Mickeyd’s 2014 WDW Marathon training

[mickeyd78]

I’m a long time WDW Radio fan and I’ve always been interested in doing a runDisney event one day. I am by no means a runner. I very occasionally get out for a short jog, usually when I am feeling particularly unhealthy. I usually make resolutions about getting fit, run for a few weeks and then fall off the bandwagon.


The idea:
About a month ago my wife suggested that I make a goal of running a runDisney event, hoping that it would inspire me to keep at it. It sounded like a great idea. It appealed to me because 1) I have always wanted to do a runDisney event, and 2) If I committed to a race I would have to stick to the training through fear of not being able to finish!

Now here is where things got a bit more complicated. I live in Australia, so doing a runDisney even is going to involve flying half way around the world. Given that I have to travel so far, I decided I really needed to aim to do the full WDW marathon – all 26.2 miles / 42kms to make it worthwhile. I ran 10kms once before, so I’m fairly confident I could do a half marathon 21km. To justify the time and expense of travelling from Melbourne to WDW, I decided to set a greater challenge – the full marathon.


Who to go with?:
Now my wife is not a runner either, and we are expecting our 2^nd child in September, so she is not really in a position to travel or train for a marathon. I really didn’t want to travel so far alone, and I imagine I’m going to need some moral support to get me to the starting line in Orlando – so I needed a travel buddy, hopefully someone who could run with me.

Unfortunately, January is peak summer holiday airfare season to the USA from Australia –around $3000 per person just to LAX and back. That’s a lot of money to ask someone to spend to come and support my goal, and in fact more money than I could really justify spending on airfares as well. It looked like my goal of running the full marathon at WDW in 2014 was not going to happen

Then came two strokes of luck. I poked around the Qantas website and managed to find a couple of frequent flyer seats to the US for the dates I needed. Not the best routings mind you, Melbourne-Sydney-LAX on the way there and home via Dallas, DFW-Brisbane-Sydney- Melbourne. But in peak January school holidays, I was happy to find anything at all. (Although the flight home is going to be a doosy with so many stops. I’ll check the website daily to see if I can change to a direct flight)

I spoke with my Dad, who is retired and also has frequent flyer points, and asked him if he was interested in coming along. He is not a runner either, but enjoys WDW. I told him if he was going to come, he would have to commit to doing the 5K fun run, and that I would run with him – I’ll use it as a warm up for the marathon on the Sunday.

Dad agreed and I booked the flights. So now it’s official – we are going.


What have I done!!
The next day I started to get really nervous about that fact that I’m now officially planning to run 26.2miles / 42km. I felt a little sick in my stomach at the prospect when I went for my run the next day – but at the same time was super excited and motivated to get stuck into training. I managed to calm myself down after a few days, knowing that I have 10 months to prepare.


Training: Weeks 1-3
I’m now three weeks into training. I have been following the Galloway training plan from the runDisney website – three runs a week, 2 x 30 runs during the week and a longer run on Sat. In just three weeks I have been able to bring my average pace down from 7:10min/km (11:32min/mile) to 6:20min/km (10:12min/mile). At this stage most of my runs (run/walk intervals) are at about 5km (3.1miles)

Things are going well so far – although I am sure I will need advice and encouragement

I aim to keep you posted with my progress each week, partly to keep me accountable, and also to encourage and share the journey with anyone else who is planning to do their first marathon at WDW in 2014!

[mickeyd78]

Training – Week 4
I’m still really stoked to be training for the marathon, which has helped getting up at 5:30am for training runs. Last week I found that I was developing some chafing on my upper thighs. After doing a bit of research online, I decided that some compression shorts might be helpful. I don’t know that I can be bothered applying body glide for every training session – particularly so early in the morning. Turns out Rebel Sport had compression shorts 30% off last weekend, so I picked up a pair of Body Armor shorts – and they did the trick. Feels so much more comfortable running in them. Not sure that the ‘compression’ aspect will make any difference to my muscles etc, but it has eliminated chafing!


This week I ran:

• Tues – 5k (Ave pace 6:43/km)
• Thurs – 5k (Ave pace 6:23/km)
• Sat – 9k (Ave pace 6:36/km)

So I feel I am improving.


Trip planning
So this week rumours leaked – later confirmed by runDisney - that a new 10k will be added for 2014 marathon weekend as well as a ‘Dopey’ medal for doing the 5K, 10K, ½ and full. I have no intentions of doing the Dopey – or the Goofy. However, this news did impact our plans because the 5k has moved to the Thursday. We had planned to arrive on Wednesday evening, pick up our race packets and do the Expo on Thursday and race the 5k on Friday. Not sure if we will have time to get our race packets if we arrive Wednesday night and run Thursday morning.


The 5k was the reason for my Dad to come along. I asked if he would do the 10k instead (he probably could), but he was not super keen. He has found while training for the 5k that jogging can aggravate his back. The last thing I want him to do is injure himself.


Anyway – to cut a long story short – due to the super efforts (and understanding) of my brilliant wife – we were lucky enough to be able to change our frequent flyer flights to the USA to a day earlier, which means we will be able to arrive in time to do the 5k and be properly rested (and still do the 10k if we choose to - still working on Dad for that one!) As an added bonus, we were able to get direct Melbourne – LAX flights, which will make the journey easier.


That’s about it for this week, except to say that I love my wife so much. She has been so supportive of this endeavour – even though she will be left at home with two small kids while I am away running. I couldn't do it without her.

[mickeyd78]

Training - Week 5
Ran a total of 20k this week (not all at once)!!

• Tues – 5k
• Thurs – 5k
• Sat – 10k

Hit my first weather related ‘speed bump’ this week. Thursday morning was pouring with rain – in fact it had been raining most of the night. I decided I didn’t really want to go out and run in the wet if I didn’t have to as I’d only end up injuring myself. So I took my running gear to work and ran around the Fitzroy gardens during my lunch break (fortunately my workplace has a shower!)


Hit two significant milestones this week. The first - my run around the Fitzroy gardens ended up being my fastest 5k to date. Not sure if it was because it was later in the day, it was light outside or because there were other ‘more serious’ looking runners training in the park making me go a bit faster. It could also be that my training is paying off. Whatever the reason, I was stoked to run my first sub 30min 5K (time 29:33).


The second milestone came today, when I ran 10k for the first time in my training (I ran 10k once before years ago and it nearly killed me). Felt pretty strong today, but was ready to finish by the end. My legs were starting to get bit tired. Really pleased that I maintained the same pace for the 10K that I had for the 9k run I did last week. I think for runs longer than 10k I’m going to have to start thinking about fuelling. Picked up some Gu Chomps this afternoon, so I’ll try them on my next 10K+ long run.


I’m quite amazed at what I have been able to achieve in the past 5 weeks of training. I’m an NOT a runner and certainly not athletic. This is all a big experiment. If you are reading this and even vaguely think you might be interested in doing a runDisney race, I say give it ago – you might surprise yourself!


I’m now toying with the idea of doing the Dopey (crazy I know!!). I’ll be doing the 5k with my Dad (probably more of a shuffle), and I can do the 10K pretty comfortably now. Still trying to talk Dad into doing the 10k– we’ll see. I plan to do the full marathon – so it occurred to me I only (only!!) need to do one more race to complete both the Goofy and Dopey challenges.


Look, I have no idea if it’s even possible to complete such a thing. Maybe I’m crazy to even think it given I have never even run a half or full marathon before. But my training is going well so far and I am enjoying the running. I’m sure the Dopey is going to sell out – so I might just sign up and see how I go. I can always ‘drop’ the half if I don’t think I can go the distance by January.


Trip planning.
Think I have settled on Port Orleans Riverside for our accommodation. I found the resort really relaxing on our visit there in 2012. In the past I have been a big fan of the Value resorts (All Star Movies and Pop), but they can be a bit of a zoo, and I think the peacefulness of Riverside will help with race focus and recovery, particularly if I do eventually end up doing the Dopey.


Normally we do the Dining Plan, but for the marathon prep, I don’t think it would be a great idea both in terms of pre-race diet and the time and effort required to get around to my favourite Disney restaurants. I’m going to need early nights. At the moment my idea is to split the stay into two parts. Marathon week – no park tickets or dining plan. Post Marathon week – park tickets and dining!!! I think this will help me focus on the race, stay off my feet and watch the diet. I may change my mind – but these are my thoughts at the moment.


That’s about it for this week!!

[mickeyd78]

When I started keeping record of my journey to the WDW Marathon I didn’t think I’d have much to report – but lots has happened this week. Most significantly I officially signed up for the Dopey Challenge this!! I’ve put my money down and have my spot reserved for four races!!. I still don’t know if I will be able to do them all – it may all be too much for someone who has never done a race before, but we’ll see. I have at least one half and full marathon lined up between now and January, so that should help me know if it is even possible or if I should drop one of the races.

I also officially joined the WDW Running Team this week – so that is super exciting.

Training:
Still did my three runs this week . The two weekday 5k runs were interesting. Mrs Mickeyd traveled to Singapore for work this week, so I was a single Dad and unable to do my usual morning runs. I managed to squeeze in my Tuesday run during my lunch hour at work. Another good run around the Firzroy gardens – it really is a nice place to run.

My second 5k run was on Thursday night after dinner. My Mum came to babysit for a bit. Another great run, I felt really strong and did a PR for the circuit around my house (lots of hills). However running after dinner and on a full stomach was a bit weird and there were a few times I thought I was going to see my dinner again.
This morning I completed my weekend long run – 11.5km. I was excited for this run for a number of reasons.

1. It is most definitely my longest distance ever.
2. I decided to test out the GU Chomps I bought last weekend after my energy levels dropped on me.
3. This week my iFitness running belt arrived – so I had something to pop my GU Chomps in.

I have to admit I felt pretty crummy doing the 11.5k. It was 26C (79F) out, so I was trying to take it easy and took water with me. I think it may also have been partly psychological as I was breaking through the 10k barrier for the first time. The second half of the run was a hard slog. But to my surprise….



I ran my fastest 10K as well as maintaining the same pace for the 11.5km that I ran last week for the 10k. Given the heat conditions, I figure that is an improvement.
I should also comment on the Gu and the iFitness belt.



I had the Strawberry Gu Chomps and they were really yummy and easy to chew. I felt they did give me a boost and my legs felt better than the week before. I think they helped, particularly given the warm conditions and amount I was sweating.

I have the iFitness double pouch. It was fantastic It didn't bounce and to be honest I forgot that I was wearing it for most of the run (except when I was reaching for the Chomps – then I was grateful it was there!). I’m really impressed with it and would recommend to others. It will be great to use it to carry a smaller camera when I run the Disney races.

Trip Planning
So as mentioned, the most significant trip planning this week was signing up for the Dopey. I also signed Dad up for the 5k and 10k. It’s exciting and kind of a relief to have the registration all organised. I’m sure some of these races are going to sell out pretty quick. It looks like the 10K will fill fast.

So now the race is organised, I’m on to thinking about accommodation. Still leaning towards Port Orleans Riverside, and I emailed off to the lovely Coleen at Mouse Fan Travel this week to get some prices.

That’s it for this week. Onward and upwards

[mickeyd78]

Training – Week 7

My first speed bump.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel this week after my great 11.5km run last Saturday. I was surprised when I felt really good on my Tuesday morning run. By about half way through I realized that I was doing so well that I could probably do a 5km PB. I pushed myself and ended up doing a PB. I was very proud of myself. 5km in 29:16min. My legs felt good – but about an hour after the run my knees became sore. They were sore the next day too. I wasn't ready to call it an injury, but it was certainly sore.

This week was supposed to be a recovery week, and I think I pushed myself too far after my long Saturday run. By Thursday my knees were feeling a lot better, but my left knee was still a little tender. I decided to still do my Thursday training, but made sure it was a slow and easy affair. I was really careful not to land heavily and took special care on the hills. I ended up doing a decent 34:21 for the 5km.

My left knee remained tender on Thursday and Friday, but was showing signs that it was improving slowly. So today (Saturday) I decided to take things really easy and walk my 5km Sat run. I just got back and my knee is feeling pretty good. Best of all I managed to walk within the 16min mile pace. The next two days are rest days before my Tuesday run, so I am hoping that it will continue to improve so I can get back to running.


Me looking pleased with myself before a run.

The lesson of the week: stick to the training plan and take things easy. There are still 40 weeks until the marathon – plenty of time to build endurance and distance. No need to rush things. The biggest threat to my ability to complete this challenge is injury. So I need to be a bit smarter. This week really opened my eyes to the importance of avoiding injury. Hopefully this is just a minor setback and I’ll be back to normal soon.

It also reminded me that I still haven’t been properly fitted for running shoes – so the plan is to head out to a specialist running shoe store tomorrow.

Trip Planning
Not much to report here, except to say that it wasn't until after I registered for the Dopey Challenge that I found the Disney shirt sizing chart on the runDisney website. Looking at the chart the sizes seem to run a bit big, so I was able to email runDisney and they changed the size on my registration. Much easier than trying to swap sizes at the expo.

That’s all for this week. Hopefully by the next update I will have proper shoes and good knees!

[mickeyd78]

WDW Marathon Weekend Training – Week 8
When I left off last week, I was suffering from sore knees. A result of over doing it and possibly running in the wrong shoes.

Last Sunday I took myself off to a specialist sports shoe store to get myself properly fitted. All the staff there are podiatrists, so they should know what they are doing. They put me on a treadmill and videoed me running barefoot and then in a number of different shoes. Turns out I pronate, something I had long suspected, and the shoes I had been running in were not good for me. They tried me in several different running shoes, increasing the level of support until we found the shoe that corrects the problem. Let me introduce you to me new shoes…..


My new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13

I must admit I could instantly feel the difference in the support they give to the rear of my foot. I’m sure it will take a while to get used to running in them, but they feel good. Not as springy as my old shoes, but definitely more support.

My knees have been improving, but I decided to take this week very easy to give them a chance to recover. On Tuesday I did a very light 5km jog, at a pretty respectable 35mins. On Thursday I did a 5km walk around the Melbourne Cricket Ground at lunchtime.

Thursday afternoon I gave in to my family and made an appointment with the physio for next Tuesday to get things checked out and hopefully get some advice. Now, whenever I make an appointment to see a health professional about a problem, that problem usually disappears completely before I get to the appointment. I always end up sitting in their office with no symptoms feeling like an idiot. Well, wouldn't you know it, since I booked in with the physio my knees have pretty much been back to normal? Urggh! So frustrating!!.

So today, Saturday, I was able to go for a gentle 5km run with no pain. Hopefully I still feel good tomorrow. I was so happy to be able to go out and run without problems.

I’ll see what the physio says on Tuesday, but I hope to be able to get back to slowly increasing my distances again.

So, all in all a positive week!

[mickeyd78]

WDW Marathon Weekend Training – Weeks 9,10 & 11
Can’t believe it has been 3 weeks since the last update. I’ve been super busy and so much has happened.

So three weeks ago I went to see the Physio about my sore knees. The Physio was super nice and has been really helpful. My problems seem to be related to tight IT bands and weak glutes. A pretty common problem for new runners. The Physio ordered a week off running, and prescribed some strengthening exercises together with... the dreaded foam roller. She also went to town with some deep massaging to loosen up my ITBs.

During my no running week I went to the local pool to do some swimming, which I really enjoyed. I’m hoping as my training continues that I can keep going to the pool for cross training (time permitting).

After a week and a half I was able to do some short (20 min) runs using 1:1 run walk intervals, and built up to a 30 min continuous run the following week. All good and no knee pain, so the stretches, strength exercises and foam roller seem to be doing the trick.

While I was unable to run I picked up a copy of one of Jeff Galloway’s running books, which was really interesting and had lots of good info for beginner / novice runners like me. According to his philosophy, I have been running my long training runs way too fast. (Maybe this contributed to my injury?). I’m now building up my distances again and trying to slow things down, although it’s harder than you’d think to slow down your running. I’ve dropped down from a 2:1 run/walk to a 1:1 run/walk. I managed 8km on Sat and felt strong at the end. Although I must admit I probably still ran this a bit fast – 6:40min/km.

It has been frustrating having to reduce my mileage and work back up again, but things seem to be heading in the right direction. Originally I was hoping to do the Run Melbourne ½ Marathon at the end of July, but I might not be up to that distance by then. If not, I’ll enter for the 10km. We’ll see how it goes – my main priority is to build up my core strength and endurance without injury, so I don’t want to push things.

Trip Planning
On the planning front, we have now booked our race weekend accommodation at Port Orleans Riverside. I stayed there for the first time in 2012 and loved it. A really relaxing resort, so I’m looking forward to having it as base camp for Marathon weekend!

That’s it for this week!