Hmm! Adventure. Hmmpf! Excitement. *Update 4/30*

[evre13]

hi! (looks around and waves). I'm evre13, and I'm a 30-something dog mom living in Washington, DC. I used to run -- my first half was Princess 2015! -- but as work and work travel got nutty, I fell off the bandwagon. Approximately 2 years, a fair amount of casual Classpass-ing to keep my fitness up, and gaining and then losing more pounds than I'd like to admit, I have decided to get a handle on things and recommit to this whole hobby jogging thing.

A I try to get back to running regularly, I thought having a space to hold myself accountable and to talk through ideas and make sure I'm not entirely a crazy person would be ideal. I've been a lurker on the DisBoards for about a year (there's an unfinished PTR from a summer trip linked in my signature, and I'm thinking about starting a trip report for an upcoming girls' trip?), and y'all on the RunDisney forum just seem like the most supportive bunch of people, so here I am. Throwing my hat into the forum ring.

I'm the kind of person that motivates well with goals (and I know myself - I need to set a big challenge or I won't get there), and so I sat down earlier and plotted out my ideal course of action for the next two years, culminating in two big 2019 goals: the 5K/10K/Half Challenge and the Dark Side at Disney and my first marathon -- hopefully in Berlin with friends!



I'll try to do weekly updates - first up on the training front is the Reston 10 Miler in early March. I created a training plan (and quite the training spreadsheet today), and I'm excited to get things started. I'm almost as excited to join the community here.

--

Just as an aside, an alternate thread title was "Running Better than the Government," and I don't mean that as a particularly political thing - just as a multi-year federal employee, I've seen a lot...well, let's just say running better than the government is a low bar.

Also, if you're currently following me on Strava, and I think a few of you are after I joined the DisBoard group, I feel like I should apologize for my overactivity recently. I'm doing Quidditch for an online running club I'm in, and my Garmin is my proof of walking. Normally, I'm not quite so into clogging your newsfeeds.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congrats on starting a journal! I'm excited to follow along. Now I know who's been clogging my Strava feed. LOL!

 

[evre13]

Congrats on starting a journal! I'm excited to follow along. Now I know who's been clogging my Strava feed. LOL!

Welcome, and thank you! I'm excited and nervous! I feel like I should have been able to put a disclaimer on my Strava page for Quidditch time, and when I'm not on a transcontinental flight, I plan on cleaning it up. Kudos greatly appreciated, though!

 

[jennamfeo]

Just as an aside, an alternate thread title was "Running Better than the Government,"

Bahahahahhahahahahahahahaha. That's the best thing I have read all day.
Also, I totally just copied your Race Schedule excel spreadsheet because it's beautiful and I need to organize/plan my future races.

 

[evre13]

@jennamfeo welcome! I'm glad that I could make you laugh -- it's a sad but true thing, and one of my favorite signs I saw at the MCM earlier this year.

I'm also so pleased you like the spreadsheet; I have a massive Training Log with like 7 pages and all kinds of formulas because I find that kind of thing relaxing.

 

[evre13]

Basebuilding (or attempting to get in shape)

I'm currently in the base building phase of my first round of race training for next year. You've seen the calendar! I have lots of training cycles in my future.

Maybe next race cycle, I'll ask @DopeyBadger to help with a plan, but for now, I wanted to get back in the habit of running three days a week. For now, my only real goal for the Reston 10M is to finish, and after that, I'll work on building speed. I could be mad at myself for losing fitness this year during my moments of existential despair, but where's the fun in that? I'll just work at getting better, and I'm proud of myself for starting now and not on January 1, 2018.

Anyway, that was a lot to say, hi, I've started running again. Well, running-ish.

I signed up for a customizable plan from myasics.com, and I'm actually pretty pleased with it. I was able to plug in the number of days a week I'm ready to run (three), the amount I can run now (embarrassingly low), and my goal time (probably off), and it spit out a handy little plan. You can't really move the days around, which is annoying, but I'll adjust.

For the first phase, you're assigned a slowwwwww pace to get your body used to running and going through the motions. Right now, my base building pace ranges from 15:50 - 16:07.

Week 1: November 19 - 25
Run 1: 0.5 miles/16:07 pace - finished in 6:40 (13:20 pace)
Run 2: 0.5 miles/16:07 pace - ran 0.6 miles in 8:00

Week 2: November 26 - December 2
Run 1: 1.0 miles/16:07 pace - finished in 11:47 (11:47 pace)
Run 2: 1.0 miles/16:07 pace - finished in 13:32 (13:32 pace)
Run 3: 2.0 miles/16:07 pace - ...

Well...this is where I've hit a snag - I haven't found time to do last week's "long"run of 2 miles (or 32 minutes). I was working like 14 hours a day, and then I needed to sleep on the weekend, and and and...

I'm going to do it first thing in the morning, and then run Thursday/Friday/Saturday of this week to get back up to snuff. I know it isn't ideal, and I won't be able to do that when runs get longer, but I blame World AIDS Day and rain for last week.

And now, from the experts: I know I'm supposed to slow my pace down and just get used to running again, but I easily walk 7 -8 miles a day at a faster pace that my assigned range right now. It actually hurts my knees to run that slow. So, I'm thinking about running as slow as I can for the time period that's allotted and build up my fitness before I get "faster." Is that dumb?

Also, will start posting weekly updates here to keep myself accountable. Come back on Sunday/Monday for updates from my trip to NYC and a planned run around Central Park (among other things). I'll get better at this as I go along.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I know I'm supposed to slow my pace down and just get used to running again, but I easily walk 7 -8 miles a day at a faster pace that my assigned range right now. It actually hurts my knees to run that slow. So, I'm thinking about running as slow as I can for the time period that's allotted and build up my fitness before I get "faster." Is that dumb?

Not dumb at all. There is a "biomechanical as slow as I can go pace" that everyone has. Sometimes that falls faster than the "easy" pace I schedule people. Depending on how far away the scheduled pace is from "ASAYCR" (as slow as you can run) determines how to deal with it. If there's a small gap (like 20-30 seconds), then just do ASAYCR. But if the gap is 60-90 seconds, then consider doing run/walk instead. Keeping the run portion ASAYCR but adding in intermittent 30 sec walking breaks. This will help reduce the training load of the easy day when it's not as easy as it suppose to be. Now how long the run portion is would be dictated by where your ASAYCR pace falls in your current fitness spectrum (based on recent races or training runs).

 

[Chaitali]

Hi, I just saw you had a running journal here so I wanted to chime in and say I'm following along I live in MD but it looks like we don't have any of the same races on the schedule this year. I'm planning on doing the National Women's Half in DC that's the same weekend as Pike's Peek. And I was thinking of doing Baltimore in October but it looks like I'm going to have a work trip that gets in the way of that.

 

[evre13]

Um, hi? Is this thing on…​

It’s been a while since I’ve updated here, but it’s also been a while since I’ve run. I was fairly steadily working out, and then it was cold here, and I changed my spring race plans around, and I just…lost motivation. Then I spent a lot of time reading Dopey Marathon recaps (WOW! I AM STILL SO IMPRESSED WITH ALL OF YOU! Yes, that deserved all caps), and I decided that just because I was cold doesn’t mean I need to give up on my goals. I got in touch with @DopeyBadger (I think I was training plan 154!), and he gave me something to build up mileage before a 10 Mile Race in June – endurance is my first priority, “speed” will come later.

​

Two weeks ago, the night before my first DB run, I hurt my back. My pup had jumped off the bed and needed help getting back up, and I didn’t lift from my legs – and she tried to leap – and whoops, I pulled all the muscles on the right side of my back.

​

Luckily, I was able to get into the Doc in the Box the next day, and he gave me stretches to do, and told me to look into massage and yoga. I booked a massage for that Friday night, and it hurt like a MFer.

​

The masseuse told me I was like a human tension rod (can’t understand why?!), and that I really needed to work to destress my life. I’m working on it, but ironically, one of the ways I do that is exercising, which I couldn’t really do. I took off about 5 days from all exercise, besides walking and PT stretches.

​

These last 6 days, I’ve done three “approved” workouts: elliptical, ARC Trainer, and a Flywheel class with a friend on Saturday morning. I feel about 85% back to normal. It still is tender, but I (and Dr. Miller) think that it will take about 4-6 weeks to feel completely back to normal. I’m to continue my PT stretches, incorporate more yoga and core work into my work outs, and just be cognizant of my back moving forward.

This is a long way of saying that actual training for my next race will start tomorrow, and I hope to be updating here more regularly. As in, at least once a week!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday friends! I’m an Alabama fan, so I’ve been told that I should cheer for the Pats (as everyone in America hates their fanbase as much as they hate Alabama’s), but I’m really in it for the commercials.

 

[SarahDisney]

I missed you at today's race, but ... I'm glad you're okay to start running again tomorrow!

Also ... don't cheer for the Pats. Never cheer for the Pats. The Pats are the actual worst. Definitely just cheer for the commercials.

 

[evre13]

I missed you at today's race, but ... I'm glad you're okay to start running again tomorrow!

Also ... don't cheer for the Pats. Never cheer for the Pats. The Pats are the actual worst. Definitely just cheer for the commercials.

How did volunteering go? My friends that ran had a great time but they were quite cold!

I’m actually a Saints fan, so I’m cheering for Mark Ingram and Drew Brees in my heart of hearts.

 

[SarahDisney]

How did volunteering go? My friends that ran had a great time but they were quite cold!

I’m actually a Saints fan, so I’m cheering for Mark Ingram and Drew Brees in my heart of hearts.

It was very cold. Especially because I had to be there 2 hours before the race started, so there was a lot of standing around. But it was a good time and the runners were awesome.

I actually like Drew Brees ... so I'm totally in favor of cheering for him

 

[evre13]

So, I tweaked my back again pretty aggressively on Monday, and Dr. Miller (who I am sure hates me at this point ), and I've been given another week of cardio, just not running cardio.

My thought is to still use @DopeyBadger's time/distance/pace as laid out in my plan -- currently on Week 3, but no actual running done so far -- but do either the elliptical or the Arc Trainer at the gym on my way home. That way, I'll be getting in some cardio activity, but without the motion that Dr. Miller is cautioning against.

I know it's not the same as running, but at least it's something? I'm not 100% worried about it. My race isn't until June 2 (and ummmm I may be in Kenya then, so I could be training for something else entirely? Coach DB, I'll follow up with you directly), so I still have a more-than-adequate amount of time to get back at it. I'm just ready for my back to stop hurting.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Hang in there! Hoping things improve for you!

 

[ZellyB]

Just found your journal and joining in. So sorry to hear about your back problems. I hope you heal up quickly and can get back to running.

 

[SarahDisney]

Sorry to hear about the back ... that's rough. But getting in some cardio is good - it's not the same as running, but it'll help you stay in decent cardio shape for when you can get back to running (hopefully soon!)

 

[Chaitali]

Sorry to hear about the back Sounds like you've got a good plan to deal with it!

 

[evre13]

Hang in there! Hoping things improve for you!

Me too! I'm more annoyed than anything else at this point -- maybe I should get MarioKart?

Just found your journal and joining in. So sorry to hear about your back problems. I hope you heal up quickly and can get back to running.

Thanks, and welcome! I do, too. The doctor was like, maybe stress less? My response of "you went to school for 15 years and your advice is to mellow?!" gave him an insight into my psyche.

Sorry to hear about the back ... that's rough. But getting in some cardio is good - it's not the same as running, but it'll help you stay in decent cardio shape for when you can get back to running (hopefully soon!)

Yup - work exploded today, so I didn't get to the gym on my way home (had to pick up my pup from getting her fur done), but I've already set a very (very) early alarm for tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about the back Sounds like you've got a good plan to deal with it!

Thanks! I'm just hoping that it works!

 

[evre13]

Uh hi? Is this thing on?

I know it’s been a while since I posted, but 2018 — yes, the whole year — got away from me. I was on track to run a series of races with a @DopeyBadger plan, then all of a sudden, I made a huge career change/fell in love with a wonderful boy/had some nutty family stuff/got mono. Yes, according to my doctor, I was the rare geriatric mono patient. At 32.

Once I missed the first race (due to work travel), I had a hard time getting motivated again. I’ll be honest - that was a total mental fail for me. However, in August, some friends and I signed up for the Dark Side Challenge at WDW, and so I knew I’d eventually start running again.

That...started in January. Whoops? I have no excuse beyond inertia. So, with a limited time window, a total lack of cardio fitness, and a desire to just finish the races, I decided to do a modified Galloway plan. Intervals will be my friend as I work my way back up in distance, judging from past experience. I’ve done the distance before, so I know I can do it — I just don’t want it to be super painful.

I kind of considered January a warm-up, getting back in the habit of running and working out again. Real training starts this week.

I’d like to at least post here once a week, with training updates - lord knows I need the accountability. Post-SW half, I’d like to get back to being a regular runner, maybe with an early November goal half — and maybe another Billy plan, if it all goes well in April? Also, I have been making plans for the trip, and I am just pumped, so it’d be nice to have somewhere to gush about fastpasses and ADRs.

I’ve remained a lurker on this forum, and I’ve been so inspired by all of your stories this year. Can’t wait to see what’s next for all of us.

Happy 2019!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Welcome back! You've got this!