Kazrak's In My Day We Had A Kessel Run Training Journal (Comments Welcome)

So, just posted over in the Attractions and Strategies thread - half the fastpasses were booked for November, not January. I got an email today that Space Mountain was down during my fastpass, which made me realize. (Good thing, too!) I did manage to get most of the ones I wanted, including two for Mine Train and one for Peter Pan before it closes for refurb.

I can only blame 4am.

I have done that before expect with an ADR. I got an email the next day reminding me of my reservation. Oops I thought that BOG was too easy to get. Luckily I canceled in time to not get the no show fee
 
Week 11 update:

MWF with younger son went okay. We're under 2 weeks from the Turkey Trot now - it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

I did a mile and a half on Tuesday at a 10:39 pace. Not really pushing it, just getting some distance in.

I decided to take today off as unsafe to run. We're downwind from the Camp Fire, and it's pretty bad out there. We probably shouldn't have run on Friday either.
 
Week 12 update:

Air quality's been getting worse. I haven't run all week.

We head to Phoenix on Monday, and the Turkey Trot 5k is Thursday. Hopefully the air has cleared by the time we get back.
 
Not sure exactly where you are, but I saw photos a few days ago comparing the usual sky around the bay area with what it looks like now with all the smoke...I can't even imagine trying to be outdoors anywhere near there right now, much less running!
 


We're not quite as bad off as the worst-affected areas, but it's pretty unpleasant here. We're not even getting any walking in at this point.
 
Week 12 update:

We head to Phoenix on Monday, and the Turkey Trot 5k is Thursday. Hopefully the air has cleared by the time we get back.

Which turkey trot are you doing? I’m headed to Phoenix for thanksgiving too, I was looking at the Mesa one. I’m looking forward to warm weather!
 
Which turkey trot are you doing? I’m headed to Phoenix for thanksgiving too, I was looking at the Mesa one. I’m looking forward to warm weather!

Fountain Hills. They changed the course this year so it'll be a little disconcerting, but should be fine.
 


Fountain Hills. They changed the course this year so it'll be a little disconcerting, but should be fine.

That looks fun and looks like a great community event. I’m going to stick with the Mesa one, that one is closer to where I need to be for the food later in the day.
 
Okay, race report for the Fountain Hills Turkey Trot.

Fountain.jpg

Last training run was two weeks ago tomorrow, because of the air quality issues at home. I really wasn't expecting much here - I set a goal of 40:00 and a stretch goal of 36:00. My 5k PR was 33:20; PR for this race was 36:31 (2010). Last year's time was 53:23, because I was hanging back with my son.

Perfect running weather - low 50s and overcast. One thing to watch out for for me is that Fountain Hills is 1500' above sea level, so there's a bit less oxygen to work with.

We had four of us running the race this year, three of us repeating. Daughter has been running up in Flagstaff, so the elevation isn't a problem for her. Her time last year was 46:56, and she had a goal of under 45:00. Younger son has been training with me, last year's time was 53:26. His goal was under 50:00. My wife hadn't run this race before, her goal was also under 50:00.

They changed the course this year. Previously, it's been 'E' shaped - start at the city hall, run downhill toward the fountain, up and down the hill twice on two different streets, and then back up the hill to city hall. This year, it's shaped more like...let's say a jellyfish, because most of the other descriptions I could give aren't appropriate for a family site. You go out and back on one road, and around the fountain.

I am unfond of the new course. From a runner's perspective: run half a mile uphill, downhill for a mile and a half, and then uphill for the last mile. It's about a 90' elevation change over that last mile.

I got off to a good start, keeping at about an 11 minute pace uphill, and then about a 10 minute pace downhill. I apparently missed the first water stop entirely. (I didn't really care, I had a bottle with me.) At about 2 miles, we turned back uphill.

As we hit about 2.3, still going uphill, I had to drop to a walk for a bit. So I walked about a tenth of a mile, up to a short flat section, then started running again.

The last hill was evil, but I kept close to an 11 minute pace. I knew I was well ahead of my goal.

Time: 32:54, a new PR. (Strava says the distance was 3.03 miles, so somebody's off distance-wise. But I'll assume they measured properly and the GPS cut some corners.) Mile splits were 10:22, 10:21, and 11:48.

Everybody else also came in ahead of their expectations. Daughter came in at 36:28, son came in at 41:08 to everyone's surprise (including his own), and wife came in at 45:30.

After that, we walked back down by the fountain for the Thanksgiving parade. My in-laws met us there with donuts and chocolate milk.
 
Week 14 update:

Monday, son was still sore from the 5k. I went out but found I really wasn't up to running, so I just walked it.
Wednesday: pouring rain.
Friday: son and I went out. Backed off to the 3m run/90s walk/5m run/2m30s walk x2, but halfway through he was done and my knee was starting to complain. Walking back, my knee continued complaining, much more than it ever has before.
So I took Saturday off to let it recover some more.

10k for PoT is 4 weeks from tomorrow. Time to get back in the saddle.
 
Week 15 update:

MWF with younger son. We took it a bit easier, and fairly slow. I was aiming for 13:30 pace.
Saturday, took a 5k loop around the college. I was aiming for 12-13 minute pace, ended up running a little better than that. Final time 36:26, 11:45 pace. Wife ran the loop as well, a bit slower.

10k is three weeks from tomorrow. I had been planning to get a test 10k run in before then, but I don't think I'm up to it next week and I'm worried that doing it the week before the race would be too much. I'll probably do 5 miles next week, 3.1 or 5 the week after (on Sunday rather than Saturday). Might slip in some Tuesday runs as well.

My daughter will be around next weekend, she may want to go with me - we'll see. She's doing the same 10k; wife and younger son are doing the 5k.
 
Iacta alea est.

Just signed up for my virtual half marathon - Bay Breeze Half, February 9 in San Leandro. Son is doing the 5k, but wife decided to go for her first 10k. It's a good choice for her to try it - it's very very flat, and since it's the same course as the half, she's got ages to complete it in.

Turns out they do a double-race with it, the second being two weeks later, and a combo medal for finishing both. I'm tempted. Probably wouldn't go for another half, but...still pondering.
 
Week 16 update:

MWF with younger son. We're doing 5m run/3m walk x3, running paces in the 13 minute range. Overall paces, including walking, were in the 15:00 to 15:30 range, with distances around 1.4 miles. It's going pretty well, I think.

Tuesday, I planned to do a solo run, about 1.5 miles, while my wife looped the soccer field. We got out that morning and the fog was so thick that you couldn't see more than 50 feet or so away. I decided that I didn't feel like running solo in that, so I joined my wife in doing intervals around the soccer field. 1.3 miles, 15:58 pace.

Saturday, beautiful running weather. I decided to loop twice and go for a 5 mile run as part of my prep for the 10k in two weeks. Goal was 13:00 pace. I had to make a slight detour due to some construction, but managed to keep a 12:00 pace for the first 2.4 miles, at which point I dropped to a walk for a tenth of a mile. I gave up on the idea that I was only shooting for 13:00 and committed to a 12:00 pace at that point. Ran the rest of it from there. 58:50 time, 11:46 pace. Very pleased. This is promising for getting a qualifying PoT in two weeks.

Daughter is home as of yesterday, but she tweaked her ankle a couple days ago and wasn't up to running this morning. I suspect she'll come along with us at some point this week. We're discussing Bay to Breakers. Wife is uninterested because of the hills, but daughter and I are considering it. Bridge to Bridge looks more promising for my wife.

Plan for the week: MWF with younger son as before. Might see if I can push to the 8m run/5m walk/8m run cycle at least once. Tuesday, try for a 1.5m run. Older son gets home on Thursday, so we'll be going out to breakfast on Saturday. I'll push the longer run to Sunday, and probably try for a 5k.
 
(Slightly late) Week 17 update:

MW with younger son. Same as above. Daughter came along on Monday.
Tuesday: Out to the barrier and back, solo. 1.5mi, 10:48 pace.
Friday: Older son got home from college Thursday night, and was up late with younger son. I went out solo, but was a bit under-slept myself, and bailed after a mile. 11:24 pace.
Sunday: 5k run around the college. Daughter went along with me for the first mile, then dropped to a walk because her ankle was still unhappy. 11:23 pace - splits 11:25, 11:08, 11:37. (Dropped to a walk for a couple minutes at 2 miles.)

Took today off because I really needed to sleep in. I'll do some light runs Wednesday and Friday with younger son, and then 10k for PoT next Sunday.
 
Younger son slept in this morning, but daughter got up to run with me. I did a mile at 11:41 pace; she dropped down after a quarter mile, then picked up again when I got back to her with a quarter mile to go. Her ankle is still feeling iffy.

I may take Friday off; not sure yet. My knee wasn't 100% thrilled with me today, and with PoT race on Sunday, I'm thinking I don't want to push it too hard.
 
Race Report: Brazen Almost New Year's Eve 10k

Goal going in was to beat 1:15:00 for a qualifying PoT for the Star Wars Challenge. (BLUF: succeeded by 2 minutes)

Weather was a bit on the chilly side - about 40 when we left the house, probably not that much warmer than that at the race. Good running weather, though - clear and not too windy.

We arrived just as the half marathon was starting, which gave us 20 minutes to get over to the starting line for the 10k. Daughter and I were running the 10k, wife and younger son were running the 5k, which started 15 minutes after the 10k. This was a repeat for all of us except me - I did the 5k last year.

NYE Start.jpg NYE Lake.jpg

The race is at Quarry Lake Regional Recreation Area, in Fremont CA. The 5k loops around the central lake; the 10k and half do the same loop, but add one or two out-and-back sections along nearby trails. The whole course is quite flat - the 10k elevation change is +/- 121 feet. (They also do a full marathon here in April, BQ-compliant and similarly flat.)

My plan was to aim for an 11:00 to 11:30 pace, with the intent that that would give me a bit of slack for water stops and walking. I intended to drop to a walk every 2 miles or so.

As we were getting ready to start, I realized I'd forgotten my water bottle at home. Oops. I'd have to rely on the 3 water stops on the course.

Pace was in flux for the first half-mile as the field spread out. I ended up settling on a pace of about 11:00 for the first couple miles, then dropped to a walk for a minute or two before starting up again. I was really feeling it by mile 3, and my pace was flagging a bit.

One thing that I was noticing and appreciating - my watch's GPS was tracking very close to the official distance markers. This was a new experience for me, as the phone GPS tended to gain up to a fifth of a mile between mile markers. Instead, I was hitting the mile marks at .98 or .99 on the watch. This kept me confident in my pacing.

I hit the turnaround on the out-and-back at just under 3.5, and things improved from here. I waved at my daughter as she passed the mile 3 marker, then dropped to a walk for a couple minutes at mile 4.

4.5 or so was the final water stop, and we got back onto the loop around the lake. I felt a bit of a struggle keeping my pace above 12:00, but managed it.

Final time was 1:12:58, a pace of 11:46. This is the fastest I've done a 10k since before my daughter was born.

Splits (per Strava): 10:43, 11:07, 12:10, 11:30, 12:34, 11:39, 11:09 (final 0.2 mi).

Wife and son had better 5k runs than last year - wife beat her time by almost 16 minutes, and son beat his by 13 and a half. Daughter had a slower 10k run by about 12 minutes. (I ran the 5k last year and 10k this year, so don't have a direct comparison, but I ran with my son last year in the 5k at a 19:03 pace...did a bit better than that this year.)

Overall, very very pleased. I've already submitted the time to runDisney, so hopefully I'll get bumped up to corral E.

This race is paired with a New Year's Day race, which we aren't doing this year because we fly to Orlando on the morning of the 2nd. I expect to get back to running after we return on the 10th.
 

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