To Infinity and Beyond - Becoming a Better DopeyBadger (Comments Welcome)

[DopeyBadger]

Sabrina lives 20 mins away
She’s not into the ide, but will entertain the HM

Even more fun!

 

[TeeterTots]

Even more fun!

Is that too close to WDW Marathon 2019?

 

[DopeyBadger]

75 Days to Go (Welcome Back! Did you miss me?)



Date - Day - Scheduled Workout (Intervals within desired pace)

1/15/17 - M - OFF
1/16/17 - T - OFF
1/17/17 - W - 4 miles @ 7:42-8:16 min/mile
1/18/17 - R - 5 miles @ 7:42-8:16 min/mile
1/19/17 - F - 5 miles @ 7:42-8:16 min/mile
1/20/17 - Sat - 6 miles @ 7:42-8:16 min/mile
1/21/17 - Sun - 7 miles @ 7:42-8:16 min/mile
1/22/18 - M - MBW

Total (training) mileage = 26.9 miles
Number of SOS intervals within pace = nd/nd (nd%)

I started writing the Spring 2018 training plan on Jan 14th night. I was sitting there wrapping up the last of the plans I could write that night from everyone else. I took a deep breath, looked at my wife and said "finished". She looked at me and said, "don't you have one left?". I was like, oh yea... mine! While writing it I was trying to decide whether to go 14 days off or 10 days off or just start on that Tuesday. When I had originally written the plan on Sunday night, I was to start on Tuesday. But a bevy of new requests came in and so I decided to forgo that one training day to help out my fellow runners.

Wednesday

The first run back since the Dopey Challenge concluded. I went from 48.6 miles of racing, to nothing in the drop of the hat. But I was happy to get to spend some more time with the family and to write some new training plans (ended up writing 28 plans since Dopey ended and have another 6 left in the queue).

WC of 6, 12-30 mph wind, night. I severely underestimated the temperature and the wind. So I was a bit frozen when I came home. I was wearing my new Triumph Iso 3s. The dynamic WU felt great. My legs were super loose and were flying all over the place. I was practically kicking myself in the head on my toy soldiers.

Unfortunately, within only a few minutes of starting my right calf was sore. It was the exact same right calf soreness I was dealing with right before we left for Disney. In addition, it was hurting at the airport and the day we flew in. But thankfully, the soreness had subsided by the day of the 5k and I had no issues throughout the entire Dopey Challenge. I had chalked it up to running in the snow a few times right before Disney and shrugged it off since it was gone during an entire 48.6 miles of racing. But then within minutes of my first run back, it was back too. Not really sure what to make of it. I wasn't running in snow and I was going at a very slow comfortable pace. I decided to keep an eye on it the next few days. So, welcome back!

Average pace 9:03 min/mile and HR of 128.

Thursday

Things weren't much better on Thursday. I had that same soreness now lingering through my normal daily life.

WC of 24, 4 mph wind, night. The calf was still sore, but didn't slow me down. It was just something I noticed while running. I found it funny that pre-Lakefront I was dealing with a groin issue. Then on race day, nothing. Then pre-Dopey is a calf issue, then race day, nothing. I guess I should be thankful that I overcome these minor issues (an assumption) when the race actually occurs. I hypothesized that maybe it was the new shoes (Triumph Iso 3) causing the issue. I really didn't want that to be the case because I bought 3 pairs off Amazon (super sale). So, I decided to go with a wait and see approach. Not use the Triumphs until the issue resolves and then bring them back in. If the pain is immediate, then it's likely it is the shoes. If it doesn't come back, then it's some other issue. It seems like it gets better as the run progresses (same for daily life and no movement and the first steps feel not great, but then after walking for a bit it diminishes). Who knows? Just something to keep a tab on.

Average pace of 8:33 min/mile and HR of 130.

I'm pretty happy to see my HR is still close to where it was pre-Dopey. That wasn't the case after the last two marathons as it was taking near 40 days to return to normal.

Friday

WC of 29, 11-23 mph wind, and night. More of the same. Still sore, and still avoiding the Triumph Iso 3.

Average pace of 8:15 min/mile and HR of 132. Still in the easy zone!

Saturday

I noticed my resting HR had jumped over 60 from the previous night's sleep. I'm normally in the 47-52 range. So an increase like that usually means something is on the horizon. Maybe a sickness/flu like symptom is coming?

Steph forwarded me a request from the modeling agency for "Avid Runners" and convinced me to at least apply. What's the worst that could happen? It would be fun to be in a commercial. I found out later it will be a Nike commercial.

The weather was going to be really nice that afternoon, so I pushed the run to later. WC of 47, 4 mph wind, sunny! Ahh, glorious 40 degree day in January in WI. Now that's a rarity! Probably enjoyed it a tad too much because my average pace was 7:52 with a HR of 141. Seemingly pushed it too hard, but it felt easy. But the HR suggested otherwise. The calf still gave me issues. The Garmin gave me a recovery of 28 hours. I giggled at that because I've had 19 mile runs come back at 20 hours recovery.

Sunday

Resting HR was still high. I decided to get the run done in the morning since the afternoon called for rain (which didn't come until the night). After yesterday's too fast, I decided to try to slow down even more. The calf was still sore throughout the run. Average pace of 8:16 and HR of 145. I'm not buying that HR. The data wasn't skewed because of cadence, but it sure looked way too high for how I was feeling. I was up in the "M Tempo" region. So when I got home, I turned my watch on and off to try and reset it as maybe there was a glitch with the HR monitor. The HR was still high post-run as well. So it's going to be something I'm going to need to watch as well.

After the day's activities, I decided to prop my leg up and put some ice on it. Just precautionary since I'm not sure exactly what the issue is at the moment. I haven't used the Triumphs again, but the issue hasn't resolved. Maybe after the 60 hour rest period between Sunday and Tuesday.

Monday

Steph's on a work trip for a few days, so it's time for some solo dad time. Time to brush up on the ole' cooking skills for the Hello Fresh meals. We've really enjoyed them. They're time savers for Steph, while expensive we seem to be spending less at the grocery store because of less impulse buys (less trips = less impulse), we like the variety (since we were in a dinner rut) and since they're portion controlled we've found them to be satisfying both to our palate and our waist lines. We may even bump up to 4 days per week instead of 3. I was going to leave that for Steph to decide.

I'll get the medicine ball workout going again tonight.

So that's where I am at. Still another easy week on tap and then I'm suppose to move into the real stuff. I'm keeping tabs on the calf and hoping it's a small thing that resolves on its own. Time will tell! Oh and no, I didn't miss you weird soreness in my calf...

 

[DopeyBadger]

Is that too close to WDW Marathon 2019?

10/21/18 to 1/13/19 is 12 weeks. That's my bare minimum between "A" race marathons. So assuming you plan to "A" race both, it can be done but it cuts it really close. You will barely reach peak mileage between them. So the expectation should be a similar finish time, rather than improvement in between them. If instead you're looking to finish (complete) both marathons, then you've got no issue whatsoever.

 

[GollyGadget]

I was thinking about the Toronto marathon 10/21/18???

I was looking at that one as well but then saw a lot of negative reviews online which scared me away. Please let me know how it goes if you do decide to run it!

So.... I wasn't going to say anything, but.... The modeling agency put out a request for "Avid Runners" for a commercial shoot this Thursday. I decided to apply on a whim. I got an email back that they're forwarding my information to Nike. Fingers crossed!!!

How exciting! Best of luck!

I hope your calf pain corrects itself quickly so you can get back to crushing it on schedule.

 

[DopeyBadger]

How exciting! Best of luck!

Thanks!

I hope your calf pain corrects itself quickly so you can get back to crushing it on schedule.

Me too! I'll admit when I received the request for more info from the modeling agency suddenly my calf didn't hurt anymore. So... fingers crossed.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I just did a head count. I've got 42 active training plans in use right now. Seems like I must be doing something right now! The weekends of 4/21 and 4/28 are going to be super busy!

 

[TeeterTots]

I just did a head count. I've got 42 active training plans in use right now. Seems like I must be doing something right now! The weekends of 4/21 and 4/28 are going to be super busy!

Well, thank you! we’re all very grateful!!

 

[Sailormoon2]

I was looking at that one as well but then saw a lot of negative reviews online which scared me away. Please let me know how it goes if you do decide to run it!

and @TeeterTots

I have done the Toronto marathon-so if you remember what the criticisms were, I could speak to their veracity, and how impactful to your experience they would likely be. I enjoyed my experience, could see some areas for improvement.

 

[cavepig]

Catching up on your race recaps, amazing job! Your daughter is too cute, and running the kids race with Simba and making you run with Mickey..too adorable! and then poor girl puking...sounds like you had a great trip overall!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Time got away marathon morning and I didn't find the meetup marathon morning, darn it!

 

[michigandergirl]

Well now I want to run ALL the marathons.

 

[xjillianpaige]

All of this. Reykjavik is beautiful anytime and WOW Air pricing is great.

I third this information. I took WOW Air from Boston and spent 5 days in Iceland. One of the best trips I've ever been on. WOW Air is a cheap, dinky little airline, you just have to pay for any extras. Totally worth it.

 

[tmungania]

I think I am ready for a 5k/10k plan , 8 weeks duration. Hanson's/ Jack Daniels inspired.i can run 6 days a week and I prefer 2 quality runs per week for flexibility. What do you think? Thanks for your time man

 

[DopeyBadger]

Catching up on your race recaps, amazing job! Your daughter is too cute, and running the kids race with Simba and making you run with Mickey..too adorable! and then poor girl puking...sounds like you had a great trip overall!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Time got away marathon morning and I didn't find the meetup marathon morning, darn it!

Thanks for reading! Yea, those meet up mornings are so quick, plus it sounds like there were some traffic issues. Next time for sure!

Well now I want to run ALL the marathons.

I third this information. I took WOW Air from Boston and spent 5 days in Iceland. One of the best trips I've ever been on. WOW Air is a cheap, dinky little airline, you just have to pay for any extras. Totally worth it.

Another person to contact about Iceland! Sounds like a nice plan to visit.

I think I am ready for a 5k/10k plan , 8 weeks duration. Hanson's/ Jack Daniels inspired.i can run 6 days a week and I prefer 2 quality runs per week for flexibility. What do you think? Thanks for your time man

I'll send you a PM.

 

[mankle30]

I was thinking about the Toronto marathon 10/21/18???

Note that this event is the Toronto Waterfront Marathon (there's a Toronto Marathon in May as well). I've run the Waterfront Marathon and half a couple of times and always enjoyed it. The ending is usually uphill from the waterfront to city hall and that's kind of brutal (to be going uphill for the last K or so). I'd also be interested to hear criticisms since I've also enjoyed my experiences. I'm planning to run the half marathon this year before Dopey in January.

 

[GollyGadget]

@mankle30 & @Sailormoon2 - I appreciate your offer to share your experience! Really, the criticisms I heard weren't that bad. The main reasons I decided to look at different options were the 10+ hour drive and the fact that it was in Canada in late October (which just sounded cold and snowy). Anyway, the critiques I read were mostly that it was difficult to get to the race start/expo, lack of interest from angry locals, and a boring course.

Sorry for the hijack @DopeyBadger. Consider it research into possible future marathons

 

[mankle30]

@mankle30 & @Sailormoon2 - I appreciate your offer to share your experience! Really, the criticisms I heard weren't that bad. The main reasons I decided to look at different options were the 10+ hour drive and the fact that it was in Canada in late October (which just sounded cold and snowy). Anyway, the critiques I read were mostly that it was difficult to get to the race start/expo, lack of interest from angry locals, and a boring course.

Sorry for the hijack @DopeyBadger. Consider it research into possible future marathons

Sorry for continuing the hijack but perhaps folks will get some use from my answer.

Toronto Waterfront Marathon generally has pretty good weather and it's pretty variable. There won't be any snow in October (won't snow here at least until late November) and the temps can range from cool (mid-30s/low-40s) to warm (high 60s/low70s). When Toronto gets warm, it gets humid because of Lake Ontario. I ran the half marathon last year and don't remember any issues with weather. It was fairly cool but comfortable for running.

Difficult to get to race expo: The expo is at the CNE (Canadian National Exposition) grounds which are a little remote from the downtown core but there is plenty of public transportation that gets you there. There's also Uber and Lyft should be up and running by then (Toronto is their first non-US city). Of course there are Taxis too. It's really not that bad. Maybe a 15 minute bus ride from downtown. It's a big city geographically so that's really not that far in the grand scheme of things.

Difficult to get to the race: Absolutely not. It's right on the subway line. That said, the Subway starts at 8am on Sundays (this is better than it used to be... I think until 2016, it used to start at 9am on Sundays) and with the 8:45 am start time, you probably don't want to leave it until then. Otherwise, if you're staying in the downtown core, it's a 10-minute subway ride (max) to the start which right near Nathan Phillips Square (City Hall), between the Dundas and Queen St. Subway stops. If you get in early enough you can avoid some of the road closures with an uber/lyft/taxi. But even with the road closures, you can get about hte same distance from the start line in a car as you can with the subway.

Angry locals: You're likely not to encounter any angry locals yourself. And "angry" in Canada is different than angry in many parts of the world. I'd be surprised if any "angry locals" will say anything to anyone on race day. They'll just grumble about the road closures and call in to radio talk shows to vent. Funny story. The two Toronto marathons used to be both in the fall within about 3 weeks of each other. Toronto locals were incredibly annoyed that the roads were closed twice in a short period of time. So the Toronto Marathon moved to May and the Waterfront Marathon moved back to mid-late October (it used to be in late September).

Lack of Interest: This is true. It's nothing like Boston or New York where the entire city gets behind the runners. But I've always seen people lining the route whenever I've run this event. They have great signs and have a lot of energy. There are bands and other entertainment also lining the route. I didn't experience any less support than, for example, in the Disney marathon when you're on the highway portions. In Toronto, people don't really care about the marathons that much since they're not huge events the way they are in some other cities. But I've never found it too problematic.

Boring Course: Well, it's not running at Disney! I haven't run the full marathon here since 2008 so I can't completely comment on the course but there are definitely boring segments but it's more interesting than it used to be. Now, you start running north up University Avenue and you'll pass the Ontario legislature (a beautiful Victorian era building) which is in Queen's Park, before turning left on Bloor St. to pass the Royal Ontario Museum (with it's newish crystal outcropping) and the Royal Conservatory of Music (another beautiful Victorial building). From there you go south on Bathurst and head down to the lake. There's not much of major interest on Bathurst but you'll pass Fort York as you near the lake. There's a long out and back along the lake but it's better than an out and back on the Disney/Orlando highways! The lake is right there and it's very serene with all the runners. You keep running east along the lake, taking a detour up along the Don Valley (which wasn't there in 2008 but should be very pretty) and return to the lake, passing all kinds of waterfront stuff until you get to the Beaches (which is a fairly posh neighbourhood that locals call "The Beach") before turning around.

I've never run another city marathon before, but if you've never been to Toronto, you'll get to see a lot of the city along that waterfront corridor and in the downtown core. I think it's a pretty decent course.

Hope that answers some questions! I'll be running the half this year so if you and some other runners come we'll have a DISmeet!

 

[Sailormoon2]

@mankle30 your description of the race/course and general experience is very similar to what I have had too. I would argue that crowd support rivals any other Marathon I have done-which I would also characterize as AK parking lot at Disney: Minimal but enthusiastic!

 

[FredtheDuck]

(ended up writing 28 plans since Dopey ended and have another 6 left in the queue).

Holy hockey sticks, that's a lot of training plans. Thanks for all you do for those of us that have asked for your help!

Unfortunately, within only a few minutes of starting my right calf was sore.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Things weren't much better on Thursday. I had that same soreness now lingering through my normal daily life.

Hoping this resolves for you soon, before you really get in to the meat of your plan.

Awesome about that Nike commercial, keep us posted!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Holy hockey sticks, that's a lot of training plans. Thanks for all you do for those of us that have asked for your help!

Happy to help!

Hoping this resolves for you soon, before you really get in to the meat of your plan.

Agreed! I'll know more after today. Although it is snowy out which is a confounding factor. I've been wearing my compression calf sleeves all day which is something I only do post-race. Trying to be aggressive with it to see if this helps resolve it. Haven't isolated the cause yet though.

Awesome about that Nike commercial, keep us posted!

Will do! If it's like G's situation, then I'll hear something late Wednesday.