A Goof Became Dopey: Running After Dopey (comments welcome)

surfde22

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Howdy y'all...

First, let me introduce myself. I'm Chris, 32 years old, and living in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN. I have been married to my wonderful wife, 31, for three years after eloping in Maui. We have two pugs, Roxy, 7, and Ollie, 5. On top of that, as will probably come up multiple times through out these reports, my wife and I are expecting our first child in mid-June. I ref soccer during the short summer season we have up hear in Minnesota, so that can be a huge time suck and training detriment at times. This will be my first runDisney event, but based on the fact that Goofy is my favorite character and a share a certain clumsiness with him I figured the play on words would be appropriate for the title of my thread.

Well as it stands I am quite new around these parts, though not new to Disney. Way back in 2014 my brother partook in the inaugural Dopey Challenge. When I first learned he was doing it I thought it was just about the dumbest thing he could do, as I never have had the desire to run a marathon, let alone four races of increasing distance in one weekend.

As time went on my wife began considering running the Dopey Challenge, which surprised me as she has never been much of a runner, but eventually she talked me into joining her. I then decided that if I was going to run, I might as well try to beat my little brother's times. It was around the same time that my wife, to no surprise to me, decided she really didn't want to run the Dopey. All this happened between April and September of 2014.

As these discussions happened I decided to set a goal for the 2017 Dopey Challenge with my brother. Part of this decision was to give me time to prepare enough to beat my brother's 2014 times, part was make me a little older so I could tease him because I beat his times when he was five years younger then I will be, but mostly it was so he could run with me. 2015 was off the table fr him joining me because his wife didn't want to get roped into doing it every year and 2016 was off the table because, as it turns out, they had their first child earlier this month.

Now, on to me and my attempts at training. Sure, I've run over the last couple of years, but haven't trained for anything more than a 10K. Between working, reffing soccer, various trips my wife and I have taken, and just sheer laziness I didn't train is much as I had hoped.

Training is where things may get a little tricky this year. My wife and I have to make a trip out to visit our new nephew soon. A trip to Baltimore from Minneapolis isn't exactly the tropical vacation I was looking for this winter. Then, the more exciting event, my wife and I our expecting our first child in mid-June. So between not getting enough sleep, caring for a new born child, and entertaining various out-of-state family members that will surely want to visit, I hope not to get too thrown off of training through June and July.

And here we are, the reason for me writing this. I need someway to keep myself accountable. Sure, I'm new around here, and don't have the fan base of some of the other training report authors I've read, but if nothing else this will be for me. I have a few races lined up for 2016, including a 10 mile and half marathon, one of which I hope will give me the POT I'm going for. I have the majority of my training planned out, following various Hal Higdon plans based on the races I have upcoming. Seeing as I've never run a race over 5K this will definitely be a trying year, but hopefully it will be a fun one that I can learn from, with an amazing runDisney race as my reward.
 
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RACE SCHEDULE

As it stands now I
have four races on my schedule leading up to the Dopey Challenge. As much as I would like to add a few more in there I'm not sure it will really be possible between reffing soccer and having a new kid, but you never know what can happen. For all of these races it will be my first time running this particular race, and for most my first at that particular distance. I have been running for years, sort of sporadically in that time, but haven't really done many races. The call of bling and new shirts, along with preparing for the Dopey Challenge, have finally begun to outweigh my other excuses for not racing.

5K Race

My first race of the year will be a 5K on the first day of the year. I was a little gun shy to pull the trigger on this one initially because well it's Minnesota, in the winter. I decided to sign up for it anyway. It was a charity run after all for a local children's hospital. More on that shortly. They had offerings of 1600, 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon, with one day challenges included. I opted just for the 5K as I hadn't done as much training as I would've liked earlier this year, and being a former high school cross country I am intimately familiar with the 5K distance. So there it is, first race signed up for for my Dopey Challenge preparations.

Now a few comments on the "charity" run. The local news recently did a report on them, and based on tax filings just over 1% of funds raised by this organization actually goes to charity. That is just obscenely low. It turns out he frequently have to make trips to China to pick up race prizes because the ordered too late, and the founder of the organization likes to use the funds as his personal bank account. That, plus the lack of response when emailing them with questions, makes it so I will never run one of their races again. It's not like I only choose it because it was for charity, but if you're going to call yourself a charity run you should at least donate a reasonable portion of the money to charity. Rant over now.

10K Race

My next race will be a 10K. This will be my first time running a race of this distance. I am running the Get in Gear 10K around a local park in Minneapolis on 4/30. I love the park it's being held at so it should be an enjoyable run. Maybe I'll be able to convince my wife to join me, as there are a few restaurants in the area that we like, but seeing as she'll be about a month away from her due date I have my doubts. They will have pacers at this race, so I'll probably line up with the 8:00min/mile pacer and adjust my pace as needed from there. The one downside, no bling for us running the measly little 10K, just T-Shirts. That only goes to the Half Marathoners.

10 Mile Race

Next up, 10 Mile race. The Lift Bridge 10 Mile Road Race in lovely Stillwater, MN. Again, this will be my first attempt at this distance. This being my first, what do I do? Of course, I pick the race that is about as far as possible from me while still remaining in the Twin Cities metro area. It also has an 8am start time, which will hopefully beat the heat of a July day. That also means I'll have to leave my house by 6am, and will be leaving my wife with our new born for a few hours, unless she really does want to join me. Good news though, this one comes with bling, and a tec-shirt, not a cotton T-shirt. No mention of pacers on this one, but I'm hoping there are as this will be my first attempt at a POT for Dopey.

Half Marathon Race

Now on to the half marathon. Again, another first for me. I will be partaking in the Running of the Bays half marathon, on Sept 10, around Lake Minnetonka. This is a smaller race, only about 150 finishers last year, but I am really just looking for the experience of running the distance. No mention of pacers on the website for this race either, but I'll always have my handy dandy Garmin watch to help me stay on pace. I'll have to try hard to not sprint out of the gate like I have a tendency to do when racing. This will be my second, and last, chance at a POT for Dopey.

That's all I have for racing before the Dopey Challenge in January 2017. We'll see how things go with soccer and the kid, and potentially add a race or two, but odds are probably against it.
 
RACE SCHEDULE

As it stands now I
have four races on my schedule leading up to the Dopey Challenge. As much as I would like to add a few more in there I'm not sure it will really be possible between reffing soccer and having a new kid, but you never know what can happen. For all of these races it will be my first time running this particular race, and for most my first at that particular distance. I have been running for years, sort of sporadically in that time, but haven't really done many races. The call of bling and new shirts, along with preparing for the Dopey Challenge, have finally begun to outweigh my other excuses for not racing.

5K Race

My first race of the year will be a 5K on the first day of the year. I was a little gun shy to pull the trigger on this one initially because well it's Minnesota, in the winter. I decided to sign up for it anyway. It was a charity run after all for a local children's hospital. More on that shortly. They had offerings of 1600, 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon, with one day challenges included. I opted just for the 5K as I hadn't done as much training as I would've liked earlier this year, and being a former high school cross country I am intimately familiar with the 5K distance. So there it is, first race signed up for for my Dopey Challenge preparations.

Now a few comments on the "charity" run. The local news recently did a report on them, and based on tax filings just over 1% of funds raised by this organization actually goes to charity. That is just obscenely low. It turns out he frequently have to make trips to China to pick up race prizes because the ordered too late, and the founder of the organization likes to use the funds as his personal bank account. That, plus the lack of response when emailing them with questions, makes it so I will never run one of their races again. It's not like I only choose it because it was for charity, but if you're going to call yourself a charity run you should at least donate a reasonable portion of the money to charity. Rant over now.

10K Race

My next race will be a 10K. This will be my first time running a race of this distance. I am running the Get in Gear 10K around a local park in Minneapolis on 4/30. I love the park it's being held at so it should be an enjoyable run. Maybe I'll be able to convince my wife to join me, as there are a few restaurants in the area that we like, but seeing as she'll be about a month away from her due date I have my doubts. They will have pacers at this race, so I'll probably line up with the 8:00min/mile pacer and adjust my pace as needed from there. The one downside, no bling for us running the measly little 10K, just T-Shirts. That only goes to the Half Marathoners.

10 Mile Race

Next up, 10 Mile race. The Lift Bridge 10 Mile Road Race in lovely Stillwater, MN. Again, this will be my first attempt at this distance. This being my first, what do I do? Of course, I pick the race that is about as far as possible from me while still remaining in the Twin Cities metro area. It also has an 8am start time, which will hopefully beat the heat of a July day. That also means I'll have to leave my house by 6am, and will be leaving my wife with our new born for a few hours, unless she really does want to join me. Good news though, this one comes with bling, and a tec-shirt, not a cotton T-shirt. No mention of pacers on this one, but I'm hoping there are as this will be my first attempt at a POT for Dopey.

Half Marathon Race

Now on to the half marathon. Again, another first for me. I will be partaking in the Running of the Bays half marathon, on Sept 10, around Lake Minnetonka. This is a smaller race, only about 150 finishers last year, but I am really just looking for the experience of running the distance. No mention of pacers on the website for this race either, but I'll always have my handy dandy Garmin watch to help me stay on pace. I'll have to try hard to not sprint out of the gate like I have a tendency to do when racing. This will be my second, and last, chance at a POT for Dopey.

That's all I have for racing before the Dopey Challenge in January 2017. We'll see how things go with soccer and the kid, and potentially add a race or two, but odds are probably against it.

Looks like you have a good race plan setup. Excited to see how it works out for you. I always enjoy helping out others during their running journeys so let me know if there is anything I can do to help (advice, etc.) What was your brother's Dopey time that you're attempting to beat?
 


Looks like you have a good race plan setup. Excited to see how it works out for you. I always enjoy helping out others during their running journeys so let me know if there is anything I can do to help (advice, etc.) What was your brother's Dopey time that you're attempting to beat?

Thanks for the feedback. I've been reading a lot of the threads for this years marathon weekend and have found a lot of value from your posts as well as many others. I hope to have my actual training plans posted by tonight or tomorrow and would appreciate any feed back you may have.

My brother's times are as follows:
5K - 24:07
10K - 54:14
Half - 1:59:54
Full - 4:08:20

I'd ideally like to be under 4 for the marathon, and run them all fast enough for my cumulative time to be under 7. That means I'd have to make up about 26 minutes on his times. I feel like I should be able to do that, but you never know what will happen.
 
TRAINING PT. 1 - HOW I'LL RUN

5K Training

I am just over two weeks away from my scheduled 5K run. For training I have been using he Nike+ Run app and following their intermediate 5K program. It's been an ok program, but I think I would like a little more variety in my runs than this app seems to offer. It should get me where I want to be come January 1, but I'll be moving on for future races.

10K Training

For this race I plan on using a Hal Higdon plan. I'm debating between the intermediate and advanced plan right now. Since I have about two months between my 5K and what would be the start of this training plan I will see where I am and how I'm feeling as that time approaches. I'm hoping to be at a point where the advanced will work for me. What I'm struggling with us how I'll train during those two months. Maybe I'll hybridize the Higdon 5K and 10K plans to build a stronger base without killing me on miles. I need some sort of plan though, because without one I just won't run.

10 Mile Training

I again will be using a Hal Higdon plan. This time it will the 15K/10 Mile Advanced plan. This time I will have three weeks to fill between my 10K race and the scheduled start of the plan. This will be a much easier void to fill. I'm sure I can make something up to fill this time. This is also the time of year where my schedule will become much more hectic. The beginning of May marks the beginning of soccer season here in Minnesota. That means I will have to drag my butt out of bed most mornings to run as my evenings will be filled make sure little kids don't kill each other on the field. Also, during this training session our first child is due to be born. So, there goes at least a week of training I'm sure. Hopefully it won't hurt me too much, as the 10 Mile will be my first chance at a POT for Dopey, and I'm gunning for an 8:00/mile in the race.

Half Marathon Training

Now the distances begin to grow. Time to start training for my half marathon. By the time the 10 miler comes around it will technically be the sixth week of the Higdon Half Marathon Advanced plan. That lines up pretty well with where I'll be having just completed the 10 mile race, so I'll just pick it up there. My goal is to build the endurance to maintain an 8:00/mile pace once I get to the Half Marathon race. But, a new kid, and all that comes along with it may slow down my training efforts.

Dopey Challenge Training

Now it's time to hunker down and get ready for the main event. The challenge this year+ of training is leading up to. I will be using the Higdon Dopey plan as the base here. I don't like the step back week every other week so I will be filling it in with additional runs, leaving the step back to every fourth week. I will also be modifying to add some more speed runs to the Higdon plan, as my goal isn't simply to finish, but I do have specific times I'm looking to beat. Also, I will be starting in week two as my half is during what would be the first week of the program.

There we have it. That's the running I have planned. Many, many mile to run. Many more than I've run in a single year before. I'm starting to get into the idea of running longer distances, hopefully it will stick.

Up next, my non-running plans.
 
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First off, your goal is ambitious! Not only do you want to beat your brother's time, you want to crush it! :-) I like it! I'm going for the sub-7 hour Dopey this year too.

I will never tell someone they can't do it, because thats not my style. But I will say its going to take a lot of dedication, desire, consistency, and patience to meet the sub-7 hour Dopey goal having never run a 10K.

My first advice is to start your training as soon as possible. While it may seem like a year is a really long time, when it comes to endurance training it's not. The gains we make in endurance take a long time (about a 12 week cycle) before we can tell a noticeable difference. This means in a single year with no breaks we can fit about 4 cycles.

You have about 25% of your plan figured out, but I'd argue the other 75% of the plan is the pacing planned for all of the training runs. The pacing will determine what type of physical benefit you gain from the day's run. An important question to ask yourself is, "Why am I doing this run at this pace?" and "What am I gaining?" It makes you invested in the plan when you can answer those questions.

To determine whether these goals are within your physical capabilities, answer these:
1) Do you have a Garmin with VO2max or heart rate data?
2) If not, what is your VO2max based on the resting heart rate calculator? Resting heart rate is taken after waking up but not moving for 2 min, then count for 1 min.
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx

This will give us an idea where you are physically, and also give us an idea where you can get within a year.
 


First off, your goal is ambitious! Not only do you want to beat your brother's time, you want to crush it! :-) I like it! I'm going for the sub-7 hour Dopey this year too.

I will never tell someone they can't do it, because thats not my style. But I will say its going to take a lot of dedication, desire, consistency, and patience to meet the sub-7 hour Dopey goal having never run a 10K.

My first advice is to start your training as soon as possible. While it may seem like a year is a really long time, when it comes to endurance training it's not. The gains we make in endurance take a long time (about a 12 week cycle) before we can tell a noticeable difference. This means in a single year with no breaks we can fit about 4 cycles.

You have about 25% of your plan figured out, but I'd argue the other 75% of the plan is the pacing planned for all of the training runs. The pacing will determine what type of physical benefit you gain from the day's run. An important question to ask yourself is, "Why am I doing this run at this pace?" and "What am I gaining?" It makes you invested in the plan when you can answer those questions.

To determine whether these goals are within your physical capabilities, answer these:
1) Do you have a Garmin with VO2max or heart rate data?
2) If not, what is your VO2max based on the resting heart rate calculator? Resting heart rate is taken after waking up but not moving for 2 min, then count for 1 min.
http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/vo2max-calculator.aspx

This will give us an idea where you are physically, and also give us an idea where you can get within a year.

Well I never said it was an easy goal, though I do think it's obtainable. Ultimately I just want to beat his time in each of the four races, sub 7 would just be an added bonus.

I do have some pacing goals in mind for my runs, but will be reviewing them and my training plan with a personal trainer/running coach in my work gym.

My VO2max is at 45, which is in the good range for my age according to the website you provided. I'm also working on losing some weight, which will help me add some speed.

Though I know my goals are lofty, I know I can accomplish it as long as I avoid injuries. And yes I agree a year does sound like a long time, I know I will need that time. That is why I have begun training already.
 
Well I never said it was an easy goal, though I do think it's obtainable. Ultimately I just want to beat his time in each of the four races, sub 7 would just be an added bonus.

I do have some pacing goals in mind for my runs, but will be reviewing them and my training plan with a personal trainer/running coach in my work gym.

My VO2max is at 45, which is in the good range for my age according to the website you provided. I'm also working on losing some weight, which will help me add some speed.

Though I know my goals are lofty, I know I can accomplish it as long as I avoid injuries. And yes I agree a year does sound like a long time, I know I will need that time. That is why I have begun training already.

Sounds like you have the perfect attitude and are well on your way to reaching your goals.

I've attached a VO2max pacing estimate for you. In general most people's marathon falls within the 60-70% range. The elites can maximize their potential up to 85%. In addition to your current VO2max score (45), I included your potential maximum (20% increase from current fitness) up to 54. This shows that as you get fitter and train more you should see your VO2max score increase and should move closer to 54. Based on these calculations (as one of many different tools), I would agree that your goal of beating your brother's times is obtainable. Wishing you the best of luck!
 

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Sounds like you have the perfect attitude and are well on your way to reaching your goals.

I've attached a VO2max pacing estimate for you. In general most people's marathon falls within the 60-70% range. The elites can maximize their potential up to 85%. In addition to your current VO2max score (45), I included your potential maximum (20% increase from current fitness) up to 54. This shows that as you get fitter and train more you should see your VO2max score increase and should move closer to 54. Based on these calculations (as one of many different tools), I would agree that your goal of beating your brother's times is obtainable. Wishing you the best of luck!

Thanks for the information. I know I have it in me to get through the training, but like I mentioned there will definitely be some hurdles, primarily a new child. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more excited for our first child, but I do realize it will definitely add to the difficulty to obtaining my goal.
 
TRAINING PT 2 - WHAT I'LL DO WHEN NOT RUNNING

LIFTING

I will be adding a lifting regiment to my training program. Over the years my wife and I have accumulated a large number of Beach Body DVD Programs, both cardio and strength based. I will be cycling through a variety of the lifting programs based on the ones I like. My goal here is not to complete any single program in its entirety, but instead to lift around three times a week. Sticking to one program from beginning to end is not something I've ever been able to do, so having variety will keep me interested.

YOGA

Yoga is relatively new to me. My work gym recently offered a beginners yoga class. I have been taking part of that, and have noticed some improvement in back pain I've been experiencing recently. Tomorrow, 12/16, marks the final session of the beginners class. The gym also offers twice weekly sessions at a slightly more advanced level. However, the instructor does make sure to present modifications to moves for those of us aren't as flexible. I will take part in these at least once a week starting next year. Hopefully I will see an improvement in my flexibility and stability, both being something I have long struggled with, through these classes


CROSS TRAINING

At least once a week I hope to be able to get in some form of cross training. There will not be a specific cross training activity I do each week, but more of a day set aside for such. Some weeks it may be swimming, others spinning, or maybe even some agility work, which will be more to help me with soccer and reffing, but will be a good cardio workout either way.

On top of these various other activities, I do have a personal trainer/running coach, through my work, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor I will see on an as needed basis. I will use the trainer to help me make sure my plans are on track, and I am pacing myself correctly. My physical therapist will help with ankle and calf problems that I have flair up occasionally as well as some dry needling as needed. And my chiro will help keep some lower back problems I have under control. I've never had to go to PT or the chiro often, but it's nice having one of each I can trust for when I need them.
 
Good luck on your goals, you will learn a lot about yourself in the coming months and more so in the months preparing for and running your first marathon. I trained for a marathon with a new born, and its difficult but doable. Once the baby is ~ 3 months (maybe more, I forget) you can take them for runs. Pushing a running stroller is a different type of workout all together. I was lucky in the our DD loves to be in the stroller and actually ask to get into now. I have also seen people running with a child screaming and they still have 2-3 mile to get back to the car. Like dopeybadger said, nothing is impossible, but you will have to go all in on this to hit your marks. The good thing is you should have some good experience with being a ref for soccer games.
Also, the green is difficult to read.
 
Good luck on your goals, you will learn a lot about yourself in the coming months and more so in the months preparing for and running your first marathon. I trained for a marathon with a new born, and its difficult but doable. Once the baby is ~ 3 months (maybe more, I forget) you can take them for runs. Pushing a running stroller is a different type of workout all together. I was lucky in the our DD loves to be in the stroller and actually ask to get into now. I have also seen people running with a child screaming and they still have 2-3 mile to get back to the car. Like dopeybadger said, nothing is impossible, but you will have to go all in on this to hit your marks. The good thing is you should have some good experience with being a ref for soccer games.
Also, the green is difficult to read.

Yeah, the baby will make things difficult. I've thought about a jogging stroller, but there aren't a lot of paths in my area, and I wouldn't feel safe running on the side of the road with my infant. Reffing has definitely helped me build a bit of a base, but I need to work on building my speed some. Also, congrats on all of your success with running so far.
 
TRAINING FOR 5K

Schedule
Week of 12/12
Week of 12/19
Week of 12/26 (Race Week)

I have been following the Intermediate 5K training plan on the Nike+ Running app. I have stuck with it for the most part. I have had some off and on lower back and glute problems throughout so I haven't been able to stick with it as much as I would've liked, but should be able to hit my goal pace in my upcoming 5K.

PAST WEEKS TRAINING

12/12 - 3 miles planned - 2.82 completed
Started off strong and was maintaining a decent pace. My back started to flare up again, and I had to take a brief walk around the 2 mile mark. I was able to pick up my pace again, but ended up having to call it quit just shy of my goal. I completed 2.82 miles in 23:38, an 8:19 pace. Not too bad

12/13 - 4 miles planned - 4.2 completed
Today's work out was a 4 mile run with intervals. The interval schedule prescribed was 4 minutes on/1 minute off. I started out a bit too hard on my first few intervals and ended up having to drastically reduce the pace on the last couple. Other than being a little winded I wasn't feeling to bad. It ended up being a bit slower than I would be liked though. 4.2 miles in 36:28, an 8:41 pace.

12/14 - 3 miles planned - 3 miles competed
Today's planned run was an easy run of 3 miles. The weather was relatively decent considering it's December in Minnesota. No real problems at all today. 3.02 miles in 25:49, an 8:33 pace.

12/15 - Cross Train day
Though not the most ideal form of cross training I played soccer today. My work organizes an indoor league in the winter and today was game day

12/16 - 3 miles planned - rest day taken
Woke up feeling a bit sick so decided to take a rest day, especially with the weather turning a bit cooler and windier

12/17 - 6 miles planned - rest day taken
Still feeling sick, so I decided to take the day off again.

12/18 - rest day planned - 2.55 miles completed
I was feeling better so I went out for a run to try to make up at least some of my missed miles. I had hoped for at least 3 miles, but pulled up short at 2.55. I didn't wear appropriate head gear and my ears felt like they were about to fall off with the wind. Felt strong while running though. 2.55 miles completed in 23:16, 9:06 pace

12.55 out of 19 planned miles. Would've loved to get a few more in, but sickness got the better of me. Next week I'm thinking of switching to the last two weeks of the Hal Higdon plan to finish my 5K training. His plans seem to offer a little more diversity with the types of runs than Nike does.
 
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TRAINING FOR 5K

Week of 12/19

11.1 of 23.5 miles completed

12/19 - Rest day
I have transitioned to the Hal Higdon plan for my last two weeks of training. I've never particularly cared for the monotony of some of the Nike training plans, but hadn't done much research on other plans until recently. I've read some positive things about the Higdon plans, so we'll see how they go.

12/20 - 3 miles planned - 3 miles completed
Today was my first run after switching to the Higdon plan. It called for an easy three miles. I decided to actually take his advise on what an easy pace should be and worked to maintain it. I have a tendency to run too hard when an easy run is prescribed, especially when it is just a short 3 miles. I laced up my shoes, a brand new pair of adidas SuperNove Glide 7s my parents got me for Christmas, and hit the pavement. I worked hard to keep it at an easy pace, and didn't even get upset with myself when I felt my pace drop a little on my one major uphill. I felt strong at the end, and wasn't counting down to the finish like I have on some of my more recent runs. 3 miles in 25:57, an 8:39 pace.

12/21 - 5.5 miles planned - 5.5 miles completed
Today called for 8X400m intervals. I started out with a 1 mile warmup. I then started my intervals. My goal was to maintain a sub-8 pace for my runs, and I was successful I'm doing so. For my recovery intervals I walked the first .10 miles of the recover,pay, and then jogged and built speed over the last .15 miles. After my last interval, I finished with a .50 mile cool down. Altogether, a successful and strong run. 5.5 miles in 52:17, a 9:31 pace.


12/22 - 3 miles planned - 2.6 miles completed
Today was another 3 miles at an easy pace. I went out a little too soon after eating, so my pace was a little slower than planned but I was able to keep moving. I was moving along at a steady pace, even if it was slower than I had hoped. Then at around the 2.5 mile mark my nose started to bleed. I've had a history of nose bleeds, but after having it cauterized by an ENT several years ago I haven't had much trouble with them. I think it's the sudden drop and temps and air moisture that has been playing havoc with me recently. I tried to keep going, but it ended up being too difficult to keep running while trying to stop my nose from bleeding. So I pulled up short and walked home. 2.61 miles in 23:07, an 8:51 pace.

12/23 - Rest day
Today was a scheduled rest day. I had to get up early to take the dogs to the vet to have teeth extracted. A total of six teeth between the two dogs. Pugs are so dang expensive, I swear. It was a good day to take off from running though as I had to speak to the vet several times throughout the day. Now we're home trying to recover. Poor little things. My legs are feeling good as I head into a five miler tomorrow.

12/24 - 5 miles planned - unplanned rest day taken
I spent the day trying to care for the dogs and nursing an injury. No running happened today.

12/25 - 7 miles planned -unplanned rest day taken

The dogs were still out of it while trying to recover from surgery and the injury was still nagging. That paired with the roads being a little slick I took the day off again, though I was a bit upset with myself seeing as race day is only a week away.

I was only able to get in 11.1 out of 23.5 planned miles this week. Quite the let down, but better to protect yourself when injured.
 
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TRAINING FOR 5K

Week of 12/26

6.17 of 8.1 miles completed, 17:43 of 30 minutes

12/26 - Rest day
My last week didn't go as planned. I was able to complete just half of my planned miles in. I had hopes of doing better this week. One if the dogs was having some tummy issues after the surgery so today was a rough day.

12/27 - 3 miles planned, 3 miles completed
The weather was beginning to get cooler and snow was inbound. I got up and hit the road relatively early today. The run felt pretty good, and I didn't push myself as it was supposed to be an easy run. 2.97 miles in 26:46, a 9:01 pace

12/28 - 30 minute run planned, 17:43 completed
Today was my first scheduled tempo run of the Higdon plan. I started out with a solid warm up and began building speed. The snow storm from the night before had left the roads quite treacherous. After nearly falling four times I decided it just wasn't safe to be running any more an called it quits. I returned hope a bit dissatisfied, but knowing I had made the safest decision. 2.12 miles in 17:43, an 8:21 pace.

12/29 - 2 miles planned, 0 miles completed
The roads were still a bit rough after Sunday's snow, and DW and I had plans to tour daycare centers for our DS on the way. Time ran short and I was unable to get my run in.

12/30 - Rest day
More daycare tours today, and finally the dog's tummy troubles be an clearing. Relatively uneventful day

12/31 - Rest day
My wife and I have made plans to try a new burger from local restaurants every month until the DS is born. Today was the day for December, as we both had the day off and the restaurant only serves them at lunch during the week. The burger was amazing. Custom blend of meat, ooey gooey American cheese melted over both patties, and house made pickles. Simple, but perfect. Then we went to see the new Star Wars movie. It was amazing. Also, the trailer for Zootopia looks hilarious. Definitely a movie on my list to see.


1/1 - Race Day
The race was today. It had a start time of 11:30, so I didn't have to get up too early. In fact, I slept until almost 8:30. I'm not even sure the last time I did that. They were running races of four different distances today, with a one day challenge involving a combination of three of the distances. I signed up for just the 5K knowing I wouldn't be ready for longer distances. The race went well. It was a fun run for the 5K so no official time. I was a little slower than I had hoped, but not by much. My goal was to run sub 25, and according to my Garmin my 5K time was 25:16, so pretty close to my goal. Garmin totals: 3.17 miles in 25:48, an 8:09 pace. All in all, I was happy with it.
 
1/1 - Race Day
The race was today. It had a start time of 11:30, so I didn't have to get up too early. In fact, I slept until almost 8:30. I'm not even sure the last time I did that. They were running races of four different distances today, with a one day challenge involving a combination of three of the distances. I signed up for just the 5K knowing I wouldn't be ready for longer distances. The race went well. It was a fun run for the 5K so no official time. I was a little slower than I had hoped, but not by much. My goal was to run sub 25, and according to my Garmin my 5K time was 25:16, so pretty close to my goal. Garmin totals: 3.17 miles in 25:48, an 8:09 pace. All in all, I was happy with it.

Congrats on the race time today! Keep up the good work!

BTW, your easy pace seems awfully close to your race time today. Why do you think that is?

Based on my research these are your training paces (based on a 5K of 25:16)...

Recovery 0:11:38
Easy A 0:10:57
Easy B 0:10:16
Long Run 0:09:56
M Tempo 0:09:16
M Strength 0:09:06
HM Tempo 0:08:54
HM Strength 0:08:44
10K Speed 0:08:30
5K Speed 0:08:09

Everything from Long Run to slower is considered the endurance zone (easy). Trust me, I know these paces seem REALLY slow based on your 5K time, but these are considered the true easy paces and will best build endurance.

As a reference, my 5K PR is 22:04 and my current training paces are...

Recovery 0:10:34
Easy A 0:09:55
Easy B 0:09:14
Long Run 0:08:53
M Tempo 0:08:12
M Strength 0:08:02
HM Tempo 0:07:53
HM Strength 0:07:46
10K Speed 0:07:32
5K Speed 0:07:13

Calculated using the following multiplication factor...

Recovery 1.45
Easy A 1.37
Easy B 1.27
Long Run 1.23
M Tempo 1.14
M Strength (M Tempo - 10 sec)
HM Tempo 1.09
HM Strength (HM Tempo - 10 sec)
10K Speed 1.04
5K Speed 1.00
 
Congrats on the race time today! Keep up the good work!

BTW, your easy pace seems awfully close to your race time today. Why do you think that is?

Based on my research these are your training paces (based on a 5K of 25:16)...

Recovery 0:11:38
Easy A 0:10:57
Easy B 0:10:16
Long Run 0:09:56
M Tempo 0:09:16
M Strength 0:09:06
HM Tempo 0:08:54
HM Strength 0:08:44
10K Speed 0:08:30
5K Speed 0:08:09

Everything from Long Run to slower is considered the endurance zone (easy). Trust me, I know these paces seem REALLY slow based on your 5K time, but these are considered the true easy paces and will best build endurance.

As a reference, my 5K PR is 22:04 and my current training paces are...

Recovery 0:10:34
Easy A 0:09:55
Easy B 0:09:14
Long Run 0:08:53
M Tempo 0:08:12
M Strength 0:08:02
HM Tempo 0:07:53
HM Strength 0:07:46
10K Speed 0:07:32
5K Speed 0:07:13

Calculated using the following multiplication factor...

Recovery 1.45
Easy A 1.37
Easy B 1.27
Long Run 1.23
M Tempo 1.14
M Strength (M Tempo - 10 sec)
HM Tempo 1.09
HM Strength (HM Tempo - 10 sec)
10K Speed 1.04
5K Speed 1.00

I'm sure there are a number of reasons. First, and foremost, as I've mentioned before, I am absolutely terrible at running at slower paces. I just always feel the need to push myself more. This is something I've been working on, and feel pretty proud of myself for keeping it as slow as I did. Second, my distances are lower right now. Running 3 miles at a 9 minute pace is fairly easy. I understand running those distances at a slower pace now will help me get in the habit of doing it as the distances grow, but I'm not quite there yet.
 
Training for 10K

Pre-10k Training
Week of 1/3/2016
Week of 1/10/2016
Week of 1/17/2016
Week of 1/24/2016
Week of 1/31/2016
Week of 2/7/2016
Week of 2/14/2016
Week of 2/21/2016
Week of 2/28/2016

Get in Gear 10K Training
Week of 3/6/2016
Week of 3/13/2016
Week of 3/20/2016
Week of 3/27/2016
Week of 4/3/2016
Week of 4/10/2016
Week of 4/17/2016
Week of 4/24/2016 (Race Week)

My training for the 10K is being broken into two phases. I am using the Higdon Advanced 10K training program to get ready for the 10K. Since this is only an eight week program, and I have seventeen weeks until the 10K I have to fill the first nine weeks somehow. In order to fill these weeks I have decided to do the last five weeks of the Advanced 5K program followed by the first four weeks of the Intermediate 10K program.
 
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