Well, I'm recovered from Marathon Weekend! I've done some good runs the past couple weeks- longest was 10 miles and I felt alright. I actually did 3 miles in 25 minutes flat at run club in Deland last night so I'm feeling pretty awesome about that! Princess is just a few weeks away, I've got our bib numbers- corrals haven't been posted yet but judging from last year's numbers, I should be in C and Scot should be in D. It'll be no big deal for me to drop back, and I'm glad I don't have to go far! We got some costume supplies the other day and I'm just on the hunt for the perfect textured fabric to make my skirt. He's going to work in Las Vegas for the next 3 weeks so that means I'll actually be able to get some things done with no distractions!
I made my list of races I'm signed up for and/or need to sign up for. There's others on my bucket list but that'll be something to start planning for next year!
Feb whatever, during Run Club: Lady Track Shack 5K virtual race (tutu AND a medal? Yes!)
Feb 21-22: Princess Half Marathon/Glass Slipper Challenge
Feb 28: Best Damn Race Orlando Half Marathon
Mar 14: Winter Park Road Race Double Dare- 2 mile and 10K (extra medal, why not?)
Mar 29: Tomoka Half marathon (haven't signed up for this one yet. The route looks boring as hell but Stephanie and I are thinking about it as a training run for New York. Tomoka offers a full marathon but there's almost zero direction changes and and I think I'd go crazy running in a straight line for that long)
Apr 4: Run For The Angels Airport 5K (this is a fun one- no medal but it's pretty cool to run up and down the runways and taxiways at my airport)
May 3: Long Island Marathon
And then I have Summer Break!!!!!
The 2 fall races I'm focusing on right now are Wine & Dine Half at Disney again (since last year was rainy and shitty) and the Space Coast Half Marathon. I haven't committed yet, but I'm thinking I'll do the Goofy Challenge next year. I completed the Dopey but since it's not an anniversary year for any of the runs the medals will all be the same. Plus 4 days of early mornings was tough! And expensive!
Oh! And since Scot is going to Vegas to work, I'm going to get to go out there to visit (depending on the schedules, of course) so maybe I'll get in a run out there. Early morning on the strip? Sunrise out in nature? We shall see!
Stay posted!
Posts
All Comments
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
dopey challenge day 4: the marathon
Well, I ran a marathon.
It feels kinda strange- I just trained and successfully ran 26.2 miles. And not just that, I ran 26.2 miles the day after running 13.1 miles. And I ran it on day 4 of an event that required me to be up at 3:15 every morning out in the cold.
And I don't have a story.
What I mean is- I don't have a story of struggling, overcoming insurmountable obstacles, dealing with injury, or anything like that. I decided I was going to do this event, and I trained for it. I came away injury-free with what turned out to be a wonderful support team. I laid down for like 15 minutes in the hotel after the race was over, but then I hoofed it around the MK for the rest of the afternoon. I was a little sore the next day, but by Tuesday I was just fine. After 48.6 miles.
What I have is really all in my head. I don't know of anyone else in my family who's run a marathon. Of course, I never set out to run one when I decided I'd like to try to run the Princess Half Marathon last February. I just decided to do it. I live in a constant state of sore muscles, I get a massage once a month, I take joint pills and vitamin C. I never really had to convince myself I could run a marathon because I trusted the training. It's a shit-ton of miles, I'm not gonna lie! The training was a big undertaking- it required a lot of time, a lot of early mornings, a lot of peanut butter and powerade. But it wasn't impossible. It sure as hell got boring though! Long runs, staring at the same stuff as I made the 5th lap around the neighborhood or the trek up to the library, all the houses look the same, all the cars look the same. Ugh.
But I did it because the training schedule told me too. I trained with intervals. I practiced on my speed work. I got my half marathon time down from 9:45 min/mi in the Princess to 8:25 min/mi for the OUC. As much as I tried to take it easy, I couldn't get my half marathon time any slower than 2 hrs, 15 min (I wanted to stretch it out for the WDW half, thinking it would save my energy.)
This is my account of the WDW full marathon. Unremarkable by some standards, but I sure impressed the hell out of the only person that matters. Me.
I was on the bus (again) at 4am, headed towards Epcot (again) on Sunday morning. My stomach was in knots. I was telling myself over and over that I was ready for this. I trained. I was ready!
Deep breath! In. Out.
I hadn't eaten a whole lot- not too hungry, nerves, couldn't stand the sight of yet another banana. I had pretzels and a clif bar in my pouch just in case. Every time I pictured in my head the start line though, my stomach got the sinking feeling like I was standing on the edge of a 100 story building with no railing, looking straight down.
I made my way through the throngs of people, shivering a bit in that stupid plaid coat over my Ariel outfit. I didn't dawdle around, i just headed straight for my corral. Another 20 minute walk through the trees down to Epcot Center Dr took me to corral F again. I found a spot and let my brain continue to psych myself out as I waited. Eventually, the fireworks shot off, corral A were on their way, and we started to move forwards. I struck up a timid conversation with a girl dressed as Dopey next to me, and I told her how nervous I was. I was actually feeling borderline vomit or faint at this point but there was no purpose in sharing that bit of detail. She told me to just run like I trained and to have fun.
Good idea.
I thought about the 26.2 miles that lay ahead of my and my knees almost gave out.
Again, no line for the photos! Crazy! I was looking at my time, my run intervals were ranging between 8:30 and 9:30 min/miles, and my walk intervals were about a 13 min/mi. Things were averaging out to around a 10:30 min/mile. It was well withing the pacing I was trying to keep. My original goal was that I wanted to finish in less than 5 hours, I had begun to wonder in the last week or so if I could finish in maybe 4:40. Double the half marathon time, add a few minutes for being a little more tired? We'll see! I ran though the Studios, out past the bus stops, and followed the same route from Wine & Dine along the canal. There were lots of people watching along the waterfront- lots of cheering, some more great signs- some groups even had tents set up like they were practically tailgating! Once I hit the 24 mile marker passing under Buena Vista Drive, everything after that was new territory. My longest training run had been 24 miles. Every step longer than that was a new personal record.
The sky was starting to look a little gray by this point. I was comfortable but everyone watching along the route was bundled up in sweaters. A light mist started as I turned to follow the Boardwalk. The decking was slippery- the volunteers were warning everyone to be very careful. I'd run this route already in the 10K, but this time we were going to go the opposite direction around the World Showcase. The running crowd was thinning out a bit- it was like that on and off. It of course would be really packed along a single-lane road, then eerily empty on wider stretches. I just kept going! I entered Epcot through the back gate off the Boardwalk and turned toward France. The Marathonfoto papparazzi were out in force! I went over the bridge and started around the World Showcase Lagoon. France. Morocco. The mist turned into a light rain. It was heavenly! As I passed Morocco, I saw Aladdin and a cast member standing under an umbrella. There was no line for Aladdin but I didn't stop. As I passed, I waved and he yelled "Go Ariel! Remember, legs are for running and dancing!" I hopped a little, did a little twirl with a stupid grin on my face, and kept going. Japan. America. Halfway there! There were no people around, the World Showcase portion of Epcot doesn't open until 11am. There were cast members cheering and photographers doing there thing every 10 feet practically. Italy. Germany. Over the bridge of the Africa area. China. Hey, it's Mulan! I figured since I got a photo with Mushu during the 10K, I could spare a second with everyone's favorite Hun-fighting gal.
"I am at Mile 25.5" she whispered to me. "Keep going, Princess, you're almost there!"
I thanked her and hurried off. Norway. Mexico. Of course the margarita stand wasn't open yet. Bummer. I wound around the nearly-empty path and turned toward Spaceship Earth. There were tons of people cheering in this area- it was really getting loud now! I heard the gospel choir as I rounded the corner to the right, they were singing and clapping and I started to choke on my own tears. I didn't even try to wipe them away this time (well, just enough so I could see!). I turned down the chute, saw the finish line ahead, and- almost like I was in a dream- headed towards it. I caught a glance at the "Go Maggie!" sign my dad had up high. I crossed the finish line barely able to see through my welled-up eyes and burst into full-on crying as I high-fived Minnie Mouse. I braced my hands on my knees after I hit the last pad and a medical guy actually lunged at me as if I were about to fall over. I smiled, gave him a thumbs-up and he backed off smiling back. I walked through, got my medal, drinks, snack box (I skipped the bananas and went straight for the applesauce), then stopped for photos. After that, I went into the Dopey Challenge tent, a volunteer verified my bib and time on a computer and told me I was good to go. I stepped over to a girl holding medals and she hung both a Goofy Challenge and Dopey Challenge medal around my neck.
They clanged together nicely when I walked.
It feels kinda strange- I just trained and successfully ran 26.2 miles. And not just that, I ran 26.2 miles the day after running 13.1 miles. And I ran it on day 4 of an event that required me to be up at 3:15 every morning out in the cold.
And I don't have a story.
What I mean is- I don't have a story of struggling, overcoming insurmountable obstacles, dealing with injury, or anything like that. I decided I was going to do this event, and I trained for it. I came away injury-free with what turned out to be a wonderful support team. I laid down for like 15 minutes in the hotel after the race was over, but then I hoofed it around the MK for the rest of the afternoon. I was a little sore the next day, but by Tuesday I was just fine. After 48.6 miles.
What I have is really all in my head. I don't know of anyone else in my family who's run a marathon. Of course, I never set out to run one when I decided I'd like to try to run the Princess Half Marathon last February. I just decided to do it. I live in a constant state of sore muscles, I get a massage once a month, I take joint pills and vitamin C. I never really had to convince myself I could run a marathon because I trusted the training. It's a shit-ton of miles, I'm not gonna lie! The training was a big undertaking- it required a lot of time, a lot of early mornings, a lot of peanut butter and powerade. But it wasn't impossible. It sure as hell got boring though! Long runs, staring at the same stuff as I made the 5th lap around the neighborhood or the trek up to the library, all the houses look the same, all the cars look the same. Ugh.
But I did it because the training schedule told me too. I trained with intervals. I practiced on my speed work. I got my half marathon time down from 9:45 min/mi in the Princess to 8:25 min/mi for the OUC. As much as I tried to take it easy, I couldn't get my half marathon time any slower than 2 hrs, 15 min (I wanted to stretch it out for the WDW half, thinking it would save my energy.)
This is my account of the WDW full marathon. Unremarkable by some standards, but I sure impressed the hell out of the only person that matters. Me.
I was on the bus (again) at 4am, headed towards Epcot (again) on Sunday morning. My stomach was in knots. I was telling myself over and over that I was ready for this. I trained. I was ready!
Deep breath! In. Out.
I hadn't eaten a whole lot- not too hungry, nerves, couldn't stand the sight of yet another banana. I had pretzels and a clif bar in my pouch just in case. Every time I pictured in my head the start line though, my stomach got the sinking feeling like I was standing on the edge of a 100 story building with no railing, looking straight down.
I made my way through the throngs of people, shivering a bit in that stupid plaid coat over my Ariel outfit. I didn't dawdle around, i just headed straight for my corral. Another 20 minute walk through the trees down to Epcot Center Dr took me to corral F again. I found a spot and let my brain continue to psych myself out as I waited. Eventually, the fireworks shot off, corral A were on their way, and we started to move forwards. I struck up a timid conversation with a girl dressed as Dopey next to me, and I told her how nervous I was. I was actually feeling borderline vomit or faint at this point but there was no purpose in sharing that bit of detail. She told me to just run like I trained and to have fun.
Good idea.
I thought about the 26.2 miles that lay ahead of my and my knees almost gave out.
starting fireworks!
someone get me a bag to breath in please?
Just run. That's all I had to do. I'll finish. Dammit, I'll finish still standing! With a smile!
Breathe. In. Out.
I took off the plaid coat, and the countdown for Corral F started. The announcers did a real good job of psyching everyone up- the entire corral group did our own countdown.
"THREE! TWO! ONE! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The fireworks shot off, the music started, I hit the run button on my watch, and I crossed the starting line. I had officially begun running a marathon.
My plan was to run the first 3-4 miles, just to find my pace and to get some space between me and the corral behind, set to start about 3 minutes after we did. The first 8 miles were going to be familiar- the same route as Princess and the WDW half from yesterday. The school bands were playing and cheering for the first few miles, and I settled into my intervals as I approached the entrance to MK and the TTC. The spectators at the TTC where my group was yesterday were nuts! So much cheering, so many noisemakers, so many hilarious and awesome signs and posters. I jogged along, smiling, waving, high-fiving. I was feeling comfortable and hit the 5 mile mark right about 50 minutes. Scot had sent me a text telling me where he and my parents were on Main Street so I was ready to look for them once I got into the Magic Kingdom. I saw the sign first, just my dad standing in front of the Emporium store across the street from the Confectionery. I stopped to say hi, yelled (because it was unbelievably loud) "Where's the rest???" It was dark, I was borderline delirious with the gravity of the event, and I didn't even notice my mom and Scot standing right in front of me! I came to, blinked, and then managed to grin big. I even had the wherewithal to take a photo.
When I was ready to continue on my way, everyone in their vicinity started screaming "Go Maggie! Yaaaaaaaaayyyyy!" I laughed, waved, and headed down Main Street, through Tomorrowland, the castle, the Marathonfoto paparazzi, and out of the park through Fontierland. There were a few characters in the MK for photos- there was even a line forming for Woody from Toy Story before he even showed up! I followed the route backstage past the parade float where there was that insanely long line for Sleeping Beauty was again. Floridian Way came under my feet once more and I headed toward the Speedway.
The WDW Speedway was just past mile 8. I sucked down a Gu packet and turned in to the parking lot. Everyone ran through the lot and on to the track- the entrance to the track...OMG. I had to stop and walk, literally holding on to the side of the walls so I didn't fall on my face. No lie, it must have been a 45 degree slope down. Baby steps! I gingerly crept down the hill underneath the track of course to only have to hike UP an equally steep slab of concrete to get into the center area. The track was about a mile in length from entrance to exit. I actually liked running around it once I got going. The Corvette Club of Orlando had all kinds of vehicles out there to look at. Someone had the "53" Herbie the Love Bug. It reminded me of the row of classic cars somewhere in Anaheim during the Disneyland Half.
Sunrise while running around the Speedway!
We didn't run on the curved part of the track that the cars drive on, but rather a flat inner portion. That was pretty easy- the actual car track looked insane! There were still a lot of spectators, which I always appreciate. It must be super boring to just sit around and watch a race, especially if no one is moving along that fast.
At the exit from the Speedway, we crossed over a little dirt path, crossed Floridian Way, and continued on to a new road I'd never been on- Bear Island Road. It was lovely! Trees lined this road and it was shady and comfortable. My feet were starting to hurt and I got to worrying a little bit. Just keep going. Deal with it if it becomes a problem.
I did stop for some charater photos on this road- I was on and off with my music, too. It drives me batty to not run with tunes while training but while running the race I was ok with leaving it off for a bit. Sometimes I struck up a conversation with my fellow runners, sometimes I just wanted to hear the words of encouragement from the water stop volunteers and spectators.
This was the longest line I waited in- probably 2-3 minutes, about 10 people ahead of me. A guy up ahead in line kept yelling "Everyone needs to stop for this photo! It's got SIX villains in it! That's 6 photos in one! What a deal!" The 6th, if you can't see him, is Scar in the upper right. I love this photo so much!
Here's some guys you don't see too much of! Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and Little John!
There was some on course entertainment along this road with music and the characters. Also, a banana stop! I went from thinking at 3 am if I never saw another banana it would be too soon to thinking that the banana is the most delicious food on the planet. I gobbled it up, got some water at the stop as well, and continued toward Animal Kingdom. Past the water treatment plant (which did not smell at all, unlike what I'd heard) and just before mile 12, I came upon volunteers from AK out with all sorts of petting zoo animals for us to see! Birds, goats, sheep and a... wait, what the hell? A mini donkey? Do I want my picture with it? Hell-to-the-yeah!
I shot this photo to Scot in a text- he and my parents were on their way to the WWOS to wait for me inside Champion Stadium. Mini donkey!
As we approached AK, I also stopped for a photo with a guy you don't see often in the parks- there was no line, I figured why not.
When you wish upon a star, ya'll!
We entered AK from the back, coming in past the WDW greenhouses filled with flowers and plants, and then all the cages that some of the animals sleep in at night. The route took us into Asia and past Expedition Everest. I looked up, expecting to see the roller coaster climbing up. Nothing. As I approached the entrance to the ride, I noticed that the doors were still shut and it was not yet operating.
I was too early.
Missed it!
Hm. Oh well. Le sigh!
I followed everyone into DinoLand USA then out into the side of the parking lot. There was a great crowd here! Wow! I'd just passed the 13.1 marker, halfway there! The next mile was full-on spectator frenzy! So many posters, so much cheering! I held my breath, trying to keep it together. My throat got thick and I tried not to cry like an idiot. I blinked hard. I ran my finger under my eyes to stop any wayward tears. I smiled. My heart pounded with every step. Halfway there!
I managed to pull myself together after I left the roaring crowds behind. Mile 14 passed as I got on to Osceola Parkway on the way to WWOS. Scot sent me a text telling me where they were sitting waiting for me. Some people I've heard say that the road to WWOS is one of the worst parts of the race. It's a long road without much to look at. I used my music here and it honestly was not too bad. There was a DJ that you could hear from a half mile away at least and I stopped to take a photo of my girl Ariel on the Mile 15 sign.
There were some wonderful spectators along this way giving out pretzels and animal crackers, and with a handful of pretzels I managed to continue the trek to WWOS. There was another Clif Shot stop, so I took another Gu out of my belt and sucked it down again. At about 16.5 miles, we turned onto Victory Way, against opposite direction runners on the other side of the road. It was mile 20.5 for them, closing in on 21. I was excited to get to the stadium at 19.3 to see Scot and my parents.
I've also heard plenty of hate from runners about WWOS. It was okay, I guess. I can understand how people think it's boring with no characters and I can see how the short twists and turns can be bothersome. I just ran. I didn't let it bother me- it wasn't my favorite part of the course but I didn't hate it either. Volunteers were handing out ice cold wet towels at mile 19.4- I grabbed one and ran it over my arms and neck. It wasn't warm out at all but it felt amazing and I came from it really refreshed. Entering the springy rubber race track after hours of pounding concrete was like Christmas! All too soon, it was back on to the sidewalk, though the practice fields. I kept catching a glimpse of the Stadium- it always looked so close but then we'd take a turn in another direction and it would disappear! Past the soccer fields, around more baseball fields.... good god this place is huge! More bananas! I ate half of one this time. Finally, mile 19! There were some kids kicking a ball around outside the stadium. Volunteers clapping and cheering. I entered the stadium and there they were! Front row, immediately on my left!
marathon selfie!
Scot handed me a coke. Blessed angels singing! I chugged down half of it, didn't care if it was kind of warm (he'd been hanging on to it since 4am, jesus). Snapped this photo, talked for a minute- my mom wanted to know how I was feeling. Surprisingly good! I was ready to meet them at the finish! As I continued along the stadium bases, the announcer even managed to call out my name among everyone else crossing the pad! The camera caught me and I waved- it was fun seeing myself up on the big screen. As I rounded the stadium, I looked back and saw my group standing to leave. I waved, they waved back, and I sailed out of the stadium with a little more energy.
And a shameless huge burp from the coke.
Oh yeah.
It was a most excellent feeling to be on the opposite side of the traffic this time! Tons of people still inbound to WWOS, and here I was, just past mile 20 and fixing to turn toward Hollywood Studios! There was another giant tv screen and video cameras set up at the intersection of Victory Way and Osceola Parkway. I hit a walk interval, but kept my run going for a few more seconds in front of the camera. I stopped for the bathroom again (made about 3 stops overall throughout the race, I think) and when the girl ahead came out of the single porto-potty she shook her head and warned me not to go in unless I was about to wet myself. It was gross. I stuck my head in, just about threw up in my mouth, and turned around knowing I could hold it until the next stop. Lordhavemercy on whoever's colon was pretty much laying inside there.
Fortunately there was a bathroom at the next medical tent so I stopped there. At least it was clean. We made the turn onto the on ramp for Hollywood Studios and as the back entrance came in to view I came upon a wonderful thing.
CHOCOLATE STOP!!!!!
I swear, I totally forgot about the chocolate stop! I took a Krakle and a Mr Goodbar from the bucket held my a volunteer and they were the most delicious things ever. I got some water and carried on, I even saw Mr. Incredible so I stopped for a photo.
The sky was starting to look a little gray by this point. I was comfortable but everyone watching along the route was bundled up in sweaters. A light mist started as I turned to follow the Boardwalk. The decking was slippery- the volunteers were warning everyone to be very careful. I'd run this route already in the 10K, but this time we were going to go the opposite direction around the World Showcase. The running crowd was thinning out a bit- it was like that on and off. It of course would be really packed along a single-lane road, then eerily empty on wider stretches. I just kept going! I entered Epcot through the back gate off the Boardwalk and turned toward France. The Marathonfoto papparazzi were out in force! I went over the bridge and started around the World Showcase Lagoon. France. Morocco. The mist turned into a light rain. It was heavenly! As I passed Morocco, I saw Aladdin and a cast member standing under an umbrella. There was no line for Aladdin but I didn't stop. As I passed, I waved and he yelled "Go Ariel! Remember, legs are for running and dancing!" I hopped a little, did a little twirl with a stupid grin on my face, and kept going. Japan. America. Halfway there! There were no people around, the World Showcase portion of Epcot doesn't open until 11am. There were cast members cheering and photographers doing there thing every 10 feet practically. Italy. Germany. Over the bridge of the Africa area. China. Hey, it's Mulan! I figured since I got a photo with Mushu during the 10K, I could spare a second with everyone's favorite Hun-fighting gal.
"I am at Mile 25.5" she whispered to me. "Keep going, Princess, you're almost there!"
I thanked her and hurried off. Norway. Mexico. Of course the margarita stand wasn't open yet. Bummer. I wound around the nearly-empty path and turned toward Spaceship Earth. There were tons of people cheering in this area- it was really getting loud now! I heard the gospel choir as I rounded the corner to the right, they were singing and clapping and I started to choke on my own tears. I didn't even try to wipe them away this time (well, just enough so I could see!). I turned down the chute, saw the finish line ahead, and- almost like I was in a dream- headed towards it. I caught a glance at the "Go Maggie!" sign my dad had up high. I crossed the finish line barely able to see through my welled-up eyes and burst into full-on crying as I high-fived Minnie Mouse. I braced my hands on my knees after I hit the last pad and a medical guy actually lunged at me as if I were about to fall over. I smiled, gave him a thumbs-up and he backed off smiling back. I walked through, got my medal, drinks, snack box (I skipped the bananas and went straight for the applesauce), then stopped for photos. After that, I went into the Dopey Challenge tent, a volunteer verified my bib and time on a computer and told me I was good to go. I stepped over to a girl holding medals and she hung both a Goofy Challenge and Dopey Challenge medal around my neck.
They clanged together nicely when I walked.
I knew Anita from my Women In Aviation group was volunteering the race, but I hadn't seen her and had no idea where to even look for her. There had been 19 water stops and I didn't even try to get a look at everyone working those. I figured I'd catch up via Facebook after the weekend was over so I cut through the nearest bag check to exit and meet my parents.
She was there.
She called my name first. I shrieked in surprise. OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! Out of the thousands of volunteers, I ran in to her on accident at the very last second!
She snapped a photo of us, I was too delirious to think about that so I took the screenshot she posted.
I found Scot and my parents and burst into tears again. Scot had even brought me a dozen roses! (and because he plans ahead, he even brought a vase from the house to put them in. He'd bought them with my dad while my mom and I were at the Spa and kept them in water in his car.) He packed my bottles and snack box into the mesh bag he'd brought and I sat down to stretch while we all chatted for a bit. We got some good photos, too.
I managed to make it back to the hotel alright. My feet were sore and all I wanted was a shower. After I cleaned up and was dressed and in my Oofos sandals, we hit the Magic Kingdom for the afternoon. I was tired but excited so we only stayed about 5 or 6 hours before heading back up to the house.
so pretty and shiny!
had this ornament made at the MK
What an experience! I had the absolute best time running this marathon! I'm so glad I stopped for photos, too. Thing is, I never did hit the proverbial "wall" that distance runners often talk about. I was too curious to see what was coming up ahead to feel like I just couldn't continue. That's the way Disney races are, though. I have my second marathon scheduled in May so we'll see what happens then. I'm curious to see how my time does when I actually run it rested!
Here's my stats!
4,310th/19,970 finishers (top 21%)
Age group place: 267/1,706 (top 15%)
Gender place: 1,443/10,285 (top 14%)
Net time: 4:37:04
3 minutes under my modified goal time.
Oh yeah!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
dopey challenge day 3: the half marathon
I was excited for the half marathon Saturday morning. I'd slept well (Scot brought me my pillow), I'd been able to eat the special pasta dish from the AOA food court the night before, and I was looking fowrard to wearing my Aurora In Blue costume (even though I knew everyone would think I was Cinderella, but that just shows you how many people don't know their princess crowns.) I put on a oversized plaid zip-up jacket, slipped the hand warmers into my gloves- no way I was going to toss them this time!- and headed out.
My parents and Scot were up by 4 to get to the start area, then their plan was to go to the TTC around mile 4 to see me, then board the Resort monorail to the Polynesian to find me at mile 7.7, then meet me back at the finish area. Sounds like a plan.
It was cold. Not as cold as the first 2 days, but still in the upper 40s. I didn't do much socializing on this morning, I shivered my way through bag check, skipped the ridiculously long bathroom lines, and started the mile walk to the corrals. I was in F for the half and full, so I followed my herd into the fenced off area. Along the way, and I should have mentioned I saw this at the 10K too, I saw tons of dudes just lined up peeing in the woods off the side of the road. A volunteer started yelling at them that there were bathrooms up ahead and to not to that again. Giggle. The lines were much shorter so I stopped briefly, then got into my corral with about 30 minutes to kill.
This route was the same as the Princess Half Marathon route back in February. Once my group got to the start, the countdown was on, a burst of fireworks exploded above us, and we were off! My plan was to light jog the first few miles before switching to my 4/1 intervals, just to get some space between me and the corral behind. There's not much to see the first few miles anyway, especially in the dark. My parents told me later that they were in the crowd to the left separated by about 50 yards of fence and median, but I didn't see them. There were several high school bands playing in the first couple miles, I high-fived lots of cheerleaders as I ran by. I did see more guys peeling off into the woods to do their business though. I kept my jacket on, it was still really cold- I was planning to hand it off to my folks when I saw them at the TTC. We started off down Epcot Center Drive before turning on to World Drive into the MK. At the 3 mile mark, we hit the WDW Speedway. I remember looking up at it thinking "Yep, gonna run around that tomorrow!" There were lots of volunteers and spectators through this area. I saw Wreck it Ralph, as well as some race cars lines up with lights and music going. I got a text from Scot saying they were waiting at the mile 4 marker sign. Good, easy to find! The cheers from the spectators is always amazing- some of them had really great posters too ("If this was easy, it'd be called your mom," among others. Some Disney appropriate, some not! I enjoy reading them all, though! I saw my dad holding up a "GO MAGGIE!!!" sign at the mile 4 marker, so I stopped to say hi, hand off my jacket, kiss my boyfriend, and headed off on the road into the Magic Kingdom. I followed the group into a backstage area before bursting on stage just after mile 5 into Main Street USA.
The crowds and noise didn't feel as overwhelming as they did back in February, but I think that's just because I knew what to expect this time. It still gave me a huge grin and I ran toward the castle. I looked for my friend Joe who was supposed to be there with a sign for several of us, but I didn't see him (found out later he overslept. Easy to do at this hour!) I ran through Tomorrowland and Frontierland, stopping for a second for a photo with one of the Country Bears. No lines!
My parents and Scot were up by 4 to get to the start area, then their plan was to go to the TTC around mile 4 to see me, then board the Resort monorail to the Polynesian to find me at mile 7.7, then meet me back at the finish area. Sounds like a plan.
It was cold. Not as cold as the first 2 days, but still in the upper 40s. I didn't do much socializing on this morning, I shivered my way through bag check, skipped the ridiculously long bathroom lines, and started the mile walk to the corrals. I was in F for the half and full, so I followed my herd into the fenced off area. Along the way, and I should have mentioned I saw this at the 10K too, I saw tons of dudes just lined up peeing in the woods off the side of the road. A volunteer started yelling at them that there were bathrooms up ahead and to not to that again. Giggle. The lines were much shorter so I stopped briefly, then got into my corral with about 30 minutes to kill.
This route was the same as the Princess Half Marathon route back in February. Once my group got to the start, the countdown was on, a burst of fireworks exploded above us, and we were off! My plan was to light jog the first few miles before switching to my 4/1 intervals, just to get some space between me and the corral behind. There's not much to see the first few miles anyway, especially in the dark. My parents told me later that they were in the crowd to the left separated by about 50 yards of fence and median, but I didn't see them. There were several high school bands playing in the first couple miles, I high-fived lots of cheerleaders as I ran by. I did see more guys peeling off into the woods to do their business though. I kept my jacket on, it was still really cold- I was planning to hand it off to my folks when I saw them at the TTC. We started off down Epcot Center Drive before turning on to World Drive into the MK. At the 3 mile mark, we hit the WDW Speedway. I remember looking up at it thinking "Yep, gonna run around that tomorrow!" There were lots of volunteers and spectators through this area. I saw Wreck it Ralph, as well as some race cars lines up with lights and music going. I got a text from Scot saying they were waiting at the mile 4 marker sign. Good, easy to find! The cheers from the spectators is always amazing- some of them had really great posters too ("If this was easy, it'd be called your mom," among others. Some Disney appropriate, some not! I enjoy reading them all, though! I saw my dad holding up a "GO MAGGIE!!!" sign at the mile 4 marker, so I stopped to say hi, hand off my jacket, kiss my boyfriend, and headed off on the road into the Magic Kingdom. I followed the group into a backstage area before bursting on stage just after mile 5 into Main Street USA.
The crowds and noise didn't feel as overwhelming as they did back in February, but I think that's just because I knew what to expect this time. It still gave me a huge grin and I ran toward the castle. I looked for my friend Joe who was supposed to be there with a sign for several of us, but I didn't see him (found out later he overslept. Easy to do at this hour!) I ran through Tomorrowland and Frontierland, stopping for a second for a photo with one of the Country Bears. No lines!
A few of us stopped here, there was no official photographer, just someone grabbed a random medical volunteer and handed him a camera. Poor guy got stuck taking photos til a cast member showed up.
The only photos IN FRONT of the castle were from official photographers, so I snapped a selfie as best I could in the dark.
After the run though the castle and the paparazzi-esque hoard of photographers on the other side, I scooted off through the parade entrance between Frontierland and Adventureland, over the railroad tracks where a train was parked, lit up, and pumping out steam, and then I was back on the road toward the Grand Floridian and Polynesian!
Floridian Way runs by the golf courses the speedway, and 2 resorts. It's about 3 miles of straight road and can get a little tough. This is where the Clif Shot stop is, as well as more spectators in front of the hotels. I saw my parents and Scot with the sign again outside the Polynesian. I stopped for a photo op in front of the Grand Floridian with Mary Poppins and the crew- again, no lines!
With my intervals, I was holding steady at about 10 min/mile. I tried to slow down a bit with the intervals and photos but it was tough! This was going to be my slowest half marathon anyway, so I just decided to go with what felt comfortable. The on ramp to Epcot Center Drive is where the Green Army Man usually is- and without fail, he was there shouting out encouragement to everyone as we hoofed it around the curve. I stopped briefly, no line for him either.
"This is a race, comrade! RUN!"
Mile 12 was just outside Epcot, as we ran by tons of volunteers were cheering with noisemakers "Almost there! One more mile! You got this!" I loved it!
We ran in, down the stretch toward Wolds Showcase, made the u-turn where the Christmas tree usually is, and then back towards Spaceship Earth. I didn't stop for a photo there, lord knows I have tons of photos of Spaceship Earth. The gospel choir was singing praises at mile 13 as I ran by. I didn't see my parents at the finish so I just continued on and crossed the line with a smile. I coasted past the medics and over to get my medal.
So pretty! Of course, I double checked it to make sure it was printed properly
I took my time getting through the walk-out. Photo stops, get some Powerade and water, snack box, oooh apple sauce! Banana. Again. The crazy thing this year is that for us Dopeys, they were not handing out the plastic wristbands to show we'd run all the races. Basically, they were going off finish times, and matching us up with a photo we'd had to have taken at the Expo. I didn't mind that at all!
My parents and Scot had gotten stuck on the monorail so it took them a while to meet me at the reunion area. Scot brought me a drawstring bag to put all my crap in (yay!), then we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up. The rest of the day was spent lounging around, with me trying to stay off my feet. I booked pedicure appointments for my mom and I at the Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs and OH MY GOD IT WAS AMAZING! We got there over an hour early and could take advantage of the hot tub, steam room, and relax room with these awesome chairs that were like heaven for my lower back. The spa provided flavored waters, tea, snacks, flip fops (although I didn't stray from my Oofos!) and soft luxurious robes. The massage pedicure chairs were the best I'd ever experienced! We even got little goodie bags- a bottle of nail polish to take home, plus a block buffing file and a regular nail file. Just like at the dentist, only better! Well worth the $80, by far the best spa experience ever! I walked out of there 3 hours later feeling refreshed, rested, and ready to go run a marathon.
Half Marathon results:
4,559th/22,081 finishers (top 20%)
Gender place: 1,554/12,379 (top 12%)
Age group place: 291/1,953 (top 14%)
Net time: 2:14:11
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
dopey challenge day 2: the 10k
On Friday, my alarm unsympathetically jarred me awake at 3:15. I'd slept mildly better the night before, in part because I was just plain tired! I got dressed in my Nemo costume and discovered something.
I had made a Nemo corset.
The white satin stripes I'd sewn around the orange tech shirt didn't stretch. Like, at all. The shirt had absolutely no give to it! Fortunately with my sports bra I was able to squeeze into it but I could only take shallow breaths. It'll have to work. I ate another banana and crackers for breakfast, not really hungry and not really even wanting them. I made it to the bus stop by 4 and then to Epcot again with plenty of time.
I'd put on an oversized gray hoodie as a throw-away cover and a customer yesterday at work had given me some packs of those charcoal hand warmers so I was feeling chilly but okay. I met up with some other Dopeys for a photo op and some chit-chat. After that, back to corral B for 6.2 miles! I didn't see my millionaire friend but I was okay with that. When we got the GO at 5:40, I trotted off. My plan was to just stick to a light jog, 10 min/mi, maybe stop for a photo or 2, and just continue to use this run as a warm-up for the half. I tossed my hoodie over the fence at the start and lost the hand warmers around mile 2.5. I wish I'd kept them because it was freezing afterwards!
The course was the same at the Enchanted 10K from Princess weekend. Out of Epcot, along Epcot Center Drive, then back into the park around mile 3. I didn't stop at any of the characters outside the park, but when I got to World Showcase, I did stop for Mushu because I looooove Mulan. It came out blurry and that makes me a little sad.
The crowds around the Boardwalk between Miles 4.5 and 5.5 were great- I'm so glad people get up and crawl out of bed to cheer us on! Football Player Mickey Mouse was posing for photos next to the ESPN restaurant but there were seriously 100 people in line there and I really don't care about football so I passed.
About halfway around the Boardwalk, someone slightly behind me called out "Hey, Nemo!"
I turned around "Hi!"
A bearded man ran up next to me. "How are you doing?"
I said the first thing that came to mind: "Doing swimmingly!"
He laughed. "I just wanted to let you know that I've been kind of pacing you for the past few miles. I didn't want you to freak out that some weird guy was running behind you the whole time"
Now, I didn't feel the need to tell him about my weird guy running with me yesterday so I told him that was just fine, and we chatted along towards the finish. Mr Beard was from Savannah- good, I had some questions to ask him about the Rock N Roll race there. We talked about purely running things, which was totally fine by me!
After the tour around the Boardwalk, it was back in to Epcot near the Imagination Pavillion. After that, a quick hop in front of Spaceship Earth, then out the chute to the finish line. We said our congratulations and goodbyes, I got my medal, then I headed out. I saw the line for a photo with Dopey out near the bus pick-up so I got in it. It was freezing! I was regretting ditching my hoodie while waiting in that 20 minute line. I got the photo and then scooted over to the bus as fast as I could.
I had made a Nemo corset.
The white satin stripes I'd sewn around the orange tech shirt didn't stretch. Like, at all. The shirt had absolutely no give to it! Fortunately with my sports bra I was able to squeeze into it but I could only take shallow breaths. It'll have to work. I ate another banana and crackers for breakfast, not really hungry and not really even wanting them. I made it to the bus stop by 4 and then to Epcot again with plenty of time.
Apparently, I was behind 2 Stitches in the corral!
I'd put on an oversized gray hoodie as a throw-away cover and a customer yesterday at work had given me some packs of those charcoal hand warmers so I was feeling chilly but okay. I met up with some other Dopeys for a photo op and some chit-chat. After that, back to corral B for 6.2 miles! I didn't see my millionaire friend but I was okay with that. When we got the GO at 5:40, I trotted off. My plan was to just stick to a light jog, 10 min/mi, maybe stop for a photo or 2, and just continue to use this run as a warm-up for the half. I tossed my hoodie over the fence at the start and lost the hand warmers around mile 2.5. I wish I'd kept them because it was freezing afterwards!
The course was the same at the Enchanted 10K from Princess weekend. Out of Epcot, along Epcot Center Drive, then back into the park around mile 3. I didn't stop at any of the characters outside the park, but when I got to World Showcase, I did stop for Mushu because I looooove Mulan. It came out blurry and that makes me a little sad.
The crowds around the Boardwalk between Miles 4.5 and 5.5 were great- I'm so glad people get up and crawl out of bed to cheer us on! Football Player Mickey Mouse was posing for photos next to the ESPN restaurant but there were seriously 100 people in line there and I really don't care about football so I passed.
About halfway around the Boardwalk, someone slightly behind me called out "Hey, Nemo!"
I turned around "Hi!"
A bearded man ran up next to me. "How are you doing?"
I said the first thing that came to mind: "Doing swimmingly!"
He laughed. "I just wanted to let you know that I've been kind of pacing you for the past few miles. I didn't want you to freak out that some weird guy was running behind you the whole time"
Now, I didn't feel the need to tell him about my weird guy running with me yesterday so I told him that was just fine, and we chatted along towards the finish. Mr Beard was from Savannah- good, I had some questions to ask him about the Rock N Roll race there. We talked about purely running things, which was totally fine by me!
Really cool puppets- they had similar ones at the Enchanted 10K, these were right at the finish
After the tour around the Boardwalk, it was back in to Epcot near the Imagination Pavillion. After that, a quick hop in front of Spaceship Earth, then out the chute to the finish line. We said our congratulations and goodbyes, I got my medal, then I headed out. I saw the line for a photo with Dopey out near the bus pick-up so I got in it. It was freezing! I was regretting ditching my hoodie while waiting in that 20 minute line. I got the photo and then scooted over to the bus as fast as I could.
My parents were up and moving around when I got back to the room, so we spent the day at Animal Kingdom. It was a very windy, cold, gray, drizzly day! I wanted to stay off my feet as much as possible so we saw a lot of the shows and tried to plan the activities to have as little walking as possible. The really good thing is that Scot got the next day off work so he actually came down while we were at the park! We left around 5 and met him at the hotel for dinner.
Bless him, he brought me my pillow.
10K results:
2,611th place out of 10,949 (top 23%)
Gender place: 903/6,309 (top 14%)
Net time: 1:04:33
Monday, January 12, 2015
dopey challenge day 1: the 5k
Well, I DID IT!!!!!
I ran 48.6 miles in 4 days! (eh, more like 49 1/2, if you believe my GPS watch, but details, details...)
I'll be going over each race in its own post, so this one here covers the Pluto 5K.
I left work on Wednesday, hit up the expo at WWOS for my race packet, 6 (count 'em!) shirts, and some merchandise. I think I'm solely responsible for keeping the Bondi Bands gals in business. I added 3 more to my collection- hey, they were part of my costumes! I always need new ones because 1) They're awesome and keep my forehead sweat-free and 2) I have probably 10 very specific design ones that I get for costumes so nothing I have will ever match anything I wear again.
Anyhoo, the race shirts were long sleeved (hey, it's January but what the hell can I do with long sleeve shirts in Florida?) so I bought a short sleeve Dopey Challenge tee at the RunDisney booth. After that, I headed with my bag of treasures (some mileage magnets for the car) over to Art of Animation to check in. They were able to grant me a late check-out Sunday afternoon, thankfully, and I made my way over to my Nemo suite. The location was great- first building, first floor, 2 rooms down the hall from the door. Great, if you're lazy and potentially sore like me. Not so great if you want to sleep. Lots of hallway and pool activity kept me up the first couple nights til I was too tired to care by night 3.
.jpg)
I got some dinner at the food court and cleaned up and tried to get some sleep around 9pm. That didn't work! I tossed and turned til after 10 and didn't sleep well at all! Part nerves, part very uncomfortable pillows. I made a note to have Scot bring me my pillow from home if I wanted to get any rest at all this weekend.
My alarm went off at 4:05 am and I was glad to get up. I looked at the temperature outside and it was 39 degrees! Shit. How long can I delay my trip to the bus and still make it on time? I didn't want to stand around outside for an hour in this cold! I ended up putting on leggings, a long sleeve tech shirt, my running jacket, gloves, and a fleece head wrap. The walk to the bus was brutal, my eyes were watering in the cold! I boarded the bus quickly and the ride was all too short to the Epcot parking lot. Everyone looked pretty miserable. I didn't see very many costumes, I'm pretty sure a lot of people scrapped that idea with the frigid temps. I struck up a conversation with one of my fellow runners as we headed toward the staging area and the music. His sister had convinced him to sign up for the Dopey challenge and then had to bail on him at the last minute for a work commitment. That totally sucks, btw. We kept each other company by the front stage- usually the DJ has everyone up dancing together and warming up but not this morning! Everyone was just bouncing up and down, but not to the music- to keep warm! We eventually got herded into our corrals, my new friend was in D so I said goodbye and headed into B. Everyone in the corral was huddled up together in the front corner- the rest of the large space was bare. I joined some others there to commiserate about the cold- even the girls from Wisconsin were freezing. The temp dropped to 38.
Then it got weird.
I chatted for a few seconds before our corral was released with a fellow Dopey runner, and when we took off, he said he wanted to pace with me. That's fine, I was doing about a 9:30/mile and don't mind company for a short distance. Let me just tell you the bizarre things I learned about my new friend in 30 short minutes:
1) He thought college was unnecessary, even though his mom wanted him to go
2) He didn't want to go to med school like his mom wanted him to because doctors "only make like $200,000 a year"
3) He dropped out of pharmaceutical school
4) He makes millions of dollars trading precious metals and has connections in Dubai and all over Europe
5) He's never been to any of those places because he pays people to go for him
6) He paid back his pharmaceutical school loan of $180,000 in just a couple months after starting his current work
7) He ran a 3:30 marathon the first time ever with little training
8) He has friends that make their living playing video games
9) He lives in New York
10) He wants to retire in a couple years
11) He's 28 years old
Now, my bullshit meter was going off like crazy!
But then I'm like- this guy's story is so far out there that it could be partially true.
Whatever.
I opened my big fat mouth and told the truth when he asked what I did for a living and then I had to spend half the run explaining the flight training process to him because all of a sudden he got interested in buying and flying his own jet airplane.
Lord help me.
I did fucking JOB MARKETING during the 2015 Walt Disney World 5K.
We crossed the finish line and went our separate ways after claiming our medallions. I couldn't tell you anything about the course because I was having a conversation with Mr Millionaire the whole time. It went through the World Showcase and stuff? He was a nice guy, but a bit... intense. That's a good word for it.
.png)
So, the 5K was bizarre, I was freezing cold, I waited in line for the bus for over half the time I was actually running the race, and I had to go to work later that day where I got no-showed from my customers so after making $0 I just came back to the hotel to meet my parents. They'd arrived that afternoon and taken the Magical Express in. We got them set up with park tickets and I hit the mattress early again in preparation for the 10K!
5K stats (the 5K isn't normally timed, but for Dopeys it was)
5K time- 30:24
[no other placement info available because it was not an officially timed race]
I ran 48.6 miles in 4 days! (eh, more like 49 1/2, if you believe my GPS watch, but details, details...)
I'll be going over each race in its own post, so this one here covers the Pluto 5K.
I left work on Wednesday, hit up the expo at WWOS for my race packet, 6 (count 'em!) shirts, and some merchandise. I think I'm solely responsible for keeping the Bondi Bands gals in business. I added 3 more to my collection- hey, they were part of my costumes! I always need new ones because 1) They're awesome and keep my forehead sweat-free and 2) I have probably 10 very specific design ones that I get for costumes so nothing I have will ever match anything I wear again.
Anyhoo, the race shirts were long sleeved (hey, it's January but what the hell can I do with long sleeve shirts in Florida?) so I bought a short sleeve Dopey Challenge tee at the RunDisney booth. After that, I headed with my bag of treasures (some mileage magnets for the car) over to Art of Animation to check in. They were able to grant me a late check-out Sunday afternoon, thankfully, and I made my way over to my Nemo suite. The location was great- first building, first floor, 2 rooms down the hall from the door. Great, if you're lazy and potentially sore like me. Not so great if you want to sleep. Lots of hallway and pool activity kept me up the first couple nights til I was too tired to care by night 3.
Christmas decor still up all over the parks. I heard Christmas music for 4 days straight and just about lost my damn mind. I was going to punch someone if I heard "Run Run Rudolph" one more time.
I got some dinner at the food court and cleaned up and tried to get some sleep around 9pm. That didn't work! I tossed and turned til after 10 and didn't sleep well at all! Part nerves, part very uncomfortable pillows. I made a note to have Scot bring me my pillow from home if I wanted to get any rest at all this weekend.
My alarm went off at 4:05 am and I was glad to get up. I looked at the temperature outside and it was 39 degrees! Shit. How long can I delay my trip to the bus and still make it on time? I didn't want to stand around outside for an hour in this cold! I ended up putting on leggings, a long sleeve tech shirt, my running jacket, gloves, and a fleece head wrap. The walk to the bus was brutal, my eyes were watering in the cold! I boarded the bus quickly and the ride was all too short to the Epcot parking lot. Everyone looked pretty miserable. I didn't see very many costumes, I'm pretty sure a lot of people scrapped that idea with the frigid temps. I struck up a conversation with one of my fellow runners as we headed toward the staging area and the music. His sister had convinced him to sign up for the Dopey challenge and then had to bail on him at the last minute for a work commitment. That totally sucks, btw. We kept each other company by the front stage- usually the DJ has everyone up dancing together and warming up but not this morning! Everyone was just bouncing up and down, but not to the music- to keep warm! We eventually got herded into our corrals, my new friend was in D so I said goodbye and headed into B. Everyone in the corral was huddled up together in the front corner- the rest of the large space was bare. I joined some others there to commiserate about the cold- even the girls from Wisconsin were freezing. The temp dropped to 38.
Then it got weird.
I chatted for a few seconds before our corral was released with a fellow Dopey runner, and when we took off, he said he wanted to pace with me. That's fine, I was doing about a 9:30/mile and don't mind company for a short distance. Let me just tell you the bizarre things I learned about my new friend in 30 short minutes:
1) He thought college was unnecessary, even though his mom wanted him to go
2) He didn't want to go to med school like his mom wanted him to because doctors "only make like $200,000 a year"
3) He dropped out of pharmaceutical school
4) He makes millions of dollars trading precious metals and has connections in Dubai and all over Europe
5) He's never been to any of those places because he pays people to go for him
6) He paid back his pharmaceutical school loan of $180,000 in just a couple months after starting his current work
7) He ran a 3:30 marathon the first time ever with little training
8) He has friends that make their living playing video games
9) He lives in New York
10) He wants to retire in a couple years
11) He's 28 years old
Now, my bullshit meter was going off like crazy!
But then I'm like- this guy's story is so far out there that it could be partially true.
Whatever.
I opened my big fat mouth and told the truth when he asked what I did for a living and then I had to spend half the run explaining the flight training process to him because all of a sudden he got interested in buying and flying his own jet airplane.
Lord help me.
I did fucking JOB MARKETING during the 2015 Walt Disney World 5K.
We crossed the finish line and went our separate ways after claiming our medallions. I couldn't tell you anything about the course because I was having a conversation with Mr Millionaire the whole time. It went through the World Showcase and stuff? He was a nice guy, but a bit... intense. That's a good word for it.
Like my pants?
It took me a while, staring at my medallion ribbon, flipping it over, staring at it again, to understand that it was printed backwards! My early morning frozen brain could not comprehend this. I'm keeping it, maybe it'll be valuable one day!
So, the 5K was bizarre, I was freezing cold, I waited in line for the bus for over half the time I was actually running the race, and I had to go to work later that day where I got no-showed from my customers so after making $0 I just came back to the hotel to meet my parents. They'd arrived that afternoon and taken the Magical Express in. We got them set up with park tickets and I hit the mattress early again in preparation for the 10K!
5K stats (the 5K isn't normally timed, but for Dopeys it was)
5K time- 30:24
[no other placement info available because it was not an officially timed race]
Saturday, January 3, 2015
imma gonna run a marathon in a week (eeeeeek!)
Sooooo one week from today I'll be settling in to my room at Art of Animation with Scot an my parents to get some rest before my final 2:30 AM wake-up call to go Run Disney!
My costumes are done, I just need to bring a little needle and thread or safety pins to secure the collar onto Blue Aurora. Nemo's fins are in place (I'm doing the 10K in that one because I can tell they're going to be annoying) and my shiny green fish scale Sparkle Skirts came in the mail yesterday! I've got the perfect purple tank top to finish off the Ariel costume. I've got the crown I made for Blue Aurora and a big red bow for my Marathon Ariel ponytail. I know the Florida weather can change in the hours before a race but it's looking to be a bit cool and maybe a little drizzly the first 2 days. We'll see. I survived Wine & Dine, I can handle that.
(Going costume-less for the 5K. I guess "Normal runner" is my costume. Too much work to put in to a 3 mile run.)
I bought myself a little Christmas gift this week! Stopped into the newly relocated Fleet Feet in Altamonte Springs to check out the new store and buy compression socks. I walked out of there with a new TomTom GPS running watch in my bag, too! I'd finally had it with RunKeeper after my stupid phone decided to start turning off and back on randomly (yeah, I need a new phone, too! One thing at a time.)
So I spent no less than 3 hours combined on hold and on the phone with 2 different TomTom tech support people trying to get the stupid thing set up. It wouldn't connect to the computer. It wouldn't connect to the phone. I needed a software update. ARGH!
FINALLY, I got it going. It still doesn't quite do the Bluetooth thing just right but it times my intervals, gives me my mileage, and doesn't crap out on me at inappropriate times. I actually really like that it doesn't have the robot lady voice like RunKeeper has and doesn't bark at me every mile and tell me stupid things like I'm doing 0, 6 or 27 minutes per mile. All wrong. Zippy (that's what I named the watch...hey, it made me name it during set-up) just buzzes my wrist quietly on my intervals and doesn't disrupt my zen. I find I'm much calmer running with the watch. I still use the phone for music so if it decides to restart itself, whatevs.
I've started making a packing list for Dopey, and I'm glad I live local and am driving because I'm pretty sure I'm bringing 4 different suitcases full of crap.
I even decorated my magic band.
Sharing this photo, too- I had to make a new medal hanger after filling up the first one! It's ready for 6 more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)