Fitness Friday - Dopey Challenge Training Week 2

Happy Friday once again! Almost two full weeks of Dopey Training have passed and it's hard to believe that in just six short months, I'll be running the most magical 26.2 miles on the planet! If you're training for Dopey, Goofy, the Disney Marathon, or any Half/Full Marathon for that matter, I hope your training is going well so far!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA

Sunday - 5 mile run
Monday - 3 mile run/walk with a friend
Tuesday - 3 mile walk with friends
Wednesday - Rest Day
Thursday - Cross Training with the Tone It Up Girls
Friday - Squats/Lunges/PT routine

As I mentioned on Monday, this weekend was an eventful one that consisted of a long run on a Sunday (which I NEVER do)!

Despite continued rain throughout the week (almost every day), I feel as if training went well and I was able to slip in a few miles between rain showers.

On Monday, I honestly wasn't feeling it. I needed to run but it was raining and I had Brayden with me (otherwise, I would have just gone for it). After waiting a while for the rain to clear up, I texted a friend to ask if she wanted to join us. She said yes and off we went!

In total, we completed three miles (it was sort of a run/walk for me as I ran about half a mile before she joined us).

After the rain stopped, a beautiful sunset came into view! Love it!

Brayden and I also sported purple and gold that evening for LSU Tigers Baseball. They were playing in the finals of the College World Series and although they didn't win, I'm happy for Florida as they've never won a College World Championship! I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to say that out loud, but that's how I feel anyway! :)

On Tuesday afternoon, my friend Melissa asked if we wanted to go for a walk all together. Of course we said yes and we had a great time!

Having company along sure does make the miles fly by!

On Wednesday, I sent this picture to Jason via text with a bunch of sad crying emoji's. If you've read my blog long enough, you know my obsession with McAlisters and their tea. Well, our local McAlisters shut down last year around this time which means that Free Tea Day and I had to break up. Jason knew my sadness and had a surprise up his sleeve!

As I arrived home on Thursday from work, he told me to be fully dressed and ready to go in 30 minutes but wouldn't tell me where we were going.

Imagine my surprise as we kept going and going and going....until we reached McAlisters! (It's seriously like a 45 min-1 hour drive from our house!) Y'all. It was so worth every minute!!

This is the face of a girl who's been away from her favorite sweet tea for far too long.

I ordered all of my favorites - the patriot, broccoli cheddar soup, and sweet tea! Yes sir!

My husband...gotta love him!!

After returning home, we put Brayden to sleep then I completed a cross training workout from the Tone It Up girls. Today, I plan to do my PT routine followed by a long run on Saturday. After Saturday's run, week 2 of Dopey Training (for me) will officially be in the books!

I hope you've had a great week and have a great weekend!!

Marathon Training Truths

It's been several years since I last ran a marathon. In that time frame, I feel as if I've forgotten so much about the training cycle - long runs, fueling, aches and pains, etc. Now that I have waded into the shallow end of the pool so to speak with Dopey Training, there's a few things I realized about training for a marathon that I'd forgotten from prior training seasons...so ready or not, here they are!

 

• It's called a training "season" for a REASON. You can't build up your mileage overnight and it takes weeks and months to "get there". I've always trained myself to be 10K or Half ready at any point but I definitely don't run anything over 10 miles on a regular Saturday morning long run (and lately it's been 5 or 6 miles). Knowing where I'm at and how far I have to go kind of makes me a little nervous but I know it'll be ok because I have the luxury of time until January of 2018. I love how Jeff Galloway's training plan allows plenty of weeks for marathon and Dopey training, that way runners are ready and prepared come race day!

• Weight loss isn't always possible during marathon training and that's OK! It's so important to properly fuel your body with the intake it needs to get you through those long runs. The focus during this time frame should be on nutrition and proper intake, not cutting carbs or calories.  

• Mantras and songs can be a runner's best friend. In the past, I've always had a "song" that made me look forward to a race experience or race weekend. Any former Jonas Brother's fans out there? Rolling your eyes yet? Yep, me too. Well, during the time of my obsession, my "song" for the Inaugural Wine & Dine Half (which was at night) was "Feelin' Alive" by the Jonas Brothers. "This is the night...for feeling alive..." I have to admit, that just made me smile a little bit! :)

• Visualization helps SO much with training. There are times during long runs where I don't think I can keep going, so it's fun to check my mileage and try to visualize where I would be on the marathon course at that point in time...like running through the castle, Animal Kingdom, or Wide World of Sports to name a few!

• Last but certainly not least - it's not easy but it's definitely doable! I'm a firm believer that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. Twenty six point two may seem like a daunting task (or forty eight point six in this case), but if you take it one step and one mile at a time, you can do it! The human body is such an amazing thing - it can do way more than we give it credit for. Put away those negative thoughts and do the things you think you can't do!

What's your best Marathon training truth or tip?

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Wordless Wednesday - Disneyland Hotel's E-Ticket Club

Hi there and welcome to another Wordless Wednesday! This week's topic is all about Disney Food. Since I've covered a lot of my favorites in past WW posts, I decided to give a little glimpse of food options at the Disneyland Hotel's E-Ticket Club, where a friend of mine and I stayed during the recent Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend!

The E-Ticket Club is located in the Adventure Tower and food options are available throughout the day as follows:

• Magical Beginnings (6:30-10 a.m.) – continental breakfast (pastries, fruit, cereal, coffee, Mickey waffles, etc)
• Intermission (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – light refreshments, snacks, etc
• Magic Hours (5-7 p.m.) – hot and cold appetizers, finger foods, etc
• Sweet Dreams (8-10 p.m.) – desserts (they are so tasty) and beverages

One of my favorite things to do in the E-Ticket Club was watch the Disneyland fireworks while enjoying evening desserts! The views of Downtown Disney were breathtaking and were also a relaxing way to enjoy breakfast in the mornings!

Today’s Wordless Wednesday theme is: Disney Food
Host: Deb at Focused on the Magic

 

 

 

  

 

If you're looking for a great way to enjoy a Disneyland trip, a stay at the Disneyland Hotel Concierge level is the perfect way to do so!

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Long Run Sunday

Yesterday, I did something I NEVER do - I went for my long run on a Sunday morning!

That wasn't in the original plans, however.

On Saturday morning, both Brayden and I were startled awake by crazy thunder and lightning. He woke up at 5:30 a.m., just a few minutes before my alarm was set to go off. I went into his room to soothe him and although my tactics worked, he couldn't fall back asleep because the thunder and lightning was literally rolling through every 30 seconds or so.

After listening for a few minutes, I knew our group run would be called off due to safety. I'm all about running in the rain but lightning...no way.

My running buddy and I texted back and forth several times and after seeing a facebook post from our little running circle, we decided to call it off until Sunday morning.

It rained off and on for a good bit of the morning. Luckily, Brayden fell back asleep which meant I could return to my bed as well! We both slept until 9 a.m.! (I think that's only happened like once since he's been born!)

Sunday morning arrived bright and early...and so did the humidity! I have one main reason I never run on Sunday mornings - church. Follow a long run up with getting ready for church and getting Brayden ready all in the span of a few hours...and looking halfway decent on my part? Negative.

Well, I decided to go for it anyway. It was the end of my first week of Dopey Training and I didn't want to set a bad precedent for the remainder of my training. Although Jason worked the night before (and had to work again that night), he so graciously agreed to watch Brayden for a couple of hours so I could enjoy my run. (He's truly a saint!)

My running buddy and I enjoyed our 5 mile run along the lake. It was fun seeing fellow running groupies out there, too!

Once I arrived home, Jason had Brayden fed, dressed, and ready for church (even though Jason himself wasn't going to church because he had to work again that night)! I sent Jason to bed, then somehow had time to shower, wash my hair, blow dry and flat iron my hair, put makeup on, cook breakfast, and watch Brayden while doing all of the above. Bonus: Brayden and I were on time for church! How, I have no idea!

Although I couldn't do it every single Sunday, I did enjoy my Sunday morning long run with my running buddy and I REALLY enjoyed my chance to sleep in on Saturday morning!

Oh yes, and I might have enjoyed one of these mickey rice cripsy treats on Sunday afternoon! I have a small stash and this one was close to expiring. I either needed to toss it or eat it and well, I chose eat it! :)

Do you prefer long runs on Saturday or Sunday mornings?

Fitness Friday - Dopey Challenge Training Week 1

Hi there! Long time no Fitness Friday!

Well, with the start of a new training plan for Dopey Challenge 2018, Fitness Friday has returned! I enjoyed my break from being on a training cycle but now that a new one has begun, I'm super thrilled and looking forward to another journey to 26.2 (or 48.6 in this case)!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA

Sunday - Rest Day
Monday - 3 mile run and first day of Dopey Training!!
Tuesday - Rest Day
Wednesday - Cross Training with the Tone It Up Girls 
Thursday - 3 mile run
Friday - Squats/Lunges/PT routine

I decided to begin my Dopey Training a little early because with the start of summer in the south also came the threat of a Tropical Storm named Cindy. Oh boy.

Brayden didn't let Cindy phase him although the "feels like" temperatures should have scared us both!

During the run, I listened to my friends over at The Disney Exchange and they kept me entertained and amused the entire 3 miles!

I seriously love these guys! If you haven't listened, you should go check them out!

It's only June and the heat/humidity is awful. What am I going to do come August? Oy.

My second run was planned for Wednesday after work but Cindy had other plans. Church was also cancelled that evening, so I enjoyed a little bonus time with Jason and Brayden!

Yeah, I pretty much live smack dab in the middle of Cindy's projected path. Lovely.

We were released home from work early on Thursday afternoon, so I scoped out the weather channel to see if running would even be a possibility that evening. 

Sure enough, around 3 p.m., I saw a clearing in the weather, so I made a break for it! The remains of Cindy were passing through and the wind was kicking pretty good, but there was no rain, thankfully! This wasn't my first time running through a tropical storm and I'm sure it won't be my last!

I somehow managed three miles although I had to stop and walk a bit on the last mile back home. It's not fun and definitely not easy to run through a head wind!

Not long after I returned home, it began to rain again! Talk about perfect timing!

On Wednesday, I clicked over to the Tone It Up girls web page for a new cross training workout. This one encompassed the entire body and included a lot of squats and lunges which was just what I needed!

Saturday morning is a planned long run with my running buddy! Jeff's plan calls for 3 miles but I think we will go for 5 or 6 as that's been our Saturday routine for a little while now. After Saturday's run, week 1 of Jeff Galloway's Dopey Training plan for me will be complete!

I hope you all have a great Friday and an awesome weekend!

Where will your adventures this weekend take you?