Wife Mother Runner @JeffGalloway Archives - Page 3 of 4

Dopey Challenge Part 1 – Travel Day to Orlando

January 21, 2015

I left for the Dopey challenge on Wednesday afternoon. I got my kids off to school, went to see my chiropractor to get everything “lined up” and then my husband drove me to the airport. We had a nice talk on the way up there and I knew that once he left I was going to be anxious for the rest of the family to get down to Florida to join me. But I was also looking forward to a little time alone as well. My flight was delayed about an hour; but I still had plenty of time once I would land to get the car and head to the expo so I wasn’t worried.

Just before we took off it was snowing heavy at the airport and the plane needed to be de-iced.

I landed around 5:30, picked up the minivan and drove straight to the expo. At that time of night, the lines are very short. The merchandise I sort of picked through, but there was still quite a bit of stuff on the racks. I spent about an hour at the expo exploring and purchasing what I needed for my races, checked out the runDisney merchandise, said hi to Jeff Galloway, and then drove over to Target to get what I needed for the hotel room for the week.

It was chilly out in Orlando, I wore a sweatshirt and jeans and still felt a chill on the night I arrived.

I was starving and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do about dinner. I figured I’d have something that I picked up from the groceries at Target. I got to the hotel around 8:00, unloaded the car and was determined that I was going to take ONE trip from the car to the room with my luggage and the groceries. Thank goodness there was a luggage cart near the elevator!

Once in the room, I put the food away, sorted out my gear for the 5K race and had a delicious dinner of Raisin Bran! To be honest, it really hit the spot! However, I will find out after the 10K that it’s not a good idea to eat that for dinner prior to the races. More on that later. My intention was to be asleep by 9 or 10 p.m. so I could get 5-6 hours of sleep. Since it was a travel day and I had to rush around to the expo and Target, I was still pretty revved up when it was time to get to bed. I did some work for my job on my laptop and then settled down for sleep by 11 p.m. I set my alarm for 3:00 a.m. and was feeling good about my first morning wake up call. I knew that I could spend time resting after the 5K if I was feeling tired from the first early morning wake up.

I enjoyed my time alone in the hotel room, getting things ready for the family and having some quiet time to myself. I was also getting excited to surprise the kids on Friday and almost slipped a few times when talking to them on FaceTime. I had to be careful not to say anything about their own rooms at the hotel or the minivan that they would be riding in. I am so happy to report that with the new medication my doctor gave me, I did not suffer from a migraine from flying. That was HUGE for me! I had the ability to function once I landed and wasn’t sick in the bathroom the night before the race!

I booked a 3 bedroom suite at the WorldQuest Orlando Resort. My friend Amanda Tinney stayed there during Tower of Terror in 2013 and I went to see her in her room. I was so impressed by the size, the cleanliness and the cost of the location that I knew I would have to stay there for a race sometime. It seems very isolated from everything, but it is really just 2 minutes outside of the gates to Walt Disney World and less than a 10 minute drive from the room to a parking space at Epcot for the early race mornings. I will write a separate blog post with my overview of the room and accommodations there.

Stay tuned for my 5K recap in the next blog post.

I LOVED The Dopey Challenge!

January 17, 2015

I have to write this post now to let you all know that I finished the Dopey challenge. I loved the challenge and I WILL be doing it again next year! I can’t wait! The expression that stands out in my mind is “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. That is so true about this challenge. I have learned so much during the months about myself prior to the races. Now that it is over and I am back home, I am suffering from Post Dopey blues. All those months of training and preparation, packing, thinking, mentally preparing and now it’s all behind me! I met new friends, connected with old ones and saw some amazing things during the four races of the weekend. I went for my first run back home today. My legs felt fine. It was 25 degrees outside and I wasn’t in a hurry. I need to spend time to recover from these races, as Jeff Galloway recommends. I walked a LOT the days after the marathon while we were in the Magic Kingdom, then I was back at work after we flew home, so today was my first chance to go for a run and I was looking forward to running again.

So what’s next? Well I have to sit down with my calendar and see what races are coming up in the Spring for local races. I am going to the Princess Glass Slipper Challenge in February. This will be my second time running the Glass Slipper Challenge and I intend to remain running it to hopefully gain legacy status for the challenge. I am looking forward to seeing friends who will be there. I want to work on speed for 10K and half marathons in CT so that I can get decent corral placement for future races.

So stay tuned as I begin to brain dump all of my thoughts and experiences from the past 4 races and give you my recap of the experience!

I’m Packing For Dopey

January 4, 2015

I have to admit, I am getting nervous. I had that feeling in my gut where I had to use the bathroom. I was packing up everything and making sure I had most of my items together when it hit me. I’m leaving in 3 days to do the Dopey Challenge! I never do things like that! I usually do 2 races, NOT 4. Holy CRAP!!!

I was diligent with my training; however, after the Philly marathon I did not do another 26 mile run, I only did a 20 miler run with the first 5 miles being a walk on the treadmill. I do feel assured that it is ok because when I was listening to Jeff Galloway on the Mickey Milers podcast he was saying how important it is to take the training very slowly. I can assure you, I was slow!. It’s been warm one day, freezing the next here. My sinuses are acting weird. I hope I am not coming down with anything. It’s going to be bitter cold for the next week in CT and I am hoping that will give things a hard freeze and all of us will stop sniffling and sneezing. I feel like we have all been battling allergies since the leaves fell.

So what have I packed? I hope everything I need. My costumes, my space blankets to use for warmth each day, two pairs of sneakers for the races, a pair for dress, shorts, sweatshirts, bathing suit, epsom salt, tea and sugar, oatmeal, foam roller, the stick…. I think I got it all. If not, I know I’ll be going to Target after I stop at the Expo when I land.

I just have to get through one race at at time. I CAN DO THIS! This is the time where I have to start doing the mental preparation for these races.

My 2014 Year In Review

January 1, 2015

I usually do my previous year reflection while I am out on a run, but since I went for a run Tuesday and did some speed work during that run, I didn’t go for a run Wednesday. With Dopey coming up, I am in taper mode and I wanted to be careful that I don’t hurt myself. Considering I am in taper mode, I feel like I have been out for more runs lately because I am off of work and I enjoy getting out there. This Christmas I got my family Fitbits to use and I now have one myself so I have been actively making sure I am getting in my steps so I can earn my mileage on my non-running days as well. I love it. If I am behind on my steps I head outside to the driveway and get in some steps or I make sure I am active in the house and start doing laundry or the other night I began packing my kids’ clothes for their surprise trip to see me for marathon weekend. I am doing what I just heard Jeff Galloway recommend doing on a Mickey Miles podcast episode. which is to get out of the subconscious mind and into the conscious mind and make smart decisions on my eating and activities.

So about 2014… it was a good year for me. From January to present I have accomplished many things! In January I did my second marathon (which was my second runDisney marathon) and met more runner friends. I ran the 10K with Mandy and met her friend Diana Boucher (who is from CT!) For the marathon, I ran it with Kimberly Markey who had her last chemo treatment just prior to the race weekend and was doing the Dopey challenge. I also ran it with Alison Nicklas who is a friend of Kim’s that I had met at the Cheshire half marathon in 2013 and ran with her at various times. At that race I met Gail Savidge and had the opportunity to run races with them all throughout the year in various locations like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California and Florida! At the 2015 WDW marathon weekend Gail (aka Perfect Goofy Gail) will be earning her 10th Goofy medal so this race weekend is a big deal for her! I also met Linda Ambard at the starting line of the Marathon. She was being profiled by runDisney for their “Why I Run Disney” stories, which Kim was also profiled in. Oh I also had the chance to meet Chris and Heidi Powell in the Magic Kingdom!

Gail (left) Kimberly (center) Alison (right) me and Becca Gibson Kyler (pink shirt front)

Diana and Mandy at the 10K

The Powell Pack

In February, I ran the Princess Half Marathon in Florida which was one of the most fun half marathons! I got to meet Jindy and shared a room with her and I met Gail’s friend Rebecca Bastian one night at dinner and also gained a new friend. I had the chance to meet Eddie McCoy in person and I ran the race with Eddie, Kim, Gail and Dave Dunkowski (another new runner friend). We sprinted from picture stop to picture stop and had the best race photos! I was in training mode for May for the Providence marathon but was still recovering from issues that I seemed to have developed during marathon weekend in January with my hip/quad muscles. I was being careful and trying not to make things worse. But speed was not something I had at the time.

In March I was training for the Providence marathon in May, and March was my birthday month. Nothing too exciting happened in that month for me. I didn’t have any races on my calendar for March because I was focusing on my training. My job was getting very stressful and intense. I recall working many, many hours and having trouble with the balance of work and family. It wasn’t a good time.

In April I was happy to welcome Spring as usual. I ran an innaugural race in Middletown, The Harvard Pilgrim Middletown Half & Legends 4-Miler. Jeff Galloway, Amby Burfoot and Bill Rodgers where there! I went to a seminar Jeff was having the day before the race and on race morning I got Jeff, Amby and Roger’s autographs on my bib! The day after Easter I went up to Boston to watch friends who were running the Boston marathon. Eddie McCoy, Linda Ambard and Michelle Scribner-MacLean were the three people that I knew of who were running that race. I did get the chance to see Eddie run by me briefly at mile 20 and then I went over to mile 25/26 to watch for Linda and Michelle but I didn’t get the chance to see them before I had to catch my train back home. It was so amazing to be at that race and to be a spectator for such a large event. I do want to run Boston one day; but I don’t know if I will run it by my own qualification. It will be a major life commitment for me to qualify for that race. I did run my own Boston marathon event as a fundraiser and a long training run for Providence on Good Friday. I even earned a medal for it!

In May was my chance to get a PR for a marathon. I ran the Providence marathon with Gail Savidge who helped me get my PR. Kim and I drove up to Providence and met Gail who flew in from Arizona. We stayed at a hotel right near the start line and ran the event together. Kim was recovering from her hysterectomy surgery so she was forced to do the half by her coach and doctors and Gail and I ran the full. I was so excited that I got my PR! I think it is so awesome that you can meet friends at races and continue to run with them in other races in the future. I felt really good during that race. I think I may do it again in 2015. We took our annual family trip to Disney and while I was there I met up with Becca twice to do some runs around the hotel. That was great to meet up with her while I was on vacation and get in some casual runs with her. I love making new running friends!

In June I did another race that was new. Runner’s world was doing the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon hat trick event. I couldn’t do the 5K and 10K on the Saturday of that event weekend because it was my son’s birthday and the kids had a baseball game Saturday night that I didn’t want to miss. But I did plan on sleeping at home and waking up early to drive up to Boston University and run the half marathon with Kim and Gail and Alison. It was a “hot and hilly” half marathon! But I actually ran the Heartbreak Hill that is so famously talked about with the Boston marathon. It will always be a joke to Kim and Gail when I asked if I can get a PR at that race, because they ran the races the day before the half and it was HOT and HILLY!. I also had the opportunity to attend a Social Media Mom’s Disneyside even on the Road Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Kim drove us down there. That was a great time!

In July, I didn’t have any races on my calendar and I was trying to train for a triathlon with some swimming. But I was only swimming in my pool, no open water swimming. I had done some biking in the spring, but in July I was not on my bike. I was maintaining my mileage because I would be ramping up for the Dumbo Double Dare races so I didn’t back down much during the summer months. I mainly did my evening runs and then on weekends I would set my alarm and get up very early and do my long runs while everyone was still sleeping. Then I would have the rest of the day with my family and it wasn’t taking up too much of my weekend time.

During the summer we volunteered at the North Haven Animal Shelter to help out walking the dogs and playing with the cats. I wanted my kids to experience a summer filled with memories so that when they grow older, they can look back and remember their summers as a kid and all of the fun things that they had a chance to do. We went out for ice cream, had fires and s’mores in the back yard with the neighbors, went for walks, saw fireworks, swam, and went to camp. It was a great summer! I didn’t want it to end.

In July some major shifts happened in my work life. I received an email in late June that the President of my company was retiring. It wasn’t his choice to retire and everyone knew that. The moment I received that email I knew it was time for me to leave the company. I made a few changes to the resumes I had posted online to include the SharePoint experience I had and within days I was contacted by someone about a job in Bloomfield. She wanted to talk to me on the phone. On July 3 I talked to her on my cell phone out in the parking lot of my work for an hour. It was a very hot, summer day but I stood out there in the shade and talked to her very casually about why I am looking for a job and to see what she had to offer. Little did I know that it was going to end up being something I truly wanted. We planned to meet in person and I went to their facility several times in July to meet her and the other team members I would be working with.

In July, I also applied to be a member of Team Chocolate milk. I made a video and submitted it for review and it was selected to receive votes. I asked everyone I knew to vote for me every day for 2 weeks and they did! My son especially enjoyed voting for me each night from his kindle. They knew that it was important for me to get onto this team.

In August I was pretty confident that I would be leaving my job at Honeywell and I knew for sure that I wanted the job that I interviewed for in Bloomfield. I had several other calls with other companies, but the Bloomfield job was looking solid. I was getting anxious. The job had fallen into my lap and I was pretty sure I wanted it. I just couldn’t believe that after 24 years with the company I would really be leaving it. It was a 2 mile commute, I had flexibility to get my kids off to school and I had 4 weeks vacation. But I was very unhappy with the atmosphere there. I enjoyed the work I did and I really enjoyed working for and with Jack; but I wasn’t happy. We went to New Hampshire for our summer vacation and stayed up there for 10 days. It was a challenging trip. I was anxious about the job and Kevin was at a point in his career and life where he just wasn’t himself. It was a challenging time for me, but I was trying hard to make sure the kids were still having their #EpicSummer2014. While we were in New Hampshire I received an email that I had made it onto Team Chocolate Milk! I was so excited and my family and I celebrated.

I had one final interview scheduled for after I returned from New Hampshire and I was mentally checking out of my current job. I knew I didn’t want to stay. Waiting isn’t easy for me. I am not a patient person.

Labor Day weekend came around and I was heading to California for the Dumbo Double Dare. I was hoping to have news of the job by then, but I didn’t. I got out to California late Friday afternoon and met up with Kim, Gail and Becca. I also discovered on this trip that flying was giving me migraines. This one I got from the trip out west was so severe that I almost threw up the morning of the 10K race. It was real tough, but once I got running I started to feel better. I love California and the Dumbo Double Dare races. I helped Becca earn her Coast to Coast medal during the half marathon. It was her first coast to coast and she had tears at the end. It was great. I love helping people reach their goals. She had been through a tough summer with her back and wasn’t sure how she was going to do with the race. She did great!

I became a Jamberry consultant in September. I came across it from Facebook while looking for nail wraps for a race and decided that this would be something that I would be interested in doing because all of the parties can be hosted via Facebook and it is a product that I am very interested in. I am still selling the Jamberry wraps and have used it in many ways as fundraisers for a student in my son’s class who has cancer and also for Give Kids The World. I love that something I enjoy can be used in a way that can also benefit others! It is a great company to work for and the amount of time you put into it determines how successful you can be. They have great training tools and their products practically sell themselves!

September came around and I waited for news if I was getting the new job. The kids started their new year in school. Adrienne was a kindergartner now and Kevin was in second grade. I can’t believe it. They are both in school five days a week and it’s great because I am able to work outside the house five days a week. I finally got offered the job I wanted on September 8th and gave my notice on September 9th because my boss was not at work on September 8th. My last day of work was going to be September 19th. I was ready to move on. I planned on finishing work and then starting my new job on October 1. During my time off from work I had to find a new car and then my husband ended up having knee surgery for a torn meniscus. So I didn’t really take much time off for myself to “hang around”. But it was still good to have the break between jobs.

Goodbye Honeywell friends!

October 1 I started my new job and loved it from the start. I worked 2 days and then had to get on a plane on October 3 to head to Florida for the Tower of Terror 10 miler. On the way to the race I sat with a very nice couple on the plane and noticed that the man there had on the runDisney Mickey sneakers. So we got talking and they were also going to Florida for the race. They told me they owned a store in Middlefield and we kept in touch and I saw them the night of the 10 milers. When I returned home I went to their store several times for ice cream with the kids and to go Christmas shopping for my family. Isn’t it awesome how races can bring many different people together?! I also had a stomach-upsetting headache when I landed so I knew I had to get this problem resolved. I joined the girls as their escort for the 5K because I wasn’t running that race and took pictures and watched all of the runners while I was there. That night I ran the 10 miler with Kim, Gail and Becca and had a great time again with all of the picture stops. After the race we went to the after party and then went back to the house where I showered and turned around and drove to the airport (without sleep) to head home for a party back home. My daughter turned 6 in October and I can’t believe how much she is changing! She is so confident now and is doing very well in school. We had a party for her and at the karate studio with her classmates and it was a big success! For my training I was increasing my mileage but was also working my new job and the days were getting shorter so I was starting to feel the challenge of needing to get my runs in but I knew I may have to start using the treadmill. I dreaded it, but came to terms with it and had some successes. I did my long runs on the weekends again like in the summer and it all worked out nicely.

Bob and Mary Perrotti (They are from MIddletown and have a shop in Middlefield 10 minutes away from my house!)

November came around quickly and I had the Wine and Dine race in Disney World. I knew Bob and Mary were also going to the Wine and Dine race but I didn’t run into them there. I didn’t get to hook up with Kim Gail and Becca either, but I did see Joe Pardo and his wife Melissa and my friends Mandy and Kenn Remo at Epcot that night! I was on Joe’s podcast in the summer for one of his episodes. He is so awesome. Very friendly and welcoming and his wife is so supportive of his podcast and all the people he meets! I ran the Wine and Dine half marathon with Mandy and Diana and it was horrible pouring rain for most of the race. This was my first Wine and Dine half marathon and I was disappointed that I didn’t get to experience all of the picture stops and the after party. I planned on staying for the after party, but the weather was so terrible and cold, that I didn’t want to stand in line for the food and drinks in the cold rain. I went back to my room, slept for 3 hours and headed to the airport to get back home to my family for another party! My job was picking up during the months of November and December and I am really enjoying it. I learn something new every day and I think I am becoming a great help to my co-worker. I keep thinking about my one word resolution for 2014 which was “Grow” and feel that it is so appropriate for the year and everything that I have been going through.

Diana Boucher, me, Mandy Remo, Christina Palombo

On a Saturday in November my parents and I took the kids to NYC on the train to see the city. They loved it. We went to the Central Park Zoo, ate at a burger bar in Rockefeller Center, saw the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry and rode the subway. They were such excellent travelers and never complained about all the walking. I knew that we had to return before year end to show them the Christmas lights in the city.

The weekend before Thanksgiving I took a train to Philadelphia to run the Philadelphia Marathon. I met Jennifer Tara there and we roomed together. She was going to run the half marathon. We met Joe Pardo and his wife for dinner and had a great time in the city. Again, I can’t say how much I love making new friends through running and being able to hook up with someone and making a new friend at each race. I had planned to run the full with Danielle DeCarolis. She is a fellow Mickey Miler so we met up the morning of the race in the corrals. You can read my race recap for the full event’s details. I am looking forward to seeing Joe and Jen and Danielle at marathon weekend. For Thanksgiving I didn’t do a turkey trot this year. I did my own Turkey Trot at home in my neighborhood and then we went to my nephew’s house for dinner. It was a quiet but relaxing Thanksgiving.

December came along and I wanted my kids to have an Epic Christmas so we made sure to make plans to do fun holiday things. We went to Gillette Castle to see the lights, we saw lights around town, had breakfast with Santa, my son sang in concerts with his chorus, we put up our tree Thanksgiving weekend and we took them out of school one day to go to NYC. This time my husband was able to join us. It was so much fun to see the city lit up for the holiday. We also watched some of the older Christmas movies like the National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation and they absolutely loved it. They are at a great age to do things that we had done when we were their ages.

2014 was a good year. The kids and I tried new things like Rock Climbing, bike riding at the beach, they went on trips to cities they haven’t been to before, and Adrienne broke her foot. I ran many races in many places and I got outside of my comfort zone and I feel so happy. I am looking forward to another good year in 2015. I believe it is what you make of it. I know that this year I want to focus on achieving the goals that I set and to learn more. What are your goals?

Always smiling! This was 3 days AFTER the accident happened. We went rock climbing and she earned a stripe in karate before we found out it was broken.

A New Beginning Is Coming

September 30, 2014

As I went out for my run this morning, I wanted to start off my week on a good note. I wanted to get my run in early in the day and have a shakeout run from my Dopey training runs that I did last week. I am beginning my new job on Wednesday and I don’t know what my time will look like after work to do any running outdoors. I hate to say it, but I may need to begin using the treadmill indoors in the early morning or in the evening when I get home. I don’t want to use the treadmill. If possible I will try to do a run with lights in the evening, but I am resorting myself to the fact that the treadmill may be my only method of training for some time during the week.

I felt the anticipation setting in during the weekend, but I am not scared of my new job. I realize that it is the place I need to be. What I was mentioning to my husband was that I feel weird that I left a place that seemed safe and comfortable. But he reminded me that they forced out the President of the company, who built the place with his father and ran it for over 30 years. No one is safe there. That eased my mind. I know that I was sought out by my new employer and my skills were very strong and just what they are looking for. I just want to get my hands in the dirt and start doing “real work”. I know that in the beginning sometimes it takes time to do that.

As the day went on today I received an email from my new boss with my agenda for this week and things are going to be fine. I will sit in on a training class my first day and then work with my boss for my schedule for the month and housekeeping issues the following day. Nothing to worry about. I’m looking forward to it.

Lots of change is happening, I had to say goodbye to my old Jeep that I have had for 10 years. I brought my children home from the hospital in that car! It never let me down. But I had to get a new car, mine was 10 years old, and I wasn’t going to be able to use my Honeywell discount anymore, so I needed to take advantage of it now before I lost. it. I am starting my new job, and my husband also just learned that he was chosen for a different position within his company. These are all good things. They are just all happening at once! Then on top of it all, I have to fly out Friday on a 7:30 a.m. flight to Florida for the Tower of Terror Race! I have to admit that what I am feeling most nervous about right now is the early wake up for the flight Friday, the race happening at 10 p.m. Saturday night, and then flying on a 7 a.m. flight back home on Sunday! I have no idea how much sleep I am going to get. I intend to sleep on the plane on both flights. It’s just a little scary doing all this in the first two weeks of a new job. I am making an effort to hydrate myself a lot to prepare for running in the Florida heat and humidity, even at night. I am also working on my hydration because I don’t want to end up with a migraine from flying like I have experience the past 5 other times I have flown. I am looking forward to all my new things, running the Tower of Terror race with my friends, going to the Expo and checking out the merchandise, seeing Jeff Galloway and hopefully bumping into Mike Rahlmann and his BOGP Lizards! Change is good!

Dopey Training – August 17

August 22, 2014

I am committed to my running. So much so that even if my long training run falls on my vacation I do my best to make sure I am out there getting in the miles. This week Jeff Galloway has me running a 6 mile run on Saturday and a 17 mile run on Sunday. I did both runs back to back and am very glad that I have them done.

As I was enjoying the first part of my vacation it was on my mind that I had this long run on the schedule and I also had to be sure I was eating and drinking appropriately. I was enjoying some red wine by the fire the nights prior to the runs but made sure to be careful of how much I drank. We have been cooking our meals at the house and those were also good food choices to fuel up for the long run.

My husband said he would get up early with me and head out on his bike while I did the run. The main reason for this was because I was going out to run in an area that I wasn’t familiar with. I wasn’t too worried about being out there alone, but the thought of some bears or a “wild animal” did cross my mind when I went out on my shorter runs earlier in the week.

I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m. but when it went off I completely blew it off and reset it for 6:30. It was looking dark and grey out the window and I didn’t have to worry about trying to beat the sun and heat as much so I snoozed for an extra 30 minutes. Then we got up, I had my toast and tea and hit the road around 7:20. The weather was good, overcast, no sun and no rain. The showers blew over as we were getting ready to head out so thankfully it stopped when we left.

The route was nice. We followed the lake in an out and back route and then I went in an opposite direction but the route wasn’t the mileage that I had mapped out prior to our trip. I became frustrated when we got to the end of the road I planned to go to and I saw that I still needed to get in 5 more miles which wasn’t the distance back to our house. The distance back was just about 2 miles. At that point I needed some sugar to my brain to help ward off the negative thoughts that were creeping in. I told my husband that I needed some reinforcement. He helped determine an alternate route to get in some mileage and then we headed back into the direction of the house. I was concerned because the return trip back had a lot of hills. Once on the return trip I just dug in my hills and sucked it up and pushed on.

I was done with trying to make up the mileage on the road and just wanted to get back so we headed back to our beach and I ran along the road and driveway of our vacation area and got in the last 1.5 miles there.

I’m glad the miles are now behind me. I tried not to think about the fact that I did a little more than a half marathon and would have to do a full marathon after a half when we are doing the Dopey challenge in January. I did think about Dumbo while I was out there. That race is a 10K with a half the following day. Today’s run was over a half but the weekend structure will be the same. I am in good shape for the Dumbo Double Dare but I do still have many miles and training runs to put in for the Dopey Challenge. I know I can do it. It’s going to take a lot of work.

Dopey Training and Philadelphia Training All At Once

July 27, 2014

As I am on out my long run this morning I asked myself, “Why did I sign up for Dopey?” I did a 5 mile run yesterday per Jeff Galloway’s instructions and my 16 mile run this morning. I felt ok considering I did 5 miles yesterday, but then I was doing the math in my head…5 and 16 not so bad, 13.1 and 26 the following day — kind of scary. 3.1 (5K), 6.2 (10K), 13.1 (half marathon) then 26.2 (full marathon)… WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING????!!!! Seriously, I had a bit of panic over the idea.

The back to back 5K and 10K races don’t scare me, but the “Goofy” part of the challenge, the half and full marathons do. I must trust in the training Jeff is setting up for me to prepare my body for this and hopefully not get injured during the training as well. I did as he instructed and changed my intervals from what I normally use (45/30) to 15/30. It slowed down my pace to 13 minutes/mile, but also having the shorter bursts of running and longer walking helped me to not be as sore and endure the distance better. Compared to my 16 mile run a few weeks ago, I did finish it 7 minutes slower, but that was mainly because I did the 15/30 intervals.

I set my alarm for 5:30 this morning. My kids tucked me into bed last night and I read my book and fell asleep rather quickly and relatively early compared to my usual bed time. I didn’t stall when the alarm went off, I got up, made some toast and tea and got my butt out the door by 6:20. I was concerned with the storms that were in the forecast on the news and it was still a bit more overcast at that time of the morning. But once I was out there it didn’t feel as dark. There was a point in time around 7:15 that the sun came out and I was worried because it was very humid already.

As usual, my iPod was loaded up with my favorite Disney Pod casts, Mickey Miles, Be Our Guest, The DIS Unplugged so I had my usual Disney magic in my ears. The Mickey Miles Podcast was talking about California and that made me a little excited about the Dumbo Double Dare coming up next month. I haven’t had been thinking about it as much lately with other events going on in my life right now. But the training I am doing now for the Philadelphia Marathon and Dopey is rolled in with that race weekend as well. I haven’t been thinking about Philadelphia as much either. It’s funny how you put your head down and push forward with what’s on the training plan without thinking much about where you are racing. At least that is how it is for me. November and January are a long time from now for these upcoming races, but the work needs to be put in now to build up to them.

So the lesson I took out of this weekend’s training routine was about being dedicated to get up early and hit the road in the early hours before it gets too hot and also so I can spend more time with my family. With the longer runs coming up on the training schedule and my work schedule I don’t know how I will get them all fit in so I may be using my weekend mornings like I did this weekend with early starts. In the winter, I have no clue what I will do when it is dark out so early. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I was also very conscious of cars when I was on the main roads. I was thinking a lot about the poor young man who was killed recently in the town next to me, on the roads that I run on. I am a very conscious runner and did move to the side of the road a few times when I wasn’t sure if I was being seen. I pray that nothing like that every happens to me, leaving my family without a mother and a wife. I hate to think that way, but it has been on my mind a lot more lately. I won’t stop doing what I love, but I will be more aware and make changes accordingly (like choosing different routes to run on that are less busy).

Here’s to looking forward to a weekend of low miles and recovery in the next coming weekends and to an excuse to sit in the movie theater with my family this afternoon!

Dopey Training Has Begun

July 20, 2014

I hadn’t planned on doing back to back runs this weekend but it happened and it was successful. I had planned an early wakeup for Saturday and assumed I would sleep late on Sunday. After my 5 mile run Saturday I decided I want a repeat performance the next day to put some calories in the bank, to be honest. We have a family party to go to today and I want to be able to enjoy some of Nana’s potato salad without the guilt.

I use the LoseIt app and already I am under budget!

I had a five mile run on the schedule from my coach, Jeff Galloway. It was a slower 5 mile run but I was pleased with it. When the alarm went off today I hopped out of bed, had a cup of tea and a piece of bread and headed out the door. My pace was pretty quick. After the first mile I was under 12 minutes. After my second mile I was still under 12 minutes. Then I put on some music and I really picked it up. Today’s run really gave me the confidence I need for the Dopey challenge.

I had been listening to podcasts about reaching your dreams and how you can be successful by envisioning yourself as successful. I had truly believe in that.

It’s My 3 year Runniversary!

July 19, 2014

Today is my three year anniversary of when I began running outdoors and changing my running habits from a treadmill workout to “running”.

I was on vacation with my family in New Hampshire and went for a walk which turned into a jog. The next day I could barely squat down to get into my beach chair. But then the day after that I did it again.

When I returned home to Connecticut that Saturday we unloaded the car and I had the itch to run again. I put on my shoes and clothes, despite having just travelled about 7 hours with the kids from New Hampshire to Connecticut. I didn’t run far. I remember it was just a mile but I loved it. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember I was getting a cold, too but I wasn’t going to let it stop me.

I decided to make it a daily routine every morning before I had to go to work. I was hooked. Three marathons later I am still going at it. I am in the middle of training for my fourth marathon and am also training for the 2015 Dopey challenge.

I have some dreams I am working on for a new idea in the coming weeks which involves my community in town. I hope it is successful. More details to come!

Running has opened so many doors for me. It is healing, I have met so many great people. I am growing. I feel proud. I am setting an example for my children. It has taught me so much and there is still so much more to learn. I never thought I would have an Olympian for a coach and I have Jeff Galloway as my coach.

I am grateful and thankful for my body and that I can run. It may not be pretty, it may not be fast, but I do it and I love it and will continue to do it until I can no longer walk!

The Heat Is On!

July 14, 2014

I have been struggling with the heat. I ran when on vacation in Florida in May and it was hot. It is hot here in CT now. But it is also very humid. Ironically as I am typing this blog post I saw in Facebook that Jeff Galloway posted tips for training in the heat.

I was about to write to express my frustration that I feel like I can’t get faster in the heat. I feel like I am going backwards, well maybe not backwards, but I’m not speeding up. I went for a run on Saturday and was going to just do 3 miles, but decided to push to 4. It was mid morning and it was really hot and humid. I didn’t have water on me. But I took it “easy”. My average pace was 11:45. When I got back home my face was red as a tomato for a while after my shower.

So I am going to learn as I write this blog post and read what Jeff has to recommend. His advice is as follows:

Once a week insert hot segments into your workout. If you feel any indication of heat stress you must stop immediately.

Heat training is similar to endurance training. You have to adjust a little bit at a time. But back off so you don’t get hurt. I learned this lesson the hard when when I pushed myself in the heat last summer and had a hamstring strain. I was pushing myself for Dumbo training during a dangerous Heat Wave. Not too smart. I had water with me, but it is dangerous.

By doing a little heat training and then backing off your body adapts each time to deal with the heat for next time.

Here’s the key point I am struggling with. As it gets hot out we are supposed to slow down our pace. So how do I train to go faster if I am supposed to slow down in the heat. Jeff’s formula is to slow down :30 seconds per mile slower for every 5 degrees above 60℉. But he also recommends the following below for heat adaptation.

How?

Jeff says to do the following:

Week 1 – 5-7 minutes
Week 2 – 7-9 minutes
Week 3 – 9-12 minutes
Week 4 – 12-16 minutes
Week 5 – 116-22 minutes
Week 6 – 22-26 minutes

It’s important to warm up for at least 10 minutes of easy running and walking after the heat phase.

During these heat adaptation workouts it is important to run and walk at an easy pace. You are only working on the heat adaptation not your speed. This is where you can get hurt.

If you are beginning to feel any of the symptoms below you must slow down and walk.

Intense heat buildup in the head
Headache
Confusion or loss of concentration or muscular control
Over-sweating and then cessation of sweating
Clammy skin and excessive breathing
Extreme tiredness, upset stomach, muscle cramps
Vomiting or feeling faint

I was feeling a couple of the symptoms on my run on Saturday. I have run in the heat a lot, but this morning it was a very hot and humid day. I was so hot in my face and sweating like crazy. I also started to feel tired, but assumed it was because of the effort I was putting into my run on a humid morning. When I got home I was dripping with sweat for some time after I was inside in the air conditioning. I took a cool shower and put a cold ice pack on my face. I drank a LOT of water throughout the day. I was very thirsty and I ended up having a headache later in the day. When I ran the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon I had similar symptoms. It’s hard to run in the heat. No doubt about it; but I think with the training like Jeff recommends, it will make me a better runner, especially with the races I do in Disney.

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