2010 WISH Biography Thread~Stop by and Introduce Yourself!

[VernRDH]

I was reading the 2009 thread, and TigerLily suggested someone start a 2010 thread. So I figured I would get the ball rolling.

Here are links to the 2008 and 2009 threads.


So as for me:

My name is Veronica. I am a 39 year old mom, wife and dental hygienist. In 2006, I hit rock bottom, weighing in at 219 lbs (only 4'11"). In 2007, I started WW and a 10 week running program similar to C25K. I started running some local 5ks. But I really wanted to run the Disney Half Marathon by my 40th birthday. With my inlaws as my training partners, I ran my first half marathon in Sept of 2009 and ran the "Disney on Ice" half marathon this January. I am concentrating on losing the remaining weight (about 50 lbs) and am running the Disneyland Half in September and the Marine Corps Half in October. I have my sights set on Disney again, this time for the full marathon in 2013 (20th anniversary year, special bling!!).

Stop in and say Hi!!

 

[deleckidesign]

I'm in!!

27 years old and been married to my wonderful husband Doug (30) for 6.5 years. We live in the cold state of Michigan and have 2 beautiful cocker spaniel furbabies! I work as a graphic designer and my husband is an accountant.

2009 was a bad year for us -- we both lost our jobs and I lost both of my grandfathers...and ALMOST lost my grandmother...all in the span of 5 months! This was when we both decided it was time to take control of our health...and life! We both had excess weight we needed to shed. So over 8 months, we learned to eat right and exercise and it felt great! I lost 32 lbs and am finally to my goal weight.

I was a runner in high school, but stopped during college as life just got in the way! In high school track, I was a sprinter. Track coach talked me into cross country and told me it would help me during track season...so I said OK. Used to run 6 miles/day on a regular basis. Meets were all 5K. Ran in the Crim 5K back in 1997. Farthest I've ever ran is 8 miles...that was 10+ years ago. Looking forward to getting back into that groove where I feel like I can run forever!!

Planning on my first half marathon this May in Indianapolis. While on vacation in Disney World (I'm in WDW as I type this) and thinking about running, I decided to look up the WDW half marathon and decided it is a MUST! So, here I am

Not sure yet, but I told DH about it and he says he wants to do the HALF and the FULL. Wow, ambitious. We'll see...

 

[jmasgat]

Veronica I feel like I know you already, although I don't think we met this past year (BTW, love the "Disney on Ice" tag!) I'll have to catch you at DLR (assuming I get off the couch and sign up for it)

deleckidesign Welcome from another Michigander! (Beverly Hills) We'll give you lots of support and advice as you prep. I hope your 2010 is better than your 2009.

Maura

 

[liznboys]

Great idea Veronica! I hope all WISHers (old and new) post here!

I'm Liz and I'm 33 yrs old. I've been married for almost 12 years and I'm a SAHM to my 4 boys ages 10, 8, 5.5 and 3.5.

I first thought about running in 2007 solely because I wanted to run through WDW. Early last year the time was finally right and I began running on Feb. 22, 2009 by starting the C25K program. I completed that and did my first 5K on May 16th in 28 minutes. LOVED the race thing and knew running was something I wanted to stick with! I did my 2nd race called the Runway 5K at the Charlotte Airport on Halloween day last year. It is partly on a runway, really fun with the planes taking off and landing on the other runways nearby. And then my 3rd race was the WDW Half this year, I completed it and that was a dream come true!

My plan is to do the same two races I did last year (though the May one I will do the 10K instead of the 5K so I can get a proof of time for the Half, hoping to do the 10K in around 65 minutes) and I am registered to do the 2011 WDW half again! yay!!

 

[VernRDH]

Hi deleckidesign, Maura and Liz

Maura-look forward to seeing you at DL.

Liz-good luck with your races!! I am going to run a 10K in April, hoping to better my time for proof for DL.

 

[danmoss]

Hello All,

I am Dan and I am 35 (well 36 on Monday) and have been married to a great lady for the last 14 years and we have two wonderful children DD 12 & DS 10. I am in the Air Force and currently live in Virginia.

I started the new year with a resolution to get back into shape and to run the 2011 WDW full marathon. I have never been an avid runner, but have decided that this is a challenge I can look back on many years from now and say "wow, I ran a marathon" and what better place to do it than WDW. My wife calls this new quest an early mid-life crisis , but I look at it as a challenge.

My first ever race will be a 14K this Saturday and I am pretty excited. My only goal is to run/jog the whole thing and finish. I figured I will run a few small half marathons through the spring and summer and then around August/September start getting really serious about training for the full marathon. I am really looking forward to finding out any tips and recommendations to make this journey go a lot easier.

Nice to meet everyone

Dan

 

[liznboys]

Veronica~ Good luck getting your 10K time! I'm hoping to do mine in 65 minutes. My last one was 67 minutes (it was the WISH Virtual Turkey Trot) so I hope I can do that.

Dan~ I sent you a pm!

 

[VernRDH]

Welcome Dan!! Glad you stopped by.

I see we had lots of "looky loos" but nobody wants to post up Don't be shy, we don't bite!

Liz, my best time for the 10k distance is 64 minutes, did this on a training run in November. Would love to get closer to 60 and am hoping that the strength training and weight loss help towards that end. I am not built for speed (again only 4'11", short legs don't run fast). I think I look like a gazelle, when actually I look more like a walrus. But no matter, I get there eventually!!

 

[liznboys]

Liz, my best time for the 10k distance is 64 minutes, did this on a training run in November. Would love to get closer to 60 and am hoping that the strength training and weight loss help towards that end. I am not built for speed (again only 4'11", short legs don't run fast). I think I look like a gazelle, when actually I look more like a walrus. But no matter, I get there eventually!!

Well I am 5' 8.5" and you are faster than me!

 

[SamSam]

I'm Sharon, 56years old and married for 38 years. Yes, for you all doing the math, I was only 18 when we married. We have a 34 year old son, DIL, and 5 wonderful grandkids who live in Southern California, and a 29year old daughter and SIL who live about 2 hours from us, although, they will be moving to northern Utah in August. Needless to say we will be traveling for visits a lot.

Dh and I operated our own electrical contracting business for 20+ years, closed that 5 years ago and now operate our own business putting on Continuing Education Classes for Elec. Contractors craftsmen. Keeps us very busy!

I've always exercised, but the year I was turning 55, I decided I wanted to do one of the WDW races as a challenge to myself. Please substitute walk for run everytime I write run. I have finally decided I am a walker, occasionally I'm a wogger, but still mostly walking.

My first race was the Minnie 15K, then the 10K Race for the taste, and the last one was Expedition Everest last October. My next race will be my first half, the Food and Wine Half in October. I enjoy the WDW races, but other than that I'm not much of an event participant. I love walking outside, and am really looking forward to some decent weather so I can get back out.

DH and I love WDW and own at BCV and AKV, we go as often as we can but it's never often enough for us.

It's been great being part of the WISH team. This board has been very helpful and supportive.

Here's a pic of Dh (Mike) and me (Sharon).... 3 years ago.

 

[VernRDH]

Welcome Sharon!!

Walker, runner, wogger no matter, you are out there being active! Not all of us are speedy, but as long as you cross the start and finish vertically and under your own power, its a good day!

 

[carissanboys]

Hello Wishers!

My name is Carissa, I'm 35 (almost 36), and a homeschooling mom to three boys ages 9, 7, and 5. My husband and I have been married for 10 1/2 years. He is active duty navy and currently deployed to the gulf. This is his first time being stationed on a ship in almost 17 years of military service so we're all getting used to a different kind of life.

I've always struggled with my weight and decided that this year it was time to get serious. My friend Liz trained for and ran the half marathon at WDW last month and it gave me the idea and motivation to challenge myself to run it in 2011. My hope is that taking up running will be life changing for me. I want to get healthy and stay that way.

Here is my family - taken last year:

 

[niffynurl]

Hi all, my name is Barbara. I am 41, married 21 years, and have a 7 and 8 year old. I started walking last summer to go hiking and loved it after the first few weeks of torture. I wanted a challenge so signed up for the Princess 5k. Much to my surprise, I surpassed that goal and needed a new one. The Princess Half is my new goal. I am so excited about it and that tiara medal looks very sweet.

I did my first timed race last weekend. It was a 5k. My time was 48:03. I was walking, not ready for running yet. It was quite a feeling to do it and want to do it many more times. It feels so good going from couch potato to budding athlete.

 

[VernRDH]

Carissa and Barbara

Great goals for each of you wanting to complete a half marathon! Running at Disney is great, and what better way to see the parks then while running or walking or wogging or what have you.

Wish I could say see you there, but I won't be back to WDW until 2013 for the full. (unless I can talk DH into something else in the meantime, which I seriously doubt at this pont)

 

[eyor44]

HI! I'm Lisa and I met some of the Wish team this past January at POP the night before the 1/2. I did the half with my friend E. We did the 5K and 1/2. These were my very first races. I love it and I will be back next year.

Oh yes, I am 44, married for 16 years and have three kids. DS24, DS14 and DD7. I work full time outside of the home being Mom to 55 men who travel constantly around the world.

Can anyone point me in the direction of the pics that were taken at POP? I can't seem to find if anyone has posted one.

 

[Piglet24]

Hi WISHers.

My name is Regina and I am a newbie to WISH (I think I just signed up last week).

I am 25 and have been married to my amazing DH for 3.5 years. We are from Idaho. DH is very athletic and interested in fitness so working out is a priority for him. My current job is very stressful and I have gained 10-15 unwanted lbs since I have been working there. I wanted to lose what I gained to get back down to the size where I was comfortable and confident. Last summer, I tried to get into running but just couldn't get it to stick with me and fell off the wagon.

I love all things Disney and while surfing the DIS one day, came across the W&D in October. As I read about the 1st half marathon by Disney to be run at night, I felt myself instantly drawn to it and knew I wanted to make it a goal of mine! When DH got home from work I told him about it and he said let's do it! It will be our first race and we are very excited. I have been unhappy in my job for some time now and knew something needed to change and if it couldn't be my job (yet), it would have to be something I would enjoy and look forward to.

I have been running now for the last 6 weeks or so and am feeling good about reaching my goals since I now have something to work toward! I am finding that I am enjoying running and would really like to make this a lifestyle change and participate in more than one race. My dream is to run the Goofy in 2012. I am hoping being a part of this team will help hold me accountable for myself and encourage me to continue running even through the rough days.

 

[Irish717]

Hi All:

I think I'm finally in the right place! My name is John and I just signed up for Goofy 2011. I've run 6 marathons (2 Disneys) and have been running now for 22 years (which I can't believe).

I am an engineer by degree and profession - but I really like writing my bi-weekly sports column for our daily regional newspaper up here in southern Massachusetts.

I expect to pass thru here a lot on my way to Florida in January.

Thx!

 

[WVUFan]

Hi, everyone!

I'm a longtime lurker and a lifetime WDW fan. In January 2008, two of my friends and I decided to run the 2010 WDW marathon- they were runners and I was not. I finally started running in August of 2008 and love it!

Disney was my first marathon and I will be returning next year. I am running my fourth half-marathon tomorrow (and it will be around 23 degrees at the start. At least I wouldn't have to stand around for an hour an a half in the cold before the race like in January!)

I have a five year old daughter who also loves to disney.

 

[SkinsFan76]

Hi, my name is Jason and I'm a runner.

I'm 34 and have been married for 9 years. My wife and I have a 3 y/o son and currently live South of Cleveland, OH. I'm an engineer and move somewhat frequently for work. We've lived in IN, CA, MN, and now OH. My wife is a SAHM but used to teach elementary school (K, 1st, & 2nd).

I started running a little over 15 months ago now. Before that I've never seriously run. I swam in college, but stopped being active after I graduated. Then gradually, over the next 10 years I started putting on weight, peaking shortly after my son was born around 270 lbs @ 5'10". I then decided I needed to lose some of the weight and changed my diet for the next year and dropped about 85 lbs. I then started running and lost another 15 lbs. I've now held this weight for about the last 12 months.

I found a real joy in running. I keep challenging myself and have worked my way from doing a few 5k's to half marathons and sprint triathlons. I'm planning to run a full marathon this year (most likely Columbus, OH in Oct) as well as an Olympic Tri. It has been great to see my times drop from my first 5k almost a year ago to where I'm at today. I PR almost every single run and now consistenly finish top 3 in my age bracket in 5/10k's and top 10 in the halfs I've run. If I had any biking skills I might be able to really challenge on the tri's, since I still have a strong swim. Of course the best benefit is that I now am able to keep up with my son most of the time, even though I think he has an unlimted energy source some how.

One of the best side effects of my running is how other people have started as a result of what I've done. They started losing weight and running a couple of the 5k races with me. It really is infectious once you get in to it. Showing people that a good diet and excercise really does work if you stick to it has been kind of fun.

 

[nkkilala]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Nikki. I live in South west Michigan, yes directly in the lake effect snow bands!. I am 25 years old and am currently am a physical therapy technician, and am going to school in the fall to become a physical therapy assistant. I also dabble in the travel agent business on the side for fun!

I have been walk/running for 2 years now. I did my first Disney race in 2009, the 5K during the Princess Marathon weekend. I have done several other 5Ks here in Michigan.

I started walk/running because I needed to get my body in shape, not only for me but for the babies I want to have once I get out of school. Disney is a HUGE motivator for me so tying running to Disney really works for me! I am currently overweight (260lb) and hope that I will drop a few (yeah, like 50) pounds over the next year during training!

I signed up for the WDW 1/2 marathon in Jan to keep me motivated to achieve my fitness goals. I would have preferred to do the Princess 1/2, however, being accepted in the PTA program I will not be able to. Luckily the WDW 1/2 falls during my winter break. And there is not anything better than getting out of MI during the winter!

I can't wait to join a team and have some develop some accountability partners!