Baloo is finding his Bare Necessities of life (Comments Welcome)

[Baloo in MI]

Spring Surprise & Fargo Marathon Training Plan
Week 4 Review
I am real happy with this week as a whole. I managed to get all my runs in even with a very demanding week at work and at home. We had a pretty significant ice storm that made running outside for one day basically impossible and the days following remaining an adventure! I am going to continue to track walking mileage, that is mostly walks for Kai (my dog).


(I like to refer to this as VICTORY! Kai napping post walk)

2/20: No Run - walk - 2.71 miles completed.
2/21: 4 miles easy - completed 3.91 miles + 5.30 walk. Supposed to be a big ice storm tomorrow, so slipped in a longer walk with Kai today.
2/22: 5 miles easy - Ice Storm! Treadmill time. Completed 5.60 miles. Finished The Warriors (old 70’s New York Gang Movie) while running. I was hopping it would take my mind off the treadmill. It did not, boy I am just not a fan of the treadmill.
2/23: 4 miles easy - missed run. The day just got in the way and I had to skip.
2/24: Rest - Make up run, completed 5.38 miles, easy pace
2/25: Rest - walked Kai. 4.92 miles
2/26: 7 miles easy - completed 7.59 miles, averaged 11:44 a mile. Happy with effort! + 3.41 miles walking.
Totals for the week.
Running: 22.48 Miles
Walking: 16.34 Miles

Week 5 Plan
This will be my first week since the surgery that I am putting in some tempo work. Just one run this week, and as long as it goes well I will add more the following week.
2/27: Week 5 - Spring Surprise/Fargo Marathon - Rest
2/28: 5 miles easy
3/1: 5 miles easy
3/2: 4 miles marathon tempo
3/3: Rest
3/4: 5 miles easy
3/5: 8 miles easy

 

[avondale]

I hear you on the treadmill. When I have to try a run on it, I find that I have to watch something more fast-paced in order for it to be distracting. Older TV shows and movies are at a much slower pace than "modern" shows that they just don't do the trick.

I hope the tempo work goes well this week!

 

[Baloo in MI]

I hear you on the treadmill. When I have to try a run on it, I find that I have to watch something more fast-paced in order for it to be distracting. Older TV shows and movies are at a much slower pace than "modern" shows that they just don't do the trick.

I hope the tempo work goes well this week!

Thanks! Me too, the weather has gotten much better. Actually saw sunshine today!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Spring Surprise & Fargo Marathon Training Plan
Week 5 Review:
Hey, my journal has made it to double digits!!!! Why I am excited about this? Not sure, but I am! Overall it was a really good week. I did miss one run, and I had to shift some others around a little. But in the end I feel like I am making progress. I was a little bummed to learn that I was not selected for the NYCM, but I knew the chances will super slim. So I decided to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon, which will be the weekend before and it is one I have never done. My biggest obstacles this week have been the weather and my first tattoo! A local tattoo artist was doing a fundraiser for the shooting victims from the campus shooting. My daughter and I (she is a student at MSU and besides being on staff I am also an alumnus) got Spartan tattoos. TBH I was terrified! But it was not too bad. But it is located on my left leg and interferes with my compression socks and gets iritated by pants. But it will heal up.

Also I had heard on the Rise and Run Podcast that there was no plan to have perfect status at year 5 for Spring Surprise runners. I thought that folks running the 10 Miler and/or doing the Challenge would qualify for a perfect status if they did every time by year 5. So I wrote runDisney, totally bummed because I got a response within a day that they are not planning to have a perfect status for Spring Surprise mainly due to the fact that the format and races will change every year. Given that I did not start running runDisney races until 2015 this was the only chance I had to start from the beginning of a new race. Maybe they will change this plan. I can hope! Here is week 5.

2/27: Rest - walked Kai, completed 4.17 miles.
2/28: 5 miles easy - completed 5.56 miles solid run at 10:44 pace; that was my Dopey Marathon Pace.
3/1: 5 miles easy - completed 6.35 miles. Felt a little tired on this one, pushed too much yesterday…
3/2: 4 miles marathon tempo - missed run today, will make up tomorrow. Walked - 4.29 miles.
3/3: Rest - Completed yesterday’s run. Had to run at lunch to avoid the incoming storm. Good call because it is fulling snowing and blowing like crazy now! Very happy with my first real tempo work since prior to Dopey. Just four miles: 1 & 3 easy and 2 & 4 pushing: 11:31, 9:07, 11:00 & 8:55. It felt really good to go harder, maybe a little too hard for first one. But went really well. Completed: 4.52 miles.
3/4: 5 miles easy - no run today…. I did push too hard yesterday, going to let legs rest. Walked 6.92 miles.
3/5: 8 miles easy - Real happy with my run today in that it was really rough; a total struggle fest. But I got it done! Completed 8.5 miles, 11:27 pace.

Week 6 Plan
Starting a strength training routine, 3 days a week.
3/6: Rest
3/7: 5 miles marathon tempo
3/8: 5 miles easy
3/9: 5 miles fast tempo
3/10: Rest
3/11: Rest
3/12: 10 miles easy

 

[Naomeri]

I could’ve sworn someone asked rD last year and they were told there would be perfect status for Springtime. I wish rD could keep their story straight.

 

[GollyGadget]

I could’ve sworn someone asked rD last year and they were told there would be perfect status for Springtime. I wish rD could keep their story straight.

I thought I had read this as well. Their excuse also doesn’t make much sense given that the first two years had the exact same distances. Does this mean that they might actually change it up next year?

 

[DopeyBadger]

I could’ve sworn someone asked rD last year and they were told there would be perfect status for Springtime. I wish rD could keep their story straight.

I thought I had read this as well. Their excuse also doesn’t make much sense given that the first two years had the exact same distances. Does this mean that they might actually change it up next year?

They did say that (link). Must have changed their mind.

 

[avondale]

I was a little bummed to learn that I was not selected for the NYCM, but I knew the chances will super slim. So I decided to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon, which will be the weekend before and it is one I have never done.

Disclaimer: I have never run the NYCM. I have run MCM once, and I've lived in the DC area for 20 years now.

Saying that MCM is one week before NYCM makes them sound so similar. The big difference is that NYCM is often quite cold, while for the last 5+ years, the MCM has been unseasonably HOT! And there is very little shade. Definitely do heat acclimation in your training. It is quite the experience, though.

 

[Baloo in MI]

They did say that (link). Must have changed their mind.

Thanks for sharing this. Hopefully this means that it is not fully decided? For what it is worth, here was their response to my inquiry:

Dear Charlie,

We appreciate your interest in our Perfect Program for runDisney events.

“Perfect” runners are participants that have completed every race since the inaugural year of the event. For example, a participant who has completed every single Walt Disney World Marathon is a Perfect Marathoner.

Currently, we recognize Perfect runners for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, and the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend. Perfect runners are not counted until the fifth year of select events. runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend will not have a Perfect runner as the races may change. Perks for Perfect runners will be communicated via email to those specific runners. If you fit this description, we’ll be sure to reach out to you directly with more information.

Charlie, we hope to see you at a future runDisney event!

Kind Regards,

I hope it is ok to place this in here? Is interesting to see such dichotomy of info though! I am going to hold out hope, it would be fun to reach a perfect status.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Disclaimer: I have never run the NYCM. I have run MCM once, and I've lived in the DC area for 20 years now.

Saying that MCM is one week before NYCM makes them sound so similar. The big difference is that NYCM is often quite cold, while for the last 5+ years, the MCM has been unseasonably HOT! And there is very little shade. Definitely do heat acclimation in your training. It is quite the experience, though.

Thanks! This is really good information. Heat is always a challenge for me. What did you think of MCM, any other pointers?

 

[avondale]

Thanks! This is really good information. Heat is always a challenge for me. What did you think of MCM, any other pointers?

MCM does not have corrals. The starting/waiting area has some signs encouraging people planning different paces to line up fastest to slowest, but there is nothing enforcing that at all. Consequently, a lot of people who should not start toward the front do start toward the front. The course is extremely crowded for a long time. I'm thinking I don't remember things thinning out much until almost double-digit miles. (I started with the 4:45 pace group, which started in an appropriate place in the line.)

There isn't a lot of shade on the course, so if it's sunny, it gets hot. Really hot. The start time for the race isn't very early because they usually want people to get there via Metro and even when Metro opens early for the race, it's not that early. When I ran it (2017), I think we started ~8am. It got into the mid-70s F, and so not pleasant. In the last miles of the course, some officials opened up fire hydrants to sprinkle runners (in Arlington).

Even though all this sounds bad, it is quite an experience. So many people are running for family veterans who died and have photos, signs, etc. The Blue Mile on Hains Point celebrating falling soldiers is also moving. There's a lot of crowd support for the parts that are in downtown DC (and not over in Rock Creek Park or Arlington).

 

[Baloo in MI]

MCM does not have corrals. The starting/waiting area has some signs encouraging people planning different paces to line up fastest to slowest, but there is nothing enforcing that at all. Consequently, a lot of people who should not start toward the front do start toward the front. The course is extremely crowded for a long time. I'm thinking I don't remember things thinning out much until almost double-digit miles. (I started with the 4:45 pace group, which started in an appropriate place in the line.)

There isn't a lot of shade on the course, so if it's sunny, it gets hot. Really hot. The start time for the race isn't very early because they usually want people to get there via Metro and even when Metro opens early for the race, it's not that early. When I ran it (2017), I think we started ~8am. It got into the mid-70s F, and so not pleasant. In the last miles of the course, some officials opened up fire hydrants to sprinkle runners (in Arlington).

Even though all this sounds bad, it is quite an experience. So many people are running for family veterans who died and have photos, signs, etc. The Blue Mile on Hains Point celebrating falling soldiers is also moving. There's a lot of crowd support for the parts that are in downtown DC (and not over in Rock Creek Park or Arlington).

I will certainly run in honor of my uncle - my name sake. Hi died in Vietnam just a few weeks before I was born. I was going to be named after my father and grandfather - Jose. But in honor of my uncle I was named Charlie. I think it would mean a lot for my dad.

On a lighter note - Did you see many people using run/walk/run? Any advice round that?

 

[Baloo in MI]

Spring Surprise & Fargo Marathon Training
It was a good week, legs felt a little fatigued by the end of my run on Saturday, but I got all my runs in and got to go to my daughters first dance competition of the year, so it was a good week!

Week 6 Review
3/6: Rest - I did nothing!
3/7: 5 miles marathon tempo: Completed 5.50 miles. Pacing at 10:10 + 3.73 miles.
3/8: 5 miles easy: completed 5.51 miles nice and easy pace
3/9: 5 miles fast tempo: completed 5:68 miles, Efforts easy, hard, easy, hard, easy (11:58, 9:13, 11:08, 8:37, 11:34). Felt this! + 2.62 miles walking.
3/10: No Run - walked 3.87 miles
3/11: Did Sunday run today - walked 4.61 miles + 10.51 miles easy pace 11:16. Legs felt pretty tired after the long walk, good - but difficult for a “easy” run.
3/12: 10 miles easy - No run today, ran yesterday. Walked Kai 1.95 miles though.
Totals:
Run - 27.2 miles
Walk - 16.78 miles

Week 7 Plan:
This week is about building endurance so I have some extra miles to complete and will only be doing two runs at tempo speed. For Fargo I have decided to shoot for a 10:20. I believe this is a pace I can attain, but not sure about endurance. A few miles at 10:20 is no problem, but 26.2 miles at 10:20… Still need to figure out how I am going to approach Spring Surprise, will likely use the 10 miler as a tempo run, but not sure about the other two.
3/13: Week 7 - No run
3/14: 6 miles marathon tempo (10:20)
3/15: 6 miles easy
3/16: 6 miles easy (3 miles at tempo)
3/17: Rest
3/18: 5 miles easy
3/19: 12 miles easy

 

[avondale]

I will certainly run in honor of my uncle - my name sake. Hi died in Vietnam just a few weeks before I was born. I was going to be named after my father and grandfather - Jose. But in honor of my uncle I was named Charlie. I think it would mean a lot for my dad.

On a lighter note - Did you see many people using run/walk/run? Any advice round that?

I don't remember organized groups doing run/walk/run, but I'm sure there were people using it - I don't think you'd have a problem, except where it was really crowded. You would want to make sure to signal when you're about to start walking until it thins out. The pace groups for 5 hours and slower have a walk break incorporated. I think the 5-hour group was to walk for one minute every mile, or something like that. It wasn't frequent enough that I'd really call it run/walk/run in the usual sense.

 

[Baloo in MI]

It was bound to happen. Life has been so busy and I missed a week in my journal here and that turned into two weeks, then three and somehow it has been over a month since I last posted on here. I have been running and I just got back from Spring Surprise - which overall went pretty well. I just failed to update my journal. I have the Fargo Marathon on 5/20. I will try to do a better job updating as I approach the marathon and then figure out my summer and fall plans.

I had been updated my journal on Sunday evenings, I will try to provide a recap of the last few weeks and Spring Surprise as well as plans for next week on Sunday. That is my goal anyway... Hope all are doing well!

 

[prncssjas]

It was bound to happen. Life has been so busy and I missed a week in my journal here and that turned into two weeks, then three and somehow it has been over a month since I last posted on here. I have been running and I just got back from Spring Surprise - which overall went pretty well. I just failed to update my journal. I have the Fargo Marathon on 5/20. I will try to do a better job updating as I approach the marathon and then figure out my summer and fall plans.

I had been updated my journal on Sunday evenings, I will try to provide a recap of the last few weeks and Spring Surprise as well as plans for next week on Sunday. That is my goal anyway... Hope all are doing well!

Good luck at Fargo next month! It can be tough to balance life when there is an upcoming marathon on the books. I don't know about you but the weeks leading into a full are tough to manage (I get all sorts of distracted, stressed, excited, etc...).

 

[surfde22]

It was bound to happen. Life has been so busy and I missed a week in my journal here and that turned into two weeks, then three and somehow it has been over a month since I last posted on here. I have been running and I just got back from Spring Surprise - which overall went pretty well. I just failed to update my journal. I have the Fargo Marathon on 5/20. I will try to do a better job updating as I approach the marathon and then figure out my summer and fall plans.

I had been updated my journal on Sunday evenings, I will try to provide a recap of the last few weeks and Spring Surprise as well as plans for next week on Sunday. That is my goal anyway... Hope all are doing well!

Good luck with Fargo. Should be a fast one. I know you were considering Twin Cities this fall, is that still on the books for you. I just finally registered for it last week.

 

[Baloo in MI]

Good luck at Fargo next month! It can be tough to balance life when there is an upcoming marathon on the books. I don't know about you but the weeks leading into a full are tough to manage (I get all sorts of distracted, stressed, excited, etc...).

Thanks and so true!

Good luck with Fargo. Should be a fast one. I know you were considering Twin Cities this fall, is that still on the books for you. I just finally registered for it last week.

I am going to hold off on Twin Cities this fall and will be running the Marine Corps Marathon instead, But I am still hoping to get to Twin Cities.

Fargo Marathon Training (Week 12)
Really this week was more of a recovery from Spring Surprise which was tougher than I thought it would be in terns of needed recovery time. So this past week I focused primarily on daily movement, mostly walking and a couple easy runs. Next week I will be jumping straight back into the plan, gonna be tough!

Speaking of Spring Surprise, it went very well and I had a nice time down at DW, but the heat and humidity were hard. I had a nice and easy 5k, pushed the 10K and used the 10 MIler to test going a little faster than marathon pace. I am happy with ther results and my effort. The 10K gave me an “old guy“ PR. I reset everything when I turned 50. There is a benefit to getting older!

4/17: Week 12 Fargo Marathon - Rest
4/18: Rest
4/19: Walk - 7.07 miles walked
4/20: 4 miles easy: completed 3.93 miles + 4.34 miles walked. Legs are sore!!!!
4/21: Walk - 4.29 miles walked
4/22: 4 miles easy: completed 4.13 miles + Walk - 5.21 miles walked
4/23: 4 miles easy: completed 4.01 miles + Walk - 3.84 miles walked

Fargo Marathon Training (Week 13)
4/24: Long Walk
4/25: 7 miles easy
4/26: 6 miles easy
4/27: 6 miles marathon tempo
4/28: Rest
4/29: 5 miles easy
4/30: 20 miles easy

The plan for next week is challenging! But I am anxious to tackle it and feel a little better about Fargo. Just under four weeks from the race and I want to click off some longer runs before it is time to taper. Hope everyone has a good week!

 

[Baloo in MI]

Bad news and good news...

I have to bow out of Fargo. Some unmovable work priorities are going to make the trip up to Fargo not possible. At 8am this morning in a meeting I had to accept this and I left the meeting deflated - I have been training and was looking forward for the adventure up north. Not to mention loss of registration. I need to look into any options they may have for transferring to next year.

But in the meantime, I am going to run The Bayshore Marathon instead! I got back to my office and thought there must be a few other spring marathons? Boom! The addictive rush of registering for a race. So now it is back to Bayshore. It is a marathon I have run once before but at least I can stay on my training plan - Fargo was going to be 5/20 and Bayshore is 5/27! So I am excited to still get to use this training and Bayshore is a fast and beautiful course. Now to push my training plan out one week.

 

[superchime]

I'm sorry about Fargo but I'm glad you've found an alternative! Bayshore sounds great!