Tag: run/walk

Running with Pluto – the 5km

Jess Guth5 Comments

Pluto 1So by now you will have read that I was not entirely honest about my marathon running story and have in fact completed the Dopey Challenge. Or at least I hope I have as I am writing this after the 5km race. I loved this run. I had more fun than I ever thought I would running. It was an early start. We left the hotel about 4.10am on a bus that took us to the starting area. It’s impossible to describe how huge the event is. Around 10000 runners were running today. The pictures I tried to take don’t really do it justice and the quality isn’t great because it was dark but floodlight lit. There may be some on the official photos and if there is I will share, or I may have more luck on one of the other days.

It was cold by Florida standards so once in the pre race area we wandered around a bit, ate our bananas, went to the loo, wandered a bit more and then it was time to move into the corals. We were in D for this race. On our way we went to the loo again. Any race organisers could learn a thing or two from Disney here: around 10000 runners and hardly any queues for toilets!

More standing around but bang on 6am coral A set off and about 25 minutes later we crossed the startline. I had said before we started that I would like to run the entire race so I could say that I ran a full Disney race! As we crossed the startline and plodded our way out of the Epcot parking lot and toward the park itself I wondered if it would be possible. I felt good, it wasn’t hot but the air is different, humidity I think, and even though it really isn’t that humid today I felt it. A tiny sliver of doubt crept in. Just for a second there was a really clear voice saying ‘you can’t do this’. Almost at the same time the running got easier, I’d settled into a rhythm and then suddenly we were at Mile 1 and shortly after we entered Epcot through a back lot. image

Running through Epcot today was like nothing I have ever experienced. I turned the corner into the park and was greated with ‘…I just can’t wait to be King…’. We sang along. We were running and singing! Next was the Mary Poppins song which we also sang along to and did a little silly dance and then we were back on Hakuna Matata and had ‘zoomed’ past Mile 2. I honestly loved every minute of that and I didn’t find it hard at all. I was just running steadily and happily along and I couldn’t stop grinning. Pluto 2I made a beeline for a couple of the official photographers striking silly poses as I ran past (who is this woman running in my kit and number?) and then we went past Mile 3, left Epcot through a back door, turned a corner and saw the finish line. We crossed it holding hands grinning more broadly than the Cheshire Cat.

We walked through the finish area, got our medal, runDisney goodie box, bananas and water and then made our way to the Runners World Challenge breakfast area where we had a little nibble of fruit and yoghurt before heading to the Garden Grill in Epcot to enjoy a proper sit down and breakfast. One of the characters at the Grill was Pluto so of course there had to be pictures.image

We spent the rest of the morning at Epcot but around lunchtime realised that we were walking a deceptive amount. It’s about 5pm now and I am on 20km according to my Fitbit! So we came back to the hotel to rest a bit before heading out again for the Pasta in the Park Part back at Epcot which also include viewing of illuminations. Taking it easy at Disney World is quite hard!

So 5km day has been fantastic. I never thought I would have this much fun running. Bring on the 10k!

The Dopiest thing I ever did do!

Jess Guth10 Comments

So I said I would always be honest about running on this blog but I have to come clean. I wasn’t entirely honest about our marathon efforts. We were actually training for the Rundisney Dopey Challenge.Toy story

The challenge includes a 5km, a 10km, a half marathon and a full marathon on 4 consecutive days. Back when we signed up we were so worried that we wouldn’t be able to get a marathon place because the sell out so fast that we took the opportunity to sign up through the Runners world challenge which was the Dopey. We initially thought we would just run the 5km and then the marathon but as training progressed the idea took hold.

Dopey f

Well today we completed that challenge by running the marathon. I am a little sore and very tired so I will leave reflections on Dopey for tomorrow or another day but I did write a blog post each day after each race and I will post them here shortly. I apologise now for any dodgy spelling or formatting – I only have the iPad here. Completing the challenge is bloody huge. I couldn’t run 100metres 12 months ago and now

Dopey e

So that’s it then

Jess Guth4 Comments

Training done. We went for our last training run earlier today. Just over 6 miles and then we walked the 3 miles ish back home after having coffee at the Bingley 5 Rise Locks Cafe with our friend.

I feel a bit lost. The next time I lace up those trainers I will be running Disney! I’ve got a couple of posts lined up for while I’m away  – a couple of review type posts – but the next time I blog and post immediately will be after the marathon on 10th January.

See you on the other side!

Final Push

Jess GuthLeave a comment

We went for a short run this morning. Temperatures have dropped a bit and it felt cold. We both struggled a little. Kath was really struggling to breathe in the cold air and I wore some trainers that I bought ages and ages go and hadn’t worn to run in yet. I think I picked them up cheap and I don’t think they’re right. My feet were aching a mile in. It might all just be taper paranoia though.

One more training run left. Just one more and then we travel and then the big event is here. The countdown says 5 days – that’s to the Expo at the start of the Disney event. I can’t decide if I am excited or terrified today.

We’re really not far off our fundraising target overall although it would be lovely to get a bit closer to it online! Can you help? Can you make the hours on the road, the sore muscles and the chafing in places best not mentioned all even more worthwhile?  If you can help, our justgiving page is here. Thank you.

As a reminder of what this is all about – we are running for Panthera, a conservation charity focusing on the Big Cats. They do great work and you can read all about it on their website and follow them on twitter (@pantheracats) and facebook.

Thank you to all those of you who have already sponsored us – you are brilliant and you help ensure  a future for gorgeous creatures like this:

Lion cub Panthera
Picture from Panthera

Post-Christmas running

Jess Guth4 Comments

Those of you who have been following the weight loss bit of this journey may have noticed that I’ve been silent on that and have stubbornly ignored my Sunday weigh-ins. Two reasons for this, one I forgot to get on the scales first thing on the Sundays and it just didn’t seem important enough to do it later. Can you see th headline ‘woman doesn’t care about her weight – the end of the world as we know it’… Anyway, then just lately I did start caring because with lower mileage and festive food I felt like I might be piling on pounds which is tthe last thing I should be doing just before a marathon. So I just didn’t get on the scales to avoid that disappointment.But today I hopped on the scales for the first time since the beginning of the month: I am actually half a pound lighter than I was last time I weighed myself. Next weigh in 1st Jan to get the baseline for 2016.

We have been struggling to get our runs in but today we went out together. It felt like ages since we actually went for a run together. The sun was shining, it was ridiculously warm and it was such hard work. I felt heavy, sluggish, unfit and like all the mince pies, sausage rolls and prosecco in the world were congregating in the pit of my stomach. I felt decidedly like I was plodding along slower than ever, but, I kept telling myself, I was plodding not sitting on the sofa stuffing my face.

At about two miles the towpath was blocked by a fallen tree so we had to turn round and go the other way. We’d run roughly the first mile and had then dropped into our run/walk intervals (as planned for marathon, 2 min run,1 min walk) and I needed the walk breaks. We checked our time at 5 km so that we could count that as our December One Big Fat Run and I thought 37 mins, 35 seconds was pretty good going for a post Christmas 5km that’s part of a longer run.

At about 4 miles I started feeling better. The sluggishness was giving way to just enjoying being out. At just under 5 miles we turned again and ran the last mile and a bit back to the ‘home’ bridge. The 6 miles took us an hour, 12 minutes and a few seconds and it was a nice run. We chatted for all but the last few minutes and the sun was lovely.

Walking up the hill to get home I felt a bit dizzy but I think I was dehydrated. I haven’t really been paying attention to drinking enough water. We’ve had some food and I’ve drank about three pints of water and feel great now.

One more 45 minute run and one more 6 mile run left. 6 more sleeps before we travel, 7 more before we fly to Florida. Today I am more excited than terrified. Bring on the marathon!