Dopey on the Run

Week 12 was a recovery week after my first Dopey Simulation Week.  I was beat after 41 miles in 4 days during week 11, so I stuck to the plan and took it easy. Here is how my actual mileage compared to the plan for the week starting November 20: Week 12 Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Plan Rest 5 Rest 5 Rest 10 Rest 20 Actual Strength 5.2 5.6 Rest 10.2 Rest Strength 21 I covered 21 miles at an average pace of 10:04 min/mile, about 30 seconds faster per mile than my last two recovery weeks.  I feel good about that.  Even though my Dopey Simulation week was very slow, I’m still recovering enough to keep a respectable pace (for me) on shorter runs. With Thanksgiving Day on Thursday this week, I juggled some running days to accommodate family events.  Tuesday and Friday were too cold for me, so I resorted to a treadmill at Planet Fitness.  I think 10 miles is my limit on a treadmill without going insane.  Hopefully I won’t have...

Before I knew it, Week 11 was upon me with the next level of challenge.  The plan called for three consecutive runs, 5, 8 and 18 miles, along with a 7-mile run on the first day, Monday.  We were traveling for the first two days of Week 11, so I missed Monday’s  7-miler. I tried to make up for it by adding a 5K on Wednesday and making it four consecutive days.  The weather was nice for mid-November so I thought I should take advantage of being able to run outside.  On Thursday I figured I might as well run 10K and see how it felt after the first two days of Dopey.  The insanity continued Friday when I extended my planned 8-miler to a half marathon.  I was curious to see how I would feel after running the actual distances for the first three days. The nice weather was encouraging me to do so.  By the end of Friday’s run, I had made up for missing the 7-miler on Monday.  But there would be a price to ...

Week 11 started with the last two days of a 4-day travel adventure which saw us on our feet for hours on end touring our nation’s capital. I did not come back with refreshed legs as I had hoped.  But that is probably how I am going to feel after traveling to Orlando and attending the runDisney Expo the day before the Dopey Challenge begins. Here is how my actual mileage compared to the plan for the week starting November 13: Week 11 Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Plan 7 Rest Rest 5 8 18 Rest 38 Actual Travel Travel 3.2 6.4 13.3 18.1 Rest 41 Since I missed Monday’s planned 7-miler, I tried to make up for it by adding a 5K on Wednesday, extending Thursday’s 5-miler to a 10K and stretching Friday’s 8-miler to a half-marathon. We had a batch of nice weather for mid-November, and I thought I should take advantage of it. I was also curious to see how I would feel after running the full distances for the first three days of Dopey.   My average pace for the 5K was 10:14 per ...

At the end of week 10 we have a short travel adventure planned to our nation’s capital.  Fly out first thing Saturday morning, return late the following Tuesday.  Four days of being a tourist with no running or exercise other than walking.  When we get back, however, I jump into the most challenging portion of my Dopey Training Plan.  Week 11 is the first time that my plan calls for three consecutive days of 5, 8, and 18 miles.     With the weather quickly turning to winter, the logistics for long runs also become more challenging.  If it’s too cold, I’ll have to resort to a treadmill or an indoor track.  Neither of which is all that appealing,  but certainly more comfortable because I can run in just shorts and a t-shirt.  Carrying supplies for a 20-mile run with and extra five pounds of clothing in cold weather makes for a real laborious and long run.  Running on a treadmill, I don...

It has been a few years since I trained for something as challenging as the runDisney Dopey Challenge.  The last time was perhaps the 2016 New York City Marathon, just over 7 years ago.  It is easy to forget how time passes by so quickly when you have your head down just trying to get through a training plan day-by-day, week-by-week.  It seems like just last week that I started writing Chapter 10 at the beginning of October. Now we are well into November.  Thanksgiving is less than one week away.  Christmas and New Year’s will quickly follow one month later, and then Marathon Week will be upon us.   With the holidays fast approaching and Marathon Week close behind, I have some logistics that I need to work through.  But I have my head down just trying to get through my training plan.  Before much more time slips by, I need to figure out things like, what training devices do I need to bring?  Foam roller...

Week 10 was a second recovery week after doing consecutive runs of 10 and 20 miles in week 8.  And I needed the second week, I still feel like I am recovering, with lingering soreness and fatigue after each run during this two-week period. Week 10 ended with the start of a four-day travel adventure on Saturday.  I knew beforehand that I would not run during this trip.  On top of that, I had a commitment on Friday that was not going to leave me enough time for a long run.  I needed to juggle my planned runs for Week 10, which meant front loading higher mileage earlier in the week, which probably led to feeling sorer and more fatigued. Here is how my actual mileage compared to the plan for the week starting November 6:   Week 10 Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Plan Rest 7 Rest 5 Rest 10 Rest 22 Actual 8.3 Strength 10.5 Strength 4.4 Travel Travel 23.2 I covered 23.2 miles at an average pace of 10:48 min/mile, a little bit slower, but more or...

Week 9 was a recovery week after doing consecutive runs of 10 and 20 miles in week 8.  Here is how my actual mileage compared to the revised plan (I continued to be one week ahead of plan) for the week starting October 30: Week 9 Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Total Plan Rest 7 Rest 5 Rest 10 Rest 22 Actual Rest 6.0 Strength 6.4 Rest 10.2 Rest 22.6   I covered 22.6 miles at an average pace of 10:34 min/mile.  I felt like I was fighting fatigue all this week.  My average pace for week 9 was considerably slower than week 7 (9:59 min/mile). I continue to experience notable discomfort in my right hip after a run.  I rarely notice any discomfort while running, but the pain afterwards is becoming more intense.  I am hoping that a second recovery week will help with that before I start into my first three consecutive run week in week 11.  

It’s the beginning of November and I just completed week 9 of 18 in my training plan.   I am half-way there (que Bon Jovi).    In week 8, I completed back-to-back runs of 10 and 20 miles.    The 20 miler was not pretty, but I completed it bringing the total mileage for week 8 to 40 miles.    Week 9 was a recovery week with a total of 22 miles. Back in the first few weeks of my plan, I shifted my schedule one week earlier starting in week 2 to sync up with the Badgerland Striders Buildup program. I have remained one week ahead through week 9.    After a difficult 20-miler in week 8, I am allowing myself two recovery weeks (22 miles total each week).    This will shift me back to the original plan I created in August.    I do feel beat up and generally fatigued.    I need to let my body heal before I begin the final stretch. To recap my evolving Dopey Training Plan, in March I created my  Long-Range Plan , bac...