Dopey Challenge Training – Week 8: Feeling Overwhelmed

Do you ever feel like you have so much to do that you don’t know where to begin and you end up just moving paper from one side of your desk to the other. Well, that’s me right now.  

 

Even though I’m seeing so many races coming back in person, my State is having increasing Covid cases and large annual events are beginning to cancel, AGAIN. I fear we are heading into another year similar to 2020, and to be honest, I do not have the strength to do that again. When the country shut down last March, I was one of seven employees remaining from over 200 employed at my Club. We all took on extra duties, however being in charge of membership at a private Club meant the number of irate phone calls sky rocketed. Trying to keep our membership number up without lowering dues too much was quite the struggle since we shut down twice and then reopened with limited amenities and lots of restrictions.

 

With Disney’s Princess weekend registration opening up next week, I’m wondering if I should bother should it be cancelled and if it doesn’t, that will mean two travel races in February. I also have a very expensive oral surgery coming up in October that will put my training on hold for a couple of weeks. I’m stressing about that cost as well as those expensive Disney races, not to mention the loss of training during surgery recovery.

 

I am a goal oriented person and I’ve set daily, weekly and month goals for myself which I’m not coming at all close to meeting. This makes me discouraged and frustrated. Plus those Disney Virtual races…. Not done, I’ve made one of the costumes, but between the heat and the smoke, I’ve not had the chance to get out and run them. My summer is quickly coming to a close and the deadline to complete them is fast approaching. I’ve rationalize in my head that I’ve already completed well over three 5K’s doing the “Close Your Rings” Challenge of 30 days 30 5K’s back in June, but I really wanted to do something special for those cute Lion King themed races. 

 

And what about those Craft fairs that sent me confirmations, one in October and one in November. Although my basement is overflowing with inventory, all my displays and such are stored away in different areas of the house and garage. I hate the feeling of not knowing where everything is….my own personal OCD. Will these actually take place with our Covid numbers increasing?

 

Then there is making sure all my Race-Cation travel details. Already had a near miss when I discovered I reserved our rental car for the Surf City race for the wrong weekend and I almost forgot to call my travel agent to move my Disney resort reservations because Princess weekend was booked for the week prior. Trying to keep all my races, reservations and details straight is much harder, why? Is it because I’m out of practice with that COVID year of isolation? Who knows, but I am always on the brink of hysterics and feeling nervous all the time. 

 

Plus the added task of making costumes for all those Disney races. I made the mistake of counting how many I need to make………..10 COSTUMES! and they is not even counting the ones for the mystery Spring races if I choose to register for those.  I have so many ideas, and absolutely no plan on how I’m going to get them done.

 

Balancing work, training and just keeping my house clean is almost becoming too hard to manage. This week I have a 9 mile run on the weekend, and I have to go in to work on Saturday. Plus I have to plan and prepare those weekly recipes… I actually really love that part, but it’s one more thing on my plate.

Recipe this week is from the Disney Cookbook – Kronk's Famous Dish, Spinach Puffs.

Well this recipe proved to be a hot mess, just like me this week. I did roll the dough out thin enough so rather than 18 puffs I had 10 kinda thick crusted puffs. However they tasted wonderful and I used the left over spinach cheese mixture and pan fried it with the leftover egg yoke. This has become our new favorite chip dip.

How beautiful are Mickey's version of Kronk's puffs.

And then there is my attempt, delicious but not so pretty to look at.

Take a look at my struggle this week and the comedy of errors in the kitchen, then click here

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 7: Stretch It Out!

 

This week I started putting in some strength training and stretching exercises into my routine. I can feel my muscles tightening up with all this running so I need to work on lengthening those muscles to improve my running. Although it caused sore muscles at first, staying flexible not only makes me feel better, but will reduce the risk of injury and help recover faster after those long runs. 

 

I’m taking it very old school, does anyone remember an exercise called Callanetics? I bought my first VHS tape in the mid 80’s and when it came out on DVD later on, I had to have it. 

I’m going to be showing my age here, but I remember doing Jane Fonda tapes in the basement when my son was just a little guy and 2 years ago he surprised me with DVD replacements of most of all my Jane Fonda workout videos. I love ‘em!

 

The fires around Spokane have not stopped and the smoke in the air has caused unhealthy breathy conditions. 

So I took to the Treadmill for my second run this week and because I was engrossed in a TV show as able to increase my mileage to 4.5 miles in 45 minutes. It wasn’t because I was running faster, I just didn’t take those walk breaks. 

 

My final run of the week was an easy 3 miler.  I headed out the door early Saturday morning before the temperatures started to climb. Because of the smoky air, the sun rises have been just beautiful. It was a great ending to a nice easy run week. These photos really don't show how beautiful this sunrise was, but believe me it was spectacular!

 

 

This weeks recipe is from the Disney Eats Cookbook – Mickey Turkey meatloaf and Aladdin’s Fattoush Salad. 

After last week 3 hour tour in the Kitchen I wanted something a little bit easier. These two recipes fit the bill. Normally when I cook using Turkey it comes out on the dry side. Not so with meatloaf. It made so many mini meatloaves we were able to fest on it for two days following. The Salad was my personal favorite, maybe it was because I goofed up on the dressing adding 1 tablespoon salt rather than 1 teaspoon….. and I’d do it again, it was so tasting for this salt aholic. 

My finished dish looked surprising similar to the cookbooks. This is Disney's version of the recipe.

And this is mine....so yummy!

Check out Week #7 training video by clicking here

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 6: Beat the Heat

 

Since my neighbors left me in charge of watching their house over the weekend, I helped myself to their above ground pool. I’m pretty sure that was implied with “watching the House”.

 

With this heat, it was so refreshing to float around enjoying my adult beverage. When I was growing up we had a pool in our backyard and it was wonderful on those hot hot days. I actually learned how to swim before I learned to walk. Mom was adamant about that since it was hard to keep track of us three kids and God forbid one of use accidentally falls in when no one is watching. 

 

I am running so much slower this week and it’s because of the heat. As all good training plans say, you should slow down once the temperature increase. I know once the season turns it will cool off and running will be much easier. 

 

This week I learned a very important lesson on waiting to run after you eat. My Thursday run was miserable because I ran out the door after a huge dinner. I adjusted my interval timer to 3 minutes run/2 minutes walking to accommodate the bulging tummy. I didn’t want to see my dinner on the pavement (if you know what I mean)

 

This was a big week in my son’s life. He finally purchased his dream car. A brand new Tesla. 

Welcome to the wonderful world of debt my boy. Seriously though, I am so proud of my son. He is only 24 years old, college graduate, terrific job, no student loans and able to afford a new car of his choosing. I feel a pat on the back is deserved for the fine job I did raising such a fiscally responsible young man. 

 

This weeks recipe is from the Villains cookbook: Olympus Moussaka. 

Probably the hardest and most time consuming recipes so far. I ended up cooking for 3 ½ hours and the kitchen became so hot the sweat was pouring down my face. I use a lot of dairy substitutions in my recipes, this causes many of my dishes to be a little on the runny side, however the flavor of this dish was so good. There was no photo in the cookbook so hopefully this is what it is supposed to look like.

 

Week #6 and my son's new car can be seen by clicking here

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 5: Officially Dopey AGAIN!

 

It’s Official – I’m officially Dopey….. Again!

 

Tuesday was Dopey Challenge registration day and I was even more stress out than I was during Wine and Dine registration. I brought this on myself because I wanted in so badly and if I didn’t get in, what would become of all my training videos. (I know, real world problems right here).

So, once again I hauled my old laptop, my IPad, my new laptop, and my cell phone to the office at the crack of dawn, seriously it was barely light outside. I just knew it was going to be mayhem. Well, once again all that anxiety was for nothing because I got registered with no drama and even a week later there were still races available, even Dopey. I am got to calm the heck down.

 

Since registering for the biggest series of races in my life, what have I done? Well……NOTHING!!

I didn’t get either of my 45 minute training runs done this week. Tuesday after registering I was full of adrenaline and ready to run after work… until the down pour of rain started shortly after 5PM. I fully intended to make up for it on Wednesday, however work conflicts kept me well past the time I wanted to venture out. Then Thursday began the triple digit temperature and smoke from surrounding area fires covered the city on Friday. Yes, I know the treadmill was calling out my name. But somehow I didn’t hear it.

 

Saturday morning I woke up and had a “come to Jesus” talk with myself and pushed my butt out the door even though the heat was beginning to rise, I did my three miles and was proud of myself for doing it.  

 

I ordered a new Disney cookbook this week off of Amazon. I want to say I bought it only because it was Villains themed and since this years’ Wine and Dine weekend is also Villains themed it seemed a justified purchase. 

But in reality I’ve developed a new addiction to Disney Cookbooks. By total coincidence I was able to find corresponding fabric at JoAnn’s to make an apron that matched the cookbook design. I didn’t break into my new Villains cookbook this week because I already had a recipe picked out and ingredients bought.

 

This weeks recipe was from the The unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook: Dole Whip

Make sure to have a lot of time on your hands to make this recipe because after the first step you have to wait 2 hours!! 

Once the mixture went into the ice cream machine it was only 20 more minutes. 

And yes I did add a little Capital Morgan’s spiced rum to the mix. The result took me back to the Tiki tiki room, it was so yummy.

Mine did not look at all like this beautiful photo from the cookbook

But it was sure tasty, and the rum, yes that is a must do every time.

I am not at all disappointed in myself for missing those 2 training runs. I feel refreshed and strong, so who knows maybe I needed the break. Don’t beat yourself up, you have to keep it fun or you will surely give up. Even professional athletics have a bad week.

 

If you want to watch Week #5 and learn how to make delicious Dole Whip then click here

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 4: Shoes, Glorious Shoes

 

My injured wrist has not been healing very quickly and since I’m in denial that anything is seriously wrong, I have not gone to my Doctor. At the advice of a co-worker I purchased a wrist brace because functioning at my job has become a struggle. And to my surprise IT WORKED!

 

This week my obsession with running shoes hit an all time high. I have now accumulated 4 pairs of running shoes. All Hoka shoes of course, my tried-and-true Arahi’s have increased by two. And I’ve introduced a new shoe to my collection. It’s the Carbon X-SPE, it is a tongueless shoe. I loved my first pair so much I immediately bought another before they were discontinued.

 

Now is the time to start testing out shoes for marathon weekend. We are a month into the training plan, this gives you plenty of time to find the shoe that fits your feet the best and gives yourself enough time to break in not just one pair, but several. I usually take three pairs of running shoe to January’s marathon weekend. You don’t know what the weather will be like, and if it rains you want to have an alternate pair for the next day race. Also just like you, your shoes need time to recover, you should never wear the same shoe for all four races. You need to give your shoes time to “bounce” back for best cushion and support. 

Why do you need to break in your shoes? Well, the material that makes up your shoe will most likely be stiff and inflexible. When the material hasn’t softened or doesn’t have a lot of give, it’s easy for friction to develop and this will cause blisters on your feet. Ouch, not fun, take if from someone who has experience in the area. 

 

You can avoid problems by gradually breaking in running shoes, a process that shouldn’t take more than a month and typically takes me only in a few weeks. 

 

Here are a few tips I use to break in my new running shoes.

Tip #1. Walk in you new shoes before taking them out for a run. Do this for a few days so your feet have time to adjust and allow the soles to loosen. Start out wearing them for half an hour around the house and gradually increase your wear time.  

 

Tip #2: Alternate between wearing your new shoes and your old shoes. I usually wear my newer shoes for shorter distance training runs until they are broken in completely. Never wear brand new shoes on race day, that is a recipe for disaster and a whole lot of pain.  

 

Tip #3: Once you’ve put some miles on your new shoes, pay attention to any unusual discomfort in the rest of your body. Remember running is a full-body workout and this will be a good indication if that shoe choice is not the right fit for you.

 

If you are thinking of switching it up and getting a totally different shoe or if you don’t know how to select the right shoe. I suggest going to a running store that has a 3D foot scanner or at the very least a treadmill. This way they can scan your foot and it will show if you have any pronation and the position of your arches. If they have a treadmill they will be able to look at your running form and give you suggests. It’s free and helps you select the perfect running shoe. 

 

This week’s recipe is from the Disney Cookbook: The Grey Stuff

Ingredients are few and instructions very simple. I served it over Mickey shaped brownies. Make sure to have some milk handy because you can’t eat too much as it is super rich. How does Disney do it, well take a look.

How does Rose do it: I think I did a great job. What do you think?

 

 

Next week is Dopey registration, Good luck everyone!

 

Week #4 Training video can be found on my YouTube channel just click here to watch!

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 3: “Cheers”

 

I am still suffering from my July 4^th fall. My wrist may not be fully functional again for while I fear. But that didn’t stop me from getting excited for my first in-person race registration since 2019!!

 

Race registration for Wine and Dine weekend was Tuesday morning. I was so nervous that I would not get a bib that I woke up at 4am to be at work by 6:00am. I got all my devices (laptop, iPad, and iPhone as well as my work computer) all dialed in to my company’s internet and logged into the RunDisney site. I was able to get into the queue about 6:50am and as 7:02am approached I got a message that my wait would be one hour. But surprise surprise I was in and out of registration in 20 minutes with every race I wanted. 5K and the Challenge. Come to find out, days later races were still available. All that worry and stress was for nothing. 

 

Oh well, open the wine and celebrate because Disney, here I come! Let the planning begin!

Villains themed costumes have me stomped, but I’m up for the challenge!

 

The weather is still so very hot and running after a long day at work is making my pace slow slow slow. I seem to be doing more walking than running, but at least I’m getting out there and getting the miles and time done. I did have to do one of my training runs of the treadmill this week because the heat was way too hot for safe running. 

 

Recipe of the week was from the Disney Eats Cookbook – Remy’s Ratatouille 

I love love love love this dish. Just make sure to use the right kind of eggplant. The recipe called for Chinese eggplant, but did I get Chinese eggplant?  NOOOOOO. I soon discovered why you can’t use just plain everyday eggplant.  Chinese eggplant is the same size as yellow squash and zucchini thus creating a more uniform look to the dish.  I also didn’t slice the veggies as thinly as I should have. Even so, this was a delicious meal and will definitely make it again.

 

 

Here's how the finished dish in the cookbook.

And then there's mine, not to shabby.

 

If you want to watch week #3 Click here

Dopey Challenge Training – Week 2: Recovery

Second week of Dopey training and I get injured,😢

4th of July started out with a face plant to the pavement during my July 4^th Virtual 5K. Baxter ran in front of me and I went down HARD. Truly earned this really cute medal.

 

The stars and strips top hat glides back and forth, truly amazing!

 

Although my knee looked torn up, the joint escape injury. As a runner that is all that matters, I don’t care what else hurt as long as I can run. My shoulder, elbow and wrist took the majority of the impact. My brand new Bose prescription sunglasses went flying off my face, followed by my visor. Poor Gymboss interval timer still works but looks like crap.  This unfortunately means I can’t take my sweet Baxter on my training runs for a while because I can’t hold him and the camera with my sore wrist. 

To celebrate my 5K victory and numb the pain, I put on my patriot tank and proudly flaunted my race wound with mimosas at a local wine bar. 

And yes, people did stare at me like an escapee from an abused women's shelter.

 

Morning running is an impossibility because Baxter wreaks havoc to my house and barks and whines so loudly if left in the kennel. So, after work in the heat will be my only alternative. I don’t want to run every training run on the Treadmill, well because how exciting is that for my YouTube channel. 

 

Recipe this week is from Disney’s Simple Family Cookbook: Super Fitness Juice. 

I wanted to really like this cool refreshing drink, however the grapefruit was super overpowering and made for a bitter taste. It also didn’t make the same amount as pictured in the book, I think I was supposed to use just the juice from the Grapefruit and orange, I peeled them and put them in whole. Made for more of a thick smoothie consistency.

This is the photo from the cookbook, how pretty are they?

And then there's mine. 

Oh Well, Click here to watch Week #2