Those of you who follow runDisney probably have an idea of what I'm going to say next...
In January 2014, I'll be running the (first!!) Dopey Challenge at Disney World.
I couldn't tell you if I'm more nervous or excited about this whole thing.
DH took a quick break after his meeting at work on Tuesday in order to get to get to a computer that wouldn't block the runDisney site (see also: he went to his folks' house) to register me for the race.
Happy impending-graduation present from the in-laws.
There's a small part of me going "WTF was I THINKING???" because this will be my first marathon, but the bigger part of me is going "Man, this is cool... I have 9 months to train for it, so I should probably get on it." And with the Dumbo Double Dare (and any other races I register for before Goofy), it's not like I'm not getting out there.
On that note, any runners reading this: How did you select a training plan to use - and did you actually use it? Also, how did you find it? (Internet, books, personal trainer, etc.)
I've been looking at the runDisney training plans, and they haven't updated the ones for the WDW Marathon Weekend for the 2014 races. Which makes sense, because race registration opened up less than a week ago!
All the same, the Goofy's Challenge training plan is 28 weeks long. So about 7 months long. That time out from Dopey is coming up pretty quickly. I wonder if that's a training plan I should use - I mean, even though the dates are wrong, it's still pretty relevant.
But I've also been thinking about whether or not to use a training plan for an ultra. Because Dopey is a 5K + 10K + half marathon (21K) + marathon (42K), we're looking at 48.6 miles run in 4 days.
Now that seems a little overwhelming at a glance. I gotta stop to catch my breath.
Biiiiiig sigh.
Ok, I think I'm good. Although suddenly the treadmill is calling my name.
Speaking of treadmills, I was recently enlightened to the existence of "virtual runner" apps, that you can use on the treadmill to "run" a certain route.
Has anyone ever used a virtual running app/DVD/video/what-have-you??
It was either through Competitor, Runner's World, or Women's Running, but one of them talked about Outside Interactive's Virtual Runner app. It sounds really cool. Although, less-inspiring is that you would have to purchase each individual route, and the reviews have been either hit or miss.
I was noticing the same thing with the (free!!) Virtual Active app reviews. Obviously you can't please everybody,but even so.
Both apps appear to have wonderfully different things to offer. Heck, Outside Interactive's VR app has the Boston Marathon route! I know in order to run Boston, I'd have to run at just under 2/3 of my current pace! My (qualifying) miles would have to be 8 minutes/mile or less... You do the math.
In other, far more depressing words, my client had to take her dog back to the (no-kill) shelter a few days ago because, with her age and health concerns and all, she can't care for the dog as well as she could when she got her over a year ago. So I looked at the website for the shelter she (the dog) is at... And then I started looking at the puppies.
We're moving to a 2-bedroom apartment in a month and a half (which will clean things up around here dramatically, between school and work stuff and everything) but I'm pretty sure that even then they wouldn't let us adopt a dog. Besides, we both work full-time. It would take quite a bit of maneuvering to have a dog OR house-break a puppy.
Alright, I'm off to sulk. Call me the mood-killer.
Have a good one.
Showing posts with label Runner's World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Runner's World. Show all posts
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Maybe... Marathon? Race Junkie
We're going to start off on a note unrelated to running.
Shocking, I know! But we'll get there, I promise.
I am officially done with my internship hours! I'm already 140+ hours over the minimum cumulative I needed, but I needed more hours with individuals... And I finished them up today! I am freaking psyched. I meet with my head supervisor and my instructor before class on Monday, and we'll talk about it then. I know when I met with my head supervisor on Tuesday, he told me that when people finish their hours he usually has them stop. But I'm pretty sure I have to continue all the way through to the end of the semester, so it may just result in me having my hours cut back.
Also, when I was making my outreach calls today (which helped me meet - and surpass!!! - the minimum individual hours needed), I sucked it up and called one particular client... Last time I talked to this person, s/he wasn't mad at me, but s/he was mad as can be. And I do mean MAD. And this person normally is a bit loud on the phone anyway, but that day s/he was taking loud to a whole new level. As in, I held the phone away from my hear and my team leader could hear the person. Maybe not understand him/her, but definitely hear him/her. And she (my fearless team leader) went and got me a soda to make up for the call ☺
Anyway, I called this person, and s/he was in a MUCH better mood. The concern that she/he'd had for over a month now? Taken care of.
And I was genuinely happy for him/her - AM genuinely happy. It really is amazing to know that the pieces all fell into place. It took more time that s/he would've liked, but the fact of the matter is that the end result is wonderful news.
Now on the subject of running... Technically I'm registered for the Disneyland Half Marathon... Twice. Yes, TWICE.
I'm really contemplating deferring the non-charity-organization-registration to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge.
Yes, I just said what you think I said. I've conquered a half marathon (granted, I walked most of it, but I did it - AND a crap-ton of walking around the theme parks for all four days we were there!) and now I'm really getting psyched about the prospect of doing a marathon.
And also of somewhat warmer weather, so I can take my running from the treadmill to the trail by our apartment. Only a little bit of that is related to safety concerns. From what I can tell, they plow the trails around here pretty quickly. Frankly, I think I'd be more likely to get frostbite and hypothermia than to slip, fall, and break my neck... Although I'd rather not chance THAT, either. It's so interesting: in the last year, I haven't been all that concerned about breaking bones and running (or, breaking bones in relation to running). But in the last week I was just so concerned that I would break something. My feet and legs hurt so badly that I went from overpronating to possibly underpronating (I couldn't tell, all I knew was it was out of the norm). You hear horror stories (I think one of them was in a recent issue of RW) of people running in the winter, falling, and breaking something.
Just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do it.
A marathon, I mean. Not falling and breaking something, although I suppose I could do that, too. But I mean just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do a marathon. Or a marathon AND a half (at separate times, I mean. At least right now).
And now I'm seeing all of these really cool races. I mean, they're ones that I'd noticed before, but they'd always seemed out of reach to me. A wonderful former best friend suggested the Diva Dash 5K. I'd eyeballed the Leprechaun Chase 10K, but that sold out ridiculously quickly (something tells me it's related to it showing up in the February or March issue of RW??). And oh my god, if I had my way I would sign up for the Runner's World Half & Festival. And do the entire. Freaking. Thing.
...
Is that a belated runner's high talking? I can't tell.
A half marathon seemed like a dream - a dream fit for a princess. I don't even know how I got up the guts to sign up for the Princess Half, but I don't regret it for a second!
I used to think a marathon was crazy and WAY out of reach, and I couldn't imagine spending 5-7 hours of my life (all at once!) doing such a thing...
I used to think a half marathon... Well, I didn't really even think about half marathons, to be completely honest.
Four years ago I was a freshman in college. At this time of year I'd been engaged for just over two months, I was actually liking college (the first semester was a doozy), and I was trying to envision where life would take me, but I was still somewhat unsure.
I never ever ever saw my life taking this (literal) path.
But I'm along for the ride (or run, walk, and plane ride, as the case may be), and I'm loving it.
Bring it.
(Now to wait for the hubs to get home from class so we can go run together!) ☺
Shocking, I know! But we'll get there, I promise.
I am officially done with my internship hours! I'm already 140+ hours over the minimum cumulative I needed, but I needed more hours with individuals... And I finished them up today! I am freaking psyched. I meet with my head supervisor and my instructor before class on Monday, and we'll talk about it then. I know when I met with my head supervisor on Tuesday, he told me that when people finish their hours he usually has them stop. But I'm pretty sure I have to continue all the way through to the end of the semester, so it may just result in me having my hours cut back.
Also, when I was making my outreach calls today (which helped me meet - and surpass!!! - the minimum individual hours needed), I sucked it up and called one particular client... Last time I talked to this person, s/he wasn't mad at me, but s/he was mad as can be. And I do mean MAD. And this person normally is a bit loud on the phone anyway, but that day s/he was taking loud to a whole new level. As in, I held the phone away from my hear and my team leader could hear the person. Maybe not understand him/her, but definitely hear him/her. And she (my fearless team leader) went and got me a soda to make up for the call ☺
Anyway, I called this person, and s/he was in a MUCH better mood. The concern that she/he'd had for over a month now? Taken care of.
And I was genuinely happy for him/her - AM genuinely happy. It really is amazing to know that the pieces all fell into place. It took more time that s/he would've liked, but the fact of the matter is that the end result is wonderful news.
Now on the subject of running... Technically I'm registered for the Disneyland Half Marathon... Twice. Yes, TWICE.
I'm really contemplating deferring the non-charity-organization-registration to the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge.
Yes, I just said what you think I said. I've conquered a half marathon (granted, I walked most of it, but I did it - AND a crap-ton of walking around the theme parks for all four days we were there!) and now I'm really getting psyched about the prospect of doing a marathon.
And also of somewhat warmer weather, so I can take my running from the treadmill to the trail by our apartment. Only a little bit of that is related to safety concerns. From what I can tell, they plow the trails around here pretty quickly. Frankly, I think I'd be more likely to get frostbite and hypothermia than to slip, fall, and break my neck... Although I'd rather not chance THAT, either. It's so interesting: in the last year, I haven't been all that concerned about breaking bones and running (or, breaking bones in relation to running). But in the last week I was just so concerned that I would break something. My feet and legs hurt so badly that I went from overpronating to possibly underpronating (I couldn't tell, all I knew was it was out of the norm). You hear horror stories (I think one of them was in a recent issue of RW) of people running in the winter, falling, and breaking something.
Just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do it.
A marathon, I mean. Not falling and breaking something, although I suppose I could do that, too. But I mean just because I'm slow doesn't mean I can't do a marathon. Or a marathon AND a half (at separate times, I mean. At least right now).
And now I'm seeing all of these really cool races. I mean, they're ones that I'd noticed before, but they'd always seemed out of reach to me. A wonderful former best friend suggested the Diva Dash 5K. I'd eyeballed the Leprechaun Chase 10K, but that sold out ridiculously quickly (something tells me it's related to it showing up in the February or March issue of RW??). And oh my god, if I had my way I would sign up for the Runner's World Half & Festival. And do the entire. Freaking. Thing.
...
Is that a belated runner's high talking? I can't tell.
A half marathon seemed like a dream - a dream fit for a princess. I don't even know how I got up the guts to sign up for the Princess Half, but I don't regret it for a second!
I used to think a marathon was crazy and WAY out of reach, and I couldn't imagine spending 5-7 hours of my life (all at once!) doing such a thing...
I used to think a half marathon... Well, I didn't really even think about half marathons, to be completely honest.
Four years ago I was a freshman in college. At this time of year I'd been engaged for just over two months, I was actually liking college (the first semester was a doozy), and I was trying to envision where life would take me, but I was still somewhat unsure.
I never ever ever saw my life taking this (literal) path.
But I'm along for the ride (or run, walk, and plane ride, as the case may be), and I'm loving it.
Bring it.
(Now to wait for the hubs to get home from class so we can go run together!) ☺
Monday, January 28, 2013
The Runner's Body
There are so many things out there about having the "body of a runner". Runner's World had an article a few months back called The Runner's Body, in which they took a number of "ordinary" people and had an article featuring them and the fact that they are not what one would normally think of as the "traditional" runner. There were many people who loved the article, but there were also people who wished that the article showcased a wider variety of the non-traditional runner - all ages, shapes, sizes, ability. All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom of the link for the article (on the website it's individual videos) just to see one such comment.
The typical runners getting the attention (winning races, etc.) are thin, trim, and have calf muscles that could kill a person who just looked at them. Not to mention the flat, firm midsection.
I'm not going to lie and pretend that I look like a "runner". Apparently there's a certain amount level that your body gets accustomed to, and you don't sweat nearly as much?
Yeah, I sweat like a racehorse.
I'm tall, I'm thin... I love my calf muscles (and my legs in general).
My midsection has days where it's nice and thin.
But let's face it, it (that is, my midsection) isn't toned like it was when I was fifteen and super excited to be in marching band and do an amazing job at it. And my hips? My hips leave much to be desired - to me, anyway.
Although I finally have a butt! And it's all thanks to running. LOL.
But for real, how many people out there "match" the "desired" runner's aesthetic?
Thanks to the Liebster Award nomination, I've begun following more blogs of average runners, some who run more than I do, some who run less than I do, some who are shorter, taller, thinner, larger, out-boob me, older... Maybe a couple who are younger, I'm not sure.
But the thing we have in common (or, at least some of us have in common - don't wanna loop everybody in here, just in case!) is that we don't necessarily fit that aesthetic.
I'm also seeing more and more articles about runners who don't look like "runners".
Ok, that last part? Really, I just read one article in the February 2013 issues of Runner's World. It was by Ted Spiker, author of The Big Guy Blog. It's either called "The Big Guy" or "True to Size"; either way, I can't seem to find it on the RW website. He talks about fitting in with the crowd, or rather, what it's like to stand out because he doesn't fit the "runner" mold. His wife surprised him with a running jacket after he got a 5K PR. She bought an XL, but it turns out he needed a 2XL... The store didn't even sell 2XLs, and the salesman kept saying "He's doing great. Just tell him to keep at it", over and over, basically saying (without saying the words) that if he kept it up he could lose weight... Not even knowing whether or not the person WANTED to lose weight or anything. And according to the wife "He kept going on and on. He didn't get it."
Why is it that size, or anything else, seems to determine whether or not you're a "real runner"?
I get it, they did a study about how extra weight does impact one's speed, whether you're already pretty quick or not.
Speaking of size, I have an "average" bra size, but I've heard that finding a sturdy sports bra for anything above a D-cup or so is a complete pain (and horribly expensive). I get it, more support, more fabric, etc... But really?
Ok, it's time for me to be done with my spiel. My show is coming on in 2 minutes (Yay Bunheads!!!).
I'm out.
The typical runners getting the attention (winning races, etc.) are thin, trim, and have calf muscles that could kill a person who just looked at them. Not to mention the flat, firm midsection.
I'm not going to lie and pretend that I look like a "runner". Apparently there's a certain amount level that your body gets accustomed to, and you don't sweat nearly as much?
Yeah, I sweat like a racehorse.
I'm tall, I'm thin... I love my calf muscles (and my legs in general).
My midsection has days where it's nice and thin.
But let's face it, it (that is, my midsection) isn't toned like it was when I was fifteen and super excited to be in marching band and do an amazing job at it. And my hips? My hips leave much to be desired - to me, anyway.
Although I finally have a butt! And it's all thanks to running. LOL.
But for real, how many people out there "match" the "desired" runner's aesthetic?
Thanks to the Liebster Award nomination, I've begun following more blogs of average runners, some who run more than I do, some who run less than I do, some who are shorter, taller, thinner, larger, out-boob me, older... Maybe a couple who are younger, I'm not sure.
But the thing we have in common (or, at least some of us have in common - don't wanna loop everybody in here, just in case!) is that we don't necessarily fit that aesthetic.
I'm also seeing more and more articles about runners who don't look like "runners".
Ok, that last part? Really, I just read one article in the February 2013 issues of Runner's World. It was by Ted Spiker, author of The Big Guy Blog. It's either called "The Big Guy" or "True to Size"; either way, I can't seem to find it on the RW website. He talks about fitting in with the crowd, or rather, what it's like to stand out because he doesn't fit the "runner" mold. His wife surprised him with a running jacket after he got a 5K PR. She bought an XL, but it turns out he needed a 2XL... The store didn't even sell 2XLs, and the salesman kept saying "He's doing great. Just tell him to keep at it", over and over, basically saying (without saying the words) that if he kept it up he could lose weight... Not even knowing whether or not the person WANTED to lose weight or anything. And according to the wife "He kept going on and on. He didn't get it."
Why is it that size, or anything else, seems to determine whether or not you're a "real runner"?
I get it, they did a study about how extra weight does impact one's speed, whether you're already pretty quick or not.
Speaking of size, I have an "average" bra size, but I've heard that finding a sturdy sports bra for anything above a D-cup or so is a complete pain (and horribly expensive). I get it, more support, more fabric, etc... But really?
Ok, it's time for me to be done with my spiel. My show is coming on in 2 minutes (Yay Bunheads!!!).
I'm out.
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