So I feel like I’m in Disneyland circa 1993. The park is cool. I’m excited to be there. I see some of my familiar favorites, but there is no FastPass, and I’m stuck in line for Peter Pan. I love the Peter Pan ride. It is the very first ride I remember riding at Disneyland, and it remains my favorite ride to this day, but the line for Peter Pan stinks.
On a packed day, it can be a 2-hour wait. Half to two-thirds of the line is often outside, just weaving back and forth. This is before the Indiana Jones or Buzz Lightyear attractions, where waiting in line is part of the fun. Nope, it’s a long line, it’s hot, and I’m staring at the sign that says, “2 Hours from this point.”
I want a FastPass and it doesn’t exist yet.
Yep, this is exactly where I am after the first week of training for the Disneyland ½ Marathon. I’m excited to be doing this, I’m looking forward to the event, but the reality of the “line” and the current “signs” are before me, and I wish I could just skip ahead.
Here’s where I stand right now…
- I’m good for about 35-45 minutes of a workout right now. Only one of my sessions went a solid hour this week.
- The knees lack some strength support right now and so they get a bit sore if I push myself too hard (but I am keeping my heart rate up in the target zone during workouts)
- I weigh 196 lbs right now (that’s 26 lbs heavier than I was this time two years ago). I’m not going to make this a major weight monitoring journal. I plan to only weigh myself and report it around the first Thursday of each month. However, I’m faced with the reality, that at my current weight it’s like I’m doing my training again for the the San Diego Marathon in 2004, but this time I’m basically carrying two 15 lbs. dumbbells (losing some weight will help the knees down the road)
So that is the huge sign staring me in the face.
But I did advance up a few extra spots this week.
- I made it to the gym 5 of the seven days (felt a little under the weather this past weekend).
- I drastically improved my diet and snacking, replacing what used to be a bowl of ice cream with a fruit salad, and quick take-out with home cooked meals, salads, and sandwiches.
- When meeting up with friends, I’ve purposefully parked further away, adding in some extra walking whenever possible.
- I maybe only hit one session of a solid hour this week, but it was a solid hour. My heart rate was in the target zone, and I kept fairly focused on the task, providing some great interval training on the cardio equipment.
And the cool part about this line? The people.
- I’ve really appreciated the messages people sent right after the first blog. I’m really happy to hear how many people are ALSO training for the event!
- My sisters are now strongly considering running in the ½ as well (please encourage them if you know them!), and my parents might even swing down for the event weekend to cheer us on.
- On Sunday, my cousin Adam, who is currently training for the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, sent me the equivalent of a “you’ll love this ride” message as he triumphantly completed his 18.5 mile training run with no injuries and, from the sound of his text, great spirits! (anytime you end a text quoting Sean Connery SNL Jeopardy style, you know it’s a good day)
So I’m in Disneyland circa 1993. The line is long. I’ve got a ways to go, but I really love this ride and I can’t wait to ride it with my friends!
Special note: if you even have the slightest inkling of “should I do it too?” DO IT! At this point there is WAY more than enough time to train. The event is about 122 days away and most training programs only require 70-84 days for a 1/2 marathon. I’m in the process of “pre-training” at this point. Join me!