DOPEY 2016 Part 2 - Thurs, Jan 7, 2016 - the Pluto 5k

Thursday morning started with another early alarm.  This time it was for the first of the 4 races the 5k.  My plan for this morning was to take it easy and have fun.  I was planning to mostly walk the 5k with a couple of friends.  The 5k starts a little later than the next 3 races so I didn't have to get up as early this morning as I would the rest of the weekend.  Since I had to drive to the races, my goal was to be in the car close to the time the first buses would leave the resorts so I could minimize any traffic concerns.  So I set the alarm for 3:30am so I could leave around 4. 

The obligatory pre race mirror selfie. 

I always forget there is really no traffic for the 5k so I really could have slept in a little and left a few minutes later.  But I got to the staging area with plenty of time and managed to run into Jay on his way in.

I found the Mickey Milers and got ready for our team photo.  Since it was the kick off to the Dopey Challenge I thought this was appropriate.

The Mickey Milers ready for the 5k

Hanging out in Corral E ready to run (ok so walk) this 5k

Our plan for the 5k was to take it really easy and walk.  This turned out to be almost a necessity at the start of the race.  The course was very crowded at the beginning.  Yikes.  There were a bunch of people who were trying to run fast from the last corral including what looked like an entire tour group.  The photographers were not happy with them as they were trying to pass between the photographer and the characters making the line longer than it already was.  

The secondary goal was to stop for all the characters.  

Character Stop #1 Chip and Dale

As we came into the backstage area of EPCOT I had to stop and take a picture with the power substation.  Everyone takes selfies with substations right?  Just me again?  Ok, we'll call it an occupational hazard.   

They were doing a test on Test Track as we "ran" by.  It was really neat to see the car moving super slow.  

At around the 1.5 mile mark we finally entered the "onstage" portions of EPCOT in the World Showcase.  We enter next to the Mexico Pavilion.  When we first came in they were playing Let it Go.  I started having Flashbacks to the Frozen 5k at Princess and was really hoping we weren't getting a non-stop loop of Let it Go in 6 different languages.  Fortunately I only had to listen to about a minute of it before the song changed to something else.  (anything else)

The Illuminations Torches were lit which were just gorgeous.  

And it was still all decked out for Christmas despite the fact that it was January 7th.  

And of course one has to stop for Selfies with Spaceship Earth.

 Next up was Rafiki

And time for the Bongos

 

You need a little music in your life

And I had to stop at Snow White's Wishing Well to make a wish that I would finish this crazy Dopey Challenge.  

But the Bier cart in Germany was not open this early so no Beer or Pretzels for Jackie

Bolt was out in front of the American Adventure Pavilion, but switched to "unknown cat from Bolt" while we waited in line.  We later learned that the cat's name was Mittens but I couldn't have told you that until well after the fact.

The funnel cake cart was also closed, so no funnel cake for my husband.  ;) (But I did have to snap a picture because I like to tease him with them when I see them)

Next up was France and Marie the Cat.  Of course she had to take a quick break right as we got up there.  So we got a nice group photo first.

Hopefully this works.  If you want to see some high stepping up the bridge to the International Gateway and Supercalifragilicidexpiladicous signing check out this video.  I didn't quite realize Jackie was recording a video I thought she was taking a picture.  Yes I am crazy, it's okay.  

SuperCal - Video

Next up was England and I tried to Phone Home, but I forgot my quarter in my other sparkle skirt.  

Finally we left the world showcase and stopped for a very cool picture in front of Spaceship Earth

We managed to just sneak into one last character photo before looping back round by Nemo and the front side of Spaceship earth and the finish line.  It was Lilo.  Stitch and Lilo switched out I think.  

We may have decided at this point to speed things up a little to make sure we finished on time.  Lilo was the last character stop and we were very close to the finish at this point.  Our last mile was definitely our fastest of the day.  

It was very cool to get our first medals from Mike and Michelle of the Mikey Miles Podcast

We finished our 5k in something like 1 hour and 16 minutes.  Fun was the key for the day.  :)  

Here is the 5k course via my Garmin.

After we had our medals and our snack boxes and bananas I found the line for Dopey.  I had time today and decided to wait for a picture with Dopey despite the hour line.  I knew I wouldn't have time the rest of the weekend for that line. 

(So worth the wait)

(And then I was able to jump over for a picture with Pluto too)

The 5k was so much fun.  3.1 miles down only 45.5 more to go.

I was one of the last people to leave the runners area on Thursday after the 5k.  I headed back to the resort to get a shower and then went over to the Magic Kingdom where I met Jackie.

It's fun to be on your own with and annual pass, and no fixed schedule for the day.  I was able to meet up with Jackie at the new Skipper's Canteen in Adventureland.  Apparently we weren't the only ones with this idea as we ran into lots of friends inside the Canteen.  

I tried the "A lot at Steak" Salad and the Punch line Punch.  

And we shared the Kungaloosh for Dessert.  

All 3 items were delish

We spent a little time after lunch enjoying the sit down and put your feet up rides around the Magic Kingdom (AKA The People Mover and the WDW Railroad) taking in the sights and just relaxing before deciding to meet some friends at the new Jock Lindsey bar in Disney Springs.  The bar is small on the inside but so well themed (and we were there early enough in the afternoon that we were able to find an area together in the corner inside to relax).  The drink menu was extensive and all the drinks had stories to go with them.  I tried the Fountain of Youth which was very good, but I don't know if it provided me with any youthful powers.  Yet again, maybe it did provide me with just enough youthful powers to make it through the Dopey Challenge.  

Jackie and I met up with our friend Dale for an earlyish dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs where our waiter kept asking for Mr. Dale.  I believe we tried to tell him Mr. Dale must be hanging out with Chip and this was Dale.    

After dinner it was time to head back to the resort to relax and try to sleep.
Step count for Thursday - 25,540 ~ 11.5 miles.  Hmm, I only ran a 5k today.  Maybe I should work on staying off my feet more.  I do still have 3 more days of running ahead.  

DOPEY 2016 Part 1 Wednesday Jan 6, 2016

What a week, what an event, what a fantastic running spectacular!  I'm not even sure where or how to begin.  7 days - 1 expo - 4 races - 48.6 miles - 2 kids mile races, 4 parks, Osborne Lights - Shenanigans - laughs - friends - fun.

Before we begin let me take you back in time to a lazy Saturday morning in January 2013.   There I was sitting on the couch watching TV with the girls and catching up on Twitter when I started seeing a bunch of WDW half marathon photos pop up.  I hadn't really run since I'd hurt my knee in the Houston half in 2008 following my disastrous NYC marathon in 2007.  But suddenly the running bug bit again.  I wanted to run the WDW marathon.  But this time I was going to do it right and build up to it.  I put on some old running shoes that afternoon and went for my first run in a long long time.  2 miles that Saturday started me down the path to being a true runner.

Fast Forward to this weekend.  The time to fulfil a dream, but now not only was I going to run the WDW marathon, I was going Dopey.  4 races and 48.6 miles.  What was I thinking?

My final Dopey Simulation long run back-back-back-back combo finished on December 13th and I proceeded to take taper to the extreme over the next 4 weeks.  Between the cruise, family in town, Christmas, a sinus infection and packing for this trip, I did not get anywhere near the runs I was planning in during taper.  For better or worse I came into the weekend with well rested legs, and a sinus infection.

For some unknown reason (okay - it was the cheapest direct flight) I decided that a 5:30 am flight on Wednesday morning was a good idea.  (because 4 early morning wakeups for the races aren't enough).

With 4 running outfits, 4 running hats and 2 running shoes packed, I was anxious and ready to go, I attempted to go to be early Tuesday night only to toss and turn and give up on it after a while.  I did manage a few hours of sleep before the 3am wakeup (or was it 2:45 - it was early).

With the exception that Dunkin Donuts wasn't open at the airport when I got there, the flight to Orlando went off without a hitch.  There were many other marathoners and Dopey runners on my flight including a friend from our local running group.

Um the sign said you would open at 4?  It's 4:30.


I got my luggage and my rental car and was off to the Expo.  I was underwhelmed by the expo offerings.  The RunDisney merchandise was nice, but the rest of the expo offerings were minimal with a very limited number of vendors.

First stop the required picture with the Dopey Sign.  

I ran into Susana as I was headed to the merchandise line and joined her.  It started my weekend of friendly faces and helped to calm my nerves.  

It was crowded in the RunDisney tent, but they had lots of merchandise and were constantly restocking.  Knowing that I was getting ready to get 6 new shirts it seemed crazy to buy more, but the new race shirts were all long sleeve and well I live in Houston so I wanted a couple of short sleeve options.  I also got my magnet and pin and a new Tervis mug.  

After my purchases were complete I found the Dopey packet pickup.  For some reason my line was exceptionally long when all the other lines had less than 2 people in it.  

(Susana's picture but it looked this way for me too).

I did like the way they had the challenge photo set up so you didn't have to go to a separate location for the picture.  It made that part very easy.  The line to pick up shirts was slightly chaotic and was running into the marathonfoto booth, but they got things organized and moving quickly enough.  

Then I went off in search of the kids race pick up so I could get the girls race gear and looked at the additional booths before heading out to see if I could check in.  

I was staying "offsite" at Bonnet Creek for this trip.  It is my favorite place to stay at Disney.  You are inside the gates of Disney even if it is a non-Disney property, beautiful 2 bedroom suite, nice soaker garden tub, comfortable, clean and easy access to everything.  Check-in time wasn't until 2pm, but they had my room ready when I got there about noon.  I was on the 12th floor with a spectacular view of Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, the Orlando Eye and the Swan/Dolphin Hotels.  This meant I could get all sorts of fireworks from the balcony every night.  

I dropped off my luggage and ran off to Wal-mart to get groceries before heading to Hollywood Studios for the afternoon/evening.  

I left and went to Hollywood Studios. They extended the closing of the Osborne Lights until today so I was excited to get to see them one last time before they take them away forever.  

I enjoyed a nice leisurely day at Hollywood Studios doing things I might not do normally.  I spent time in One Man's Dream and found some inspiration for the half marathon while I was walking around. 

I had fast passes for Toy Story, Star Tours and the Little Mermaid (something I had never been to for one reason or another) and rode Star Tours again in the Stand By line.

I did forget one crutial detail for the day - lunch.  I was planning to grab lunch when I went to get groceries and somehow forgot.  So by about 5pm I was feeling a little light headed.  This is not the week to forget to eat.  So I tried to get dinner.  I had the worst meal and service I've ever had at Disney, but I did get some food in me before walking to the Osborne lights.

I love these lights.  I spent my time walking around and looking at all sorts of little details and just soaking it all in.  

Soon enough it was time to head back to the room to try to rest and unpack as the craziness started in the morning.  

View from the room - it was a little cloudy, but you can still see Space Ship earth, the Castle and the Contemporary from this picture.  I made it back to the room in time to watch the 8pm fireworks of Wishes and whatever they did at Universal at 8pm and the 9pm Illuminations before going to bed.  

And because it gets ridiculous later in the week - Steps 17,424 ~ 7.4 miles

The 5k would come way too early in next morning.  

1 Week to Dopey a Look back at 2015

This time next week I will have completed early morning wake up # 2 of 5 and have finished 3.1 miles out of 48.6.  In other words, I'll be in Disney World for the Dopey Challenge.

Before that insanity begins however I figured I'd take a minute to look back on 2015.  By most metrics it's been a successful year of running.  I've managed to stay mostly injury free.  I've logged right at 1000 miles running over the past 365 days.  I've completed 1 marathon, 5 half marathons, 4, 10ks, 3 5ks, 1 3k, 3 kids 1k, and 2 challenges while running in 8 different states, the Bahamas and the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

My medal rack is full, I've met some amazing friends and had a lot of fun along the way.

I haven't had the most successful racing season.   I targeted 3 races as "goal" races this year.  For one of those races it was 80°F at the start and the other 2 races came with wet roads, rain and wind.  None of them yielded the results I'd been training for.

But I'll still say it's a successful running year.  1000 miles.  That is huge.  I finished a marathon - my first since 2007. I stuck to my training plan.  I had fun.  I met some of the best most fun running friends and teammates possible.

So tomorrow starts 2016.  I don't know what it will bring.  I haven't really thought about my running goals after Dopey next week.  When I finish those 48.6 miles on Sunday January 10th in the parking lot of Epcot, I'll give myself time to celebrate and then I'll assess where to go from here?  Will there be another marathon in my future?  More travels?  Half marathons?  A Triathlon?  I don't know.  Will there be more running?  Most definitely . Will there be more laughs, goofy pictures and fun.  I hope so.

So here's to a great 2015 and hopefully an even better 2016.  And may there be a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of your next finish line.

2015 Marine Corps Marathon - Moving Forward The Next Step

Well it's been a week since I ran the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon.  I've spent some time doing a little soul searching this week after the disastrous race last week.  I refuse to let this derail me like my last marathon attempt in 2007 did.  So I refuse to brood and dwell on it. I need to heal, lick my wounds, take stock of where I am and figure out where I need to go from here. This was my 3rd marathon, my worst time, my hardest race and admittedly the one I felt I followed the training plan the best on. I didn't skip runs, I didn't shorten runs, I did what was on my plan. So where does this leave me?

1) Looking at the pictures from the race I am embarrassed to realize just how much weight I have let myself gain in the past 2-1/2 years. In January of 2013 when I decided to start training to run a half marathon again with the goal of running a full marathon in 2015 I was within 10lbs of my ideal weight. I looked great and felt great. I also had gotten to that weight on a 900 - 1200 calorie a day diet (don't yell I know that wasn't smart) which was not sustainable with running. Instead of trying to modify it sensibly, over the past 2-1/2 years I eventually stopped tracking what I was eating and didn't seem to care any more. I am now closer to 50 lbs away from my ideal weight and I can tell it. I won't get down to my ideal weight by Dopey, but at least I can start making positive changes in the right direction. An that does not mean going back to a super low cal diet, but I need to cut out the excess sugar, take stock of what I am eating and figure out a plan.  I knew I had gained weight, but it really wasn't until I saw this picture, that I realized just how much weight I'd gained.

This is embarrassing and not acceptable.  I will make positive changes and work towards getting back to a healthy weight.  I'm putting it out there publicly so I have to focus on it.  

To think this was me 2 years ago at Wine & Dine makes me sad.  

2) I think I need to look into my training plan and maybe make some changes. I am not certain that the extra long long runs have been beneficial for me. Building up to the Marine Corps Marathon I had 3 runs that were longer than 20 miles in my schedule. I ran 22 miles, 24 miles and repeated 24 miles (I cut the scheduled 27 back to 24) and after each of those long long runs it seemed to take longer and longer to get the dead leg feeling to go away. I even commented Saturday before MCM that my legs still felt heavy even after my taper period. I think maybe I should look into some different plans that have me running more days but less mile on the longest day. I'm looking at my schedule now and seeing what I need to change to get the miles in and not break my body down before Dopey.  

3)I need to run with someone during Dopey. My sister joined me in Crystal City and walked with me to mile 26. Having someone with me to talk to made those last miles much easier. I have a feeling I'd have been able to push through some of the earlier miles with someone next to me.  I'm very glad that I have a great team in the Mickey Milers and a bunch of people running at Walt Disney World in January.  I will make friends and have a running partner for those races.  

4)I need to not worry about the clock.  For Dopey I my goal is to run all 4 races, finish ahead of the Balloon ladies with a smile on my face.   I'm throwing time goals out the window for that weekend.  My ultimate goal is to finish the marathon feeling like I finished the marathon.

So that's it.  65 days to the start of the Dopey Challenge.  I will have fun, I will complete it and I will be ready.  Let's just keep moving Forward.