From Pa to Marathon Weekend 2020- turning into a trip/race report 2/2020 (Comments welcome)

PaDisneyCouple

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
I told DW today that I was going to start a training journal for our MW 2020 and CC 5k journey, so here we go.

Who we are: 2 adults, no kids. Temporarily without greyhound.
Me (DH): currently injured. Quadriceps tendonitis. Didn't have the car door open enough, and slammed my left knee into the door frame on the passenger side of the car one day. Then ran 4 miles. Then 5 more times in the next week. Bad idea. Saw ortho about 12 days ago. Just messaged them asking if this is normal recovery, as pain on flexing continues, with some stiffness. Will see if PT, massage, or more imaging is the next step.

DW: currently running. So proud and happy for her. Robbed of her first half in 2015 at W&D by thunderstorms (aka- half a half). Robbed of inaugural 2-course challenge W&D in 2016 by a stress fracture that was diagnosed the day before we flew to MCO. Triumphant in her finish of DS 2018. I love the photo of her, arms outstretched, smile for miles, crossing the finish line.

Max: the reason we started running. The professional runner of the family. Almost 140 races between Massachusetts and Florida. Loved spring and fall. We identified at least 6 gears, plus afterburner. Knew that when the human on the leash said "easy" he needed to slow down. His 3rd gear was a full sprint for us. Fastest race: 500+ yards in under 32 seconds. Passed away 12/22/18 at almost 15.

Our first race:
11/25/2010 Turkey Trot 5k. Finished 1 minute apart. The hug in the finish chute when we found each other: one of our happiest memories.

rD experience:
2015 W&D half a half
2016 W&D
2018 DS

Why MW 2020?
There are a number of things that we put off for Max: new roof, new flooring, and new carpet. We didn't want to bring that stress into his life (pounding, changes to the house he'd known for 10+ years). Those projects are nearing completion. As we laid out the plans for our time between greyhounds, we talked about a vacation. Somewhere or something we wouldn't usually do with a hound around. MW won out over Alaska, Hawaii, and Europe. We didn't want to bring another hound into the house, only to disappear for long periods as we trained. So MW 2020 it was.

What events?
DW Half, CC 5k challenge
DH Goofy, CC 5k challenge
 
So once again it looks like I'll be maintaining this journal. :rolleyes1

I had a great run today on our local rail trail. Got there early and there were not many people on the trail. Perfect weather to start 63 degrees and dewpoint 52. Best weather yet this summer. Saw a deer in the 2nd mile and said to myself, this is worth getting out here early. The trail became busy with runners, bikers, and walkers. When I finished 10 miles the parking lot was probably 95% full; when I started it was probably 25% full. Once again I reminded myself of the benefit of getting there early.

Mrs. PADC
 
Mr. PADC here tonight.
Looks like I've been shirking my duties...
well, the MRI was a bust. It was so loud, I couldn't even hear myself think. The ear plugs were too skinny to fit my ears, and they put the headphones on upside down (the band was under my chin). This meant very little dB reduction, as well as NO music to distract. When the machine said the next scan would last 10 minutes, I said "no more".

PT has been the complete opposite. 2 sessions, and I can see gains. He's been working on getting things stretched out. Used some sort of stainless steel boomerang on me last week. That was some trigger point stuff! But it seems to have helped quite a bit.

Yesterday, I ran in the afternoon heat after working all day. 5.2 miles with no tightness/stiffness during the first mile. That's the first time that's happened in weeks. Last Sunday to yesterday totaled just over 18 miles. Most in 7 days since I shut things down 6/17!

One of my August goals was to double the 26.1 miles I ran in July. I plan on 3-4 tomorrow morning. With that, I will already be greater than the July total already.
 
DH here, with an update from Pa:

DW nailed her PoT 10-miler in late August. Another @DopeyBadger training plan success! Speaking of DB, I got to run with him while in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. A wonderful afternoon run, followed by dinner with DB and his family. Wonder if G still loves her "sticky gloves"?

Our DCL booking window for spa, excursions, dining, etc. opens soon, so DW and I have been drawing up plans: Palo dinner first night is always a quiet romantic way to start a cruise for us. Hoping for Palo brunch for our sea day. The CC 5k Challenge is already booked through rD. Also hoping to get a wine tasting experience.

And in breaking news... I graduated from physical therapy today! Knee is at least 95% back to normal. Today's run called for the fastest pacing since the race in June 2 days before I banged it on my car. While I didn't hit the goal paces, I was surprised to look at the data once home and see I didn't do too bad. No pain, stiffness, or tenderness. Now I can start trying out some of the new running clothes I've purchased over the summer. I wanted to wait until "better" to try them, as an inspiration.
 


Around Pa:
Week #8 of my Goofy plan, and I'm feeling tired and sore in a good way today. My 2 easy runs this week were the same distance, 3 miles, and same time to the second. As I said on the MW thread, knees are both sore, but its an ache and I'm ok with that.
This week is what I'm calling phase 2 of the plan. My more intense weekday run has changed. Its now called "valley". Very fast, recovery, fast for more time, recovery, and HM pace for even more time, recovery, and then back up the pace gears. Looking at the splits, I nailed my first valley run yesterday. But I must give a star to DW, who already knew how to program my Garmin 230 (we have the same make and model) so I didn't have to always look at it to change gears.

Our carpet part of the flooring project is done, and it looks really good. The hardwood is another story... when last they came out to "finish it", they either brought the wrong parts (molding) or couldn't find the part (step nose board for the transition kitchen to family room). So that was a call I had to make today. Just kept laying out the details and how NOTHING was able to be done the other week. I await their call back once sales and installation meet and talk.

DW is running more than ever before, we think, and has NO PAIN. We both have long run weekends coming up in our @DopeyBadger training plans.

In other news: my running buddy's son, who is (or was???) afraid of dogs, wants a puppy for Christmas. They got to meet Dad's greyhound in April, and he went from observer outside the fence to petting and interacting in under an hour.
 
Question for everyone:
We're not planning on park days on Friday and Saturday of Marathon Weekend. What non-park suggestions do you have? We've talked about resort hopping or Disney Springs on Friday, for example.
 


Yes Disney springs and resort hopping are highlights. We will not be in the parks those days either, but running the half only. Plan on Saturday is Disney springs. On Sunday we will cheer and then CA Grille brunch on Sunday. Another option for Friday is afternoon tea at GF. I have not done it yet but planning to in Jan.
 
I'm doing Goofy too, and my plans are to go to the expo and have dinner at the Boardwalk area Friday, then on Saturday hit Disney Springs after the race to have brunch and shop a little but after that, it's just relax at the pool or in the room. I take it *very* easy before the races.
 
Caught DW looking at the DS store list the other day... but if we go on Friday, we'll need to plan that around Boma breakfast and hopefully the HH meet-up.
 
Around Pa:
Got some new tires for my car last week. That, plus the transmission service bulletin the week before have really improved the car. Rides much better now. The transmission was getting too hot, and I was therefore losing transmission fluid. Result was surging; especially under throttle going uphill.

DW is doing well, and enjoying another season as a Girls on the Run coach. New school this season, as this one needed more coaches and she's able to help. Misses her swimming, and might inquire with @DopeyBadger about maybe dropping a run once in a while for some swimming or biking.

Week 9 of 21 complete with my @DopeyBadger Goofy plan. Garmin says my trailing 4 weeks are about 94 miles, which is right there with what I was doing when training this past spring for my PoT half. With the help of DW, who's been programming my Garmin, I'm doing pretty well at the "valley" runs. When I first looked at the plan (and the next several times I looked at it) I didn't think I'd be able to wrap my head around the valleys, but Thursday was valley week 2 of 6, and I pretty well hit the paces again. No running buddy this week to pace me, either. Just me and a lot of debris to dodge in the high winds. Found out later a co-worker's car had a tree or tree limb smash onto it, and he was not far from where I was running. Steady, moderate rain for today's 7 mile run, with middle 5 miles at marathon pace. First time wearing my running hooded rain jacket I treated myself to after my April PoT race. I got soaked inside from sweat, but it did keep me dry. 52 degrees, but I didn't feel chilly. Goal was 9:24, and the splits were: 944-934-938-941-943. Feels like a victory, given the dirt and gravel surface that was quickly getting muddy and pocked with puddles.

Shout out to my running buddy's DH, who ran the Hershey Half Marathon today and nailed sub-2 in his first half ever. This was 1 week after the Army 10-Miler, which was his previously longest race.


Marathon question: how to practice nutrition for 26.1 miles when your longest training run is 15.2?
 
Marathon question: how to practice nutrition for 26.1 miles when your longest training run is 15.2?

Practice your nutrition based on time and not miles. So every 15, 20, 30, 45 min (or whatever it is) instead of every 1,3,5 miles (or whatever it is). I've never run 26.2 miles in training but don't have any issues getting in sufficient training. Really it's just about finding what you tolerate.
 
What an idyllic run today after work. The weather folks are saying we're at peak fall foliage right now. Hardly anybody on the trail except a couple of walkers, 2 other runners, and a handful of bikes. During our trail runs from the one parking area, we run through historic Howard Tunnel, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hard to believe I'm almost to the half-way point in the Dopey training plan. It is 21 weeks, but I'm choosing to think of it as 20 weeks of training and 1 week of celebration right now.

Watching the weekend weather closely as Sunday looks rainy once again.
 
Around Pa
DH:
We got lucky and the rain on the 27th moved out of the area late-morning. DW and I were able to get in our long runs as scheduled that afternoon. There was one casualty on the day: my umbrella. During am grocery shopping in what felt like a monsoon, the wind came up as I tried to get to the car. Didn't invert, it just got slammed into so hard by the wind that the mechanism failed. I wrestled it into the back of the car, delivering the final blow myself. I was soaked to the skin in under 2 minutes from the wind and downpour.

Training is going well for both of us. I'm proud to say I'm in week 12, and haven't missed a scheduled run yet. Hitting goal pace most times, too. October was PR distance for both of us. 82 miles for DW, and 113.1 for me. Too bad it seems like we've gone from almost summer to winter temperatures in just a few days. It was 70+ for my run last Thursday. It will be in the 20's this weekend, they're saying. Warmer temperatures = less laundry.

We were thinking about ESPN club for early dinner Friday or Saturday, but for some reason, it is not showing up at all on MDE. Anybody else noticed this?

Saturday is FP day! Only 2 park days this trip, as the MW experience is the main goal. Planning on MK Thursday, so we can picture being back in a couple of days and running through it. Then Epcot on Sunday after the marathon. We plan on going in the front, and just enjoying a stroll through, provided I can still ambulate!
 
We were thinking about ESPN club for early dinner Friday or Saturday, but for some reason, it is not showing up at all on MDE. Anybody else noticed this?
Yes! Last time I checked, there was no availability for lunch or dinner from mid-December onward. Maybe they only release them a couple of months in advance?
 
DH here. Wow. 6 weeks ago now, we were eating at ESPN Club, having just finished the HH meet. It is sunny here in Pa today, but it was around 20, plus wind this morning, so I hit the treadmill for 4 miles.

1/7/2020
During a winter almost devoid of snow, the day before we left Pa for Orlando was forecast to have some light snow (<2 inches) Tuesday afternoon. They were wrong. Again. By the end of the storm, we had at least 6 inches of wet snow outside. Fortunately, I'd gassed the car and put air in the tires immediately upon getting home from work. Our house is on a bit of an uphill street. And that street usually turns into a slip 'n slide if you're headed west (downhill) and a parking lot if going east (uphill) during snowstorms, and this one was no different. We had a line of un-moving headlights trying to get up the hill. Occasionally punctuated by someone venturing off the road and into the cornfield and the land of stuck.

I started shoveling around 7pm, and quickly decided it was time to break out the snowblower. Unfortunately, it wouldn't start. 2 years old! My old Craftsman one, in all its 15+ years, would start faithfully, often without using the electric start. The new blower is going for service next Friday. I figure if I get it fixed = no more snow. If I don't, I'll regret it sometime in March. If you don't want more snow in the MD/PA area, you're welcome.

As DW put the final touches on the bags, I moved them to the kitchen. I think we went to bed around 9pm for a 4am alarm. We figured that this would be good practice for getting up early for all the races. Soon we'd be on our way.
 
No worries. When are you looking at getting a new hound?
Funny you should ask: On 2/6/20, we submitted our description of what kind of hound we're looking for to an adoption group. February 22nd, my heart skipped a beat when a certain email hit my inbasket. While it was not the news I thought it was, it was still good: they wanted us to know we're in the queue, and they're looking for the right hound for us. It took time for the process with Max, but I hopefully check email a little more often than usual.
 

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