This past month I started a new job. I really enjoy the new job and so far it hasn’t gotten in the way of my training for the Dopey Challenge. The challenge for me is that I was Dopey to sign up for this challenge when I never before even did the Goofy challenge! What have I gotten myself into?

My training has been going well, I will admit that. But I don’t feel as successful as I think I could feel. Maybe I just don’t know how I am supposed to feel. I do know that at times running does feel like work. Mike and Michelle talked about it on their podcast in a recent episode and it hit home with me. I do enjoy running still and I get out for my two short runs during the week and then my assigned run per Jeff Galloway. Typically if it isn’t a long run or race weekend then it is a 4 or 6 mile run. Again, I still enjoy those runs. It’s when I have the long run showing up closer on my calendar that I start to feel anxious.

I knew that next weekend I have a long run on the schedule and I can’t take a day off of work to fit it in. This means I will have to spend a weekend day running for 5 hours. It also means that I have to figure out when and how I will get out there because my husband is starting a new job and has to work on Saturday. I don’t want to spend my Sunday out running for half the day when it is the only day he will be home with the family.

So we discussed the plan over breakfast and since he will only be working 5-9 on Saturday I will head out when he gets home. This is similar to when I would go out for my long run after getting Kevin on the bus and dropping Adrienne off to preschool last year. So if I keep that mentality I will be ok.

However, the difference this time is that I have to do a 3, 5, 8 and 23 mile run in 4 consecutive days – The Dopey part. It’s getting dark out very early and it’s also dark early in the morning. I can’t run in the morning because my husband is starting his new job this week. So I’ll have to plan on doing my 3 miles Wednesday after work, 5 miles Thursday during lunch since I am taking online training at home, and I am not sure yet how I am going to get in my 8 miler on Friday. Here’s where the crazy juggling comes in.

I think what helps me not freak out too much is knowing that I only have 2 more groups of training runs like this in the next two months. One right before the Philadelphia Marathon and then before the WDW weekend the week before Christmas. I guess I’ll worry about how I’ll fit that all in when the time comes. I may have some accrued vacation time to squeeze in the long run on a Friday. I may have to fire up the treadmill in a few weeks and put in the miles indoors early in the morning. I don’t know how to get back into treadmill mode. I swore it off four years ago.

Do you have any advice on how to integrate the treadmill back into my training routine?