Our journey to the Dark Side- DW race report 5/6/18

[PaDisneyCouple]

Hello there! DW and I have signed up for our 3rd runDisney race weekend: Dark Side 2018.
Over the years, we've had the great fortune to get to know and even meet many DIS friends from the DCL, runDisney, and restaurant boards. We thought we'd start a journal, to share our journey to race weekend, learn from everyone, and document our training/race experiences along the way.

I haven't been able to do such a good job at posting photographs since the boards changed format a few years ago. If you have tips/how-to, we're interested.
Likewise: just when I thought I'd figured out hyperlinks, things changed, my schedule changed, and it fell off the radar.

If this worked, you'll be able to say hello to Max below:



Max is our inspiration. He's a retired racing greyhound. Around age 4, he retired, and joined our family. That first year, on our walks, when the weather was to his liking, he'd run a little. Well, "a little" for Max is a pretty good pace for most humans. He's not even mouth breathing, and I'm about in a sprint.
We identified at least 6 gears, plus Mach 1, during that first year together. For Max, 3rd gear is like a canter, where he's bounding up and down front and back. He's clearly just taking it easy at this pace. At this time in our lives, we didn't have anything like a Garmin, but I'm pretty sure 3rd gear was faster than a 9-minute mile pace. The speed increases in what feels like exponential fashion with each gear until you hit what must have been race pace: Mach 1.

We only ever saw Mach 1 once. Our back yard, though fenced, is too small to allow him to really light it up. Again, it was that first year, and we went to a local dog park, where there are fenced areas around 3 acres each. On that day, DW and I ran along ahead of Max, and he came 'a runnin' up to us. We stopped and walked a moment together, and then DW and I tried to run ahead again.

The sound coming up behind us was like the sound of a running horse in the movies. As Max passed us, it happened: everything in his stride cycle... it just instantly doubled in speed. In one instant, he was fast, in the blink of an eye, he was twice as fast. He sped away at what had to be well over 35 mph. We stopped and laughed uncontrollably. The eyes of the guy in the corner got REAL big as he closed the distance in seconds. Then he turned south with no perceptible loss in speed.

We were afraid that the tree roots he was approaching would be a problem, or the pack of dogs playing in there would want to chase him. But he turned back to us and trotted directly back, barely winded. To watch a professional sprinter, every part designed for speed, is amazing. He has supreme control of his body; able to speed past us in our yard at a distance of single-digit inches away from our legs.

So to start our story without giving Max his due would not be appropriate.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Congrats on starting a journal! Excited to follow along!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I'm in too and will be back for my second Dark Side Half Weekend. I'm already in for the First Order Challenge and may throw the 5K in also.

 

[xjillianpaige]

Welcome to journal writing! I like Max already! Thanks for sharing him with us!

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

Our first race:
It was the fall of 2010, and DW gave me about a month's notice that she wanted to run a 5k before the end of the year. Specifically: the big local Turkey Trot. I'd been walking on the treadmill regularly, and starting to run on it; I have no idea what secret training DW was up to. So, we signed up for it. My goals were: finish and run the whole time. It had been since 10th or 11th grade track that I'd run "so far".

My favorite treadmill at the gym had a 5k loop path on the display. I was at the point where my "big goal" was to one day have the lap counter turn from 0 to 1, and keep running.

We arrived downtown for the race, with about 2500 of our closest friends. All bundled up against the rain, cold, and breeze that greeted us. DW and I took shelter in a parking lot (building overhang) to "warm up". I think I was wearing my yard gloves to keep my hands warm. Trying to get those darn chips laced into my shoes was challenging enough in the cold, but then the race was on.

I remember heading downhill to the local college, and that's about it until I finished. Once in the chute (first timer) I didn't know what to expect. People were there with wire cutters to free the (deposit required) chip from my shoe. I'd barely unloaded that and had the thought to start looking for DW when I was tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to find a smiling DW looking back at me. We'd finished just a minute apart! The embrace that followed is something that I'll always remember.

What I remember about the rest of that day: I was SO stiff and sore the remainder of the day. I barely participated in anything related to preparing our Thanksgiving meal. I mean, I could hardly move.

I think about how much I hurt that day from time to time. In the years since, I've achieved other goals: run a race longer than a 5k became the next one. Not realizing that 10k's even existed, I signed up for a 10 Miler on the local Rail Trail. Upon finishing that one, someone told me I was stepping into the larger world of distance running. I just knew I now needed all my fingers to count the miles I'd just run.

There have been other goals, some checked off, some not. Those are for another post someday. But looking back at that day in 2010, I can see that progress has been made.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

DW here

This past Saturday I ran for the first time since July 20th, the day I tore my meniscus. My recovery has taken longer than the doctor's assured timeframe of 4 to 6 weeks. It felt great to be running again and I decided that 7 minutes of run/walk on the treadmill was enough for the first time.

Yesterday was the practice 5k for the Girls on the Run team that I am helping to coach. I knew I would not be running but I was looking forward to walking. The school sits on a hill and the head coach decided the girls should go out and back (down and up) on the back entrance road because the race course will start with a downhill, and, you guessed it, end on an uphill. She asked me to go to the bottom of the hill and hold a sign that read "caution, children running ahead". There was a feeling of excitement (not sure if it was just me or everyone) and I was looking forward to seeing how the girls would do. Before I ventured down the hill I ran to my car so I could put my backpack in it. At this point I realized that if I had not parked so close to the front entrance I would have less distance to run. However, it really felt effortless running to my car. After that I ran over to the exit driveway, and walked down. For the past two years I have been unable to run down hills without knee pain and I did not want to test it on this steep hill. After the last girl and her running buddy got to bottom and turned to go back up I walked up the hill. It really felt good to be out there in the crisp autumn air, walking up this hill that even a month ago I would have thought of as impossible. I thought for sure my butt would be achy today! Then I walked back to field where the girls were finishing the 5k and watched the excitement as all of the girls and their Run Buddies finished the 5k. Our 5k is December 2nd and I talked DH into doing it with me so that he can be my "Run Buddy". I plan on walking it and will possibly do some run segments.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

DW runs again!

DW ran today at physical therapy! She was on the treadmill, and the therapist looked at her gait from all angles. It was "only" 2-3 minutes, but what matters is not how far or fast, but that she did. Interesting to see the straight line down the middle of the belt in the videos. To help with analysis, she said. She's turning her right knee inward (the surgery knee), so he adjusted at least one of her exercises to help with that. I think its called "crane".

In other news: yesterday, we had the honor of hearing Loretta Claiborne speak. It was at a Girls on the Run event in Pennsylvania (DW is a coach this year). First, we all watched the Wonderful World of Disney movie, "The Loretta Claiborne Story". After a brief intermission, she spoke to the audience, and took questions. If you ever have the opportunity to hear Loretta speak, take advantage of it. Her web site aptly calls her, "an amazing and inspiring woman". It is always enriching to hear someone speak who has achieved at the highest levels, but it was particularly enjoyable to do so with a smaller group. In my life, I have had the good fortune to listen and learn from Olympic champions from "my primary sport" (not running) as well as other sports. I happily add Loretta to that list.

http://www.lorettaclaiborne.com/

My long run Saturday was 7 miles, my longest since the half in September. The last 1-1.2 miles were in the rain (again). I'm starting to get used to colder weather; I'm out of practice that way since I had to take much of the nice fall weather off. Achy that evening, but good enough to put in a strong effort swimming yesterday and 2 miles of hills after work today. I've been trying to take advantage of the shorter runs to try out new gear and gear combinations. Better to find out what works on a 3-6 mile run that 10-12, when you can really regret clothing selections.

Now to find out why DW's Garmin 230 won't hold its charge. Even as just a watch, it is lasting about 3 days. She liked my 230 so much, we got her one earlier this year. Mine holds its charge for hours of running, and a couple of weeks of watch mode/running sessions.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

DW here for a quick update

DH has been able to gradually increase his mileage and has had less time to post, so I'm filling in.

My knee rehab is progressing at a slow and steady rate. The physical therapist said that while he is not ready to discharge me because I do not yet have equal strength in my legs, I have improved and can come less frequently than once per week. I convinced DH to transfer to my PT and he is glad he did. His office is further away than many other PT's but for me the time spent has been worth it.

I signed up to coach Girls on the Run again in the Spring. Seeing all of the girls from 12 different schools run (or walk) the 5k was a great experience. Probably the most memorable thing happened at the end, right as DH and I were walking to the car to leave. One of the girls on my team and her Mom were walking to their car and she told me she would be back in the Spring. At our first session back in September, she would not talk during our group activity. It did not take long for her to interact freely with the group. She walked the entire 5k and now feels the great sense of achievement from having met this goal. Among other things, GOTR teaches inclusiveness and thus the girls are told it does not matter if you run, walk, or skip, as long as you are moving in a forward motion during the physical activities each session and during the 5k.

We are looking forward to Dark Side and we are talking more frequently about Parks, ADRs, and (maybe) a costume for the race!

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

The best gift!!!

About a week before Christmas I mailed out a request for sponsorship for Girls on the Run. I was not optimistic; I have never solicited for donations, but I figured there's no harm in asking. We had recently met the CEO of a local company so I sent him a nice personal letter. I had not read my emails in a few days. On Christmas I saw I had an email from this person and thought it would say, "thanks but no thanks". Instead he said he would be happy to support GOTR. At the highest contributor level!!! Even DH agreed that this was the best gift!!

DW

 

[DopeyBadger]

The best gift!!!

About a week before Christmas I mailed out a request for sponsorship for Girls on the Run. I was not optimistic; I have never solicited for donations, but I figured there's no harm in asking. We had recently met the CEO of a local company so I sent him a nice personal letter. I had not read my emails in a few days. On Christmas I saw I had an email from this person and thought it would say, "thanks but no thanks". Instead he said he would be happy to support GOTR. At the highest contributor level!!! Even DH agreed that this was the best gift!!

DW

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

SO I guess this is how it's going to be...

DH was able to get out on both days this weekend for runs. He hit the southern end of our local rain trail Saturday and northern end Sunday. Both had some sections of snow/ice. He ran into some running friends on Saturday who advised him which way to go for better trail conditions, and on Sunday he saw some of our greyhound friends with their 2 hounds. It sounds like he was pleased with his runs, despite the trail conditions that affected his paces.

I am still on the Injury Report: right knee, LP, DNP, LP, questionable. I have been doing more pool workouts to get cardiovascular training, some walking, and regularly scheduled Pilates Reformer workouts.

Unfortunately, the weekend did not include much rest for the knee. I decided last week that we needed to get some of our carpets cleaned this week so we spent the weekend emptying out rooms. Max tracked in poop last week. I wiped his feet when he came in but it was up between the pads. It's totally our fault for not picking it up while we had snow on the ground. That's the only time he steps in it. He has what must be a dog super-power: he never steps in poop, whether it is his or from another dog. We're planning on replacing our carpet/flooring soon but I was not satisfied with my effort to clean up, especially with FIL coming next weekend with his Grey.

We're glad the weather/temperature seems to be looking better for the next week and near future so that we can do more running and walking outside.

DW

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

We have some warmer temps this weekend, so DH will go running on the trail later today.

I'm heading to the pool later today. I'm hoping the new pool heat exchanger that was installed yesterday is working and the water is more comfortable. (I know... first world problems). I will have MRI of right knee on Tuesday to try to find out why it is still swelling.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

Weekend run report from DH:
The local college permits the public to use their 8 lane all-weather surface track when their teams aren't using it. So, I went there after work Saturday instead of the trail. It was my first time on a track surface since early September 2017. Weather was nice: 55-58, cloudy, and fairly breezy. I wore my long sleeve W&D 2016 race shirt, which allowed me to keep my Garmin covered. This meant I could just run based on effort more easily. About 2 miles in, I decided to stop at 4, do some stretching, and then do a "magic mile" to see my fitness level. The first 4 miles were around 8:45/M, which is at least a minute faster than what I've been pacing at for a couple of months now as I recovered from last September's tendonitis. The magic mile came in at 7:29. Overall, the run (4+1) was the first time I've pushed myself since September, and it felt good. No pain or evidence of injury. A little sore that evening and Sunday, but in a good way.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

Graduation Day
I graduated from Physical Therapy today! During today's appointment, my PT asked me how I felt about "doing it yourself?" I told him that, in the past month, I've had several back-to-back runs (I usually try to alternate swimming and running days), plus a couple times where I swam in the am and ran after work, and the aforementioned Saturday college track run. He said that he was ready to discharge me. He showed me how my ankle flexibility has increased. There are more gains to be had, but now I'm back on my own (though I have his email address).
Now, if the weather will just cooperate so I can start to lengthen my long runs. Current long run is 7 miles, a week ago yesterday. Based on prior experience, I know I can run a successful half with a long of 11 (last spring), but I'd like to get to 13 miles prior to the Dark Side Challenge in April.

And I'm getting faster in the pool, too. Though at my pace, that's not saying much. I still get lapped regularly; its just not as often.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

Amazing what a few inches of snow at the wrong time of day can do to the turnout at the local pool. I had not only a solo lane for today's swim, but almost a solo pool! Just finished sending my submission to the manufacturer about a pair of tights I bought in December that, on the 2nd run, had the ankle zipper break apart. Bummed, as I have a slightly older version of the same product, and it appears that the zipper assembly on the older one is more substantial.

DW had her MRI today on the surgery knee from last fall, to find out why it is swelling and bothering her so.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

DW here

I told DH that he can't tease a journal update then wait days to do it.

My MRI showed that my meniscus is torn again. But the first thing the Dr said to me was "your meniscus is deteriorating". Sounds like I need surgery again. I told him I just want to be able to walk right now so I got a steroid injection. I will be getting a bike to use at home. It is a professional one from Life Fitness with a full LCD screen. There is a company here that buys/extracts equipment from gyms when they upgrade. It will be fully refurbished and a fraction of the new price. I guess they start refurbishing after the customer commits to it. They said I should have it in less than 2 weeks.

Stay tuned for DH's report of his recent 10k!

 

[DopeyBadger]

DH is such a tease!

Bummer about the MRI! The bike sounds like a great deal.

 

[PaDisneyCouple]

This past Saturday, I ran my first race(s) since last September's half marathon. That race resulted in a DNS, PT, and some serious non-running time.

Weather: chilly, but not too bad. 39. Cloudy. No precipitation
1 Miler
The course: through a local park. Streets and paved surfaces. But there were 4-5 sections that were almost impassible due to snow and ice that had not yet melted. In what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to direct us around one of the first icy patches, a fairly large tree limb was placed across the path. We had no choice but to go around it. With 1 exception, there was a helpful volunteer at each icy section, warning us of the danger.
Runners helping runners: I didn't see anybody trying to push the issue. I think that, other than the kids (<10yo), everyone was doing like I was and using it as a warm up for the "main event". There was even someone helping a woman push her stroller up a grassy hill at one point, so she could avoid the stairs in that area.
Overall: it was a nice warmup. First race since the fall, as I mentioned, with the exception of Girls on the Run in December with DW, but that was more of a fun walk/run/walk together. Everything was showing green on the internal problem indicator dashboard. Plus, a bonus mile for the day's total. 10:12

10k
The course: Sweet merciful Mary! A co-worker running buddy of mine (Molly) and her friend (Heather) were doing this race also. About 2-3 miles in, I said to her, "this counts as a hill run, for sure!" I need to review my Garmin data again, as I'm certain that the hill somewhere around mile 1-1.5 was over 8-10% uphill incline. We just seemed to keep going uphill. I'm looking out (down on creation) across the valley, and we're well above some multi-story buildings down by where we started. Later, we got to "enjoy" a 13% downhill into a 270 degree right hand hairpin turn and onto... a mud road with ice and snow on it! That lasted for over a half a mile. Uphill. So much for the new since 12/2017 Adrenaline-18s. They're officially christened now!
Runners helping runners: Around mile 3, I was pacing slightly ahead of my work running buddy, when a woman wearing bib 133 started chatting with me. We paced together for around 2.5 miles. I knew the back half of the course had more up hills (we must come down sometime, don't we?), and I must say, without the company of her, Molly, and Heather, I would've worked in some walk breaks. But the time and distance seemed to pass quickly running together. And then there was the safety in numbers when Mr/Mrs. Angry Driver came tooling down alongside the runners, faster than they needed to be, leaning on their horn. I was wearing a chartreuse and 3M reflective jacket that I think they can see on the ISS, so I was outside my friends with less brightness. Looking at the data, I ran a negative split, but I'm sure the significant hills in the first 5k is why. I also think the friends around me helped. I was like 1009, 1020 (pace literally drops OFF the scale on the Garmin graph; I and those around me were shuffling!) 951, 950, 950, and then 934, with an 8:40 last 0.2 miles. Around mile 5.5, we had to traverse about 75 feet of packed snow and ice to come to a steel top single lane bridge and then another 100 feet of snow/ice to get back to the road. This is where our group got a little separated, with me slightly ahead, but within a couple of minutes, I could hear them coming back to me.
Post-race: they had water, and what appeared to be home-made ginger bread running man cookies. Soft and chewy! Over by the building where we checked in, a local McDonalds set up hot beverages. I thanked them a lot, as they had hot chocolate! I'm not a coffee or tea person.
Overall: I'm glad I did it. It counts as significant hill work for me. I could feel it in my lower legs the rest of the day. On Sunday, after a recovery swim, I could feel it higher up in my legs. Not sure if I feel like doing it again, though
1:00:38 on the Garmin

 

[DopeyBadger]

Great recap! Quite the hilly route! Kudos!

 

[IamTrike]

Hello there! DW and I have signed up for our 3rd runDisney race weekend: Dark Side 2018.
Over the years, we've had the great fortune to get to know and even meet many DIS friends from the DCL, runDisney, and restaurant boards. We thought we'd start a journal, to share our journey to race weekend, learn from everyone, and document our training/race experiences along the way.

I haven't been able to do such a good job at posting photographs since the boards changed format a few years ago. If you have tips/how-to, we're interested.
Likewise: just when I thought I'd figured out hyperlinks, things changed, my schedule changed, and it fell off the radar.

If this worked, you'll be able to say hello to Max below:
View attachment 281958

Max is our inspiration. He's a retired racing greyhound. Around age 4, he retired, and joined our family. That first year, on our walks, when the weather was to his liking, he'd run a little. Well, "a little" for Max is a pretty good pace for most humans. He's not even mouth breathing, and I'm about in a sprint.
We identified at least 6 gears, plus Mach 1, during that first year together. For Max, 3rd gear is like a canter, where he's bounding up and down front and back. He's clearly just taking it easy at this pace. At this time in our lives, we didn't have anything like a Garmin, but I'm pretty sure 3rd gear was faster than a 9-minute mile pace. The speed increases in what feels like exponential fashion with each gear until you hit what must have been race pace: Mach 1.

We only ever saw Mach 1 once. Our back yard, though fenced, is too small to allow him to really light it up. Again, it was that first year, and we went to a local dog park, where there are fenced areas around 3 acres each. On that day, DW and I ran along ahead of Max, and he came 'a runnin' up to us. We stopped and walked a moment together, and then DW and I tried to run ahead again.

The sound coming up behind us was like the sound of a running horse in the movies. As Max passed us, it happened: everything in his stride cycle... it just instantly doubled in speed. In one instant, he was fast, in the blink of an eye, he was twice as fast. He sped away at what had to be well over 35 mph. We stopped and laughed uncontrollably. The eyes of the guy in the corner got REAL big as he closed the distance in seconds. Then he turned south with no perceptible loss in speed.

We were afraid that the tree roots he was approaching would be a problem, or the pack of dogs playing in there would want to chase him. But he turned back to us and trotted directly back, barely winded. To watch a professional sprinter, every part designed for speed, is amazing. He has supreme control of his body; able to speed past us in our yard at a distance of single-digit inches away from our legs.

So to start our story without giving Max his due would not be appropriate.

Hi Max

We are looking forward to Dark Side and we are talking more frequently about Parks, ADRs, and (maybe) a costume for the race!

Running in costumes is so much fun. It's one of the best parts of running at Disney.

DW here

I told DH that he can't tease a journal update then wait days to do it.

My MRI showed that my meniscus is torn again. But the first thing the Dr said to me was "your meniscus is deteriorating". Sounds like I need surgery again. I told him I just want to be able to walk right now so I got a steroid injection. I will be getting a bike to use at home. It is a professional one from Life Fitness with a full LCD screen. There is a company here that buys/extracts equipment from gyms when they upgrade. It will be fully refurbished and a fraction of the new price. I guess they start refurbishing after the customer commits to it. They said I should have it in less than 2 weeks.

Stay tuned for DH's report of his recent 10k!

Sorry to hear about your knee. That bike sounds really nice

This past Saturday, I ran my first race(s) since last September's half marathon. That race resulted in a DNS, PT, and some serious non-running time.

Weather: chilly, but not too bad. 39. Cloudy. No precipitation
1 Miler
The course: through a local park. Streets and paved surfaces. But there were 4-5 sections that were almost impassible due to snow and ice that had not yet melted. In what appeared to be a deliberate attempt to direct us around one of the first icy patches, a fairly large tree limb was placed across the path. We had no choice but to go around it. With 1 exception, there was a helpful volunteer at each icy section, warning us of the danger.
Runners helping runners: I didn't see anybody trying to push the issue. I think that, other than the kids (<10yo), everyone was doing like I was and using it as a warm up for the "main event". There was even someone helping a woman push her stroller up a grassy hill at one point, so she could avoid the stairs in that area.
Overall: it was a nice warmup. First race since the fall, as I mentioned, with the exception of Girls on the Run in December with DW, but that was more of a fun walk/run/walk together. Everything was showing green on the internal problem indicator dashboard. Plus, a bonus mile for the day's total. 10:12

10k
The course: Sweet merciful Mary! A co-worker running buddy of mine (Molly) and her friend (Heather) were doing this race also. About 2-3 miles in, I said to her, "this counts as a hill run, for sure!" I need to review my Garmin data again, as I'm certain that the hill somewhere around mile 1-1.5 was over 8-10% uphill incline. We just seemed to keep going uphill. I'm looking out (down on creation) across the valley, and we're well above some multi-story buildings down by where we started. Later, we got to "enjoy" a 13% downhill into a 270 degree right hand hairpin turn and onto... a mud road with ice and snow on it! That lasted for over a half a mile. Uphill. So much for the new since 12/2017 Adrenaline-18s. They're officially christened now!
Runners helping runners: Around mile 3, I was pacing slightly ahead of my work running buddy, when a woman wearing bib 133 started chatting with me. We paced together for around 2.5 miles. I knew the back half of the course had more up hills (we must come down sometime, don't we?), and I must say, without the company of her, Molly, and Heather, I would've worked in some walk breaks. But the time and distance seemed to pass quickly running together. And then there was the safety in numbers when Mr/Mrs. Angry Driver came tooling down alongside the runners, faster than they needed to be, leaning on their horn. I was wearing a chartreuse and 3M reflective jacket that I think they can see on the ISS, so I was outside my friends with less brightness. Looking at the data, I ran a negative split, but I'm sure the significant hills in the first 5k is why. I also think the friends around me helped. I was like 1009, 1020 (pace literally drops OFF the scale on the Garmin graph; I and those around me were shuffling!) 951, 950, 950, and then 934, with an 8:40 last 0.2 miles. Around mile 5.5, we had to traverse about 75 feet of packed snow and ice to come to a steel top single lane bridge and then another 100 feet of snow/ice to get back to the road. This is where our group got a little separated, with me slightly ahead, but within a couple of minutes, I could hear them coming back to me.
Post-race: they had water, and what appeared to be home-made ginger bread running man cookies. Soft and chewy! Over by the building where we checked in, a local McDonalds set up hot beverages. I thanked them a lot, as they had hot chocolate! I'm not a coffee or tea person.
Overall: I'm glad I did it. It counts as significant hill work for me. I could feel it in my lower legs the rest of the day. On Sunday, after a recovery swim, I could feel it higher up in my legs. Not sure if I feel like doing it again, though
1:00:38 on the Garmin

Having someone at a race that you can chat with or even just run beside provides a really nice little stream of motivation.