A Pink Pixie Princess - Complete!

[Ariel484]

Sweet! Thanks for the pic. I really like that shirt. I think Chris would go for that one. I'll show him tonight.

I was sort of surprised that Will likes it, but he's worn it quite a few times so far!

I think we had a pretty average summer last year too. But we got some hot, above average weather in early September and the above average stayed around throughout the rest of the year. It was 60 degrees and raining 2 days before Christmas.

That sounds like perfect Christmas-time weather to me!!

And sadly, I just saw a fall weather outlook that doesn't please me too much. They're predicting the hot weather to linger into September in the Midwest and say the area could still be touching 90 around that time. Ugh, I just want fall weather!

Noooooo Maybe this means the winter won't be too cold? I can dream.

Well, first off, I have to apologize for not keeping up with your journal - I actually haven't been on the DIS boards much at all the last couple of months, so you're not the only one I'm neglecting! Not that my opinion carries much weight!

Welcome back!!

So, I have to say that that BB-8 tech shirt is so stinking cute and it's very flattering on you. I'm glad you've seen the movie now and can appreciate my BB8BFF in all his adorableness. And double yay for watching the original trilogy, too! As for the Ewoks, they do catch a lot of flak (because of the aforementioned slapstick humor), but I'm just going to put this out there: how do they just happen to have a dress in Leia's size? Because they eat people. Not so cute and cuddly any more, are they?!

Thank you!! Yes I am definitely a BB-8 fan, glad I got the tech shirt back!

Um...I did not put that together about the Ewoks. That's hilarious and bizarre!!

And Finding Dory was ADORABLE!! I am just going to say that this fully-grown, adult human bought herself a plush Hank last trip to Epcot. Hank was my favorite new character, with Destiny the whale shark coming in a close second. You totally should get a Baby Dory!

Yes, I thought they had such great new characters in the film! I liked it a lot - and I definitely see a Baby Dory plush in my future, because she was heart breakingly adorable and I love her.

Your cruise looked like so much fun, sometimes doing nothing at all is exactly what you need to recharge and rejuvenate. And speaking of which (doing nothing), in a roundabout way, I totally get your frustration with running. It's tough when it's something you do all. the. time. and it feels like you're running to stand still (no pun intended). I suffered post-Dopey malaise this year but had to tough it out because I'd signed up for a bunch of races in the months afterwards. My last half marathon until W&D was last month and it was awful, terrible, no good and left a sour taste in my mouth for running (I had a brush with hyponatremia because the race didn't start until 8am and Wisconsin is apparently having a hotter summer than I remember in the past) and so I took 3 weeks off from it. I've since started back up and am struggling (Florida heat and humidity *shakes fist*), but I feel 150% better having taken that time off to breathe and get the negativity out of my system. I'm glad to hear that your new training plan is working so well for you and that things are getting better! FWIW, I didn't think you sounded whiny, either, it was very honest and straightforward. We're all human and allowed to feel the bad along with the good.

OMG - the "post-Dopey malaise" as you call it is REAL. I had some form of that after Goofy in 2013 and Dopey in 2015 - I totally know what you are talking about. I'm really glad you're okay after your half!! These summer conditions are no joke.

You're totally right about needing a break every once in awhile. I'm very used to setting a schedule for myself and following it to the letter, so I think that normally having that mindset has made me feel extra pressure to stick to some sort of training plan, even though a break probably would have been more beneficial.

And thank you for saying I didn't sound whiny...I was concerned about that!

Eek about the vandalism on your house! That is insane! But the theory that it was girls makes a lot of sense. Is it possible, since you said Mr. A is a popular teacher, that it might have been a girl with a crush on him? Especially with the fixation on the cat synonym? At any rate, I'm glad it was relatively easy to clean up and that it hasn't happened again - and I'd be surprised if Mr. A doesn't find out who it was once school starts up again. Motion-detection lighting is definitely the way to go - my parents were both teachers and we had that even when I was in high school many, many years ago.

Right?! We have since re-grown the grass where they wrote *that* (had it dug out and re-planted by a neighbor who thankfully didn't charge us very much). There's still some glitter around the driveway but for the most-part any trace of the vandalism is gone.

Mr. A is still convinced that it was not one of his students. I am NOT convinced but whatever! And I have gotten an inkling in the past that some of his students had crushes on him (again, he didn't think so ) so that's a definite possibility. The motion sensor lights do make me feel better about things so I'm glad we did that.

Speaking of Mr. A, way to go on grad school! Woot woot!

Yesss!! He's got 4.5 days to go and then he's done for the summer!

Finally, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who talks to animals. As long as they don't talk back, it's all good!

OMG yes - I was talking to our dog the other day while on a walk and someone else totally heard me, so people may think I'm a crazy person. It's fine.

Ooh, and yay for stress-free PHM registration! Fantastic!!

Seriously!! Registering for 2016 GSC was pretty crazy so to have it be so easy this year was VERY nice.

 

[*DisneyDreamer]

That sounds like perfect Christmas-time weather to me!!

Noooooo Maybe this means the winter won't be too cold? I can dream.

I didn't like it and it was too warm for me. The whole month of December was way above average and it made it really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. It just did not feel like the holidays. I would have liked a little snow or at least cooler weather to make it feel like Christmastime.

I know, I'm so bummed about it and hope it's at least just sporadic warmth and not awful.

 

[roxymama]

@ZellyB I present to you (and Chris)...Light Speed!

I think maybe next time you find yourself at InB on your travels you should suggest matching doggie bandanas or shirts. Because I think this picture would be even cuter with a little lime-green beagle situation

 

[ZellyB]

CRAP!! That new InB Halloween pre-order!! I was able to resist the first one, but THIS one. They are killing my pocketbook...

 

[Ariel484]

I didn't like it and it was too warm for me. The whole month of December was way above average and it made it really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. It just did not feel like the holidays. I would have liked a little snow or at least cooler weather to make it feel like Christmastime.

Ah, I know what you mean!! I guess I don't mind it.

I know, I'm so bummed about it and hope it's at least just sporadic warmth and not awful.

Me too!!

I think maybe next time you find yourself at InB on your travels you should suggest matching doggie bandanas or shirts. Because I think this picture would be even cuter with a little lime-green beagle situation

I totally agree!! A lime-green beagle situation would up the cute factor 10000%.

CRAP!! That new InB Halloween pre-order!! I was able to resist the first one, but THIS one. They are killing my pocketbook...

RIGHT?!

How cute would that be as a couples costume?! I'm trying to resist but the women's kit has a little Queen of Hearts-type situation going on (even though I know it's supposed to be Harley Quinn-inspired) and I'm just thinking..."man, that would be great for a runDisney race outfit!" \

I DID order the first kit - so excited for that one!!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm trying to resist but the women's kit has a little Queen of Hearts-type situation going on

That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw it!
Why do they have to keep coming out with such awesome designs???

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

Welcome back!!

Thank you!

Thank you!! Yes I am definitely a BB-8 fan, glad I got the tech shirt back!

I can see why, it's adorable!

Um...I did not put that together about the Ewoks. That's hilarious and bizarre!!

Yeah, when I saw it in the theater as a kid, I didn't put it together, but later on I realized that 1) they were well on their way to a Han barbeque before Luke/3PO intervened, and 2) Ewok ladies most def did not wear dresses!

Yes, I thought they had such great new characters in the film! I liked it a lot - and I definitely see a Baby Dory plush in my future, because she was heart breakingly adorable and I love her.

She was for sure!

OMG - the "post-Dopey malaise" as you call it is REAL. I had some form of that after Goofy in 2013 and Dopey in 2015 - I totally know what you are talking about. I'm really glad you're okay after your half!! These summer conditions are no joke.

Thank you! And yes, post-Dopey malaise was a struggle. My BRF actually quit running altogether after that so I was training by myself (which I don't mind, but it's much easier to push yourself for someone else) all those months. And yes, summer conditions up north were terrible! Everyone was giving me a hard time because I live and train in south Florida, but I train before sun-up to AVOID the heat/humidity at its worse, I don't choose to run in it!

You're totally right about needing a break every once in awhile. I'm very used to setting a schedule for myself and following it to the letter, so I think that normally having that mindset has made me feel extra pressure to stick to some sort of training plan, even though a break probably would have been more beneficial.

I'm very schedule-oriented as well and when it got to a point where I was beating myself up over not meeting the schedule, I decided it was time for a break. No running whatsoever, or even thinking about running, for 3 weeks. I came back and felt SO much better. I even woke up this past Wednesday and decided to do a little 4-miler along the beach on a non-scheduled run. What?

And thank you for saying I didn't sound whiny...I was concerned about that!

Not whiny at all!

Right?! We have since re-grown the grass where they wrote *that* (had it dug out and re-planted by a neighbor who thankfully didn't charge us very much). There's still some glitter around the driveway but for the most-part any trace of the vandalism is gone.

Mr. A is still convinced that it was not one of his students. I am NOT convinced but whatever! And I have gotten an inkling in the past that some of his students had crushes on him (again, he didn't think so ) so that's a definite possibility. The motion sensor lights do make me feel better about things so I'm glad we did that.

Boys are so oblivious.

Yesss!! He's got 4.5 days to go and then he's done for the summer!

Yay, hooray!!!

OMG yes - I was talking to our dog the other day while on a walk and someone else totally heard me, so people may think I'm a crazy person. It's fine.

That could work to your advantage if you time it right - nobody will approach you unless you want them to!

Seriously!! Registering for 2016 GSC was pretty crazy so to have it be so easy this year was VERY nice.

Seems like all race weekend registrations are going pretty smoothly this year for the most part. Could it be...I almost don't want to say it...runDisney has finally gotten their act together with active.com?!

 

[Ariel484]

That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw it!
Why do they have to keep coming out with such awesome designs???

Ugh, I knooooow!!

Thank you!

I can see why, it's adorable!

It is! And it'll be making an appearance at a Disney race, I'm sure.

Yeah, when I saw it in the theater as a kid, I didn't put it together, but later on I realized that 1) they were well on their way to a Han barbeque before Luke/3PO intervened, and 2) Ewok ladies most def did not wear dresses!

You raise some good points...eek!!!

She was for sure!

Thank you! And yes, post-Dopey malaise was a struggle. My BRF actually quit running altogether after that so I was training by myself (which I don't mind, but it's much easier to push yourself for someone else) all those months. And yes, summer conditions up north were terrible! Everyone was giving me a hard time because I live and train in south Florida, but I train before sun-up to AVOID the heat/humidity at its worse, I don't choose to run in it!

Oh no! I could see how that would make things much harder if you are used to training with someone else.

I don't know how you Floridians do it. One of the other INKnBURN Ambassadors lives in the Miami area and she posts about doing, like, 18-mile long runs on the treadmill. Is that just what you guys have to do?! That or get up at like 4AM to run?

I'm very schedule-oriented as well and when it got to a point where I was beating myself up over not meeting the schedule, I decided it was time for a break. No running whatsoever, or even thinking about running, for 3 weeks. I came back and felt SO much better. I even woke up this past Wednesday and decided to do a little 4-miler along the beach on a non-scheduled run. What?

Not whiny at all!

I think you're right that that is a good sign that it's time for a break. I'm hopeful that I'll find it easier to want to stick to my schedule once 1.) it gets cooler and 2.) I'm training for a DISNEY race and not something local.

Boys are so oblivious.

He does the best that he can.

Yay, hooray!!!

YESSS. I don't think this semester has been as bad as past semesters but we'll both be happy when it's done!!

That could work to your advantage if you time it right - nobody will approach you unless you want them to!

This has not occurred to me, but you're right! I'll have to keep that in my back pocket for when I'm feeling anti-social.

Seems like all race weekend registrations are going pretty smoothly this year for the most part. Could it be...I almost don't want to say it...runDisney has finally gotten their act together with active.com?!

Either that or the runDisney bubble has burst. I think they need to shake things up a bit, maybe change up the themes every 5 years for some of the race weekends or something? And stop the price increases...I think they're pricing people out. I do think that the new way they have people use Active.com (entering the queue and then having time to check out) seems to be a LOT smoother than what it used to be like, though.

 

[Ariel484]

Running Blind - Week 5
Monday, August 1 - Sunday, August 7, 2016

Monday, August 1 (45 minutes @ Effort 1)
“Ah, Monday morning. Time to pay for your two days of debauchery, you hungover drones!”

^^if you can name the show that this quote is from, I think you’re a really cool person.

New week! Hoping for more highs than lows over the next few days. Today was a decent run - I got out a little later than I wanted to, so I was really wanting it to end quickly. Not because I didn’t feel good or whatever, just because I knew I was going to be sitting in rush hour traffic later (which I did...woof). So it was weird...physically I felt good but was pressed for time, so that made it seem to drag on a little more, if that makes sense. Weather wasn’t bad...cool but HUMID!

New month, new bag - Harveys Disneyland 60 Dumbo Poster tote! With matching wallet! Ignore the creepy children’s faces.

Fun fact: since the 60th celebration is ending at Disneyland Resort, some of these totes are being cleared out and have made their way to the Disney outlets in Florida. They’re selling there for half off of retail price - I got mine from a shopper on Facebook, so with the shopper fee + shipping I didn’t get QUITE that great of a deal, but still paid less than the original retail price.

And I’ll get to check out the outlets in person in a few short weeks...because I’m going to Disney World at the end of this month! I just found out that one of my BFFs is pregnant, so that calls for a girls weekend in WDW before 1. She’s no longer allowed to fly and 2. Before her Premier AP expires (same day as when mine expires - we bought them together during Disneyland Half weekend - so I get one more use out of it!).

This trip came together very quickly over the weekend, and I haven’t been to WDW since last April...which I know isn’t that long, but it feels like it’s been forever. So looking forward to this last-minute trip!

Tuesday, August 2 (rest)
Yay!

Since I don’t really have much to say about training today, I thought I’d give a little injury recovery update.

To recap: August 10 will mark 7 months since the morning I woke up with full-blown symptoms of sciatica (looking back I now realize I was starting to experience symptoms the day before as well, but January 10 was when the sh*t really hit the fan). My main symptoms were lower back pain, nerve pain that ran from my lower back down my left leg and into my foot, and numbness in my left foot. I was very lucky to get in to see a great doctor - pretty much the #1 perfect person I could have made an appointment with for this issue - later that week. I started physical therapy, but I couldn’t run - the nerve pain was too much and my leg and back weren’t feeling stable, and I ended up deferring both the Glass Slipper and Pixie Dust Challenges to 2017. I did a couple of weekly updates on my recovery and then stopped because I sort of felt like I was saying the same thing over and over (not that I don’t already do that in this thread, eh? ) and there wasn’t much progress to report.

So that brings me to now. I last saw my spine guy (aka Dr. Spine) right before Tink weekend and have not been back since. I have a follow-up scheduled for September, but I’m undecided as to whether I want/need to keep or cancel it at this point (see below). As has been a trend with me since the spring, I have been forgetting to do my physical therapy exercises. A couple of weeks ago I really noticed that I’d feel worse in the mornings if I forgot to do those exercises, but that seems to have gone away and I am waking up mostly pain-free more often than not, which is a HUGE improvement. Just this week I noticed that my leg has also been feeling better in the mornings - it used to be that I’d wake up with a very stiff/tight feeling in my left calf, and I’d sort of walk around on my toes for a bit after getting out of bed until that loosened up. That stiff/tight feeling hasn’t been happening in the mornings at all this week...I’ve been dealing with these issues for so long at this point that I’ve just become used to them, but this was a nice change to have. The nerve pain and occasional itchiness I’d felt in my leg/foot has been gone for awhile now, and so far has not returned.

Mostly good news. But I still have 2 major complaints:

1. Soreness/weakness/stiffness in my left calf - which is different than what I’d experienced in the mornings that has recently gone away (hard to explain the differences since I’m the only one feeling them - to me, it feels different). Not much to say about this, just that it’s there and doesn’t constantly bother me from a physical standpoint - mentally it bothers me because I’m impatient and want to be 100% "normal" again
2. My left foot - I would say that this is the area I’m the most bothered by, just because I feel like I haven’t seen much improvement for quite awhile now. I’m still feeling numbness along the outer edge, along with what feels like a frequent cramp in the middle/ball of my foot

The fact that I’m feeling the numbness, and feel like it hasn’t been improving for me much, is what’s making me hesitate to cancel my September follow-up with Dr. Spine. But at this point, he may just tell me it’s a waiting game...I still have awhile to decide. When this injury originally happened I was told that the numbness could take up to a year to go away, which I 100% did not believe at first...but as time goes on it does look like that year-long timeline is something I’m just going to have to wait out.

Admittedly, I have not been doing much to try to "heal" lately. I did switch out strength training for yoga, which I think has helped me a lot, physically and mentally. I got my standing desk at work...but I have been forgetting to use it! Bad Shannon. Today I downloaded an app on my phone to alert me at the top of each hour on weekdays only, and the alarms are titled "STAND." I stand for 15-20 minutes at a time...I think that’ll help keep me from getting stiff.

And of course, there’s running. My other complaint, as anyone who reads this thread knows, is that getting back to running after a few weeks off has NOT gone as smoothly as I’d hoped. But I do know that I have made major progress. I went from barely being able to run 2 minutes back in the winter, to now running regularly 4 days per week.

Even though I am still not happy with feeling "slow," I know I have made HUGE progress, especially since there was a point where I thought my running career was over, or that I’d be dealing with chronic pain daily for the rest of my life (I guess the jury is still out on that, but it seems unlikely at this point), or that maybe I would need surgery. I’m very, very lucky that I can still run, and I think I need to remember that more.

Wednesday, August 3 (45-minute run @ Effort 1/Effort 3/Effort 1 pace/yoga)

Not a bad run today! I think it felt a little cooler outside compared to Monday, which was very nice. My legs felt a little sore during the Effort 3 portion, and I don’t think I made it as far as I would have liked (not sure though since I didn’t look at my watch!), but overall, pleased with my effort for today.

And then - yoga! Back to the power class today. This class was, I thought, tougher than the one I went to last week, but I still felt like I kept up decently. There was a lunge series that just about killed me though, and again, we were supposed to try some crazy arm balance. This one:

Again, I don’t understand how this is physically possible - but it definitely is, because there was another yoga teacher attending this class and she set her mat up right in front of me. It was hard to focus on what I was doing and not watch her because she was AMAZING - she just made everything (including the above pose) look totally effortless, yet at the same time, it wasn’t in a show-off way. I doubt I’ll ever get to her level, but it was definitely inspirational, in a way.

Thursday, August 4 (rest)

Rest day! Sore from yoga yesterday, eek!

Random dog photo...because cuteness.

Friday, August 5 (60-minute run @ Effort 1/yoga)
Another easy run today - this time in new shorts! These are the Rockstar shorts (a Club INKnBURN item) that I just got this week. I REALLY like that my smaller phone can now fit in the shorts pockets.

This run was okay, not a lot worth mentioning. I was expecting it to be cooler out than it was - we're only forecasted to get to a high of 81 today, yet when I went out to run it was 83 out, with a "real feel" temperature of 88. Okay? I was able to stay in the shade for most of this.

Yoga was okay, too. So much harder to keep up when I go right after a run!

I OF COURSE watched the Olympics opening ceremony...did you know Gisele (not @ZellyB, the other one) was there?! Seriously, if it were a drinking game to drink every time she was on camera, someone would have died.

Saturday, August 6 (100-minute run @ Effort 2)
Ahhhh...I needed this one!!

I got out today a little later than I meant to, but thankfully it didn't seem as oppressively hot. I took my Orange Mud pack with me today, along with a Honey Stinger waffle (salted caramel, yum). I also used some alert features on my watch for the first time - I was able to set alerts to go off every 20 minutes to remind me to drink water, and every 45 minutes to remind me to eat half of the waffle (so I ate the second half at 90 minutes...not really necessary with 10 minutes left but I was hungry so whatever!). I think these alerts REALLY helped me a lot mentally - instead of thinking of it as one, long, 100-minute run, I thought of it more in 20ish-minute segments. I am not coordinated enough to drink water or eat while running, so each time an alert went off I would walk for a minute to drink/eat.

I also took music with me - Disney Parks loops. I rarely listen to music when I run, but sometimes it's a nice treat. I heard some Animation Courtyard (RIP) music, Soarin'-area music, Muppets Vision 3D, etc. Solid line-up.

So the run - it went pretty well! I was glad to have my bottle with me because I did end up re-filling it once, and I drank allllll of it. My back felt a little stiff at the beginning of the run, and I felt sore in my legs and back a bit at the end, but I didn't once think about quitting or adding in extra walk breaks. I did see how far I went and my pace, because when I went to save the run without looking at the watch, there was an alert that this was my furthest run with the watch, so there was an extra screen I hadn't expected that I had to go through to save the run. That means it's the farthest I have run time- and distance-wise all year. So I am pretty pleased with myself!

The rest of the day was spent on the couch with this weird dog. I also watched some men's gymnastics and swimming!

Sunday, August 7 (rest)
I had plans to go to yoga this morning, but when I woke up my back was still sore/tired from the run, I guess. Mr. A says I need to actually start doing my back PT exercises again, and I agree - the runs are only going to get longer from here!

Also, today I figured out how to stream live Olympics events on our Apple TV. This is nice since NBC seems to think I am only interested in like 3 sports in prime time. It will also kill any possiblity of my being productive for the rest of the day. Not even mad about it.

Next week - a race! I have a local 10K on Saturday. Not at all looking forward to it!

Continued in Next Post

 

[DopeyBadger]

Saturday, August 6 (100-minute run @ Effort 2)
Ahhhh...I needed this one!!

I got out today a little later than I meant to, but thankfully it didn't seem as oppressively hot. I took my Orange Mud pack with me today, along with a Honey Stinger waffle (salted caramel, yum). I also used some alert features on my watch for the first time - I was able to set alerts to go off every 20 minutes to remind me to drink water, and every 45 minutes to remind me to eat half of the waffle (so I ate the second half at 90 minutes...not really necessary with 10 minutes left but I was hungry so whatever!). I think these alerts REALLY helped me a lot mentally - instead of thinking of it as one, long, 100-minute run, I thought of it more in 20ish-minute segments. I am not coordinated enough to drink water or eat while running, so each time an alert went off I would walk for a minute to drink/eat.

I also took music with me - Disney Parks loops. I rarely listen to music when I run, but sometimes it's a nice treat. I heard some Animation Courtyard (RIP) music, Soarin'-area music, Muppets Vision 3D, etc. Solid line-up.

So the run - it went pretty well! I was glad to have my bottle with me because I did end up re-filling it once, and I drank allllll of it. My back felt a little stiff at the beginning of the run, and I felt sore in my legs and back a bit at the end, but I didn't once think about quitting or adding in extra walk breaks. I did see how far I went and my pace, because when I went to save the run without looking at the watch, there was an alert that this was my furthest run with the watch, so there was an extra screen I hadn't expected that I had to go through to save the run. That means it's the farthest I have run time- and distance-wise all year. So I am pretty pleased with myself!

Only 4 weeks to go until your 10 mile race! Looks like you're progressing really well. Are you still running the 10K next weekend? I'm excited to see how these upcoming races go. Keep up the great work!

 

[Ariel484]

Only 4 weeks to go until your 10 mile race! Looks like you're progressing really well. Are you still running the 10K next weekend? I'm excited to see how these upcoming races go. Keep up the great work!

Yep... no idea what to expect!

 

[DopeyBadger]

Yep... no idea what to expect!

I know what to expect! That you will have fun! You'll want to make sure to maintain the "blind" running technique. Start the race at Effort 1, then Effort 2, then Effort 3. It'll feel like you're starting "too slow". Don't worry about that. Just slowly get faster throughout the run. After a few miles, just keep pushing harder and harder. Keep telling yourself how well you're doing. No matter what, you're CRUSHING IT! If you do that, you will have fun! The most important part to keep this successful is to do as your training. Trust your effort and never look at the watch (set the alarms for fluids is a good idea though too).

*If the course has clocks at mile splits, ignore them as best as possible. And PROMISE yourself you won't do mental math to figure out your splits even if you happen to sneak a peek. Just run!

 

[Krynn]

Are you running the Goodyear 10k?

 

[SarahDisney]

This may be the cutest bag I have ever seen. I love it!

And I’ll get to check out the outlets in person in a few short weeks...because I’m going to Disney World at the end of this month! I just found out that one of my BFFs is pregnant, so that calls for a girls weekend in WDW before 1. She’s no longer allowed to fly and 2. Before her Premier AP expires (same day as when mine expires - we bought them together during Disneyland Half weekend - so I get one more use out of it!).

What??? That is so awesome!! Yay!

Even though I am still not happy with feeling "slow," I know I have made HUGE progress, especially since there was a point where I thought my running career was over, or that I’d be dealing with chronic pain daily for the rest of my life (I guess the jury is still out on that, but it seems unlikely at this point), or that maybe I would need surgery. I’m very, very lucky that I can still run, and I think I need to remember that more.

You've definitely made a huge amount of progress! I'm actually shocked that it was only 7 months ago that you started feeling the symptoms ... it feels like so much longer with all of the progress you've made. There's definitely still room for improvement, but honestly ... there always is. There isn't anyone out there who doesn't have room for improvement. You keep working harder and trying to improve, and as long as you keep up the hard work and don't slack off, you'll keep seeing awesome improvements!

Seriously, can people actually do this thing? Is that real?

I love those shorts!!

I OF COURSE watched the Olympics opening ceremony...did you know Gisele (not @ZellyB, the other one) was there?! Seriously, if it were a drinking game to drink every time she was on camera, someone would have died.

I missed the opening ceremony ... was her stupid husband there? (I kinda hate Tom Brady)

So the run - it went pretty well! I was glad to have my bottle with me because I did end up re-filling it once, and I drank allllll of it. My back felt a little stiff at the beginning of the run, and I felt sore in my legs and back a bit at the end, but I didn't once think about quitting or adding in extra walk breaks. I did see how far I went and my pace, because when I went to save the run without looking at the watch, there was an alert that this was my furthest run with the watch, so there was an extra screen I hadn't expected that I had to go through to save the run. That means it's the farthest I have run time- and distance-wise all year. So I am pretty pleased with myself!

Yay! Lots of awesome news - always great when a record-setting run goes well!

Mr. A says I need to actually start doing my back PT exercises again, and I agree - the runs are only going to get longer from here!

I agree too! You can't slack on your exercises!

Next week - a race! I have a local 10K on Saturday. Not at all looking forward to it!

Get excited!! It may not be the best race ever, but try to go out there, have a good time, and don't worry too much about having a "perfect experience." I'm sure you can have fun if you don't pressure yourself too much!

 

[ZellyB]

It's a good thing you could recognize the difference between that other Gisele and me. Many people often confuse us. I missed out on the opening ceremonies, so didn't get the apparent extra heavy dose of that other Gisele.

Those rockstar shorts are super cute. The ones I ordered for Chris are in route to us, so I really hope he likes them. He REALLY needs some new shorts so if he likes the design of these I may be able to get some more in the future.

That Dumbo bag is all kinds of cute and nice to get a discounted price for it as well. Always a plus.

Random aside...but I really like the way your stair treads are done. I've not seen something like that before and it looks really nice.

 

[Sailormoon2]

because I’m going to Disney World at the end of this month

How wonderful for you!!!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

How fun to have an unexpected Disney trip! (I'm still waiting for that to happen to me haha) It helps to have friends that love Disney too, I guess

It really is cool to see how far you have come from your injuries! So many people would have just given up, but you have done everything you possibly could to keep running after healing up which is awesome. You are going to do great on your 10K!

I really love those rockstar shorts! Super cute!

Sooo, what do you usually listen to while you run? I have started listening to podcasts or audiobooks for the first half of a long run, and then I switch to music. Music seriously pumps me up so much during a run. I always like to hear what other people do though!

 

[Mimsy Borogove]

Oh no! I could see how that would make things much harder if you are used to training with someone else.

I don't know how you Floridians do it. One of the other INKnBURN Ambassadors lives in the Miami area and she posts about doing, like, 18-mile long runs on the treadmill. Is that just what you guys have to do?! That or get up at like 4AM to run?

Ugh, I can't imagine running 18 miles on a treadmill, but I guess you do what you gotta do. For me, I obsessively watch the weather forecasts and basically go early in the morning. On my long run days, particularly in summer, that's at 5am. It doesn't get light here until about 6:30, so I get a little nervous, but luckily live in an area lousy with runners, so even when I'm running alone, I'm constantly passing people from the opposite direction and I don't feel so alone. But it IS easier with a partner, I don't know, it just seems like it takes so much less concentration to keep on pace.

I think you're right that that is a good sign that it's time for a break. I'm hopeful that I'll find it easier to want to stick to my schedule once 1.) it gets cooler and 2.) I'm training for a DISNEY race and not something local.

Disney races sure do help! I hope that things get better for you soon.

He does the best that he can.

They all do.

YESSS. I don't think this semester has been as bad as past semesters but we'll both be happy when it's done!!

This has not occurred to me, but you're right! I'll have to keep that in my back pocket for when I'm feeling anti-social.

Achievement: unlocked!

Either that or the runDisney bubble has burst. I think they need to shake things up a bit, maybe change up the themes every 5 years for some of the race weekends or something? And stop the price increases...I think they're pricing people out. I do think that the new way they have people use Active.com (entering the queue and then having time to check out) seems to be a LOT smoother than what it used to be like, though.

That is very true. We are definitely seeing different registration patterns from the past and there doesn't seem to be a need for that registration day rush. Which is somewhat of a shame because I miss that adrenaline rush - when the race you've just successfully registered for doesn't sell out for a few days, or at all, it's kind of anticlimactic.

New month, new bag - Harveys Disneyland 60 Dumbo Poster tote! With matching wallet! Ignore the creepy children’s faces.

Fun fact: since the 60th celebration is ending at Disneyland Resort, some of these totes are being cleared out and have made their way to the Disney outlets in Florida. They’re selling there for half off of retail price - I got mine from a shopper on Facebook, so with the shopper fee + shipping I didn’t get QUITE that great of a deal, but still paid less than the original retail price.

Whoa, love that wallet with the retro attraction posters! Hm, I might have to take a little trip to Orlando this weekend. Even though I should not be shopping for anything right now.

And I’ll get to check out the outlets in person in a few short weeks...because I’m going to Disney World at the end of this month! I just found out that one of my BFFs is pregnant, so that calls for a girls weekend in WDW before 1. She’s no longer allowed to fly and 2. Before her Premier AP expires (same day as when mine expires - we bought them together during Disneyland Half weekend - so I get one more use out of it!).

This trip came together very quickly over the weekend, and I haven’t been to WDW since last April...which I know isn’t that long, but it feels like it’s been forever. So looking forward to this last-minute trip!

Woohoo!! And for what it's worth, I haven't been to WDW since last month and it feels like forever, so I understand your pain. But yay for girls' trip!

Even though I am still not happy with feeling "slow," I know I have made HUGE progress, especially since there was a point where I thought my running career was over, or that I’d be dealing with chronic pain daily for the rest of my life (I guess the jury is still out on that, but it seems unlikely at this point), or that maybe I would need surgery. I’m very, very lucky that I can still run, and I think I need to remember that more.

I think this is an awesome epiphany and a good reminder. I'm glad that you're not dealing with chronic pain and that that trend continues onward.

Random dog photo...because cuteness.

Dawwwwwww!

Another easy run today - this time in new shorts! These are the Rockstar shorts (a Club INKnBURN item) that I just got this week. I REALLY like that my smaller phone can now fit in the shorts pockets.

This run was okay, not a lot worth mentioning. I was expecting it to be cooler out than it was - we're only forecasted to get to a high of 81 today, yet when I went out to run it was 83 out, with a "real feel" temperature of 88. Okay? I was able to stay in the shade for most of this.

Yoga was okay, too. So much harder to keep up when I go right after a run!

I OF COURSE watched the Olympics opening ceremony...did you know Gisele (not @ZellyB, the other one) was there?! Seriously, if it were a drinking game to drink every time she was on camera, someone would have died.

Love the InB shorts and outfit - very cute! Running when it's hot/humid out is no joke, so I've just made a pact with myself of no judgment on my pace on those days. Which in FL turns out to be half the year, so what can you do? LOL re: Gisele/Zelly and dead drinking game.

Ahhhh...I needed this one!!

Woot woot!

Next week - a race! I have a local 10K on Saturday. Not at all looking forward to it!

Good luck and if it's not fun, at least it's local, which means you get to go home sooner. But I think you're going to surprise yourself.

 

[Ariel484]

I know what to expect! That you will have fun! You'll want to make sure to maintain the "blind" running technique. Start the race at Effort 1, then Effort 2, then Effort 3. It'll feel like you're starting "too slow". Don't worry about that. Just slowly get faster throughout the run. After a few miles, just keep pushing harder and harder. Keep telling yourself how well you're doing. No matter what, you're CRUSHING IT! If you do that, you will have fun! The most important part to keep this successful is to do as your training. Trust your effort and never look at the watch (set the alarms for fluids is a good idea though too).

*If the course has clocks at mile splits, ignore them as best as possible. And PROMISE yourself you won't do mental math to figure out your splits even if you happen to sneak a peek. Just run!

I'll do my best!

Are you running the Goodyear 10k?

Yep, that's the one!

This may be the cutest bag I have ever seen. I love it!

Isn't it so cute?? Super adorable.

What??? That is so awesome!! Yay!

You've definitely made a huge amount of progress! I'm actually shocked that it was only 7 months ago that you started feeling the symptoms ... it feels like so much longer with all of the progress you've made. There's definitely still room for improvement, but honestly ... there always is. There isn't anyone out there who doesn't have room for improvement. You keep working harder and trying to improve, and as long as you keep up the hard work and don't slack off, you'll keep seeing awesome improvements!

Thanks - that is so true about there always being room for improvement.

Seriously, can people actually do this thing? Is that real?

YES!! I have seen it with my own eyes, and it is crazy!

I love those shorts!!

Me too! I mean, first of all - they're purple. And they have this sort of retro vibe going on and I am totally here for that.

I missed the opening ceremony ... was her stupid husband there? (I kinda hate Tom Brady)

Not that I know of. She did her model walk and then was sort of jumping up and down danging and the camera cut to her over and over and over...Mr. A and I were counting and we got to 10 before we got bored. It was ridiculous. you kinda hate Tom Brady, I kinda hate her.

Yay! Lots of awesome news - always great when a record-setting run goes well!

Yes!! I feel like this was the best one I have had in awhile. It felt like a big accomplishment and a confidence booster.

I agree too! You can't slack on your exercises!

Yes ma'am.

Get excited!! It may not be the best race ever, but try to go out there, have a good time, and don't worry too much about having a "perfect experience." I'm sure you can have fun if you don't pressure yourself too much!

I'm going to try. I really need to let go of having any kind of time goal, I think, but when it's not a Disney race that is easier said than done.

It's a good thing you could recognize the difference between that other Gisele and me. Many people often confuse us. I missed out on the opening ceremonies, so didn't get the apparent extra heavy dose of that other Gisele.

I CANNOT STAND HER. UGGHHH!!! You are my favorite Gisele.

Those rockstar shorts are super cute. The ones I ordered for Chris are in route to us, so I really hope he likes them. He REALLY needs some new shorts so if he likes the design of these I may be able to get some more in the future.

Has Chris gotten his shorts yet? I ended up buying a pair from the FB group for Mr. A - he was like, "I could really use some running shorts, like if they made them with compression and a pocket..." I'm like "HELLO, WHERE WAS THIS A MONTH AGO WHEN I COULD HAVE ORDERED YOU A PAIR?!" They are due to be delivered tomorrow - I hope he and Chris like them!

That Dumbo bag is all kinds of cute and nice to get a discounted price for it as well. Always a plus.

Yes, the discount makes it even cuter!

Random aside...but I really like the way your stair treads are done. I've not seen something like that before and it looks really nice.

Thank you! They were originally painted white and were totally beat up. We were going to sand and re-paint them, but then we went to visit one of Mr A's aunts and she had tile on her stairs like that and we thought that would be a perfect solution for our stairs - add a little visual interest and not have to worry about re-sanding and painting. We did that project together a couple of summers ago and really like it still!

How wonderful for you!!!

Thanks!

How fun to have an unexpected Disney trip! (I'm still waiting for that to happen to me haha) It helps to have friends that love Disney too, I guess

Yeah, if it weren't for them I'm sure I would go to Disney way less!

It really is cool to see how far you have come from your injuries! So many people would have just given up, but you have done everything you possibly could to keep running after healing up which is awesome. You are going to do great on your 10K!

Truly, it's the runDisney obsession that is keeping me going. If I didn't have those races on the horizon I may have quit. But i'm glad I didn't!

I really love those rockstar shorts! Super cute!

Thanks!! I love them too!

Sooo, what do you usually listen to while you run? I have started listening to podcasts or audiobooks for the first half of a long run, and then I switch to music. Music seriously pumps me up so much during a run. I always like to hear what other people do though!

Disney Parks Loops! Most of them I got are from yeahdisneyaudios.tumblr.com

There are some losers in there (like it sounds like they literally set up a recorder next to a speak in the park, so there's a bunch of crowd noise and stuff), but overall that site has a great collection of stuff! I don't always listen to music and I find that the parks loops are perfect for when I do, because they are long (25 minutes+) so I'm not counting songs or anything...and I like having the relaxing music because I think it helps keep me calm when I run. Especially important lately on my longer runs since I have been doubting myself and freaking myself out so much!

Ugh, I can't imagine running 18 miles on a treadmill, but I guess you do what you gotta do.

Yeah. My PDR for treadmill running is 12.5 miles during training for the 2011 Princess Half. I have NO idea how I did that and I cannot fathom going anywhere near that far nowadays...

For me, I obsessively watch the weather forecasts and basically go early in the morning. On my long run days, particularly in summer, that's at 5am. It doesn't get light here until about 6:30, so I get a little nervous, but luckily live in an area lousy with runners, so even when I'm running alone, I'm constantly passing people from the opposite direction and I don't feel so alone. But it IS easier with a partner, I don't know, it just seems like it takes so much less concentration to keep on pace.

Disney races sure do help! I hope that things get better for you soon.

I do think things are starting to turn around!

They all do.

YES! 2 days left!

Achievement: unlocked!

That is very true. We are definitely seeing different registration patterns from the past and there doesn't seem to be a need for that registration day rush. Which is somewhat of a shame because I miss that adrenaline rush - when the race you've just successfully registered for doesn't sell out for a few days, or at all, it's kind of anticlimactic.

I totally know what you mean about that rush! I'll be curious to see how Wine & Dine does for 2017, because that is the last "hard" registration I got.

Whoa, love that wallet with the retro attraction posters! Hm, I might have to take a little trip to Orlando this weekend. Even though I should not be shopping for anything right now.

I LOVE that wallet. I got it in Disneyland in December and it's a pretty good size for the parks. It comes with a wrist strap that you can remove. I can fit my phone in the wallet so I was just taking the wallet into the parks during that trip and it had my money, cards, phone and a chapstick inside. I highly recommend it!

Woohoo!! And for what it's worth, I haven't been to WDW since last month and it feels like forever, so I understand your pain. But yay for girls' trip!

Yeah, I have not been staying up-to-date on WDW info lately so I've been using this past week to get caught up on new stuff, rumors, etc. Gotta get ready!

I think this is an awesome epiphany and a good reminder. I'm glad that you're not dealing with chronic pain and that that trend continues onward.

ME TOO!!

Dawwwwwww!

Love the InB shorts and outfit - very cute! Running when it's hot/humid out is no joke, so I've just made a pact with myself of no judgment on my pace on those days. Which in FL turns out to be half the year, so what can you do? LOL re: Gisele/Zelly and dead drinking game.

Woot woot!

that is a good pact to make! I think I need to adopt that as well!

Good luck and if it's not fun, at least it's local, which means you get to go home sooner. But I think you're going to surprise yourself.

Thanks! That's a good point about getting home sooner! And Mr. A always takes me out for breakfast after a race, so I have delicious breakfast food to look forward to, too. [/QUOTE]

 

[dancingtodisney]

Running Blind - Week 5
Monday, August 1 - Sunday, August 7, 2016

Monday, August 1 (45 minutes @ Effort 1)
“Ah, Monday morning. Time to pay for your two days of debauchery, you hungover drones!”

^^if you can name the show that this quote is from, I think you’re a really cool person.

Do I get bonus cool points for responding with pictures??

New month, new bag - Harveys Disneyland 60 Dumbo Poster tote! With matching wallet! Ignore the creepy children’s faces.

Love this... especially the wallet!!!

And I’ll get to check out the outlets in person in a few short weeks...because I’m going to Disney World at the end of this month! I just found out that one of my BFFs is pregnant, so that calls for a girls weekend in WDW before 1. She’s no longer allowed to fly and 2. Before her Premier AP expires (same day as when mine expires - we bought them together during Disneyland Half weekend - so I get one more use out of it!).

This trip came together very quickly over the weekend, and I haven’t been to WDW since last April...which I know isn’t that long, but it feels like it’s been forever. So looking forward to this last-minute trip!

YAH!!!!!!!!
That's so exciting!!!!!

Where are staying? How long?! SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!!!!

I can't believe our trip is so close now! Only 2.5weeks! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

The fact that I’m feeling the numbness, and feel like it hasn’t been improving for me much, is what’s making me hesitate to cancel my September follow-up with Dr. Spine.

Not that I'm an expert of any sort but I would recommend you keep the appointment, you've come all this way and even if he does just tell you that it's a waiting game at least you have that as solid advice from the professional and you're not just left playing the guessing game but if not and he has some recommendations for you then you really want to get them... Obviously there may be other considerations such as cost etc.

Ok... I'm pretty sure I got this one

Random dog photo...because cuteness.

He is too cute!!!

I also took music with me - Disney Parks loops. I rarely listen to music when I run, but sometimes it's a nice treat. I heard some Animation Courtyard (RIP) music, Soarin'-area music, Muppets Vision 3D, etc. Solid line-up.

I was only just thinking about getting some Disney music to listen to in the build up to our trip, is Disney Parks Loops like a playlist on spotify or something??

Sunday, August 7 (rest)
I had plans to go to yoga this morning, but when I woke up my back was still sore/tired from the run, I guess. Mr. A says I need to actually start doing my back PT exercises again, and I agree - the runs are only going to get longer from here!

Mr. A has some sound advice there!!

Also, today I figured out how to stream live Olympics events on our Apple TV. This is nice since NBC seems to think I am only interested in like 3 sports in prime time. It will also kill any possiblity of my being productive for the rest of the day. Not even mad about it.

Next week - a race! I have a local 10K on Saturday. Not at all looking forward to it!

Continued in Next Post

LOVE watching all the gym stuff live! I'm a bit disappointment with the Olympics so far, I don't know if it's the same for you but it's really fallen flat here like nobody is talking about it and when I've watched it I've been really sad to see the stadium practically empty all time... There was such a massive buzz 4 years ago and I guess part of that was the location being London (not that I lived here at the time but I did visit) and this year there just isn't. I completely forgot about the opening ceremony and several times at the weekend I was thinking there is nothing good to watch not realising of course the Olympics was on!

On a light note...

WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY