2014 WDW Half-Marathon Race Recap!

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly… and the Fantastic!

My second half-marathon is now in the books and I’m happy to say I not only finished – I really, really enjoyed it!  

Even if I did proclaim  for about two hours post-race that I’d nevereverever do another half again.  (Uh, yeah – I will be doing another.  In, oh, four-ish weeks…) 

The Good…

• Corrals - I think the changes runDisney made in regard to smaller, more plentiful corrals helped course congestion a lot.  Don’t get me wrong; the course was still full of people, but I felt like I was in the right place for my pace and always had room to maneuver if I wanted to pass slower runners/walkers.
• The weather – high-60s/low-70s and almost 100% humidity, but no appreciable rain… perfect for this Floridian!
• Our hotel – we stayed at Disney’sYacht Club Resort and it was a great choice.  Turns out Yacht is the first stop for the race buses servicing the Epcot resorts, so I had no problem quickly getting on buses to the expo and race.  When we pulled into the Beach Club Resort, there was a looooong line of folks waiting to board, but only room on the bus for a small number of them.  Glad I wasn’t there.
• My performance over the first five miles – my goal was to stay under a 14:00/mile average pace for the first three miles to allow for some serious slow-down later; I wanted to take pics!

  

  Made it to the Castle!

  Mission mostly accomplished: 13:45 mile 1, 13:32 mile 2, 14:43 mile 3 (when I stopped for a pic at the Magic Kingdom tollbooths), 13:25 mile 4, 13:53 mile 5.

The Bad…

• Confusing directions - from the staging area to the corrals.  Signs indicated we needed to turn left when, in fact, we needed to bear right.  It wasn’t a big deal; we figured it out and course-corrected, but things could have been made clearer.
• The expo – note, though, that I did not place this in the Ugly category… that’s improvement! There really wasn’t anything wrong with the expo*, other than the fact that it was big, and loud, and crowded.  I easily found the items I needed and wanted, but I just plain hate race expos and this was no exception.

The Ugly…

• IT Band Syndrome** – yes, again.  I went into this race concerned about my hip, but it was fine.  After rocking through the first five miles, taking time for some pics, then trying to speed back up, ITBS ripped into my other knee around mile 10. 

  

  Don't let the smiley fishies fool you - my knee HURT!

  
  Out of nowhere.  Given that I’m plenty flexible, pass all strength tests with flying colors, and foam roll like a boss daily, my guess is that the lack of hill training, (thanks to the hip issues), did me in.  I probably would have been fine had I walked the overpasses, especially the descents, but I didn’t.  So I paid for it by having to walk the last three miles.  But all was not lost… (see The Fantastic)
  
  **UPDATE: A visit to my chiropractor (AKA Dr. Miracle), shows that it's likely not ITBS - my IT Band is plenty limber and not creating tension at all.  My knee, however, was out of alignment, as was my ankle, leading to a similar issue with friction at the outside of my knee.  In any case, it's a Rx for rest, stretching and massage for me.
• My race photos – I think I’m a reasonably photogenic gal; I’m never one to shy away from having my picture taken.  But 90% of my race photos are atrocious! 
  It doesn’t matter, since I refuse to pay the exorbitant prices charged by MarathonFoto, anyway, but they definitely fall under the heading of “ugly.”

The FANTASTIC!...

• Spending time with a terrific team of fellow runners -  It was so nice to finally meet a whole bunch of folks in person after chatting with them online for many months.  I’m something of a loner and tend to avoid group activities because I get very overwhelmed, but it was a real joy to hang out and chat with such a diverse, interesting, encouraging and supportive group.
• Quality time with my son, Leo -  Leo is incredibly understanding of my need to flee the house to run regularly, but I know he sometimes wishes I’d skip a Saturday run and snuggle with him on the couch.  He was a real trooper as I dragged him to the expo, ran my race, asked him to get my ice, and parked myself in one spot to cheer for the Marathon for several hours: he more than earned some time with me riding rides and just plain being silly.  Not to mention $20 I gave him to shop the Japan pavilion gift shop in Epcot.

• Cheering at the Marathon – it’s possible I had more fun doing that then I did running my own race!  I was there mostly to cheer for my team, but I quickly realized that my endless commentary of “Looking good!”, “Good job!”, “You’re almost done!” and “Finish strong!” made an impact on total strangers, too.  I can’t begin to express the feeling when a runner who looked worn out, in pain and really just over the whole experience broke into a smile because of a few words from little ol’ me.  There were many times when I felt tears well up in response and I found myself feeling really thankful for the opportunity to connect in that way.
• Finding the Magic in Disney racing – If you’ve read my previous runDisney race recaps, you know that I’ve not been one to stop and enjoy the very things that make a Disney race “Disney.”  And I’ve often been disappointed in my performance.  Well, not so this time.  I made a big effort to stop and smell the Disney this time.  I stopped to take pics.  I even posed with a character!  
  
  
  I pulled out my headphones and listened to what was going on around me.  I engaged in conversations with other runners.  I forgot all about my time and just enjoyed myself when knee pain forced me to walk. 
  

And I figured something out…  My body might not be made to go fast and long.  And that’s okay.  There’s no need to compete with anyone, including myself, and it’s perfectly okay to run and/or walk long distances because I enjoy the distance, regardless of pace.  Coming around to that realization brought with it a profound sense of peace; I can be the runner I want to be, that I’m comfortable being, without feeling like a failure for not meeting some kind of time goal.  That’s a big, big jump in thinking for me.

The neat thing about Disney races is that they practically cater to runners who don’t give a rat’s ass about time goals.  Which is why, despite my currently injured state, I’m super excited about my next runDisney adventure, the Glass Slipper Challenge: the Enchanted 10K on Saturday, followed by the Princess Half-Marathon on Sunday. Oh, and there’s also the Cinderella Royal Family 5K on Friday… which I just added to my schedule.  That’s a total of 22.4 miles over three days.  A Triple Crown, if you will.  Four weeks from now.  And I’m ready to go slow and enjoy every Magical Mile. 

Breaking the Running Rules #2: Getting Race Ready!

A month or so ago, I was sure I wouldn’t be running this weekend.  I was certain I’d be listed on the eternal list of shame as a DNS (Did Not Start) for the 2014 Walt Disney World Half-Marathon.  I was sad, but accepting of that dismal fact.

But, guess what?  I am running the 2014 WDW Half!  In less than three days.

How in heck did I do it?!  Well, for starters, I rested.  You know, like, not running.  I got ready to run far by not running at all.  Sounds counterintuitive, but folks – it really is the only way to heal most injuries.  I’m happy to say that, while I’m still having some minor issues with my piriformis, my strained hip flexor is, indeed, healed.

That time to heal was crucial for what came next: a pretty fast ramp-up in mileage.  Yep, I’ve been breaking the running rules.  Again.  Most coaches and training plans advocate no more than a 10% increase in mileage per week, and many also promote cut-back weeks of lower mileage every other week…

For real – I did NOT have time for cut-backs and a slow build-up.  I had time for this:

That would be 3 weeks straight of longer distance runs.  I wasn’t at all sure about that final 11-miler and was fully prepared to bail halfway if I felt worn down, figuring the previous week’s 9+ would be okay as my longest pre-race run, but I actually felt really good that day and went for the full 11.  In fact, I felt better that day than I did on the 7+ mile run two weeks prior.  How weird is that?!

Even weirder is that I feel pretty damned good right now.  I’d hazard to say I feel stronger and in better physical shape than I have before any other race.  I’ll wait until after the race to proclaim any kind of statement about my body preferring a short, fast mileage build, but… yeah, I’m leaning that way, for sure.

So now, I try hard not to eat every item in my house and rein in the activity for a few days, even as the adrenaline and excitement builds exponentially by the hour.  I still haven’t decided how to treat this race – as a slow, fun training run, or as a see-what-I-can-do race, or as a little of both – and probably won’t make that determination until race-day morning. 

I wish the best of luck to all who are running the 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon and Marathon races* this weekend – may we all stay safe, swift and sane as we smile our ways through Walt Disney World!

Photo credit: https://twitter.com/runDisney

*You can find more about the WDW Marathon Weekend events at http://www.rundisney.com/disneyworld-marathon/.

Happy New Year! To Resolve or not to Resolve?

I’m both a perfectionist and a realist, with the former being a natural tendency and the latter a learned response to deal with the former.  See, life is a lot easier for the perfectionist when approached with an attitude of “be prepared for the worst and enjoy the delightful surprise if things turn out better than expected.”

As such, I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions.  Why make a list of promises that can so easily become derailed, ending in extreme disappointment?  I get why others engage in the annual resolutions, but it’s not my thing.

However…

I find myself considering a few running-specific goals as 2013 rolls to an end.  

Yesterday, I went for a little run and found myself playing a game called Try-To-Ignore-The-iSmoothRun-Voice-Every-Time-She-Says-“Walk”-For-As-Long-As-Possible.  The more walk breaks I ran through, the easier it became and a couple miles in, it hit me: maybe I can someday run an entire 5K without walking.  And if I can do that, maybe I can do 10K.  A half-marathon, maybe?  Maybe.  I smell a 2014 goal.

I’ve also found myself lately kicking my own behind when I blatantly ignore a lifetime of experience and try something new to me because the “experts” say I should.  It almost never works out for me, hence my new blog series on “Breaking the Running Rules.”  So there’s a goal right there – to rely on what I know works for me and tune out the naysayers.

And then there’s Leo, my 11-year-old son.  The kid who got me started with this running stuff in the first place.  The kid who’s been left in my dust as I discovered how much I really enjoy distance training, even as he’s discovered he really doesn’t  enjoy it.  Or does he?  I’m not real sure anymore; these ‘tween years are a challenge.  But I aim to find out just what he enjoys and see if I can’t help him also find the peace and strength physical activity brings to my life.

So there you go – three solid goals for 2014.  All achievable?  I don’t know.  And that’s pretty scary to a perfectionist.  But I’m willing to give it a try.

Wishing you all a Magical 2014!

How about you?  Do you have any running resolutions for 2014?  Let’s hear ‘em!

Breaking the Running Rules #1: “if you want to run more, you have to run more”

If you’re a runner and haven’t heard that idiom yet, I’m guessing you’ve been running under a rock.  Another variation has it that, “if you want to run faster, you have to run faster.”  I’m completely on board with the second variation, but I’m finding that the first is questionable.

The standard beginner’s distance race training plan has a runner add on miles over a number of weeks in preparation for a race, and usually advocates an easy, comfortable pace.  Some plans add miles each week, while others up the ante every other week, but generally speaking, they have you run steadily increasing miles in order to… well, run more miles.

I’ve been following plans like that for the better part of two years now… and I’m ready to shake things up.  Because this runner’s body doesn’t seem to respond well to that approach.

After battling yet another painful and irritating round of overuse issues, this article caught my eye: Can reducing your mileage and relying on short and fast intervals put you on a path to better running?

Back when running was just part of my overall fitness routine, and not something for which I was specifically training, I would generally walk quickly for around 10 minutes, alternate short sprints and shorter, slow recoveries for 5-10 minutes, then walk comfortably for 10-15 minutes to cool down.  Apparently I’d been doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) for near-on 15 years, long before it had a commonly-recognized acronym.

Know what happened to my knees/back/hips/ankles/shoulder over that 15 years?  Nothing.  Not a single injury.  In the two years I’ve been piling on miles at a slower, but steadier, pace?  IT Band Syndrome.  Runner’s Knee.  Bursitis.  Piriformis Syndrome.  Hip flexor strain.  Frozen shoulder.  Hmmm…

Given that I only have four weeks left to train for my next race – the WDW Half-Marathon, Jan. 11 – now seems like a good time to start breaking some rules and try a new approach.  Instead of running long and slow on weekdays, I’m aiming for more HIIT-like workouts.  And instead of adding on small amounts of distance over a longer period of time, I’m ramping up quickly: five miles two weeks ago, seven last week, and I’m aiming for nine this weekend, with a cut-back to four next weekend before going back up to eleven the weekend after that.  That will leave me with two weeks/one weekend before the race; I’ll go by feel for that – but I doubt I’ll increase my mileage any further and will probably stick with short and fast.

I’m feeling pretty optimistic about this approach.  If it works, well… I’ll start looking at my next round of training with an eye for breaking the rules again.

Almost time - #Tower10Miler Weekend!

By this time tomorrow (Oct. 5), I'll be on Disney property, enjoying the Tower of Terror 10-Miler weekend festivities!

My hip isn't 100%, but it's a whole lot better than it once was.  I got 4 miles in last weekend, and a couple short runs this week, and I think 10 is looking do-able.  It won't be the fast race I'd hoped for, but I think it'll be better than last year.  If all goes well, I'll save my speed for a half-marathon later this month.

Playlist is prepared.

Garmin is charging.

Car's gassed up.

I'm hydrating like a boss.

Just have to get through a few more hours of work, enjoy an evening with Leo - who I will miss terribly - and safely navigate my way east on Interstate 4 in the morning.  

I'll be reporting live from the expo, race and parks all weekend at www.twitter.com/VsFuzzyWorld and www.facebook.com/fuzzyV.

Let's DO this!

My Week in Interjections

Interjections show excitement.  Or emotion.  They’re generally set apart from a sentence… by an exclamation point.  Or by a comma when the feeling’s not as strong.

Thank you School House Rock, for teaching me all I needed to know about grammar, math and government systems!

That was last Friday. Only the interjection didn’t come until about six hours after the injection.

My right hip hasn’t been happy since that last 11-mile run and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the end result was a recurrence of the dreaded IT Band Syndrome in the leg formerly known as the Good Leg (not to be confused with Angelina Jolie’s Leg.  The Good Leg does not have its own Twitter account.  Yet.)  After foam rolling, stretching, etc., I didn’t have any further sign of ITBS… but my hip was struck by a burning pain every time I ran.  Off I went to my doc, who proclaimed it to be bursitis and gave me a shot of cortisone to reduce the inflammation in time for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler.

Getting the shot wasn’t painful, just icky.  ~shudder~  I have a thing about feeling things go through body tissue.  ~shudder~  It doesn’t make me feel queasy, just eeeewwwwww.  ~shudder~  But still – no real pain.  Just a little discomfort.  So I cruised on back to my job, where I parked my fanny in a chair and proceeded to work six hours in a seated position, secretly fantasizing about my return to running in a few days, better than ever thanks to better living through pharmaceuticals.

And then… I stood up.  Or I tried to, anyway.

I actually looked down at my hip to see if a hot poker might be sticking out of it.

By the time I’d driven home, I was in tears.  A quick Google search indicated I was in the throes of something called cortisone flare, a fairly common reaction to the jabbing of cortisone into the body.  Rest, ice and an anti-inflammatory was the course of action.  So I chased two Aleves with two glasses of wine, parked myself on the couch with an ice pack, and didn’t leave for 36 hours.  When I had to get up to use the bathroom, or feed Leo, it was with a whole lot of wincing, whimpering, limping and grimacing.

As instructed, I waited five days to try running again.  By then, the pain had vanished.  An overcast evening following several days of rain, it was cool(er), cloudy and perfect for a return to running.  Doing slow intervals of 30 seconds running followed by a minute walking, I was okay for about two miles.  No pain, though everything felt “off”, as if my hips and lower back weren’t quite in the right place and my gait felt all sorts of wonky.  And then, after two miles, my hip started hurting again.

So, Thursday morning, I saw Dr. Miracle, my chiropractor.  I pointed to where it hurt – at the very top of my hip flexor in front, and the very top of my gluteus medias in back – and told her that it felt “off” somewhere in between.  Dr. Miracle bent me like a pretzel, pushed, and SNAP-CRACKLE-POP, whatever it was slid back into place and I instantly felt better!  She did some Active Release Therapy on the spots I’d pointed to, finished with some electro stim, and sent me on my way.

Sitting at my desk the rest of the day felt better than it had in weeks.  Driving my car, I felt no pain while pressing on the pedals.  So I decided to give it a real test and fired up Ol’ Bessie, my treadmill.  One mile, walking at a fast clip, with a few runs thrown in…

It felt sooo much better!  No pain, no mechanical weirdness, back to normal.  I followed that mile with a half hour of gentle yoga and went to bed early to give my body extra time to heal and recover.

The big question is, of course: can I make it another NINE miles?  I don’t know.  And I won’t know until a week from tomorrow, when I try.  I’m hoping it’ll be a lot more of this:

And not so much this:

(Semi)Wordless Wednesday - I Can Fly!

Many thanks to Mom's Magical Miles for putting on the
You Can Fly Challenge, a 19.3-mile virtual race!
I got it done!

Getting DEEP

WOW, it’s been a busy, busy couple of weeks!  Lots to report here, but I’m not a fan of reading overly long blog posts, and I bet you aren’t, either.  So I’ll keep it short(ish) and break it all up into a few posts.

Okay?

Okay.

First…

Guess who’s back?  Hint: it’s not Slim Shady.  Though I hear he’ll be back.  Too.

No, I’m talking about IT Band Syndrome (ITBS).  Ever notice that I never said I had it beat?  That’s because I never believed it was actually gone.  I hoped, of course, and I even started to think maybe I’d banished it forever… but it’s back.  And… in my other leg. 

My OTHER LEG!

Heeeeeeeere's Johnny!
If my IT Band had a face, I'm pretty sure it would look like this.

Seriously?!  Yes.  Same story, different leg.  I’m pretty sure a combination of things brought it on during my last long run of 11 miles – increased mileage (can’t be helped), with prolonged time on one side of our super-slanty sidewalks (should’ve run a more flat, even route), in new shoes (still love ‘em, but they are a little different than what I’m used to), and compensation for my mostly-but-not-completely-healed knee sprain.  Too much.

So, here I am again, hoping for a miracle so I can run the upcoming Tower of Terror 10-Miler.  In less than three weeks.

I’m seeing the Miracle Worker (aka my chiropractor).

I’m foam rolling like a boss.

I’m stretching.

I’m reducing mileage after a week off entirely.

I’m strength training.

And…

I’m using this bad boy:

Get your mind out of the gutter, PRONTO!

Oh yeah.  Why in precious heck doesn’t anyone recommend a personal deep tissue massager for ITBS, tight glutes, shin splints, etc.?!  The Miracle Worker uses one on me to stretch the IT Band and I believe it’s the #1 thing that aided my recovery last time around.  But I can’t afford to visit the Miracle Worker every day.

I found my Wahl Deep Tissue Percussion Therapeutic Massager on Amazon for $32.55, paid for with American Express reward points.  Boo-freaking-ya.  This thing is amazing – I’m smoothing out knots and adhesions, I’m stretching my IT Bands, and when I’m done, I’m giving my shoulders some much needed kneading.

How many thumbs up? A solid TWO.  I’d give more, but that’s all I’ve got.

Time to Fly! A review of the Hoka One One Kailua Tarmac

Remember how I said I never wanted to run a full marathon?

I take that back.

Maybe.

And it’s because of these beauties…

"Time to Fly! reads the insole's slogan - it's true!

The Hoka One One KailuaTarmac.

~SWOON!~

The Hoka One One running shoe concept is one created by and for ultra-marathoners.  Far from minimalist, Hoka has somehow managed to combine a distinct lack of fancy foot movement management tricks with a great, big sole and low heel-to-toe drop to create shoes that allows one to “run more relaxed.”  Hoka says its shoes are designed to be lightweight, while offering midsoles that are “30 percent softer than the material used in traditional running shoes.”  With a fairly large outsole, the seemingly bulky shoes promise to grip and stabilize in both trail and road models.  Many ultra-marathoners swear by the Hoka brand to take them comfortably through challenging 100-mile races.

In my search for the Perfect Shoe, I tried the HokaBondi-B model some time ago.  It wasn’t right for me.  The technology of it was great – I could absolutely see how the gigantic sole would cushion well – but I had the same issue with the Bondi-B I have with 95% of the running shoes on the market: the heel was too roomy.  Thanks to freakishly narrow heels and a bum Achilles, I need a LOT of support around my heel and lower ankle.  And the Bondi-B fell short of my needs.  Bummer.

Now, I did find the Perfect Shoe late last year – the BrooksPureFlow.  It’s really been a fantastic shoe for me – minimal stability, lots of cushion, a little arch support, low heel-to-toe drop, and the best heel hug I’ve found yet in a running shoe.  The PureFlow took me through IT Band recovery and saw me through my first half-marathon.  It’s been so good to me, I bought two more pairs when they were on sale, so I have back-ups.  And that was a good call – because my original PureFlows wore out after a measly 225 miles.

But.  (Yes, there’s a “but”.)  I’ve been finding my body craving a slightly different shoe for recovery runs.  Something a bit more substantial.  With a little more support and cushion.  But not too much.   

Enter the Hoka Kailua.

I stumbled upon the Kailua while shopping RunningWarehouse online.  It’s a new shoe and, I’ve read, the first Hoka built specifically for women.  Running Warehouse’s awesome Shoefitter gadget showed that the Kailua should fit me very similarly to my PureFlows.  Read: a much smaller, tighter heel cup than the Bondi-B.  Armed with a discount code, I ordered a pair and crossed my fingers.

First Impressions – out of the box

Taking the Kailuas out of the box, I was first struck by how light they felt.  It’s a bit odd, really, because my eyes were telling me this was a bulky, heavy shoe, but holding them felt no different than the weight of my PureFlows.  Pink was the only color available and it’s okay; I’m kind of over the whole pink thing, but it’s a soft pink and not too awful.  The Kailua’s laces have a cord-like feel to them, unlike any other running shoe laces I’ve experienced, and I wasn’t sure how well they’d feel in motion.

First Impressions – on the treadmill

Lacing up, I found that the shoes are, indeed, far more huggy in the heels and have a nice, high back that gives me terrific support at the base of my Achilles.  The cord-like laces turn out to be great for cinching things up nice and tight where needed, and keeping other spots looser without slipping out of place.  The arch support is just right for my medium but very flexible arches; no sense of running with a hard-boiled egg beneath my arches (I'm talking to you, Asics.)  The toe box is roomy enough that my foot isn’t forced into any unnatural position, but snug enough that I’m not sliding around in there, either.

In case they wound up not working, I first took my Kailuas on a short walk on the treadmill.  And I was immediately impressed.  These may be made for ultras, but they are positively dreamy for a brisk walk!  That’s the one thing I don’t love about my PureFlows; they’re not ideal for a walking motion.  The Kailuas ARE, by golly.  The heel is cushiony enough to absorb impact nicely and the roll to forefoot felt seamless.  I found myself taking slightly longer strides than with my PureFlows, but with no additional stress in my feet, ankles, knees or hips.  Moving into a jog, I was blown away… the energy return in the Kailua is incredible!  I’m a mid- to forefoot striker (I aim for mid-foot, but naturally seem to land toe-ball-heel if I stop paying attention – I totally blame years in the ballet for that) and it’s been tough to find shoes that give enough cushion and spring in the forefoot… the Kailua does, in spades.  It felt a bit like landing on a very small springboard with each step – I felt the cushioned midsole absorb impact as I landed, and then felt that energy power me back up on toe-off.  Pretty nifty stuff!

First Impressions – on the road

Simply put, the Kailuas felt goooood.  At the end of that week, I had a six-miler planned – with lots of walking and some running, as I was still babying my earlier injury.  Since I wasn’t planning on running too much, and the Kailuas had felt so nice walking, I decided to use them.  Six miles.  Practically right out of the box.  How was it?  Magical.  I only ran one out of every five minutes for the first three miles and felt fantastic at the halfway mark.  My heels were stable, my toes weren’t cramped, my calves weren't tightening, and my crabby knee wasn’t crabbing.  So I took it up a notch: 1:00walk/1:00run intervals.  I felt like I flew through the next two miles!  The run felt so springy, wingy, super-good, it was very hard to make myself slow to a walk.  So, for the last mile, I didn’t.  Walk.  Okay, a couple times as I had to wait for a street light or car turning into a driveway, but mostly, I ran.  I can’t fathom how a pair of shoes can magically make me overcome the exercise-induced asthma that requires regular walk breaks so that I may breathe, but I simply did not seem to need them in my Kailuas.  What’s more, my feet usually let me know by around mile five or six that they are about as impressed with my desire to run long as McKayla was with her silver medal. 

Not. Impressed.

But in the Kailuas?  My feet were perfectly happy after six miles.  And the thought flew through my mind too fast to block it: “I could totally finish a marathon in these.”

Say WHAT?!?!

So, now what?

I’ve taken a few more short runs in the Kailuas and I fall more in love with them every time.  I bought them as a recovery shoe, not a distance shoe.  I have an 11 to 12-mile training run this weekend, and a 12 to 13-miler two weeks after that.  And then the Tower of Terror10-Miler two weeks later, followed by the Halloween Halfathon three weeks after that.  My knee still isn’t 100% and I’m terrified of developing IT Band Syndrome again.  I’m quite tempted to take the Kailuas out for some true distance this weekend, but a nagging voice keeps saying “nothing new this close to your races!”

I just don’t know.  Is a six-mile test enough to predict how I’ll hold up in my Hokas in double digit mileage?  Or should I wait until these races are done before putting in more mileage in them?

Stay tuned…

UPDATE:  Sadly, I had to return the Hokas.  It wasn't easy - I had to think long and hard on the decision.  They really are amazing shoes!  But the heel was just too loose and continued getting looser over time.  Cinching the laces tighter wasn't an option, as that dug into the front of my ankle, causing bruising.  It's such a shame, because they were fantastic in every other way!

I wouldn't walk 500 miles... but I might wanna run 100.

Friends of mine are, this very weekend, competing in a Tough Mudder race.  I was offered the opportunity to join their team in this endeavor. 

My response?

“Hell-to-the-NO.”

I have exactly zero interest in plunging myself into anything called an “Arctic Enema.”  The thought of attempting to get over a “Berlin Wall” calls to mind entirely too well my childhood memory of hanging from a wave pool’s hand rail in some Miami-area water park as a 10-foot wave passed over and left me shrieking in its trough, 15 feet above the pool’s concrete floor.  And running through a forest of electrified cords? Uh… NO.  Thanks.

This fun obstacle is called "Shock Therapy." Makes ya wanna sign right up, doesn't it?

I wish my friends and their teammates the best of luck and wish I could be there in person to cheer them on, but I haven’t the slightest interest in joining them on the course.

Know what else I don’t want to do?  Run a marathon.  

A half-marathon? Sure.  

19.3 miles of a the two-day Glass SlipperChallenge?  Absolutely.  

26.2 all at once?  Nope.  

Would I, could I on a Wall? No sir, no sir, not at all.

It’s not really a matter of distance.  I feel quite sure that with the proper training, I can run a full marathon.  I’m just not motivated enough to try.   I don’t care to spend a huge amount of training time away from Leo.  I’m not excited by running all over a city.  The thought of preparing the vast amount of food I’d require to traverse 26, forget that last .2, miles makes me feel physically ill.

Nope, not that into it.

But…

Wanna know what I fantasize about running?

The Hardrock 100.

100… as in 100 MILES.

Over mountains.  Across rocks.  Through streams.  In rain, sleet and/or snow.  As well as scorching heat.  With a total elevation change of almost 68,000 feet.

Let me be clear: I live at sea level and get altitude sickness when we vacation at 5,000 feet.  The highest “hill” I run is a 74-foot high bridge to the beach.  I run on rocks sometimes – the gravel trails at a local nature park.  I don’t ever contend with sleet or snow… though I’ve got the market cornered on running in the rain and scorching sun.

Do I really think I can run a 100-mile race?  No.  But I’m pretty sure I could run some, walk some, nap some and finish the distance.  Eventually.

I probably never will, if I’m to be honest.  But just watch this stunning recap of the 2013 Hardrock 100 and see if you don’t start thinking, “Maybe…”

My treadmill is a big, fat liar.

I HATE treadmill running for the simple reason that it feels much, much harder in terms of physical effort than running outdoors, but produces far less exciting results; for what feels like one and a half times more effort, I travel a far shorter distance.  Or so I thought...

My treadmill is around 15 years old and its most high-tech feature is a motor.  It has a thingy I can move up and down to increase and decrease speed, a "start over" button, and a couple little windows that show speed, distance, time and calories burned.  Incline has two measurements: up and down.  I'd guess up to be about a 15-20% grade, while down is flat.  Based on perceived effort and cadence, I've long figured its data was off... but I'm now realizing it's very, very off.

I used the Nike+ app that magically tracks pace and distance via my iPhone for my last couple treadmill sessions.  Here's one session, according to Nike+ and according to my treadmill:

 

Um... that's a mighty big difference in distance! 

In the end, I don't really trust Nike+, either, so I took the average of the two distances (time was within 40 seconds of one another) and called it good.  Strangely, I feel a LOT better about my treadmill now! I still can't trust its data, but I know to trust my level of effort now.  And it totally explains why running outdoors feels so much easier; turns out I've been running HARD on the 'mill all this time. 

Running Route Review: Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

Hi again!  I’m freshly back from our long summer vacation at Disney World…

… our worst Disney vacation ever.

 So bad, we sought refuge in the Tiki Room.  The TIKI ROOM, people!  It doesn’t get much worse.

(See that middle guy up top – with the drum?  That’s what I looked like for nine days.)

It was HOT.  And CROWDED.  And RAINY.  And there was a whole lotta Magic missing. 

Seriously- Worst. Disney trip. EVER.

I have many thoughts about what went wrong, what was within and outside of Disney’s ability to control and how things could be vastly improved… but, frankly, I’m sick of wasting any more energy on such a crappy vacation.  I just want to move on, y’know?  Truth is, we’re local, WDW is a cheap getaway, and I’m already invested thanks to DVC and annual passes; we’ll go back and Mickey knows it. 

Instead of griping about what went so spectacularly wrong, I want to share what went RIGHT – the couple of training runs I put in!

It’s crazy, I know, but morning temps in central FL are more pleasant than at my home on Florida’s Gulf coast.  Still humid, but cooler and with some movement to the air.  So, despite that fact that it was, indeed, a HOT trip, my morning runs were almost refreshing.  If by “refreshing” one means temps in the mid-70s and 100% humidity.  Trust V – that trumps high-80s and 100% humidity!

Run 1: short run at Saratoga Springs Resort

I went into this one with absolutely dead legs and feet that hurt from the start; speed was not going to happen.  I decided I’d settle for 35 minutes of whatever type of forward motion I could muster and set out just after sunrise, around 6:40am.

I'd gotten a jogging map from the front desk, but didn’t need it; I know my way around pretty well at this point and I was just planning to run loops until I hit my time goal.

Our room was in the Grandstand section of Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR), so I walked a bit from there and then took a loop through the Treehouse Villas, thinking it would make for a shaded and scenic first mile or so.  Meh.  It is shaded, but not so scenic; mostly road and tall pine trees.  No sidewalks and a fairly narrow roadway, so I paid close attention to buses coming and going.

Leaving the Treehouses behind, I ran back past the Grandstand and over to the Springs, which houses the main pool, restaurants, golf shop, front desk, spa and DVC preview center.  There were a few sleepy folks there getting coffee and the maintenance team was setting up the pool deck, but I had plenty of room to run at that early hour.

Crossing back behind the Springs, I looped around Congress Park, which features a lovely view across the water of Downtown Disney.

From there, I crossed the main street and made a partial loop through the Paddock.  I really liked that section – plenty of shade, a nice breeze off the lake and these super-cute markers that measure distance in furlongs!

 

I made it through 35 minutes, 11 seconds for a total distance of 2.75 miles.  Yeah, that’s a 12:48 average pace. Bleh.  But I was happy to have gotten it done.  I was happy right up until I faced the first set of stairs at Typhoon Lagoon an hour or so later.  I do not recommend a water park after running.  Trust V.

Run 2: 6 miles through SSR and Downtown Disney

My training plan called for 6 miles at the tail end of my vacation.  I considered saving it for when I got home, but I was tense and irritated from the aforementioned issues at WDW and thought a good, long run was just what I needed.  I was right.

This time, I ran my SSR loop in reverse, partially looping the Grandstand, up to the Springs, over around the Paddock and Willow Lake, and down the lake side of Congress Park.  From there, I continued on the path instead of circling back and landed at the far end of Downtown Disney's Marketplace.  As I neared the Marketplace, I heard my iSmoothRun app’s voice tell me I’d hit 2 miles.  I planned to do my Galloway Magic Mile in mile 3, so I focused on that instead of pausing for pictures as I continued down through the Marketplace, Pleasure Island and into Downtown Disney’s Westside.  Sorry.

FYI - Downtown Disney?  Hilly.  I feel pretty sure there are no natural hills there, but Disney placed all sorts of ups and downs, including one torturous climb up to Pleasure Island, in the landscape.  Had I known this, I’d have done my Magic Mile elsewhere.  But once I’d committed, I pushed hard and produced a pace of 11:21 for mile 3.  That’s 11 seconds faster than my previous Magic Mile – but with hills!  And on deaddeaddead Disney legs!  Yeah, I’m pretty happy with that.

Wiped out, I finished the rest of my run at an easy pace, reversing my course back through Congress Park and the Paddock, around the Grandstand, through a partial loop of the Treehouse Villas, and back to the Grandstand, where I filled a laundry bag with ice and gave my legs a good cool down in an ice bath.

In the end, I cut the run to 5.56 miles in 1:10:04.  Add in my warm-up and cool-down walks, not to mention the couple miles walked later in the day, and I’m totally fine with five and a half instead of six.

We moved to Port Orleans Riverside (POR) that morning, which was, admittedly a little rough – hauling luggage up and down stairs after running was not fun.  But then I crashed at the POR pool for a few hours, which I HIGHLY recommend!  Getting off my feet in a lounge chair or floating weightlessly in the cool pool water made for a great recovery.  I was tired that night, but woke the next day feeling up to tackling Blizzard Beach and its many, many stairs.

I had a third run planned for our final morning at POR, but I bailed on it.  We stayed out late the night before and sometimes sleep trumps a run; that was one of those times.

But… we’re still planning to go back to POR over July 4^th.  And I’ve got a short run planned while there.  So you can bet I’ll be back with another Disney running route review!