Dumbo in Pictures

DisneyLand 10K

DisneyLand Half Marathon

The bling

Test Run

Since Saturday's run was "just" six miles, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out part(s) of my costume for the Disneyland 10K in a couple weeks.  I'm not going to ruin the surprise by telling you what the plan is, but I'll show you this little teaser below...

credit: http://www.doveoriginalstrims.com/

I wanted to make sure that this, along with the top and skirt I have chosen, will be acceptable for 6.2 miles...and they were!  I need to reduce the length of the cord a little bit so it's less noticeable to me on the "upswing," but otherwise, it was a great test run!

Still worried about the Dumbo Challenge, but getting excited about the trip and seeing friends!

Too Much and Not Much to Say...

I can't tell you how many times in the past six months I've sat in front of this screen and started to write something...anything...   It's not that I haven't had much to talk about (anybody who knows me in person, feel free to laugh at that thought), it's that sharing those thoughts didn't seem relevant.  I'd start a post about something on my mind, but then re-think and delete it because it's "not important" or "nobody wants to read that" or "this is just me whining about being slow" or "no one wants to hear about my lack of motivation AGAIN."

Source: http://certainlyher.com/

So instead of posting anything, I end up tweaking the page layouts, or updating my race schedule, or cleaning up the sidebars (looks better, no?  If you don't think so, don't tell me.).  I've been "on" the blog plenty...but still no new posts to be seen.

Here's my quick update just to prove I'm still alive and kicking, and still training.  Though training is...a loose term.  My Galloway group started up again at the end of May; I'm still a PGL and we've got a great group.   I'm slower than I'd like to be, but that's working out okay given our target training pace for our group members, but I still need to be pushing myself more mid-week, both in pace and mileage.  

Right now I'm doing good to get in 2-3 sessions during the week and the long run on the weekend.  The weekday sessions are at least one run, but sometimes it's one run and one fast-paced walk or one run and two fast-paced walks, the second run has been kinda infrequent.  I'm having trouble finding the motivation for a second weekday run later in the week, and it's either too hot in the evenings or my bed is much more comfortable than the treadmill in the morning...

Source: RunDisney

Next race up is the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.  And challenge is precisely the right word.  The 10K and Half combination is exactly what I did at WDW in January with Minnie and Donald, but it wasn't part of a combo race, so the pressure wasn't on.  But they've released the medal designs, and they're awesome, so I'm going to do everything in my power to have that bling around my neck by the end of the weekend!  I'm also counting on some extra motivation from my excellent race partner, Nikki, who may have to drag me through parts of that half marathon course, but I think we'll get it done.

Source: RunDisney

I mean, those are worth dragging my ass through 19.3 miles of L.A. heat on Labor Day weekend, right?  Definitely.

I'm not going to make any promises about trying to be better about posting...I'm just going to go with the flow...posts will happen when they happen.  :-) 

2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Races in Pictures

I'll spare y'all the details of my lackluster races...long story short - I got to see and spend time with great friends and family, both during and outside of the races, and I earned awesome bling, which were my two real goals for the weekend.  So, to make things less boring, I'm just doing a weekend recap in pictures...

At the Expo on Thursday morning

My 10K outfit - Mary Poppins inspired

Dad & me before the 10K on Friday morning

  

Some of the group before the Half Saturday morning - it was cold!

My Half Marathon outfit - Minnie

Nikki & Me in front of Cinderella's Castle

My bling from the 10K & Half

We saw a bride arrive at the Wedding Chapel

Tea @ The Grand Floridian Saturday post-race

CheEARed for friends and family during the Full Marathon on Sunday morning

Day at Magic Kingdom with the family on Monday

Why I'm Not Dopey (or Goofy or Mickey or Minnie)

Photo credit: RunDisney

So.  I'm not registering for the new Dopey Challenge on Marathon Weekend (5K + 10K + Half + Full).  I never had a desire to go Goofy (Half + Full), so Dopey's definitely too much for me.  Even Mickey (Full) pushed my limit.  But that still leaves Donald (Half) and Minnie (10K) as options, you say!  Which leads me to say something that almost pains me, and as a Disney Park lover that I never dreamed I would:

I reached my runDisney tipping point - and tipped over.

runDisney has priced me out of their races.  And not just that - I feel that the level of service has gone down in the past couple of years, while the prices have skyrocketed (yes, registration cost is a big factor, but so is lodging - especially now that marathon weekend is no longer considered "value" season at the resorts).  The Marathon Weekend races have become overcrowded, and I truly believe that the almighty dollar has finally managed to outpace Disney's legendary customer service - at least when it comes to the runDisney brand.  Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic for "the good old days," but Disney race weekends have lost a little "magic" for me.

Not to say I didn't have to almost physically restrain myself from going into Active yesterday and registering for SOMETHING (especially the Minnie 10K) - the desire was there.  I love racing through the parks, getting Disney bling, and seeing a lot of good friends on race weekends.  I'm already experiencing serious FOMO over that weekend, and I'll be insanely jealous of everyone's beautiful medals.  But I just can't do it next year.  I need a break from the craziness into which Disney races have evolved recently.

So the annual (and regularly semi-annual) runDisney trips for this girl are no more.  The plan is to hopefully be back for Marathon Weekend in 2015, but even that is up in the air (especially if the prices keep increasing at the current rate - ouch!).  In the meantime I'm going to try to plan a non-running trip to WDW (kinda forgot we could do those) during a week where it's not as crowded and we can just enjoy the parks and get some of that magic back.

I haven't updated the tag line or the title block of the blog yet, because I'm just not sure what to put up there.  And it's not just because I'm not participating in Marathon Weekend - I'm not planning to run ANY Disney races in the next year.  Which is saying something considering they've got quite the year coming up!

• Expedition Everest Challenge
• Inaugural Dumbo Double Dare
• Tower of Terror 10 Miler
• Wine & Dine
• Inaugural Dopey Challenge
• Tinkerbell
• Princess

Q4U: So what do y'all think?  If you've participated in past runDisney events, have you noticed the same changes I have?  Is it keeping you from going back or is the Mouse still getting your running money?  Why or why not?  I'd love to hear your opinions!

When Racing to the Castle, Remember, The Turtle Won!

I haven't done a race recap yet for Disney Marathon Weekend because I just haven't figured out what I want to say about it.  There were so many highs and lows all packed into just a few days!  But I'll get around to putting together a few posts sometime soon (hopefully before I forget too many of the details). Before I go down that road, though, I want to do a post about another experience I had during Marathon Weekend that had nothing to do with me (well, other than being an amazed and inspired bystander).  So here goes:

Mickey @Kids Race (© RKP)

Looking back, one thing stands out as probably the highlight of the whole weekend for me: watching two of my friends' kids run the Kid's Races on Friday.  The general consensus within our group is that ROTE kids are awesome - and my friends Andi and Gina's kids proved to be spectacular on Marathon Weekend.  One thing you should know about Andi's kids is that they are truly special.  And not because "special" is the label society has placed on differently-abled individuals, but because of who they are inside.  (Please take a minute to visit Andi's blog Bringing the Sunshine, where she beautifully chronicles her family's challenges and accomplishments (warning -  have tissues nearby!).)  Gina's kids are not labeled as "special" because of their abilities, but they are just as special all the same.  So where am I going with this?

Sarah Kate & Lauren (© Gina)

Andi's daughter, Sarah Kate, has cerebral palsy (really, if you didn't go look at Andi's blog before, do it. Now. You need to.).  In the weeks before WDW Marathon Weekend, Gina's youngest daughter, Lauren, asked Sarah Kate if she would run the 400M Dash Kid's Race with her.  Sarah Kate said yes, and the two families feverishly started planning out their race day, including acquiring matching "Race You to the Castle" shirts for all the girls.  I had never attended the Kid's Races before, but had already been planning to go watch after we finished the 5K (Andi & her kids, by the way, had stationed themselves at the 5K finish line to chEAR - how awesome is that?).  Sadly, because of a traffic jam, I missed seeing Andi's son, Nathan, run his race, but arrived at the track just in time to meet up with my friend Katie in the bleachers near the finish line and hear them announce the last heat of the 400M.  Then, before I knew it, they were off and running (forgive the pun)!

Katie and I stood on our tiptoes on the bleachers trying to spot Andi & Gina on the other side of the track - knowing they'd be just behind the kids, and easier to spot.  Quickly the main herd arrived at the finish line, and watching all the kids finish the race was pretty cool - we cheered on the girl & boy winners, and the middle-of-the-pack-ers, and the stragglers, all the while waiting for Sarah Kate and Lauren to round the bend.  We knew they'd be last, and we knew they were still coming, but many of the spectators (and even the race announcers) didn't, so they started allowing people to cross the track, thinking the race was over.  Even the MarathonFoto photographer stationed on the track in front of us stood up!  NO!!!!  We had moved down to ground level at this point, so we got his attention and told him there were still two more coming in and he scrambled back into his spot - whew.  Finally, the race announcers realized that Sarah Kate and Lauren were still running their race and got the track cleared just in time for the two of them to enter the straightaway.

Going strong! (© Gina)

At this point, Katie and I were chEARing our hearts out for the girls as they steadily approached us - with Sarah Kate's slightly lilting gait proclaiming for anyone watching that there was something just the tiniest bit different about what these two were accomplishing.  And then, just as surely, the crowd picked up on it, and everyone started chEARing and clapping.  Truly the sidelines exploded with cheers of excitement and encouragement for "our" girls.  As they passed us, I screamed at the top of my lungs "GO SARAH KATE!  GO LAUREN!  Y'ALL ARE AWESOME!!!"  (I must digress for a moment and point out that Sarah Kate had never met me in person before, so at that moment, she turned her head and looked right at me with a very confused look on her face - trying to figure out who that crazy person was, I'm sure...lol.  I just waved and kept right on screaming...)  At this point, they were just yards away from the finish line, and as I looked right, I could see that Mickey had also figured out what was going on, and was waiting for them at the finish - just the two of them.

Sarah Kate had done it!  She'd pushed through those 400M on legs not as strong as the other kids', but with an inner strength and more heart and drive than you'd ever imagine in someone her size.  Andi told us later that she'd had to slow to a walk at one point, and she'd fallen several times on the back side of the loop, but she'd picked herself up and started running again with Lauren beside her. RUNNING again!  How great is that?  And there she was, literally feet from finishing a track race!  There wasn't a dry eye among the ROTE group, and I know for a fact that some of the other spectators - complete strangers - had tears on their cheeks.  It was an incredible moment to watch and experience.

At the Finish! (© RKP)

Now, just when you were thinking this couldn't get better, and that Sarah Kate's the lone heroine of the story, here's where things get really awesome.  Lauren had kept pace with Sarah Kate the whole race, slowing down when she did, stopping when she stumbled, and holding her hand for stability when needed.  But there, at that very last moment, Lauren let go of Sarah Kate's hand, slowed down even

Mickey Love! (© RKP)

more, and let Sarah Kate cross the finish line ahead of her, with arms raised above her head in triumph and ready to high-five Mickey Mouse.  Now, I don't know about you, but I'd say a decent percentage of kids her age would have shot forward there at the end to "win" and get some Mickey time, but not Lauren - she knew this was Sarah Kate's accomplishment and let her revel in it.  (Not that Lauren didn't get a little Mickey love, too, when she crossed a few seconds later.)  Talk about heart and intuition - what a great kid.

(I hope you read Andi's blog post about the race - she's got even more of the great post-finish pics there.)

Sarah Kate and Lauren finished dead last, and in true Disney fashion (as mentioned in the last post) they were treated with just as much - if not more - flourish and fanfare as the winning kids.  I love it.  I am so proud of both these wonderful girls (and love their parents even more for raising them to be who they are now) - and I can't wait to see what they will accomplish in the future.

Sarah Kate (© RKP)

All the girls (© Gina)

FINISHERS!     _____

At this point, I have no idea if either of the two girls realize just what kind of impact their race had on me, as well as, I'm sure, many others.  I don't know which of the two kids I'm more impressed and inspired by, and honestly, I'm not spending a lot of time trying to figure it out.  Both of them have such spirit and drive, as well as character and compassion.  They pushed themselves and each other to keep going and never give up.  That's a lesson we can all use to re-learn occasionally.

My own race that Sunday was a tough one, but with perseverance and the presence of friends - not unlike the example set by Sarah Kate and Lauren two days earlier - I finished.  I carried their spirit with me through all 26.2 of those hard miles - mostly subconsciously at the time, I'll admit, but looking back - I know they were there, pushing me to keep going, leading me to know I could lean on others when I needed to, and being there for others when they needed someone.  What more could a person ask for?  Though I wasn't dead last like Sarah Kate and Lauren, I wasn't far from it, but I still crossed that finish line with friends, proud of my accomplishment, and with my arms raised over my head in triumph, just like they did.

How RunDisney Celebrates Everyone

There are a few small things that can sometimes annoy me about RunDisney races, but they are far outnumbered by the overwhelming "warm fuzzies" that participating in a Disney race gives me.  I'm working on another post that's proving more difficult than I imagined to write (which is also why there hasn't been anything new recently) that deals with this topic as well.  But it'll probably be another few days before that one is published, so until then, so I'd like to share a Disney Parks Blog post about finishing last:

Finishing Last is Finishing First at a Disney Race

posted on January 23rd, 2013 by Robert Hitchcock, PR Manager/Content Producer, runDisney

If I am not running in a runDisney event you will find me at my second favorite place – the finish line. It’s there I find inspiration and a reminder of why I run. Of course it’s exciting to see the winners glide across the finish line with ease, and admire faster runners setting personal records, but for me the thrill is seeing the smiles, laughter, cheers and tears of runners finishing in the middle and at end of the pack. Whether they are doing it for themselves, for a specific cause or in honor of someone who can’t run, they set a goal, achieve it and make their dreams come true. Winners train to win – these runners train to finish.

It’s because of that determination, beating the odds, that I find myself cheering louder for the last place finishers than I do for the first place winner. On Sunday at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland Resort, after the bleachers cleared and confetti from the winners blew around on the ground, I got to cheer on my newest runDisney hero, Jenna Boyd from Wisconsin. Fighting the clock and turning down offers for rides by race staff, she fought her way to the finish line and was greeted with a welcome fit for a champion. You see at a runDisney event, finishing last is just as special as finishing first.

Please allow me to introduce you to my hero Jenna Boyd.

Congratulations, Jenna!

Isn't Jenna's story a great one, and don't you love that RunDisney celebrates the last finisher with as much excitement and emotion as the first finisher?  Just one of the many reasons I love a Disney race.

Keep an eye out for the next post, which will also discuss finishing last, including it's benefits and inspirations.  Can't wait to share this awesome and inspiring story with y'all.

Be CHEERful: A Follow-Up Post

You may remember my rather tongue-in-cheek post last month titled What To Do When You're NOT Running a Race That All Your Friends Are?.  It was about your options for dealing with FOMO when all your friends are running a race that you're not, which, in this instance, was all my ROTE friends participating in the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler.  This is just a quick and funny follow-up to that post.

In response to that post, my friend Megan (check out her great running blog here: Elbowglitter) tweeted me the following pic of her cat, Pippin, telling me I needed to convince the cats to cheer with me:

Megan's cat, Pippin, "cheering on" our friends Katie & Kim from afar.

Which, of course, sparked an idea...what if I could come up with some funny signs for the cats that I could then text/tweet to my friends as they were running?  And, what if I could convince others to join me???  That's when another friend, Kim (check out her great running blog here: TriAndTrue) stepped up, volunteered her dog, Flynn, and helped me start planning.  Here's what we came up with:

My cat, Junebug, "cheering."

My cat, Emma, "cheering."

Kim couldn't get Flynn to keep his signs on long enough to snap a picture, so we "doctored" a few old pics of him to send.

Overall, I think we did a pretty good job of virtually cheering!  Kim and I worked out a schedule where we alternated sending our pet cheering pics to our friends throughout the night, and from their responses, I'd say we were a success!

It just goes to show that FOMO can turn into something fun, funny, and helpful.  Even though I wasn't running the race, I still had a good time that night tracking and cheering!

• Have you ever virtually cheered on friends/family when they run out-of-town/state/country?
• Do you take any of your pets along when you are physically there to spectate/cheer a race?

What To Do When You're NOT Running a Race That All Your Friends Are?

Many of my friends are running the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler (ToT) this weekend.  And I'm not.  Big BOO.  It just didn't fit well into my training schedule for MCM, or fit with this year's travel/budget constraints (too many races and trips, not enough time and money).

In order to cope with the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) from not running this race, I've come up with a list of coping strategies.  Actually, I've come up with two lists - feel free to choose whichever works best for you - adapting as needed for your own personal circumstances.

OPTION 1: Pretend like there's NOT a race going on this weekend to make yourself feel better about your "normal" plans, indulging in a little jealousy and general snarkiness along the way:

• Prior to race day:
• Avoid all mentions of "that race" others are running;
• Remind yourself you ran ToT three years ago (you're not missing out on anything, been there - done that);
• On Race Day:
• Run your last long training run for MCM (twice as long as ToT - and way more hardcore);
• Recuperate in an ice bath (not needed after ToT);
• Curl up on the couch and nap (no time for naps at WDW);
• Avoid ALL forms of social media;
• Watch the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season (kickoff just about when the racers should be headed for the runner's village - they'll miss the game); and, finally,
• Go to bed at a decent hour (after-parties are over-rated).

OPTION 2: Be the best "virtual spectator" you can be:

• Prior to race day:
• Listen to your friends bubbling over with excitement about the race, trying not to beat yourself up about not finding SOME way to make the race happen;
• Offer advice about what the race was like the year you ran it;
• Torture yourself by reading all the message boards, tweets, blogs, and FB posts about weather forecasts, cute costume ideas, and who's staying at what resorts on WDW property;
• Make a list of who's racing, with their bib #s,  so you know who to virtually track; and
• Pour over all the race materials, including the race guide, and the final race instructions.
• On Race Day:
• Post a general "Good luck to everyone racing today" as your FB status before heading out the door at o'dark-thirty on previously mentioned training run;
• Spend the afternoon trolling social media sites for status updates, tweets, photos, etc. from friends spread all over WDW property.
• Set up "Texas Tracking Central" with smartphone & laptop in front of the big TV downstairs so you can track friends while you finish watching the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season;
• Using, FB, Twitter, and runDisney's runner tracking app, track your runners - sending virtual hugs and cheers along the way; also send a funny or motivational text message to anyone who may seem to be struggling;
• Express congratulations and pride to all your friends who finsh the race and post pics of their awesome new elevator bling;
• Stay up as late as you possibly can, poring over more social media posts and pics about how much fun everyone is having at the post-race bash.

I'm going with Option 2.  Whichever option you choose, the Post-Race Plan is the same: find some way to make next year's race fit into your schedule and register!  Missing out on all the fun your friends are having running at Disney is no fun at all for you, and causes serious FOMO!

Good luck to everyone running ToT this weekend!  Can't wait to hear about how much fun everyone had. Are you one of them?  If not, do you have any additional FOMO coping strategies to add (to either list)?