Wife Mother Runner @JeffGalloway Archives - Page 2 of 4

Getting In The Zone – Heart Rate Training

May 19, 2016

With my approach to a more successful Marine Corp Marathon this fall, I am working on my training plan. I already printed out my Jeff Galloway training plan for completing a marathon and filled in the dates going backwards from race day. However, I also want to incorporate heart rate training into my plan this summer. I was listening to two of my favorite podcasts, Another Mother Runner and Team Shenanigans, and they were both duscussing training plans in a way that I hadn’t really heard it explained before.

Dimity, from Another Mother Runner is training for an ultra with her coach Mary-Katherine “MK” Fleming, so she wanted to do so in a way that will help her be successful and also to avoid injury since she has been prone to injuries with her feet so frequently. The Team Shenanigans podcast had Matt Fitzgerald on the show several times and he was talking about doing an 80/20 plan. Meaning 80% of your runs are done at an easier exertion level, and then spend 20% of your training working on speed, whether that be cadence drills or track work.

For the last two weeks I have been doing the heart-rate training with my running. With heart rate training the rule is to keep you heart rate below 140. If it goes above 140 then you have to walk until it lowers. The purpose for doing this during your training is to establish a solid cardiovascular base. Over time you will become faster but while in the training it is grueling because your pace is significantly slower. Heart-rate training requires a lot of patience. It teaches your body to convert fat instead of glucose for fuel.

So far, despite feeling much slower while running, I am doing pretty well with using a heart-rate monitor and training at around 140 bpm. It’s hard because sometimes you easily jump up to 150; but it also syncs in well with my Jeff Galloway run/walk/run method. When my heart rate is higher, it happens just about the time that my timer goes off for a walk break. So my stats have been averaging around 140-144 bpm while running.

The Train Like A Mother Club is providing Heart-Rate Training Programs as well as a Stride Into Summer Plan so I may take advantage of those two plans to help me have a successful summer of training in preparation for the Marine Corps Marathon.

2016 WDW Marathon Weekend Is Less Than a Month Away!

December 9, 2015

Well it’s less than 30 days away now! For me, the Dopey challenge is close to half way completed 30 days from now. I will have been through Day 4 of the challenge on the half-marathon portion of the event. The funny thing is, you aren’t halfway through the mileage until around mile 1.9 of the marathon on Sunday.

The runDisney Official Event Guide is now published and has all of the information you need to know for what to do, where to go, what time the Expo takes place, when and where the kid races are, Pasta in the Park info and so much more!

What I was waiting most for was the map of the marathon course. Now that the Richard Petty Speedway was demolished that removed some distance off the course we used in the past. My friends in Team Shenanigans put together screens comparing the 2015 and 2016 course maps.

From what you can see in the Magic Kingdom portion of the course, it appears that we will be running through the castle and Towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and then out through the back side of the park and towards Cone Alley and the long road towards Animal Kingdom. There is also a little out and back portion in there on the way to Animal Kingdom created to make up some of the distance. I’m just grateful we aren’t making up the difference in ESPN Wide World of Sports. Although I have to say that last year it didn’t feel as long and dreadful in that part of the course as it did the two years prior.

I’m getting excited to know that in less than a month I’ll be racing in Florida. I was listening to the Mickey Miles Podcast today where Jeff Galloway was answering questions and he answered the question I had posted to the Mickey Milers Team page. I asked what to do about my training since Marine Corps was my longest distance since October and then in November I was up to 10 miles (plus the 12 i did last weekend). Jeff’s recommendation is to do a cluster of runs to simulate Dopey beginning on December 17. He said to do 3 miles, then 5 the next day, walk 7-10 the following day and then on the last day get in 23 miles with either most of it walking or walk a mile, then run with 15/30 intervals. So I am going to think about this suggestion and compare it to what I had in my mind which was to do a longer run that weekend of 15-17 miles (mostly running) and perhaps I’ll tack on the last 3 miles as a walk to get the 20 miles under my feet for the endurance. I know Jeff knows best. But many of my fellow running pals are getting training burnout. But we all know what happens when we don’t train like we should (see my Marine Corps Marathon recap).

I’m starting in Corral I and the corrals go up to letter P so that give me about a 20 minute buffer between when we take off and when the last of the pack takes off. I’m not worried about finish time with the race this year. I just want to have fun. And it wouldn’t be fun if we didn’t see the balloon ladies at the races!

I just registered my kids today for the Kids Dash races for Friday. I usually register them for Saturday based on when they fly down; but in the past that was crazy for me to rush back from the half marathon, pick everyone up at the hotel and then get over to ESPN. So it will be nice for a chance to do the 10K and then shower and head over to ESPN for their race. This is becoming a tradition that I would like to keep doing with them while I can. It’s easier to get them up for an 11:00 race than it will be to get them to a 5K that takes place at 5 a.m.!

Now I have to start putting together my costume ideas! I already have one planned with my mom! She and I are doing her first Disney race at the 5K. We have been sharing ideas back and forth from Etsy, we both have the same Minnie ears and Team Sparkle Skirt so now we have to find coordinating skirts. I have another one planned with Christina and Diana and that leaves the half and full marathons to plan for. I have to really get going to put something together. Let the fun of packing and planning begin!

40th Marine Corp Marathon Expo

November 2, 2015

The Marine Corp 40th Marathon was a very special marathon to me. The medal I earned from this race is going to go in a special place. It was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Harder than my first marathon. As I was reliving it and telling my husband about it, he told me it sounds like it was a traumatic experience for me. It kind of was.

Let’s start from the beginning. This is going to be a two part story. The first part is the Expo. I took a flight out of CT at 9:00 a.m. and arrived in Washington D.C. at DCA at 10:30. I tried to snooze a little on the plane. I was pretty tired. I set my alarm for 5:30 with all intentions of leaving the house by 6:30. I have TSA pre-check now so I knew going through security could be a little faster. I almost left the house at 6:30. That was, until I realized I was missing a few things. I had to go back into the house and tip toe around in my room to find the things that I was missing. One of them being my compression sleeves and the second one was a cord that was in my office. I knew I was going to wake up my husband as I had to go through the closet in our room to access the new addition where the office is. The main house and the addition are still not completely attached for general access. So we have a small entryway from inside our closet. Anyway…. I was on the road to the airport a little after 7:00 a.m. Ooops. Not to fear, I reached the parking lot by 7:45 and was through security and at a Dunkin Donuts before 8:00. Plenty of time to have a tea and wait to board.

I love travelling with my runDisney and Disney Social Media Moms gear!

The flight was easy and when I arrived I followed the signs at DCA to get to the Metro. I purchased a Metro card and then got on the train. I was lucky, the first stop is Crystal City where my hotel is. I got off the train tried to figure out how to get out of the Metro tunnel and then found my way around. I went to the Dunkin Donuts there and picked up a hot chocolate. I was feeling like I needed a little pep. I was also lucky to find a Rite Aid right inside the mall that is in Crystal City. This mall is cool. It’s all underground and is part of the Metro and hotel area. I was looking at the weather forecast and it was calling for rain for race morning so I wanted to grab some ponchos from Rite Aid while I was there. It was also a perfect chance for me to get some waters and snacks at an affordable cost rather than at the expo center or within the hotel. I checked at the hotel desk and was fortunate to be able to check in early. I brought everything up to my room, laid out what I could for my gear to make sure I had everything and didn’t need any special at the expo and then texted Kimberlee and Anne to find out where and when to meet.

It was close to noon so I went back down to the Metro and took the train to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. I had to walk a few blocks from the station to the Convention Center and then quite a distance along the convention center to the actual hall where the Marine Corp Marathon Expo was being held. There were two other large events taking place at the Convention Center, so it was easy to get lost if you didn’t follow the signs.

The Metro is very cool underground.

The Marine Corp Expo

Anne spotted me as I got to the bottom of the escalator and we went to pick up my bib and shirt. It was exciting to receive my bib and shirt from the Marines.

It really added to the excitement of the event. The expo was quite large. The first place we went was to the Brooks Official Merchandise Area. My friend Jennifer had picked up a jacket for me that morning because things were selling out quickly. In addition I purchased a visor, a pin, a glass and a windbreaker from the Brooks Official Merchandise Area. This race was a big deal to me and I wanted to purchase some nice things to commemorate it.

I was planning on meeting Sid Busch at the expo around 2:00. I gave him a call and he said that he was at home resting. He had been on his feet all day the day before giving out shirts and then volunteered again Saturday morning so he really needed to take a break. He had just run his 200th marathon the weekend before in Baltimore so he was feeling the effects of it along with being so busy for the past two days. We made plans to find each other at the race start.

Anne and I were keeping our eyes open for Kimberlee. She landed later than I did and also checked into her hotel which was near the Convention Center. While we waited for her, Anne and I explored the Expo floor. I ran into Susana Cruz from the Mickey Milers. I met her out in Chicago when I was there to run the Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon.

After pictures with Susana, I was shopping around and found a cute Running Skirts Camo skirt that would match nicely with my grey Mintz + Hoke shirt so I purchased it to wear instead of the Sparkle Athletic skirt I packed. I also had a mission to find Jeff Galloway, Sweaty Bands and Sparkly Soul head bands. As we shopped the expo floor we found Jeff and Barbara Galloway and I had him sign my bib and take a picture with me, as I always do at the races he is visiting. Not long after that we met up with Kimberlee.

We weaved up and down the rows of the Expo floor with her so she could also shop the vendor booths. During our shopping I came across Fitletic and decided to purchase a new fuel belt that would be large enough to hold my new larger iPhone Plus 6s and also have room to store fuel. That had been on my shopping list as well because I didn’t want to wear a Spibelt plus and additional belt for fuel. We also found Kimberlee’s favorite booth, Beecause Charms. She has the cutest charms on her sneakers and I was never a charms person; but once I got my eyes on the Marine Corp Marathon Charms, along with red, white and blue stars and then when you purchase those plus an American flag charm, proceeds from the purchase of the American flag charm goes to wounded warriors.

Just before we left we signed the Pace Car! That was a first for me. We weren’t sure when and where we were going to see the pace car, but we signed our names on it, along with 24,000 other people! We all realized it was getting late and I had to get from the Convention Center to Crystal City for my Mickey Milers Pasta dinner at Portofino. It was already 4:15 and I had to take the Metro to Crystal City where my hotel was and walk a few blocks to the restaurant. We took some last minute pictures and then headed off to our night’s events.

My train was delayed at the Metro so I texted my Mickey Milers friends and let them know to not wait up for me but I’d be there as soon as I could. I eventually arrived a little after 5:25 and ordered linguine and meatballs. I figured that would be a safe dinner choice. We enjoyed the company, I sat with Chris Smith, Susanna Cruz and her husband, Dave Dunkowski and his girlfriend, who had just become a grandmother at 5:37 that evening, and Eric and his daughter. Dinner took a long time to come out of the kitchen and we didn’t leave the restaurant until around 8:00. I walked back with Chris and Meghan Gorny and we made plans to hook up at 5:15 in the morning to walk to the shuttle.

By the time I got to my room and got ready for bed I was exhausted. I got my food and tea ready for the morning, got the rest of my gear laid out and I was in my bed by 9:00 saying goodnight to the family. I was asleep by 10:00 with the alarm set for 4:00 a.m.

My final outfit with the new Running Skirts camo skirt.

I really enjoyed the Expo and the Mickey Milers Pasta dinner. It was a nice day prior to the race. It was fun to hang out with friends, explore the goodies at the expo and find some new gear.

Front of the Marine Corp Marathon Shirt we received with our bibs.

Back of the Marine Corp Marathon Shirt we received with our bibs.

Some of the goodies I purchased at the Expo.

Stay tuned for my race recap of the hardest marathon I ever ran to date!

Marine Corp Marathon Training is Complete Yet Incomplete

September 27, 2015

When I began running and participating in races I was very diligent with my training. I would follow the training plan to the T. But lately I have been veering from that plan and cutting corners with my long runs especially. I consistently get in 3-5 runs per week, but I am not running a 23-26 mile run prior to the marathon as Jeff Galloway’s training plans suggest.

There are several reasons for that. One is because mentally I burn out when doing 23+ miles prior to my race. The second is because I am having issues with my right leg and I think it is my IT band acting up. Third I just haven’t had as much time. That never was an excuse I would never let get in my way before.

My last run was on Friday and my intent was to do 20 miles. I walked the first half mile to warm up my leg. Then I began my 30/30 intervals. I was doing ok until mile 3 when my Garmin watch lost power. Just before I left my house I grabbed my watch and it was almost dead. I charged what I could and brought the cord and a portable charger with me. I didn’t expect to need it that soon into the run. I plugged it in to charge and used runkeeper for a while. But I didn’t have intervals working. I ended up needing to download an interval app so that I had audible cues when to do my walk/runs.

At first it was frustrating not having my watch working. But then I wasn’t keeping track of the distance as much. So there was a little relief. I wasn’t constantly checking it and doing the math in my head to guess what time I would finish and how much more time did I have left to go. It was a freeing feeling not monitoring that information.

I mapped out a route before I left the house so I thought it would be doing somewhere between 11-13 before I looped back to my house and started the last half of the run. When I got home and refilled my water and ice I checked my map online and completed 13. That was a relief. I only had 7 miles left. Instead of the route I had planned out for the last section I decided to stick to my route closer to home. I didn’t want to go too far in case I started to have issues as I was getting towards the end of the run.

Strangely, my feet were hurting me the most. I was doing more walking than running at times so I don’t know if that was the cause. It was bothering me quite a bit. I hope that won’t be an issue on race day.

I ended up cutting the training run a mile short because I ran out of road and I also felt like I was out there the entire day! I was out there from 10:00 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon.

After I finished I had my chocolate milk and showered and sat down to do some work for a little bit and to put my feet up. That felt good but I didn’t want to get stiff sitting around. Everything was ok and I wasn’t having many serious issues with my IT band.

The following days were good. I had some stiffness but it was the kind that feels good when you push yourself. I didn’t push myself in terms of speed but I was pushing myself to go farther than I have since January.

After I completed the run I was glad it was over but I still feel incomplete or unprepared for this race. This is the Marine Corp marathon. I feel like I am disrespecting the race. I have to Beat the Bridge so the roads can be reopened by 1:00 p.m. So if I can do that I won’t be as scared. I am running it with friends who also have the same goal of surviving so I am hoping we can all cross the line together.

Depending on how things go with this race will determine what I decide to do next year. When I finish this race I need to maintain my mileage through November and December for the Dopey Challenge in January. That means 2 more 20 milers at least. Marine Corp Marathon was on my bucket list along with the Chicago marathon and NYC. So I will leave it up to fate to determine if I will be training again next year for those races in addition to my Disney marathon in January.

Dumbo Double Dare 10K

September 24, 2015

The first day of racing for us began on Saturday for the Disneyland 10K. This is one of my favorite runDisney races, if not my favorite. The alarm went off at 4:00 a.m. and I got up and began to get “sparkled” for my Disney anniversary costume. We walked from our hotel to the Disneyland hotel and arrive around 5:00. The crowds for the 10K are not as large as they are for the Disneyland Half Marathon so we had no trouble walking over to our corral and getting right in with very little wait time.

We met a cool girl Stephanie Adams, in the corral and got a few pictures before it was time to run the race. If anyone knows her, I’m trying to connect via Facebook. I know she said she was part of the Double Dare Challenge Team but I can’t locate the group. As we took off running it was the normal rush of people in the beginning so we didn’t begin our intervals right away. We also saw a lot of people tripping over the curbs and falling while trying to pass others or just running out of room.

The first mile of the race takes place on the streets of Anaheim and then we entered the backlot of Disney California Adventure. I couldn’t wait for Diana to see Cars Land while it was still early in the morning and the sun wasn’t fully up yet. We rounded the corner into Cars Land and it was perfect! The lighting was just right and I told Diana to get in line for pictures. This is what the races are all about. I had to remind her that we were going to take as many pictures as we could in the park, then we would run on the streets or between picture stops depending on the time.

The characters at the character stops were villains and they had great characters out on the course! There was DJ from Cars, Lotso from Toy Story 3, Shadow Man or Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog and Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas and many, many more! My favorite was The Hun from Mulan! My family and I just watched that movie the week before and I was playing the main song continuously during my runs so it was appropriate to have such a rare character out on the course and actually get a picture with him! While standing in line for them the cast members were warning us that the pacers were about 10 minutes behind us and that if we remained in line we were risking getting swept off the course. Diana started to freak out but I told her we were fine. We could outrun them even if they were right upon us.

After our picture stop with the Hun, we ran towards the Haunted Mansion and got some pictures in front of the mansion and also as ghosts. Then we continued on through Disneyland towards Downtown Disney and the finish line.

As usual, the race wasn’t about time. Our finish time was just under 2 hours. The Disneyland 10K is one of my favorite races because most of the course takes place within the two parks.

After the race, we went back to our room to shower and then worked on the hats for our Sleeping Beauty Fairies for the half marathon the next day. I carried the materials out to California with me in my suitcase to assemble them in our room. I didn’t want the hats to get squished in the suitcase. I also knew that we would be spending most of the day and night at the parks, so I wanted everything in order before we left the room because I assumed we would be collapsing like we did the night before!

We met Mandy at the Expo and I spent a little more time shopping at the Expo, listened to Tara Guidus talk about nutrition and running, and visited Jeff Galloway for pictures and his autograph of my race medal. I usually have him sign my bib; but I forgot to bring that with me. I also took the opportunity to register for the Tinkerbell race next May. I haven’t run that race yet and it was falling at a time that we weren’t going to be on vacation in Walt Disney World so I went for it. It’s the 5 year anniversary of the Tinkerbell races so I’m also happy about getting an anniversary medal as well!

After the Expo we went over to Downtown Disney so I could find some of the anniversary items that I wanted to purchase and to also find some gifts for the kids. Then we went to California Adventure and Disneyland for lunch, rides and dinner with the World of Color to end the night.

It’s Not How Fast You Are, It’s How Far You Can Go

September 23, 2015

Now that Autumn is here, race season is getting into full swing and the miles are piling up. Long runs are on the calendar for the next four months. I have a 20 miler on my schedule in preparation for the Marine Corp Marathon. I’d like to get that done prior to the weekend so I can enjoy the Durham Fair and my daughter’s softball game without having it on my mind.

Since the Disney Dumbo Dare Challenge, my IT band has been slightly irritated. I have been taking care of it with hard massage and I have still be able to run. I just wonder how much it will be affected by a very long run. I am going to be careful to not push too fast on this long run. It’s not how fast you run, but getting the miles under your feet. This fact from Jeff Galloway, who also wants you to run slower than your race pace by almost 2 minutes while training for the long distance races. I just hate being out on the road for 5 hours!

I plan on loading up the iPod with all of my favorite podcasts and loading up on some sunscreen and fuel to get the miles done. I was listening the Another Mother Runner podcast and Rod Dixen mentioned, running the races is the easy part. That is so very true. The race is the reward for all of the training that has happened. Fitting training runs into the schedule and putting in the time and enduring the injuries is all the training that has to get done so you can enjoy the races and relish the medal you earn.

The reality is setting in that I am going to the Marine Corp Marathon in a little over a month. I did finally book a room and I am going to purchase a ticket to attend the Pasta Party, where we can listen to speakers like our pal Jeff Gallowaoy! I’m going to go to this event with my friend Kimberlee. It’s best to do something with friends when you can with any race. This race isn’t going to be about getting my best finish time. It’s the ability to actually run in this event and to “Beat The Bridge” and get my Marine Corp Finisher medal. My friends Kimberlee and Anne are also feeling the same about not being prepared for this race so we are going to try to stick together and survive the distance together.

Time for me to do my mental training and prepare myself for my task coming up on Friday and to know that I can do this; it’s just a matter of, once again, wrapping my head around the feat.

Dumbo Double Dare Travel Day 1 and Expo

September 8, 2015

I can’t believe this trip was already a week ago. Life was so hectic right up to the trip and then right afterwards. I will be providing you my details of the trip in segments. Today we will begin with the travel day out to California and the Expo.

The trip began with a little bit of frenzy. When my alarm went off at 6:00 I snoozed it. Then when my backup alarm went off at 6:15 I snoozed that. I finally got up at 6:30. I wasn’t motivated to get moving too quickly. I wanted to be around to see Kevin get on the bus and then at least I’d have a few minutes with Adrienne also. I watched the traffic on the news so I was keeping up with any issues on the highway. With the last traffic check I did at 8:05 there was an accident just outside of Hartford! That’s when a little panic set in. I grabbed the
last of my things, kissed Adrienne and my husband and got on the road. Thank God for the Waze app. The traffic was looking OK according to the app. My estimated arrival time was 9:07 and I was leaving my house at 8:20 for a flight at 10:30. I arrived at 9:00 – Perfect.

I parked the car and got on the shuttle. Diana texted me that the line at the counter to check bags was very long. When I arrived, there was no one left! A flight to Chicago had a large amount of people there so they moved them all through. Security had a longer than usual line. It was doing the Disney zig zag rather than the usual straight lanes. But even with that we got through in less than 10 minutes. But of course, BOTH of my carry on bags needed
to be inspected. We were fine though. We had plenty of time to get a tea, use the restroom and chill for a few minutes before getting on the puddle jumper to New Jersey.

It was a quick 1 hour trip to New Jersey and when we arrived, we picked up sandwiches and snacks for lunch since it was close to lunch time and our flight to California was 6 hour flight. We wanted to make sure we had sufficient food with us to keep us fueled up for the flight. The flight ended up taking 5 hours and 30 minutes flight and was a good flight. I got some work done and rested and Diana read her book and rested. When I think back on it, it did go by quite fast.

When we landed we gathered our luggage and used the restroom. I had a moment in the restroom where I heard a woman calling out for help. I was alone in there with another woman and the woman in the stall. So we both walked over to see what was wrong. The woman who needed help had MS. She needed help moving from her motorized scooter toward the toilet so she could go to the bathroom. She did need the help of both of us women in the bathroom to help her move her legs. She had no feeling and mobility in her legs. We helped her and left her to her privacy and then helped her get dressed and move back into her chair again. She was a wonderful woman, whose daughter was going to run the Dumbo Double Dare Races. After she was all set and back into her chair we said our goodbyes and I felt grateful for my health and to appreciate the little things like how easy it is for me to quickly go in and out of a stall to get my business done and rush onto my way.

Diana and I got our rental car and went on with our journey to Disneyland. I took the advice from the man at the rental car check-out counter and we took the back roads to the Disneyland hotel. He said the highway at that time of night was a mess. That didn’t surprise me because that is how it was for me for the past two prior years. So we typed in the address to our phones and started on our way. As usual, it took 45-50 minutes to get to the hotel, when it is usually a 15-20 minute drive. Like in the past, I had to make a few U-turns and then we parked at the Downtown Disney parking lot and walked over to the Disneyland Hotel to go to the expo.

It was around 6 pm and many of the items at the Expo were picked over and there wasn’t as much of a selection left. I purchase an “I Did It” shirt; but it was only for the Disneyland Half Marathon, it wasn’t even for the Dumbo Double Dare. I also picked up a new Coast to Coast shirt. Those are the two items that I always want to grab when I run the Dumbo Double Dare races.

I did have the chance to go to the New Balance booth with no wait time and had the chance to pick up a pair of children sized Donald Sneakers. They didn’t have the exact size I wanted; but I was able to squeeze my foot into a half size smaller and was OK with that. We went downstairs to pick up our bibs, park passes, and coast to coast wrist band. Then we went upstairs to pick up our shirts. As we walked to the car it dawned on me that I had a coast to coast wrist band and Diana didn’t. Good thing I noticed it! We went back to the expo and talked to Runner Relations to get that resolved and she got her wristband.

It was getting late and we were getting hungry. So we dropped our items into the car and grabbed a sweatshirt to bring with us to Disneyland to watch the Electrical Parade and fireworks. Mandy had landed around this time and we were making arrangements to meet up near the gate so we could give them their passes. Diana and I went to Earl of Sandwich to pick up dinner and brought it with us into Disneyland to eat. But being close to the parade time; there was a large crowd on Main Street. I didn’t want to be too far from the gate because I still had to walk out to meet Mandy to give her the park passes.

We finally met up and the parade had started. Unfortunately, it was just too crowded to enjoy the parade. There wasn’t a good place where I could see the floats. But I did my best to take some pictures. We hung out for a little bit at the park and then decided it was time to head back to our hotels because it was getting close to 9:30 (12:30 back home) and I wanted to be asleep by 11:00 PST the latest.

We checked into the hotel, laid out our race materials for the next day and hit the sack around 11:00 p.m. The alarms were set for 4:00 a.m.

Stay tuned for my recap of the Disneyland 10K race recap.

Inaugural Mystic Half Marathon Is Tomorrow

May 30, 2015

The next race in my Triple Half Challenge is the Mystic Half Marathon. Tomorrow is the race and I am afraid my heart isn’t in it the way it should be. I think that is because the race starts at 7:00 a.m. and I have to drive an hour to get to it. Why should that bother me? I run runDisney races that require me to wake up at 3:00 in the morning. Last year I drove to Boston, MA for the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon, over a 2 hour drive to Boston, so I just have to suck it up and get over that fact.

I am planning on running the race with my friends Diana and Kimberlee. We were at the Middletown Half and the Cheshire Half together the past two months and we decided tomorrow to run this race together. Diana and I don’t have a time goal in mind to get a PR and I had an incident where my back gave me grief this week, so I am being careful. I saw my chiropractor twice this week and I am in good shape with my back’s health. I just have to be sure to see him on Tuesday to make sure nothing gets aggravated. The hard part with this race will be the hour drive home afterwards.

My main concern about this race is that I feel under trained. I ran the Cheshire Half Marathon on April 28th, then went on vacation and had just a few very short runs, and then I got in a 7 mile run last Sunday. So my longest training run for this race has been 7 miles. That’s not how I typically train, so I am hoping the races that I have had already under my belt will be sufficient. But again, our decision tomorrow is to survive and have fun during the race. No time goals and hopefully we will finish before the course is closed!

I will be happy when this race is behind me; but I do have a road ahead of me that I am going to have to start really focusing on. I finally sat down today to review my training schedule for the summer. I have 2 marathons in the fall that I need to begin preparing for – the Marine Corp Marathon and the Philadelphia Marathon. That means I am going to start getting in long runs during the heat of the summer. I am also going to begin training for next year’s Dopey Challenge. I emailed Jeff Galloway today to get his assistance in putting together my training schedule based around my race schedule.

I just found something on Twitter than helped inspire me as I go pick out what to wear for tomorrow’s race. @GeoffSmith1984 said “Go out and enjoy it, if you enjoy something you’ll be good at it, says @GeoffSmith1984 #MysticHalf” He’s right. I do enjoy running. I enjoy the time with my friends and I haven’t had the chance to run with Kimberlee yet. We always see each other but never run together so that will be fun as she, Diana and I continue on our quest to earn our jackets for the Triple Half Challenge!

Harvard Pilgrim Middletown Half – Run and School with Jeff Galloway

April 11, 2015

After a busy workweek I knew that I had a busy weekend ahead of me with the Harvard Pilgrim Middletown Half Marathon on Sunday and Jeff Galloway’s Fun Run and Running School on Saturday. Friday night I went out with friends from work to celebrate Heidi’s last day working for New Horizons. We had a great time at City Steam in Hartford and ended up staying there until 11:30! It was wayyyy past my bedtime and I knew I had to get my butt out of bed at 6:30. By the time I got home and settled down for the night I think I fell asleep around 1:00.

The alarm went off at 6:30 with no option for snooze so I jumped out of bed, made my tea and took a shower to help wake me up. That was a smart move. I got ready and drove up to Middletown where I met up with a very small group of people and Jeff in front of the Inn at Middletown to head out for the run. By small, I mean there were about 10 people there. But it was great!

Jeff wearing his Wesleyan jersey from his college days.

At 8:30 and we were on the road. Jeff instructed us on how to do some Acceleration Gliders and we ran 15/15 intervals with him down the sidewalks of Main Street and up a road towards the Wesleyan Campus. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was finally out and it wasn’t freezing cold. It was the perfect temperature for running. We continued on for about a mile and a half along the campus and down the streets of Middletown and back to the Inn at Middletown where Jeff had to go back and gather up his things for our Running School with Jeff at 9:30.

Jeff showed us which dorm room was his and Amby’s.

After we left Jeff, I looked for a parking spot and a cup of tea to help shake off the fuzz from the night before and headed over to the seminar where I hooked up with my friend Kimberlee Dziezynski. I was glad to see her. She has been experiencing similar issues that I have been experiencing lately and has also been fighting off fatigue and winter blues. I still find it amazing how we met on a plane in 2013 coming home from the Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare and now we hook up for events! I love the power of social media and the running community.

I noticed something during the seminar. The women outnumbered the men. I thought that was a very interesting observation. I knew Katherine Switzer was also going to be in Middletown Saturday for a discussion with Jeff and Amby Burfoot during packet pick up and I was looking forward to hearing what they were going to discuss.

During Jeff’s class he talked about many topics like speed work, nutrition, pacing, mental training, hydration and efficient running. One great point that hit home to me was when he said “a body in bed wants to stay in bed, but a body in motion stays in motion”. That speaks volumes to what I have been going through lately. If I just get up and get moving I feel better. But it is the initial getting up part. I mentioned to Jeff that this winter was exceptionally hard. That it had a physical impact on me even though I was very diligent about doing my runs outdoors despite the cold and snow. But mentally it was harder. I will remember what he said next time I want to hit snooze.

It was a great seminar. Most of the information I had consumed over the years via pod casts or from Jeff’s newletters, web site or ecoaching; but it was great to sit for 3 hours and hear him explain these topics in his own words and they really sunk in for me. It was like a refresher course I needed to stay on track with my running and training.

After the seminar I drove home to watch my daughter at her first softball practice of the year. Then the kids went to my parents’ and I went with my husband back up to Middletown for the packet pick up and to hear the lecture. I was so glad Katherine was selling her books there. I had her autograph her book to me and my daughter so that I can give it to her when she is older.

Katherine wanted to get a picture with my husband and liked his muscles!

It was a great day. Something I needed to get me back into the game and the weather was a good boost also. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be just as nice and I am hoping to have a great run and to also run the beginning of the race with Jeff as well! Diana and I are planning to run it at a pace to survive. I don’t have expectations for a fast race. Thank you Hartford Marathon Foundation for putting together a great weekend of events!

Dopey Challenge – The Half Marathon

January 24, 2015

Day 3 of the Dopey Challenge and I was feeling so strong! I can’t remember now what time I woke up, but I think it was around 2:30. I had tea and cinnamon toast for breakfast and my dad left a note for me near my tea cup that morning. It was cute! The night before I had a turkey sandwich rather than Raisin Bran so I didn’t anticipate any intestinal issues during the race.

It takes me about an hour to get ready, just so I can wake up and get my body going. I planned to leave the hotel by 3:30. I wasn’t sure how traffic was going to be for the half and the full because these were bigger races and the Event Guide said that some areas will be more congested. Going into it knowing to anticipate traffic, I had allowed myself enough time. I arrived in about 12 minutes after leaving the hotel. I sat in the car for a few minutes and contacted Diana to know where to meet. I walked to the runner staging area and met up with Diana and Mandy and we made a smart move to use the porta potties (with the shorter lines) and head down to the corrals.

We got down to the corrals early and had plenty of time there to wait for the race to start. We were excited for this race. I think more so than the marathon because it was “just a half” and everyone was feeling good so far. This race allows you to run through the Magic Kingdom so I was excited for it. This was my first time that I would be running the first part of the Goofy Challenge also! I feel like my first Goofy was overshadowed by my first Dopey Challenge for sure. But I am still excited that I did get my first Goofy nonetheless.

It was a great race! I saw many friends wile out on the course, got emotional as I ran up Main Street and finished strong. Mandy and Kenn were planning on walking most of the race because Mandy’s IT band was giving her issues. Well their walk is equivalent to my run! So Diana and I stuck to a 15/30 type ratio most of the race. We did walk during many segments of the race because of crowds and also to make sure that we were saving our legs for the marathon the next day. As we were approaching the back of the race track Wreck It Ralph and Vanellope were out and Diana FREAKED out! We got in line for pictures and told Mandy and Kenn to go ahead and we’d catch up with them. It was great. Diana got some great pictures and she bascially floated for the next mile. We ran most of that area towards mile 3 and the next water stop then got to the congested area heading under the water towards the Contemporary. That’s one of my favorite spots. I don’t know what it is, but I love the DJ with the big hands and the energy that seems to radiate from going down the bridge towards the Contemporary resort area and into the side of the Magic Kingdom. I think for me, it is the excitement of getting closer to the Magic Kingdom.

As we ran down Main Street I was overcome with emotion. I think it was because of the music that was playing and seeing the castle there. To me it almost felt better than the first time I ran down Main Street for my first marathon. I think it had to do with doing my first Dopey challenge and feeling so strong. As we approached the castle I saw my friend Joe Pardo and we took pictures! Then I saw Mike and Michelle from the Mickey Miles Podcast! It was great.

The usual bathrooms off of Main street on the way to Tomorrowland were closed for refurbishment so we went to the bathrooms near Space Mountain. That was a good move. We were texting with Mandy and they weren’t too far ahead of us so I knew we’d catch up with them. As we were going through the castle I was surprised to see Elsa, Anna and Kristoff up on the castle. That felt wrong to me, because that is Cinderella’s castle. But they also couldn’t be on the ground or else no one would get through the picture stop; but it still was a little disturbing to me.

We went through the castle and headed towards mile 6 where we found Mandy and Kenn. Then we exited the park and went to Cone Alley towards the Floridian. Again I was feeling very strong and was enjoying this race, even in cone alley! As we passed the Floridian I saw more Mickey Milers on the course and grabbed pictures of them along the way. The sun was out that day but it wasn’t too hot for us. I felt that the temperature was just right for the race. I also thought there were a sufficient amount of character stops along the race, too. We didn’t stop at too many of them because I had to finish the race in time to go pick up my family to take the kids to ESPN for the Kids’ races.

We ran up the street that leads to Epcot and around the ramp and over the street that leads to Magic Kingdom and saw how far back the people were. There were plenty of people behind us even though we were taking the race slower than usual. We were in no danger of being swept. Just near the 12 mile mark Mandy and Kenn use a restroom stop and Diana and I continued on our way. I didn’t have much extra time to work with so I had to head to the finish. Close to the finish I ran into Eddie McCoy who was cheering us on! We ran through Epcot and towards the finish. We were pretty pumped up, too!

We finished the third of four races and were in great shape for the marathon the next day. I knew at that point that my Dopey training had been successful and that this Dopey challenge was not going to be my last.

After the race was over I rushed back to my car, went to my hotel and picked up the family to head to the Kids’ races. I will write a separate post to recap the Kids’ races, but in summary, they LOVED it! Before we left ESPN I went to the Expo one last time. I talked to Jeff and we took a picture, 3 race were done and I only had 1 left! I also picked up a bigger race belt to carry more things in the pouch for the marathon. I didn’t want to use my fuel belt and my spi belt wasn’t big enough. I found a great pouch with 48.6 on it that was the perfect size. We grabbed food on the way out of the expo to eat back at the hotel and made our way back home for a shower and some relaxation time at the pool.

That day we decided to spend some time at the pool since it was nice and sunny and warmer out. The kids couldn’t have been happier to finally get into the pool! I relaxed by the pool and cat napped for most of the afternoon. That was actually harder on me because my body was relaxing; but I wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom for dinner and to do a few rides. Sometimes it is better to not let yourself fall asleep.

We did go to the Magic Kingdom, rode the train to Frontierland and I grabbed a kid’s turkey sandwich from Pecos Bills for dinner. Then we rode a few rides and went back to our hotel early so that I could get to bed for the marathon the next day. I knew I was pushing it by being at the park that night; but I really wanted the kids to enjoy the vacation and I was feeling strong. My feet were a little achy; but I knew sleep would help and I’d be ok. When we got back to the hotel I managed to get my race stuff ready for Sunday and I don’t remember many of the details; but I was snoring in bed before everyone else was even ready to go to bed!

Next up… the last race of the Dopey Challenge!!!! I was so close to earning my Dopey medal! I was very excited!

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Tag: @JeffGalloway