January Review

The month of January has come to a close, and boy was it a busy one.  Two races in the month, the Walt Disney World Marathon, and a GSH Snowstorm Classic 10K.  Disney was a personal best for me (as an over 40 year old) with a 5:19:11.  Two weeks later, I ran the 10K in a 56:53 (9:14/mile).  While the 10K was not one of my fastest times, I was very happy with the results.  Especially with it being as close to the marathon as it was.

Another highlight of my month, was getting word that I'll be running the Boston Marathon for the second time.  This year will be an emotionally charged Boston, with the events that happened last year.  They've increased the field, and expect record crows to come out an cheer on the runners.  This truly will be something special.

My totals for the month were slightly below what I was looking for, but I'm sure that the marathon training over the next 80 days will put me on track towards (if not ahead of) my goal of 1000 miles for 2014.

Totals for January:  71.63 miles  /  12 hours, 39 minutes, 01 second  /  avg 5.6 mph  /  8544 calories

Daily mileage: 3.56  /  71.63 total for year

"I Just Felt Like Running"

Some days are better than others, some days you feel like you can run forever.  Today wasn't one of those, but those are the best.



Today's mileage 4.03 miles / 68.08 total for the year.

Dog Hearding 101

Today's training run turned out to be a little out of the ordinary.  About 1.5 miles into the run, we came across a man and his beagle.  It appeared that he was trying to train this puppy, but the dog had a mind of his own.  The beagle decided that he wanted to run with us, and ignore his owner.  Not wanting to get this dog lost, we turned around after about 50 yards, and ran back to the area that he joined us.  The man with the dog, was now about 50 feet off the main road, and the dog still wouldn't go to him and wanted to "play" with us.  The only way to get him to go, was to stop and wait him out.  Finally, the pup ran off to his owner, and we continued down the road.

Now today's course was an out and back, so guess what happened when we came back by that spot...  the same thing again.  Just our luck.  Finally, while the dog was distracted by two other people, we made a break for it, and finished up our run.

First time that I've ever had this happen to me.  The good part was the dog just wanted to play.

Also today, I received my confirmation e-mail from the BAA the I am officially in this year's marathon.  Now it's time for some serious training.

Today's mileage 4.63 miles / 64.05 total for year

Off and Running.

Today was the next step in running Boston in April.  I dropped off my entry to the BAA offices in Hopkinton.  It's pretty surreal to visit the offices, because they are located about 20 yards from the start line.  After delivering my application, and entry fee, I crossed the start line.  OK, it was in a vehicle, but for me this is symbolic of the start of my Boston Marathon adventure.  Twelve weeks from today, for the second time, I will be crossing that line for real.

Now time to start the training, and tonight it was the dreaded treadmill.  As much as I hate the thing, on some days I just don't feel like facing the cold.  So, off to Planet Fitness I went.  My training plan called for 3 miles, so that's exactly what I did.

Today's mileage 3.0 miles / 59.41 miles for the year.

A New Beginnng

Friday at work, I received great news... I received a wavered entry into the Boston Marathon.  This will be my second time running Boston.  The first time running Boston was 2012 when it was 85 degrees.  Last year, due to a mis-communication, I missed the deadline, and was not considered for a number.  I guess you could say I was lucky, because based on everything that happened I wouldn't have been able to finish before the tragedy struck (I'm not that fast anymore).

So now the training begins.  After my marathon in Orlando, I now know what I need to do in order to improve on my personal best.  Mileage, mileage, mileage.  At Disney, I felt great through 13-14 miles, then the legs started getting tired.  Hopefully with Boston, if I train right, I should make it through 18-22 before that tired feeling settles in.

With two weeks of recovery under my belt, my official training plan begins on Tuesday (Mon & Fri are rest days).  With that I decided to take in a GSH Snowstorm Classic race today.  10K around Forest Park in Springfield.  I figured I'd keep it to about a 9:30-9:45 pace... yeah, sure.  Three of the six miles were under 9:00, and I ended with a 56:53 (9:10 pace).

I guess I still need to learn a thing or two about pacing.

Today's mileage 6.2  /  56.42 total for year

8 Stages of Marathon Running

Ok... no running today (or tomorrow), they're scheduled "down" days.  But for anyone who has run a marathon before, you'll love this.  If you haven't, then you'll get a small glimpse into the way our mind works during that long run.

A Necessary Evil

For those who know me, you know how much I hate running on treadmills.  Like a mouse on a wheel.  But, sometimes it is a necessary evil.  Today was one of those days.  The temperature never got above 15 degrees, and at 5:00 PM it was 10 with a 12 mph wind, and you get a windchill of -5.

So, for the second time this winter, I headed over to Planet Fitness and proceeded to be that proverbial mouse.  The only thing that I haven't figured out is "What is the cheese that I'm chasing?"

Today's total - 3.96 miles / 50.22 total for the year.

Frozen...

Today was a non-running day, but with the cold snap that's coming in it'll be tough this week.

So as a "tribute" to that weather, here's a little video.  This is one of the songs that they used at mile 21 of the Disney marathon to help psyche the runners up.

Demi Lovato - "Let It Go" - from Disney's latest animated film "Frozen"

Back to Reality

Vacation's over, now it's time to get back to reality.  Tomorrow it's back to work.

Today however, I wanted to get in a good run before the cold front comes in.  At least the temperature wasn't that bad (32 degrees), and there was little wind.  The problem was many of the sidewalks were still covered with snow.  I know that we only got a small amount (abt. 2 inches), but would it really hurt people to spend about 15 minutes clearing a path on their sidewalk?  I did mine.

My goal today was an easy 3 to 3.5 mile run.  The easy part was there @ 9:55 per mile, but I judged the distance wrong and ended up with 3.77 miles.

The best part was that I felt good throughout the run.  Maybe I'll run an easy 10K on the weekend.


Daily mileage - 3.77 ---  46.25 total for year

Home. Sweet Home

Travel day #2 - Stony Creek, VA to Massachusetts.

For the most part, today was an uneventful drive.  Everything went smooth until we came ove the Tappan Zee bridge.  At the toll booth, I lined up with an EZ Pass lane, and had an idiot stop at the toll booth and look around trying to figure out how to pay.  What part of the "EZ Pass Only" sign did he not understand.  After he finally got the hint that he couldn't use cash, he moved out of the way so I could continue my trip.

Next up was the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.  The ground was wet from a passing shower or flurry, and traffic was heavy.  For some reason at the one mile mark we were moving at about 25 mph (in a 55 mph zone).  After about three miles of this, I figured out what the problem was.  There were trucks sanding the roads.  It was 40 degrees with slightly wet roads, and they were putting salt down on the roads.  This went on for TEN miles.

Finally, as we got north of Hartford (in the Windsor Locks area) we ran into the actual winter weather that I expected.  Snow for the rest of the trip.  By the time we got home, there was about 2 inches of the white stuff on the ground.

1250 total miles in two days with only the last 130 miles being a pain in the butt.

So much for the vacation... back to reality!

0.0 miles run / 42.54 for the year

Homeward Bound

No running today, as I spent about 11 hours on the road.

Day #1 of the return trip.  Orlando, FL to Stoney Creek, VA.

Today was the first half of our trip home.  Compared to our trip down, the first day was uneventful.  We can only hope that tomorrow is more of the same.  The second half of the trip is the part that worries me, because that's where all the larger cities come into play.

Disney - Day #9

Final day at Disney... tomorrow begins the long drive home.

The day started with a two and a half mile run.  The temp at the time was 44 degrees.  Now I'm used to the temperature back home, but I was not prepared for cold like this in Florida.  It was another "easy" run, but this one was just a little under a 10-minute per mile pace.

In the afternoon, we took our final trip to the parks.  EPCOT was first.  While there we caught the "American Adventure".  For us this is a must see.  Next up we headed over to France, so Bren could get her orange grey-goose slushie.  Then over to Great Britain so I could get a Guiness.  This is the same way we ended our trip three years ago, but this time we had one more stop to make.

Magic Kingdom was last on our list.  While we were there the other day, we saw an Precious Moments statue that we liked.  After leaving the park and think about it a bit, we decided that we needed to go back and get it.  Just a memento to always remind us of the fun we have at Disney World.

As always, it's a bittersweet end to a great vacation.  I'm sad to end it, but I'll be glad to sleep in my own be in a couple days.

Day #16 - 2.63 miles / 42.54 total for year.

Disney - Day #8

No running today.  For the next couple of weeks it'll be no more than one day in a row running, and no more than two off days in a row.  This is the recovery period for the marathon.  That being said, walking is another story.

Today started off with another visit to Hollywood Studios and a return trip to the Toy Story Midway Mania.  This is by far the ride that give me the most entertainment.  It may not be a thrill ride, but it is a heck of a lot of fun.  Next up was Tower of Terror.  This was a second ride on this also, but each time is a different experience, and again I wasn't let down.  Oh, and by the way we ran into a couple of friends...

From there, we traveled by boat to Disney's Boardwalk for a beer and appetizers at the ESPN Club.  Great stop if you're into sports.  There's tons of memorabilia to look at on the walls, including two pairs of seats from the old Boston Garden.

After a small rest at the resort, we finished the evening at EPCOT.  Dinner at the San Angel Inn in the Mexico pavilion, a sake at the Japan pavilion, and then the Illuminations fireworks display.  While it may not be the best I've ever seen, it's right up there.  The fireworks, laser lights, and electronic globe make a great mixture for a show.

Disney - Day #7

First day to try running after the marathon.  Got up bright and early (well actually it was dark and early) and proceeded to run just over two miles.  The soreness from yesterday eased overnight, and on a scale of 1 to 10, it was about a 2.

Coronado Springs offers a nice running trail that's just under a mile, so it's pretty easy to get a short run in.  While I was out there, I saw about a dozen others that I assume also ran the marathon (or maybe they did the Goofy or Dopey).

After my workout, we proceeded to spend the day at Animal Kingdom.  The rides were great, even better than I remembered, especially Expedition Everest.  The animals weren't as active as they have been, but the cooler weather today certainly played a factor.  At least I was able to get a few great photos, especially one of a tiger.

Disney - Day #6

The day after.  This is the day with the most pain (I hope).  Just a few areas that are feeling sore.  My right hip (or IT band), my lower back, and my trapezius muscles.  Of these, the traps are by far the worst... they are even sore to the touch.  But as the saying goes (unless it's an injury) "Pain is temporary, pride is forever"

Today's "workout" was to enjoy the Magic Kingdom.  A lot of walking involved, but walking is the best thing to do the day after a marathon.  With all the movement, I made sure to get plenty of sitting time too.  The picture below is in the same area that I "rested" during our visit 3 years ago.

The picture below is for comparison:

 

Hopefully I can find the same chair in three more years when I come back to do the "Goofy Challenge"

 

Day #13 - 0.0 miles / 37.84 total for year 



Disney - Day #4 & 5

It's finally over.  Months of training, and the Disney Marathon is complete.

Yesterday, I didn't create a blog entry, because it really was uneventful.  Knowing that today was the marathon, I really wanted to take it easy, and that's what we did.  We caught a movie... "Saving Mr. Banks".  What else do you watch while at Disney, but a Disney movie.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Today all started at 2:30 AM.  That's when I woke up.  A shower, quick bite, prep for the race, and out the door by 3:30 AM.  All this to catch a bus to EPCOT for the start of the race at 5:30 AM.  Disney does one heck of a job with the transportation.  It went off without a flaw.  This is especially impressive when you're talking about over 20,000 runners.

One of the best features of the race is the on course photo opportunities.  Spaced throughout the course are many occasions to stop and have a photo taken.  If you're only concern is your time, then you miss out on a lot of fun.  I even ran into Wreck-It Ralph.

As for the way my race went... it was the tale of two races.  The first half, and the second.  Through mile 13, I felt great.  Shortly after the half things got tough, and I was starting to take walk breaks.  Those breaks came more frequently, but I managed to still beat my goal by about a minute, and set a new personal best.

It's always nice to add more bling to the collection.

Disney - Day #3

Third day at Disney, and today was about the race.  I started with my final pre-race run.  A nice easy 2 and a half miles.  Need to loosen up the legs... my calves are a bit stiff with all the walking.

After a quick breakfast, we headed over to the race expo to pick up my number & shirt.  Wow, talk about a lot of people.  Picking up the number was easy.  Great direction, easy to read signs, and really friendly volunteers.

To get the shirt, we had to go to the main building for the expo.  This is where all the people were.  The direction, and volunteers were good, but the movement through the building made you feel like sheep being herded.

Most expos that I've been to have had lots of free samples, so I was rather disappointed in the lack of freebies.

The rest of the day was spent dining & shopping with the wife at Downtown Disney.

Day #10 - 2.46 miles / 11.64 total for year.

Disney - Day #2

Day number two at Disney.  No running scheduled today.  If my original plan had gone through, I would have been running the Family Fun 5K this morning, but things don't always go as planned.

Our park of choice was Disney's Hollywood Studios.  Had a great day, with a little less walking than yesterday, but there were two reasons behind that.  1. The park is substantially smaller than EPCOT.  2. Rain.  Now I've been to Florida before, but this was the first time that I can remember a whole day of rain.  Mostly a mist in the morning, but it was an all-out rain storm this afternoon.  The only thing missing was thunder.

Tomorrow we're heading over to the Expo to get my shirt and number along with the many LPGs (Lovely Parting Gifts).  Should be fun.

Disney - Day #1

 No post yesterday due to travel.

Today was our first full day at Disney.  Went for a nice run around the lake at Coronado Springs Resort.  Very scenic trail, but the down side was that it was all concrete.  Not the best surface for running, but it'll have to do.  The loop is .9 miles long, so a little more than 3 laps, and I had a nice 30 minute run.  For about a half mile I was joined by another runner.  He was from Venezuela, and was running the Goofy Challenge.  Good luck to him, and someday I hope to do the same.

After the run, we spent the day at EPCOT, so I definitely got a good workout.  Three days to go, and then the marathon.

Day #8 - 3.23 mile / 9.18 total for year.

Long day

After spending 15 hours driving what should have been a 12 hour drive, I have no time to run, and I'm too tired to blog tonight.  Good night.

Day #5 - 0 miles / 5.95 miles total.

Another "rest" day

I didn't run today.  This morning I was too lazy, and didn't want to run in the cold.  This afternoon/evening I was too busy getting ready for my Disney vacation.

Next weekend, I'll be running the Walt Disney World Marathon.  It'll be my second marathon in two years (my last one was Boston in 2012).  Disney is an enjoyable running experience, you run through the parks, and have characters all along the course cheering you on.  Run Disney had a vote to see what song to play at mile 21 to "psych" the runners up to finish strong.  It was a close vote...

The one that won is from the latest Disney movie "Frozen".  Below is a link the video on youtube... I hope you enjoy it.
                                                         Demi Lovato - Let It Go


Day #5 - 0 Miles / 5.95 total for year

Rest Day... Right.

Today was a day that I decided to take a rest day.  After running three days in a row, I didn't want to push it.  After all, I am still recovering from a nasty cold between the holidays.

Most training plans that I've researched, have planned rest days in them.  On a rest day, it's minimum running, cross-training, or actually rest (as in no exercise).  I chose the latter.

Sure, that's gonna happen.  Saturday's are my day for errands, and catching up on work around the house, and today was no exception.  I got up with my alarm at 5:30, and "rested" for the next three hours.  That was the extent of it.  From 8:30 until 2:00 PM, I was out and about running errands.  Then when I got home it was catch-up time (a little of this, a little of that, and prepping for our vacation).  Finally at about 10 PM, I said enough is enough.

Now, I can have the last hour of the day for rest.  If I were to rate my day in "virtual miles" I'd say it was about a 10 miler.

Rest day... Yeah, right.


Day #4 - 0.00 miles / 5.95 total for year

Treadmill Anyone?

Today turned out to be a pretty nice day, after the storm cleared.  The sun was shining, and the sky was clear, but that was just an illusion... it was frigid, the temperature never got above 12 degrees, and that was with a 10-15 mph wind.  By the time I got home it was 7 with a wind chill of -9.  Now I may be crazy, but my Momma didn't raise no fool.  Time to hit the treadmill.

Now treadmills and I are mot great friends.  I can count on one had the amount of treadmill runs that I have in any given year.  Can you say boring!!

Now my lack of use and knowledge may hurt a little, but I figured I'll use one of the pre-planned programs.  A 5K run sounds good.  First it asks my weight, then it wants a level... OK, let's go with one.  I'm sorry, but starting at 2.5 mph is a bit too slow, so I upped the level to where it felt good (I think it was a six).  After a minute, it speeds up a little, then a little more, but it still feels good.  About four minutes in, and the thing goes wild... the speed increases to 8.3 mph.  I hit the button to slow it down to about 6 mph, then after another minute is friggin' speeds up again. WTF!!  I hit the stop button, and play it off like that was my warm-up.  I take a drink of water and re-start the treadmill... this time manual control... 6.3 mph, and 1.0 elevation.

25 minutes later, I finish my workout sweating like I haven't in a couple of months.  Maybe running indoors isn't so bad, but I'll stick with the outdoors (as long as the temperature is in the double digits).

Day #3 - 2.61 miles / 5.95 total for year.

Define Crazy.

After my run tonight, I posted this picture to facebook with the caption "14 degrees (wind chill of 0) but that didn't stop me!" 

Now I expected many varied replies, and some of those were as expected... "You're Crazy!"

This got me to thinking... Define Crazy!  Looking up the definition on the web, I came across two answers.  1. Mentally deranged, and 2. Extremely enthusiastic.  

Okay, I admit it... I am crazy.  

Using the second definition, I fit the mold.  I'm extremely enthusiastic about my running.  It's one thing that I can do well.  Maybe not a fast as I was 25 years ago, and maybe I may never win an age group award, but I love running.

Running on snow covered roads (when there is no traffic) it's one of the most peaceful times that you can be alone with your thoughts.  You hear every breathe you take, your feel your feet landing softly in the snow with almost no impact, almost like you're running on clouds.  Then you have strange thoughts go through you mind that make you laugh.  The way the light beam from my headlight was lighting the snow flakes coming at my glasses reminded me of the moment in Star Wars where the Millennium Falcon jumps to hyperspeed.  If you don't know what I mean, Google it.

Day #2 - 1.85 miles / 3.34 total for year.

Happy New Year!!

Wow 2014 already.  One of my goals for this year is to post to this blog every day.  It might be something as minute as what I did for a workout, or it might be my thoughts on a particular race or event that I participated in.  Some day's it might just be a link to a running song, or a youtube video that caught my eye.

So with that said, here goes for today...

First day running in a week - 1.49 miles, I've been sick with a head and chest cold that has kept me mostly on the couch.  Not a great way to end the year, but these thing happen.  Now It's time to get the legs ready for the WDW Marathon in 11 days.  I'm looking forward to my first marathon since Boston in 2012, and hopefully the weather will cooperate.  No worries, I have two small goals for the race... #1 - FINISH,  #2 - Beat my Boston time (5:21:46).

Day #1 - 1.49 miles / 1.49 total for year.