Dopey Challenge

All it takes is faith and trust. And just a little bit of pixie dust.

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Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings. (Disney’s Peter Pan, 1953)

Today is my ‘Runniversary’.

Three years ago today, August 2nd 2010, I set foot inside a gym and did my first Couch to 5K workout. It hurt. I had a hard time using stairs the next day and my shins did not like me at all. For some reason I went back the next day and then the next.

As of July 2013 I have lost 55 pounds, logged over 3,500 miles and completed 8 half marathons, 5 full marathons and many 5K and 10K races. My wife Shari started running a few months after me and she has been equally as successful. To date we have completed 4 half marathons together and 1 full marathon (Walt Disney World in 2013).

July 2010 - Before my journey

July 2010 – Before my journey

January 2013 At Walt Disney World the night before the 'Goofy Challenge'

January 2013
At Walt Disney World the night before the ‘Goofy Challenge’

For about 6 weeks into my Couch to 5K program I had been working out only on the treadmill. I decided to take my first run outside. I was a little ambitious. I had just purchased a Nike+ Fuelband to start tracking my mileage and decided to take it out for a spin in the park next to where I live. This is where I do all my workouts now but at the time I had maybe walked it once or twice before and I had never attempted to exercise there. I wasn’t ready for running on hills but yet I went back again and again.

I stuck to it and started to progress in distance. I ran the equivalent of my first 10K on December 31st 2010 while on vacation with my family in Florida. It was on this same vacation that I read the January 2011 issue of Runners World. There was an article called “New Year New You: A 1st to Remember” which mentioned a marathon at Walt Disney World. I hadn’t really thought about doing a marathon and wasn’t sure I really could but it planted a seed. Also in that month’s issue was a half-page write up on the Philadelphia Marathon. Hmm…

On New Year’s Day 2011 I said to my wife that I planned that for every mile I ran in 2011 I would put $1 in a jar and see how much I’d save by the end of the year. I said that if she wanted to join in I would also do the same for her. We officially started our ‘Miles for Smiles’ account as an incentive to get out and run. I figured we would treat ourselves at the end of the year as our reward. The ‘Miles for Smiles’ fund I started has paid for all our Walt Disney World/runDisney vacations (‘runcations’) in 2012, 2013 and soon to be 2014.

I continued running and upgraded my Nike+ Sportband to a Garmin GPS watch in February 2011 with my birthday gifts (my wife will attest it’s just easier to get me Amazon.com gift vouchers as I am terrible to buy for). Around the same time I discovered Jeff Galloway and his Run/Walk/Run method. I was experiencing some knee pain around this time and I liked his aim for runners to run ‘injury free’. I started using his methods and signed up for my first half marathon (the Bucks County Half Marathon) in April of 2011. I’ve been a Galloway proponent ever since. Jeff also happens to be, although I did not know this at the time, the offical training consultant for runDisney.

Around the same time I saw that that the Runner’s World Challenge was coming to Philadelphia for the 2011 Marathon. That made up my mind to decide to attempt a marathon. I can tell you that I was shaking after I hit ‘complete’ on the online registration. What had I done?

I diligently followed the training program that Runner’s World had provided. During this time I suffered from increased knee pain and ended up at the end of summer at a physical therapist. They took a look at me on a treadmill and a look at the shoes that I was wearing and recommended I get properly fitted. I went to a specialist running store and they analyzed my needs and properly fitted me with shoes (Brooks Adrenaline – I’ve been using this brand and model including the newer versions ever since). I also began to concentrate on my running technique and after 6 weeks of PT I was discharged and feeling comfortable to run again.

My friend Mike had told me about the ‘Goofy Challenge’ at Walt Disney World and this got me thinking about the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2012. We managed to convince our wives to let us sign up (yes, I signed up for a second marathon before even finishing my first) and we made our plans for our first runDisney event. My wife signed up for her first half marathon at the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Now we were all in it together.

About 2 months before my first marathon (September 2011) my parents had planned a trip over from the UK to visit us. They were to spend a week in Florida and then spend a week with us in Philadelphia. A couple of days after they arrived my father suffered a heart attack and I dashed down to Florida on the first flight I could get. I stayed in Florida until my father was discharged from the hospital. He would have to stay in Florida a little longer until he was cleared to fly again but once he was discharged he was over the worst.

I was down in Florida in the midst of my marathon training and that came as a relief to me as with all that was going on at the time I couldn’t really sleep much. In fact I got out of bed at 3am, strapped on my headlamp and my water belt and went out for a 12 mile run. That really was the first time I felt that running was a big stress reliever. It was just what I needed. Sitting in the hospital talking about being heart healthy my father said that if I could keep this training up, maybe aim to do a marathon twice a year, I would maintain a level of fitness. I was 39 and had been overweight for much of my life and probably emotional at the time but I promised him I would try. Again, I should point out that I still had not completed my first marathon, I had now signed up for two marathons and committed to my father to run two a year. I hadn’t really thought this through had I?

The big day finally came around for the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon. The night before the race I just couldn’t sleep. It was a mixture of nerves, apprehension and excitement. I will admit that being a Runner’s World Challenge participant had its perks and the morning of the event I was sitting in the Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia having a pep talk with the organizers which totally helped calm me down. That and the private marble bathrooms (not your typical start to a marathon).

I have to say that it was a transformative experience running in my first marathon. Crossing that finish line took a huge weight off my shoulders. I had done what less than 1% of the population will ever do. I had completed a marathon. I looked up to the sky with relief. I was a marathoner. No-one can ever take that away from me. The best part of that day was my son Micah (almost 5 at the time) meeting me in the finishers chute as I got my medal. I was expecting to see him back in the hotel but this just lifted my spirits that much higher.

Completing my first marathon - Philadelphia 2011

Completing my first marathon – Philadelphia 2011

A few weeks after that I ran my first runDisney event, the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon. I did not know what to expect. I had confidence that I knew I had completed a marathon so I knew I could do it so that took a little pressure off but it was so soon (7 weeks) after my first marathon I didn’t know what shape I would be in. It was one of my most enjoyable race experiences. Wow, just wow. The folks at runDisney know how to put on a race. I guess I drank the Kool-Aid as I’ve been back again and again. A nice surprise was that my wife and kids received the notification that I had crossed the finish line just as they were arriving for the morning at EPCOT and rushed over to see me in the finishing area. It was great.

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

I ran the Philadelphia Marathon again in 2012 and broke 4 hours for the first time. That had been a goal of mine for the year and I was very relieved after all that training that I achieved my goal (3:59:05). I will be running the Philadelphia Marathon again this year except this time I will be running with Shari in her second marathon (her first was at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon where we ran together).

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

In January 2013 I ran the Walt Disney World “Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge” (a half marathon followed by a full marathon the next day for a total of 39.3 miles) to raise funds and awareness for the charity ‘Autism Speaks’. I raised over $3,400 for this event.

I will be returning to Walt Disney World in January 2014 to complete the inaugural “Dopey Challenge” again for ‘Autism Speaks’. This is a new race for Disney this year and is a four day event comprising of a 5K, 10K, a half marathon and a full marathon for a total of 48.6 miles. I also hope to beat my fundraising from the previous year and I’m currently over half way to that goal right now.

Raising funds for charity sometimes feels harder than the actual training itself. In addition you feel a little extra pressure to make sure you achieve the goals you set out for yourself so you don’t let everyone down. It’s tough and hopefully your family, friends and colleagues understand why you repeatedly ask for sponsorship.

I started this blog back in January of this year to create a record of the races that I run and to keep me on track towards my goals.Sharing goals publicly makes you more accountable for them. If I can motivate a couple of people to join me on my journey that would be great. If people want to just read for enjoyment I am happy for that too.

Running is part of my life now. I hope I can stay healthy to keep on going. I am blessed that my wife joins me in my exploits and we can have a lot of fun out there. Hopefully a healthy lifestyle will be embedded in my two boys. I didn’t get the message until I was 38 years old but they have so much more opportunity than me at their age. I look forward to the future with my family.

Where will I be in another 3 years’ time? Who knows…?

Second star to the right and straight on till morning. (Peter Pan)

peter_pan-207818

July 2013 – month in review

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July 2013 – Nike+ Summary

July 2013 – Nike+ Summary

110 miles this month.

I started off the month on vacation so I took advantage of the time to get a couple of long bike rides in and then a few rest days as I started my marathon training for both Philadelphia and the Dopey Challenge in the middle of the month.

It seems a little strange to drop my mileage back a bit as I have a pretty good base (typically run 10 or more each long run every week) but I’m sticking to the plan so I don’t overtrain. There are alot of miles to cover between now and January and I’ll be training 5-6 days a week for 6 months so maybe lighter is better for now.

No big races this month. Weather wise the heat was pretty intense at times making the long runs and late starts tough. The last couple of days of this month have been in the low 60s on my morning runs. Great weather for running but I admit I thought it was a bit chilly out there on the early starts. I should be counting my blessings not complaining 🙂

The training seems to have started out well. I’m experimenting with my run/walk ratios right now as I returned to using Jeff Galloway’s method to get me through my two big goals injury free. I’m also trying out alternative fuels (Accel and PowerBar) and some new gear (Pro Compression Marathon Socks). I’ve a good few runs ahead of me to get it right but I’m pretty much set on all my other gear. It is nice to try new things from time to time. I still have yet to start my core work on the new stability ball. It’s staring at me from the corner of the room and making me feel guilty. If I start working on this in August this should be plenty of time to start seeing the benefits.

I’m coming up to my 3rd ‘Runniversary’ soon so I have a special post lined up for that.

Thanks for stopping by.

Marathon Training – Week 2

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Week 2 Training

Week 2 Training

I was able to complete the workouts on schedule this week. Cross trained on Monday and completed my runs according to schedule.

I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked this week (weather alerts and thunderstroms at 2am and a 3 year old getting new molars) so I was pretty tired all week. I took both the Tuesday and Wednesday runs easy as I was focused on running a ‘Magic Mile’ as part of my 3 mile run on Thursday.

The Magic Mile Time Trial is part of Jeff Galloway’s training method and is used as a predictor for determining your training and race pace. I headed to the track at Council Rock High School South early Thursday before work and did a mile warm up, a mile flat out and a mile cool down. I ran a 6:34 split for my time trial. Although it was 20 seconds slower than the same time last year I am completely okay with that. I’d be more concerned if I was closer to 7 minutes. Here is the link to the workout.

Using Jeff’s time trail tool these are my results.

Magic Mile Time Trial Results - July 2013

Magic Mile Time Trial Results – July 2013

I don’t have any PR goals for the marathon this year. I had aimed for a PR in the New Jersey Marathon but that didn’t pan out. I’m trying to run Philadelphia with my wife and bring us in under 4:30 which I think is doable as we are both sub 2 hour half marathoners and I just want to maintain endurance and health for completing Dopey. Once I have recovered from Dopey next year I can think about another PR race later in the year. I did the time trial to see where my fitness and pace levels were so I am happy with the results.

Also this week in addition to the running I am also working on nutrition and gear as part of my training. I have run four of five of my marathons using Clif Shot Bloks and know they work for me. I ran the New Jersey Marathon with Clif Shot gels but seriously over caffienated and elevated my heart rate. I’ll probably use the bloks again but in the meantime I’m experimenting with sample packs. I know GU has worked for me in the past but I got to a point where they were making me a little nauseous. They are thicker than other gels and are harder for me to get down. I tried the Accel gels and they seemed to work okay. I just purchased a 24 sample pack of the PowerBar gels. I used them today and while they tasted good (Kona Punch…Yum!) I didn’t feel they did that much for me. I have another 22 left in the pack so I can see if this was just today 🙂

I’m pretty much set on my running gear. I love my Nike UV Miler shirts and also the Road Runner Sports Velocity/Runner’s High shirts and I’m pretty steady with my multiple pairs of Nike shorts. For the long runs I typically go with a compression sleeve (I use Zensah compressions sleeves). I recently saw a discount on Pro Compression Marathon Socks and have seen this brand talked about on plenty of blogs. I purchased a pair this week (in Neon Orange) and decided to take them out for a spin. They were much harder to put on than I expected. They felt a little thinner than my usual sock (I use a medium thickness sock typically) but they felt fine. I ran okay and there was no discomfort from them and my legs were not tired the rest of the day. Interested that I felt the compression around the feet. That is why I tried the full sock over just the sleeve. I want to see how they wash and wear a couple more times before I decide whether to take the plunge and buy a couple of pairs. Anything to help my feet feel less tired during the Dopey will be helpful.

Pro Compression Marathon Socks - Orange enough?

Pro Compression Marathon Socks –
Orange enough?

Overall, it was a good week. Next week is a little shorter. A step back week where my longest run is 6 miles. Will again aim to cross train on the bike on Monday. Due to a trip I will not be able to run on Sunday so I will run Friday and Saturday and use Sunday as my rest day this week. Not a big deal and it probably will get me used to running all the back to back races at Dopey.

See you next week.

 

 

Marathon Training – Week 1

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Week 1 Training

Week 1 Training

I started my training plan for what will be my 6th and 7th full marathons on Monday. Per Hal Higdon’s plan, Mondays are reserved for cross training and Fridays are reserved for rest days. So far, one week in, I got the mileage in but I was kind of off plan already.

Due to the logistics of life I was not able to plan my week in line with the plan so somehow I had to get my long run in before Sunday as that was not an option this week. Hal’s plan called for runs on Tuesday (3 miles), Wednesday (5 miles) and Thursday (3 miles) at an easy pace and then 5 easy miles on Saturday and 8 long distance (slow) on Sunday.

The heat was a big factor this week. The east coast of the US was under heat advisory for much of the week and it was tough out there. I actually ran on the treadmill for my first day but felt I was being too cautious and took the rest of the runs outside. Tuesday’s run was pretty good. I was getting up early in the morning to beat the heat and made a pretty good pace. You can compare that to Thursday when it was much warmer and at a shorter distance and I was almost a minute per mile slower. In fact I ditched my Friday plan of the long run. I took a days rest after four continuous days running (I’m not at Disney yet). Saturday’s long run was later in the morning and I paid for it with the heat and humidity. I ran out of water at mile 7 and slowed down a little. Overall I felt good this week and feel okay going in to next week.  Mileage goes up just one mile for the long run to 9 miles.

I was toying around with Galloway intervals this week and went back to his 4:00/0:35 interval that I used for much of last year. I have run the last two months without using the Galloway method, running up to 14 miles without intervals so I know what I am capable of. The goal for Philadelphia is to stay healthy so I can complete the Dopey in January. No PRs for these two events. Following Jeff’s method to stay injury free.

Luckily it seems the weather has broken a little and it felt much cooler today. Looking forward to next week and staying closer to the plan. Tomorrow I’m planning on 30 minutes on the stationery bike as my cross training. I also recently bought a stability ball and plan to do some ab work (so I can justify blowing up a big red ball sitting in the corner of the bedroom). I also plan in the next couple of weeks to run a Magic Mile to see where I am on pace overall and to measure against how I was against this time last year.

Have a good week. Stay cool and stay healthy.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho…Off to the races I will go

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Today I started my training for the 2013 Philadelphia Marathon and the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’.  For the next 6 months through the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 9-12, 2014) I will be out there putting in the miles 5 days a week building my base until race day in Philadelphia (November 17) and then buckling down for the next 8 weeks until ‘Dopey’. As a reminder, the Walt Disney World ‘Dopey Challenge’ is 4 days of running and includes a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon…truly ‘Dopey’.

It's official

Going Dopey in 2014

It’s hard to believe that just 3 years ago I hadn’t run at all.  I actually reached 3,500 miles of cumulative running this weekend (since I started recording my mileage in September 2010).

My mileage total as of July 14, 2013

My mileage total as of July 14, 2013

Philadelphia was my first marathon back in 2011 and I was so nervous when I signed up. The feeling of crossing the finish line in my first marathon will always be with me. This year’s Philadelphia Marathon will be my 6th marathon and my third Philadelphia Marathon in a row. I have been in contact with the Philadelphia Marathon folks and may be a featured blogger this year. I’ll share the link if that does happen.

Completing my first marathon - Philadelphia 2011

Completing my first marathon – Philadelphia 2011

I am especially pleased that this year my wife Shari will be running with me for her second marathon. It should be a fun time. The crowds in Philly are really great and there are no real quiet spaces. It’s a great course. The first half takes you through the city, its neighborhoods and many of the well known sights. The second half of the race takes you along Kelly Drive up and back through Manyunk. The finish line is at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum (the ‘Rocky’ steps). Temperatures in the last 2 years have been ideal for marathoning. Cool to start and warming up just slightly through the morning but not too hot.

Rocky at the top of the steps - Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rocky at the top of the steps – Philadelphia Museum of Art

I will then have 8 weeks between running Philadelphia and the Walt Disney Marathon weekend. In 2011 I had only 7 weeks between running Philly and the Walt Disney World Marathon. Having signed up for a second marathon before even finishing my first marathon you can only imagine the thoughts going through my mind if I would be able to do it. I did and even improved on my time from 7 weeks earlier.

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

2012 Walt Disney World Marathon

I had been turned on to the idea of the ‘Goofy Challenge’ (running both the Half and Full Marathon) from my experience running alongside the runners during the 2012 Disney Marathon and thought I might be up for the challenge in 2013. I wanted also to return to Philadelphia in 2012 and see if I could improve on my marathon time. I worked really hard in 2012 and PR’d by over 6 minutes, breaking 4 hours in the marathon. For the ‘Goofy Challenge’ I was running to raise money for ‘Autism Speaks’ and was more concerned with completing the event than of any specific time goal. In addition to the Challenge I also ran the Family 5K with my wife. We also ran the marathon together (her first) and we took as much time as we needed and as many photographs as we could. It was a great weekend. I was able to raise just over $3,400 for Autism Speaks in the process.

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

Mile 20 with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto

This year’s Philadelphia Marathon should be special as it is the 20th Anniversary of the race. Philadelphia really knows how to celebrate and I am very much looking forrward to the event this year especially running alongside Shari.

They actually moved the Philadelphia Marathon weekend back a week this year as there is another event going on in the city on the usual weekend in November. That will be beneficial for me as it gives me an extra week to train for the ‘Dopey Challenge’. To replicate the race conditions I have modified my race plan to have 4 days of consecutive running from Thursday to Sunday for the last few weeks of the training so my body get used to the effort (or abuse) and it can adapt to recover more effectively. It will also help me know what I need to do in terms of fueling and recovery techniques going into the event.

I will be heading to Walt Disney World solo this year due to the logistics of racing all four days. It will be a little different not having the family with me but through the magic of social media I have made lots of great connections with fellow runDisney enthusiasts and will no doubt be meeting up on one or more of these days to share the experience. Don’t feel bad for Shari for not being with me, she is headed down to Walt Disney World the following month to run the 2014 Walt Disney World ‘Princess Half Marathon’ and ‘Glass Slipper Challege’.

My training program is here if you are interested in taking a look. This is Hal Higdon‘s Marathon Intermediate 1 marathon plan for (Philly) and his 8 week multiple marathon plan modified so that there are four consecutive running days each Thursday through Sunday.

Again this year I will be running for Autism Speaks as a returning alum of ‘Team Up’. They are a great charitable foundation and do wonderful work.

I just completed hosting a virtual 5K to raise money for this years event and I am pleased that today it sold out. All 150 spots were taken. You can read about the event here. Everyone seemed to enjoy this event and I have had many kind comments from participants.  This has gone a long way in helping me reach my fundraising goals.

If you would like to help by sponsoring me as I run ‘Dopey’ please visit my personal fundraising page. Your contributions will be greatly appreciated.

I hope you some of you will follow my blog and join me on this journey to the finish line.

June 2013 – month in review

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June 2013 – Nike+ Summary

June 2013 – Nike+ Summary

A couple of days late but I’m on vacation so that’s okay.

127 miles this month. A pretty light month in terms of activities. Just one race, the San Francisco Half Marathon, which my wife and I ran as part of our 10th anniversary trip. That was a great race. You can read my recap here.

2013 San Francisco Half Marathon

2013 San Francisco Half Marathon

Whilst on the trip to San Francisco I did my Dopey run. There is still chance to sign up for the race as it is open through July 31st or until all the spots have been filed. Head over to the event page or my Facebook page to see some of the great photos that participants have been submitted.

Dopey and me in San Francisco

Dopey and me in San Francisco

I’m on vacation this week and so I’m taking advantage of the time to run with my wife and my boys. The weather is cooler than last year (i.e. not great) but it’s perfect for running and biking. I’ll take a little rest after vacation as my training for the Philadelphia Marathon starts in mid-July. Once that starts it is all go all the way to the finish line of the Dopey Challenge next January.

I did sign up for a couple of races which will be new ones for me this fall. The Cooper Norcross Benjamin Franklin Bridge Run (a 10K crossing the Delaware River between Camden, NJ and Philadelphia, PA) and the Trenton Half Marathon (crossing the Delaware River between Trenton, NJ and Morrisville, PA). It sounds like I like to run bridges, but after running the Golden Gate Bridge who can blame me?

Running the Golden Gate Bridge

Running the Golden Gate Bridge

Have a happy 4th of July.

Not that I’m counting or anything

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Better start training 🙂

200 days to go until Marathon weekend

200 days to go until Marathon weekend

Happy first day of summer to you all.

If you’re going to San Francisco…

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My wife and I took a 10th wedding anniversary trip to San Francisco last week and it seemed like a good opportunity to bring along a friend on my run…

As part of my fundraising for Team Up for next year’s inaugural Dopey Challenge I have set up a virtual 5K. As part of the fun I have been asking participants to take along Dopey on their run/walk. So in addition to earning the cool looking medal the best pictures will be eligible for one of the prizes that were generously donated from some of my favorite vendors. Although I am not eligible for the prizes I wanted to participate in my own event as I wanted to be part of the fun.

As this was our first trip to San Francisco we wanted to cover as much ground as possible and really the best way to visit a place is to do so on foot. We just happened to do it in running sneakers. Although we ran pretty much the same route from Union Square along Market Street then along the Embarcadero (it’s not easy to find flat areas to run in San Francisco) we took to this streets for 3 runs in addition to the Half Marathon. We did actually take a day off from running…but we hiked in Muir Woods National Park instead.

As you can see from the Garmin maps below we pretty much followed the same route on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday. Just a little different distance and pace on each.

Friday's 'Dopey' run

Friday’s ‘Dopey’ run

Saturday's run

Saturday’s run

Tuesday's run - our last hurrah before heading to the airport

Tuesday’s run – our last hurrah before heading to the airport

Here are a few highlights of the running the virtual 5K with Dopey (camera credits to my wife 🙂 without whom it would probably have been a single ‘selfie’ with Dopey).

Heading out for my run

Heading out for my run

Hey, look! A cable car

Hey, look! A cable car

Is he still behind me?

Is he still behind me?

At the Exploratarium

At the Exploratarium

We cannot run to Alcatraz

We cannot run to Alcatraz

Dopey hanging on tight

Dopey hanging on tight

Just being Dopey

Just being Dopey

There’s still a chance to sign up for the event. It runs through July 31st. Check out the event and the prizes on offer.

I will be writing a separate post on the Half Marathon.

May 2013 – month in review

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May 2013 - Nike+ Summary

May 2013 – Nike+ Summary

115 miles this month. I have learned this month that looking just at the numbers does not tell the full story.

I started the month with high expectations for achieving a PR at the New Jersey Marathon. I was just coming off a PR in the Atlantic City April Fool’s Half Marathon which I thought would be a pretty similar terrain being by the shore and I had definitely put in the miles of training.

As you can read from my race recap things didn’t go according to plan. I didn’t achieve my PR and felt fatigued. This manifested itself about 10 days later when my body just ran out of juice. Rather than be in a funk about why I hadn’t achieved my goals and looking for a dozen reasons why I felt bad I took the time to look at how I got here, what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. It basically came down to quality vs quantity. I took a couple of days off and readjusted my goals and my training. Hopefully going forward the changes I am planning will pay off. You can read about that here.

This month I launched a Virtual 5K run to raise funds for Autism Speaks for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend where I am running in the inaugural Dopey Challenge. So far the reception to this has been great. Many people have signed up and the first 100 medals have been ordered. I encourage you to sign up and participate if you can just for the fun of it. Remember, if you fully participate and post a picture of Dopey on your run you may be eligible for one of the prizes. See this post for details.

I have my Dopey ready for my run

I have my Dopey ready to run

At the end of the month we celebrated Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer. It was a fun weekend as I got to spend a lot of time with the family and celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary. You can read about that here.

Finally, based on a little encouragement, I am venturing into uncharted territory. I have basically been running using Jeff Galloway’s Run/Walk Method since February 2011. It has served me well and got me through 5 marathons. When I revisited what I had been doing as discussed earlier I noticed that although I was putting in the miles I was not getting any faster and all my runs were pretty much the same. Ultimately I want to improve on my marathon times going forward and during the New Jersey Marathon even my walk breaks didn’t seem to help. I am currently reading Pete Pfitzinger’s book on Advanced Marathoning and although I do not expect I will train at that level or follow his plans I am looking to change up my running experience.

Over the last three runs I basically threw caution to the wind and did not use the Galloway Method. I ran a 6 mile easy pace run, a 5 mile tempo run and this morning I ran 10 miles without stopping. These are the furthest distances I have run non stop. That sounds silly coming from someone who has run 5 marathons (including a Goofy Challenge) but I want to see what I can achieve. I believe somewhere out there is a 3:30-3:45 marathon that I can run. It’s worth a try. I’ll be watching carefully how my body reacts and I am open to using Galloway again in the future if I think it will be beneficial. I already plan on doing something like that during Dopey just so I can survive the event!

Looking at the last 3 days of runs it seems to be working so far and I feel okay. Judging from my splits over the last 3 runs my average pace is already that bit quicker. We will see what the future holds I guess.

6 miles easy pace - 5/29/13

6 miles easy pace – 5/29/13

5 miles Tempo run - 5/30/13: 1 mile warm up - 2 miles at tempo with 800m recovery - 1 mile cool down

5 miles Tempo run – 5/30/13:
1 mile warm up – 2 miles at tempo with 800m recovery – 1 mile cool down

10 miles long run - 5/31/13 - miles 1-5

10 miles long run – 5/31/13 – miles 1-5

10 miles long run - 5/31/13 - miles 6-10

10 miles long run – 5/31/13 – miles 6-10

Speaking of future plans, I have a 5K coming up this Sunday (June 2nd) which I will be pushing my two boys in the running stroller again…no PR there 🙂 and on June 16th I will be running the San Francisco Half Marathon with my Wife. I then have the 25 miles Cycle Bucks County event on the 22nd. Lot’s to look forward to. June should be a pretty low key month as the training for this year’s Philadelphia Marathon and January 2014 Dopey Challenge start in earnest in mid-July.

See you on the road.

April 2013 – month in review

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March 2013 - Nike+ Summary April 2013 – Nike+ Summary

April 2013 – Nike+ Summary

I’m posting this a day late but there is quite a lot to look back on this month.

This month I logged 145 miles, logged a new Half Marathon PR, signed up for a new Disney race and began tapering for the New Jersey Marathon on May 5th.

Spring is definitely here and I clocked more miles outside than inside than I have since the beginning of the year.  I’m glad to be outside again although my podcast listening is falling behind (a decent trade off).

My new half marathon PR at the Atlantic City April Fool’s Half Marathon on April 7th is pretty much down to me chasing my wife who is more often than not leaving me in the dust these days. The weather for the race was perfect and the flat course and pace I was able to maintain gives me confidence that I can achieve my goal in the upcoming New Jersey Marathon. 🙂

runDisney also announced this month an addition for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend.  The new Minnie themed 10K race and the new ‘Dopey Challenge’.  Needless to say I am in. I signed up to run again with Team Up/Autism Speaks and hope to beat my fundraising of just over $3,400 that I raised for the 2013 ‘Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge’. Wish me luck.

The end of the month sees me in the last week of my taper with only a few days left before the New Jersey Marathon. Looking back at my mileage from month to month I am actually 40 miles or so less than March which was the peak of my training. That feels about a week less of running. I need to learn for future events that I cannot eat as if I ran that extra 40. I’ll worry about that for the next race 😉

The taper itself has not left me frustrated like people often say but the strange thing about running significantly less mileage and catching up on sleep (days without an alarm wake up call!!!) have left me achy and feeling exhausted. Running is definitely a daily energy boost and all the aches and tiredness is hopefully just a sign of my body recharging before the big day. I actually feel refreshed and good about this weekend and hope to meet my goals. If it works out it works out, if not I remember I am not an elite runner and there will be other races. It’s about overall long term health and enjoyment. PR or no PR I will still have run my race, met the distance and earned my medal (and dessert)…although I will be trying as hard as I can for that PR.

(If you want to follow me during the New Jersey Marathon my Bib number is #2492)

Hopefully I will be feeling fit and healthy and have a nice race recap or two at the end of May.

Thanks for sticking with me.

(If you want to support me as I raise funds for Autism Speaks you can do so at this link. Thank you.)