The Mouse and More

Taper time/Year End Running Review

2011-12-21T20:59:00.000-06:00

Taper time for the Walt Disney World Marathon. On January 8, I'll be at the start line for my 8th marathon since 2007, the 6th WDW race. My training has been very good, mainly because, unlike the last four years, I have not had to deal with snow. Like, at all. As in, a brown Christmas this weekend. I've had some snowfall, to be sure, but nothing at all like last year, when by mid-December we had about 20 inches of snow and most seemed to fall on weekends, which meant not being cleared in time for long runs. This year, I had one long run with snow on the ground, and a few other runs that had either snow or somewhat icy conditions. I have had to run in cold weather, but even that has been manageable.

Combine the great running weather with a generally better training regimen and I have the makings of a great race. Now, I know that almost anything can happen between now and the start of the race, but realistically, I should be set for a shot at yet another PR. This year, I had experienced the following PR changes:

Half Marathon as of 1/1/11 2:09 (2010 Get in Gear)

Half Marathon as of 12/31/11 1:46 (2011 Monster Dash)

Marathon as of 1/1/11 5:17 (2007 WDW Marathon)

Marathon as of 12/31/11 3:56 (2011 Twin Cities Marathon)

My 2011 WDW Marathon time was my first sub 5:00 at 4:46 and I dropped that PR by 50 minutes in October at Twin Cities.

For the 2012 WDW Marathon, I'm looking for about 3:50, but sub 4:00 is important and anything below 4 hours is fine with me.

I surprisingly and thankfully spent the year injury-free, unlike last year, but I think a lot of the problems I had last year were related to my weight loss, which occurred mainly in 2010. This year I did lose a bit more weight and I seem to have found a maintenance weight, around 160 lbs. I'd look to lose just a bit more, but I'm happy with where I am now.

I've also learned to relax more with many of my runs, which keeps me from being too critical when one doesn't go as planned. To me, this is a key concept for me to continue to work on. Overall, I'm very pleased with my running this year and I hope to start 2012 off with a great race at Disney.

Update

2011-11-22T08:43:00.001-06:00

Short update-training for 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon continues. I'm feeling good about the training cycle and my progress. I have a goal in mind and a dream goal. I hope to better my Twin Cities Marathon PR from October (3:56). I'm aiming for 3:45 at Disney, with the dream goal being faster than that (no specific time). The weather has been good this year, although mainly because we've had very little precipitation since August. I've felt more relaxed on most of my runs and look forward to getting outside each morning I run. It's nice to feel more comfortable with my training, progress, and overall place in life as I prepare for the race.

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Twin Cities Marathon: I ran how fast?

2011-10-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I ran my first Twin Cities Marathon (although it was the 30th year of the race). My goal was to run a sub-4:00 race, with the dream goal being 3:50. I finished in 3:56:34, taking 50 minutes off my PR, which I set this January at the Walt Disney World Marathon. It was a good race, with a few rough miles at the end. Basically the last 3-4 miles are a gradual incline with a nice little decent in the last 1/2 to 3/4 mile. It's a great course and I will run it again sometime. I'm setting my sights on the Chicago Marathon next year, so I may have to wait another year before I tackle the race.

I felt good most of the race, although I did walk more than I'd have liked that last few miles. After thinking about it, I realized that the weather was warm (not hot, but warm - it was about 50 degrees at the start of the race and 70 degrees when I finished) and sunny. This probably sapped a little energy out of me, because I had some arm warmers on through most of the race, finally shedding them at about mile 19 or so. I also thought my Garmin 405 Forerunner had died, so I used a Timex watch for the race. This meant I didn't have my lap paces available to me. I ran the race by how my body felt and how the pace felt. I must have done all right, although I'd love to see what my splits were for the race. I am certainly not complaining (and last night, I tried charging my watch again and seems to be working again-weird).

When this year started, my marathon PR was 5:17. Now my PR is 3:56. I plan on getting it down even further. I have ideas for Walt Disney World in January and the marathons after that next year, but for today, I'm going to enjoy this race.

Overtraining?

2011-08-13T13:34:00.001-05:00

I may be overtraining right now, which is really not optimal, as I have a half marathon in three weeks, the Twin Cities Marathon in seven weeks and the WDW Marathon in January. I've never run so many races in one year as this year and I'm wondering if I was too ambitious with this race schedule.

Counting from January 2011 to January 2012, I have run or plan to run:

January 2011 - Goofy Challenge + Disney 5k
April 2011 - Get in Gear Half-Marathon
June 2011 - Minneapolis Half-Marathon
September 2011 - Disneyland Half-Marathon
October 2011- Twin Cities Marathon
January 2012 - WDW Marathon

Now, for some runners, that's not a busy race schedule, but for me, that's about double the number of races I normally run. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited that I can run that many races, but having not trained for that many races before, I'm not sure if my training plan is appropriate.

I don't have the aches and pains I had last year as I lost weight, but I've noticed that a few of my long runs the last several weeks have not felt as strong or as good as earlier this summer. I don't think it's the heat and humidity (although those are contributing factors), but general wear and tear that I am not used to. I do think that my better consistency in doing core work has helped, as has keeping the weight off. I'm open to suggestions and thoughts about training more heavily than normal. I'd like to end this race cycle with some PRs and a good feeling going into next year's races.

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Busted Run

2011-07-31T14:18:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was planning on an 18 mile run. Although I intended to get up and get out on the road early (for a weekend), I slept in a little longer than I planned. I was trying a new water bottle belt that didn't work so well and I had to go back home to get one of our older belts. Then I started out relatively fine, but a little fast. I tried to slow down several times to be at the pace I wanted (around 8:40), but found myself going faster more often than I'd like. I ran the first 5-6 miles on a familiar route, but was trying a new addition to my route to get a 9 mile out to do an out-and-back run. It was hillier than I realized and I had run hills yesterday. About 8.5 miles in, something started to not feel right about the run. I kept at it for a while longer and then stopped my run.

This is only the second time I've stopped a run early in about 8 years of running. I have ended runs outside due to weather, but finished them on my elliptical. This one I didn't finish. Something just didn't feel right. I was disappointed, but didn't feel down. Until about an hour or so later. Since then, I've felt off, wondering if I should have toughed it out or somehow tried to finish. I suspect i could have finished, but maybe I needed to not complete this run to remember how much planning to run is an important as doing the run.

Sorry for the rambling, but I'm still processing the run and the lessons I learned.

Belated Race Report

2011-06-11T15:43:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday, I ran the Minneapolis Half Marathon. Last year I ran the full marathon here and swore to never run it again. How time changes things. Since I've felt better and faster recently, I decided to give the half a try again. I'm glad I did. In April, I ran a half and set a new PR of 1:55:48. That course was not nearly as hilly as the course I ran on Sunday. I planned on treating the run as a supported training run (and then didn't use the water stops at all), so I figured finishing under 2:10 would be fine with me.

As I started the race, I was able to find a good pace and kept it mile after mile. While I didn't use the water stops, I did take my gels and Endurolyte drink regularly. I felt good, even on the hills, and actually set another PR, finishing in 1:55:18. True this is a PR by .3 seconds, but considering I had figured a slower race, I was very happy. The weather really cooperated, too, cool temps at the beginning of the race, clear skies, no wind, basically a perfect day to run.

So now I'm beginning my training for the Twin Cities Marathon in early October. Part of that training will be running the Disneyland Half on Labor Day weekend. I'll get my Coast-to-Coast medal when I finish (for doing races at WDW and DL in the same year) and I'm excited to be going to Disneyland for the first time. After Twin Cities, I'll start training for the WDW Marathon, where it's my plan to PR again. I'm trying to get to where I can BQ (Boston qualify) and I know that a lot of hard work is ahead of me. I'm ready to go, bring it on!

Long time

2011-05-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's been a long time since my last post and much has changed. Not drastically, but still my life today is different than I thought it would be even a year ago.

Several good things have happened, both personally and at work. I have lost even more weight and I'm currently hovering between 158-160 lbs. I do want to lose a little more weight and then stabilize between 150-155. I'm okay where I am now, but I think that little extra less will help with another really neat thing that has happened in my personal life, which is I've been running much better and much faster lately.

In late April, I ran a half-marathon and set a new PR of 1:55, which was my first sub-2:00 half. I was extremely excited and very happy with my training and how well the race went (despite yet another race in the rain). The next weekend I ran 13 miles at the cabin and finished almost as fast. My paces have improved dramatically and I attribute that to a few things: weighing less, believing I can run faster, and great support from family and friends.

On a professional level, I was promoted to manager and given a direct report. Although I knew this was in the works, you never know for sure in today's business climate. Also. I was able to go to a conference at WDW and I got to stay at Coronado Springs for the first time. The resort is fine, but not as nice as others on site.

Laura and Sean joined me at the end of the conference and we stayed at Pop Century. We had a great time, even the day we had thunderstorms (not rain, thunder & lightning) ALL day. From 6:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night with very few breaks, we had full-blown thunderboomers. It was an interesting experience in the parks.

Aside from that news, my life is generally going well. I have a half in two weeks, then my next race is in August. We're still doing the Disneyland Half in Sept. and I'm going to do the Twin Cities Marathon in October, possibly with a guest runner.

Until next time, keep moving forward!

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Random thoughts on post-marathon training

2011-02-03T08:17:00.001-06:00

It's been almost four weeks since I ran the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World. This was my fifth straight year doing at least the marathon and the first time I have done an more active recovery. Two days after running both the half and full marathons, I ran three miles with no pain (soreness, yes, especially in my quads). I ran 3-4 miles two days after that and 6 miles on the Saturday after the marathon weekend. The last several years I didn't get back to 6 miles until at least 4 weeks after the race. Now, four weeks later, I'm planning 10 miles (hopefully outside if the weather cooperates ).

I feel so much stronger and better having lost almost 60 pounds since July 2009, most of which I lost last year after buckling down in March and moving to a vegan lifestyle. I am eager to get back into race training and will be starting a new base program as I prepare for a half-marathon in late April.
As spring approaches, I'll ramp up my cross training, getting back on the bike to explore some of the great trails around the area.

Also, I signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon October 2. My wife and I are going to do the Disneyland Half-Marathon in early September. With a few 10K races mixed in, I should have a fun, full year of racing.

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2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

2011-01-17T09:34:00.001-06:00

The race report I posted a few days ago seems fairly accurate, if brief. So I thought I'd post some memories of the weekend, rather than a full report a week later.

First, my wife and I swore we would not do the 2012 WDW Marathon, but as we sat on he bus to the race start on Saturday for the half I looked at her and said "We're going to do this next year, aren't we?" So we've decided that yes, we'll be back. Whether I do the Goofy again isn't clear yet, but my wife will do the half and I'll do at least the full.

I'd like us, with our son, to try the 5k since he enjoyed the Kid's Race a lot, but that may be too long of a distance for a 6 year-old to walk without carrying him for some distance. He will at least do another Kid's Race, as he's already asked about it. Next year we will make sure that we register early enough to do the Friday race. He did the Saturday race, which was a bit of a logistical nightmare to get myself and my wife from the finish of the half back to the resort and then over to Disney's Wide World of Sports in time for the race. We made it fine, although my wife scrambled to get to the race area at the back of DWWOS. He enjoyed the race and so did I, even though I had to run with him!

This year, our niece came down with us to watch our son, primarily during the packet pickup and expo and Saturday morning while we both ran the half. It was great having someone else to help keep him busy and allow us to get our packets, check out the expo, and get to the start of the half without worry. She was a real trooper and she said she had a good time, which is good as we'll ask her to go down with us again next year, if she can.

Random thoughts on the races: Running with friends rocks! I don't train with my wife and rarely run with anyone else, so I'm not used to running partners, but I had good friends to run both the half and full. Stan and I ran both races and Josh joined us on Sunday. These guys kept my paces in the right range, which directly contributed to the PR I got in the full. I really enjoyed running with them and I hope to race with them again next year.

There seemed to be more characters out on the course this year, including a few I'd never seen before: Launchpad McQuack from Ducktales and Chicken Little and Abby. I think that Disney did a great job keeping the runners' spirits up this year. Last year the cold made racing tough, I can't imagine how the folks lining the course must have felt. This year we had perfect running weather both days and everyone-racers, volunteers, spectators-all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Walking around Epcot with four medals Sunday after the race was great, so many people congratulate you that it feels like those medals are weightless. When I went to meet my wife and son after the race Sunday, I took the boat from Boardwalk over to International Gateway (I was a bit tired by then!) and as I got on the boat with my clanking medals, everyone on the boat cheered for me. I was not expecting that at all and I felt really proud of what I'd done with my races.

What's ahead for this year? I plan on running the Twin Cities Marathon in October. My wife and I are considering doing the Disneyland Half in September to get our Coast to Coast medals. I plan on stretching my training this year to prep for a BQ race as early as next year, too. Stay tuned!

2011 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend

2011-01-13T12:32:00.001-06:00

Four days after Sunday's marathon and I'm already in the post-marathon blues. This past weekend I ran the Goofy Challenge with good friends, in great running weather, and at paces that I hoped to do. The trip could not have gone any better in my mind. I was only 5 minutes off my half-marathon PR and that after deciding not to push during the race. I set a new marathon PR by 8 minutes and felt pretty good after the race. Yet, I miss seeing my friends and, as always, I miss being at Walt Disney World. I'll have a more comprehensive race weekend report up very soon, but I wanted to get a brief post out now that I'm back home.

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Brief note before WDW Marathon

2011-01-02T21:51:00.001-06:00

I plan on writing a more complete post about my training the last month or so before we head down to WDW. Have a few thoughts about training for a marathon during the winter, the impact a lack of stretching has on my progress, and what's next after the races are done. As we say at work, more to come.

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Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T13:09:00.001-06:00

This is my first Thanksgiving since I became vegan and I'm excited about what I will be having for dinner. In an untraditional Thanksgiving Day meal, I'm having vegan enchiladas from Whole Foods with vegan mashed potatoes and apple cranberry quinoa salad. I also have a kale salad with tomatoes, cranberries, and pine nuts. I even got a vegan pumpkin pie.

I'm thankful for my family and friends, as well as the positive changes I have made in my life to stay healthy and happy. Thanks everyone for reading the blog. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Day for everyone here in the US and a great day for everyone around the world!

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Sometimes it's the shoes

2010-11-24T20:29:00.003-06:00

Somehow over the last several weeks, I have gone from having a lot of foot pain to being pain free. I even went to an orthopedic urgent care because my left foot hurt so much. The doctor diagnosed plantar faciitis and said to stretch and keep running (I wasn't going to hurt anything). I do the stretches, when I remember, but I also bought new running shoes (Asics Gel-Nimbus). They seem to have helped do the trick. I don't have pain in either foot. I have lost enough weight (almost 50 lbs.) that the shoes I had been in (Brooks Adrenaline) seemed to be too much shoe for me. I noticed a difference almost immediately with the Asics. Yesterday, I bought two other pairs similar to the Asics (New Balance 1064s and Nike Vomeros) to have a variety of shoes to keep my feet from getting used to one style of shoe. I ran six miles of hill work in the Nikes this morning and my feet felt just fine. I never thought something like changing my shoes would make such a big difference.

6 weeks to Goofy

2010-11-24T19:59:00.003-06:00

It's been a strange month for my training, work, and my personal life. Nothing bad has happened, but I've had one of those months where events collide to keep me slightly off balance. I've had a couple of weeks of great running bookending a couple week of not-great to almost-dangerous running, If you've read this blog for at least a year, you know I do not like running in the snow or after a snowfall that hasn't yet been plowed or cleared. I think this is because my first year of training for the WDW Marathon was practically snow-free with decent temperatures every time I went out.

Since then, I've run in what is the typical or normal Minnesota winter weather. I don't mind cold, dressed correctly it's not a big deal (although gels and whatever you're carrying for drink tends to freeze). I've run long runs over ten miles in wind chills between 10 and 20 degrees below zero. I do mind snow - a lot. I still get out and run, but I go slower, I worry about slipping, and I have to watch much more carefully for cars (as do all runners in this kind of weather). I find it hard to focus on the run, which doesn't help get my mind prepped for racing. I use colorful language when stepping in slush puddles, it's just not fun.

That was my long run two weeks ago - I ran twelve miles in a winter storm, which got worse as I ran. It was snowing about an inch an hour, I was out for about two hours and I started the run with about three to four inches on the ground. Saturdays are not priority days to plow residential streets (snow emergency routes were cleared, but not the side streets). It snowed hard enough that on my way back (I did an out and back for the first eight miles), my tracks going out were basically covered. The temperature was around 30 degrees, which meant the snow was heavy and wet. Great snowman weather, but not great running weather. Yes, I know I'm complaining, but with a slight smile - I'm out running, not sitting at home on my butt watching TV. It's a little funny getting covered in snow or frost running in the winter, coming with with my gloves and hat frozen.

Speaking of frozen, last week I had two runs end early due to injuries. My Friday run ended early because my right hip hurt. It felt like the ball and socket weren't fully moving freely. Ouch. Then Saturday, I was in the first few miles of a sixteen mile run when I noticed the fingers of my left hand were tingly and getting numb. It's happened before and gone away, so I thought I'd gut it out. My fingers felt worse as I got about six miles in, basically having gone numb. I was worried I may be getting frostbite, which would be bad on several levels. My main concern was that if I had frostbite, I'd have a heightened sensitivity to cold, not a good thing for a runner in Minnesota. I ended up calling my wife to get me. Between her not finding me and me continuing my run to get home, she never picked me up. I got home as she called, frantically looking for me, I told her where I was and she came home. I finished the run downstairs on our elliptical. My fingers ended up being okay, which is good, of course, but I was having an awesome run when I stopped at home. I was really down all weekend. I did get new running gloves, which I've worn twice now and they have kept my fingers warm and toasty.

Running at Walt Disney World

2010-10-20T21:09:00.004-05:00

Last week, my wife, 5-year-old son, and I went to WDW for our annual October trip (this is obviously not the same trip at marathon weekend in January, so yes, we go twice a year). While we were there, my good friend Gordon and his family were there, too. Since we were staying at the same resort, Pop Century, we decided to go running a couple of mornings. So at 5:30 on Tuesday and Thursday, we set out on 8 mile runs. We ran around Pop Century and ventured out onto the access road to take a back way into the Caribbean Beach resort and ran around that huge resort a couple of times before heading back to Pop. Both runs were great, good paces for both of us. Gordon is training for a marathon in mid-November (as well as Goofy in January) and I didn't want to disrupt his training. He was able to do a recovery-type week of training, though, so a couple of runs would fit into our different pacing. I thought the runs would stretch me a bit, but oddly it didn't as much as I thought it would. To me that means one thing - I can go faster in training and in races, but I'm not. I'm not sure why I'm not pushing myself as much as I could. I certainly don't want to re-injure myself, but I feel I could go faster longer.

So I've decided to take a page from Gordon's training (with his approval, of course) and do workouts similar to his workouts, rather than the same basic training I've done the last four years for the Disney marathons. I can, and will, push harder. Carefully, to be sure, but still extending the comfort zone to become faster for longer distance, training to be able to dig deep for the reserves I'll build up when I need them coming out of Animal Kingdom and facing a 6-7 mile stretch of boring flat roads and two themes all compressed at the end of the marathon course.

Tempo, distance, endurance, speed all will be my focus for the next eleven weeks. Those ideas and core work, something I've sorely neglected in past years. With my weight loss (down to 179 lbs. last weight check before we left on vacation), I should be taking advantage of the opportunity to keep losing more weight and getting stronger at the same time. I can, and will do these things, as I have goals beyond the 2011 WDW Marathon weekend and they involve a little race in a town called Boston before I turn 50 years old. I've got 5 years, I can do it. I will do it.

So I'm running across the bridge when . . .

2010-09-15T21:08:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, my wife, son, and I went to Duluth. My wife and I met there while attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth twenty-three years ago tomorrow. We love Duluth and used to go up for a weekend every year after we moved back to Minnesota from our years in grad school in Indiana. It was a lot of fun and our son loves going to the shore of Lake Superior and throwing rocks into the lake. A good time had by all. Well, most of the time was good.

Saturday morning I ran 8 miles. Not a big deal any longer, nothing special, just a good 8 mile run to start the day. We were staying in Canal Park, which is a tourist-sort of area on Lake Superior, just off downtown Duluth. Part of the appeal of Canal Park is its proximity to the Aerial Lift Bridge, used by residents of Park Point, the 7 mile long sand bar jutting out from the city into the lake. The bridge allows access to and from Park Point, but, as its name suggests, will lift up to allow freighters, sailboats, and Coast Guard cutters to pass from the port to the lake or vice versa. It can take three minutes for the bridge to lift about 200 feet. It can take several minutes for a large freighter to pass through the canal and under the bridge.

Needless to say, the bridge is not something you want to be crossing when it is supposed to go up. Like I was crossing on my way back to the hotel finishing my run. There is a loudspeaker announcement that the bridge will be raised and clear the area. I was about 2/3 of the way across when I heard the bells go off and the voice telling me the bridge was about to go up, possibly with me on it. I sprinted, fast. I made it off the bridge, although the bridge operator scolded me on the loudspeaker, telling me to stop running. Right, I'll just do that and you'll have an hysterical 45-year old man who's afraid of heights, doesn't trust bridges, and can't swim standing on a hunk of metal rising up on 80 year old equipment (I know it's been updated, but the idea holds). I didn't look back as I came off the bridge, although I did walk to catch my breath. The rest of my run, all 4/10 of mile of it were uneventful.

I kind of wish I'd been running during my years in school there, I might not have panicked so much. Nah, I would have no matter what.

Why I run

2010-08-30T21:27:00.005-05:00

So, it's been a month since the last update and I'm basically recovered from the adductor injury earlier this summer. I'm now wrapping up a base training program before starting my 2011 Goofy Challenge training on Labor Day. I've had a couple of really good sessions and a couple of not-so-good sessions in the last week, so I think I have to get re-focused on why I run.

I run because it makes me feel good, not only physically, but mentally. Running can clear your mind or order your thoughts. Being outside in the early morning thinking or not thinking is one of the best ways to start your day. Knowing that you're outside doing something physical while most people are still asleep or just waking up is a great feeling, like you've accomplished a lot before your day really starts. Even on the days when my workout doesn't go as well as I'd like, I still feel like I've gotten a jump on the day, a kick-start to whatever I have to do that day. Some days, I get such a rush from getting a run in before heading to work that the day just flies by and before I know it, it's time to go home.

I run because sometimes I need to check out mentally and just go. Putting one foot in front of the other for several miles without really thinking about it can be a great way to re-charge the brain battery or flush out the cerebral junk that has built up like a gunk deposit on an engine. Once I start running, I don't really think about anything in particular and the next time I focus on the here and now, I've gone a good distance and have rejuvenated myself.

I run because I know that if I stop running, I will slip back into habits that caused me to miss out on many things I could have done when I was younger. Before I ran, I would walk for exercise, but mainly walk to relieve stress, often self-induced stress, that needed a release. Then I would go home and eat poorly. I thought nothing of this pattern of behavior and by July of 2001, I found myself weighing about 240 lbs. and basically unhappy with myself. I started working out and lost 40 lbs. by late October of 2001. I maintained that lifestyle (adding running in early 2003) until this past January, when I realized that I need another kick in the butt. I changed my lifestyle again, becoming first vegetarian and now vegan, which allowed me to lose 40 lbs again, so that I weigh 185 today. I have more to lose and a great reason to keep running. Combined with my new lifestyle and good eating habits, I can not only lose the rest of the weight I want to lose, but keep it off and stay healthy for my family.

I run because it's the only physical activity I have done in my life that I can honestly say "I can do better" and believe that is the case. I use to play golf, but I don't much any more because I didn't care much whether I got better or not. I wasn't very good at team sports as a kid, although I played baseball and basketball, but knew I wasn't going to be a pro at either sport. I still love baseball, but as a fan, and that's just fine with me. Running is different. I know that soon, my body will peak and I'll have to be content with whatever running I get to do, but right now? Well, I want to BQ, hopefully before I'm 50, which means I have 5 years to achieve that goal. Will I? I don't know, I want to and plan to, but tomorrow is not promised to anyone, so I can only do what I can today to make my dreams come true.

I run because I have found great friends who also run, who are very encouraging, who know what it's like to go out for a training run in the dark, in the rain, in the heat, or in the snow to prepare for a race they more than likely won't win, but still will run as hard as they can to do the best that they can. Knowing that I have friends that will support each other through injuries, bad runs, great races, and recovery times allows me to feel included, which is something I don't normally feel.

I run because it's just good clean fun (well, except in the rain or after a snowfall!) and I encourage everyone to at least try it for a while and see what a difference it makes in your health, your attitude, and your life.

Recovery update

2010-07-27T21:15:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since the last update, so I thought I'd drop a quick note. I found out a couple of weeks ago that what the doctor thought was a stress fracture of my right pubic bone was instead adductor tendonitis. Still not great, but I was cleared to start a walk/run cycle to gradually work up to full running. It's been going well, I still have a little soreness, but not nearly as bad as it was before I saw the doctor. I also started going to a chiropractor, which is helping a lot, too. I do stretches now (something I hadn't done in seven years of running before the injury) and I'm much better about cross training on the elliptical and biking. All in all, it's not going so badly, although I'm getting itchy to run again.

Stress fracture = detour

2010-07-07T21:43:00.004-05:00

So a few weeks ago, I went to the doctor to check on the pain in my right groin. After a couple of x-rays and a few pokes, prods, and pushes, I was diagnosed with a stress fracture on the right side of my pubic bone. It's somewhat uncommon, but happens to runners who overtrain. I did. Upon reflection, I'm surprised I didn't do worse damage. I was told no running for 3 weeks, biking and elliptical were okay, and come back pain-free or the doctor would have to do an MRI to see if anything else was wrong. So, I've been on the elliptical (which you can see from the dailymile updates on the right) and biking (more on that in a bit).

I'm a bit disappointed that this happened, although I know I could have done worse damage from my overtraining. I realize what I probably did that contributed to most of the problem. Since March, I had run outside 4 days a week, running faster each week as I lost weight. Even on my long runs, I pushed to go faster. The Get in Gear Half-Marathon in April and the Minneapolis Marathon in June were PR runs for me, which is great, but training to set those PRs caused me to overdo it. A lot. I had planned on a 4 week recovery from the Minneapolis Marathon before starting a summer of base training in preparation for the WDW Marathon Weekend training I had planned to start on Labor Day. The last four years, I had started my marathon training on Labor Day, as it worked out schedule-wise to do so. This year, provided I'm cleared to run by Labor Day, I'll move into my training, but be much smarter about it.

Currently, I am doing 3 days of elliptical and 1 day of cycling (on Saturday, in lieu of my long run). I plan to keep at least one day of elliptical and the cycling day in my training schedule, with 3-4 days of running. Of course, as the weather changes in the fall and winter, I'll probably only get outside 1-2 days a week and that will only help me. I'm increasing my core work and weight training to a level that is about where it should have been months ago (never been good about keeping up the core work). I'm going to stretch now, too. I also saw a chiropractor last week, who wants to see me a couple more times to adjust my right side, and she will also give me some stretches to do, too.

Part of me is very frustrated that I kept pushing, but I really enjoyed getting out early in the morning to go for my runs. Even the two weeks of recovery runs I did seemed to go well, except, of course, for the pain in my right upper thigh area, as I referred to it on dailymile and Twitter. I know now that I have to be much more careful so that I can run for many years. The more I pay attention to my body, the better I will run, and the more I will enjoy getting to run.

Minneapolis Marathon reflections

2010-06-10T22:02:00.003-05:00

I did not realize it’s been over a month since my last post. Yikes! I certainly didn’t intend to go this long between posts. I could say that I’ve been incredibly busy with work, training, family, etc. Or I could just say that the free time I’ve had lately has been devoted to trying to relax, usually by reading or watching something on TV. Not the best explanation, I know, but I feel like I’ve been on autopilot lately and need to recharge when I can.

On Sunday, June 6, I ran the Minneapolis Marathon and set a new PR of 4:54. My old PR was 5:17, set on my first marathon back in 2007 at Walt Disney World. A 23 minute improvement is nothing to complain about and I’m not, but I could have potentially cut even more time off, if it weren’t for the hills on the last 9 miles of the course. The route is very scenic, running along the Mississippi River for a good portion of the race and through a state park for a fair stretch. It was just really hilly getting down and then getting back up through the state park portion of the race. The weather was beautiful and the course volunteers and water stops were wonderful, but I didn’t get a good feel during this race. I’m not sure if I’ll run this marathon again (I’d do the half-marathon again – I did it last year and would be better prepared for it next time). If the course were reversed, I’d consider doing it again, but I’m not sure that is possible the course will change. I think many runners may find it challenging to run this race, but I also get the feeling that's what the race organizers intend.

As you can see, the course is a touch on the hilly side!

There are other marathons in Minnesota, of course, but Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth is a logistical problem for me and the Twin Cities Marathon is in October, usually the weekend we go to Walt Disney World (around my wedding anniversary). I may stick to running half-marathons here and do the full marathon (or Goofy Challenge) at Disney.

I’m in recovery mode for another week or so and then I begin a base training period before starting my training on Labor Day for the Goofy Challenge. Like I did when I ran it in 2009, I plan to share my training throughout the weeks leading up to the race. It should be more fun this time because I know what to expect and I’ll be joining many friends I’ve made on Twitter, Facebook, and Daily Mile who will also be running that weekend.

Forgot to mention

2010-04-25T17:02:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention that I re-joined Team AllEars for the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. I'm very excited to be a part of the team and looking forward to seeing old friends and making new friends at the meet-up marathon weekend.

Get in Gear Half Marathon race report

2010-04-25T16:51:00.002-05:00

A quick race report and update: Yesterday was the Get in Gear Half-Marathon and I was able to set a PR due to good training and my changing eating habits and in spite of rain, sometimes lots of rain. The Get in Gear has been around for over thirty years, although the half is only two years old. Before last year, Get in Gear was a 5K and 10K race. I’ve run both over the last few years and wanted to run it again, but felt the 10K was not long enough. I decided to run the half when I saw that on my training schedule for the Minneapolis Marathon on June 6, I was scheduled to run 13 miles yesterday. That seemed serendipitous to me, so I signed up for the race. The course is the same for the half and 10K for the first 5 miles or so and then splits so that the half course goes along or near the Mississippi River for a few of miles and then doubles back.

I’ve been getting faster fairly steadily, knowing how fast to go out for the longer distances, so I felt pretty good about how I went out when the race started. One issue I ran into was that my Garmin kept switching modes because the rain drops would accumulate on the bezel and cause a mode switch. I often had to try to get back to the training screen that showed my average pace while continuing to run (except for water stops and one other gel break, I ran the whole race, no walk breaks – another recent improvement). I felt I was at a good pace the first 3-5 miles and was able to continually go a little faster each mile after that. I did have one split that was slower by a few seconds, but I think that was a mile I was wrestling with the Garmin. Ultimately, I finished at almost a sprint, powering through the last half-mile and really pouring it on the last few tenths of a mile. I tried to stop my watch as I crossed the finish line, but had the same issues. I knew my watch time and chip time would be different (and they were, but either way, I also knew I had set a personal record for a half-marathon. I finished in 2:13:17, four minutes faster than my previous best set 5 years ago in my first half-marathon. That’s right, the half races I had run since 2005 had all gone downhill until yesterday.

Not paying attention to my training or weight really had hampered my running. The work I have done in the last two months, the weight I’ve lost (weighed 200.5 this morning, the least I’ve weighed in almost 9 years!), and the renewed enthusiasm for running, and really, life in general has paid off immensely. I’m not one to seriously consider what ifs in my life, but really, what if I’d done these things 5 years ago, 3 years, a year ago? I didn’t then, but I am doing the right things now.

Next weekend, I’m running a 20-miler, which is usually not a big deal, however, my wife, son, and I are going up to Duluth for a family gathering. I’ll be running in a town that I lived in for almost four years in college (that’s where my wife and I met 23 years ago this year), but I never ran in college. I did walk a lot, but around campus. We’re staying at a hotel downtown, so I’ll need to find my 20 miles somewhere. I have ideas and I’ll look at maps. I’ll also have my iPhone and Garmin, so I should be okay as long as the weather is okay. I’ll post how the run went when we get back.

So much different in just four weeks

2010-04-14T22:25:00.008-05:00

I posted almost a month ago and was just beginning to run outside more. Since that last post, I’ve been outside every day I’ve run except one (and I think I slept late that day!) I’m getting up around 5:00 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to make sure I get my run in before I go to work. Saturdays, I’m able to sleep in a bit, but I still try to get outside as early as possible so I don’t eat up the day with the run.

The biggest change I’ve seen in 4 weeks is that I’m faster. Much faster. I’ve shaved at least a full minute to minute and a half off my pace, depending on the distance I’m running. How? I run smarter, not going out too fast, I push myself harder, knowing I can do it, and I’m losing weight, down 4 lbs in 4 weeks. Not a very dramatic drop, but I’m in the long-haul weight loss mode, trying to get down to 180 by January (again, anything lighter is a bonus) by cutting down on meat and dairy drastically and eating more fruit, veggies, and less junk. There are a few more changes I’m going to do with my eating habits that I have to transition into in the next few weeks before I feel that I’m in a good place to sustain my new habits. The dairy needs to be cut more (watch out Starbucks baristas!) and I really do want to eat less meat, sort of an omnivore-lite lifestyle. I’m not sure I can go truly vegan, but I can see vegetarian. Not because I don’t want to or don’t think I can, but because I’m trying not to make 2-3 different meals each night for myself, my wife, and my son. For medical reasons, my wife can’t have most fresh fruits or vegetables and it makes it a bit tough to find a balance of what we can and can’t eat together. When I first started changing my eating habits, I was full on vegetarian/vegan for most meals, which caused my wife to feel left out. Not my intention, so we’ve found a balance that we can work with to gradually get me where I’d like to be.

I’ve also had a attitude adjustment, due to Gordon at Running to Disney who is, despite his protestations, an inspiration to many people who follow his training and his awesome changes in eating habits that have made him change the intro to his podcast. He is no longer a chubby, back-of-the-pack runner, but is a mid-pack runner who has made an incredible leap forward in his running. His journey and transformation gave me the kick in the pants I needed to buckle down and take my training more seriously. No longer do I just go out and get the miles done. Now I pay attention to my pacing, my breathing, my hydration and fueling during long runs, things I did a few years ago, but stopped doing because I thought I knew enough about running. Well, obviously I didn’t know as much as I thought and I’m excited about running, training, and racing again. Thanks Gordon!

I’m still running the half-marathon on April 24. I have to review the course map, but I think I’ll do fine. Although I’m treating the race as a training run, I think I can actually PR (won’t try too hard, but still may get it) this race, such is my improvement and new attitude. I just have to watch the pace the first few miles, but I’ll do fine.

I hope to have another post before the race, but if not, I’ll have a race recap post soon afterwards.

Spring is almost here!

2010-03-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

It’s been a while since I last posted, so I’ll catch up briefly on what I’ve been doing.

Training is going well now that the weather is improving. I’m able to get out at least once during the week in addition to Saturdays. I’d get out more if I could wake up earlier. The time change always throws me off for a while until I get used to it, so hopefully I’ll adapt soon and be able to get out on the shorter Monday runs. Since I currently run Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, running after work on Fridays is not ideal as I would be running twice within about 12 hours. I tried that once last fall and felt it all weekend. I’m also doing core work, thanks to Gordon at Running to Disney who sent me his core workout. It is pretty straightforward, but until I get used to doing the crunches, pushups, and planks again, it provides me a nice, tough workout (not only for my core, but my use of colorful language and metaphors!).

I have realized that, although I feel like I’m improving my speed a tiny bit and even beginning to get a handle on pacing, I need to do more. I think I have not been pushing myself as hard as I should on the weekday running and so I’ve begun to run harder, especially when I’m outside. As you may remember, I have an elliptical machine downstairs at my house, so if I’m on that, I can set the program and level to get tougher. Running outside is a whole different thing, though. Pushing hard was actually not easy while the routes I ran were icy, so now that our snow is basically gone for the season (knock on wood), I can begin to really push the tempo. On Saturdays, I’m trying to get into the habit of running paces that will give me negative splits. I think I’m getting there, we’ll see what happens over the next several weeks.

In late April, I’m running a half-marathon that happens to be on a weekend I’m scheduled to run 13 miles. Boy, is that ever serendipitous! I’m going to treat the race as a training run, so it will be nice to get a race in before the Minneapolis Marathon at the beginning of June. It will also be nice to do long training runs for a race without worrying about cold or snow!

In addition to the training, I’ve begun a change in my eating habits, again thanks to Gordon’s inspiration. I don’t eat much dairy or meat, make my own hummus now, and eat fruits and veggies more than I used (which was actually quite a bit). I’ve really cut down on junk, especially the “treat” Coke and Mountain Dew, and I’m limiting the number of Starbucks trips each week to one (two if I’ve been a very good boy!). I’m losing weight, a little more slowly than I’d like, but it is coming off and if I keep these eating habits in place, I really believe I will be much lighter come January 2011 and the WDW Goofy Challenge. I’m currently at 208.5 lbs. and I plan to be at about 180 lbs. by January. Lighter would be fine with me, but I feel that 180 is a good target and reachable for me. I feel better and I know that getting that weight off will help me finish the Goofy easily.

Interlude

2010-02-13T22:44:00.001-06:00

This past week, my son got his tonsils out. Much more important than training, although I did work out 4 days this week. I've realized, yet again, how much I dislike hospitals and how thankful I am that I have not had to spend time in one for myself in about 30 years (and even then it was a false alarm with my appendix). Hospitals, doctors, and nurses are wonderful, but staying healthy is obviously the best way to stay away from them. Don't get me wrong, I've gone to Urgent Care several times in the last few years, but did not need a hospital stay. I just feel very lucky that I have managed to avoid having any health issues that were very serious.

Sorry for the ramble there, it's late. Take care everyone!

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Core work - good & bad

2010-02-02T19:16:00.001-06:00

Core work needed. Desperately. Gordon at Run to Disney gave me a program to do, which I started today. Under the watchful eye of my son sitting on the couch, I did the program and remembered how much I "enjoyed" core work. It will do me a world of good to stick with the program, but OUCH!!

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Outside!

2010-01-30T12:38:00.001-06:00

I ran outside this morning, 6.65 miles, according to the Garmin. The sidewalks and roads were not in the greatest shape, but I didn’t care, I was outside for the first time here in Minnesota since December 19 and only the fourth time since then (the WDW Marathon and two recovery runs at the condo). It was sunny, cold (about 1 degree above when I started), not windy, and simply glorious!!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Report, pt. 2 (and long!)

2010-01-25T23:01:00.005-06:00

When we last left our hero, he was trying to get to the race finish area in hopes of seeing his wife cross the finish line of her first half-marathon. What I didn’t count on was the traffic around the World, especially around Epcot. Having not really been affected by traffic issues on previous marathon weekends, I had no idea how bad it would be to get to the finish area. After boarding the bus at AKL, my son and I spent about 35 minutes in traffic. The bus driver did a great job trying to get everyone to the finish, but it was a mess. In addition, the heater didn’t work, so the bus was getting colder the longer we were on the road.

Finally, we made it to the finish area. I had texted Laura, telling her we were on the way, but that we might not make it in time to see her finish. She texted back that she was on the course, so I felt we had a chance. When we got to the finish area, I put our son in the stroller and sprinted to the stands. Although we weren’t able to sit, I could see the finish line. I hadn’t gotten a text from Laura saying she had finished, so I figured I still had a chance to see her cross the finish line. After waiting about 15 minutes, I saw her cross the finish line and screamed her name several times. I was holding our son, who had, up to this point, never had an occasion to hear Daddy yell that loud. I scared him so bad, he started crying. I was crying too, because Laura had finished! I put my son back into the stroller and sprinted over to the chute, hoping to see Laura get her medal. I texted to tell her where we were. She had already gone through the chute and gotten her picture taken, but I saw her by the food tent. We had a barrier and fence in the way, so all we could do is reach for each other and cry. I told her to take her time and we’d she her in the Race Retreat tent. My son and I went over there and waited. When Laura came into the tent, we hugged and cried some more. Our son was relatively impressed with Mommy’s run, but wanted to keep watching Wall-E on the TV in the Kiddie Korner of the tent. Laura got some food and we talked for a bit. Our son did get to watch more of the movie and then we went back to AKL.

After resting a bit, we headed to the Magic Kingdom for the Team AllEars and WDW Today podcast meets in the afternoon. It was cold, but really great to meet everyone on the team that could make it to the meet. I was especially excited to finally meet Deb Wills, because I’ve followed AllEars.net for years. I joined Team AllEars to help raise money for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk as a way to support a great cause and, in some way, repay Deb for all the years I’ve used and enjoyed her site. I also enjoyed the WDW Today meet and was able to chat with both Matt Hochberg and Mike Scopa again, which is always fun.

After the meets, Laura, our son, and I spend a little more time at Magic Kingdom before Daddy headed out to go to Pop Century for the “night” (really about 7 hours). I got to the resort fine, got my pre-race dinner, and headed to the room. Not sure of the weather in the morning (only knew that it would NOT be wet), I ended up pinning my bib number on my running pants, figuring that I could run the marathon with them on, if needed. I decided what layers to wear and lay down for my night-before-marathon-fitful-sleep-of-inconsequential-utility (NBMFSIU-feel free to use that next year).

I woke up at 2:10 am, got ready, and headed to the bus. We arrive without issue, amazingly, and I found myself in the race area by 3:30. It was cold. Really cold (for Florida). I looked at envy toward the Race Retreat, vowing never again would I wait to sign up for the sweet, sweet warm which awaited those lucky bums that thought ahead! I had heard that a few Team AllEars runner and a few Running to Disney listeners would be meeting before the race, but I wasn’t able to find anyone. My apologies to everyone who I missed meeting. Next year, definitely!

I headed through bag check fairly early, walked to the corrals while indulging in my usual habit of listening to other runner talk about the race, the weather, etc. I found my corral and waited for the race start, chatting briefly with a few people and wondering if I’d over-dressed, if I’d warm up early and shed clothes too soon, if I’d do okay. The usual thoughts I have. The race started and I settled into my usual too-quick pace. I’ve got to learn to slow down at the start of races. I also began to warm up, thus precipitating the beginning of the problems with this year’s race.

Before I go on, I should note that being from Minnesota should have given me the experience to know how to dress and gear up for this race. I apparently checked my brain at the airport and never claimed it, though. I had two short-sleeve tech shirts, two long-sleeve tech shirts, and a running jacket on. That’s five layers. On the coldest runs I’ve done at home, I’ve had four layers at most. Having five layers on was not a good idea. Especially since I decided not to bring the belt and pouch I use for gels. I put all of my gels in my jacket pockets, as well as my iPhone and wallet. In other words, I had my stuff in the very piece of apparel that I should have shed (tying it around my waist) and I couldn’t easily transfer everything to my running pants without them falling down. I also had a stocking cap, my running gloves, and a pair of knit gloves I bought at the Magic Kingdom on Saturday.

Really horrendously overdressed, I keep plodding along, doing fairly well through the first 14 miles, when I started walking more than running. Now, if I had really thought this through, I would have shed the jacket and figured out how to carry the gels, phone, and wallet around Animal Kingdom. I didn’t think it through and carried all of that stuff in the jacket the entire race. Arrgghhh!! In addition, this jacket soaks up sweat and keeps it off your body, which is nice, but it gets the sleeves and back heavy with sweat. And it was black and the sun came out (beautiful sunrise!). I got as far as mile 20 and said to myself “Well, you’ll finish okay, but your time will stink.” As I kept at it, around mile 21 I came across Air Force cadet Malcolm Strong, who was running the marathon in full combat fatigues, including boots, and a 30-pound rucksack. He was bent over and I asked if he was okay. He said yes, so I kept going. I thought about it a bit and then turned around and went back to him. I told him that since he would be serving me and my country, the least I could do was finish the race with him. We walked and talked for about a mile when he said he needed to stretch and that I could go on. Sensing he didn’t necessarily want to keep me from going on ahead, I wished him luck and went ahead into Hollywood Studios. I checked and he did finish, about 20 minutes behind me. Awesome run by a great kid!

I got through the Studios and once I hit the walkway to Epcot, I texted Laura, telling her where I was. She and our son were at the finish area, so I knew they wouldn’t have the rush I did the day before. I walked most of the way to Boardwalk, got through the last water stop, and ran/walked around Yacht Club and Beach Club to the backstage area by United Kingdom. I ran through World Showcase from the UK to France, then walked until I got to Japan. I called Laura and told her it would be a while, but I’d finish. After I got off the phone, I decided to try to run the rest of the way, which I did. I saw some Team AllEars members by Spaceship Earth, headed to the backstage area leading to the finish, and heard my favorite part of the marathon, the gospel choir. I clapped and cheered as I ran past, saw the finish line and knew I’d made it. Slower, colder, more sore, and more worn out than I planned, I ran across the finish line and breathed a sigh of relief. I got my medal, clutching it and sobbing, as I do every year. I got a space blanket, but it blew away and I didn’t realize it until later. I got my picture, called my Mom and Laura, got some food, retrieved my bag and found Laura. I cried when I saw her and then found out that she and our son had seen me finish, something he’s never done before. We headed to the bus and got back to AKL fairly easily. I rested, taking a hot bath to warm up, and relaxed for a while before we headed to Epcot for the evening. All in all, a hectic, cold, ultimately satisfying day.

I learned a few things at this race. First, cold in Florida, while not like the cold here in Minnesota, is a special kind of cold that I’d rather not experience again and certainly not during a race. It was a weird bone-chilling cold that really wore you out, probably because you had to be outside to do anything or get anywhere. In Minnesota, we’d have bundled up and hurried to wherever we’re going or bundled up and done something to keep the circulation going. Wandering at WDW, which is our MO, is not as fun in the cold. Still, the cold contributed to the almost-holiday feel the decorations provided in the parks.

Second, I’ve got to learn to pace myself much better. I went out way too fast and never recovered. I burned energy early I needed later in the race. Definitely something I’ll work on this year.

Third, dress correctly for the climate, weather, and location. If I’d brought my belt, rather than leave it in the room, I could have shed the jacket and I may have not been as affected by wearing five layers, all getting soaked with sweat. I should point out my legs and feet were fine the whole race. Go figure.

And with that I end this report. Thanks for reading this far. I’ll be posting about my training for the Minneapolis Marathon on June 6, as well as the training for the Goofy in 2011, so come along for the ride (or run, as the case may be!).

Race report part 2 is coming

2010-01-24T13:27:00.001-06:00

I hope to have Part 2 of WDW Marathon Weekend race report done today or tomorrow. Stay tuned!

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Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Report, pt 1

2010-01-19T23:44:00.002-06:00

Apologies for the lateness of the report, but I spent last week between WDW and Fort Meyers, FL with no access to a laptop. You may have noticed a few recent posts from my iPhone using the Blogger app, but I didn’t think I could do a race report that way. Having said that, I’m not sure how long this report will be, since there have been a ton of really good reports posted since the races.

I just re-read the race report I did for the 2009 marathon weekend, when I did the Goofy. I saw that I thought I would only do the half-marathon in 2010. I know that I changed my mind at some point last year, but I found it amusing that I only wanted to do the half last year, but this year I already knew I would be doing the Goofy Challenge in 2011 (actually, the Dopey). Regardless, the race report begins:

We went down Thursday, knowing that the weather would be cold (for Florida). As you probably read, heard, or saw, it was indeed cold the entire time we were at WDW. This is the first time I’ve been to the World and not worn shorts at all! I’ve also never worn knit gloves or a stocking cap at the parks until this trip, either. Oddly though, with the holiday decorations still up in the parks, the weather actually made it seem like Christmas was yet to come. It was a great atmosphere, except when I was running in it!

The expo on Thursday was the first indication that the weather would be different this year. It was chilly and buying a sweatshirt was a good idea not just to celebrate the weekend, but to stay warm! I also bought a jacket with the 2010 logo on it and wore that every day we were at WDW. While at the expo, I got the chance to meet Stan Harris, a fellow listener of the Running to Disney podcast. We chatted for about 30 minutes. He was running the half-marathon and I was lucky enough to run into him later on Saturday to congratulate him for finishing a wet, cold race.

Friday was spent trying to stay warm at the Magic Kingdom while trying to reassure my wife, Laura, that her first half-marathon race the next day would be just fine, although chilly. For the last three years, when I’ve run the marathon, I’ve been kicked out of my room and had to stay by myself on Saturday night. Well, this year, my wife kicked herself out the room and stayed by herself at Pop Century on Friday night. I had the same room Saturday night, so my tradition continues. Friday night, my 4 year old son and I rode Pooh and Pirates of the Caribbean (several times) and then headed by to our DVC studio room at the Animal Kingdom Jambo House. A nice room, to be sure, but AKL is a long bus ride from the Magic Kingdom. My son did well on the ride back, but we did not get to bed as early as I’d have liked.

Saturday morning dawned cold, wet, and not pleasant. Laura had purchased the Race Retreat and I got the ChEar Squad Platinum level for myself and my son, which meant we could use the Race Retreat tent. I had planned to be at the finish area early enough to let my son play a bit before heading to the stands to watch Laura finish, but would I make it? Find out on the next report!

I'll be late with report

2010-01-18T17:43:00.001-06:00

WDW race report will be delayed a day.

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Almost home

2010-01-16T19:40:00.001-06:00

We return to Minnesota tomorrow and I'll have my WDW Marathon report out by Monday. I actually have Monday off for MLK Day, so I'll have time to write it up and post it.

I did register for the 2011 Goofy Challenge and the Disney Family Fun 5K, so I'm doing the Dopey. There will be a few of us who follow Gordon at the Running to Disney podcast doing the Dopey (with Gordon).

I'll post again soon!

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On our way!

2010-01-06T13:11:00.001-06:00

We're leaving tomorrow for WDW Marathon Weekend! I'm very excited to be running the marathon for the fourth year in a row and excited that my wife is running her first half marathon. For all of you running a race, I hope to see you down there (odd to say for Florida, but bundle up!). For those of you not able to join us this year, I appreciate the kind thoughts and encouraging words. I'll have a race report posted as soon as I can afterwards, as well as a trip report.

Run and have fun!!

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Almost time!

2010-01-01T17:27:00.001-06:00

In less than a week, we’ll be at WDW getting ready to run. I hope everyone running the half, full or Goofy has had a good training cycle for their respective races and that the holidays have treated them well. I have found that the lure of holiday treats has been a bit too much, but I don’t think I’ve gone overboard. I should be fine once the race starts.

If you haven’t been checking the weather forecasts for Marathon Weekend, it might be a good idea. Race weekend looks to be cooler than the past couple of years, which isn’t a bad thing. I encourage everyone to dress appropriately for the pre-race, race, and post-race. No point trying to be tough and be cold before the race, only to find out you could have kept that sweatshirt, jacket or those sweatpants on right up to race time. It’s a long few hours before the race starts, so make sure you’re as comfortable as possible!

If anyone wants to meet up before the marathon, I’m on Twitter (abramdf) and I’d be happy to meet up with you. I know that the Team AllEars marathon runners are meeting before the race Sunday morning, so I’ll probably be by “U” in the race start area. I hope to see you there!

The Importance of Emotion in Running

2009-12-27T16:06:00.003-06:00

Gordon at Running to Disney has posted a wonderful observation about the emotional side of running. I encourage everyone who reads my blog to take a moment, read Gordon’s thoughts, and then think about how emotions affect you during a run. If you aren’t a runner, but know one (or several), please read this to begin to understand what we go through and how you can better understand the emotions we experience during training or a race. If you don’t run or know any runners, Gordon’s thoughts should still resonate with you for any activity that you do passionately.

It is the kind of thought process like Gordon’s that make me proud to be a runner connected to a community that understands, on one or several levels, what it is like to train hard for a race and the emotional impact the training, preparation, and the running of the race has on each runner. It is different for everyone, as Gordon notes, and should be addressed as a unique response for each runner that can not be pigeonholed into neat categories. Nor should it. How I deal with a good or bad training run is going to be completely different not only from any other runner, but also from day to day, depending on my emotional state at the beginning of the run, during it, and at the finish.

I have had many training runs start out great and go downhill due to any number of things that still ended up being good runs because I pushed through the emotions that were threatening to make the training ineffective.

I have forced myself out the door, not wanting to run (certainly not outside), being in a terrible mood and during the run found joy or bliss at the fact that I was outside, getting exercise, training for a race.

Our emotional states are much more important than many people, including runners, believe. Telling ourselves that our minds have to convince our bodies that we can finish, find the strength to complete that last sprint, get up the hill, make it to the finish line, whatever the case might be is important, but the emotional toll that effort takes is rarely discussed, rarely considered.

How each of us faces the emotions that surface from our running helps shape how we train and how we run. It’s okay to take about it and we need to have that discussion more. You can bond through the miles on the road, but you can also bond through the feelings you have while on that road. Personally, I’m open to that talk anytime with anyone willing to listen and share. Are you?

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T13:51:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!! I hope you all have a great holiday and enjoy the long weekend! I'm hoping to be able to run outside Saturday, but we'll see if the snowstorm here in Minnesota is too much for holiday snow removal. If the roads or sidewalks aren't clear, I'll try Sunday. I'll get my 12 miles in one way or another.

Only two more weeks before we head down to WDW!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

WDW Marathon Weekend interview pt 2on Running to Disney podcast Episode 42

2009-12-23T20:45:00.002-06:00

Gordon at Running to Disney has posted part 2 of our interview about the WDW Marathon Weekend. It’s episode 42 and available at iTunes. Please let me know if you have any questions about the race weekend or anything else related to the race and I’ll be happy to help!

WDW Marathon Weekend possible meet-up

2009-12-21T17:34:00.001-06:00

I think the second part of the interview with Gordon at Running to Disney may mention the possibility of having a Running To Disney listener meet-up. I’d like to see if any listeners are interested in meeting before the marathon on Sunday morning at some incredibly early time in the morning. If anyone’s interested, let me know and we’ll see what we can arrange.

WDW Marathon Weekend interview on Running to Disney podcast

2009-12-21T17:31:00.004-06:00

My good friend Gordon at Running to Disney interviewed me last Friday about the WDW Marathon Weekend experience. The episode is out now and I’d recommend listening. If you are a first-time participant, we tried to give you a sense of what to expect as you prepare for the trip and the race. Apparently, we talked so long that Gordon had to split the interview into two parts. Please let me know if you have any questions about the race weekend or anything else related to the race and I’ll be happy to help!

Chatting with Disneyrunner

2009-12-18T16:01:00.001-06:00

I had the opportunity to chat with Gordon this afternoon about the 2010 WDW Marathon weekend. He's hoping to post the episode soon. I'll post when it's ready.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Training Update – Early December

2009-12-06T22:05:00.003-06:00

I see I have more followers - Thanks and Welcome!

Regular posting is apparently not my strong suit! I’m trying to find the time to write good posts, but sometimes a quick update will have to suffice. Since my last post, I’ve been continuing to train, although the time change at the beginning of November put the kibosh on my after work training runs, as it’s dark by the time I leave work. No worries, though, the elliptical downstairs has been a faithful training companion of mine for the last four years. I still get outside for the long runs I do on Saturdays, though. I have been fortunate that our Minnesota weather has been pretty good so far.

Yesterday I did my first 20 miler (the second is in 2 weeks) and it was the first day outside that it was flat out cold. When I started at about 5:45 am, it was 17 degrees with a wind chill of 11 degrees. At least there was no snow on the ground worth mentioning. It was a tough run, though, because I had layers on (as I should) that got soaked with sweat and froze, so I was carrying extra weight over the course of the run. I walked a lot more than usual, in part due to the cold, in part due to the fact that I went out a lot faster than I should have for a long run in that weather. I still finished in 4:11, but my pace was horrible compared to the last few months. I’ve learned to start out slower and be more careful with my pace for the run in 2 weeks, so we’ll see how that goes.

Trip Report and Training Update

2009-10-31T15:56:00.004-05:00

We went to WDW Oct. 11-17 and had a great time. I was able to do three 3-mile training runs with my good friend Gordon from Running to Disney. Both of our families were staying at Pop Century, so it was a cinch to get together and go for some quick runs. Of course, I needed to get up at 5:30 three mornings on my vacation, but well worth it. Good company and good conversation on a run make up for the early mornings. We were down during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, too, which is always a good time. I had heard a couple of reports on various podcasts about the food kiosks, so I knew what I wanted to try, both because I'd heard they had good food and because I'd heard the food was less than optimal (non pun intended, sometimes I'm a glutton for punishment!). The rice pancake at China was indeed not that great. The beef spareribs in mashed potatoes at France were awesome! We learned a few lessons on this trip, too.

First lesson, the days of not planning what we'll do on a given day are pretty much over. We found out we need to have at least a general idea of which parks we're going to and when we need to try to take a break. Our son is starting to want to ride certain rides at the parks and we have to make sure we're getting those parks in at least once during the trip. Also, the pool is popular with him, but we have to make sure we allow enough time before bedtime for him to be able to play long enough.

Second lesson, character meals are starting to be a favorite for our son (and his parents)! We did Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary for breakfast and it was a lot of fun. The characters interact very well (as expected) and the food is pretty darn good, too. We will probably make sure we do at least one character meal each trip now.

Third lesson, sometime our son needs to just play - anywhere that is practical. He likes to have time to play either with us or by himself, but with us in close proximity. I think we'll be okay in January, because for the last three years, we've let our son play while we went to packet pick-up at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. There's plenty of space to run around and he should be fine. We'll still make time each day, but that play time at the expo and packet pick-up is really great.

Training update: I've been able to run outside more than once each week so far, much better than last year, when I was only doing the long run outside by now. I've felt faster and I've lost 10.5 pounds since late July. I'm also amazed how much of a difference not being stressed out by a job I didn't like or trying to find a job has made. I haven't even stressed about the weather on the long runs, which i've done the last three years. Of course, it's really helped that, so far, I've had great to decent weather for the long runs. I'm hoping to lose more weight and get a little faster so that come January, I'll feel really good about my preparation.

More to come as I try to get more regular with my posts.

Quick note before our trip

2009-10-10T20:06:00.001-05:00

Ran 12 miles this morning, which isn’t bad anymore, but we had a light dusting of snow last night. It was a bit chilly this morning, the wind was just strong enough to provide somewhat of a wind chill. After four years of training for the WDW Marathon in the fall and winter, the weather was not a problem, especially since I saw the sun rise, which made the run that much nicer. I’ve been more free-form with my routes, too. The Garmin keeps me updated on my miles, so I don’t worry too much about where I’m going. I know the area I run in well enough to be able to change the route on the fly, which is definitely a nice change of scenery.

While I was running this morning, I listened my good friend Gordon Harvey’s Running to Disney podcast. He has a new episode that he uploaded yesterday before hitting the road to go to WDW for the week. He had a great interview with Lou Mongello of WDWRadio fame and Gordon also kindly mentioned this blog (which is giving me the impetus I needed to post much more often now!). Gordon’s a great guy and I’m excited to have the opportunity to meet up with his family and him next week while my family is at WDW. In fact, Gordon and I are staying at Pop Century and are planning to go for a run around the resort one morning (early, I suspect, so we can get to the parks!). I hope to have a trip report when we get back and until then, thanks to everyone who reads this blog and, if this is your first time reading it, welcome!

October is a good month

2009-10-05T20:20:00.002-05:00

Marathon training continues. I’ve been able to get outside more the last few weeks, which is always good. I’ve also started eating better again and I’ve lost 7 pounds since early August. Not great, but a steady loss is best for me so I don’t feel deprived and end up snacking or slipping backwards into bad eating habits. I have found I have gained speed (not much, but still an improvement) and I seem to be enjoying my training again. For a while it was not fun to run, but a duty, a chore to check off the to-do list. Now I get excited about running outside, even in the drizzle like last Saturday morning.

Next week we’ll be in WDW and I plan on running at least twice, if not three times, while we are down there. We’re staying at Pop Century and I’ve run there several times before. If you run around the outside of the resort, which is a loop of Memory Lane (the back walkway by Hourglass Lake), the outside of the parking lots and part of Century Drive, and then along the bus stop side of Classic Hall, it’s about 3.5 miles. I’ll do that loop twice two days we’re there and possibly once one other day. I’ll walk around the parks enough to be able to indulge a bit at the Food and Wine Festival booths at Epcot, so I’m not too worried about that. We’ll have a great time as usual.

And now, it’s September?!?!

2009-08-31T21:59:00.001-05:00

Boy, I’m glad I’m not getting paid to do this! I’d never make any money if I was supposed to be timely. For those that read this blog, thank you. I hope to be more consistent in posting now that my training for the 2010 Walt Disney World Marathon will officially begin on Monday (Labor Day). I spent much of August in recovery from the Urban Wildland Half-Marathon (see last post) and maintenance running to keep some semblance of a base. I intend to post on my training here as I prepare for the marathon in January, but with a bit of a difference. I’m planning on posting pictures (finally!) of the running routes I have. I think it is very interesting to see where people run because it helps me visualize what other people face during their training. I figure that if people are willing to read this blog, I could at least break up the text with photos now and then.

I am having a bit of a mental crisis, though, concerning my participation with Team AllEars. I am really excited about the team and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than my running at WDW, especially when the group is raising money for such an important cause in fighting breast cancer. I am committed to raising the money that team members are asked to raise, although in all honesty, asking for donations is outside my comfort zone. That is one reason why I asked to be a part of the team . My whole life as been spent in or around my comfort zone, something I freely admit. Last year’s months of unemployment certainly took me out of that zone and I learned much about myself that made me proud and, at times, made me sad. Finding a new job in a role I never imagined, in an industry I never thought I’d work, and without help from a network of contacts showed me that I can step up to challenges that really test my belief in myself.

How does that thought translate to Team AllEars and raising money? Asking folks to help me has never been a strong suit of mine (ask my wife, who’s been with me for 22 years). I have a plan to raise money, which I think will work, but the back-up plan is to move outside the comfort zone. The help I am now asking for is advice. What has worked for you to overcome doing something outside your comfort zone or new to you? I’m very interested in hearing any ideas anyone has and I appreciate the time you take to read my blog and follow my progress as I work toward another marathon.

Wow, August already?

2009-08-06T21:21:00.002-05:00

So much for timely blogging! Although, to be fair, not much has happened since the last post in late June. I ran the Urban Wildland Half-Marathon in Richfield this past Saturday. My training was a bit unusual for me in that most of the days I ran, I did it on the elliptical. I have yet to figure out how to get a run done at work, either before or after work. This means that I get up early-ish during the week and go downstairs to the elliptical and do my miles or splits. On the weekends, I get my long runs done outside, but it is not the same as last year when I was outside almost every day I trained (of course I was unemployed most of last year). I’d really like to get a routine figured out to run outside more during the week, especially since I’ll be starting my training for the 2010 Walt Disney World Marathon on Labor Day.

To go back to the Urban Wildland Half-Marathon, the race itself was fine. I finished in 2:30, which is about what I expected. I felt good for almost the whole race, although I did walk a good chunk of the last couple of miles. The course is fairly flat and goes through Wood Lake Nature Center, as well as several parks in Richfield. There were about 1100 runners who finished the race, so a small-ish race, but the widely-scattered spectators kept us pumped up and excited. The water stops usually feature area schoolkids as volunteers, which is always fun. I like seeing the kids get into shouting “Water! Water!” and “Good job!” I always thank each one I take water from and hope that they feel like they helped me finish.

After the race, I realized that in the roughly 12 month period from the 2009 to 2010 WDW Marathon Weekends, I will have run 2 marathons, 3 half-marathons, a 10k and a 5k, in addition to training. Sometimes the elliptical doesn’t look too bad!

October can’t arrive soon enough!

2009-06-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

So, we have our reservations for October and for January, too. I’m excited to go, although I’m a bit sad that we going down the day of the Race for the Taste 10K. It will be nice to be at WDW without trying to get a race packet, arrange to get to the race, or do anything racing-related. Plus, the Food and Wine Festival will be underway at Epcot. I’ve been at WDW during Food and Wine several times and I love it. It is a great opportunity to experience food you may not have a chance to try at any other time.

We may also go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party while we’re down there. Our son will be 4 by the time we go. He went to MNSSHP when he was 2 and seemed to enjoy it, but he was very young. I’d like to see if he would go again, as we’ve always had a good time when we gone in the past. Just can’t wait!!

Team AllEars on Running to Disney podcast

2009-06-14T21:32:00.004-05:00

My good friend Gordon at Running to Disney interviewed Michelle Scribner-McLean and Mike Scopa, the co-captains of Team AllEars on episode 23 of the Running to Disney Podcast. He mentions me a few times, which is really nice and very generous of him, as other listeners of his great podcast are also team members (and I can’t wait to meet them!). The team is really supportive and a great group to be associated with as I get ready for the 2010 Marathon. As a reminder, I (and the rest of the team) are raising money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Please support us as we help this cause at a great event. I’m honored to be a part of the team and to have friends like Gordon help out by publicizing our efforts.

My family and I will be back down at WDW in October. Usually, I would try to finagle an entry into the Race for the Taste 10K, but I decided that a trip to WDW without a race would not be a bad thing (this time!). We’ll just miss the race, but that’s okay, since we’ll be back down in January. We’re really looking forward to this trip, which will be my son’s 7th time. He turns 4 in September, so he is a seasoned veteran already! Also, Food & Wine will be going on while we’re there, which is always a good thing!

My wife and I will both be training while we’re down there in October, which is fine. I’ve been in WDW while training for races before and it is a good chance to get used to the weather you may face on race day. Currently, we’re staying at Pop Century, but we may be moving to a DVC resort (not sure which one yet) instead. So, depending on where we stay, I may get to run a familiar route or create a new one. It’s all good if you’re running at Disney!

If you would consider helping out, I’d appreciate it

2009-05-25T21:39:00.001-05:00

A quick note here – I have joined the Team AllEars running team for the 2010 WDW Marathon weekend. Part of our goal is to help raise money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Please consider helping out this fantastic cause and supporting Team AllEars as we train for our half-marathons, full-marathons, and Goofy Challenges. I’ll have more information on the team as I continue to train. Thanks!!!

Running is. . .

2009-05-18T22:03:00.002-05:00

. . .going okay, although I’d like to get outside more than once a week. I’m trying figure out how to be able to run at work, at the end of the day more than likely. I really need to lose some weight and I’m not sure why I’m having so much trouble getting back into the right mindset to eat better.

WDW in October – no Race for the Taste, but I think we can go to MNSSHP (I should probably mention it to my wife!).

Got the second issue of twenty-three, the Disney D23 quarterly magazine. It is good so far, but I still need a really good reason to join D23. Haven’t gotten it yet.

Training again

2009-04-18T16:17:00.001-05:00

So, since I registered for the 2010 WDW Marathon, I’ve gotten more serious about my training. I’m running a 10K next Saturday, a half-marathon May 31, and another one August 1. After a bit of a break, I’ll start training for the marathon. Since I got my Garmin, I’ve enjoyed getting outside (well, that and spring finally arriving). This morning I ran 9 miles and felt really good. I finished only 8 minutes slower than the 8 miles I ran last week. I think that given the two half-marathons I’ll run this year, I may be able to get a little quicker. I’d like to finish the marathon in under five hours, so I’ll have to do some quality training. If the winter is not bad during training, then I should be in good shape for the race.

We’re thinking about going down to WDW in October. Normally, I’d angle for the weekend of the Race for the Taste, but I’m not going to worry about it this year. It would be a shorter trip, since we’d like to take a longer trip in January. I really enjoy going down to WDW in October and maybe we’ll try to go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party again. Our son would be older and may enjoy it more than the last time, when he was barely 2 years old. He’d be 4 this trip and since he’s been to WDW 6 times since he was 6 months old, I really enjoys it. He talks about Disney a lot and he plays with his Cars cars quite a bit. The Disney Channel is on pretty much every day, much of the day (not that Daddy minds too much). We’ll see if we can get down there, and what we’ll do when we go.

Why, yes, it has been a while

2009-04-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

Couple of things. . .I’d like to post more, but it’s been difficult. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things better now that I’ve settled into the new job. This post will have a couple of items and then hopefully back to more regularly scheduled programming.

I did register for the 2010 WDW Marathon. My wife is doing the Half Marathon (her first). We’ll both be getting the Race Retreat, I think. I might be persuaded not to if I know of enough people doing the marathon to keep me company before the race. Or if people I know who are running the marathon also get the Race Retreat. It is definitely worth it, but I would rather have someone to talk with before the race. This year, when I did the Goofy Challenge and bought the Race Retreat for both days, I knew people running the Half that I chatted with a bit. I didn’t know anyone running the full marathon that also bought the retreat, though, so I chatted with Gordon from Running to Disney for a while before retreating (no pun intended) to the Race Retreat tent. I was able to chat with someone in there, but having people I know with me would be much more fun. We’ll see as we get closer to the race who’s running and who might want to get the retreat package. It is well-worth it.

I’m still doing the Goofy in 2011, but I am apparently addicted to the WDW Marathon and will run it if I am going to be anywhere near WDW during Marathon Weekend. Maybe I’ll do the Dopey in 2011 and add the 5k race, too.

On a non-running related Disney item, although a bit late to the table with this observation – I believe that Disney’s announcement of D23 is much ado about very little. I see it this way: Join or don’t. If you join, good for you. If you don’t good for you, too. I’m not sure what the big deal is that has gotten so many people in an uproar over D23, pro or con. I get being passionate about Disney and what it means to you personally, but does the rest of the world really need to know what you think about the club? Opinions are great, I believe in being able to express yourself, whether you’re for or against the concept Disney has created. But between the podcasts, blog posts, and forum posts about D23, you’d think Disney fans were debating the dissolution of the company and the closing of the parks. Seriously, if you want to join, more power to you. If you don’t want to join, great. But let it go, people. It’s a club, not a mandatory requirement in order to be a Disney fan. (Full disclosure-I haven’t joined yet, but only because I don’t feel the need to drop everything and rush online to do so. I’ll get to it eventually)

Wild Chicken Little Meets the Robinsons

2009-03-02T20:28:00.001-06:00

I haven’t disappeared, just have been really busy at work (even after a month, it’s still cool to say that!). I’m going to try to get back into a rhythm of posting in the next couple of weeks. Since I’m probably not doing the WDW marathon next year (although my wife did register for the half-marathon), I don’t think I’ll be posting training updates. If I decide to do the marathon, then I will. Otherwise, I’ll try to post Disney-related content as I think of it. Like this:

My son has discovered the unsung Walt Disney Animation Studios films The Wild, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons. He’s watched them a lot lately. Wall-E, too. Cars and Toy Story (1 & 2), have taken a back seat to the new movies. We did have a Monsters, Inc. phase, which he has not outgrown, but his portfolio is slowly growing, so we have a large rotation right now. I’m going to get him into the classic animated movies, but I haven’t figured out a good starting point. I’m open to ideas.

Back to the grindstone!

2009-02-04T21:30:00.002-06:00

The new job is great and I feel really good to be back at work. The nice thing about this job is that I’ll have the time, while I’m working, to listen to my podcasts on pretty much my regular schedule. Since I listen to several Disney podcasts each week, I won’t fall behind, like I feared.

On the Disney running front-My wife is planning on doing the Half-Marathon next year (I’ll get her to register in the next day or so). I’m wavering about doing either the Circle of Life 5K or the marathon (no Goofy in 2010). I may also try to not run and enjoy being a spectator and supporter, but I’m not sure I can do that. I am doing the Goofy in 2011 for sure. Our son will be old enough to get what Daddy’s doing and I’m hoping that my wife will want to do the half again so we can running together.

We got the 20th Anniversary edition of Oliver and Company and then found out we already had it, so we’re going to return it. The movie didn’t do enough for me to want two copies. It’s getting hard to remember what we have and what we don’t have without carrying a list every time we go to Best Buy!

Training is in recovery mode, so I’m doing low miles, but I’ve had to switch to running on the elliptical at home in the evening when I get home from work (I love that!). Eventually, I’ll get back outside and I’m already planning on a few 5Ks this spring. I’ll run a half-marathon in August and sprinkle in a few races here and there, too. If I run the marathon at Disney next January, I’ll start training for that in September again.

Good times!

New job tomorrow!

2009-01-25T21:02:00.001-06:00

I start my new job tomorrow! I’m very excited, even to be back in commuter traffic again. I really believe that this will be a great thing for me and that I will really enjoy my new job.

On a Disney-related note, I’m thinking about doing the marathon or half-marathon next year. More importantly, I’m working on getting my wife to do the half next year, too.

I’ll see how that plan goes.

Goofy Challenge race report

2009-01-18T22:35:00.002-06:00

Apologies for the length, but since last weekend, I was busier that I thought I’d be. The race report got pushed back until now, late Sunday night, a week later. I’ve read a few race reports, especially my new good friend Gordon Harvey’s Run to Disney marathon race reports and Lori Burke’s We Wants the Readhead half-marathon report. Both of these reports capture the excitement of first-timers to the WDW Marathon Weekend as runners. If you read these reports, I can tell you that even though this was my first time doing the Goofy Challenge and my third time (in a row) running during the marathon, the excitement level does not fade.

My wife, 3-year-old son, and I got to Orlando on Thursday, checked into Saratoga Springs (our room was even ready), and headed over to the expo. I must say that this year, the expo and packet pick-up was much easier and seemed to be a much better experience than the last two years. Disney split the packet pick-up and expo into two different buildings, which reduced the crowds, although they were still large. The race shirt and goody bag area exit opened up right at the merchandise area - good call! It was a beautiful day, too, so my son ran around outside for a while before we headed back to the resort (then he feel asleep!).

Friday was a restful day, although it was a bit hectic at first. We needed to get Annual Passes, which we usually do at Epcot. So we headed out in the morning to catch the bus to Epcot. Instead, my son decided he wanted to go to Magic Kingdom. We took that bus. During the ride, my mom called (she had come down for the races, but was staying at another hotel at Downtown Disney) to see where we would be so that she and my aunt (who lives in Florida) would know which park to come to. I told her that we had planned to go the Epcot, but were now on our way to MK and to call us before getting on their bus. This turned out to be a good thing, because as soon as we got our APs, my son decided that he really did want to go to Epcot. So we took the ferry to TTC and rode the monorail to Epcot. I called my mom and told her that we were headed over to Epcot. They met us for a relaxing day. I was able to get to sleep fairly easily and fairly early, even though we were in a Studio. I got the bed and my wife and son got the sofa bed.

Saturday morning, I woke up at about 2:15, got ready, and headed to the bus. Our driver got mixed up about the drop-off area at Epcot and had to go back out and come in again. The walk from the bus to the starting area took about 10-15 minutes. I had purchased the Race Retreat for both races, so I made my way to the Race Retreat tent and relaxed for a while. I had to go back out to the starting area to pick up a hat from the DisneyRunning.com folks and went back into the tent to wait until the inevitable trek out to the corrals. Since this was my first Half-Marathon at WDW, I wasn’t entirely sure how the waves worked, but since I was in the third, and last, wave, I didn’t worry too much. We got up to the starting line about 20 minutes after the race started and headed out towards the Magic Kingdom.

I think it is interesting just how different the half- and full-marathon courses are (aside from the distances, of course!), especially since they both start at Epcot, go to the Magic Kingdom, and finish at Epcot. I must say, though, that I really enjoyed the Half-Marathon quite a bit. Others have covered the half pretty thoroughly, especially Lori at We Wants the Redhead, so I won’t recap it too much. The run was fine, I felt good, and I was very pleased with my finish time of 2:41.

Saturday afternoon, we went to the Magic Kingdom, where I attended the WDW Radio Show Meet-of-the-Month, which just happened to coincide with the marathon weekend (not really, as the host, Lou Mongello, planned to be at WDW for the weekend). I finally met Gordon from the Running to Disney podcast. It was great meeting him after listening to his podcast and emailing and twittering in the weeks leading up to the race. I also met another half-marathon participant, Lisa from Those Darn Cats and her friend Trace from Disney Dudes as we waited in line to talk with Lou. An impromptu interview ensued and Gordon and I found myself a part of Those Darn Cats episode #35. It was a bit surreal, but very exciting.

Eventually, I found myself saying good-bye to my wife and son and heading back to Saratoga Springs to get my bag and get over to Pop Century. Unless you have rented a car or don’t mind paying for a cab ride, there is no easy way to get from one resort to another (that I know about, at least). So, I figured that since I did not want to walk over to Downtown Disney from where my room was at Saratoga Springs to catch the bus to Pop Century, where my room would be for the night, the boat over to DTD would work fine. It did, but took longer than I thought. Then the bus to Pop Century took a while to get to the Marketplace stop and, it being Saturday night, the ride over to Pop was a bit slow. I finally got to my room, dropped off my bag, and headed to the food court for a quick dinner before turning in for the very early wake up call.

Setting three alarms and leaving a wake-up call may have been overkill, but I got up, got ready, and got downstairs to wait for the 3:00 bus (the first one to the race start) with Gordon. We rode to the race start, where I went into the Race Retreat for the second day. This was, by far, the best investment I’ve made for anything related to running. Knowing that I would have access to port-a-potties that only a handful of other guys would have, a private bag check, and free food both before and after the race, made it easy to see why people spend the extra money. I passed the time talking with a first-time marathoner, hopefully helping to ease nerves, especially during the long trek to the corrals. I waited for the race start, no sure if I would be able to find Gordon, who was in the corral ahead of me. Ultimately, I did not find Gordon, but apparently passed him at some point. No matter, I really enjoyed meeting him and talking with him after the race to see how he felt about completing his first marathon. I remember the feeling and I think it is great that I was able to hear how much it meant to someone else to be able to say that they are a marathoner.

When the race started, I felt pretty good, although for the first 5-6 miles, I kept thinking to myself “Are you insane? You just ran a half yesterday!” After a little while, I settled into a pace that I felt I could maintain. I walked through every water stop, chatted with other runners, had my gels every 4 miles, and checked my pace at every mile marker. Something strange was happening.

I had planned to finish the marathon around 5:45, so I had picked up a pace band at the expo to help me keep track. I found that I was ahead of the pace and gaining time each mile. I didn’t feel nearly as bad as I did last year, when I pretty much walked most of the last 5 miles. In fact, I think I ran at least 23-24 miles, walking only at the water stops and a few times after the 15 mile marker for brief periods of time. This was weird. It looked to me like I would finish around 5:30 or so. That was fine with me, but I wasn’t sure if I would suddenly hit the wall and completely blow up. My mom and aunt saw me in Epcot at the Rose and Crown and I told them to get to the finish area. I was pretty well wiped out emotionally by this time, but they really boosted me and gave me the extra oomph I needed. Short version, I did not hit the wall and I ended up finishing in 5:25, which was the longest of my three times, but the other two weren’t on the second day of the Goofy Challenge. I was tired, I was sore, I was sure that this was the dumbest thing I had ever done in my life, but I had done it. I had completed the Goofy Challenge and finished faster that I thought I would. Once I found my wife, I was able to calm down somewhat and I gradually settled into the post-race soreness that always hits me.

Would I do the Goofy Challenge again? Definitely, but not next year. If I do any race next year, it would be the Half-Marathon. Training in the winter is not fun and training for the half would be easier. I think I’ll tackle the Goofy in 2011-maybe even adding the Circle of Life 5k to do the unofficial “Dopey.” I may change my mind, though, you never know!

Offered and accepted a job!

2009-01-15T16:41:00.002-06:00

I was offered a position this afternoon, which I accepted. I am very excited and will post more later. I am incredibly happy and relieved!

Goofy Challenge completed!

2009-01-15T07:58:00.001-06:00

Longer report coming very soon, but wanted to let everyone know I completed the Goofy Challenge and much quicker than I thought I would do it. I was sore Sunday and Monday, but felt pretty good Tuesday and yesterday (which is when we came home to below zero weather!).

Goofy Challenge training, part 14

2009-01-05T12:51:00.002-06:00

The last long run was Saturday. An 8 mile run that went well, despite the wind chill. I chose a route that did not have much snow or ice on the road and that was on roads that are not very busy Saturday mornings. I actually ran on dry pavement for a good chunk of the run. I also did not wear my water belt, which I normally do for any run 8 miles and over. I’m not going to wear it for either race because of the water stations along the routes. I also went iPod-less because I’m not going to wear it during either race.

I’m spending the next few days getting ready for the trip, doing some work, and trying to relax. I’ve found myself starting to think about what I’m attempting and, while I know I’ll finish without getting swept, I still have butterflies about the whole thing. While I’m down at WDW, I’ll have the laptop, so I’ll try to post about the races soon afterwards. Otherwise, I’ll post a report when I get back. Good luck to all the runners!

Goofy Challenge training, part 13

2008-12-29T11:09:00.002-06:00

Maybe because this is the 13th installment of my training saga, but the weekend’s long run did not go according to plan. First of all, we had a thaw on Friday. While the respite from the frigid temps was nice, a warm up to the mid-30s meant melting snow and subsequent refreezing overnight. When I went out on Saturday morning, I didn’t even make it a quarter mile before heading back in. The sidewalks were iced over and I wasn’t running, I was gingerly walking. I figured I’d try again Sunday.

The sidewalks and roads were better Sunday, but it was much colder. Since it was only a 12 mile run, I figured I could do the run without problem. The running conditions were fine, but my left Achilles tendon and ankle starting to throb about 9 miles into the run, so I cut it short and did 10.5 miles total. I don’t want to get injured this close to the race, so I’m also taking today off to rest my leg. I bought an ankle brace, too, which I think will help. The big problem is that my shoes are wearing fast and now it is too close to the race to break in a new pair. Luckily, I have a couple of pairs from last year that don’t have many miles on them that I can wear for the races.

We’re getting closer to the race and as I start my taper, I’m thinking of race strategy a bit. I’m not wearing my iPod this year for either race. I’d like to experience the race more fully this year, especially since I will actually know people running the races-whether or not I run with them, I’ll still know that there are people that I have a potential to chat with, if they are so inclined.

I’m not wearing my water belt, either. The past two years when I’ve had the belt, I have not used it as much as I thought I would because there are plenty of water stops. I figure that I’ll keep doing what I did the last two races and stop at every water stop, even if I only drink some of the water and pour the rest over my head. I’ll still bring my GU Energy gels and have those every four or five miles (unless I’m really going slow, then I’ll have them every 45-50 minutes). I think it will make my prep and my running easier to not worry about those things.

Goofy Challenge training, part 12

2008-12-21T17:35:00.001-06:00

The weather didn’t hold. We had a nice winter storm come through yesterday, which started as I was about a 1½ into my 20 mile run. Now, I’m a Minnesotan born and bred, so I figured it would be okay. In short, I finished the run, but it was like running 20 miles through the sand with winter running gear on. Oh, and the temperature was dropping as the wind picked up. The arms of my winter running pullover froze from the wrist to the elbow, my running gloves were frozen, as was my hat and the mesh of my running shoes. I had frozen snow on my heels from the tops of my shoes to the bottom of my running tights.

All in all, not the greatest conditions to run in, but oddly, I didn’t think of stopping and finishing the run inside. I certainly didn’t think of quitting and heading home. I just kept thinking that all I needed to do was finish the next part of the run, and then the next, and so on-soon I’d be done. I’ve run in colder conditions, snowier conditions, but the combination yesterday was definitely some of the worst weather I’ve run in. To top it off, normally when the weather is this bad, people stay home, but with yesterday being the last Saturday before Christmas, the roads were pretty busy. This meant watching cars much more closely as I can to intersections, but I didn’t really have any trouble with cars coming close to me or having trouble seeing me (I’m pretty big, so kind of hard to miss when there’s a snowy backdrop). I wasn’t even all that worn out. I was sore, and still am today, but I wasn’t exhausted. I may run the Goofy slower than I ran the marathon the last two years, but I’ll be able to do both fairly easily. I think it’s sheer stubbornness that’s getting me through the training now.

Happy holidays everyone!!

Goofy Challenge training, part 11

2008-12-18T15:57:00.002-06:00

I had a fairly easy 12 mile run last Saturday, a nice route I hadn’t run in about two months. The weather was surprisingly warm, about 30 degrees, with not much wind and no precipitation. At least, not when I was running. By the afternoon, the wind had picked up and the temperature began dropping, fast. By evening, when my family and I went to a Christmas gathering, it was in the single digits and heading further south. We had a front blow through, literally, that was a precursor to the generally dismal weather we’ve had all week. Today it’s sunny, but it is not going to stay that way for long. We’re supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow, which should be done by this Saturday-the day I run my last 20 miler. Oh joy! I planned a different route so that I wouldn’t be doing laps like two weeks ago and as long as the weather holds, I should be fine.

This was the last intense week for my training, as I start to taper next week. I’m excited to do the races, but there is a small part of me that just wants to get it over with so I can relax a bit with my family. I’m still looking for a job and although I do have a project I’m doing for an old employer and an interview tomorrow for a good position with a great company, I’m getting more and more nervous, given the state of the economy that I may not find anything anytime soon. It does make it a little tough at times to justify doing the marathon, but so far, my wife and my mother have both said that since we had already budgeted for the trip that we should go. So, I’m going, obviously, but still, I really wish I had to take time off work to be able to take the trip. Oh well, maybe something will happen with the interview tomorrow and I’ll be able to look forward to starting a new job when we get back home!

Goofy Challenge training, part 10

2008-12-07T16:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I planned on running 20 miles (my square 4 mile route in 5 laps), even with the cold and wind. I’ve done it the past two years to train for the WDW Marathon and only once have I come in early (last year during an ice storm) and finished on the elliptical inside. Now, I’ve done it twice. It was not the cold and wind, but the snow, drifts, and lack of snow removal early on Saturday morning. We didn’t have a foot of snow or anything like that, but we had enough snow starting Friday night that by the time I went out at 7:00 am, the snow was about 3-5 inches, unless I ran into a drift-then the snow was part way up my calf. Naturally, the sidewalk that drifts the worst is next to the busiest road I run on during any of my training routes. The snow drifts here because this stretch of road has agricultural test fields for the University of Minnesota alongside it, so for half a mile, I have the same conditions as running in the country. It’s always a windy place and generally not my favorite part of my routes.

During my first lap I ran through a few drifts, before I jumped to the side of the road to run. The traffic wasn’t bad yet, so I was fine, but I knew I’d have four more laps of drifting snow during this mile stretch. As I made the next turn on my square, the sidewalk was in decent condition, so I was okay, but then I made the last turn to go back towards home and I was faced with crappy sidewalks again. I made it through the first lap about 4 minutes slower than I planned, but felt that I knew what the conditions would be for the other four laps, so I would be fine.

The second lap, which I did in reverse, broke down almost immediately. Now the snow plows were out in full force. This is great for drivers, but the snow’s got to go somewhere, right? Where does it go? On the sidewalk, of course, so now I have about 6 inches of snow to trot through. Unless the wind gets it and starts drifting, which my busy section of road did. The second lap I ran in the road, but had to be very conscious of where the cars were and hope that they saw this large, bundled person lumbering down the road towards them. During this lap, I starting thinking about finishing inside. I don’t like to split the workout like that, but sometimes you have to doing this kind of thing. I got through the second lap and started the third, again reversing myself so I was headed in the same direction as the first lap. The busy road drifts were worse, bad enough that I was not on the side of the road any longer, but at the edge of the right lane. Luckily, traffic was not bad for the time I was on the road, but I decided that I would finish this lap and head inside.

I probably should have figured out which of my routes I could graft onto this run to be able to go farther before coming inside, but I couldn’t remember distances for the routes I could have done, so I decided to try to stick it out. I got done with the third lap and came in to finish inside. This was not the way I thought my 20-miler would go, but I have another one in two weeks, so we’ll see how that goes. The joys of running in Minnesota in the winter!

Goofy Challenge training, part 9

2008-12-03T14:14:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday, there was no snow, but I had an interesting run anyway. My 12 mile run was cut short by about a mile and a half due to tummy troubles. There is nothing like getting a gurgly tummy at the point farthest from home. I tried to tough it out, but had to think quickly to re-route myself home. It was also cold, so that did not help, but I made it home and everything turned out fine.

This Saturday is my first 20-miler this training cycle and I think that I will do my 4 mile route in a 5 lap loop, rather than do my 20 mile route. The weather is supposed to be cold with some snow, which doesn’t bother me, but the events of last Saturday have given me pause about being too far from home. Additionally, my wife will be at her sister’s house to bake cookies while I’m running, so calling for a ride is out. I’d rather be around a loop I know well and I know has a couple of restrooms on it I can use. Let the run begin!

Goofy Challenge training, part 8

2008-11-25T13:19:00.001-06:00

Saturday, we had snow. Not a lot, but enough to cover the roads and sidewalks during my 18-mile run. It certainly wasn’t bad footing or anything like that, but I flashed back to last year, when it was snowing or below zero the last six weeks of training. This weekend should be better and I’m only running 12 miles, so there you go.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Goofy Challenge training, part 7

2008-11-20T11:11:00.001-06:00

I live in an area of the Twin Cities which has a deceptively large number of hills. After all these years, I did not realize how many hills are in my surrounding neighborhood until last Saturday’s run. I ran 17 miles, no big deal for me after three years of marathon training, but it was a new route in an area I had thought was relatively flat. Imagine my surprise when I turn a corner about 6 miles in and I’m faced with one of the steepest hills I’ve ever run up and as I slow to a walk, I realize that I will have several more hills like this. This was the first run this year that I actually considered cutting short and finishing on the elliptical at home. I didn’t quit, though. I kept at it, kept running, and finally finished. I was done a little quicker than I thought I would be, but still I was slower than I’d have liked to have run.

I planned this week’s 18 miler to avoid too many hills. Most of the route I’ve run before, but I added several miles of new roads. I’ve eyed these roads for a couple of years and since we shouldn’t have any snow this weekend, I thought I’d give it a try. We’ll see how it goes!

Goofy Challenge training, part 6

2008-11-11T10:37:00.001-06:00

Tis the season (no, not Christmas, although it is my favorite holiday, so in a way, I do mean Christmas) to have that morning gut-check and make the hard decision: run outside in the dark and cold or run downstairs on the elliptical? Except for the long run on Saturdays, which I’ll do in rain, snow, sleet, etc. much like the USPS, I’ve gone outside for my training run two or three times in the last several weeks. I have noticed that my long runs are better, seem easier, and seem to be not as stressful as last year, when I got outside as much as possible.

Goofy Challenge training, part 5

2008-10-29T11:51:00.003-05:00

Training is going well, but you’d think that having my days open again (still waiting for a new project to ramp up) would get me out the house and running outside. I do my long runs on Saturdays outside, but I’ve run on the elliptical downstairs for all of my other training for the last few weeks. Last week, the weather was not very cooperative, so I didn’t mind too much. This week is cold (it IS late October in Minnesota after all), but sunny. I didn’t run on Monday, so I ran yesterday-downstairs. I ran this morning, but again, downstairs. At least the weather is supposed to be decent enough the rest of the week, so I intend to get outside to run tomorrow and Friday. I will run outside Saturday (only really bad weather deters me from running outside on the weekends.

I think the issue is partly not knowing my job status, partly not sleeping great due to waking up at 6:30 am and having the sunrise an hour away (my son insists it’s not morning when I try to get him up!), and partly not feeling the most positive in general. I know the job situation will be fine, eventually, but I truly hope that I will have to arrange for time off to go down for the marathon.

Goofy Challenge training, part 4

2008-10-17T10:49:00.005-05:00

So, today is the last day of my contract project position. It’s worked out well and it was great to get a paycheck again! I also have the project with my former employer lined up and should be starting that soon, hopefully sometime next week. I’m not sure how long it will take, but I’ll take anything right now, especially with this employer.

I find it interesting that I was not blogging during my time on the contract position, but I was actually busy with home-related things when I’d get done with work (I should point out that the office where I worked is three miles from my house). This included my training for the Goofy Challenge in January. I had to start running in the late afternoons and it was a bit of an adjustment, but I got used to it. I will enjoy going back to running in the mornings on Monday and I hope to be able to keep doing that during this next project. If not, late afternoons aren’t so bad.

I’ve been following Hal Higdon’s Intermediate I training program since the beginning of September and my fears of too may miles have been unfounded so far. I’ve only missed a couple of days, including this past Wednesday, when I found out I did not get a job that I really wanted. Other than those few days, I’ve been running quite a bit. I’m getting a little faster, which I attribute to the base training I did this summer and to realizing the extra miles are not a bad thing. I ran 12 miles last Saturday at an 11:14 pace. I think I can trim that down a bit and have a decent shot at 11:00 for the marathon. I’m still not sure how I’ll run the half-marathon, but I know that I’ll probably try to stick to that pace or a little slower. I really want to make sure I’m not going to burn out during the marathon.

As far as food and eating goes, well, I’m doing better, but I need to be much more rigid about the portions and more realistic about the choices. I’d really like to be at 200 lbs, if not 195-199, and I know I’m running out of time to get there. Training for the Disney marathon is always problematic in terms of food because you’re training during the holiday season, which for eating and food choices, really starts in October when the Halloween candy and caramel apples and the pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks!start appearing. Fortunately, my contract position was at an office that had vending machines, so I brought my lunch every day but one, when I tried a vending machine lunch that wasn’t too bad.

Also, when I did the last two marathons (and this next one), my wife has insisted on me having my own room Saturday night before the race. Even though we’ll be at Saratoga Springs for the trip, I booked a room at Pop Century for Saturday night. The CRO person I spoke with when making the reservation thought it was funny when I said that my wife and three-year-old son were kicking me out of the room Saturday night because they didn’t want to get up at 2:30 am!

Hopefully, I’ll be able to blog more to track the training, but we’ll have to see, I guess.

Goofy Challenge training update, part 3

2008-09-09T17:20:00.007-05:00

Started the actual training program last week. I’ve decided to follow Hal Higdon’s Intermediate I Marathon Training program to see if I get in better shape for the Goofy Challenge. I’ve tweaked the schedule to accommodate the days I typically run. Counting the Goofy Challenge runs, I’ll do over 600 miles for this training, which is more in an 18-week period than I usually run in 7-8 months. I feel that I can do this, though, because I’ve been getting bored, basically, with the training program I’ve used for the past two marathons. It will mean a lot of running in November and December, but hopefully, the winter weather will be closer to 2006, not last year. Two years ago, I ran in the snow twice, I think. Last year, I ran in the last five weeks of the training, including a couple of snow-ice storm type days that drove me inside after several miles.

I’m also trying to be much, much, MUCH better about food and eating. I gained a bit a weight, 5-7 lbs, over the summer as I continued my job search (still looking, but I did get a short-term contract job), so that should help with the predilection to graze a bit in the afternoons. If I could just lay off the Starbucks!

We also booked our DVC rooms for January and we’ll be staying at Saratoga Springs Resort for the first time. That should be interesting. We did cut one day off the trip, though, in hopes that I’ll have to take time off from work, just like my wife will have to do.

Goofy Challenge training update

2008-08-07T16:09:00.002-05:00

Base training is going pretty well, although there are days that I have trouble getting motivated to go out and run. A big part of the reason that I sometimes struggle with the drive to get outside is that I’ve been looking for a new job. I left my old position 9 weeks ago and I’ve had to spend a lot of time looking for a new job. Sometimes, I’m worn out mentally and I don’t feel like running. Other times, I get out, do my run, and have a productive day. The base training ends in two weeks and I’ll take the last week of August off to rest and recover from any nagging aches and pains, then September 1 (Labor Day), I’ll start my Goofy Challenge training program. I’m actually excited about getting to the training and I really hope that I’ll be able to go down to WDW for the Marathon Weekend. I pray that I have to take time off from work to go, even if I have to come back on the Tuesday after the race. That could be physically taxing, but I’d rather be sore sitting on a plane going home knowing I have to go to work the next day than going home to keep looking for a job.

Saw Wall-E!

2008-07-16T16:56:00.002-05:00

My wife and I recently saw it finally. We, like the vast majority of people who have blogged or posted about the movie loved it. Not much more I could add to the overall discussion. I thought the Earth scenes were fantastically rendered and incredibly detailed. The scenes on the Axiom were also great. Another home-run for Pixar, but not a surprise. I know some people keep waiting for them to stumble, but I can't see it happening anytime soon.

Something different-Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

2008-07-16T16:46:00.002-05:00

So, in the course of my job search and general Internet surfing over the last few weeks, I’d seen several blog posts about Joss Whedon’s sci-fi supervillain musical Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Act I was released yesterday, Act II will be released Thursday 7/17, and Act III will be released Saturday 7/19. The episodes are also available on iTunes. It’s hard to describe, but it is great! Please check it out.

Yesterday, the website’s servers crashed, so it may be tough to get directly to Act II tomorrow, but keep trying. This is definitely worth the effort of continually checking to see if you get through.

Still haven’t seen Wall-E!

2008-07-12T14:59:00.002-05:00

I still haven’t seen Wall-E yet. My wife and I hope to see it tomorrow, but we need to arrange for someone to watch our son so we can go. I think it will work out to go tomorrow and I’m excited. I’ve heard a lot about it and it sounds like it’s really good.

Goofy Challenge training update

2008-07-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

So I made it through the first week of training and felt good. I spent the weekend at my wife’s family cabin in Northern Minnesota and ran three of the four days we were there. My brother-in-law joined me for two of the training runs. He runs faster than I do (not so much that I burn out or anything like that), so I get a good workout when we run together.

This was the first time that I ran four days in a row and I thought I would be either really tired or really sore. I’m neither, interestingly enough. I actually felt pretty good, so maybe this base training idea is a good thing for me to do. Because I’m running both the half-marathon and the full marathon, I don’t expect to set a PR for either race, but I would like to try to finish in around the same times that I have finished previous races. That would mean doing the half in around 2:15 and the full in around 5:15. What I’d really like to do is finish the half right around 2:00, preferably a little quicker, and finish the full just under 5 hours. Yes, I’d be tired Sunday and Monday, but I’d probably recover quicker (barring injury, of course) by doing this base training program. We’ll see how this progresses.

I'm going to run the Goofy Challenge

2008-06-27T22:09:00.003-05:00

Also, I’m running the 2009 Goofy Challenge. At my other blog, Fumbling through my Forties I talk about my first week of training.

I know there are many, many runners who love Disney, blogging, and running the WDW marathon. I’m one of them and I hope to keep updating my training progress either here or at Fumbling through my Forties.

Still upset about Adventurer’s Club closing, too.

Podcast thoughts interrupted

2008-06-27T16:04:00.003-05:00

So I had great hopes three months ago to do a series of posts that reviewed and discussed my favorite Disney podcasts. But a lot changed since I first started writing my first post. Instead, while I continue to work on the podcast extravaganza, I will try to post more often about other Disney stuff.

When I started writing this post late this afternoon, I did not know if I would get a chance to finish it today. Now, I’m glad I’ve got the chance, because I have just read in the The Disney Blog that Pleasure Island is getting completely revamped, including the closing of all of the clubs. This makes very little sense to me on many levels, but some sense on some levels. I’ll definitely miss Comedy Warehouse and the great improve comedians, but I’ll especially miss the Adventurer’s Club, one of the best things about Walt Disney World. The themeing and acting of the cast was simply wonderful and the cast clearly enjoyed being a part of the barely-controlled chaos that made up a night at the AC. Since my son was born almost three years ago, we’ve been to WDW six times but have not been able to get over to PI. Now, I don’t know that I want too much any longer. I’ll wait to see what opens in place of the clubs. Apparently, we’ll get more restaurants and shops. Are more dining places needed at WDW? Probably, but will people go to the former PI area just to eat if there’s no entertainment? Does WDW really need more shops? I personally don’t think so, but I’m not trying to wrest every last dollar out of visitors (not that I have a problem with that, as I leave plenty of money with Disney every time I visit).

As always, time will tell, but hopefully, it will tell a story of new and exciting fun entertainment and dining (and shopping, I guess).

Podcast thoughts, intro

2008-03-21T23:22:00.005-05:00

One thing that has exploded over the last 2 years or so is the preponderance of Disney-related podcasts. According to the Disney Podcast Directory website, as of June 1, 2008 there are about 125 podcasts that discuss, in one way or another, Disney. Now, I'm a lover of all things Disney, but my real passion is for Walt Disney World. As such, I listen to several podcasts that would be very familar to other WDW fans. I thought I would give one fan's opinions on the podcasts I listen to, what I like and what I don't, what I think makes the podcasts successful and what I think could be better. The first thing I'll do, though, is explain why I listen to these podcasts every week and why I feel they help with my desire to know as much as I can about what's going on at Walt Disney World. Podcasts are a great way to connect with others who have a similar passion for whatever interests, hobbies, or views a person has. At least I think so.

Questions raised by repeated viewings

2008-03-16T21:43:00.006-05:00

So, my 2 1/2 year old son has taken to saying "Watch Cars!" "Watch Lilo!" "Watch Nemo!" "Watch Woody (or Buzz)!" Now, he can actually speak in sentences, but he's already using shorthand to tell us which DVD he wants to see. To be completely accurate, he also says "Watch Thomas!" and "Watch Sam!" (Fireman Sam, which can be seen on PBS Sprout-not a plug, just letting you know). But, the boy knows what he wants when he wants it. When this phenomenon first started around October, we must have seen Cars every night for three weeks straight. We gradually introduced Finding Nemo and Toy Story as alternatives and after having us read a storybook version of Lilo and Stitch, we have now started a streak that may rival Lightning McQueen and the Radiator Springs folks. What is so interesting about all of this is not that Daddy doesn't seem to mind having the movies on constantly (neither, really, does Mommy), but Daddy actually watches the movies and gets distracted by them enough that he sometimes doesn't notice that the Boy has lost interest in the adventures of Stitch, Woody and Buzz, Nemo, or Lightning and Mater and moved on to play with the plethora of toys he has.

I still notice things in Cars that I haven't seen before and I've probably seen the movie (all the way through) 30-40 times. I remember sometime in late November or early December first noticing how Lightning chuckles as he passes Chick in the first race and thinking, "Wow, I never noticed that before! What else am I missing?"

I also notice the things that really do make you think. Such as why are there farms in the world of Cars? Who planted the flowers in the flowerpots that Red waters at the beginning of the Radiator Springs scenes? What's the deal with the white race car that The King passes in the first race (the car with no sponsor decals)? And the one that really puzzles me: What's the deal with the car that makes it through the Chick-caused crash in the first race? Why can you see the car drive through the wrecks, but later see it spinning out?

I don't actually expect answers to any of the questions (except maybe the farm one), but repeated viewings of these movies create a lot of discussion fodder. At least I think so.

2008-03-14T23:28:00.000-05:00

My first blog post and I suppose I should explain what I'm going to try to do here. The name of this blog is The Mouse and More. Now, for anyone who may find this blog by searching for Disney-related content, you would be right that this is a likely place to find such content. However, there are tons of blogs that will do a much better job of feeding a person's Disney need than I will do. I chose the title "The Mouse and More" because I have many interests that I may discuss in any given post, at any given time.

Why, then, should you continue to read this post, much less any others that appear here? Well, that's for you to decide (the beauty of the Internet-something else is always a click away). Personally, I like randomly reading blogs on all different topics. I'll post when I can and what I post may be my thoughts on Disney or on any number of other topics. Chances are, though, that any given post will more Disney-related than anything else.

I hope you enjoy!