I won't give in till I reach the end... and then I'll start again (comments welcome)

[WillRunForPizza]

Sounds like an awesome drop-in visit!!

 

[AZMermaid]

Wow! What a fun day!

 

[flav]

Disneyland Paris mini-trip report - 2023/11/12
As I mentioned, I was in Paris for a short trip as I had a business meeting to attend on Monday morning. So I figured now was a very good chance for me to visit DLP. Hubby indulges my Disney passion, but flying transatlantic to go to a Disney park would be a stretch. My goal was to mostly try the attractions that are specific to Paris.

My hotel was near Gare de Lyon, which is a direct 40-minute RER ride to the parks. I arrived around 12:30 and there was almost no one at the turnstiles. I hurried to the Emporium to buy some DLP ears then walked down Main Street. It was around 8C (so mid 40s) that day with a light drizzle. For this Canadian, that was fine but you can tell by the winter coats that many ppl were cold
View attachment 811086
(Main Street decorated for Christmas with Sleeping Beauty castle in the background)

I hit Hyperspace Mountain first via the Single Rider line. (Hot take: we are absolutely not Space Mountain fans - it's jerky and not that thrilling. We end up skipping it on most trips) But this one. Wow. You can tell it was built 20 years later. It's like Cosmic Rewind on steroids.

Then I started what no person does at WDW ever: tour the parks in a circular pattern, with no criss-crossing! Everything had relatively short waits, with the longest being Peter Pan and BTMR at ~40 minutes. I rode on Phantom Manor, BTMR (those underwater tunnels, weee!!), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (yuck) and Pirates. While I rode Pirates, I noticed the restaurant that is inside the ride. I checked on the app and was lucky to see an available reservation for 18:15 that evening. And as I texted my husband, work was paying for my meals, so dinner at Captain Jack's wasn't on me!

I took a break for coffee and a pastry, then did some of the rides in Fantasyland like Pinocchio and it's a small world. I tried to go underneath the castle to see the Maleficent dragon but it was closed for the upcoming Xmas parade.


I did manage to go see it right before dinner. What an amazing idea to utilize the space underneath the castle like that.
View attachment 811090
(La Tanière du Dragon)

I had a really fun and savoury meal at Captain Jack's. And the view was awesome, watching the Pirate boats go by. 100% recommend
View attachment 811101
(View of the Pirate boats from Captain Jack's restaurant)

After dinner, I decided to just hit the thrill rides over and over. BTMR had a 10-minute wait, so I rode it 3 times in a row. I spent 30 minutes rushing around the park trying to find some Christmas presents for my kids. Then I finished with a double-header of Hyperspace Mountain again, which was a complete walkon. The CM would let us choose if we wanted the first or last row. YES!

Another amazing thing about DLP: I walked over to the Hub at 21:45 in time for the 22:00 fireworks and I easily found a spot next to a rail. Maybe it's because it wasn't a crowded day? At WDW, we avoid nighttime shows - there's no way I'm staking out a spot 2 hours ahead of time just to get a nice view. I much prefer spending more time in the attractions. So this was heaven to me.

After fireworks I rushed back to the RER station. I was anticipating a long line for tickets and the train but nope, I walked right on and found a seat. Train was pretty full by the time we left the station though.

Overall I had an amazing day. I was in the park from 12:30 to 22:00. I managed to do all the attractions I wanted, some more than once. My step counter showed 42,000 by the time I got back to my hotel room. Side note: I ended up having a lot of trouble sleeping. My legs were killing me. I might have overdone it just a tad.

Next day at work I had a character pic. Reminded me of the pavilion in World Showcase
View attachment 811114
(Metropolitain sign in front of RATP HQ)

For years DH and I have been saying that, if we ever have a layover in Paris, we skip the city and head to DL. Your report confirms our tendency. What a great day you had! Thanks for sharing

 

[azrivest]

40 for Dopey

6 weeks!

Weekly Summary:

• Running = 7:25
• Strength Training (Lifting & Yoga) = 0:52

I'm using a McMillan marathon "stage" plan. I used a very similar plan for my marathon last year. And honestly the more I get into it, the more I'm doubting the plan's ability to get me through Dopey. It seems great for a marathon, but it doesn't seem to have any real simulation of the race fatigue accumulation. I'm just trying to remind myself that DopeyBadger always says if you can run a marathon, you can do Dopey. So I'm banking on that.

Monday

• No running or weight lifting. Went to work in the morning and flew home in the afternoon.

Tuesday

• Planned: 40-50 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 6 km ~ 47:38 (7:56 min/km)
  • Avg HR 148 bpm
  • Because of the jetlag, I woke up at 4 am. So for once waking up to go running before the kids got up was easy peasy
• Did a quick 30-minute yoga session with my yoga teacher at lunch

Wednesday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 3.8 km ~ 30:01 (7:54 min/km)
  • Avg HR 128 bpm
  • Did 30:30 intervals with J for the first 15 minutes. Maybe I should switch up my intervals more with such a low avg heart rate

Thursday

• Planned: 10-20 minute Warm-Up + 6 to 8 times Yasso 800 + 10-20 minute Cool-down
  • Completed: 12.92 km ~ 1:32:05 (7:07 min/km)
  • According to Greg McMillan, you can predict your marathon time within 5 minutes with Yasso 800s if you run them correctly. Your intervals in minutes and seconds translate to your marathon time in hours and minutes.
  • With my inputted 5:30 target marathon time, my target interval time was 5:12 - 5:24/rep
  • My actual intervals: 4:52, 5:08, 5:02, 5:14, 5:06, 5:05, 5:09, 5:12
  • I ran most intervals too fast. Not too surprising seeing as my target of 5h30 is actually pretty relaxed for me. The intervals at that speed never felt too hard.

Friday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: Nothing
• Did 25 minutes of strength training while watching the latest Survivor 45 episode with my family. 3x 1min planks, banded lateral walks, banded clam shells, and dead bugs

Saturday

• Planned: 70 minute Long Run
  • Completed: 10.16 km ~ 1:20:02 (7:52 min/km / 12:40 min/mi)
  • Avg HR 151 bpm
  • Did a bit more as I wanted to make sure I ran on tired legs for my long run the next day. See my previous bit about not having any real simulation weekends in my plan.
  • It was cold and dark, and the sun came out right after I finished my run. Doh!
• One of my best friends was celebrating her 40th birthday, so I spent the evening at her party and even had a glass of wine. I got home it was past midnight. I've had issues with alcohol and long runs in the past few months, thankfully it didn't have any impact this time. I gave myself the excuse that it was almost like simulating an afternoon/evening in the park before a race

Sunday

• Planned: 16-18 mile (26-29 km) Long Run
  • Completed: 25.01 km ~ 3:15:50 (7:49 min/km / 12:35 min/mi)
  • Avg HR 154 bpm Most of this run was done in zone 3, not good.
  • I had already planned to cap my run at 3h15. McMillan plans are based on an average training pace of 10:00 min/mi, which means ~3h00 for a 17 mile run.
  • I had my usual Liquid IV 20 minutes before the run. Then every 40 minutes I fueled with either a GU or a Maurten 100 gel. I drank all of my 1L bladder in those 195 minutes. Comforts me in my decision to have DH wait for me with another bladder at CSR during the marathon. I am not going to rely at all on on-course fuel stations, seeing the reports about the lack of volunteers at W&D.
  • I ran the first hour with my running group. I don't know why I still go back. You should have seen the looks I got when I said I was doing 3 hours to train for the marathon, and Dopey, in WDW. "You're doing how many miles in 4 days?!" I'm not crazy guys, I know what I signed up for.
  • The last 45 minutes were hard. My legs felt heavy and my toes hurt. My Kayano 28 don't seem true to size, they really make my feet hurt after more than 10 miles. Guess they won't be my marathon shoe.

We also spent some time yesterday working on the Della Duck/Dewey Duck costume. We ordered some duck slippers off the internet that I'll glue onto our running shoes. I'll wear some grey leggings with one leg cut off, over some dark yellow tights. I'll try to reuse the material of the cutoff to wrap over one of the duck shoe to finish the metal foot. I'm also going to use old runDisney cooling towels as Della's scarf. I thought it was a nice Easter egg to add in.

Happy running!

 

[azrivest]

I was looking at my Garmin Connect stats this morning and realized that last week was my biggest training week ever in terms of mileage. I've never done so many miles in a context of training and not racing. So yay for me!

I'm paying for it slightly today. I've been having pain in my pubic area since yesterday afternoon. Dr. Google tells me it might be Osteitis Pubis. I grabbed an appointment with my osteopath for as early as I could, which was Thursday. I'll try to take it easy until then.

So @WillRunForPizza I have to slow down too it seems. We can commiserate together.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

I was looking at my Garmin Connect stats this morning and realized that last week was my biggest training week ever in terms of mileage. I've never done so many miles in a context of training and not racing. So yay for me!

I'm paying for it slightly today. I've been having pain in my pubic area since yesterday afternoon. Dr. Google tells me it might be Osteitis Pubis. I grabbed an appointment with my osteopath for as early as I could, which was Thursday. I'll try to take it easy until then.

So @WillRunForPizza I have to slow down too it seems. We can commiserate together.

Yay for a weekly mileage PR! And boo for the subsequent injuries. Hope your feels better soon!

 

[DopeyBadger]

It seems great for a marathon, but it doesn't seem to have any real simulation of the race fatigue accumulation. I'm just trying to remind myself that DopeyBadger always says if you can run a marathon, you can do Dopey. So I'm banking on that.

It's truth. The consistency and totality of the training is what matters the most. As long as you're running frequently and everything isn't bunched up in one run, then you'll be fine for Dopey. In my view, there's no such thing as simulator weekends, as much as there is just plain good marathon training.

 

[azrivest]

40 for Dopey

Only 5 weeks and 3 mega-long runs to go!!! So exciting!

Weekly Summary:

• Running = 6:02/29.97 miles
• Strength Training (Lifting & Yoga) = 1:06

This week was about aches & pains. My left butt cheek especially seems really tight. That pain in my groin/left inner thigh went away after about 36 hours, but I can really tell I've upped my mileage significantly. I'll need to keep up my strength training game if I want to avoid any overuse injuries.

Cause yeah just about when my inner thigh started feeling better... my son broke my nose with a really vicious headbutt. I've spent all week looking like a boxer and having a really annoying headache in my forehead.

Despite that minor setback, I've been feeling mentally great. I ran 36 miles last week which, as I wrote, was my biggest mileage week ever. I've been riding a confidence high since realizing it.

Monday

• 30 minutes during DD's cheer practice. Lunges, back rows, dead bugs, deltoid lifts and sumo squats.

Tuesday

• Planned: 30-45 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 5.54 km ~ 42:54 (7:44 min/km)
  • Avg HR 139 bpm
  • Took it easy with my groin but I felt fine.
• J broke my nose when I came home from my run cause he was happy to see me. Having ADHD makes impulse control really hard. Can't blame my little buddy.

Wednesday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 3.62 km ~ 28:22 (7:50 min/km)
  • Avg HR 140 bpm
  • ran this on the treadmill since we got some icy rain overnight. Plus, see above for that broken nose.

Thursday

• Planned: 10-20 minute Warm-Up + Tempo Run: 15 to 25 minutes + 10-20 minute Cool-down
  • Completed: 8.27 km ~ 1:01:00 (7:22 min/km)
  • Like last week, with my target marathon time of 5h30, the prescribed tempo pace for this workout wasn't that much of an effort.

Friday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: Nothing
• 36 minutes of strength training following along to RunFitMama's slider videos. I was really sore the next day.

Saturday

• Planned: 50-60 minute Easy Run with 8-10 x 1 minute surges at a medium-hard effort with 1 minute recovery in between
  • Completed: 8.15 km ~ 1:00:03 (7:22 min/km)
  • Did my warm-up with J doing 30:30 intervals

Sunday

• Planned: 14-16 mile (22-26 km) Fast Finish Long Run with the last 4 to 6 miles (7-10 km) at a slightly faster pace
  • Completed: 22.64 km/14.07 mi ~ 2:49:45 (7:29 min/km)
  • Avg HR 149 bpm <-- considering the Fast Finish, this is good!
  • Nutrition: Liquid IV 20 minutes before the run. Then every 35-40 minutes one GU or one Maurten. I tried the GU Salted Watermelon for the first time Nope, not for me. Tasted like salted bubble gum.
  • I splurged on a Black Friday sale and bought some Kayano 30 for 20% off. All the shoe tubers were raving about this model. They feel better than the Kayano 28 but still hurt my toes. Guess I'll have to tough it out during the marathon.
  • Weather for this run was practically ideal. In the mid 30s/1-4C, slightly cloudy, next to no wind. I could not have had better weather for my long run. that it continues into December, I'm not looking forward to a 3-hour long run in the snow.
  • After my run, my husband and my daughter surprised me with a Garden Grill imitation brunch

Next week is a very welcome down week with a 90 minute Thirds Progression Run

Happy running!

 

[SheHulk]

Oh my gosh you are soooo much nicer than I would be about DS breaking your nose! And you just keep working out, on top of it! You are one Calm Mom.

 

[nancipants]

Omg, my toddler has given me some nasty head butts but I'm lucky to have escaped (so far) without any broken bones. I hope it heals quickly!

 

[azrivest]

Oh my gosh you are soooo much nicer than I would be about DS breaking your nose! And you just keep working out, on top of it! You are one Calm Mom.

No I am not a Calm Mom. I was pretty pissed at that moment. It hurt like heck. But honestly he's done so much worse in his 11 years of living

 

[SheHulk]

No I am not a Calm Mom. I was pretty pissed at that moment. It hurt like heck. But honestly he's done so much worse in his 11 years of living

Okay that's better!

 

[flav]

Wishing you a speedy recovery

After my run, my husband and my daughter surprised me with a Garden Grill imitation brunch

I am curious about Garden Grill, with Toppolino, they are the only characters dining location that I haven’t tried. I keep wanting to add it to my plan but am not sure how much I would enjoy it solo vs trying a few more booths in Epcot. You seem to prefer breakfast to lunch/dinner, how does it compare to other breakfast (I like Mickey waffles, Woody’s Lunchbox Totchos and everything at Sleepy Hollow for example)?

Have a good week

 

[azrivest]

I am curious about Garden Grill, with Toppolino, they are the only characters dining location that I haven’t tried. I keep wanting to add it to my plan but am not sure how much I would enjoy it solo vs trying a few more booths in Epcot. You seem to prefer breakfast to lunch/dinner, how does it compare to other breakfast (I like Mickey waffles, Woody’s Lunchbox Totchos and everything at Sleepy Hollow for example)?

Thank you for the kind wishes

You might have guessed from my previous post, but with my kids who both have ADHD, we try to favour speedy restaurants or quick-service meals. We do breakfast as 1) it's cheaper, 2) my kids are up by 7 am every day no matter what and 3) they are usually calmer than during the evening. So I've become your typical soccer mom does brunch

I haven't tried Topolino's but I would 100% try it without my kids.

Garden Grill is one of our favourites since it has accessible food and it's fast. Basically Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs and bacon. The cinnamon bun pre-C19 was my family's favorite on property. They have replaced it post-C19 with a cinnamon breakfast loaf which I heard wasn't as good. The restaurant takes about an hour to spin 360°. We had seen all the characters more than once and were finished before it completed a whole rotation, and were waiting in line for the first showing of Soarin'

We've booked it for after the MW 5k since that's where Jamie wants to celebrate with his 5k medal

 

[azrivest]

Only 30 days until we leave!

My favorite GIF of Merida looking happy cause we have almost the same hair and that's how I intend to feel from now until Dopey

 

[azrivest]

40 for Dopey

Only 4 weeks and 3 mega-long runs to go...

Weekly Summary:

• Running = 5:13:33 - 41.86 km/26.02 miles
• Strength Training (Lifting & Yoga) = 0:57

Had a really difficult week, mental health wise. I got some really bad news at work and I'm struggling to get past it. I gave myself grace and allowed myself to reduce my training load a bit. It's so hard to juggle my 40+ hour work weeks, 5-8 hours of running and keep two little humans alive and happy.

Monday

• 34 minutes of strength training. Lunges, back rows, dead bugs, deltoid lifts and sumo squats.

Tuesday

• Planned: 60-80 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 5.81 km ~ 43:31 (7:29 min/km) + Indoor 3.63 km ~ 30:01 (8:16 min/km)
  • Avg HR 141 bpm
  • Cut my outside run a bit short since DH had to leave. Finished the last 30 minutes on the dreadmill.

Wednesday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: Nothing
  • Could not muster up the energy to run today, my mood was in the dumps. Allowed myself to take a day off with no running and no strength training

Thursday

• Planned: 10-20 minute Warm-Up + Tempo Interval Workout: 3 x 1600 meters with 3 minutes recovery jog followed by 3 times 200 meters with 200 meter recovery jog + 10-20 minute Cool-down
  • Completed: 11.11 km ~ 1:17:31 (6:58 min/km)
  • My 1600m intervals: 10:03, 10:03, 9:58 Didn't feel too difficult
  • My 200m intervals: 1:09, 1:12, 1:11
• Did 23 minutes of strength training while watching Survivor with the kids.

Friday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 4.01 km ~ 29:16 (7:18 min/km)
  • I don't usually run on Fridays. When I got home from work, it was really mild outside and I saw a few runners in shorts outside so I did the same.

Saturday

• Planned: 70-80 minute Long Run
  • Completed: 5.03 km ~ 41:40 (8:16 min/km)
  • I have a good excuse for only doing half the planned running time To motivate DS for the WDW 5k, I signed us both up for a Santa fun run in the east side of Montreal.
  • It was great weather for Christmas-themed run. Just around freezing point with falling wet snow.
  • J ran the race fartlek-style. I let him dictate the rhythm: run when you want, walk when you can't. We had so much fun. Felt a bit like a Disney race with all the costumed runners and the festive ambiance. Except, as J said, for the cold toes and mud. Hopefully we won't have much of that in Florida in January

Again, gave myself some grace and allowed myself to not run the other 40 minutes today. DD also had cheer practice in the afternoon so I went with her.

Sunday

• Planned: 90 minute Thirds Progression Run
  • Completed: 12.28 km ~ 1:31:31 (7:27 min/km)

I have 3 long runs left to finish my training cycle:
12/10 - 16 mile Fast Finish Long Run with the last 6 miles at a faster pace
12/17 - 18 mile Long Run <--- the longest run in my plan
12/24 - 14 mile Fast Finish Long Run with the last 6 miles at a faster pace

They're forecasting 5-10 inches of snow in the next 24 hours, which isn't that bad. It's the freezing temps forecasted for after that worry me. I was really hoping weather would remain mild, with not too much snow and/or not too many frigid temps to help me finish my Dopey training. I won't have the mental willpower to finish a 16-mile run if it's -15C/5F. Let's wait and see...


Happy running friends!

 

[SheHulk]

They're forecasting 5-10 inches of snow in the next 24 hours, which isn't that bad.

yes it is

 

[azrivest]

40 for Dopey

Only 3 weeks and 2 mega-long runs to go...

Weekly Summary:

• Running = 6:44 - 52.15 km/32.41 miles
• Strength Training (Lifting & Yoga) = 1:13

This week was easier mentally but only slightly. I was hoping against hope that training would stay manageable until Christmas but alas not. Those 8 inches on Monday really screwed up outside running conditions. After the snowstorm, temps dropped, so the snow stuck. My kids were super happy, me not so much

Oh yeah I forgot to mention. Teachers in our school district are on strike for who knows how long. The kids are at home with no school until at least Christmas break, which makes working from home so fun. I'm having PTSD symptoms from the pandemic, though at least they can go and play with friends during the day.

It's also the season of office parties and as manager of two teams, I have to show up for quite a few social outings. I have to balance having fun and getting the proper rest between my runs.

Monday

• Don't remember why I didn't do my strength training but my mood was probably in the pits.
• Ironically, this was in the Coach Notes in my training plan on Final Surge: Suck it up buttercup. Pity parties happen but must not become a habit. Learn to reset quickly & find your toughest YOU.

Tuesday

• Planned: 30-45 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 5.55 km ~ 45:00 (8:06 min/km)
  • Avg HR 148 bpm
  • I took some very pretty pictures of the neighborhood Christmas decorations lit up in the snow.
  • At least the snow makes running in the 5am darkness brighter
• Had a nice yoga session that was all about relaxing wound up muscles on the towel roll

Xmas decorations in the early morning snow

Wednesday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 3.75 km ~ 30:00 (8:00 min/km)
  • Avg HR 142 bpm
  • Don't remember much except that I wasn't into this one.
• Did a quick 20-minute strength session before going into the office.
• I had an office Christmas dinner in the evening with one of my teams. We went out for karaoké and fondue, which was so much fun. Also means I came home late and didn't sleep much.

Thursday

• Planned: 10-20 minute Warm-Up + 8 to 10 times Yasso 800+ 10-20 minute Cool-down
  • Completed: 7.26 km ~ 59:31
  • I hadn't even completed the warmup when I knew this workout was not going to happen. My fatigue from the short night combined with the snow on the ground meant I was not going to hit my interval paces. I stopped my watch, restarted a regular easy run on my watch and went purely by feel. I absolutely failed at doing the Yassos, but I won at respecting my body.

Friday

• Planned: Off, Cross-Train or 30 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 4.04 km ~ 31:33 (7:48 min/km)
  • I don't usually run on Fridays but I felt bad about not running enough the day before. I finished the last episode of Secret Invasion on the tread since it was really cold outside.
• It was our office Christmas party that evening. It was absolutely dreadful and I was bored to tears. I usually close up the dance floor but tonight, DH and I left at 10:30 and were in bed by midnight.

Saturday

• Planned: 30-45 minute Easy Run
  • Completed: 6.02 km ~ 47:32 (7:54 min/km)
  • Avg HR 146 bpm
  • I went outside despite my better judgment. It wasn't that cold but street conditions were crappy. The run was all about finding streets or sidewalks that were sufficiently plowed.
• DS had his hip hop dance recital at the end of the day Proud of my little buddy!

Sunday

• Planned: 16 mile Fast Finish Long Run with the last 6 miles at a faster pace
  • Completed: 25.53 km / 15.87 miles ~ 3:11:00 (7:28 min/km)
  • I deserve a medal for finishing this run. It was cold, rainy, icy. I was miserable the whole time. If I managed to get through the 3 hours of this run, I can surely finish Dopey. It was much harder mentally than physically.
  • To add insult to injury, to avoid a really icy patch, I accidentally ran into a burdock bush and got covered in burrs. Thankfully it didn't irritate me so I was able to keep going.

Great running conditions for a 16-mile run




I have 2 long runs left to finish my training cycle:
12/17 - 18 mile Long Run <--- the longest run in my plan
12/24 - 14 mile Fast Finish Long Run with the last 6 miles at a faster pace

It's going to be a challenge to get them done... I pray Mother Nature cooperates I'll do what I can and that's that. I appreciate week after week that this training cycle is all about "Less is more".

Happy running friends!

 

[AZMermaid]

Wow! That’s impressive! Do you have to do anything special to run in the snow? We are going to be in Colorado for a few days after Christmas and I am trying to figure out my plan. I’m supposed to do 9 miles but I think I’ll shift things so I have a shorter run- maybe 4 miles. But I’ve never run in snow. I can probably count on my fingers the amount of times I’ve walked on snow in my life. So I’m clueless about what to do!

 

[azrivest]

Wow! That’s impressive! Do you have to do anything special to run in the snow? We are going to be in Colorado for a few days after Christmas and I am trying to figure out my plan. I’m supposed to do 9 miles but I think I’ll shift things so I have a shorter run- maybe 4 miles. But I’ve never run in snow. I can probably count on my fingers the amount of times I’ve walked on snow in my life. So I’m clueless about what to do!

Shorter strides, be light on your feet, slow down. It's a bit like running in sand.

DopeyBadger gave some great advice in his running journal this week:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/t...badger-comments-welcome.3475601/post-65187586

As he wrote, don't expect to be as fast and go with perceived effort more than planned pace. Running on unstable surfaces also forces you to exercise muscles that aren't as active on hard surfaces. Expect your stabilizers to be more sore the next day