CANCELLED- 2017 Walt Disney World Half Marathon

Trust Donald to cause drama when it comes to any events surrounding his race.  It might be a big year, the 20th anniversary, but that doesn't stop him from making noise... too much noise this time.

Due to weather concerns, runDisney has cancelled the 2017 WDW Half Marathon.

                                    

I completely agree with runDisney's decision and I absolutely applaud them for doing so.  Yes, tomorrow morning might end up being pretty calm and a lovely morning to run.  However the storm predictions have continued to worsen from this afternoon and who knows what weather might actually show up.  I've lived in Florida long enough to know weather can go either way and it is best to plan for the worst and enjoy better outcomes if they happen.

The other reason I understand the reason for runDisney's decision is because of the cast and volunteers working the race.  Most of those working are there earlier than the earliest runner and they have to be out in the elements, most without immediate access to shelter, long before the runners get there.  It's not just the runners who runDisney has to think about, there are a lot of different elements going into making this decision.

Right now runDisney is offering refunds, park hopper tickets, deferrals to any other runDisney half marathon, or a limited amount of marathon entries for Sunday.  More details are supposed to come out at 10pm, but right now I'm planning on deferring to Wine and Dine since I was already landing to run that anyway.... I'll just have to figure out who to add the challenge to it...

2017 Disney World Marathon Weekend Expo

Well the weekend is finally here and my (hopefully) first marathon for 2017 is just about 12 hours away.  I managed to make it to the expo yesterday with my roommate in tow.  I was impressed with how big it is, but also how it is getting more and more organized.  I'm curious to see if Disneyland has also gotten better since WDW has the room to move things around and DLand is a bit more restricts.

Regardless, the expo was a lot of fun.  I didn't spend too long there, mainly wanted to avoid temptation.  If I stare at raw threads too long then I end up buying far too much.  It also helped that a lot of people went the first day so it wasn't insanely crowded.  It was crowded, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting.  Picking up my race bib, surprise gift (a little luggage tag), and then my shirt went rather quickly and painlessly.  I was able to avoid buying anything from the runDisney store, but I did pick up two new shirts from Raw Threads.

I think the best part of the expo is the emotions and the excitement that is in the air.  Having that many runners in one area with the same feelings is addictive and regardless of how you feel, it makes you at least a little bit excited.  I can honestly say that going to the expos is one of my favorite parts of running these races.

Now I did see the traffic going into the expo the first day, when Dopey and 5k runners had to check in and it was insane.  That's going to be hectic next year, but I'm still excited!  One year... one year and I'll be there in that chaos getting everything for my Dopey Challenge.

New Year New Run

When I look back on it, 2016 did seem to go pretty quickly.  Luckily I have a lot of plans, hopes, and goals for 2017 and I'm eager to start them.

I was able to get out for a 5k this morning.  I was hoping for a longer run, but my knee was sore just walking around and I could feel some tightness in my legs.  Luckily Nike+ had this Sunday 5k national run thing happening so I decided to just go for that.  It was definitely a bit rough, and slower than yesterday, but I did it and I'm not feeling too bad afterwards.  I am planning on some yoga and stretching during the week to help prep myself for the race this weekend.

Of course with the new year, people often decide on a handful of resolutions.  I'm not planning to do that this year.  I'm instead planning on just enjoying the year, enjoying running and training, and enjoying being me.  Could I lose a few pounds?  Of course, but I'm not going to make it a goal or anything.  I need to continue accepting who I am and being proud of myself.  Recently a friend was talking about body shapes and mentioned how I had trained my body to be what it is today.  I need to be proud of my swimming shoulders and the curves that I do have.  I need to be proud of how strong I am and what my body can accomplish, even when my mind or heart is questioning it.  So this year, I am just going to continue to love myself....

Things I am looking forward to in 2017- More runDisney races of course, more adventures around Florida, finishing my masters degree (July 15th!), and possibly a trip to Ireland or Hawaii (still being decided...).  There's so much to continue looking forward to and I can't wait for what this year holds!

2016 Running In Review

In just a few hours it will be 2017, a new year and one more year closer to the Dopey Challenge.  The last year was my return to running events.  I was getting healthier and getting more medals again.  I signed up for a challenge as my first race back, and signed up for two more races at the beginning of this new year.

Overall, 2016 has been an interesting year when it comes to running.  I have been able to get back into it, my knees and body have held up, and I was able to complete a challenge again.  The beginning of the year I was able to train like I wanted, but when summer hit I definitely hit some road blocks.  I forgot how hard it is to train in humidity.  Luckily I found my way back into the gym where I continued to train on ellipticals and treadmills.

I had a few instances of illness that held me back as well, but overall I was able to fight through and make it to my goal of running the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and Remy's 10k.  I ran them even faster than I thought I would as well, beating my own expectations.

I was also able to inspire my roommate to start running and sign up for her own race.  In just a week she will be completing her first half marathon during the Walt Disney World marathon weekend.  I'm excited to share this with her and hopefully she will sign up for more races with me.  I had another friend decide to start training for a half marathon, but she was inspired by her boyfriend.  Luckily, that means we're getting the opportunity to run together in 2018... but that's for next year and the year after.

I'm excited for what 2017 has to offer.  So far, 1 more half marathon, 2 more challenges, and probably a handful of 5ks... before I know it 2018 will be here and so will the Dopey Challenge!

Christmas Week Workouts Part 2

The holidays are coming to an end tomorrow and training has been pretty good.  I didn't get a ton of runs in, but I found other ways to workout.  I really enjoy pairing holidays with workouts.  Maybe it came from my years on a club swim team where we had special workouts for the holidays (like 100x 100s on New Years Day).  I was able to get a run in on Christmas Eve that felt ok, not the best, but ok.  I missed Christmas Day because I had work, and my parents were leaving so we did a very early Christmas celebration and breakfast before returning to our normal lives.

The last week has passed in what seems like a blur.  I found a new workout program, SWORKIT, which I am really enjoying and I was able to drop all of my Christmas vacation weight even while we had a ton of junk food in the office.  The week has felt good, I've felt good.

This morning I hit the streets again and I was able to get 4 miles in.  I wanted to go longer, but it was pretty cold for Florida (it was our one day of winter), and I didn't use my inhaler so my lungs weren't the happiest.  Still I was really encouraged with how good I was feeling!  Especially since I have the Walt Disney World Half Marathon next Saturday... 1 week away.  I haven't had any decent long runs in since the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, but if I'm still feeling as good as I am now then I'll be fine.  The end might be rough, but I'll get there!

Christmas Week Workouts Part 1

Christmas is close, which means I am with my family staying at Disney... which means I get to workout at the Disney as well.  This whole week I don't have much planned in the morning except for some fastpasses in the parks, but those are all later than I would plan to run or workout anyway.

Recently I have been feeling a little tight and creaky so I decided to do some yoga the first morning.  I had a beautiful view to admire as I stretched out.  I don't think I have mentioned it before, but I found a new yoga website called Do Yoga With Me.  It's fantastic! You can pay for some of the features or if you want to donate and otherwise the videos are all free to stream.  I have really enjoyed following some of the different videos in the last few months since discovering the site.  So yes I did one of their videos while watching everyone wake up and start moving around the Boardwalk on a pretty foggy morning.

This morning I did my absolute favorite workout while staying at the Boardwalk... I ran.  I wasn't sure if I was going to have the time because we had to pack to move rooms, but I still managed to find the time to get out there and run.  It was foggy and cool and perfect.  I got a lovely 3.1 mile run in that took me to Hollywood Studios, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, Yacht and Beach Club hotels, EPCOT, and of course the Boardwalk Hotel.

Recently I haven't been feeling good when running, but today I felt great.  Whether it was a bit of that Disney Magic sinking in or just me feeling a lot better, I don't know nor do I care.  I ran at my normal faster pace (I'm still impressed with how my pace has dropped this year) and I ran farther without walking for longer.  It helps that a good morning helps influence a good morning and good day.

To top it off, race waivers for marathon weekend came out today... which also means that bib and coral numbers are out.  I will be in Corral M of P... 14 corrals in total (counting the elite corrals as well).  There will definitely be a lot of people out there!  I'm still excited for the race, especially since I have a lot of friends running it!

Reindeer Run 2016

One of my favorite races... a race that I was not able to do for one reason or another last year.  The Reindeer Run is a quick 5k at SeaWorld Orlando.  The morning was cold and crisp, but ended up being perfect for the run.

Of course a cold front had to come in right before the race so it was pretty cold in the morning.  I love getting to races early, especially these 5ks where you have to pick up your packet and what not.  It was far too cold to linger around outside so I sheltered in my car for a bit.  Eventually I got ready for the run and made it outside to watch the sunrise come over the park.

The race was set up well, with markers for different running paces set up so people could judge where they should start.  There was a second wave of walkers/strollers that would start after the runners and a few strollers tried to make their way to the front of the start... they were promptly told about the second start.  I don't understand people sometimes, why do they have to start in the front just to be in the way of people who are faster?  When the race actually started, it actually seemed like everyone had gotten into the right spot.  There is of course the initial moving around and finding your spot, but we spread out and everyone found their spots pretty quickly.  There was the occasional person you passed and the occasional traffic points, but overall there was plenty of room to actually run.  It was quite refreshing.

I didn't know what to expect since only a week ago I was in bed too sick to do anything.  I ran on the elliptical and on the street, but I knew I wasn't 100%.  Yesterday I ended up doing a weight workout and that didn't go over too well either, but more so because I hadn't worked out like that in a little while.  So I went into this run knowing I wasn't going to run my best, but I was going to finish.

I was definitely sore, but I could run through that.  It was more of my stomach and just my overall feeling that felt terrible.  One thing would act up and then another one.  Still, I walked when I needed to.  I still pushed myself when I could and I came in sub- 30 minutes!  Which was a first... Regardless of how I am feeling from whatever hit me last week, I have definitely gotten stronger and my times are definitely getting faster.

I did forget one thing about this race... No medal.  It was a bit disappointing, I had gotten used to getting some bling.  However, at the end they have a few local businesses (and the local hospital) have booths and I was able to get a swag bag that way.  Everything from a lion stress doll to a new bag... Oh, and of course a race shirt... one that I will actually wear!