mrsgryphon
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2013
I'm starting this training journal to track my training and hold myself accountable for completing my plan.
How did I get here? Well, I was sitting at the Orlando airport on my way home from Disney trip with my friend and saw a couple of women wearing race shirts and medals from the Tower of Terror 10 mile race. Cool. I was then in the middle of Couch to 5k and decided some day I was going to run at Disney too.
To back up many years, my first foray into running was in basic training for the Army Reserves. I didn't fall in love with running then, and only ran when necessary once back home. My unit had a group run the local Thanksgiving race (4.748 mile) so I decided to join in. For the next 7 years I ran that race, a few random 5k's, and required PT tests, pretty much all without training. My Thanksgiving times crept up with age and the lack of training. That tradition ended when I was pregnant with my first in 2000.
After my second was born in 2003 I found and completed the Couch to 5k for the first time. I did a 2 mile race and a 5k before getting pregnant with #3. Fast forward to 2014 - I now have 4 kids and decided I needed to take up some kind of exercise and get healthier. Started c25k again and did a 5k in May, but totally fell off training over the summer. Started c25k again early fall and was working on that during my October 2014 Disney trip.
The women with the Disney bling stayed in my mind, but I figured it would have to be a big race to justify another trip since we did a family trip February 2015. I finished c25k and continued on to the 10k plan. Ran a 5 mile race in March (47:48) and a quarter marathon in April (1:02:25). By this time I had decided I was going to train for a half marathon and couldn't wait until we got back to Disney to do my first. I signed up for a local June half. Mid-April I ran a 4 mile race And had a speedy for me finish of 35:56 - fourth in age group! My pleasure was short-lived when two days later I had sharp pain all over my foot and ankle when I tried to run.
After taking rest days with no improvement and constant pain I had it checked out and was diagnosed with insertional Achilles tendinitis and saural nerve pain. My June half had to be deferred (to a hopeful October) and I had 6 weeks of physical therapy. After 10 weeks completely off from running I was allowed to follow a very slow walk/run progression to get back to running. At the end of July I as back up to 4 miles of running. Late August I did a 10k (1:00:47) and was pleased with how training as going. A week later I had pain in my left ankle after a long run. Took a couple of days off then tried again with 3 more runs over the next 10 days. I finally had to admit that I as in trouble, again.
Four weeks before my first half I was diagnosed with a stress reaction/probable stress fracture. Recommendation - no running. I was devastated. It was October or wait until spring. I took 2.5 weeks off from running and did the bike at the gym. Then I tried a cautious 3 mile run and felt okay. The week before the race I ran twice - 5 and 4 miles - and decided to try the half. Before the injury I had made it up to 9 miles in training.
Race day went well - I had no pain and was able to run through mile 9 before I needed to add some walk breaks (definitely started out too fast). I was definitely underprepared, but I finished in 2:21:23. And I was hooked. I saw them handing out medals and jackets for the triple half challenge and knew what my 2016 goal would be.
How did I get here? Well, I was sitting at the Orlando airport on my way home from Disney trip with my friend and saw a couple of women wearing race shirts and medals from the Tower of Terror 10 mile race. Cool. I was then in the middle of Couch to 5k and decided some day I was going to run at Disney too.
To back up many years, my first foray into running was in basic training for the Army Reserves. I didn't fall in love with running then, and only ran when necessary once back home. My unit had a group run the local Thanksgiving race (4.748 mile) so I decided to join in. For the next 7 years I ran that race, a few random 5k's, and required PT tests, pretty much all without training. My Thanksgiving times crept up with age and the lack of training. That tradition ended when I was pregnant with my first in 2000.
After my second was born in 2003 I found and completed the Couch to 5k for the first time. I did a 2 mile race and a 5k before getting pregnant with #3. Fast forward to 2014 - I now have 4 kids and decided I needed to take up some kind of exercise and get healthier. Started c25k again and did a 5k in May, but totally fell off training over the summer. Started c25k again early fall and was working on that during my October 2014 Disney trip.
The women with the Disney bling stayed in my mind, but I figured it would have to be a big race to justify another trip since we did a family trip February 2015. I finished c25k and continued on to the 10k plan. Ran a 5 mile race in March (47:48) and a quarter marathon in April (1:02:25). By this time I had decided I was going to train for a half marathon and couldn't wait until we got back to Disney to do my first. I signed up for a local June half. Mid-April I ran a 4 mile race And had a speedy for me finish of 35:56 - fourth in age group! My pleasure was short-lived when two days later I had sharp pain all over my foot and ankle when I tried to run.
After taking rest days with no improvement and constant pain I had it checked out and was diagnosed with insertional Achilles tendinitis and saural nerve pain. My June half had to be deferred (to a hopeful October) and I had 6 weeks of physical therapy. After 10 weeks completely off from running I was allowed to follow a very slow walk/run progression to get back to running. At the end of July I as back up to 4 miles of running. Late August I did a 10k (1:00:47) and was pleased with how training as going. A week later I had pain in my left ankle after a long run. Took a couple of days off then tried again with 3 more runs over the next 10 days. I finally had to admit that I as in trouble, again.
Four weeks before my first half I was diagnosed with a stress reaction/probable stress fracture. Recommendation - no running. I was devastated. It was October or wait until spring. I took 2.5 weeks off from running and did the bike at the gym. Then I tried a cautious 3 mile run and felt okay. The week before the race I ran twice - 5 and 4 miles - and decided to try the half. Before the injury I had made it up to 9 miles in training.
Race day went well - I had no pain and was able to run through mile 9 before I needed to add some walk breaks (definitely started out too fast). I was definitely underprepared, but I finished in 2:21:23. And I was hooked. I saw them handing out medals and jackets for the triple half challenge and knew what my 2016 goal would be.
Last edited:
