As December is coming to a close, so are the training days towards the 2020 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I have to get in more long training runs towards my Goofy Challenge training. I just completed my goofy challenge 13-mile training run on December 15 and I will be doing a 16-mile training run soon.

13 Mile Training Run Breakdown

Miles 1-5

The first few miles are always the hardest. During this run, the sun had just come out and it was a very pleasant day. I had been struggling with 2 migraines in a row but still wanted to get out and accomplish this run.

Miles 5-8

By miles 4 and 5 I was enjoying the scenery and being outside. I was feeling strong and intended to get as many miles done as I could, even if that meant finishing in the dark. I knew it would happen because I had a late start due to those migraines.

Miles 8-10

Around mile 8 I was in a groove. I was enjoying the podcasts I was listening to – “The Perfect Movie“, and I had a good pace going (12:30/per mile). I knew I still had 5 miles to go, but I also made a deal with myself that I could walk the last 3 miles if I needed to. I chose the last 3 miles because I had done 10 miles on my previous long run. So I was adding 3 miles to my last training run.

Miles 10-13

At mile 10, I knew I’d have to run around the block a few times. This would allow me to end in the neighborhood near my house and not have to worry about heavy traffic in the dark. I continued to run all of the miles and walked the very last mile. I probably could have run it, but I chose to walk.

Half Marathon Distance Achieved

I know that I can finish the half marathon without issues during the race weekend. We usually run miles 1-10 and walk in the last 3-4 miles to conserve our legs for the marathon the next day. I always get nervous before my long runs. I tend to think about them during the days leading up to it. Then the day of the run, I tend to stall a little before I get out there. But I always complete the run, and I need to remember that.

What’s Next

My training plan requires a few more long training runs. Last year I trained a bit less than I wanted to. I also remember feeling very strong for my races last year. So despite the lower mileage during training, I don’t feel that it caused me to have a bad race.

As I prepare for this training run, I prepare for it mentally, as much as I do physically. I think of the route I want to take, I visualize the roads, and know the level of effort that is required for each section of my route.

I am also thinking of the reward I want to give myself for completing this run. I’m looking forward to having a game night or a movie night with my family with little guilt for sitting around.

How’s your training going? Do you have any long runs left? How do you feel about race day?