Chase the wind and touch the sky - a training journal (comments welcome)

[TCB in FLA]

Welcome! I feel as if we are already friends as I’ve been following your cruise report. Glad to see you on the running boards!

You mentioned that you were going to look into the Galloway method. I have actually gotten faster at longer distances by adding planned walk breaks compared to my earlier straight running. His website is a great place to start, the books are okay, and I enjoy the podcast “The Extra Mile Jeff Galloway Edition.”

 

[tigger536]

Oh man, this is all exactly what I wanted to hear. I know if I don't do any "official" runs on that trip I should be at a point where I'll at least want to do the 5K, so it's good that the free one's an option for those who didn't do marathon weekend. But...too-practical thoughts out of the way, clearly the thing to do is to just run the dang HM or marathon and the timed Challenge so I can get all the bling and all the feeling of accomplishment.

I noticed that when I was reading over the runDisney pages...what's with the cotton for the shorter races? Even I know I don't want to run in cotton....

You don't have to do the full or half marathon weekend. You can run the 5 or 10k and still qualify for the challenge, also. And the CC race is technically timed, but like all Disney 5ks there are no published results, just FYI.

 

[YawningDodo]

Welcome! I feel as if we are already friends as I’ve been following your cruise report. Glad to see you on the running boards!

You mentioned that you were going to look into the Galloway method. I have actually gotten faster at longer distances by adding planned walk breaks compared to my earlier straight running. His website is a great place to start, the books are okay, and I enjoy the podcast “The Extra Mile Jeff Galloway Edition.”

Oh man, the cruise report...I gotta finish that thing. It's been on my monthly goal list for three months running. I'm glad people have been enjoying it, though! Also you just got a spoiler for my MDAS outfit. Sneak peek? Sure. Let's call it that.

I should probably go ahead and check Galloway out sooner rather than later, though my current plan is to follow the Couch to 5K app and then switch to the Galloway method after that. I've read a few bits and pieces about it and various testimonials, but have not sat down and read Galloway's materials themselves. Just knowing myself and knowing how things went mentally and emotionally during my previous training efforts (and just how my brain processes tasks in general), I'm already guessing that breaking a long run down into a series of goals and breaks would help me a lot mentally, even regardless of physical benefits.

You don't have to do the full or half marathon weekend. You can run the 5 or 10k and still qualify for the challenge, also. And the CC race is technically timed, but like all Disney 5ks there are no published results, just FYI.

That's a good point--I didn't say in this thread, though, but I'm worried about whether I can take enough vacation days in 2020 to do the 5 or 10K and the cruise--factoring in that they happen earlier in the week and I need to get down there at least a day ahead of whatever run I do (and even that's cutting it close for getting to the expo if my flight gets delayed), I'm looking at something like 8 vacation days...out of my annual 10. Flying down Friday before the weekend and doing the cruise the next week is just 6 vacation days. It's possible things may change between now and then that would make it easier to take a slightly longer trip (if my employer's proposed change to a single PTO bucket happens and I manage to not use hours on sick leave, for instance...), but right now I have to assume that doing one of the shorter races would mess me up for having enough vacation days to do Christmas, etc., that year.

 

[sylkai]

On the topic of the 5k/10k/half/full discussion, I'll offer a data point.

I signed up for my first half (which I ran in Jan 2017 - RIP Star Wars Light Side, come back soon) in July of 2016, at a point where I had been running for exactly ...2 weeks. Now, granted, I had been exercising regularly (recumbent bike and then 5 mile walks, 3 times a week) for several months before that so I was starting from a base of fitness, but I was more than ready when the half rolled around. I probably could have managed one a little sooner than that. A full would not have been in the cards at that point though. I did use the Galloway run/walk method then; I've slowly phased it out over the last several months now, having been running for almost 2 years.

You've got almost 18 months to prepare, so you could absolutely be ready for a half. The full is also possible, if you make the commitment to training and prioritize sticking to it. I decided last year that I was going for Dopey in 2019 because I'm a big fan of "well, if I'm maybe only going to do it once, then I'm going to do it big."

...and then I submitted an entry for the London Marathon lottery because I'm pretty sure I'll be doing this distance more than once, but that's because running.

 

[YawningDodo]

On the topic of the 5k/10k/half/full discussion, I'll offer a data point.

I signed up for my first half (which I ran in Jan 2017 - RIP Star Wars Light Side, come back soon) in July of 2016, at a point where I had been running for exactly ...2 weeks. Now, granted, I had been exercising regularly (recumbent bike and then 5 mile walks, 3 times a week) for several months before that so I was starting from a base of fitness, but I was more than ready when the half rolled around. I probably could have managed one a little sooner than that. A full would not have been in the cards at that point though. I did use the Galloway run/walk method then; I've slowly phased it out over the last several months now, having been running for almost 2 years.

You've got almost 18 months to prepare, so you could absolutely be ready for a half. The full is also possible, if you make the commitment to training and prioritize sticking to it. I decided last year that I was going for Dopey in 2019 because I'm a big fan of "well, if I'm maybe only going to do it once, then I'm going to do it big."

...and then I submitted an entry for the London Marathon lottery because I'm pretty sure I'll be doing this distance more than once, but that's because running.

I'm hoping "because running" becomes enough of a reason in itself. I'm excited, in general, to start--just getting up and walking in the mornings has been good, but I'm itching to do more. As far as the full or half goes, I do think I'll have an idea what I can be prepared to do by early next year. I'm trying not to make too many predictions right now, but I don't see anything that would stop me if I commit. I'm not in good shape, but I'm not desperately unhealthy, either. I need to build up a base, but I'm at least building it up from already being able to comfortably walk a mile to work and not feel tired or overheated by it. I've been in worse shape than that in the past, when I was at my highest weight back in 2012.

 

[YawningDodo]

Gonna go shopping for running clothes tonight! Figure since it's my turn today and tomorrow to go home at lunchtime, I might as well take advantage of the fact that I'll get home earlier due to driving to do a quick turnaround once the animals are all taken care of and head out to the mall for the evening. Don't have a huge budget for it so I'm going to start at Ross...hopefully I don't have to go to Scheels to find what I need because dang, those prices. We'll see, though. Realized that I could use new shorts or capris as well as a new bra; the shorts I have kind of fit, but once again weight gains have made previously good clothing a bit uncomfortable. It is what it is.

Edit: Other thought of the day, which has been a thought of the week when I've been out walking: moving my body makes me feel strong. Even though I have a long way to go, even though it's going to be hard when I start doing run/walk intervals instead of only walking, when I get out and move in the mornings my overwhelming feeling is that my body is already pretty great the way it is, and that it's only going to get better.

 

[sylkai]

The previously good clothing will be good again. It'll just take a bit of time, and it's good to have some in the meantime, but you'll get there.

 

[YawningDodo]

Clothes shopping last night was a success, but just as exhausting as I'd expected it would be. I'm at the top end of size for being able to find active wear without shopping online at specialty stores. That's something that's always kind of bugged me--how are people supposed to dress right to get fit if no one will sell good active wear to you unless you're already slim? Thankfully I found some good capris, and I happened across a top I like (even though I didn't need any new tops...). I did end up going to Scheels for the bra and paid a small fortune, but the salespeople on the floor there were very helpful and I left happy with what I got. I like their store and I like that they're so active in sponsoring local sporting events (including one of my favorite local road races); I just can't afford to shop there much. Of course, the other reason I blew past my budget was that I impulse bought a new cardigan for work, which I also technically didn't need, but dang it looks and feels nice.

Looking forward to running next week! I think I may jump straight in with the Galloway method instead of going back to the C25K program since it seems like it'll be easier to tailor it to my needs and abilities from week to week; I've got the book coming in the mail tomorrow and an app on my phone to time my intervals (still need to set it up), so I intend to make a loose plan this weekend and then tweak it when I actually start on Tuesday and see how the intervals actually treat me when I'm out in the real world. Current planned schedule is walking the dog Monday/Wednesday/Friday, running Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, and a full rest on Sundays. I'm in a tabletop gaming group on Saturday nights that tends to go a bit late, so I'm not able to get as much sleep on Saturday nights as the rest of the week--figure that makes Sunday a good candidate for the one day per week I let myself sleep a little later instead of getting up and going out. Also figure that in the long term, when I start doing longer runs once per week, Saturday will be an easier day to haul myself out of bed for that. I always feel so much fresher on Saturdays.

Penny's been doing much better at general leash etiquette, but she's still flipping her lid every time we see another animal and I just can't manage that behavior while running intervals. I was really proud of her for about five minutes this morning when she saw a bird, started to move to lunge, but stopped herself and looked to me instead (she got all the treats for that). But then we came across another dog a few minutes later and it was back to lunging. Nope, nope, nope. We'll get there eventually, but I'm resigning myself to her just being my walking buddy for the foreseeable future.

She's adorable, though. She has that going for her, at least.

 

[YawningDodo]

Weekly Journal: June 10-16
Galloway's Beginner-to-3.5 Mile Schedule: Week 1

Sunday:

• Planned:
  • Rest day! Make a plan, address current challenges, and update goals and challenges in my training journal.
• Actual:
  • Run/Walk: 2 minutes at a 5/55 ratio
  • Run/Walk: 8 minutes at a 10/50 ratio

Monday:

• Planned:
  • Off-day. Walk Penny, half an hour.
• Actual:
  • Walked Penny, half an hour.

Tuesday:

• Planned:
  • 10 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio (evaluate suitability)
• Actual:
  • 10 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio
  • 1.2 mile walk to work
  • 1.2 mile walk home

Wednesday:

• Planned:
  • Off-day. Walk Penny, half an hour.
• Actual:
  • Walked Penny, 40 minutes
  • 1.2 mile walk to work
  • 1.2 mile walk home

Thursday:

• Planned:
  • 13 minutes run/walk at 15/45 or 20/40 ratio depending on Tuesday's results
• Actual:
  • 13 minutes run/walk at 20/40 ratio

Friday:

• Planned:
  • Off-day. Walk Penny, half an hour.
• Actual:
  • Walked Penny, 40 minutes
  • 1.2 mile walk to work
  • 1.2 mile walk home

Saturday:

• Planned:
  • 1.5 mile run/walk at 15/45 or 20/40 ratio
• Actual:
  • 1.53 mile run/walk at 20/40 ratio. 22:25 minutes (14:39/mile)
  • Training record set: longest run (1.53 miles)
  • Training record set: fastest mile (14:34 minutes)

Challenge resolved:

• I haven't been walking to work (1.2 miles each way) as often as I would like to. On days I don't walk to work, I often get no exercise at all. Too frequently, I don't figure out my schedule far enough in advance to know which days I'm able to walk to work versus which days I need my car, plus many mornings I don't get up and ready early enough to make the walk.
  Solutions:
  
  • The walk to work is no longer my primary form of exercise. I get up early every day and walk or run at least 3 days per week before getting ready for work. The walk to work will now just be a bonus on days when I manage to make it happen (which will be more often now that I'll have more time in the mornings anyway!).
  • I talked with my housemate about our schedules and availability, and we have established a solid schedule for taking care of the dogs. I will go home at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays and she will do it on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This means that I'll be able to walk to work on my rest days, and will drive on my run days.

 

[YawningDodo]

Well, today was supposed to be a total rest day, but after a morning sitting around and writing, I finished skimming through Galloway's The Run Walk Run Method and ended up feeling so restless and excited about starting that I just couldn't wait for Tuesday. I set out to use his suggested workout length and intervals for beginners to see how it would feel. The answer: good, but not enough. He'd suggested starting at 10 minutes of 5 seconds running and 55 seconds walking, with 10 minutes of walking on either end. Within two intervals I came to the conclusion that a 5 second run feels like literally nothing, and switched my intervals up to 10/50. That still didn't feel like enough, but I decided to ride it out at that interval for the rest of the workout both because I wasn't entirely sure I'd still feel great at the end of 10 minutes and because this was an unscheduled run mainly for the purpose of feeling out my fitness level relative to his "beginner" suggestions anyway. I finished the run still feeling underworked; while Galloway stresses that one should feel good during/after training, it's pretty clear that I need to bump up the intervals further, since I came back not feeling any more tired than when I take a mile walk. I'll be trying 15/45 on Tuesday, and if that's still not enough it'll be 20/40 on Thursday. I'm sticking with the suggested run times/distances, though, since it seems like a reasonable progression. I've updated my weekly journal for today through Saturday with my plans for the week...side note: the formatting went completely haywire several times. Going to probably stop using the list function after this week since it has a tendency to get wonky, but I've put so much work into making it look pretty this week that I'm going to keep it for now.

Also updated last week's journal--I moved the "I don't have the right clothes" challenge out of "Current Challenges" and into a section of that journal entry titled "Challenges Addressed." I think that'll be a nice way to keep track of problems that have been overcome.

I've also updated my goals on the first page, making them firmer and more ambitious, but sticking to goals to finish races of various lengths rather than worrying about speed yet. I adjusted my goal for this fall to cover either a 5K or a 3.5 mile race mainly because of the two races I'm considering (both of them in October), one is 3.5 miles instead of 5K for...some reason. There aren't a lot of other local races I'm excited about that fit my time frame; I haven't done either of the ones that are currently on my maybe list so don't know if I'd prefer one or the other. I may end up doing both. I'm not seeing a lot of options for 10Ks that fit my training schedule expectations, so I didn't put a 10K in my goals--I may find something early next spring, or I may skip right to a half marathon, becaaause...

I've made the conscious decision to stop saying "I want to run a marathon" or "I might run a marathon or a half-marathon" and to start saying "I am going to run the 2020 WDW marathon." Again, it feels like a big claim when today was the first day I've run at all in two years, but it's what I want and I get a thrill thinking about it every time I come back to it. To that end, I'd like to at least try to get a proof of time in 2019 to avoid starting dead last, and it occurred to me that as of this weekend I'm a year out from the Governor's Cup, which is a really big, fun event in the state capitol (I've done the 5K a couple times). They offer everything from a 1-mile fun run up to a marathon, and it seems like a good opportunity for my first half-marathon. My goal is going to be just to finish, but if I can manage proof of time for a better corral at Disney, that'll be a big bonus. That means an overnight trip to Helena in June next year, which will be nice since I have friends there, including a friend who runs and who's done a marathon (no idea if he actively participates in road races these days, though). So that's officially been added to my goals!

 

[SarahDisney]

Sounds like you're off to a great start! Finding the right intervals can be tough, but the fact that you can recognize when the run interval is not enough and you need more is a good sign.

I'm really excited that you're committing to running the WDW Marathon in 2020. Having a goal like that to look forward to will help you keep moving forward when you struggle (like during the winter when the weather is terrible and you don't want to run ... but you know you have to find a way because you're working towards your marathon).

Good luck this week - I hope you can find intervals that work well for you!

 

[TCB in FLA]

Great start! You def need to play around with run/walk ratios to find the perfect fit. One of the things I realized while running with the Galloway pacers at various RD events is that their walking pace was brisker than what I was used to. So it’s okay to push the speed of your walks a bit.

 

[YawningDodo]

Sounds like you're off to a great start! Finding the right intervals can be tough, but the fact that you can recognize when the run interval is not enough and you need more is a good sign.

I'm really excited that you're committing to running the WDW Marathon in 2020. Having a goal like that to look forward to will help you keep moving forward when you struggle (like during the winter when the weather is terrible and you don't want to run ... but you know you have to find a way because you're working towards your marathon).

Good luck this week - I hope you can find intervals that work well for you!

I'm excited, too! It feels so big and far off, though, that I'm glad I have intermediary goals (the 5K or 3.5 miler this fall; the half next spring). It's a weird mix of being really excited for the end goal, but also kind of boggling at it whenever I think of where I am now versus where I'll be when I get there.

Great start! You def need to play around with run/walk ratios to find the perfect fit. One of the things I realized while running with the Galloway pacers at various RD events is that their walking pace was brisker than what I was used to. So it’s okay to push the speed of your walks a bit.

My normal walking pace is fortunately pretty brisk; I grew up among tall folks and got my own height late as a teenager, so I was used to hurrying to keep up with everyone from a young age. I caught myself walking at a lower speed during a few of the breaks today, though, so I had to make a conscious effort to pick it up. It'll definitely be something to keep an eye on since I think it's easier to run again from a faster walk than a slower one (plus the overall pace issue in the long term...).

So! Today was my first weekday run!

Things learned:

• 15/45 feels pretty good! I never got winded, but I certainly felt it. I think 20/40 may be too much, especially since run times and distances are going to continue to increase. I might still try 20/40 on Thursday just to be sure, but I'm inclined to think 15/45 is the sweet spot for now.
  
• I need to work myself back to an earlier wakeup than 6:00--I got everything done and still had time to walk to work, but time was tighter than I'd like and it'll only get worse as the length of each workout increases. My turnaround time for getting out the door may improve as I get more used to the new routine (I wasted time finding some things I hadn't set out the night before), but still. 5:45 or 5:30 would be better.
• Those anti-mosquito wristbands appear to work! I got eaten alive last week, but this morning I tried a wristband for it and I'm not finding any new bug bites even though I ran laps around one of the most mosquito-infested parks in the neighborhood. I really hadn't wanted to use a spray, so this is great news!
• I need a jacket; it was 47*F and windy this morning and I was freezing during my warm-up. Half the reason I did laps instead of running through the neighborhood was because the park is in full sunlight. If I'd been thinking I would have just worn my cotton jacket and taken it off after the warm-up, since I no longer have a running jacket that fits.
• I need a way to carry my keys; I ended up holding them in my hand the entire time.

 

[Keels]

For bugs - I always wear at least one bug band AND keep a dryer sheet in my pocket. I'm like a magnet for mosquitos, it's unreal!

Check out getting a SpiBelt or a FlipBelt to hold your phone/keys. I think I have an extra SpiBelt laying around here somewhere that you're welcome to.

But most of all - keep up the GREAT work! Intervals are definitely an adjustment ... I think all of us around these parts that have ever run them will tell you it's always a work in progress trying to figure out the right interval.

 

[YawningDodo]

For bugs - I always wear at least one bug band AND keep a dryer sheet in my pocket. I'm like a magnet for mosquitos, it's unreal!

Check out getting a SpiBelt or a FlipBelt to hold your phone/keys. I think I have an extra SpiBelt laying around here somewhere that you're welcome to.

But most of all - keep up the GREAT work! Intervals are definitely an adjustment ... I think all of us around these parts that have ever run them will tell you it's always a work in progress trying to figure out the right interval.

I just looked those up and ooh, neat. I'd always envisioned something more like a fanny pack, and while I'm not above wearing a fanny pack (mine is sunflower-patterned and it's my go-to Disney park bag), this looks better distributed for movement. And that's really nice, thank you! I'm not 100% sure it would fit me the way it's supposed to, though. The website says it goes up to 47", which would definitely not fit my hips but might fit higher up toward my waist (I am very pear-shaped even when I'm at a lower weight--zero shame in that, but it does make it harder to find belts!).

And yeah, definitely feeling that on the intervals. I ran Saturday at 20/40, and on both Thursday and Saturday my feeling at the start of the run was certainty that I couldn't do it, and then surprise at the end when yes, I managed to do it. So I can run 20/40 and sustain it for a mile and a half, at least...but I'm going to switch back down to 15/45 for now because I think I might actually get a better pace when I have more energy from the rests. We'll see! I bought a Garmin on Friday (I'd been planning on getting myself one for my birthday at the end of the month and decided to just get it a little early), so I'm actually able to track my pace now and see what's going on.

 

[YawningDodo]

Weekly Journal: June 17-23
Galloway's Beginner-to-3.5 Mile Schedule: Week 2

Sunday:
Planned:

Rest Day! Update my journal, examine any challenges, and set out the plan for the coming week.​

Monday:
Planned:

Walk Penny, 30 minutes
Walk to/from work (2.4 mile round trip)​

Actual:

Walked Penny, 25 minutes
Did not walk to work (raining; also, feeling sore and lazy)​

Tuesday:
Planned:

16 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio​

Actual:

16 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio in the rain ​

Wednesday:
Planned:

Walk Penny, 30 minutes
Walk to/from work (2.4 mile round trip)​

Actual:

Walked Penny, 30 minutes
Walked to/from work (2.4 mile round trip)​

Thursday:
Planned:

19 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio​

Actual:

19 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio
Overall pace: 14:30
New training record: fastest mile (14:19)​

Friday:
Planned:

Walk Penny, 30 minutes
Walk to/from work (2.4 mile round trip)​

Actual:

Walked Penny, 30 minutes
Walked to/from work​

Saturday:
Planned:

30 minutes run/walk at 15/45 ratio​

Actual:

30 minutes run/walk at 10/50 ratio
Overall pace 14:30
New training record: fastest mile (14:11)
New training record: longest run (2.07 miles)​

 

[YawningDodo]

Semi-related thought...before I'd even gotten serious about the treadmill search I've run into a snag. I'd been thinking of putting it in the basement since that's where the better entertainment system is and because it'll be easier to keep the dogs out of that room when I'm running. Buuuuut....the basement has a 6'7" ceiling and I'm 5'10" barefoot. Add an inch for shoes and 6 inches for the height of the treadmill belt, and my head would be 6'5" off the floor when standing still. So that's clearly not going to work. Beyond the dog issue, the living room's an unattractive option because my housemate will be working upstairs on early mornings right when I'll be doing my runs and needs a quiet house because her work at home involves conference calls. Part of the idea had been that the basement would give us enough separation to not get in each other's way on those mornings.

Writing this out...hrf. Between all those factors and the simple "treadmills take up space and our house is not very big" issue, it's looking like I might have to join a gym. I've never really liked going to the gym (it adds so much time to your workout to drive there, and then there are people, ugh), but it kind of is what it is. I have a couple options for places with treadmills, and a salesperson at Scheels told me that one of the places in town has an indoor track. I think I'd prefer the track, but from looking at their website I think they may try to lock me into a contract, whereas the other place I've gone before at least lets you go monthly, no contract. It may be worth using a treadmill instead of a track to be able to have my membership lapse during the summers.

Guess my dislike of the gym will be motivation to suck it up and go run in the cold on mornings when it at least isn't icy outside.

 

[YawningDodo]

Cold, rainy morning today. It's been like that off and on over the past week, but so far I'd been fortunate enough to get walks and runs in between rain showers. This morning it's just been a steady drizzle, but I still dragged Penny out into it (she was even less excited about that than I was), though we turned for home earlier than we normally would. I could have bundled back up and walked to work but I was being lazy and didn't get up from the couch until it was too late and I wouldn't have enough time. I'm a little bit sore (was yesterday as well), which I suppose is partly getting used to running and partly that I really need to start stretching before/after. Since this means I've got the car today I'm going to make the best of it and do a grocery run after work to fill the fridge back up with better eats. I also need to push myself to go to bed earlier, because my body is starting to rebel against the early wake-up--today I got up half an hour late, so it was good it was only a walking day.

Still noodling the winter running problem, though I think the best thing to do is probably to just set out a plan to explore my options around town and add it to next month's personal goals instead of worrying about it right this minute. It's a pain touring gyms since you know they'll try to get you to sign up on the spot. I've been thinking about the training room at the community center (you can get a day pass for $5 or buy passes for one or three months, so it's the ultimate in Not Signing A Contract), but their treadmills are in an undecorated basement and it's kind of depressing down there, plus it's pretty low-capacity and I'm not sure how busy it will be in the mornings in winter. And, too, I'm reminding myself that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have access to a swimming pool and other equipment at a full-service gym, since it would be a decent idea to add other forms of exercise to the rotation.

 

[ZellyB]

I definitely agree that you need to play some with the intervals. I'm not sure if you've run a Magic Mile yet, but if not, you might try to work one of those in the next few weeks and try to use that and the charts Jeff has on his site to try and find the right interval and pace.

 

[YawningDodo]

I definitely agree that you need to play some with the intervals. I'm not sure if you've run a Magic Mile yet, but if not, you might try to work one of those in the next few weeks and try to use that and the charts Jeff has on his site to try and find the right interval and pace.

I have not! I read about it in the book but I haven't built it into my plans yet. This morning at 15/45 still felt like a lot, but I got through it fine. I'm not used to moving much at all, so it's been...weird trying to feel out what's right. I'll have to read ahead on the schedule and decide on a Saturday to do the Magic Mile instead of a regular run. Fortunately there's a really nice park with a path that has markers every quarter mile, so tracking distances isn't as hard as it could be. I don't go there on weekdays, though, because I have to drive to get there and weekday runs are all about going straight out the door.