Post by stephm0188 on Jan 16, 2022 19:37:13 GMT -5
I'll try to keep it shorter. I can be wordy.
Last week I completed the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. Dopey consists of running a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon across 4 consecutive days.
I signed up for the 2021 challenge back in March 202 before the world shut down. I trained through the summer and into fall before it was cancelled due to Covid. Getting here was a nearly 2 year journey! I originally had planned to use a Hal Higdon plan written for this specific challenge, but an injury early in training forced me to reduce my mileage while I attended physical therapy. I was pretty far off track by the time I finished therapy, so I hired a running coach to help me rebuild safely. The bulk of my runs were done at an easy pace, with one day of speedwork each week up until taper. I was a little nervous heading in because her plan ended up being drastically different than the typical Higdon or Galloway plans written for the challenge, but I trusted her and the process. I use the Galloway method and run/walk 2:00/:30 intervals.
This was my first full marathon, and I was still feeling a little wary of potentially re-injuring myself so my only goals were to finish and have fun. I decided this would be about the experience and not my paces or times. My family also traveled with me and I ran the first couple races with my husband and son.
Thursday was 5k day, and it kicked off at 5:00 am outside Epcot. We ran just outside the park before looping back in through World Showcase. I'll be honest, this one felt more like meeting a bunch of characters at Disney and we just happened to be running from stop to stop. I've walked 5ks in less time than it took us to complete this one, but the experience was a blast. We didn't run/walk this one... just ran from character to character.
Friday was 10k day, and again it kicked off at 5am outside Epcot. This time we ran toward Hollywood Studios before running through the park briefly, then back toward Epcot around the Boardwalk resorts. We stopped for several character pictures along the course and kept our running pace conversational.
Saturday was the half marathon. Same time, same place. The route took us from Epcot up to Magic Kingdom and back to Epcot. The beginning of this one was rough. My right calf felt so tight and painful. I knew from experience it would loosen up, but the first 4 miles were pretty rough. I ran this one with my husband, and the plan was to make it to the castle while it was still dark out, then take things easy through the finish. We did indeed run down Main Street and through the castle while it was still lit up. By the time we hit mile 8, the sun was coming up and it was starting to heat up. We both felt fine, but many people had started walking and the congestion on the course was tough to navigate. We were both just ready to be done, so we stopped stopping for photos and started trying to pick up the pace to finish.
Sunday... marathon day. My first marathon. I knew this one was going to be hot. They had warned us the morning before about the potential for potential for the heat and humidity to impact runners. The marathon route in 2020 had been shortened due to weather conditions, and there were concerns that marathon day this year could be a repeat of that. I adjusted my strategy a bit for the day- I was going to try to make it as far as I could before the sun came up, which meant not stopping if I could avoid it. I opted to wear my hydration vest even though I knew it would be a little more difficult to keep my core cool with it on. I figured the benefit of being able to carry water and an electrolyte drink outweighed the negatives of the additional layer.
Just like the day before, my calf felt tight almost immediately after starting. Mile 3 was the worst, and I was walking a lot more than I would have cared to at that point. I knew it would ease up but I also wanted to be smart and avoid injury. I stopped for Biofreeze at the first medical tent and it helped enough to allow me to pick up my pace a bit more. By the time I entered Magic Kingdom at mile 10, it was feeling pretty good. By then, the sun was starting to come up. I was running based on effort and sticking with my intervals without any issues. We entered Animal Kingdom around mile 16, and despite the increasing temps, I was still feeling pretty good. I texted my coach that I still felt strong but it was so so hot. Shortly after that, I grabbed a wet sponge they were handing out near mile 17 and stuffed it own my bra to try to keep my core cool. I rewet it at water stops after that and started dumping water on my arms to stay comfortable. At mile 20, I grabbed ice from a medical tent and stuffed as much of it as I could fit into my bra as I could. It got me some funny looks from people around me, but it did the trick. I was able to continue running comfortably when most others around me had started walking due to the heat. I entered Hollywood Studios at mile 21 still feeling okay. From there, it was back around the Boardwalk and into Epcot to finish. Aside from being so effing hot, I felt great. I never hit the wall, didn't struggle mentally aside from when my stupid calf was being stupid, and when I looked at my splits after finishing they were fairly consistent. (I ran based on effort and not pace, so that surprised me!) Somehow, I managed to negative split the marathon, and I had stopped for character photos in the backhalf of the marathon.
Recovery was another surprise to me. I completely expected to feel like trash after the marathon, but I had minimal soreness. Our room was on the 4th floor and I was able to take the stairs with no issues. I kept waiting for DOMS to set in the 48 hours after, but it never did. I think I did a pretty good job of recovering between races and keeping my body moving post marathon and that definitely helped.
So, yeah. That's my super unexciting recap. The most exciting part of the weekend was Brittany Charboneau absolutely crushing Dopey and becoming the first runner in history to win all four distances. Kinda cool to be there for that bit of history.
Post by stephm0188 on Dec 22, 2021 13:16:28 GMT -5
Maybe? IDK. I'm not sure how I haven't had it yet, TBH. I work in an elementary school in a position where I see 100% of the student population on a weekly basis and we've been in person 100% of the time since the fall of 2020. My husband had it last December but I didn't. (Tested and did antibody testing a few weeks later, just to be sure.) I'm hopeful that I'm one of the lucky ones who is resistant to it, but I'm still masking and trying to social distance during times when cases climb.
Post by stephm0188 on Dec 10, 2021 17:24:12 GMT -5
I think what is most irritating to me is the same thing that irritated me about the movies- they've turned them into charicatures of themselves. Everything about Miranda/Steve/Charlotte/Stanford is so overexaggerated and doesn't feel authentic.
Post by stephm0188 on Oct 26, 2021 20:05:40 GMT -5
Epcot tends to be a park that we parkhop. We'll either rope drop it for the rides, or visit it in the evening for dinner or snacking around World Showcase. I'd add a second HS day over a 3rd Epcot day.
There are two mini golf locations that are fun for a down day. The water parks are also fun, but that's hit or miss in January.
We bought the Roomba i8+ at Costco and I LOOOOOVE IT. The auto empty was a must for me- it runs when we’re not home and empties itself a few times during its normal route.
Post by stephm0188 on Jun 14, 2021 20:23:30 GMT -5
A portion of Glacier was closed when we went last summer, so we missed a lot. I thought a lot of the hikes are pretty tough compared to GT. The hike to Avalanche Lake was moderate, but we were moving pretty briskly to make it there for sunrise.
Logan’s Pass is a popular spot and you need to get there early for parking. The snow made the hike there too tough for our 12yo, but if he had been wearing hiking shoes it probably would have been ok.
You’ll see some pretty waterfalls on Going to the Sun Rd.
GT was my favorite and I wish we had more time there. The hikes felt more accessible and it was pretty gorgeous.
Post by stephm0188 on Jun 10, 2021 15:59:02 GMT -5
I was going to go and ended up in PT instead at the recommendation of a coach at my gym, and I'm glad I made that choice. The tightness I was feeling was because my body was compensating for a weakness further up the chain, and PT helped correct that with targeted strength exercises in addition to stretching. I went in because I ended up with a mild injury that had been progressively getting worse over the course of two months (partially from from doing the wrong stretches!) and they were able to correct the issue in three weeks. Those three weeks ended up being the same price as three months of Stretch Lab, but I left armed with the appropriate exercises to continue strengthening the weak areas and the stretches I can do to stay limber.
So, long story short, yeah, he might find relief from StretchLab but it'll be temporary at best unless he figures out what the imbalance or weakness is and addresses it.
The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escape by Peter Brown The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (it's a series) The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer Wings of Fire is insanely popular and I can't keep it on the shelves. The Vanderbeekers of 141 Street (another series) Front Desk and Three Keys by Kelly Yang Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. Any bookby Kate DiCamillo. She's amazing. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate Blended by Sharon Draper
I could keep going.
And I'm not going to recommend Roald Dahl. I'm going to do the opposite. I think we as adults tend to feel nostalgia associated with his work, but there are too many awesome books out there written by a slew of talented people with diverse backgrounds and experiences about characters with diverse backgrounds and experiences to waste time recommending him.
H and I were wondering when payouts are made to those who made bets. Immediately? Any repercussions on that front? Obviously we know nothing about horse racing.
Nothing. Anyone who bet on Medina Spirit still wins/keeps their winnings, and anyone who bet on Mandaloun is out of luck.
I'm doing the Air Force half in September and feel confident that it'll happen following the success of Toledo's recent weekend. I did that one as well and felt like they did a great job keeping it COVID safe.
I'm still holding out the slightest bit of hope that WDW will hold marathon weekend in January. 2021 was supposed to be my first marathon there. runDisney has been pretty quiet and the traditional registration day has come and gone, so it's not looking good.
Shin splints are more on the front. It's probably just tightness in your calves, which is super common.
You can look up some calf stretches to do at home. Definitely consider investing in a decent foam roller or stick roller and help break up those adhesions. If it's painful to run, then take a rest day and work on mobility and loosening up.
The longer answer is that if you plan to stick with running, incorporate some strength work. I discovered my tight calves were because of weak hips and glutes. Once I addressed that and my muscles started firing properly, so did the issues I was having further down the chain.
Post by stephm0188 on Apr 19, 2021 16:44:19 GMT -5
With? No, and he knows he’ll lose his phone if he’s using it during the school day. It’s supposed to stay in his locker. It was one of the ground rules we agreed on when he got it.
Because it’s supposed to stay in his locker, I’ve sent the occasional text about a transportation change. I don’t get a response til after school, so I assume he’s upholding his end of the deal.
Education. I feel like the process was easy for us here. Our county health department worked in conjunction with the school district to offer a massive vaccination clinic at one of the schools. The school district closed for the day so we could all go and get it done. They'll repeat the process next week for the second dose. No scrambling for an appointment or worrying about taking a personal or sick day.
Post by stephm0188 on Feb 18, 2021 17:55:21 GMT -5
I wouldn't sacrifice a park day for them. Typhoon Lagoon is a little more unique in terms of what it has to offer, but at the end of the day it's just a waterpark.
Post by stephm0188 on Feb 16, 2021 21:05:50 GMT -5
I have a Theragun Prime and love it. I use it daily. I run a lot, and my calves and achilles would be suuuuper tight in the morning when getting out of bed. Since using the Theragun, I haven't had any issues. I've used it to release tension in my shoulders as well.
I really like that it has a guided app that tells me how long to use it on each area and indicates if I'm using the appropriate pressure.