Leave it to Disney to Make Me a Runner (Comments Welcome)

Training Update: August 18 - August 24

Sunday 8/18 - 3.14 mile walk
Monday 8/19 - 4.14 mile walk
Tuesday 8/20 - 30 min run (2.82 miles ran)
Wednesday 8/21 - 2.61 mile walk
Thursday 8/22 - 30 min run (2.81 miles ran)
Friday 8/23 - 2.09 mile walk
Saturday 8/24 - 4.33 mile run

Highlights of the Week:
-I went 7 for 7 this week! I'll be honest, there were some of those days towards the end that it took all of my power to drag myself out of bed and get out there but I'm so incredibly proud of myself that I actually stuck to it. I'm pretty sure this is the first week all summer long that I exercised all seven days, so it was the perfect way to round out my summer vacation.

-I managed to stick to only one soda per day this week! Even so, I probably should have had more water than I did but at least we are making progress back towards where I would like to be in that regard.

-I'm really proud of my mileage this week, especially looking at my 30 minute runs. A month ago, I was ecstatic to be able to make it 2.5 miles on a long weekend run. The fact that my maintenance runs have me going longer than that, and that I am able to be doing so consistently is incredible to me. It's the kind of tangible proof of the progress that I am making that helps me want to keep going and continue to get better and better as time goes on.

-Today was another personal record for distance of a run, this time surpassing my previous long run by 0.75 mile! I was very surprised about how that run went. I started off feeling pretty strong, but by the time I had reached somewhere around the 1.5-2 mile mark I was already starting to feel like I was burning out. Now besides instantly having thoughts of race sign up regrets (see next highlight) running through my head about how I just wasted all my money on a 10K that I won't be able to do well in running through my head, it also really got me thinking about where I was running, how I was running, etc. Things I had never thought about before, but might actually start considering more when I head out - there was a new part of my course that I've never actually run on (only walked) until today, which I think played into a lot of what I was feeling. Well after that mental freak out, I started feeling really strong again and actually spent a good chunk of the middle of the run actually running for long stretches instead of relying on constant walk/run with my intervals. Naturally, the end did feel exhausting but I think that was a mental thing, knowing I was so close to stopping so it just felt hard. Overall, I was beyond pleased and proud of myself for what I was able to do with it and I'm now I'm just excited for my next long run in a couple weeks (things old Kelly would have NEVER expected to hear...maybe this become a runner thing actually is working).

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-As evident in my last post, I went for it and signed up for the Brewers Mini Marathon 10K race in a little over a month. This will be my first non-Disney and also local race here in WI and it's with one of my favorite sports teams and at my favorite sports complex so it is just destined to be a fun race. I'm really hopeful that it will be fast enough for me to use, but also I know that I will need to not push too hard since the last thing I'd want to do is push and hurt myself a month before Wine and Dine.

-Taking all those points I just wrote about into account, I reached each of my four goals for the week!

Lowlights of the Week:
-Holy blister on my foot! Like...wow. That's all I'll say on that one.

-Not so much a lowlight of this week, but looking towards the future. I go back to school next week so I just worry about how hard it's going to be trying to fit in training and exercise after the already long and exhausting school day is done. I leave too early in the morning for a before work run to be an option, so finding the evening balance is my only real choice. It's just been so nice and easy this summer to wake up and immediately go out there. It's just something I've been thinking/worrying about a lot this week.

Goals for the Next Week:
1. Fit at least one day of running and 1-2 days of walking into the week as I try to find the work/train balance
2. Continue to only have one soda a day (that 4:45am alarm coming back this week is REALLY going to test this one)
3. Reach at least 10,000 steps every day...with it being in-service days, that means a lot of sitting in meetings or at my desk, so I want to combat that
4. 20,000 steps on the weekend (since I'll be in WDW...yes...again...)
 


Training Update: August 25 - September 7

Sunday 8/25 - Off Day
Monday 8/26 - Off Day
Tuesday 8/27- 20 min run (1.40 miles ran)
Wednesday 8/28 - Off Day
Thursday 8/29 - Off Day
Friday 8/30 - Off Day
Saturday 8/31 - 30 min run (2.92 miles ran)

Sunday 9/1 - 2.76 mile walk
Monday 9/2 - Off Day
Tuesday 9/3 - 2 mile run
Wednesday 9/4 - Off Day
Thursday 9/5 - 21 min run (2.22 miles ran)
Friday 9/6 - Off Day
Saturday 9/7 - 5 mile run

Highlights of the Week(s):
-Even though it led to my inability to run much that first week, I was proud of myself for recognizing the need to stop early on my Tuesday run when I started feeling a lot of knee pain. I've been working really hard to try to find the balance between pushing myself but also taking care of myself and my body. So in hindsight, I was glad I could recognize what needed to be done.

-During my Thursday run this week, I ended up with an average pace of 9:42 min/mile. This was the first time I have ever had an overall pace that was under 10 min/mile. Up until this point, I have had the occasional 0.5 mile split that was below that line, but for this run I was able to maintain that pace for the entirety of 2+ miles. I honestly thought my timer was messed up when I first heard it - I just couldn't believe it.

-Yesterday was another new record of my longest run - I actually made it 5 miles! During the last mile, I was definitely feeling the exhaustion and added a lot more walking than I would have liked, but I was still really pleased with how the run went overall. I finished in about 51 minutes, which helps me feel like I am at a really good place in terms of being ready to finish the Brewers 10K fast enough to use it as proof of time.

Lowlights of the Week(s):
-School starting absolutely kicked my butt. Going from the summer life to suddenly having my alarm going off at 4:55am again was not something that I was adjusting to well. Because of that, every day that I came home from school I just felt absolutely exhausted and that made it so hard to get out and exercise.

-I got back into the bad habit of letting my 30 minute runs get shortened. One of the days, I started having extreme knee and calf pain as I was going so I knew that I had to cut it short (which is what also led to my first week only having 2 runs). Another one, I had less than an hour between getting home from school and having to leave again to meet my sister for a Brewers game which meant I only had time for 2 miles. It's definitely something that I'm hoping will improve as I get back into a regular school routine, but it's definitely been a struggle thus far.

-Not running related at all, but Hurricane Dorian caused my Labor Day trip to WDW to be canceled. I know it was the right choice since we couldn't tell if we would be able to get back home in time or not, but it still put a serious damper on my mood that weekend.

-My walk on 9/1 was a slow paced walk that I took with my sister, and while we were on a path in the woods I got bite or stung (not sure which) by some kind of bug that left me with a swollen back and serious pain.

Goals for the Next Week:
1. I want to workout at least 4 days this week - I know going for all 7 is entirely unrealistic now that school is back in session, but I'm trying for a Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday schedule so I want to stick to that.
2. Get back to my 30 minute runs actually being 30 minutes.
3. Saturday will be my last long run before the Brewers 10K, so I want to make sure that happens.
 
Training Update: August 8 - September 14

Sunday 9/8 - 2.82 mile walk
Monday 9/9 - Off Day
Tuesday 9/10 - 30 min run (2.82 miles ran)
Wednesday 9/11 - Off Day
Thursday 9/12 - Off Day
Friday 9/13 - Off Day
Saturday 9/14 - 3 mile run

Highlights of the Week(s):
-Despite pure exhaustion levels after teaching all day, I've been doing my best to try to still get out there as much as I could. After school activities that I was helping with this past week are what stopped me from being able to do much during the week, but at least I did something.

-When I started the run on Tuesday, I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to do it. I started off and told myself that I would just see if I could run for a little bit and then walk the rest. Then I told myself that I would see if I could make it through the 2 mile loop that I often follow in my neighborhood. THEN I was actually out there and I managed to do the full 30 minute run. I was pretty proud of myself, considering how tired my legs already were. You just don't think about how much work being on your feet in the front of the classroom all day actually is until you get back into it.

-Mental win here....my run on Saturday was supposed to be my last long run before the Brewers 10K at the end of the month, but I knew that going much further than what I did was going to strain my legs too much. So as I was walking home, I was beating myself up inside and saying things to myself like "Pfffft...some long run". And then it hit me...I had just run THREE MILES and I was upset at myself that I hadn't done a long run. A year ago, I probably would have considered 0.5 miles a "long run", so to actually realize the change that has occurred through this training was a cool feeling.

Lowlights of the Week(s):
-It's just been such a struggle being able to exercise after being at work all day. My summer was waking up, working out, THEN starting my day. I just am really struggling to adjust to the schedule change that is the new normal of the school year. I know it will happen, it's just so incredibly frustrating to feel like I am going backwards in my training.

Goals for the Next Week:
1. Stick to the schedule - two week days and a Saturday run. I'm close enough to my race that they will be no longer than 30 minutes each, but they have to happen.
2. Drink more water during the school day - the beginning of the year sickness is hitting me hard as well (not helping this) and I know staying hydrated better will help me fight it away before my race.
 
Training Update: September 15 - September 21

Sunday 9/15 - Off Day
Monday 9/16 - 1.5 mile run (and then 1.5 miles walked after)
Tuesday 9/17- Off Day (JONAS BROTHERS CONERT!)
Wednesday 9/18 - Off Day (Parent Night at school...nothing like an extra 3 hours of talking and being on my feet added onto the end of the work day)
Thursday 9/19 - 2 mile run
Friday 9/20 - Off Day
Saturday 9/21 - 2 mile run

Highlights of the Week(s):
-I had a really busy week this week, but still managed to get my three workouts in despite all the craziness. It did result in some shorter distances and times than I probably would have liked, but I know getting out and doing something is better than nothing. Plus, I've got a race at the end of this week so I have been trying to conserve myself and avoid aggravating my knee with too much in this last couple weeks of training.

-I feel like I should be okay for the 10K after this week. Yes, I've been getting tired by the time I hit the two mile mark but I feel like that has happened in long runs before too. It's after I reach that point that I have hit my stride, so I feel like I should be able to ride that through the 10K. Plus, even with my times being a little slower than they have been, I'm still more than 1:30 min/mi faster than I need to be pace wise to get the finish time I am aiming for. So hopefully, my aiming high for an average pace will pay off for me.

-I crossed the 200 mile mark this week for total distance in 2019. Every time I hit one of those milestones, I just think back to this time last year where I would have laughed in your face if you would have told me that I would be achieving anything even remarkable close to that kind of distance. It's just really rewarding to have concrete, number proof of the change in myself.

-I drank more water and FINALLY kicked the "start of school year" sickness to the curb! Oh how wonderful it is to be able to breathe and not have a sore throat again!

Lowlights of the Week(s):
-I really hate running after school. It's as simple as that - I'm so glad that the 10K will be first thing in the morning which is when I know I do my best running (at least based on my summer I would say so). I keep hoping that I'll adjust to the new schedule and things will be fine, but maybe I'll have to start thinking about other training ideas and times.

Goals for the Next (/This...It is Thursday after all) Week:
1. I want one final run before the 10K. I am really scared of my knees acting up so I don't want to push them at all. One final run, either on Monday or Tuesday to give myself plenty of time to recover in case things go bad.
2. Try to keep a decent sleep schedule so I can actually go to bed early on Friday night. I've got one night that will have to be late since I'm going to see Dear Even Hansen, but other than that I want to be asleep NO LATER than 10pm.
3. Stay positive mentally...I can't let my fears of not being fast enough cloud my mind. I know I can do this and I know that I can get my sub-75 min time. I just need to keep that thinking up all week.
 


A more detailed write up is to come when I've got more time to actually write about it/am not exhaused, but...

I DID IT! Fast enough 10K to be a PR, qualify as Proof of Time for Princess 2020, and possible even make it into a better corral than I was aiming for!

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Race Recap - Brewers Mini Marathon 10K

I worked crazy hard during my prep period today, so I actually have some free time to write about this weekend! The Brewers 10K was my second 10K, fifth official race, and first non-Run Disney race (besides all the virtual Pi Day races I've done...math teacher life). I've got to say, going into a local race knowing nothing but Disney races was definitely a bit of culture shock, that's for sure.

Bib pickup was the two days before the race down at Miller Park, which was super easy for me since I don't live that far from the stadium. I went on the first day about 30 minutes after they had opened and was surprised to find the entire pickup was a 2 minute process - SO much different than my experiences at Wide World of Sports! One of the special parts of the bib pickup was that you could go over to the Team Store and receive a discount on merch with your race bib. Well, I happened to pick up my bib the day after the Brewers clinched their spot in the playoffs, so I was able to pick up the Postseason shirts that had just gone on sale the night before!

On race day, I woke up around 5am to start getting myself ready. I knew that they were going to be closing off most of the streets leading into Miller Park at 6:30, so I knew that I needed to get their plenty before that so I didn't have to go way out of the way in order to use the one highway entrance remaining open. My mom came with me, so we left our house probably around 5:40ish and got to the stadium a little before 6am. We got a perfect parking spot nice and close to the stadium and start line (it pays to be a big Brewers fan who knows the way around the Miller Park parking lots...avoiding the far parking lot that everyone was funneling into since we knew where to head instead), and then sat in the car until it was getting close to the start time.

When it was about 7am and they were sending the half marathon runners off, I found my coral. The 10K corrals stretched from I-L and I was in Corral K, which I soon learned really wouldn't make any difference. As we got closer to start time, they walked all the 10K corrals to the start line, dropping the ropes that had been separating each corral from one another in the process. Well, me being the well trained Run Disney participant that I am, when we started moving I started walking and going around the people that were stopping or moving really slowly. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by people with all letters on their bibs including quite a few I's and J's. I guess I'm just too well trained to try to move to the start of the pack to try to make early mini-waves for Run Disney!

They did a great job getting us off right on time at 7:15 and then it was go time! Because I had accidentally ended up around so many faster runners, it actually helped push me through the entire first mile which was around the parking lot of the stadium. I ran the ENTIRE first mile without any walk breaks (a first for me...I don't think I've ever run a mile straight in my entire life!), and managed to do so in under 9 minutes! Nothing like race adrenaline and seeing everyone else around you running to give you that boost you need.

After that first mile, I did start incorporating more walk breaks in when I needed them. I had my interval app going to help me make sure I didn't walk for too long. It's still the same 20 second run/30 second walk interval I started the summer with, but I rarely follow that anymore. Instead, I just walked when I knew I needed a break and I heard the alarm go off, and then began running again the next time it went. Those 20 or 30 second breaks were what I needed to keep powering through.

The course itself had a few highlights - I loved running around the Miller Park area, through the actual Miller Brewing area (man did it smell like beer...got me excited thinking about the post race beers I had waiting for me at the finish line), and of course actually running through Miller Park itself on the warning track. The rest of it though was fairly blah...lots of city streets without much to see on them, very few spectators or volunteers out to watch or cheer, and just not a ton to look at. This was where my "spoiled by Disney" came out - I knew there wouldn't be characters, but I guess I'm just used to having more of anything on the course.

I definitely was getting more worn out as I went - my first mile was finished in 8:53 and then my pace was getting slower and slower for each mile after that as I kept switching to walking. Having the run through the stadium so close to the end definitely helped give me the extra boost of energy that I needed to finish strong. My official time when I crossed the finish line was 1:03:57, which is over 50 minutes faster than the last 10K that I did in February. When I saw that time, I couldn't quite believe it. Not only had I beaten the 1:15 time that I had in my head, but I had actually gone fast enough to (I think) get myself into Corral D for Princess, an entire corral higher than I was aiming for!

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After I crossed the finish line and received my medal, I also got a water bottle, chocolate milk, a banana (handed to me by one of my current students...talk about an unexpected surprise to see one of them there!), granola bar, and fruit snacks. At the "post race tailgate", I also got my two Miller Lite beers which I enjoyed as I cooled down. There was a tent giving away Chick Fil A sandwiches, but the line was so ridiculously long for them that I decided to pass on that.

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All in all, I had a really great morning at the race. It was the first race that I had truly trained for, so I left the stadium feeling so incredibly proud for what I had accomplished. I'm also just so excited to have that proof of time now for Princess so I can be more relaxed and ready for the fun of my first half! But first, I've got another 10K to start eyeing up...only a month to go until Wine and Dine!
 
Training Update: September 30 - October 5

Sunday 9/29 - Off Day (HOLY POST 10K SORENESS)
Monday 9/30 - Off Day (Teaching on sore legs...even worse)
Tuesday 10/1- 1.75 mile run
Wednesday 10/2 - Off Day
Thursday 10/3 - 2 mile run
Friday 10/4 - Off Day
Saturday 10/5 - Off Day (or possibly going for a walk later if the weather cooperates)

This was a different kind of week coming off of my 10K on Saturday, so I'll just talk about it versus the highs and lows. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I was incredibly sore. My hips were I think the one that surprised me the most - I expected to definitely feel my run the next day, but not quite to the level I did. Because of that, I tried to take it easy on Sunday. Of course, my lesson plans for Monday required me to be on my feet, actively teaching for four out of my five classes (thank goodness for the Algebra quiz to give me one hour off) so that didn't help my soreness either. But, at least it kept me loose and moving.

Luckily by Tuesday the soreness was mostly gone so I was able to get back out there for my next run. I kept it short just to be on the careful side, but it felt good to be jumping right back into the swing of things. I was able to get my two week day runs in, even though that Thursday one almost didn't happen. I gave an Adv. Algebra quiz on Thursday that needed to be graded that night since the next day my kids would be doing quiz corrections in class, so I had a strict deadline for almost 100 quizzes. I was burnt out, frustrated, and still had a lot on my plate for the night. I was all set to skip until it was my mom that actually asked me, "Aren't you going to go for a run today?" - you have to love a mom that has learned your training schedule. Well that got me thinking about it and gave me the push to go out and do it.

Today was honestly a full body/mind recovery day and I just slept. This week has kicked my butt at school so I know that I just needed a day. I will push my run to tomorrow, and then hopefully jump right back into next week with the training plan I want. After all, we've got Wine and Dine fast approaching!

Goals for the Next Week:
1. The 30 minute weekend run that was meant for today will be completed tomorrow morning.
2. Stick to my schedule - I want two weekday runs and then one next Saturday. When the weekday runs happen may vary because of my after school schedule this week, but I'm determined for them to happen.
3. Work on my costume for Wine and Dine...I've got about half of it finished, but I really need to work on finding the leggings that I need. Then it's just a decision on my accessory and I'm done!
4. Try to be better about sweets at school - this week was super stressful, so I dove into my emergency chocolate stash a little more than I would have liked. Between that and next week being homecoming (which often means extra treats in the math office to try to help us get through the crazy week), I want to be better about what I'm eating at school.
 
Training Update: October 6 - October 12

Sunday 10/6 - 30 min run (2.88 miles ran)
Monday 10/7 - Off Day
Tuesday 10/8- 1.51 mile run
Wednesday 10/9 - Off Day
Thursday 10/10 - 2.24 mile run (A 2 mile run that turned into "well I can keep going until I reach the turn towards home")
Friday 10/11 - Off Day
Saturday 10/12 - 3.52 mile run (that was actually longer...)

Highlights of the Week:
-Sunday's run was to make up for missing my long weekend run last week due to weather and the need for a mental/physical recharge kind of Saturday. It was the first time that I had done a full 30 minute run since the 10K a couple weeks back, so it felt really good to get over that hump and feel like I was actually back into the swing of things.

-I don't remember exactly when it happened, but I crossed over the 350K mark for the year - another huge milestone that I would have never thought possible to reach.

-I actually managed to stick to the schedule that I like to keep this week, even with a bunch of random things after school/in the evening. Granted, Tuesday was on the shorter side but I'm still glad I could get out there all three days this week.

-Thursday's run was pressed for time since I was going out for dinner and to see a musical with my mom and sister that night, so I had a narrow window to run/get ready afterwards in. I think this was another day that I was taking as it went to see what I ended up with - what was going to be a quick loop around the neighborhood was then going to be a 2 mile run which became a 20 minute run which finally finished off with the 2.24 miles I had. It's kind of fun going out not really knowing what my run will bring and just seeing what happens.

-Today was definitely the first time I felt super strong since the 10K since it was the longest I've gone for quite some time. In my head, I though that 4 miles sounded like a good number since I'm trying to prep for Wine and Dine but also didn't want to push myself too hard after the Brewers race. When I started, I most definitely doubted that I was going to get anywhere near that far because of how cold it was this morning (which is something I have never dealt with as a runner...I started this journey once the weather got nicer). But the more I ran, the stronger I felt and I knew that I could keep going. I tried a new interval with the run today - I kept a pretty strict 60 sec run/30 sec walk for the majority of my run. Lately I have been having an interval alarm going in the background, but I've mainly been using it just to limit my walk breaks and have just run until I absolutely needed to stop. Sticking to this interval did slow down my average pace a little (10:28 min/mi) but I definitely noticed a change in how I felt through the entire run. I wasn't getting super tired at the end of it, but instead felt like I had maintained the same energy level throughout the entire distance (which actually did end up being around 4 miles...details of that under lowlights). It was definitely a shift in perspective - now that I'm not pushing for a set time like I had been in my preparations for the Brewers 10K, I feel like this interval is something I might stick with for a while to help me continue to strengthen myself and increase the distances I can go.

Lowlights of the Week:
-As I was really getting going on my long run this morning, I was surprised that I hadn't gotten any distance updates because it had felt like I had to be getting close to 0.5 miles. And that's when I realized...I forgot to turn the GPS on for my phone and run tracking. So the first chunk of my run this morning didn't exist (which is why I feel good saying I ran about 4 miles today, I just don't have the proof). Then to top it off, right when I was in my last run interval I realized that I had forgotten to put on my Fitbit after having charged it overnight. Talk about an overall gear fail kind of morning.

-Cold Weather Running...wow do I have to get that figured out. It was kind of awful starting off this morning (temperatures were in the mid/upper 30s I believe), especially when I was in my walk breaks and a gust of wind hit me. Luckily as time went on, the sun helped a little and I was just getting warm from running. By the end of the run I was a lot more comfortable, but I know that I definitely need to get some better clothing and gear for these cooler days ahead. And also look into joining a gym for when the snow flies, but that's a whole other thing to deal with.

Goals for the Next Week:
1. I'm keeping this same goal from last week...Stick to my schedule - I want two weekday runs and then one next Saturday. When the weekday runs happen may vary because of my after school schedule this week, but I'm determined for them to happen.
2. STILL didn't touch the Wine and Dine costume, so a trip to the mall to pick up my leggings is definitely on the to do list for the week.
3. I want the week day runs to be full 30 minute runs and a longer weekend run (maybe another 4-5 miles....it will be the last long run before Wine and Dine)
 
Oh yeah...and also...

That Star Wars Half Marathon theme artwork that dropped today? WOW do I really want to do the Star Wars Half now. Actually, I want to do the Kessel Challenge since I will be training for the Princess Half so I know I'll be able to earn the Virtual Half medal no problem. But OMG Yoda and Darth Vader! It's not like I'm a crazy huge Star Wars fan or anything, but Yoda is one of my favorite characters. And that design just looks so incredible. And it's an anniversary year. AND Stars Wars weekend is the last one I need to do in order to say that I've tried each WDW Race Weekend at least once.

Sigh...Disney is going to get my money yet again. I can feel it :laughing:
 
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Training Update: October 13- October 19

Sunday 10/13 - Off Day
Monday 10/14 - 30 min run (which extended a little long so I could reach 3.06 miles ran)
Tuesday 10/15 - Off Day
Wednesday 10/16 - 30 min run (3.04 miles ran)
Thursday 10/17 - Off Day (Saw West Side Story downtown so no time for anything)
Friday 10/18 - Off Day
Saturday 10/19 - 6 mile run

Highlights of the Week:
-Tuesday's run was originally going to be a 30 minute run because I didn't want to push myself, especially since I was trying out a new pair of shoes for this run. By the time I had hit the 30 minute mark, I was so close to 3 miles that I knew I just had to keep going until I finished. It was the furthest I had gone in my 30 minutes in my training so far, so it felt like a real win.

-Thursday's run took Tuesday and multiplied the win by two. I actually made it JUST over 3 miles by the time my 30 minutes were up. I was so proud of myself for breaking that barrier for myself and still felt good by the end of it.

-Saturday was an all around success. It was the farthest I had every gone in anything other than an official race. With the exception of that last 0.5 miles, I was feeling incredibly good and strong throughout the entire thing. I'm pretty sure that my exhaustion at the end was fairly mental since I knew I was approaching the end so I was allowing myself to get tired. It was also way longer than I've ever gone using my 60/30 interval. I really like how that interval is working out for me, and I think it's going to be just what I need for the Wine and Dine 10K. I think the goal will be to try to use that interval until I start seeing photo ops I want to stop for, then either go back to the interval or do a little extra running to make up the time lost in line.

-The best part of the long run on Saturday was that when I woke up today, I wasn't sore at all. I was SO sore after the Brewers 10K that I was really nervous that I was going to feel the same way after going the same distance yesterday. But I woke up feeling no different than ever today.

-I actually accomplished something for my Wine and Dine costume! I found leggings that look just like a pair of jeans which will be perfect! I really did not want to have to run in any type of denim (but was ready to if needed), so finding the leggings made me so happy. Now I've just got to work on accessories and the costume is ready to go!

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(Starting to feel Un Poco Loco)

Lowlights of the Week:
-This week was actually a REALLY good week, so it's hard to come up with many lowlights. I would say if I had to come up with one, it would probably be that I was getting a little warm during my run on Saturday, to the point that I had to take off my long sleeves and just wear my tank top. The only reason that this is a lowlight would be that it makes me a little concerned about how I am going to be feeling heat wise when it comes to the Wine and Dine weekend (because, well, see long sleeved picture above). I'm hoping that because I will be treating this as a fun race and stopping for pictures, I won't be getting as warm as I was running the 6 miles straight that I won't be quite as warm. But worse come to worse, I'll take off the sweatshirt and just put it back on for pictures.

Goals for the Next Week:
1. It's the last full week before race day, so I want a 30 minute run done three times this week.
2. I'd like to have a day or two that I add in a walking day, just to mix some things up and get some extra workouts in since they will be cut short because of when I'm leaving for WDW next week.
3. Finish my costume - I need to add the white stripe down the arms of the sweatshirt and decide if/how I'm going to have a guitar to wear on my back for the race.
4. (Non-running related but...) I've got a to-do list of things that have to be finished at school in order to feel ready to leave for the long weekend in FL so I definitely need to get a few of those knocked off this week so I'm not scrambling last minute - I've got a program to make for the fall play, quizzes/projects to grade, and sub plans to begin thinking about/working on.
 
Following! You seem to have a similar schedule as me but more race experience. I'll be at wine and dine as well for my first one! Sounds like you are doing the 10k but I'm going to be at the half. Good luck!
 
Following! You seem to have a similar schedule as me but more race experience. I'll be at wine and dine as well for my first one! Sounds like you are doing the 10k but I'm going to be at the half. Good luck!
Also, my best friend lives in New Glarus so I know how hard it must be to train in the Wisconsin winters!
 
Following! You seem to have a similar schedule as me but more race experience. I'll be at wine and dine as well for my first one! Sounds like you are doing the 10k but I'm going to be at the half. Good luck!
Also, my best friend lives in New Glarus so I know how hard it must be to train in the Wisconsin winters!

Awesome! Good luck to you as well for the half!
And that's super cool about your friend - New Glarus is a place I definitely want to visit someday!
 
NEW YEAR, NEW START! BACK AND AT IT FOR 2020!

Obviously the last couple of months were not my best in terms of training and staying accountable on here but I am back and ready to change that for the coming year! 2020 is going to be a HUGE year for me, so I am really excited to get back into my training and updating this journal. I'll go back and do a race recap for the Wine and Dine 10K in my next post, but for this one I want to focus on how last year went and where I am heading next.

2019 IN REVIEW:
-I ended the year with a total of 244 miles tracked on my running app. Now this is a mix of running and walking (both because of my intervals and because I also tracked the walks that I took) but I'm still really happy with this number.

-I tracked a total of 94 workouts which (with the exception of my Princess races) didn't start until April. The majority of these workouts took place between May and September which makes sense as a teacher just starting out on this fitness journey.

-I ran four official races - Disney Princess 5K, Disney Princess 10K, Brewers Mini Marathon 10K, and the Disney Wine and Dine 10K. I ended the year with a 10K PR of 1:03:57 (Brewers) and I don't know my 5K PR since I only ever walked the 5Ks that I've done.

-In addition to my 4 races, I took part in one Virtual Pi Day 5K in March. However due to a shipping error, I ended up receiving two different medal designs for the race so I did an additional virtual 5K to earn both of the medals I was sent.

-I went into the year wanting to improve my eating habits and soda intake and I feel somewhat successful. There were times that I did really well with this and other times that I was having two or three sodas in a day. My biggest win for this category is how often I have ordered water when I go out to eat - I rarely order a soda with my meal anymore when we are at a sit down meal.

-Thanks to all of this, I have lost about 20lbs compared to the heaviest point I had ever reached (and I think most of that was lost this year, but I didn't really track that all that closely).

PLANS FOR 2020:
-There are 5 goals/resolutions that I made for myself for 2020, some health/running based and others for my mental health...I'll list them all:
1. Run a total of 1000K
2. Complete: three 5Ks, two 10Ks, and three half marathons
3. Limit myself to one soda per day/finish at least one huge cup of water per day
4. Each Sunday, write down one good thing that happened in the last week - I'll put these away in a jar and look back on my year on Dec 31st
5. Watch all the Disney animated movies (got to have something fun)

-In terms of races, I am already signed up for the Disney Princess 5K, Disney Princess Half Marathon (MY FIRST HALF!!!!!), the Star Wars Half Marathon, and the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon (to complete the Kessel challenge). In addition to these, I'm planning to sign up for the Two Course Challenge for Wine and Dine (which will be my first RunDisney challenge weekend) and the RunDisney Virtual Running Shorts series (SO excited for the park attractions theme this year!) I am looking at a few more local races (probably a couple of local 5Ks and maybe a repeat of last years Brewers Mini Marathon 10K). I've definitely caught the race bug and I'm excited to fit in as many races as I can.

-I've finally joined a gym! Just in time for the snow to fly here in WI and make me not want to run outside. I'm looking to utilize the gym for the winter months where it's just too cold and/or snowy to run outside and also possibly during the summer months when it's especially hot outside. I am planning to go for my first visit either tomorrow or this weekend, so I'm very excited to see how it goes.

-The biggest thing I want to do is stay consistent. I know that I was getting good at that last year and then the end of the year/weather really threw me and I fell off the wagon. I'm ready to get back on it and really focus on making this year my best yet.
 
Race Recap - Disney Wine and Dine 10K 2019

Yes...I know this is very late. Blame teaching and life and a second November Disney trip and Christmas for getting in the way :laughing:

The W&D 10K was my fifth Run Disney race and the first one that I had actually trained for, so I was going into it with a ton of excitement! In the week leading up to the race, I had been keeping an eye on the weather forecast and seeing how warm it was going to be for the race. I started to question whether Miguel was going to be a good idea for a costume or not (with his long pants and sweatshirt), so I began trying to figure out ways I could modify it. One of my ideas was wearing a blue skirt instead of jean leggings - well as soon as I put the skirt on, a new costume idea hit me and I got to work putting it together (a solid 24 hours before leaving for FL I might add). Thank goodness the Mouseketeer outfit is an easy one!

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I left for FL on Halloween...in the middle of a snowstorm. Yes, we had a white Halloween this year in Wisconsin. That caused a lot of stress about making it everywhere on time, especially with the 45 min layover I had in the middle of my journey. But I made it, got to the expo early enough the next day to have no merch or bib pickup lines, and was on my way to enjoy the parks and take it easy before the race.

Race morning I woke up about 2-2:30ish and was on what I think was the second bus to leave Pop Century. I'm pretty sure it was the earliest I have ever arrived to a race because when I got there, the character lines were still manageable! I quickly got in the first line I saw and met Chef Goofy. By the time I was done with him, the lines had gotten crazy so I just headed over towards the corrals to wait for them to open. As soon as they did, I rushed to my corral and found a spot about 5 feet away from the front gate which I was very excited about.

Fast forward to the start of the race and I had managed to keep my good placement and end up about 5 feet back from the starting line. As soon as they said go, I was off...and realized that I was a lot faster than the people around me. I shot past almost everyone and ended up as one of only two people at the front of the pack.

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One of my favorite race pictures - the open WDW road ahead of me!

The first character meet I came across was Mary Poppins and Bert and I got in line. However, a couple minutes later I started to worry about how long it was going to take and I bailed. That is probably my biggest regret of the race - I was so worried about my timing and the balloon ladies at that point still that I missed a really cool meet. But it's alright, because as the race went on I started to get more comfortable with stopping for characters because I knew I could make up the time I spent in line by running.

That basically became the plan of the race - run (with the occasional walk interval mixed in) from character to character and then rest while I was waiting in line. I ended up meeting Chip and Dale, Carl from Up, Bowler Hat Guy, Lightning McQueen and Mater throughout the race. It took about 30-40 minutes to meet Carl but there was no way that I was going to skip that meet! I struck up conversations with the people around me in line about races, characters, the College Program, etc. and it made the time pass quickly. My favorite conversation we had was one of the people had a friend who was ahead of us in line texting her the characters coming up. They listed all these names and then "some villain guy" - that was all they gave us. Well we started guessing, and out of nowhere I guessed that it might be Bowler Hat Guy - I have NO idea where that guess came from. So by the time I got into Epcot and saw that my random guess was right, I knew I had to stop for a picture with him!

By the time I reached the finish line, I was amazed at how strong I was still feeling. The last time I had done a Run Disney 10K, I was exhausted by the end and walking it all. But I finished this race running as much as I started and that was absolutely incredible - it's nice to be able to see that all that training actually paid off! After crossing the finish line, I got my medal and snacks, walked the crazy long distance to the reunion area, and found my mom. After a few more pictures, it was back to Pop to shower and start my day of celebrating in the parks!

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Overall, if you look at the clock this race was my personal worse - I'm pretty sure it took me longer to finish this one than the 10K that I walked most of! However, I think I'm more proud of this race than any I've ever done. I had SO much fun during this race I can't even describe it. It got to the point that around mile 4, I was already thinking about how I wish Princess was closer because I wanted to do another race so bad! Between the fun I had and how physically strong I felt throughout the whole race, this one will forever be a highlight race for me.

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