Tuesdays. These little things that we can do to add miles here and there are important. The only time I don’t do this is if I am on a rest day.
Training this morning was a 5 mile run. I kept it at a 10-minute/mile pace until the last mile then dropped to a ~9min pace. I plan on doing an Insanity Plyometrics video once I get the kids off to school then it’s time to get down to the work day.
So here’s your motivation for running this week! See image below!
While I’m always working out, hitting the weights, doing an Insanity video, going for a run or a ride or just taking a brisk walk/hike, Monday marked the first day of my own official Walt Disney World Marathon training plan. This year I will be running just the marathon on Sunday which means I will feel great for running around EPCOT on Sunday afternoon/evening!
I’ll be running the Disney marathon with three good friends and fellow runners on the WDW Radio Running Team which is exciting as marathon weekend is one of the only times the four of us are all in the same part of the country at the same time!
To kick off Monday’s training I woke up with a killer pain in my lower back from this past weekend’s camping trip. We stayed in cabins, but was so happy when the cots gave us that real “sleeping on the ground” experience!
Not to be deterred I went to the gym anyway and rode the bike for 8 miles and then spent 25 minutes lifting weights. I primarily am going to focus on dumbbells over the next 16 weeks and go for an all body workout hitting the major muscle groups. Here’s what I planned out for my Monday morning cross training.
First, I hit the bike. It’s a nice way to warm up and it does wonders for strengthening the leg muscles, tendons and ligaments especially around the knee joint. The gym bike allows me to adjust the resistance to either work on foot turnover which helps speed on the run or just to get a good alternative workout from running. Next I lift some weights. I only do free weights as the machines are much less effective at strengthening muscles. Why? Because the machine balances the weight for you which makes it easier. All the little muscles that you would use to balance a dumbbell above your head are taken out of the picture or severely lessened. Therefore, I use free weights only. Time is a factor in the morning so I focus on the big muscle groups.
Back
Legs
Chest
Shoulders
I usually do 3 sets of 8-10 reps or 5 sets of 5 repetitions. I’ve been using dumbbells a lot as this allows me to quickly change weight for a specific exercise and it’s safer since I don’t workout with a partner who would spot me.
After my visit to the gym I went home and before the day was finished I did an Insanity workout video focused on cardio recovery. The workout consists of lots of stretching and plank work for the core. Overall, my back was feeling great by the time I was warmed up and stretched out. I can’t wait to get going on my three run this week!
What a great week for training! I am making a concentrated effort to drop another 15-20 pounds by April 20th for my next full marathon. So far so good as I am down ~6 pounds since my initial weigh-in 2 weeks ago. Here is an update on my training from this week culminating in my long run today!
A Week in Review:
Monday: Cycled at the gym for 10.25 miles for high RPMs to work on foot turnover
Tuesday: Interval training. 6 x 800m at an 8:44 pace
Wednesday: 2 miles walking
Thursday: Tempo run for 6 miles + 2 miles warm-up & cool down.
Friday: Insanity Workout – Insane Abs
Saturday: 13.1 miles at MP+15sec
Sunday: Rest
Hard to believe I completed the Goofy Challenge (Unofficial) just five weeks ago and now I’m back into full marathon training for April. I love running!
Recovery is perhaps the most difficult thing for someone after the big event. Whether it’s your first 5K or your second unofficial Goofy Challenge there is a mixed bag of emotions that come with crossing the finish line. Joy, relief, determination, excitement, the feeling that you WON’T be doing THAT again anytime soon, and the realization 24 hours later that you can’t wait to do it again…and better this time.
Besides recovering emotionally there is of course the physical component. There are some things you can do immediately post race to help your body recover “faster”. I put the word faster in quotes because time to recovery is relative to the individual and is a complicated equation.
Here are just a few things that effect time to recovery.
Age
Training Time for the Event (did you train for it or foolishly jump in over your head? …like me)
Previous training (high school track doesn’t count unless you never stopped)
Nutrition –> A lot goes under this one
Rest (immediately after the event AND the weeks following)
Rehab
Time
Age
We can’t do a lot about this one except keep training as that is the only way to minimize the effects of one more trip around the sun. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something. You can’t outrun time. Just ask Captain Hook.
Training Time for the Event
Did you give yourself enough time to train for the event or did you wait until you had the bare minimum time to start a program? A lot of people will take 16-20 weeks to train for a marathon and 12-16 weeks for a half marathon. When I decided to run my first marathon I gave myself a year to train with a LOT of mile markers along the way. I ran three 5Ks, one 4.5 mile race and four half marathons on my way to running my first marathon at Disney. Preparation is key. Make the decision and go for it. When you are well trained recovery takes less time. Now days, I only need a day after a half marathon and I’m back full force 2-3 days after a full marathon.
Previous Training
Is this your first rodeo or is this your 6th or 60th marathon? If you continue to train (with periods of rest and cross training) then recovery will be easier and faster. Only training for eight weeks a year for your annual event will be a trip to eventual injury. Believe me, it’s harder to start over than it is to slow down a bit, but still keep going.
Nutrition
There is so much under this one that I could right about. Here are some general recovery tips concerning nutrition.
Hydrate
Fuel before, during, and after a race.
Hydrate
Take in some protein within 30 minutes of ending the event. Add some carbs to make it even better. I use EAS shakes.
Hydrate
Don’t forget some electrolytes
Don’t over hydrate
Rest
This should be an obvious one, but there are times when after a race that you don’t want to go rest…ahemDisneyRacesahem. Still, try to get as much rest as possible as soon as possible. After my first Disney marathon I went and took a three hour nap before hitting the parks. Taking it easy is good. Sitting and being off your feet is better. Sleep is best.
Rehabilitation (Rehab – They tried to make me go…)
This refers to those other things you can do such as:
Ice bath or ice pack
Compression gear
Elevation of the legs
Stretch
Foam Roller
Massage
The Stick
Chiropractor
Many of these can and will speed recovery if used properly. I’ve used ALL of these.
Time
You can’t help but give yourself time to recover. It takes, well, time. After my first Goofy Challenge I was surprised that it took me a month before I felt 100% again and started running again and was able to actually train. I’ve made it a habit to give myself time off after a race and really rest. I still am active, but in other things besides running. After my impromptu Goofy Challenge a few weeks ago I focused on weight lifting, short runs of 1-3 miles, and a lot of biking and elliptical. I just took the time to enjoy working out and not run allowing time for those running muscle to recover.
Happy Recovery!
Brian
You can also follow me on Twitter @TheRunningMan23
Happy Belated Earth Day! Odd way to start a running blog post I know, but the Saturday of the Carmel Marathon was Earth Day after all. I realized this when I saw my finishers medal on Saturday, but I digress.
To say this was a standard marathon run would be far from reality. First, I decided to do this marathon at about 7:00pm the Thursday before the race. Second, not only was this race impromptu I hadn’t really been training for it. I had done several longer runs with a good friend of mine who had the sense to actually train for this 26.2 mile adventure, but otherwise I had been focused on trying for a PR on May 5th at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. As fate would have it I tweaked my knee a couple weeks ago doing some core work which made speed a problem for me. It turned out to be more of a bother than a true injury.
…don’t worry, I had my knee checked by an NP and my chiropractor independently. Both came to the same conclusion independently that I had just tweaked it a little and that there was no ligament or meniscus damage. They both told me to take it easy for a week by cutting my mileage volume and to return to full activity as I saw fit. As I returned to full activity I realized that speed was an issue, but distance wasn’t so I decided “what the hey!” and registered for the marathon. I had done all the long runs with my friend so I felt the distance was in reach. One caveat is that my PR goal for the Mini Marathon is on hold for now.
So back to the marathon recap!
The Weather:
I ran the Carmel half marathon last year for the inaugural event when it was scheduled in June. That race was super hot and my performance suffered as I came in 20-30 minutes behind what I expected from my 02:05:00+ performance at the Indy Mini Marathon in May.
This year was chillier with temperatures in the low to mid 40s for most of the race and a 14mph wind that chilled you when running into it. The weather was predicted to break and get a little sunnier with temperatures in the low 50s. This never happened so the entire race was in the 40s and overcast.
I'm cold. Do I look cold? Because I am...
The Run:
I started out with my friend and quickly had to slow as my left shin was super tight. I told my friend to go it alone and I dropped back. Somewhere around mile 5 a lady approached and remarked that I was not Lou Mongello. Lou is the founder of the WDW Radio Running Team and the online podcast phenomena by the same name (sans running). I was wearing my WDW Radio Running Team shirt for the race. It’s pretty cool when someone so far from Disney recognizes the shirt and the efforts of the team toward the Dream Team Project and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Eventually I saw and started running with the 5-hour pace group. The group was small and the pacer, Marie, was very talkative! She had 100s of stories it seemed and had herself run a couple hundred marathons. She didn’t count ultra marathons in that number though because she liked to know the straight count on those as well. She’s training to run the Comrades Ultra Marathon and Badwater. Besides being a marathon maniac, she was also a little insane…I liked her immediately! 🙂
A little over halfway to the finish!
I stayed with this group until mile 15, but then dropped back with another runner. We made a valiant effort to keep the 5-hour pacer in sight, but it wasn’t to be. Still, I knew there was a 5:30:00 pacer somewhere behind us so I didn’t worry. My new running partner and I took on a run/walk regimen for the remainder of the race and kept on motivating each other. Thanks Lisa!
The Finish:
It wasn’t long and the miles ahead became less than the miles behind us. Soon after we were running through the Carmel Art & Design district headed for the finish line. On the final stretch I kicked it into gear for a sprint to the finish.
I'm the blue dot about in the center.
I finished up by doing a few high (or medium rather) fives as I went into the finisher’s chute. All my friends had waited for me to finish. Luckily I didn’t make them wait too long….well, except Dave. He finished in a little over 4 hours! He’s a machine!
A few low to medium fives as I run into the finisher's chute.
All in all it was a good day. I PR’d by 09:41, met a lot of cool people, and added another marathon to the list. There’s only one other marathon road race in the local Indy area that I haven’t run, the Indianapolis Marathon, but I’ll have to wait until next year to run that one as I already am running a trail marathon on that same day this year near West Lafayette, IN.
After two weeks off from running I hit the treadmill this morning at 5:00am for my 1st FIRST Key Workout in what seemed like a lot longer than 2 weeks! Key Workout #1 each week is Interval Training and today called for 1-kilometer repeats (x5) at an approximate 8:10/mile pace. For those who can’t do kilometer to mile conversions in their head… 1 kilometer = .62 miles.
The first three intervals were good, but I could tell I had lost a little speed over the last couple weeks. The last two were a bit more brutal. I was toggling between 7.4 and 7.3 mph on the TM for the last two intervals. I also slowed down a bit more for the 400m RIs for the last to Rest Intervals to 5.0mph.
Tomorrow is a cross training and lifting day. I plan to take a step back on the cross training intensity so I can focus more on the Key Running Workouts. The cross training days will be for recovery from here on out!
It has come to my attention from one of my readers (Thanks Jenn!!) that runDisney has yet to post Jeff Galloway’s updated training program for the 2012 Goofy Challenge. Being a training program connoisseur of sorts I downloaded it back when it was still posted in 2010. Thinking back I guess I already knew that runDisney had taken the old training program down since I had emailed them about the dates being “off”. The dates were off since it hadn’t been updated since 2009 when it was originally published, but the basics were there. Now remember race fans, this program is designed to get you across both finish lines in the upright position not set land speed records at Disney World. It’s a fairly simple program that follows Jeff’s run/walk philosophy. Most weeks you only run 3 days and rest/recovery is a key component of the program.
Seeing how I don’t have express written consent by the Walt Disney Company or Jeff Galloway to republish the PDF I have (assuming I can find it…) I will talk in generalities and answer questions if you have any. Don’t worry though, there’s a table below with a week by week schedule.
You know you want it...or one very similar to it!
Keep in mind that my goal for the 2012 Goofy Challenge is to cross both finish lines on Saturday and Sunday in the upright position and live to tell the tale! I have a friend who’s running it with me and we are both determined to finish and earn a lot of bling…that’s it! OH! Before I forget…I’m also doing the 5K on Friday which will be a nice warm-up and an extra medal! 🙂
The program is around 30 weeks in length. I’m sure once runDisney updates it the numbers may not be exactly the same. For my own use, I adapted the program a little to fit my own needs, but the basis of the plan is here. Also, I believe it is suggested that you have been running for 6 months prior to starting this Goofy Training Program. If not, take it easy and follow the plan as prescribed by runDisney.
As always, you should consult a licensed medical professional (aka: a doctor/physician) before beginning any exercise program. Especially, if like me you are a middle aged guy with a Peter Pan-esque view on life! Hopefully, I spelled out the fact that you are at risk in this 39.3 mile undertaking and that you’re making the decision on your own to do this training program or participate in it in any way either in full or in part…..heck people, GOOFY is the mascot! There’s a little bit of crazy going on to try something like this and I’m doing the 5K too so that makes me just plain Dopey!
Okay, enough of the legal speak about it being YOUR decision and YOUR own liability should something bad happen to you. You have been warned!! On to the training program!
Like I said, this program is fairly simple. I’m not going to get into the whole run/walk method because that is Jeff Galloway’s thing. There is also a training tool Jeff suggests called a “Magic Mile” which he has you do every so often to see how you’re progressing. I’m a runner and plan to run 85-90% of both races not including the time it takes to stop for pictures. Oh yes, there will be lots of pictures! Again, see my blog post about the WDW full-marathon last January 2011.
So here it is…in general…the 30-ish week Goofy Challenge Training Program as best as I can remember it. By the way, if you actually followed this program then you would start in mid-June. The program takes you a couple weeks PAST the WDW full-marathon on Sunday January 8th, 2012 for recovery purposes.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are 30-45 minute run/walks according to the original program. Go to Jeff Galloway’s Website for details on the run/walk method. You’ll notice that you get six weeks of training before you have your first weekend of back-to-back workouts. I also took the liberty of switching the run days for Christmas and New Year’s Day to Saturday, but feel free to run when you want! Oh, and don’t forget to plan for holidays (in no particular order) like July 4th, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Labor Day, Father’s Day, President’s Day, Ramadan, Boxing Day, Administrative Assistant’s Day, Yom Kippur, My Birthday (Oct. 7th), etc.
Week
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 3 mile
2
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 4 mile
3
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 5 mile
4
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 3 mile
5
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 5 mile
6
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Walk 3 mile
Run 7 mile
7
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 6 mile
8
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 8 mile
9
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 6 mile
10
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
5 mile
Run 10 mile
11
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 11 mile
12
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 12 mile
13
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 8 mile
14
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Walk 5.5 mile
Run 14 mile
15
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 11 mile
16
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 15.5 mile
17
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 9 mile
18
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Walk 7 mile
Run 17 mile
19
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 12 mile
20
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 18 mile
21
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 10 mile
22
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Walk 9 mile
Run 20 mile
23
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 13 mile
24
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 21 mile
25
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 11 mile
26
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Walk 12 mile
Run 23 mile
27
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Rest
Run 7 mile
28
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Run 6 mile
Xmas
29
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
30-45 min
Rest
Run 7 mile
New Year’s Day
30
Rest
30 min
Rest
30 min
Rest
WDW Half
WDW Full
31
Rest
30 min
Rest
30 min
Rest
Rest
Run 7 mile
32
Rest
30 min
Rest
30 min
Rest
Rest
Run 6 mile
Of course, you may opt to throw in some cross training for some of those rest days. I would suggest taking a rest day before and after those weekends where you’re doing a long walk followed by a long run the next day. Your body (muscles, ligaments, joints, etc) need the rest even if you’re not tired.
You may also want to do specific types of runs for the “30-45 min” runs on Tuesday and Thursday. I do intervals and Tempo runs on those days…usually a little longer than 30-45 minutes. I also add in a little lifting on some days usually twice a week with my cross training.
HOWEVER, the above program should get you across the finish line both days with no adaptations or additions needed. I bet you’ll even be smiling at the end of day two! I know I will! 😀
All that stands between you and these three medals (besides common sense) is the proper training program!
Let me know if you have any questions and happy training!
Running Down a Dream 23's Blog 