Disney Princess Half-Marathon: Part I (Expo and the Start!)

This winter has not really been the best for me, health-wise.  I posted a while back about being sick and falling behind training, but on top of that, I got sick right after Valentine's Day and skipped a TON of classes because I was so ill right before the half.  I was a nervous wreck I wouldn't be able to even WALK the thing, let alone run it.  Despite everything, I went home a little earlier, slept a ton, and caught a  Friday late-night plane to Orlando to race.

I had paid the entrance fee, after all.  I might as well go to Disney World, one of my favorite places ever.  The whole reason I signed up for this race in the first place, to be my first half-marathon, was because 1) I wanted to be a princess 2) Since I never ran the distance before, I wouldn't be self-conscious about my time, and 3) Running through the Magic Kingdom--can it get any more awesome than that?!

So I tried to dispel my worries and went to the Expo (see above).  I still wasn't feeling well simply walking around, and the race was TOMORROW.  I was more than a tad worried, and kept praying I would at least be able to walk it and not be picked up by the 16-min-per-mile pacers, something I had NEVER worried about while training.

I got some freebies (LUNA bars!  Yogurt!) and gear, including an I DID IT! shirt.  I was dying to wear it.  I knew I had to earn it.  I could only hope that I would.

There was even an awesome running "glass slipper" on display.  I can only say, wow, Disney is so great with attention to detail....

I had to sit down because I started feeling lightheaded and dizzy.  This, in turn, made me freak out even more.  And did I mention I still had a DEEP chest cough?  Nowhere near ready to run the next day.  


Even then, as I was feeling pretty crappy, I couldn't resist posing with Gaston and my "muscled bod."

 After a 3:30 pm dinner (I kid you not, I went to bed at 5 pm...but didn't fall asleep until 7) at the All Star Movies Resort, my parents and I went to bed.  


I have never, ever been in bed that early before.  Even though I was exhausted from the previous week, I tossed and turned (and coughed).  I freaked out around ten pm when I woke up coughing.  Thank goodness I had my inhaler, and that seemed to help the coughing.


With one very early wake-up call, we boarded the buses and headed to the Epcot parking lot!  


But not without a few fiascos.  I have read OVER and OVER not to do anything differently from training on the morning before the race.  So I brought peanut butter to eat, and some crackers.  Great.  It was three am--I forced a spoonful down and had to be satisfied that that was all my body would accept, and I counted on the fact that I had eaten well the day before.


Additionally, packing for the race, I planned to wear shorts, a tutu, and a wicking tank top.


It was only about 35 degrees out at 3 am, and would be in the 40s to low 50s all day.


Tank top?  I don't think so.


Luckily, I had thrown in a shirt I had just bought and still had the tags on at the last second into my suitcase.  Relieved, I went to put it on...and the security tag was still on.  You know, those bulky, ink-filled plastic things cashiers sometimes forget to remove with their handy-dandy machine?


Need I remind you, it was three am on the day of the race.  I certainly wasn't going back to the store.


Thank goodness that Disney always has places open.  My mom ran to the hotel store and they used their machine--backwards--on my shirt, and it came off after a little finagling.  If they hadn't, I would've frozen!


Now, I had done a lot of reading about what the beginning of this race was like.  With about 19,000 runners, most of them women, things can get a little crazy.  The lines for the Port-A-Potties appeared ridiculous, but I headed toward the back and only waited two minutes.


Aaah, the little things in life.


I was still coughing, but not as much.  It helped that the weather was warmer.


Here I am, all bundled up in my throwaway hoodie (...I still really liked that hoodie, but I was ready to admit it doesn't fit me anymore).  After the LONG walk (it really was about 15-20 minutes) from the Port-A-Potties, backstage, past MORE Port-A-Potties (if they had come to life, the runners would have had absolutely no chance of escaping the Port-A-Potty army), and finally, I arrived at Corral C.


My mom sneaked in and took a pic while I waited nervously for the start.  I felt very alone and with a bunch of older runners.  There were, oddly enough, quite a few guys in my area, many running with their own princesses.  Awww. 

 Eventually, my mom left me, and I stretched a little and tried to keep warm.  After the wheelchair start (and each start had fireworks!  How cool was that?!), it was soon time to go.  I expected a crowd, and I thought running the Rock 'n' Roll 10k had prepared me for a decent crowd, but nothing like this!  Here's the crowd right before the starting line:

I started way too fast.  I did my best to keep to the side and let runners pass me, but the crowd swept me up.  I think I covered about an 11:40-12:15 mile pace at first.  Now, that's plenty normal for me while I was training, but I kept in mind that I was still sick and I wanted to go as slow as possible in the beginning, at least for the first half of the race.

I wanted to badly to finish.

I kept coughing.  I knew I could only use my inhaler twice during the race, so I wanted to wait and use it sparingly.

I was feeling bad at mile 2 and unsure if I would make it.  I decided to take a ton of walk breaks and persist with a slow jog.  

It's worth mentioning all the mile markers were storybook scenes, and very nicely designed.  I enjoyed passing them, and they made each mile more special (after mile 8, every one after that was a new distance PR!).  I also decided to keep my hoodie as long as possible (when I'm warm, I cough less).
 

Here's what began my time lapse.  Now, I knew going into this race that I was going to take a ton of pictures (why wear a tutu, after all, if you're not going to be in photos with it?!).  So, I stopped at the first character stop--Jack Sparrow and a giant pirate ship.

I waited about ten-fifteen minutes in line, and the photo's still dark because the sun is still not up (My corral start? Approximately 5:57 am). 

 I also read that this race is all highway. If you are reading this, thinking about doing the Disney Princess Half or the Regular Half, it is!  Still, I entertained myself looking at other people's costumes, and I'm such a huge Disney geek that I loved running behind the scenes, or  "backstage," in Disney lingo.

I loved that I have driven this same route a zillion times in my life.

 This next photo stop was COMPLETELY worth the wait.  All the princes?  The "smolder" of Flynn Rider?  I was so there.  Did I really have to keep running after this?

Well, yes, I did.  I wasn't even halfway finished.  But here is one of my favorite, unexpected parts of the race:
 

That would be running through the Magic Kingdom toll booths.  Really.  I run through TWO theme parks and pass a ton of awesome characters, and one of my favorite parts was a toll booth?  

Well, yeah.  The operators (I assume?) were out there, directing people and cheering people on.  As I passed the speed bump, I thought, I am not a car, and that thought kept me amused for a very long time.  Hey, it was only six am, okay?  I am easily amused.

Unexpected moments during a race can be good (tollbooths!)...or bad (I certainly didn't expect to be sick).  Have you had any unexpected moments in your life lately?
 Non-running related, I ran into my boyfriend the other day in one of the strangest places in an academic building on campus.  Unexpected, but it totally made my day!


I'm on spring break right now!  Woohoo!  If you could take a vacation RIGHT NOW, where would you go?
Well, I'm currently in a beautiful place, so I think I'll stay right here.  =D
 

Late Night Laundry

Wednesday I went to yoga with Mel...I could finally do the chair pose without completely dying! It was intense, but it felt good.

Then...late-night laundry!

A friend surprised me by making extra chicken nuggets in the kitchen...wooo for an unexpected snack!

I decided to treat myself to some waffles-a-la-mode this morning...for no other reason than the fact that it has been a crazy week. Very stressful. It was almost *too* sweet, though. I think I prefer my usual combo of peaches and whipped cream, instead.

After classes and some homework, I ran with L for a speedy three miles (splits were 10:23, 9:50, and my watch died, so...I'm guessing 10-10:20ish).

We went to the Relay for Life rally!

I had a giant salad and baked penne:

And then I piled peppers on my pizza, yuuum.

I've been listening to so much Glee music lately ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is SO SINGABLE while studying!), but I haven't watched any tv.

What's your latest tv addiction?

I miss watching Glee and White Collar, but there's simply too much going on for tv time too!

My friends have weird nicknames for each other. Mel alternates between calling me anything from puppy to pumpernickel (really). Do you have a nickname?

I've called her jellybean and sour patch kid. Sense a trend in my nicknaming? Hehe.

Go Long!

The past two Sundays, I've been going long. 7 and 8 miles, both new distances for me! (1:38 and 1:40 respectively). It was pretty eye-opening to see how much faster I run outside rather than on the treadmill.

I was so proud of my 8-miler that I took a photo:

(Yaaaaay! 8 miles!)

It was a nice, relaxing run. I love Sunday long runs. They give me time to meditate, ruminate, and, I admit, belt out some Flight of the Conchords alongside Taylor Swift. (Yep, I've got quite an eclectic mix of music.)

I've been trying more gym classes--I tried a dance class yesterday and Zumba'd it up today! On top of that, I ran a quick three miles with a friend. Half-marathon training and socializing has never been so exhausting!

My roomie, Mel, smuggled me back a s'mores bar from the cafeteria:

(These are addicting. Oooh, my.)

Anyway, I'm running five miles tomorrow with a bud! YAY for half-marathon training! Time for bed...schoolwork + social life + training is exhausting.

What's your latest food addiction?

I was talking with a friend yesterday, and while I thought about running as a love and an addiction, she thought about it like a love/hate relationship...what do you think?

Terrific Trip Tuesday: Washington, D.C.

Although my trip was only a few days, so much happened that I had to split it into two parts. (Part 1: National Harbor, Maryland and Alexandria, VA here.)

I'm going for a run! No, really, I AM!

After a day of sightseeing in Alexandria, I decided to check out the hotel gym for a quick run. I mean...super quick. I ran two miles in about 23 minutes and then ran back to my room to take a shower before the military band performance.


A workout is a workout. I wasn't exactly planning on running this vacation (I had a huuuge inflating spider bite on my heel), but I was able to cover it up with a band-aid and some foam so I could walk (and run!) without pain. Due to this, I didn't exactly pack running clothes...so my pajama Tweety top it was. =P
After a speedy shower, we headed down to the harbor to watch the Army band perform. They were awesome! We grabbed some subs and sat on the steps for a waterside show. Later that evening, we saw some impressive fireworks (while perched on boulders by the hotel) and I edited for several hours.

The next day was busy! We toured the Capitol. Fun fact--even though there is a crypt inside it, no one is actually buried there. George Washington was supposed to be buried there, but he requested in his will to be buried at Mt. Vernon instead. Inside statuary hall, there are "whisper spots" where you can hear people several feet away, thanks to the acoustics of the building.

Another fun fact: the statue of King Kamehameha I stood in statuary hall until the floor underneath started cracking. The statue and its base have a combined weight of 15,000 lbs. WHOA. It now stands in the lobby of the building. (more info on the statue and the man here.)

With a quick stop for some food in the cafeteria before heading over to the Library:

Corn on the cob, sauteed eggplant, and grilled chicken with olives, onions, and tomatoes.

What was probably the most expensive (yet tiny) salad I have eaten. I believe this was about $6...yikes. I was craving greens, though. Tomatoes, strawberry, spinach, and well, I'm not quite sure what else....



On to the Library of Congress! What a beautiful, beautiful building. The ceiling is engraved with famous quotes. My favorite? "The pen is mightier than the sword." --Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I was probably most excited to see the viewing area with all the books. There is a balcony overlooking the library where National Treasure was filmed. No photos allowed, but I enjoyed it. The best part is that anyone can go in and read or research--you just need to apply for a reading permit across the street. Amazing.

The next day, we toured the White House! So. Cool. The president was awarding a Medal of Honor that same afternoon, but we didn't spot him.

Did you know that there is no "back" and "front" of the White House? They are referred to as the North and South entrances, because they didn't want to offend anyone by welcoming them at the "back" entrance.

We stopped for lunch at Founding Farmers. There was quite a wait, so we hopped over to CVS to buy some milk for breakfast and coffee.

Wow. It was totally worth the wait.

Founding Farmers prides itself on organic, local foods, and the place was mobbed! Everything was quite tasty. I had the butternut squash ravioli.


It was the best pasta I have ever had (outside Italy, of course). Whoa. Just looking at the photo makes me want to race back to D.C....

We topped off the day at the National Building Museum, where I saw a World's Fair exhibit (pretty much empty, since the museum was closing--neat!) and a LEGO exhibit. I had seen some of the LEGO models before, on my Chicago trip, but this in-progress White House replica was cool.


It was a LONG, hot walk back to the hotel (my dad caved and took the metro), but a great day. We stopped at the American History museum before heading home the next day (best part: the First Ladies' dresses and the replica of Julia Child's kitchen!). I love U.S. history, but after a full day of touring the day before, we were all exhausted and ready to head back home.

Great trip! I hope I get to return to D.C. again. I love all the museums and historical sites.

Shopping Spree!

With only a few weeks left until I leave for college, I decided to go on a shopping spree! Woo! Time to raid the mall. I drove on the highway for the first time (phew!). I bought some cute red flats and some new clothes. I can't seem to get the shopping bug out of me, though...I've been eyeing the New Balance

I bought these flax roll-ups the other day...nervously. I had never actually eaten flax seeds before and I wondered how these would taste. I love wraps...but would they be compromised?!




Nope! Not at all. They were absolutely delicious. I had a wrap with garlic hummus, romaine, and a granny smith apple. It was a weird combo (I go with whatever's in my fridge), but it worked! The sweet tartness of the apple balances out the strong bitterness lettuce sometimes has.


After a day of shopping, we headed to The Cheesecake Factory.


I had the Southeast Asian Chicken, yum. String beans + sesame seeds? AWESOME.

And chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake for dessert. Yum.

Runs:
Today: 2 miles in 25:35 (I took it slowly because I was feeling tired.)
Saturday: 2 miles in 22:29 with a negative split!
Thursday: 2.01 miles in 22:26

It feels great to be running on a regular basis again. Most of my workouts these past few weeks have been walking hills on the treadmill with my hiking boots on (3-5 miles) so I can break them in. It feels so FREE to be running again!

How are you enjoying summer this month?
I spent a ton of time at the beach this summer. Lots of time hanging out with friends and family, reading a ton, and watching movies (Netflix...oooh, it is much too handy. Luckily, it keeps me from getting bored while walking on the treadmill.)

I have had scrambled eggs a TON lately for breakfast. I need a new method! What's your favorite way to eat eggs, and with what?

How NOT to Run, and the Amazing Blogger Award!

Wisdom is doing something and going, "Oh, dangit, now I know!" Workout-wise, the past few days were...interesting.

My Saturday, aka: How NOT to Run

First, decide that you're not going to run today! Nope, you are definitely not running. You are having a relaxing day at the beach. Get ready to slather on the sunscreen!

As a result of you having a nice relaxing day, have a HUGE breakfast. Lots of fiber. Grilled peanut butter and apple sandwich. With two apples. Oh yeaaah. This is the kind of breakfast you'd like to sleep off on the beach.

Ten minutes before you leave, make a snap decision! You're running! And it's going to be a long run. Oh boy.

Make sure your Garmin's not charged! Hasn't been charged in a while? EVEN BETTER.

Throw everything you think you need into your backpack. Make sure you forget your headband so your hair flops crazily all through the run! It's the latest fashion, you know.

While you're at it, leave your Body Glide at home, too.

Arrive at the beach at approximately 11 am. Decide to start your run at the hottest part of the day. Luckily, you HAVE packed sunscreen.

Run your four miles! =D

All joking aside, this run was actually awesome!! There are some days I just get the itch to run like crazy. This was my first official 4 mile run ever! Yay! I kept it slow and steady, so I had 4.03 in 49:45.

Did I learn, though? NAH! The day after, I ran two miles in the rain (24:52), effectively destroying my phone.

Bad move on my part. Darn rain. Now I know--next time, my phone's going in a plastic baggie. The run was peaceful and fun, though, so at least that was good. =D

In other news, the lovely Paola over at Sol de Luna tagged me for the Amazing Blogger Award! Thanks, Paola! Her blog is absolutely awesome, definitely check it out!

1) Favorite cartoon character?

(I love Stitch. "O'hana means family," is a sucker line for me every time. Lilo & Stitch remains one of my favorite movies.)

2) Favorite thing to photograph?

(I do enjoy photographing food, of course. Deep dish pizza in Chicago!)

(But I truly love photographing architecture while I travel. In front of the Louvre in Paris, France.)

3) Favorite thing to cook?
I do love breakfast. I rarely photograph it, because it's similar. I love egg with salsa over brown rice, or a grilled pb sandwich with an apple. YUM.

4) Favorite way to exercise?
Running, swimming, and biking! I love all three! =D They each teach me a new appreciation for what my body can do.

(I get the kookiest looks on my face when I run, though. I can't help it--I'm so happy.)

5) Favorite movies:
After Lilo & Stitch, I love Catch Me If You Can. The musical is just as awesome.

(Why hello, Leo. His Broadway counterpart, Aaron Tveit, portrays Frank Jr. fantastically.)

6) Favorite clothing:
Sundresses!

(Often layered over something else. In Chicago.)

7)Favorite flower?
Sunflowers and carnations. They tied.

8) Favorite breakfast?
Scrambled egg with cheddar inside two waffles. *swoon*
Really, I could eat breakfast food all day long. I love almost all kinds of breakfast food, it's hard to pick!

9)Favorite book?
I love many, but lately I'm loving Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz. Stop making me cry, Hannah!!



10) What is your least favorite food?
Peas. I like sugar snap peas, but regular peas...ick. I try to be an equal opportunity vegetable lover, but peas are a skip every time for me. Who knows why....

(I sure don't.)

11) What would your dream job be?
I want to be an event planner for Walt Disney World. I admire their gold standard of customer service, and I love the area of hospitality.

(But first, I would love to intern here!)

12) What is your favorite salad topper?
That's easy! Black beans!

(Though from that photo, you might think it's grapes....)

13) Do you have a running mantra?
Yes! Mine is: "Keep moving forward." No matter how slow I'm going, as long as I keep going, every step is a success. As long as I continue my exercise ventures and try new things, I'll discover things about myself and the world around me I never would have if I had sprawled on my couch.

It's a shortened version of this quote, because the short version is easier to chant:

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards very long, we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

--Walt Disney

Have you had a bad workout recently? Did you learn anything from it?

Because I'm about to go on vacation...what was one of your favorite places to visit on vacation?

Dare I Say It?

For the past two weeks, I haven't dared utter a word of what I have been doing.

Running!

What has been taboo since March 23rd for me (after an ill-timed torn tendon), is now slowly creeping back into a habit. I have been taking the process extremely slow. I injured myself by doing too much too soon, and I'm determined not to do so again.

I've been jog/walking, actually, and even though I'm of the "if you put on running shoes and slog through any kind of weather, no matter what the speed, you're a runner" camp, I felt as if I were deceiving myself.

Today I ran for six minutes and walked for one minute. Just for a mile. Granted, it was a slow mile, but I had no pain at all afterward. My watch even said I was on track for an 11:17 mile. I am going to focus on the fact that I RAN A MILE WITH NO PAIN and ignore that it was only a little over twelve minutes, actually, because I took two walk breaks.

I'm okay with walk breaks. (Repeat to self ten zillion times until I actually believe it.)

I know eventually I'm going to tear through the Walt Disney World Princess Half-Marathon, and I'm going to be in tip-top shape because I'm being careful.

I hope.

Ahhh, caution.

A good adventurer should not throw caution out the window. Maybe you should just tuck it in a back pocket--the kind with a zipper, you know, the one where it won't fly away.

After over two months of molding my body to my couch (seriously), I've had a lot of time to ruminate about my running philosophy. After all, my life philosophy is to BE ADVENTUROUS.

How this translates into my running/fitness life:

-Try new ways of cross-training. Rock climbing! Swimming! Biking! Even spin. Uh-oh. (My second-ever spin class post is coming this week! I blocked the memory of the first one out of my mind. From the horror.) Triathlon sounds like a fantastic idea to me--I can count cross-training as my real training! I love multi-tasking.

-Be practical. I love the idea of barefoot running. Born to Run romanticizes it, but I have no doubts that humanity thrived barefoot for ages and the technique has its benefits. However, I don't think it's easy in the Northeast to run with my toes peeking out in the dead of winter. Minimalist running is a good compromise--I run in New Balance WT101 shoes. My knee problems have disappeared in them, and they're both lightweight and durable. The majority of my running is asphalt, not trail, but whatever works! They've molded well to my feet and they're comfy. I don't need bells and whistles on my shoes as long as I can do what I have to--run, and run well. I shaved a minute from my mile time with my first timed run in these shoes, and I definitely think it was because lighter shoes made me increase my step cadence.

According to Galloway, "When you practice running with a lighter, quicker turnover, you become a faster, more efficient runner. An increased cadence also decreases your risk of injury, because your feet spend less time pounding the pavement."

Sounds good to me!

-LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I tooted this one around before, but now I truly try to follow it. I never skip a warm-up or cool down. There is a difference between "sore" and "hurt" and I learned it the hard way.

Happy adventuring! I'm back on track for my goals, and that's a successful day in my mind, no matter how slow.