Kazrak's In My Day We Had A Kessel Run Training Journal (Comments Welcome)

[Kazrak]

If you import your Garmin watch data into Strava, then you can see the individual mile splits complied from your intervals as well as the intervals broken up.

Mm. Strava's time numbers are overly generous with "pauses", unfortunately, and the only way I've found to fix it is to declare it a race. (Which I'll probably do, but it still annoys me.)

Today's run was okay, but it was too warm to really push too hard (68F or so). Plan for next week is to do 3m/90s x5 on Monday/Friday, and try the C25K Week 4 (3m/90s/5m/2m30s x2) on Wednesday. I may start setting my alarm a bit earlier to get out there before it warms up so much.

 

[Kazrak]

Monday, I bailed after the fourth interval and just walked the rest of the way - too warm, and I was really struggling.

Tried the C25K Week 4 in my watch today. Some good points, some bad - it's nice to have the countdown to the interval change, it's annoying to lose the mile marks, it's nice to be able to program in the turnaround point instead of having to stare at my watch as I get close. I need to tweak the program, though - turns out that if you program in a warmup, it includes it as part of your timing. So my overall pace and first mile pace for today were pretty awful as they included about 4 minutes of walking before I started to run.

I may look into other methods of doing uneven intervals. I can run a C25K app on my other watch (Fitbit Sense). We'll see. Friday is planned for 3m/90s x5. I may set the alarm earlier to get the run in before it heats up too much; that was what happened today, because it was still set early due to last week's dentist appointment.

 

[Kazrak]

Not a great week overall. I called today's run early in the third interval, as my asthma was acting up even after I'd used the rescue inhaler. (Not at a threatening level, just at a 'maybe let's not run' level.) Fortunately, I have my first appointment with the asthma specialist a week from Monday.

 

[Kazrak]

I did a bit more running, and I think I was being a bit oversensitive to the asthma, but better too much than too little.

Went to the asthma specialist yesterday, and found out that I am allergic to pollen. Like, all of it. There was a total of three trees and one grass that I wasn't allergic to. New air filter arrives tomorrow, turns out the one I've been using in the bedroom is massively undersized.

We're switching the asthma meds a bit, with a written prescription for some more if I'm not seeing improvement in two weeks, and another appointment in four weeks.

I'm going to try running again tomorrow, not expecting a radical change but just seeing if the new meds are helping at all.

At this point, I'll probably sign up for the 5k for Summer Breeze, which is a bit disappointing - I had been thinking 10k, but I'm not going to be ready for one yet. Hoping to get into Wine & Dine Half, since we already have rooms. Of course, that may mean I'm doing W&D Half without a race longer than 5k since 2020 Princess Half.

 

[Kazrak]

So, did two intervals yesterday after two days on the new meds. It worked. Will try four intervals tomorrow.

Also, my wife and I signed up for the Summer Breeze 5k on July 31. This will be my first race since the 2020 Princess Half.

 

[Kazrak]

Ended up only doing two intervals on Friday, and the last one was pretty slow. Got up to the full dosage of the new meds starting on Saturday, and went out for a run today, going for four intervals again.

I wasn't pushing for a particular pace, just running where it felt right. Turns out I was feeling pretty good, as the only run I've had recently that was faster was the 5-interval early run just before heat and asthma knocked me back for a bit. First mile in 14:06.8, overall pace 13:47.

Current plan is another 4-interval on Wednesday, and then a 5-interval on Friday if I'm feeling up to it.

 

[Kazrak]

And, it's official. I have three and a half months to prep for Wine and Dine Half. I claimed a 2:45-3:00 completion time, which is probably optimistic but not egregiously unreasonable.

Brazen has released their planned schedule, and there are no races on it where I can run more than the 5k after Summer Breeze on July 31, which I've signed up for the 5k. (Most of their races are trail races with high altitude deltas.) I'll look a bit further afield to see if I can find a 10k in the area, because I'd really like a race longer than 5k before running the Half. But, worst case, I can just do longer unsupported runs, and maybe get somebody to swap water bottles for me partway through.

 

[disneygpa]

And, it's official. I have three and a half months to prep for Wine and Dine Half. I claimed a 2:45-3:00 completion time, which is probably optimistic but not egregiously unreasonable.

Brazen has released their planned schedule, and there are no races on it where I can run more than the 5k after Summer Breeze on July 31, which I've signed up for the 5k. (Most of their races are trail races with high altitude deltas.) I'll look a bit further afield to see if I can find a 10k in the area, because I'd really like a race longer than 5k before running the Half. But, worst case, I can just do longer unsupported runs, and maybe get somebody to swap water bottles for me partway through.

Good luck at Wine and Dine! Congrats on getting signed up!!

 

[Kazrak]

Did 4x3m/90s on Wednesday, 5x3m/90s on Friday. I think I need to switch my interval, at least for the first one. About 2 minutes in, my breathing is just not happy, but once I take a walk break, it's fine for the rest of the run. I'm also noticing that my speed is really dropping off by the end of the intervals. So, thinking I'll try 2m/1m intervals instead.

This week's times:
Monday: 4x3m/90s, 1.20 miles, 13:47 pace. 14:06.8 first mile.
Wednesday: 4x3m/90s, 1.20 miles, 13:49 pace. 14:13.7 first mile.
Friday: 5x3m/90s, 1.49 miles, 14:06 pace. 14:22.7 first mile.

I need to start lengthening these, so I'm thinking next week is:
Monday: 8x2m/1m
Wednesday: 8x2m/1m
Friday: 10x2m/1m

 

[Kazrak]

"Hey, it isn't as warm out as it was when I moved the alarm earlier. I'm sure I can bump my alarm back to 7:15 and get my run in before it gets too warm."

The first thing I did during my first walk interval was whip out my phone and reset the alarm to 6:30.

(Run went well, pace was a bit slower but not egregiously so.)

 

[Kazrak]

Plan for the week accomplished.

Monday: 2m/1m x8. 1.60 miles, 14:24 pace, 14:14 first mile.
Wednesday: 2m/1m x8. 1.54 miles, 14:57 pace, 15:00 first mile. Not sure why this one was slow, really.
Friday: 2m/1m x10. 2.04 miles, 14:14 pace, 14:11 first mil, 14:20 second mile.

I have a 5k a week from tomorrow. I've done other races at this location, but not the 5k course. It's super flat and right next to the Bay, so should be relatively cool.

Plan for next week:
Monday: 2m/1m loop the college, 2.9 miles, taking it slow. This is not for time, this is for distance, and to evaluate running with one Airpod. Need to find my water bottle.
Wednesday: 2m/1m x10
Friday: 2m/1m x10
Saturday: 5k race, doing 2m/1m intervals. No specific time goal.

 

[Kazrak]

Decided to stretch the 2.9 mile loop out to 3.1 to get an actual 5k out of it. Went frighteningly well. I may like running with one airpod more than running with two. Water bottle worked fine and was almost empty when I got home, which was good. Total time 44:48, pace 14:24.

Which, you know, Strava says that two years ago I did the 2.9 mile loop at a 12:33 pace. So I've got some ground to recover.

 

[Kazrak]

Thread retitled because there is no more Kessel Run. (boooo.)

Training this week:
Monday: Goal 5k with 2m/1m intervals. Ran 3.11mi in 44:48, 14:24 pace. Splits weren't great - 14:05, 14:39, 14:42. (Writers like to call this sort of thing 'foreshadowing'.)
Wednesday: I had been thinking 2m/1m x10, but x8 was about what I was up to. Wednesday runs just bite for some reason. 1.57mi in 23:04, 14:41 pace.
Friday: Got started and realized I'd forgotten to take my asthma meds before running. Called it off after about 20 seconds.

Saturday: Brazen Summer Breeze 5k. I love this course - it's probably my second-favorite Brazen course I've been on, behind only Quarry Lakes. This was my first time running the 5k here, making this the first Brazen course I've done all three standard lengths on. (My only non-WDW half marathon was the 2019 Bay Breeze half, which I used as SW Virtual Half for the Kessel Run.)

I ended up in a whole lot of traffic early, but stuck to my plan of 2m run/1m walk. This worked really well - after the first walk interval, the traffic had cleared enough that it was no longer a problem.

I started off too fast, doing the first mile in 13:34. By the halfway point, I was definitely feeling it, and my last two splits were much slower, at 14:39 and 15:00. However, my final time ended up just about where Monday's trial run was, at 44:32.

Plan for next week: I'm seeing the asthma specialist again on Monday, so may adjust based on what comes up there. Current plan for the week is 2m/1m x10 across the board, and then starting to do specific runs the week after that. I may also add in some light weight training on Tuesday/Thursday.

 

[Kazrak]

Summary of this week:
Plan for the week was 2m/1m x10 on Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

Monday: 2m/1m x10. 2.04 miles, 14:13 pace, mile splits 14:16.1 and 14:16.8.
Wednesday: 2m/1m x10. 2.03 miles, 14:17 pace, mile splits 14:19.0 and 14:19.5.
Friday: 2m/1m for half a mile until the air quality started to get to me. (We're now downwind of the Dixie fire.) 0.50 miles, 14:28 pace.

Unfortunately, our air quality doesn't look likely to improve in the next few days at least. I'm trying to figure out how to deal with this - I don't think running with an N95 is likely to be useful. I may see if the gyms are open at work; if I can get in and hit a treadmill, that may suffice.

 

[Kazrak]

Air quality's been a mess for a couple weeks, and haven't been able to get into a gym at work. I did a couple short runs while my eldest was home, but mostly we just walked it.

Air was better this morning, though, so I got in a good 2m/1m x8 run. Hopefully I can keep that up.

Pondering whether I actually want to go to Florida in November. Given the asthma, it's really not looking like it would be a clever idea.

 

[Kazrak]

So: air quality has been borderline for a few weeks now, and now my usual route is under construction for at least another week.

I'm thinking I'll cancel the DVC reservation and ping runDisney to see if I can switch to a virtual race.

 

[Kazrak]

DVC reservation is cancelled, and runDisney is refunding my W&D registration via gift card.

And, it turns out that the NYE race I was considering is not at its usual course. Instead of a nice flat run at Quarry Lakes, it is instead the evil vertical trail run at Lake Chabot, which is also where they do the NYD run. I can do the 5k there, it's not too bad, but the 10k involves about an average 12% grade for 3/4 of a mile. Up, and then back down. And more climb than that, that's just the big one. I've run it once because I didn't realize what I was getting into, and it's my slowest 10k by over half an hour.

Oldest son is talking about doing the 10k. So, I'll probably do the 5k so that somebody can drive without having done that 10k.

 

[Kazrak]

[dusts off cobwebs]

Well, now. I guess it's time to get this thing going again, now that I've signed up for W&D again.

I'm signed up for the Western Pacific 10k in April (nice and flat at Quarry Lakes), and Brazen has announced that they're doing Summer Breeze on July 30. I may try to do the half there, but I'll at least do a 10k.

My training's been awful and I walked both of the NYE/NYD 5k races. I ran the Bay Breeze 5k in mid-February, then walked the Victory 5k two weeks later.

I did get back to training after Victory, though. I've been doing 2m run/1m walk, with the intent of increasing up to 5k distance at least once a week. Currently I'm getting about 1 mile in.

The plan as of right now:
Wednesday: 6 2m/1m intervals. (Should be about 1.2 miles.)
Friday: 7-8 2m/1m intervals, depending how I feel.

After that, we'll see how things go.

 

[Kazrak]

...so, this got left fallow for a while. Anyway, I'm going to try to run the Wine & Dine Half tomorrow. I'm woefully undertrained, my knee occasionally hurts, I got a blister in the parks between yesterday and today, I forgot to bring moleskin, after I bought moleskin I realized I'd forgotten to bring something to cut it with. (The person at the register at the hotel's store let me borrow her scissors for long enough to cut it into pieces.) I'm massively short on sleep. I bailed from Epcot at about 1:30 with the intent of going back later. I didn't make it. I'll probably go to bed in the next hour or so.

I'm in corral D, so my rough estimate is that if I can stay above a 17 minute pace, I won't get swept, and I might be able to drop to 18. I give it at best a 50-50 shot that I make it to the finish. But, won't know until I try.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

Best of luck tomorrow. I hope you have a great time!