Chapter 11 – November 2023, Less Than 60 Days Until Marathon Week

Thanksgiving is Right Around the Corner 

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?  Massage balls?  Rolling stick?  Massage gun?  Do I need to pack all this stuff, or can I buy it when I get to Orlando?   What about nutrition?  Do I bring my own drink mix of use what is supplied on course?  What’s my on-the-run fueling strategy?  Will there be enough provided on course, or do I need to carry my own gel and/or bars?  What about recovery nutrition between races?  Should I use a commercial protein drink mix?  Or should I bring the ingredients that I use at home to make my own?  Or can I buy everything I need when I get there?  What about a blender?

The Next 6 Weeks Can Make or Break Me

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’t have to carry anything, I can just stop and get off if I need something.  Running on an indoor track, I will loop past my bag of supplies every quarter mile.

I'm a bit anxious and nervous about the coming weeks, but I am also looking forward to the physical and logistic challenge, all important aspects of preparation for navigating runDisney and the Dopey Challenge.

The First Test, Dopey Simulation #1 

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 pay.

 

I ran the Friday’s 13.1 miles at a conservative pace, starting out with 4-min/1-min run/walk ratio, and keeping my heart rate in the mid 120’s.  After 10 miles I felt okay but my heart rate was becoming elevated.  I switched to 3 min/1 min run/walk ratio and stopped to walk if I exceeded my high threshold.  I didn’t think I pushed myself to far, but Friday afternoon, hours after finishing my run, I went into an irregular heart rate, the one thing that will slow me down or even stop me at Disney during Dopey.  

 

The irregular heart rate episode lasted through the night and into the Saturday morning.  I didn’t sleep well but, in the morning, I was determined to go out and do something, even if I just walked for 4 hours.  I went through my usual long run prep, packed my FlipBelt with gels, extra drink mix and my phone.  It was cold when I headed out, so I had a hat and gloves, my warm running pants and three layers up top.  I knew I would have to walk most of the way with an irregular heart rate, so I needed to ensure I would be warm enough. I set out down the bike trail and 2 minutes into it realized I was back in normal sinus rhythm.  Oh my god!  Someone is watching out for me, I teared up as I realized I was back in the game.  

 

I was still not 100%.  I had not slept well, I had not done all my normal run prep, and I was still concerned about my heart rate.  I settled into a run/walk ratio of 1-min/1-min.  I had also lowered my target heart range by 5 BPM, so this was going to be a very conservative pace.  I was still psyched, though, that I was going to be able to cover more mileage in 4 hours than if I just walked the whole way.  I was averaging about 13-minute miles for the first 11 miles.  Mile 12 included a bathroom stop and a water bottle fill, which cost me a few minutes extra.  My heart rate started to climb higher in the later miles and at times exceeded my high limit (135 BPM).  I started taking some extra walking minutes to let my heart rate recover, very conscious of what had happened the day before.  I was content with completing 18 miles in 4 hours and plugged away with my walk/run intervals on a pace to do that.  I finished in 4 hours 2 minutes, with an average HR of 113 BPM.  Given how my morning started, I was very happy with that.  

 

I covered 41 miles in 4 days at an average pace of 11:57 min/mile.  The average pace was drastically reduced by a 13:23 pace for the 18 miler.  But I had passed the test that I had been anticipating for a while.  Could I get started on Marathon Day after the first three days of the Dopey Challenge, and could I maintain a pace fast enough to stay ahead of the Balloon Ladies? If this was the real thing, I would have 3 hours left to complete the last 8 miles.  I’m feeling good about chances.

 

I should also note that I was not pain free in my right hip, but the discomfort felt more like muscle tightness.  I covered 41 miles in 4 days, including runs of 13 and 18 miles.  If I continue with my strength training and post-run stretch routines, my right hip should not be an inhibiting factor.  At this point in my long runs, all my leg muscles are complaining and threatening to cramp.  My right hip is not the only source of discomfort.  I interpret that as a positive sign.  It is almost one year to the day of my first visit to the orthopedic clinic.  I have come a long way in past 12 months.