Happy July 4th to my US readers/runners and happy Monday to all the rest! Wow, has it really been mid-June since my last blog?!?! Yikes! See, that’s what happens when you have a full-time job. It gets in the way of all the important things in life. ;-D
Over the last few weeks I have made myself NOT RUN! I know, crazy right? I took this time to do the following:
Rest & Recover from the last 20 months of training
Cross Train & lift weights a bit
Get a business trip out of the way
So now that I am all rested I am ready to start my new training program for the remainder of the summer. And speaking of new training programs, a few weeks ago I posted the basic Goofy Training Program (From Memory). Jeff Galloway and runDisney have the complete plan up again now so everyone can choose whether or not they want to use Jeff’s run-walk-run method since he includes all the details on the runDisney website. Many people have a lot of great things to say about his run/walk plan and many more have cut there half and full marathon times by implementing his training methodology. Last January I even did a little of the run-walk-run during my 1st marathon at Walt Disney World.
2011 WDW Radio Running Team before the Marathon
I ran most of the race and even did a few miles with my fellow teammates from the WDW Radio Running Team. However, since it was my first full-marathon I decided to enjoy it and walk a few steps to get needed rest so I’d have something left in the fuel tank for walking around the park on Monday!
Like I said in January if you want to run with a great group of people then look up Lou Mongello and the WDW Radio Running Team on Facebook. We raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. Our numbers have really grown since last January! I believe we are up to 47 members on the team running a variety of races at Disney throughout the year. Running with this group makes a great event even more special since you help fulfill the wish of a terminally ill child. The team raised enough to do just that going into January and it was a fantastic feeling!
But I digress, so I had planned to tackle the Goofy next January, but as always nothing is simple. I went to a race expo in May before the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon and saw a flyer for the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Wanting to be prepared to “Go Goofy” I decided a pre-Goofy test was in order and signed up for the Indianapolis full-marathon which takes place November 5th, 2011. So now the dilemma. How to train for both the Monumental full-marathon AND the Goofy Challenge? Thrown into the mix was the fact that I have implemented the FIRST Training Program (mentioned this in a previous post). The answer is simple. Use the blender method! Throw it all together and hit puree! After a good blending what do you get? A Monumentally Goofy Training Program!
It’s not really all that bad, but I’m going to be working hard most days of the week. Glad I “rested” for 2 weeks!
Monday: Lift weights & Spin (Cross Training Workout #1 for FIRST)
Tuesday: FIRST Key Running Workout #1 (Intervals)
Wednesday: Lift Weights and Spin/Row (Cross Training Workout #2 for FIRST)
Thursday: FIRST Key Running Workout #2 (Tempo Run)
Friday: Lift Weights Only (Go Light)
Saturday: Long Run – The Goofy Training calls for some weekends of a long walk followed by a long run the next day
Sunday: Rest or Long Run on “Goofy” weekends
So that’s my training plan for the rest of the year. Seems pretty basic until you go back and look at what the FIRST Training plan entails (see previous posts). That regimen is rather intense! I’ll be on this plan for 8 weeks and then I’m taking a week off to go to Hawaii for vacation! 🙂 I’ll have a couple workouts there, but nothing serious since I’m on vacation! After Hawaii I’ll be back on my program for another 9 weeks until the Monumental Marathon on November 5th. After the Monumental it’ll be just 9 more weeks until The Goofy Challenge!
I’m so excited to get started! Training begins tomorrow morning!
A lot of times when we hit the gym we go for the “more bang for your buck” workouts. Multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises are always being touted as a “Time Saver”, “Calorie Burner” or “Only way to go if you have X amount of time”…. I would have to agree.
Using more than one muscle group DOES burn more calories. This technique also saves you time as opposed to working each single muscle group individually. However, occasionally it’s a good idea to hit those tiny little muscles we forget about when we’re hitting those Lats, Pecs and Quads getting ready to look buff for the beach or just in our normal training for our next race. I found out as much when I had an hour long session with my personal trainer last week. I bought a training sessions package from my gym back in December 2009 and I’ve been able to make the sessions last for 18 months since I don’t do a PT session the week of any race or over holidays….there’ve been a couple holidays and a lot of races in the past 18 months! 🙂
So I’ve been training for 18 months and my trainer “handed me my hat” so to speak on these small muscle exercises over the course of the hour. I was sweating bullets on the first couple exercises that worked the front of the lower leg. These three little guys are in charge of pulling the toes back toward your shin (dorsiflexion), rolling your foot inward (inversion), rolling your foot back out (eversion) and extending your big toe (extending your big toe…). So these muscles are fairly important to running, swimming, biking, walking, standing, and to a lesser extent bouncing on a pogo stick (actually not sure on the last one because I can’t do that, but I’m glad you’ve decided to come with me on this one).
Exercise Physiology 101 Terminology...enjoy.
So here I was laying on the floor with a cable strapped to my foot with my foot at a 90 degree angle to my lower leg and pulling my knee toward my head. Basically a knee-up in the supine position (flat on your back). By the third set (3×15) I was barely able to keep my foot from pointing down and letting the cable slip off. It was a LOT of work! This would be a great exercise for shin splints too as it strengthens those muscles.
Next we worked on the inner/outer thigh machines which I’ll say that not a lot of guys in my gym use. But when you’ve experienced ITBS like me, you don’t care anymore. These machines hit those muscles and strengthen them so you can help stave off ITBS. The muscles being worked here also support the sides of your knees. Raise your hand if you could use a healthier and more stable knee or two!!!! Ok, put your hand down now…people are beginning to stare….
Single Leg RDLs (Romanian Dead Lift)
What’s next you ask? Single leg Romanian Dead Lift with a dumbbell (not me the weight…). Want a strong ankle and superior balance? Do single leg RDLs. In the picture the guy (not me BTW) has his leg bent slightly. This is okay, but an RDL technically has a straight leg. Note that he has a straight/flat back as well. We did a super set on these with a seated row since the big muscle being used IS your back. This also works your core! Triple bonus!
WARNING: If you’ve never done RDLs ask a trainer at your gym to model it for you. Just call it a single leg dead lift with a dumbbell…a good trainer should know what it is. Use a light weight until you get the form down.
We did all sorts of other stuff, but I’ve rambled on long enough so I’ll put the core work in another post. You shouldn’t always isolate the small muscles since you hit them when you work the big ones, but take a single workout every 2-3 weeks to concentrate on the small muscles and you can see some big gains!
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!
For all my running endeavors this past year I’ve been called crazy, insane, over zealous, “special” and been asked,”Whyyyy?” as people give me that side ways look that running this much just isn’t quite right. After all I’ve logged four 5Ks, four half-marathons, a 4.5 mile drumstick dash and one full-marathon (see my schedule) in my 2010 season as a newbie runner. So what more is there? Well come January 2012 I will be just plain Goofy….as in Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL! Garsh!
What is this challenge you ask? Well it’s simple…
First, arrive in sunny (hopefully) Orlando, FL.
Second, travel to Disney World.
Third, run the Disney Half-Marathon on Saturday morning.
Next, wake up Sunday and double Saturday’s distance by running the Disney Full-Marathon.
Finally, go to EPCOT for Churros and Dos Equis (not required, but fun!)
The prize? Not one, not TWO, BUT THREE count ’em T-H-R-E-E, three medals….Mickey, Donald & finally Goofy. Holy Cow!!! Or Holy Mouse, Duck and Dog in this case!! Now that is a lot of bling for two days of Disney fun!
So how does one train for something like this!?!? As luck would have it, Disney’s got you covered for this too! Former Olympian, world renown running coach and author, Jeff Galloway, has free training schedules (yep F-R-E-E, free) available for anyone on the runDisney.com website. There are separate training schedules for the half-marathon, full-marathon and Goofy Challenge…and a few other races at WDW as well!
The Goofy Challenge training schedule is a 28 week program and it is suggested that you’ve been running for six months prior to starting this program. I will finish my third half-marathon of 2011 on June 11th just a few weeks before I should start the 28 week program for the Goofy Challenge. I’m excited to start training for it! I used a Jeff Galloway program for the last half of my full-marathon training last year and had no trouble finishing my 1st full-marathon.
The major difference I see between a regular marathon training program and the Goofy Challenge training are back-to-back “long days” 6-8 weeks into the program. There are weekends where I will have a long run on Saturday followed by a long walk on Sunday. This prepares your body for two days of longer endurance bouts.
I like Jeff’s training program because unlike traditional running programs his training stresses the idea of recovery as a key component in training. Similar to a traditional program Jeff’s program builds distance for 2-3 weeks and then there is an “easy” week to give your body time to adapt before building again. The difference for example is that Jeff’s recovery week includes just a 3 mile weekend run after a 15 miler the previous week where a more traditional program might just drop back to 10 miles for the “easy” week. Jeff’s program really allows for more rest and recovery. This program also allows for you to have a weekend where you aren’t running all morning on Saturday! I might even be able to sleep in a little!
Like last year I will be running with the WDW Radio Running Team which raises money for the Make a Wish Foundation. We were able to raise enough money to grant a wish last year. Hopefully, we will do the same this coming January!
So, will you join me for The Goofy Challenge? How about the Half-Marathon or just the Full-Marathon? I’d love some company!
If I were a book author then this would be the final chapter of the first book in a series. As most of you know, for the past year I have been training for my first marathon which I ran on Sunday, January 9th 2011 at Walt Disney World. In those 12 months I was focused on my singular goal of running 26.2 miles while at the same time becoming healthier. In the picture below you’ll see how I looked a year ago. I’m on the right. As you can see from my aerodynamic haircut I was born to run, but hadn’t realized it yet! 🙂
That’s me on the right weighing in at 232 pounds.
I must say that I didn’t like this picture at the time it was taken, but it now has a place of honor on my refrigerator door! It’s my reminder if I ever ask myself why I’m up at 4:00am to go to the gym during the week or why I’m about to spend the better part of my Saturday running 20 miles. Now, all of that is in the past. Across the last year I lost 50 pounds training for Disney.
All this preparation led me to Marathon Sunday! I had signed up to run with the WDW Radio Running Team which supports the Make a Wish Foundation. The team was fantastic and it was an honor and privilege to run with such an excellent group of people. I must say that if you ever run the Disney marathon or half-marathon then look these folks up and join the team! They do great things and I’m sure they will continue to do great things for Make a Wish. I’d like to send out a personal “Thank You!” to Deanna and Steve on the team as I ran several miles with them before stopping for a photo at the castle in the Magic Kingdom. It was so much fun to run with two other people and the miles just zipped by running with new friends! Of course, a strong support team is also needed so another big “Thank You!” goes out to Mary Jo “Mo Jo” Collins who made sure everyone on the team knew where they were going each day, gave wake up calls/texts, and even called runners during the race for an on the run pep talk if needed! I’m sure Mo Jo didn’t sleep for the entire weekend as she operated the WDW Radio Running Team’s Central Command for the entire weekend! Thank You to the rest of the Running Team as well. It was fun meeting everyone at EPCOT after the race.
One final “Thank You!” goes to my girlfriend, Kate, as she put up with my training schedule the last half of the year including suffering my training diet and sleep schedule, accompanied me to the race, schlepped from the cozy Hilton Grand Vacation suite to the Disney Value Resort prior to race day and spent 5.5 hours standing in three places waiting to see me along the course during the marathon. Thank you baby! I love you so much!
Now, back to the marathon! The long awaited morning arrived and I had prepared the night before as I always do before a race by pinning my bib to my shirt ahead of time…of course I took a picture and it was the first of many.
I didn’t think I’d get my lucky number when I registered for the marathon, but low and behold good ol’ 16,450 came rolling out! (sarcasm!) I had my WDW Radio Running Team shirt and I was ready to go! I went to sleep at 8:00pm Saturday night since I had to wake at 2:30am in order to be on the bus to the start line at EPCOT shortly after 3:00am. I had my usual pre-race breakfast of Fiber One Cereal (Carmel Clusters) and added a banana for good measure. I also drank a bit of Gatorade on my way to the bus.
WDW Radio Running Team before the Marathon!
When Kate and I arrived at the EPCOT parking lot we both grabbed a cup of coffee and met the rest of the WDW Radio Running Team for a picture.
Walking to the Start Line of the Disney Marathon
Afterwards we all started our 20 minute walk from the parking lot to the Start Line! It was a chilly walk (low 40s and dropping) to the start and we arrived about 45 minutes before the race began. I was in Corral H so I was in the last wave of runners to start. The race started at 5:30am and I crossed the start line a little after 6:00am.
Marathon Start Fireworks (5:30am)
The fireworks went off for the first Corral and my group watched for the next 25 minutes as each group walked up to the start line for their own fireworks laden send off and a salute from Mickey & Minnie in full running gear! Disney definitely knows how to send you off in style! I was able to see the other seven fireworks displays before my own started me on my way!
The first few miles went by in a flash as we ran through EPCOT. The race’s ending takes runners through the World Showcase, but I wouldn’t see that area again for another 5 hours. Still I stopped to snap a couple pictures of Spaceship Earth.
1st stop, Epcot!
It was amazing running through all four of the parks! I’m a fan of Disney AND an ex-Cast Member too, but this was over the top even for me!
The Epcot Holiday Tree at the entrance to the World Showcase
I had to stop for a quick snap shot of the Holiday Tree. All the parks were still decorated for the December holiday season which was nice since I usually don’t get down to Disney this time of year.
The next thing I know I was leaving Epcot and passing the 4-mile marker where my girlfriend, Kate, was waiting for me with a small group of spectators. She had made friends with three other individuals and they stayed to cheer for each of their four runners before moving on to the next viewing spot on the course! It was great to see her and I felt energized as I took off for miles #5 & 6!
I was amazed at how quickly the miles started flying by at that point!
The clock time is for the beginning of the race, not my race time.Three more miles down! 17.2 miles to go!
By now I was approaching the TTC. That’s the “Ticket and Transportation Center” for you non-Disney folk. 😉 I had run the Disney Halloween 5K back in October so I recognized this part of the course and knew that I was not far from the the Magic Kingdom (MK). I had finally found Steve and Deanna at this point so we were really putting away the mileage. I text Kate who was waiting in front of Cinderella’s Castle to see me to tell her that I’d be there soon!
Deanna had already passed the camera. This is Steve & I running thru MK!
At the castle I left Deanna and Steve. I wanted to get a picture in front of it and how often do you get the chance for a picture sans crowds at the Magic Kingdom?!?!? I ran over, gave Kate a kiss and was back on my way. Next stop, Frontierland!
Splash Mountain in Frontierland!
The castle was at about 10.5 miles and there were no more stops for me to see friends and family for the remainder of the race. The best part though is that I felt great! I took a little extra time for pictures getting out of MK and continued on my way. I was impressed at the entertainment Disney put on whether it be live music, a DJ, characters or other ways to distract runners from the mileage ahead.
Crossing the Train Tracks at MK I ran into a Cast Member most people don’t get to photograph!Entertainment came in many forms to keep runners’ minds off the mileage.
At last I was at the half-way point! I ran 4 half-marathon in 2010 so when I reached this point I was happy that I was feeling good and was in no pain. I was dialed in and enjoying the run!
A little past this marker was the half-way point. I’m surprised I didn’t take a picture!
Again, the miles started to fly by after passing the half-way marker. Still, I took the time to stop for the occasional photo opp!
The Tree of Life!Expedition Everest!
Running through The Animal Kingdom reminded me of the Inaugural Wine and Dine Half-Marathon I ran in October, 2010. The route here was similar though it was day time for this race rather than night time like in October. Much better photos this time around!
20 Miles! The farthest I’d ever ran in training…oh boy….
During my training for the Disney Marathon I had ran 20 miles a couple times as the schedule had dictated. Now that I was at this point again I wondered what another 6.2 miles (the equivalent of a 10K!) was going to feel like. I trudged on and continued drawing energy from incoming texts from friends and Kate as well as reading comments on Facebook from the photos I had posted while on the run. It was like I was running with a group of people the entire time and it felt great to have the support behind me!
I was slowing down, but feeling good at this point. Just 4.2 miles to go!
At 22 miles I was hurting a bit though I was still smiling! Kate had arrived at the Finish Line way ahead of time and was texting me. With only 4.2 miles left I knew it was no problem to finish so I just kept at it and soon I was running through MGM Studios (oops, I mean Disney Hollywood Studios). 🙂
Running the course of the Backlot Tour was fun!
A portion of the race course for MGM was running through the Backlot Tour Attraction. This was awesome as we ran past the original Disney Airline Plane, a few Japanese Zeros from Pearl Harbor and through the Costuming building. I was happy we avoided Disaster Canyon though! If you’ve ridden this attraction then you know what I mean! 🙂
3.2 miles to go!Just past Mile 23 were tables of chocolate bars being handed out by volunteers!
Mile 23 came and went, but Disney had one more surprise for runners heading into the last 3 miles. After I passed the marker I came across tables full of mini-chocolate bars! A great tasting energy source to help get me through to the end!
The last few miles were good as I pushed forward to the final park run-through in EPCOT! The run from MGM to EPCOT was great as it followed the path along the waterway with great views of the hotels.
The Swan & Dolphin HotelSo close! 1.2 miles to go!
Once I reached mile marker 25 I felt great! I was as little as 12-14 minutes from the finish line for the last 1.2 miles! The course took us around the World Showcase countries. I got to see Lou Mongello and the rest of the WDW Radio Running Team supporters as I ran into the UK Pavilion. It was great to see a group of familiar faces cheering for me before that last mile plus push to the finish!
Being such a Disney fan I have walked around the World Showcase dozens of time…so many times that I knew it wasn’t much further after leaving EPCOT and heading toward the EPCOT parking lot before I would see my final mile marker!
The final mile marker! 0.2 miles until the finish line!
Seeing the final mile marker was bitter sweet for me. I was happy to accomplish my goal and see all the hard work from the last year pay off. However, there was that little part of me that was having so much fun that I didn’t want it to end. Of course, then I thought of Kate waiting for me at the finish line AND all the fun I was going to have in the parks that evening which spurred me on to the finish line!
Kate snapped this picture just before I crossed the finish line. She was just a few feet away!
At last I approached the finish line and saw Kate just a few feet away. She was right there for a great photo finish!
My finishers medal!
Shortly after crossing the finish line a volunteer awarded me my finishers medal. It now rests in a place of honor with my other medals. It is the largest one I have, my only full-marathon medal (so far) and I will always cherish it as my first 26.2 mile adventure!
Of course, a 26.2 mile race is cause for a celebration if there ever was one so Kate and went back to the hotel, cleaned up from the day, took a nap and headed back to EPCOT for fun, food, and refreshments. Our first stop was the Mexico Pavilion where I enjoyed a cerveza and churros!
Churros & Dos Equis!
After a couple weeks of rest from running (still working out though) I am getting ready to start training for my next race (a half-marathon) which will take place in Kansas in April. I get to run this one with a good friend of mine so I am excited to travel to see friends and run a race with them!
Not training as intensely as I have for the past year is probably the most excruciating thing I have experienced to date. When you train regularly you have a lot of energy! Now it’s taper time as my 1st marathon at Walt Disney World is just a couple weeks away. And yes, I’m full of energy!!! It’s time to cut the training down a bit though. It’s all about resting more and waiting. The upside is that all those little aches & pains that come from running a lot of mileage are starting to go away with the increased cross training and lower weekly mileage.
I had a plan of dropping 10 extra pounds before the marathon. I’m half way there! At 185lbs I’m feeling good. Having maintained that weight thru Christmas dinner at mom & dad’s house as well as surviving all the treats my GF makes thru the holidays I am even more excited to still be on track!
This week I only have one 45 minute run though I’m hitting the elliptical three other days for a good calorie burn and non-impact cross training. I’ll do a 7 miler on Sunday at slightly slower than race pace.
The week before I head South to see Mickey, I will have a couple 30 minute easy runs and then it’s time to wait the last few days until January 9th and my first 26.2 mile magical adventure! In the mean time I’m prepping with a Gear Checklist!
The Gear List:
Running Shoes & Socks!
Waiver and Bib Document for the Disney Marathon
Cold Gear tights
Cold Gear shirt
Running Shorts
WDW Radio Running Team Shirt
Knee brace (better safe…)
Running belt for GU
Body Glide
NSAIDs (for a few hours after)
GU (Carrying 8 to cover 5 hours)
EAS protein (for immediately after the race)
Optional Gear to Prepare for potential Weather during the Race
Sun Screen
Flippers
Snow Shoes
Snorkel & Mask
Parka
Snake Bite Kit
Scarf
Boogie Board
Skis
Poncho
Ice Melt
Umbrella Hat
Life Preserver
Whatever you’re training for have fun and I’ll be writing about my 26.2 mile magical adventure soon enough!
I just completed several days of rest over the weekend and I’m looking forward to my final looong long run for my marathon training program coming up this Saturday. It’s a 20+ miler. My actual program is for a 26 mile run, but I’ll be happy with anything equal to or over 20 miles. I’m just going to see how I feel when I get into the upper teens. That morning is also a 5K Jingle Bell Run in Downtown Indianaplois so my long run will be broken up a bit as I first complete my final race of the year and then head over to the gym to finish up later in the day.
I have been struggling these past few weeks to get my training in as I’ve suffered from the common cold, a sore right knee, a sore left glute, finishing up two graduate classes, studied for the GRE to complete my graduate school application, took the GRE exam last Monday, also trying to write two final papers of double digit length (12 pages & 30 pages) all the while attending multiple Thanksgivings (3) and still fitting in “Date Night” so as not to end up sleeping on the couch! 😉
Priorities priorities! Or balance as my gf would say! Regardless, I am very much ready for the tapering in training that will begin after this weekend! I leave for Florida and the marathon venue (aka DISNEY!) four weeks from today and I couldn’t be happier about it!
After Disney I will have earned some time off from the daily running. I’ll still keep a bit of running mileage after I recover from my 26.2 mile magical adventure, but cross-training & weight loss will definitely be my prime focus for a while.
My trainer has already told me I have to go to Spin Class with her! Spinning will be a welcome change I’m sure! If I don’t fall off the bike…..
I am a fan of The Biggest Loser. I watch that show every week that it’s on and find it inspiring. Those people put in a lot of effort and get amazing results. Now I realize that if I had two professional trainers, a full medical staff including physical therapists and athletic trainers at my disposal while doing nothing but training 5-6 hours a day 7 days a week I could get some amazing results too. But I’m not writing to minimize what those contestants go thru. They are all amazing and inspirational to a lot of people around the country including me.
What amazes me about The Biggest Loser is the contestants that make it into the finals and run the full marathon before the finale. They’ve been training for several months by that point, but have not really been training for a marathon. Add in that many of them are still obese and I am once again amazed and inspired.
So what does The Biggest Loser have to do with “A Need for Speed”? I remembered one contestant last season, Daris, who not only finished the full marathon, but crushed the time record for the show by running the 26.2 miles in 4 hours & 2 minutes. Seriously!?!? I ran my 20.75 miles in 3 hours & 52 minutes. So Daris is obviously faster than me. This got me thinking a lot about speed. I’ve read in articles that running for more than 4 hours is something you don’t want to do on a regular basis. I know I know….people DO do this all the time, but rest & recovery between sessions is a huge priority for them I’m sure.
My trainer has also been on me about speed work and I’m beginning to see why. Yes Tatum, sometimes I need you to draw me a picture! 🙂 Suddenly I flash back to high school and all those skinny people wearing their clever track shirts that say, “The faster you run, The quicker you’re done.” It’s a completely true albeit obvious statement that leads me to the point that I need to cover more ground in less time or speed my butt up! I currently run a 10 minute mile comfortably and my half marathon race pace has been closer to averaging 09:45/mile. The Drumstick Dash taught me that I am capable of a faster pace so now I just need to increase my longevity at that speed.
So if you read my post on “Refocusing” then you’ll recall my running schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. As a part of this plan Jeff Galloway recommends running during the week at a pace 30 seconds faster than race pace to get out of your comfort zone so for me a pace of 09:20 to 9:30 would be about right for the two 45 minute runs on Monday & Wednesday. Obviously as this pace becomes more comfortable then I will push the speed up a little. The fastest I’ve ever ran one mile back in college was 8 minutes and I weighed 175 pounds at the time or 15-20 pounds lighter than I do now.
So besides getting into the gym all 7 days a week (or just working out all 7 days) I am also adding in some mile repeats on Saturdays when I’m not doing a super long run & possibly some sprints during the week. Jeff Galloway suggests 1 mile repeats with a 5 minute walk rest between to recover before going again. Remember this plan is for 1st time marathoners not seasoned veterans so there is more recovery.
The pace I’ll run for the single mile will push an 08:50 min/mile pace. This of course will help my 45 minute runs feel easier and I’ll push faster which will help me push the Saturday repeats faster as well as improve my overall long run time. Each workout supports the next one and the recovery time between workouts supports them all.
I write all the time about having a “complete & balanced” program. Everything supports everything else! Nutrition supports recovery and the workouts. One workout supports another and everything prepares you for the big day when you pin on a race bib. For me, that’s January 9th!
Thanksgiving morning I ventured out for a 4.5 mile race/fun run with a buddy of mine before scooting up to the dinner table for an awesome turkey dinner prepared by my girlfriend and her sister. BTW, these women can cook and this fact is NOT helping my efforts. Luckily my GF is very supportive of my running habit!
The annual Drumstick Dash takes place in Broad Ripple, Indiana and is a great event that benefits The Wheeler Mission Ministries. Every year, Wheeler provides more than 226,000 nutritious meals to hungry men, women and children.
A little History about “Chasing the Drumstick”:
1,300 people signed up the first year
2,000 the second year…
2,500 the third year …
3,700 the fourth year…
5,010 for the fifth year …
7,022 for the sixth year…
9,250 for the seventh year…
This year…drum role…11,300 pre-registered and believe me they all were there!
Pre-race meal: Cereal, juice and a Gu Pack (why not)
Weather: Rain, rain, rain, a bit of wind, 48 degrees and more rain…like “flood warning” rain…I saw a guy in an arc.
My thoughts: I hope my knee is up for this run since this is the first stress I’ve put on it since the 20+ miler!
As I said before, I ran with a buddy of mine who has also made great strides across the last year to drop weight (60+ lbs) and take up running. We were rockin & rollin on the first two miles at an 8:50 pace! We registered at a 09:45/mile pace so this was awesome! We should have been one more corral up for the start! We know for next year!
Except for the rain it was a perfect day for running an event like this. We both were soaked thru to the bone by the end of it. My knee felt good and only let me know it was there a few hours afterwards with very mild stiffness which eventually went away…possibly due to the nice chianti we had with Thanksgiving dinner, but it didn’t return.
The official results were as follows!
Time: 00:41:43.2
Pace: 09:16
I know that running with my friend really helped me to not only push myself past the 9min/mile pace for the beginning of the race, but to maintain a good split for the second half. Running with a partner for a race can really help as I led him sometimes and he set pace for me at times too. We may be tackling a half-marathon in May together too!
I couldn’t be happier with the results and I’m looking forward to my final event of the year, The Indianapolis Jingle Bell Run on December 11th, 2010 which supports the Arthritis Foundation.
For the last 3 months I’ve been at a weight loss plateau. I’ve been training regularly with 4 days in the gym each week. Three days on my own and one day with my trainer for a 30 minute intense session. I usually rest on Friday and Sunday with my weekend “Long Run” on Saturday. My distance has improved greatly and over the past 11 months my speed has increased too so I am happy with the results to date, heck I’ve lost 45 pounds! My weight has edged down a couple pounds since the end of July, but nothing significant. I know that I’ll have to make some adjustments if a future shot at The Goofy Challenge or Boston is to be realistic. Those two future goals are a ways off since I still need to run my first full marathon though.
Also, this is a “dangerous” time as we approach the holidays and some would think to rest on their past successes while I am thinking it’s time to refocus and step up my training. These past two weeks I’ve opted to hit the gym all five days for a little extra calorie burn. The same goes for Sunday. While normally I would rest on Sunday I am going to go in and put in a little extra time on something different. The key for me on these extra workouts is not to go all out intense, but to burn a few more calories, get a good stretch, loosen up and rededicate myself to the goal at hand, the Disney World Marathon on January 9th.
Even now as I write this I’m fueling up to go out for a 22 mile run this morning. Sunday will be an “active” recovery day where I just pedal on a stationary bike to warm-up, maybe walk for 10-15 minutes and then go stretch for 15-20 minutes. I’ll follow this up with a whey protein shake to help speed recovery.
But back to the topic at hand, I’ve learned it’s good to keep a core schedule, but to also mix things up from time to time so I can shock my body into new growth (or shrink it). When I started out I was hitting the gym 7 days a week and burning a lot of calories in the process. So I am going to return to that schedule of “active rest days” with the following schedule.
Part of this is a Jeff Galloway program & part is a “Brian Original” 🙂
Monday: Run 45 Minutes
Tuesday: Lifting Weights opposite of what my trainer does Thursday
Wednesday: Run 45 Minutes
Thursday: Personal Trainer Session (30 minutes)
Friday: 30-45 cardio/stretch depending on my long run distance
Saturday: Long Run, Speed Work or a “shorter” run
Sunday: 30-45 cardio/stretch depending on my long run distance
This will be my training plan through the holidays as I approach January 9th save for the required tapering period two weeks from race time. My diet won’t really change all that much except that I will be taking a protein supplement after my workout 7 days a week instead of the normal 5 days a week. I will also be on H2O patrol to be sure I’m drinking enough and I’ll limit alcohol to the 2-3 special days left this year like Thanksgiving (Football & a couple beverages!), Christmas Eve (Egg Nog!) and of course New Years Eve! I’m hoping to drop just 6-10 pounds more by January 9th. With the right focus this is totally doable for me in the 6 weeks of training I have left. This would have me weighing very close to or just below 180 pounds and just 15-20 pounds from my ultimate goal weight.
Running Down a Dream 23's Blog 