~*~ Dream ~*~ Believe ~*~ Achieve ~*~ (Comments Welcome)

02/12/18 - 02/18/18
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02/12
Leisurely walk around the neighborhood. Saw our resident gator hanging out. He looks to be about 4 feet in length.

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02/13
Goal: 4 miles @ EB 12:20
Actual: 12:03 / 12:07 / 11:47 / 11:58
Gym: I made it to the gym! Chest & Triceps

02/14 I mixed up days and did Thursday's workout instead of Wednesday. It was a blind run which means no looking at your watch to check pace! I felt that I was too fast in mile 3 and thought I slowed it down for mile 4. Um, yeah, that didn't happen.
Goal: 2 mi WU / 2 mi 10:41 / 1 mi CD
Actual: 13:02 / 12:35 / 10:29 / 10:07 / 12:59

It was also Valentine's Day. My husband was out of town. We don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day. It's just not our thing, but I came home from running errands to these!

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Gym: Back & Biceps. My workout got cut short when I saw the Parkland school shooting come on the news. That's all in a prior post.


02/15
Goal: 4.5 miles @ EA 13:11
Actual: 12:38 / 12:41 / 12:19 / 12:32 / 12:12
Gym: Legs

02/16
Leisurely walk around the neighborhood.
Gym: Shoulders

02/17 It's my 41st birthday! I got an Athleta gift card and we bought some really good rib eye steaks at Whole Foods and cooked them on the grill. I also made a red potato salad using Greek yogurt and dijon mustard. It was actually very tasty! I also had cake and ice cream.

Goal: 4 miles @ EB 12:20
Actual: 12:19 / 11:56 / 11:54 / 12:03

02/18
Goal: 6 miles @ Long Run 11:56
Actual: 11:48 / 11:44 / 11:40 / 11:33 / 11:26 / 11:29

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I forgot to weigh in and fell off the tracking wagon after dinner on Saturday.
 
02/19/18 - 02/25/18
Race Week!
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02/19
Nothing

02/20
Goal: 1 mi WU / 3.5 @ 10:41 / 1mi CD
Actual: 11:55 / 10:28 / 10:24 / 10:19 / 10:22 / 11:44

02/21
Goal: 4.5 miles @ EA 13:11
Actual: 12:19 / 12:16 / 12:22 / 12:01 / 12:07 / 12:14

02/22 Princess Expo!
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02/23 Princess 5K
I'd been looking forward to this race forever. This was my 12yo daughter's first official runDisney event. She hated it. She's a fast runner so I selected a 9-10 mm pace during registration. She normally runs around a 9:45 mm. I was in corral B last year and stopped for every photo and finished in an hour. I guessed we would be in B and figured it would take us less than an hour to get through the course and all the pictures. We were put in corral A. It was full of little 5-6yo kids that literally walked over the starting lines with their families. I think our biggest mistake was stopping for the first photo op. It was Mike & Sully and my DD is a huge Monsters, Inc fan so she wanted a photo. The line was a little long, but we got our pic and left and immediately ran into walls of people. There was little to no room to run. It took us 90 minutes and we skipped the last 2 or 3 photo ops. She said she never wants to run a disney 5K again. It was way too overcrowded for her with too many walkers clogging up the entire walkway. I sadly agree. It was way more fun last year. It seemed like I was running from picture to picture with the same people. This year it was dodging walls of walkers with little care to anyone else on the course. We made the best of it and enjoyed being with each other and looking at all the creative costumes. The little turd said bye mom at the finish and sprinted off without me laughing the entire way. She knows she's a faster sprinter than I am and finds it amusing to outrun me. She picked out our matching shirts. It's Hamm from her favorite movie Toy Story with the wording "Will run for all the bacon".

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02/24 Princess 10K
Today's race was so much better. I was assigned to corral B. I got up at 3am and went to the bus around 3:30 then straight to my corral and reserved my front row spot. I had a banana and a Luna bar. There was little to no crowding on the course. It was awesome.

Sea of humanity in corral B.

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Race photos!

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Official RD time: 1:06
Garmin time: 6.31 miles 1:06:04
Average Pace: 10:28
Splits: 11:11 / 11:01 / 10:47 / 10:17 / 10:10 / 9:51 /8:58

I missed a chip timed PR by 31 seconds! I was really stiff for the first two miles after sitting around in the corral.

02/25 Princess Half Marathon!!!
I was looking forward to this race! I was up at 2:45 and at the bus stop at 3:15. I went straight to race retreat, ate breakfast, made last minute adjustments then off to the corral! The only thing I didn't like was walking in the overgrown, wet and uneven grass. I plan to send an email to runDisney about that. I started in the back of the first wave of corral D and only experienced a little bit of crowding on the hill to the contemporary and again on Main Street. It was humid, but no more than my usual early morning runs. I used my Nathan Hydration backpack so I wasn’t dependent on the course water stops. It was nice to be able to just blow right through them. During the long stretches of road on World Drive I listened to my Harry Potter audio book. The two “hills” in mile 10 and the “hill” in mile 11 didn’t seem nearly as bad this year! I did not stop for pictures other than a castle selfie.

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Official RD time: 2:28:37
Garmin time: 13.3 miles 2:28:37 (crazy that both times match!)
Average Pace: 11:11
Splits: 11:28 / 11:13 / 11:05 / 12:19 (potty break) / 10:58 / 11:23 (castle selfie) / 11:16 / 11:13 / 11:14 / 11:09 / 10:52 / 10:49 / 10:45 / 9:46

Again, I was stiff the first mile! I need to figure something out. I had a very small PR by 52 seconds. I was elated. I fell off the running wagon for most of 2017 and fell off a ladder in October. I got serious with my running again on 12/27. I am proud of how much I accomplished within a just a few weeks with the help of @DopeyBadger. I don't think I would have performed nearly as well without his training plan.

I hung out at the retreat tent for a little while to cool down and put on my compression sleeves and take my shoes off. I had some chocolate milk and some oatmeal and watched the finishers on the TV. I think I'll skip the retreat next year. It's great and I enjoy it, but with checking out of my hotel the same day I felt rushed. I left around 9:15 and decided to walk back to Beach Club through Epcot. It felt sooooo good to be moving my legs. I had stiffened up sitting down. It was nice to be able to cheer on the runners still on the course. I showered and packed up and started driving home. I was just about to get onto 417 when I realized I left my iPad sitting on the bed!!!! I turned around and went back to get it. It was still there thank goodness! I need my books! I got home and was so fatigued that I ended up napping for 2 hours. My DH wanted to take me to dinner to celebrate, but I really didn't want to have to get out of my sweatpants and t-shirt. We ordered pizza instead and I washed it down with a beer while we binge watched episodes of Poldark. It was an awesome ending to my day. I was asleep by 8pm!
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I have no weight loss or nutrition update. I have been a bad girl!
 
Soooo....I really like the plastic cheese food that comes in the snack box. It's also the same cheese that comes with the mickey pretzel in the parks. My daughter loves it too. I literally hid in my bedroom when I got home to eat the one from my half marathon snack box. As soon as I got up from my nap she was asking where it was. She had gone through my bag, found the snack box and was going to steal it and eat it LOL!!!!
 


Congrats on the great weekend! Kudos on the double PRs as well. Given the race paces you ran relative to your scheduled plan, I'd like you to make the following changes:

-Replace Thursday's (3/1) HM Tempo of 3.5 miles with a 4.5 mile @ EB run
-Replace Sunday's 7 miles @ Long Run with a 5 miles @ LR

I'm making these changes because the effort given during PHM Weekend was higher than what I had originally scheduled. So I want to include a little more recovery this week. This doesn't change the goal time I have in mind for DS at this time. Keep up the great work and you'll be pleased with the results at DS (with reasonable weather of course).

As for feeling stiff during the beginning portions of the run, my biggest suggestion is to try and get a WU within the corral. As long as the WU starts no sooner than 60 min to start and finishes no closer than 15 min (which won't be an issue at Disney), then you'll be good to go. Aim for a minimum of 5 min of easy paces. I just do circles in my corral at Disney.
 
Yay for race report!! I love the pictures that you got. You look great! Sorry that the 5k ended up being a bummer for your daughter. The crowded really can be crazy. Congrats on your great times with such little time to train.
 
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that your daughter hated the race, that's sad. I did Princess 5K as my first runDisney in 2015 and I loved it so much ... but my experience was a lot more like what you're describing from last year. The walls of walkers are the worst, and I totally understand how they can ruin the experience.
I love the matching shirts, though!

You got some great pictures from the 10K and half
Congrats on the new PR!
 


Thanks for sharing your Princess recap, great races & pics. I didn't like the walking in the uneven grass before the marathon at the corral area either, I kept getting some weird netting caught around my shoes too. The last few Disney 5ks I've done have had the little kids too in corral A, even ones that have to be held until right before, it can make for some traffic hazards for sure.
Great races!
 
I think someone should start a worst race photo thread. I have some really bad ones. Every now and then you get some good ones though. I just never know what to do with my arms.

This is the perpetual problem, right? I seem to always go with one of the following...
1) Arms up in a victory pose
2) Thumbs up - cause I'm cool like that
3) Jazz hands

None of which is particularly great. :)
 
So I was looking at an early fall race. Slim pickings here in central FL so I have three options and having a tough time deciding. I looked at temp & dew point at race start time for the last five years.

Jacksonville Marine Corps Half - The date still hasn't been announced, but based on prior years it should be 10/13. My DH is a MC veteran! Medals are pretty awesome. However, there is no corralling and the 5K & half marathon runners all start at the same time then split off after the first mile. That worries me because as I was looking through past years photos there were lots of walkers crossing the starting line. They also allow strollers and have Galloway pace groups. The course is an out and back loop in downtown Jacksonville and St. Johns River. I couldn't find the elevation profile, but there is a bridge in mile 1 and again in mile 2. I'd also have to drive there the night before and stay at the hotel which is right next to the starting line. It's 2-2.5 hours away and the race starts at 7am.
  • 2017: 78 + 72 = 150
  • 2016: 73 + 69 = 142
  • 2015: 65 + 60 = 125
  • 2014: 68 + 55 = 123
  • 2013: 61 + 55 = 116
  • Average: 131.2
Lighthouse Loop Half - Race starts at 7am on 10/28 & is only an hour away in the Daytona Beach area so I wouldn't need a hotel the night before. But....parking is pretty miserable and it's a loooooooooooooong & dark 1 mile walk (or more depending on where you find parking) to the starting line. Course appears that you run along the coast, but it's really along residential streets with maybe a glimpse of the ocean between houses and landscaping. Mile 12 is a monster hill of a bridge. The medal is pretty. No corrals, but there is a max of 2000 runners for the half & must finish < 3:15. You get to loop around the lighthouse which is pretty cool.
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  • 2017: 68 + 66 = 134
  • 2016: 65 + 64 = 129
  • 2015: 74 + 67 = 141
  • 2014: 55 + 52 = 107
  • 2013: 55 + 52 = 107
  • Average: 123.6
Disney's Wine & Dine Half - The pros for this race is that it's Disney, I know what to expect race morning, I have a pretty good idea where I would be corralled, it's FUN and the medals are awesome. The con is that it's Disney again. I could drive there race morning, but I'd probably opt to stay on site since the start time is so early. I like the course from last year. I'd only be running the half instead of the challenge. They changed the half from a Saturday night to a Sunday morning race so I looked at historical temp data as if all the years started at 5:30am on Sunday.
  • 2017: 66 + 66 = 132
  • 2016: 63 + 63 = 126
  • 2015: 70 + 68 = 138
  • 2014: 59 + 57 = 116
  • 2013: 64 + 62 = 126
  • Average: 127
So that's my dilemma of the day. This would be a race for time during 2019 WDW marathon training. My heart is leaning towards Disney.
 
Based on all of this, it would appear the Wine and Dine is the best choice. Reasonably good weather. Good course. Corralled (after your sub-2:20 at DS :-) ). The course will likely be the most congested though. So it's all about being patient and running the tangents as best you can. Probably also the most expensive choice all-in as well.
 
Based on all of this, it would appear the Wine and Dine is the best choice. Reasonably good weather. Good course. Corralled (after your sub-2:20 at DS :-) ). The course will likely be the most congested though. So it's all about being patient and running the tangents as best you can. Probably also the most expensive choice all-in as well.

I think I’ve ruled out Jacksonville for this year. I keep going back and forth with the Lighthouse and W&D. I need to figure it out since early AP for the half is next week and I need to get a resort booked. The Lighthouse bridge is 1 mile long according to the course map. That’s 1/2 mile up then all downhill to the finish line. I ran an extra .20 miles during the Princess Half. Ugh.....decisions.
 
I think I’ve ruled out Jacksonville for this year. I keep going back and forth with the Lighthouse and W&D. I need to figure it out since early AP for the half is next week and I need to get a resort booked. The Lighthouse bridge is 1 mile long according to the course map. That’s 1/2 mile up then all downhill to the finish line. I ran an extra .20 miles during the Princess Half. Ugh.....decisions.

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So I used gmap-pedometer to gauge a reasonable estimate on the incline of the lighthouse loop bridge. Relatively speaking, it's pretty minimal. About the same as Disney's on/off ramps. So I'd call the elevation profile a wash between Disney and Lighthouse. The weather is a wash as well. You can run the tangents better at Disney. I've done 13.22, 13.18, and 13.22. Helps starting in corral A, but I haven't always been in corral A. It's all about memorizing the course and knowing which direction (and when) the next turn is coming. Disney runs on wide roads which means it's easy to get off the tangent if you're not careful. Although I always recommend studying the course map for all races, Disney or not. Better tangential running could cut off minutes of time.
 
Soooo....I really like the plastic cheese food that comes in the snack box. It's also the same cheese that comes with the mickey pretzel in the parks. My daughter loves it too. I literally hid in my bedroom when I got home to eat the one from my half marathon snack box. As soon as I got up from my nap she was asking where it was. She had gone through my bag, found the snack box and was going to steal it and eat it LOL!!!!

That cheese is delicious! During marathon weekend, I overheard more than one person say, "if they ever get rid of this cheese, I'm no longer doing these races."

:rotfl2:
 
That's a tough one, but ... my heart says Disney too. Yes, you just did a Disney race, but ... it's Disney!
Lighthouse sounds like a good option too, though.
 
02/26/18 - 03/04/18
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Monday - Walked around the neighborhood. This was the day after PHM. Quad was little twingy, but it's been fine since.

Tuesday - Run was much too fast.
  • 3 miles @ EA 13:11
  • 10:41 / 10:43 / 10:07
Wednesday - Again.....way too fast. My legs did not want to stay slow and recover.
  • 4.5 miles @ EA 13:11
  • 11:03 / 11:00 / 11:01 / 11:01 / 10:48
Thursday - Plan was changed from a tempo run to another easy day due to my throwing race weekend plans out the window once I got on the course. I really had to pay a lot attention to my watch to keep myself at a slower pace.
  • 4.5 miles @ EB 12:20
  • 11:56 / 11:50 / 11:47 / 11:44 / 11:49
Friday - Off. Today was DH's birthday!

Saturday - Blind run today which meant no peeking at the running watch! I'm really bad at these as you can tell. Pace seemed slow and easy, but as you see below I have no sense of speed and have yet to learn by feel what my paces are. I got to run by a dog park twice where they had an obstacle course set up for the pups. It was super cute!
  • 5 miles @ EB 12:20
  • 11:14 / 10:58 / 10:58 / 10:43 / 10:23
We celebrated DH's birthday with dinner out at a new Indian restaurant that opened nearby. It was some of the best Indian we have ever had. It also scores bonus points for being only 15 minutes from home. If we want Indian it's usually a 30 minute drive in icky Orlando traffic.

Sunday - Went out on a favorite loop of mine around a small lake that I haven't run in a long while. There is a slight elevation on this course that I thought was a huge awful hill once upon a time. Now I can't fathom why I ever thought it was a hill??? I consider it improvement in my fitness :) Again, I had to pay close attention to my watch to keep my pace slower. Hard to do when you get lost in your audio book LOL!
  • 5 miles @ EB 12:20
  • 11:49 / 11:32 / 11:27 / 11:33 / 11:25
This alligator carving makes me smile everytime I go by. It's carved from an old pine tree.

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My family laughs at me because I drink my chocolate soy milk out of a beaker. It's perfect for measuring it and is one less thing to wash.

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So I have been lax about tracking in MFP and kept forgetting to weigh in. I for the most part tried to stick to eating healthy, but I did fall off the wagon a few times. I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm a stress eater and popcorn binger. I did have a small loss from the last time I weighed in though!!!

PW: 139
CW: 138.4
GW: 125
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My goal for this week is to get back to the gym to lift weights. I have yet to make it to that boot camp gym my neighbor owns. I found out more about it and they focus on one body part depending on what day of the week it is. I don't think it's for me. I need something that I can pop into for a whole body workout since I never know what my schedule from week to week is going to be. I also have my first "T" pace run coming up on Tuesday and I'm so excited!
 
I think someone should start a worst race photo thread.
The worst race photo of me I have seen is when I ran across the finish line at the Super Heros HM in DL with a donut hole in my mouth and one in my hand. Hahahaha. I don't think I ever saved that one and I kind of regret it now.

Great race re-cap! Bummer your daughter didn't have a good time at the 5k. I can't wait until my DD is old enough to run a real race with me. Until then, I just keep signing her up for the kid's ones which she loves.

I can't wait to hear how your first T Pace run goes!!
 

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