Walking on Purpose- Disneyland Avengers 1/2- First Half Marathon (Comments Welcome)

[lunarsongbird]

It all started with Pokémon... well, that's not quite true.

Even before having our first child, William, I set a goal of walking a half marathon before starting to try for a second child. It seemed like a wonderful motivator to get in great shape and lose all the baby weight from the first pregnancy, before embarking on another. But then we had a baby...who turned into a toddling toddler... and sometimes those dreams get away from you, you know?

And then Pokémon Go came out- and I started to walk again...and walk...and walk. And I remembered how much I absolutely LOVED to walk.

I did a local Grand Prix of "Running" for two years in a row before having William. I even walked a 10K when I was pregnant with William.

But as you know- a baby changes everything.

We were already planning a trip to California for Labor Day and I asked my husband, Andrew, if I could barter that trip for our first family trip to Disneyland so that I could walk the Avengers Half Marathon. He supported me fully, as he knew this was a long-time dream of mine.

So we booked our hotel room at the Howard Johnson (too bad the Paradise Pier was already booked up) and I also got tickets for a fairly reasonable flight. We also invited my 21 year old sister to join us, so that she could participate in the fun that is our awesome son- and so that she could watch him one evening so that we could go to the Carthay Circle.

But this is the running forum... so yes, I started to train, as well. LOL.

I started with the Galloway "Beginning Runners" schedule for the Avengers Goal Date of November 13th. I began at week 5 with 5 miles. We happened to be camping in the mountains of Colorado, so my first 5 miles was pushing a sleeping baby through gravel at 9,760 feet. It felt pretty darn good.

Maybe that fresh mountain air really was exhilarating, because it was lacking on my next 6.5 miles a week later and it just wasn't that enjoyable.

I wish that MapMyWalk captured the temperature, because it was hot. We were back on unpaved surfaces and I might have been a bit dehydrated.

My pace felt horrible - and it kinda was, but at least I was getting the miles in.

There were quite a few 3 mile walks before I did an 8 mile walk after work after labor day, after working 65 hours the previous week. Also not my favorite walk.

And my pace wasn't great- even though I wasn't pushing William. :: sigh :: But I also barely hydrated and didn't bring any fuel, because I was stuck in this mentality that I was JUST walking...I should be able to just walk without any fuel... I mean, I'm not running. This should be easy and not difficult for the body.

So you can only imagine what this type of mentality did for my 9.5 mile walk, pushing William the entire time. I should have been better at checking the weather- when we arrived it was 70 degrees...perfect, but by the time we were mid-way through the walk it was 90 degrees.

And because I was JUST a walker, I did have two bottles of water (in which I only drank one) and I tossed a random kashi granola bar under the stroll that I received a week before from church.

It started out well enough. We were at a very pretty river walk.

Although as we continued to explore the city, it began to get hotter and hotter.

And it was okay- until about 15 minutes after I ate that granola bar and my tummy began to rumble.... and we were no where near a bathroom- and I needed to go urgently.

I made it back to a very nice bathroom on the riverwalk and only had 2.5 miles to go...

We walked for 3 hours and 15 minutes... just 15 minutes less then the Disney course will be open.

I was tired afterwards, but not completely exhausted and after a good lunch- we enjoyed the rest of the day at a local children's museum.

But the next day, I had concerns:

And I received lots of help in the way of a family friend, who used to own a Fleet Feet. She even created a custom training plan for me.

I also started a few threads on the boards here and got great responses:

Training- What did you learn the hard way? What would YOU put in a training program?

Poll: Your Recommended Longest Training Run for a First Half

I also asked the above question to another social networking outlet and got the following responses:

I was happy to see that my training plan aligned with the majority. Also, 12 miles feels like a really good length- and heck- I've already done 9.5 miles....

But I was... (and kinda still am) a bit nervous about my pace. So for my next walk it was supposed to be "effort level 7-8, steady pace. Short sentence talking, some heavy breathing."

A sense of dread sank into my stomach as I tied my running shoes. What if I couldn't manage a 15 minute mile anymore? That was pre-William, after all. I fished around my nightstand and found unopened ear buds that came with my phone... a volume button on the cord. Fancy! I anxiously started down the street and within a few moments I realized that it felt amazing!

We will see what this weekend brings!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Following along! You can do it, I believe in you!

 

[lunarsongbird]

Following along! You can do it, I believe in you!

Wow. This was really really awesome to hear. Thank you.

 

[Chaitali]

I look forward to following along! You can definitely do it

 

[lunarsongbird]

I look forward to following along! You can definitely do it

Awww...Thank you SO SO much!! I'm still meeting everyone around here. Have you done some Disney races? What's your favorite Disney experience? I'm also working on a Disney cruise trip report...and I have to say- that's a pretty epic Disney experience!

 

[Ariel484]

You're making great progress, keep it up!!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Keep this in mind. If your training pace on the long runs is currently meeting the required pace to finish, you should be fine on race day. When walking you may not able to do character/photo stops et all, but in the end you won't care when you successfully cross that finish line.

 

[Purplestorm]

Wow! Thank you for sharing!!!! So very inspirational! I honestly feel motivated to power walk. I will definitely be thinking of you tomorrow when I hit the treadmill.

 

[Chaitali]

Awww...Thank you SO SO much!! I'm still meeting everyone around here. Have you done some Disney races? What's your favorite Disney experience? I'm also working on a Disney cruise trip report...and I have to say- that's a pretty epic Disney experience!

I did the Tower of Terror 10 miler in 2014 and the Wine and Dine half last year (which was shortened to more like 7 miles). No Disney races for me this year as I'm doing the Rock n Roll Vegas half with some girl friends instead. Next year I'll be back to Disney with the Star Wars Dark Side half. The Disney Cruise sounds like it would be a wonderful experience

 

[roxymama]

Fellow mama following along. I too, started my rundisney journey in 2015 as motivation to get myself moving again but also to do something good for myself (after full days of giving everything for my family.) I'm working up to my first half at Tink weekend after doing a 5k at WDW earlier this year. I TOTALLY BELIVE IN YOU. I'm not up to the distance you are at yet, so you are giving me inspiration.

Also...pushing a stroller is no joke. You will get faster without it at the race. But training with it is like when baseball players use the heavy bats before going up to the plate. You are gonna have some awesome core muscles eventually just from the pushing

 

[lunarsongbird]

I so appreciate everyone's comments! This weekend I was thinking a lot about "my place."

I was feeling a bit sad when listening to the "Another Mother Runner" podcast about "Tales from Back-of-Pack Runners."

Maybe I was just being hormonal, but it just made me feel so emotional.
http://anothermotherrunner.com/2016/06/10/214-finishing-last-in-a-race/

Perhaps it just reiterated that I don't know where I fit. I'm not a runner. I'm not a jogger... and to be honest, I don't even really want to be. I LOVE walking, but in the walking community- there aren't any warm and fuzzy books or anything for recreational or casual walkers. Everything is focused on racewalking. So I did order three books on racewalking that I will report back on.

I also reached out to some people in the racewalking community to see if maybe I fit there...

The first to respond was Dave McGovern, the only eight-time Olympic Trials finalist in US history, and America's most experienced racewalking and marathon walking coach and clinician:

I appreciated his honest answer... and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can get down to a faster pace than 15:00, but I don't feel like I need to be faster then 12:00. 13-14 would keep me on the course without being swept for any race I have ever seen.

The RaceWalkers of the Northwest also had some advice:

And then the Michigan Race Walking group responded:
Everyone was quite kind.

One of the reasons that I am drawn to walking is that I think it's one of the most natural and gentle activities for your body. However, race walkers do some funny things with their hips:

Our family friend who owned the Fleet Feet told me to check out the New Balance information on walking:
http://www.newbalance.com/good_form_walking.html

So I still feel like the ugly duckling... I'm not a runner or jogger. I'm not a racewalker. What the heck am I?

When I told my husband about racewalking and how it really hasn't been popular in the United States, despite the fact it's an Olympic Sport, he exclaimed, "That's because it's lame!" And I'm afraid that it the mentality of most people. Even in that podcast, one of the ladies expressed relief that at least she beat the walkers. There was even an entire episode of Malcom in the Middle that made fun of the sport.

Speedwalking originated from the idea of "pedestrianism" in the Victorian ages.

But even then- the athletes usually suffered from great injury.

So I don't align with that idea either. I'm not a Nordic walker, which has been SUPER popular in Europe lately.

I did some additional research on power walking and race walking:
According to a study by the University of Connecticut, the average, comfortable walking speed for men is about 3.3 mph (18:10/mph). Power walkers reach a maximum comfortable walking pace of about 5.7 mph (10:31/mph). Race walking is done competitively, and national-class male race walkers cover a 20-kilometer -- 12.5-mile -- race in approximately one hour and 30-minutes. That is about 8 to 9 mph.

So perhaps I'm power walker, but there aren't any quite power walking inspirational quotes.

There aren't (many) power walking blogs, cute books, podcasts, jewelry, shirts, races...

Running is a culture. You can identify yourself as a runner. I don't feel like I can really identify with a power walking community, because there isn't a community. It makes me sad. There is nothing that isn't religious that comes up when you look up "walking inspiration" on Amazon.

I don't want just inspirational quotes that will get me to start walking...I want walking books that I should be reading right now... :: sigh ::

I want a place.

Walking is so so amazing.

There have been so many studies on walking versus running.

And research shows that walking is truly outstanding.

So why hasn't walking gone viral? Why isn't it a cultural thing or a phenomenon like running?

Why isn't there a walking equivalent to jogging? Or maybe there is... maybe it's power walking/fitness walking... and it just really isn't a popular thing.

But walking speaks to my soul.

And perhaps I just need to make my own place.

 

[roxymama]

I personally LOVE walking. I LOVE LOVE leisurely walking. I would choose walking around somewhere with my family over just about anything. Not necessarily for huge fitness gains...but I just like it, so its a physical and mental pick me up. Taking everything in and soaking in wherever I am. That's why I like being at Disney...walking around in the beautiful atmosphere of it all. But I understand what you mean about having a hard time finding a community. But when I'm out and about on my runs at night I see SO MANY small groups or pairs of people walking around my neighborhood clearly for fitness (athletic clothes, water bottles, headphones) so there are probably MORE people doing that than running. I'm interested to see what you find on the subject.
Have you ever considered one of the long distance walks for charity that span multiple days or really long mileages? Like the LocoMotion or Breast Cancer 3-ways. There's a whole huge community of people who are doing distance walking that does not have pace requirements that I am aware of that I see in my facebook feed all the time now. There's a big one in my area every summer too. I wonder if seeking out those groups would get you more information that you are looking for.

 

[lunarsongbird]

So after all of these deep thoughts, I embarked on my first "long" walk in which I was going to try to make a certain pace. I could feel my lunch sitting heavy in my stomach- and William had slept very poorly the night before. Again, I wondered if I could do it.

Instead of 3 miles on the "short" weekend walks... I'm not walking 6 miles on my new plan.

It was a pretty walk and for the first time ever...I started with a slow warm up.

Oh my goodness...that 10 minutes seemed never-ending. I couldn't wait to unleash my...what? speed? LOL.

And when I finally picked up the pace, it did feel pretty great, until I hit mile 4 and then I realized that I should have fueled earlier.

I was super conscious of my walking form for a lot of the walk. It reminded me of when I used to have to march very quickly across the field in marching band.
A lot of field sows require you to move quite a distance on the field in a very short period of time.

It's called a glide step. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glide_step
And now I can see why marching band allowed us to not have to take a year of PE in high school:

When you are walking for over an hour and a half at a pace that doesn't require all of your mental focus... you have a lot of time to think. Why am I doing this?" "Why do I like walking?" "What are my goals?" My current goal for my longer training walks are to walk each mile under 16 minutes, preferably 15. I need enough energy after my walk to be able to go to the store, dance with William in the kitchen while I am making dinner and putting William to bed.


I did a bit of jogging at the very end of my walk, being mindful of coming down on the pad of my foot instead of my heel.

Just to know that I could do it...you know?

(Hooray. Look at my sweaty hat! I got some treats for myself after this walk- mostly a citrusy hoppy kombucha).

I was super happy with this walk...

 

[lunarsongbird]

I wanted to do my very first interval training on Tuesday, but, friends...William woke up no less then EIGHT times on Monday night. Come on...He is 18 months old. :: sob :: LOL. He's never been a very good sleeper.

So I decided to go on Wednesday. Hey- one must be flexible with a little one around. Sleep is my number one priority. I work in a school, so as soon as my sleep suffers- I start getting all the germs that the kiddos bring to class.

I couldn't wait to try on my new fuel belt:

And it was great! Super secure and had enough space for everything I wanted. It was also $40 cheaper then what was being offered at the running store. My husband really wanted me to wear an old hiking fanny pack, but they are just SO SO bulky. Blargh.

https://www.amazon.com/Hydration-Running-Belt-smartphones-replacement/dp/B01AB6YJR2

I decided to walk over to the neighborhood high school to check out their gym, because unless I'm doing hill work- I really prefer being on a flat service.

It looks like there is a gate that is pretty much open at all hours. As soon as I stepped onto the track, I had flashbacks to being in marching band and watching older people exercising on the track as we practiced. I thought, "Oh...Hm. I one of those people now. I wonder what these football players and band kids will be doing in 14 years?"

The track had weeds on it at some points, which I thought was strange, because wasn't this track season?

But I guess I should get to the walking part, right?

I'm not sure how accurate some of these numbers are, some of them look fairly ridiculous. So if I take an average, I was going an average of 4.6 mph on my fast laps...a 13:02 minute mile. So I'm pretty stoked with that number.
However...my pace was REALLY slow in between my fast laps. Is it supposed to be that slow? I feel like I should have been going a bit faster.

It was a pretty fun walk. I wonder if I will continue to feel this way as my training progresses. Will I get hooked to the racing lifestyle?

 

[Chaitali]

Glad you had a fun walk and the belt worked out well!

 

[lunarsongbird]

I feel like quite a bit has happened since I last posted.

On Friday, September 30th (Eeep!)...

I went out for what should have been a brisk 3 mile walk. I wanted to find somewhere flat, but in my neighborhood in Colorado- it's near impossible. So as I was walking up a hill, I began to experience some pain in the back of my right ankle that stopped me short. Well, actually... it didn't. I completed my 3 miles, but slowed WAY down.

Because you see, I don't believe in pain.

What I DO believe in is hard work... I think it's okay when your muscles feel fatigued and stretched. I think it's okay when you feel like quitting and you are giving it your all... when you are straining and your body is giving everything it's got, but I do NOT believe in pain. I think pain is your body telling you that something in wrong (but this is just my opinion). As you may have noticed in my introduction- I had a home birth with my son. I prepared a lot. I knew it probably wasn't going to be comfortable. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I trusted in my body and I trusted in birth- and I was never in pain. I never suffered.

So pain and suffering... not part of my training plan, but hard work... yes, indeed.

http://www.today.com/id/21129151/ns...ain-no-gain-other-workout-myths/#.V_Z4tvkrLmF

However, I use brief flashes of pain as guideposts. I think it's pretty obvious that my legs are just not strong enough yet to maintain the paces I would love to achieve- and that's okay. I can work on strengthening my body and also loosening up my muscles.

Despite my encounter with a painful ankle, the fact that William had been throwing up earlier in the day... and oh...did I mention the rain?? #life
Haha... it was a nice mid-week walk.

 

[lunarsongbird]

We had a super weekend- and encountered some big changes! We took William's co-sleeper down and moved my nightstand back to it's rightful place after nearly 2 years.

I tried to make it into a zen-like space where I could read, color and meditate. As much as I LOVED waking up and seeing my (usually) sleeping baby- it's nice to get back a part of me, you know?

Sunday was splendid; although we had a bit of a late start to our in-laws, because of a cozy afternoon nap. We arrived at around 5:30 PM and I immediately started walking, as I needed to get 8 miles in. I figured... "Perfect. I will be done around 7:30 PM- just in time for dinner and before William goes to bed."

But what I didn't think about:

Lesson #1: Be mindful of when the sunsets (or rises) when planning your training walks/runs.
:: sigh :: rookie movie.

I didn't actually end up getting back until 7:45 PM and it was PITCH black, because I was walking in an open space. I don't like being outside after dark. My body yearns to be inside. I'm a cozy-home type of person.

I tried to find the silver lining... I do enjoy walking, even long distances, as it gives you so much time to think. I remembered the Philosopher's Walk in Heidelberg, Germany.Phhilosophers walked there, perhaps using the solitude of the forest and the incredible views of the city and surrounding area for inspiration. It's also known that great poets such as Dickens, Thoreau, Woolf, and Wordsworth walked for inspiration.

So I thought about what I wanted out of my half-marathon (to finish and to have an awesomely enjoyable time in Disneyland), what I wanted out of walking in the future (enjoying the seasons, endorphin rushes... possibly the Rock-and-Roll in Denver at a faster pace- or maybe this girly one at Red Rocks: http://espritdeshe.com/red-rocks-co-5k10k-yoga/).... and what I wanted out of life. And this is what I figured out:

 

[Chaitali]

Great quote about contentment! And I agree about the pain, true pain is generally a sign from our body that something needs to change.

 

[lunarsongbird]

So I forgot about Lesson #2 on the above walk: Come prepared with proper clothing.
As I turned around at Mile 4- I immediately got hit in the face by the wind and I thought... "#($*!! I didn't bring a jacket...long-sleeve shirt or sweatshirt" and it was quickly getting dark... I really should have planned better. SUCH a rookie move!!

Lesson #3- While being mindful of the sunset and sunrise (see above)- COME PREPARED FOR IT.
I had no reflective clothing or flash light. :: sigh :: I ended up using the flashlight app on my phone and slipping it in my running belt. I felt like I had a little headlight.

I took the good with the bad on this walk, but by the end- I was literally yelling out of frustration. I was SO ready for it to be over.
I was relieved when Andrew and had dinner and a glass of wine waiting for me when I arrived back to his dad's house.

The day after my 8 mile training walk- On Monday, October 3rd- I experienced bleeding. Bleeding probably associated with my crohn's disease. I've NEVER had bleeding- not before or after my diagnosis. Have I even mentioned that I have crohn's? I pretty much put it into remission years ago with diet...but then... in a instant- I became a woman training for a half marathon WITH A CHRONIC AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION.
I was bleeding.
It. felt. serious.

It felt like everything had to change.

So I went straight back on a GAPS diet (which I did years ago), modified for AIP...which means the Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet modified for the Autoimmune Protocol. By nature, it's a VERY low calorie diet. A LOT of soups. SO mamy soups. Autumn is a good time to go on this healing diet, but I wondered how I would fair even on shorter walks when on such a limited diet... and also- I really didn't know exactly what was going on in my gut without a colonoscopy. I decided that I would be on a strict GAPS diet for two weeks.

Upon discussion, my husband also thought it was best if I ditched the different fuels and relied on real foods. So I asked him to get me some honey sticks, which I took with me that week, but it really turned out to be easier just to put a whole bunch of honey in ziplock bags.

I only got one three mile walk in that week. I just felt that I had to give my body time to heal.

Against my heart, I knew I needed to finish out my training at a slower and self-nourishing pace. Or maybe it was my heart that knew it, but my mind that didn't? I'm not sure... but it felt a bit of disappointing, especially since it definitely increases my risk of being swept on race day.

So I really honed my focus back on the things I adore... nature, my son, enjoying the seasons...savoring a slower life.

I was a bit nervous about going out for 6 miles, sustained on soup for over a week- and because my GAPS plan doesn't include fruit for about 10 days, I dried carrots and butternut squash to add to my handful of honey for "race fuel." Seriously...dried butternut squash, seriously? LOL. But you do what you have to do...

And it was a really nice 6 miles, but I could feel that it was a bit of a struggle for my body.

For the next couple of walks- I put William in the stroller for the mid-week walks and they were such idyllic mid-autumn evenings. Swoon.

And then just as I was adding a bit more variety back into me diet- I was ready to conquer 10 miles. It was a lovely day and a good 10 miles. Although my app conked out at 6 miles and since I was just doing an out and back- I just shut it off. Having to walk for miles makes me a little anxious anyways. I love walking for the pure joy of it- and training for the half marathon has kind of chiseled away at that. It reminds me of that philosophy on not turning a hobby into work, because then it starts feeling like a job.
http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2014/05/12/hobby-job/

I'm interested to see if I get totally hooked on the half marathon at some point during the race, because during my 10 miles, I thought about how next summer I want it filled with hours spent hiking with my family- instead of walking hours and hours by myself. Although I do think that taking a solo hour or so every weekend is really cathartic and healthy- so I want to continue to incorporate that into my life. And perhaps now it's a habit and my life will feel empty without it?

My right knee hurt a bit the day after my 10 miles and I hoped it was just a lack of stretching, because I too eagerly jumped into the bath after the walk. So I rested on Monday and went out again on Tuesday for my three miles. I took a walk off the beaten path...a trail I had walked oh...hundreds of time... and when I was about 15 minutes away from home- I slipped. I slipped and fell on a cactus.

A prickly pear to be exact. And here is something you may not know...they have two types of spines. The ones that came home with me are called glochids.

I tried to call my husband to see if he could pick me up so I wouldn't have to walk back up the hill to my home. He couldn't really hear me, but he wasn't at home anyways. So I walked back home with my arm down my pants- trying to keep the remaining spines from jumping onto my legs.

Gosh I felt sorry for myself... I googled how to remove the spines and I got most of them out with water sealing tape (stickier then duct tape), but I was still up at 1 AM getting spines out of my leg and rear.

Needless to say- I didn't walk much more that week- and perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, because by the time I was ready for my next 6 miles, my knee felt totally fine. I was also testing out my brand new Brooks Adrenaline ASRs. Woohoo! It's technically a trail shoe, but I love it- and I especially like the traction for walking around in the snow and ice in the winter in Colorado.

"Named for its road-running sibling, the women's Adrenaline ASR 13 trail-running shoes start with the cushioned, stable ride of our best-selling support shoe and add a water-resistant upper and rugged outsole to carry you over your favorite trails in any weather."

The young runner at the store assured me that the more "rugged outsole" wouldn't impact my performance on race day.

So now I'm all caught up... resting today. Doing yoga tomorrow. Have you tried this routine yet? It's a super sequence:

A few more mid-week walks... and then my longest training walk. 12 miles.
And I feel like I've been tempting weather.
It's been warm and clear- very unusual for this time of year.

The average day for the first SNOW was last week.

But so far the forecast looks promising.

Otherwise, I guess I will end up using a day pass at fancy gym watching Hallmark movies on a treadmill for hours...and hours. LOL. It could be worse.

I just really feel like I'm in a different place then I was when I first started training - but that's the point, right??

I'm a bit worried about not being able to maintain the required pace, but if I was following the Jeff Galloway plan- he actually recommends that you train 2 minutes slower then your race pace... then I'm right on.
I think I can do some major power walking or a bit of jogging during the race to make sure that I don't get swept. I also don't mind finishing with the balloon ladies. During my first 10K- I had to start jogging to finish, because they had started the children's race- and dozens ans dozens of children were on my feet. LOL... but it was a good lesson in mental fortitude.

 

[Chaitali]

I'm sorry to hear about the cactus and the crohns But it sounds like you've dealt with the obstacles well and that's great that the knee pain has healed up! Good luck with the 12 miles