A Pink Pixie Princess - Complete!

[Keels]

I will miss you.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I've also appreciated your insights. Hope things get better for you. Social media can offer many good things, but can also create artificial stress that we don't need in our lives. Hope to continue to see you around these boards with your experience and advice.

 

[rteetz]

Well its never easy when a race doesn't go as planned. I hope things get better for you. I really hope you still continue to be the amazing helpful person you are on the rundisney threads because this board needs people like you. Do what is best for you though. I really enjoyed reading about your experiences.

 

[roxymama]

I was not sure what to write, because I know it is selfish to want one of your favorite journaler/trip-reporters to keep on producing content...just like when you want your favorite tv show to not end. But I also 100% GET IT. It takes a lot of work and effort to journal, whether online or in a physical personal-journal at home that no one sees. Some days you want to share everything and other days you don't and many days you just forget it exists.
So what I do want to say is THANK YOU for being so encouraging and helpful and funny and REAL. It makes a difference to a lot of people and myself. But YOU GOTTA DO YOU! And this will always be here if you decide to use it again. I hope your run journey continues for you in a way that makes you happiest. I told my husband this weekend that I won't always want to keep getting faster or going farther...that one day I'm just gonna end up wanting to only run slowly and comfortably and scenic-ly, but I don't know what day that will be. And he said "cool"...so I'm saying to whatever you decide you want to do...Cool!

 

[Ariel484]

Well I'm not going to lie, this is pretty disappointing news! But, it's so important to listen to what feels right and good for you for following that. I totally get that this takes a lot of time to write up. I couldn't handle doing more than a one day TR from my Feb. trip haha I also can relate to taking a break from social media and the freedom you feel from it. I broke from Facebook this summer and it felt SO GOOD (though I still check it about once or week or so to keep up on distant friends) So bottom line, though I will miss your writing so much, I'm happy for you too!

Thank you!!

I do want to thank you for all you've given me and others who read your stuff. Your runDisney TRs (along with @ZellyB's!) are what helped me discover rD. And they motivated me to make them a reality. Also, the way you have handled your injuries and your perseverance of coming back to running is nothing short of inspiring-- even if you feel like you haven't come back all the way yet!

Honestly, I think that the injury comeback was a lot of what kept me writing this – I think I was hoping that this could be helpful to someone else and that I would have a happy ending to write about, so it feels weird to end it now when I’m not completely recovered yet. But it’s just time!

Good luck in your upcoming adventures. Hopefully I will still see you on instagram, and if we happen to do the same rundisney race in the future, here on the race weekend boards!

Thanks so much, I appreciate it. J I’m not quitting these boards or Instagram, so I’ll be around!

I thought I saw you at the race this morning but my social anxiety got the better of me so I didn't say hello. You looked like you were focused on the task at hand as well; but really that's just me making excuses.

I feel you on the social anxiety, trust me. I’m not sure I would have been much fun to talk to, I was very nervous for this race!

Mile 6 is where things started going not so hot for me as well. Course was a little hillier than I expected, but couldn't complain about the weather.

Yeah, me too! Just lots of rolling hills, almost? I thought the race itself was okay…I did think it was hilarious that it suddenly someone just shouted “GO!” and we were off!

Completely understand the decision to dial it back. I have a hard time carving out time to update my journal and I am nowhere near as in depth as you are with my updates.

Thanks so much. Yeah I think I can get “in depth” to a fault sometimes…it just got to be too much time for me (among other issues).

I'm sorry to hear that the race wasn't great, but yay for your farthest run of the year!

Yes, that is what I am choosing to focus on going forward!

I totally understand your reasons for stopping the thread (I had a fairly similar thought process with my journal a few months back, so I really get it). I'll miss seeing you around (I don't really frequent the race threads anymore, so I really won't see you around), but I think it's important that you're doing what's best for you. Good luck with everything!

YES! I actually went back to your thread before doing my own post and read your “end” post – I so admired you when you ended your journal for recognizing that it wasn’t working for you and just deciding to end it. So thank you for that!


I think I felt some kind of pressure to keep this thing going because I was hoping it would help someone else that was struggling, but recently I realized that it wasn’t helping ME anymore to put everything out there.


I do hope we can stay in touch. You really have been so supportive and encouraging over the past couple of months, and I so appreciate that. Thank you.

Yes, just the one outlet - they also had the Disgust rD shirt, which I wanted as well, but I have so many running shirts I couldn't justify it, even at that low, low price. I'm STOKED about the Dooney (especially after I saw the $188 original price tag!); I'd been eyeing Dooneys for years and never pulled the trigger because I just didn't think they were worth $200+ (IMHO), just because I'm picky about purses (I hate carrying them at all, so they need to fit my life). I'm thrilled that I got one for such a low price AND it's something that I quite love. Can't wait for October 1 when it's officially TNBC season!

SUCH a great deal – and I think I’m in the minority, but I do like the nylon fabric bags (I think the one you got is nylon?). With the coated cotton ones, you can have issues with the pattern chopping and things like that. To me, the nylon seems more durable, it still looks nice, and the darker color of your bag is great too because you don’t have to worry about, like, your jeans transferring color onto the bag or something like that.


^^These are the issues that got me to gravitate away from Dooneys…so annoying!!!

If you love MST3K, you'll definitely love it because they Riff on all sorts of popular movies, not just B-movies. DH and I quote the boys all the time, particularly from Twilight (like when there's an awkward silence, we'll say, "...line?") and since they're all from the Midwest, there are a lot of regional jokes like for Tommy Bartlett's Water Show (Wisconsin Dells) and the Corn Palace in SD. The best part is that most of the Riffs run $3-4 apiece (also there's a 15% off code this weekend: WORK). Cheap entertainment!

I’ll definitely have to check this out. Anything that rips on Twilight is good in my book!!

We've had a TiW for a few years now and have loved it, but managed to renew just before the last price increase (whew!). Our renew date is sometime in November, after which point we'll have to re-evaluate whether it's worth the cost.

The last time we have TiW, we were able to use it for Victoria & Albert’s, right before they took that place off of the list. AMAZING – paid for the card with just that meal (it was still $75 then). I’m so bummed that the price went up, because when we first started to go to WDW, we did the dining plan and then switched to TiW and liked that SO much better. I feel like maybe they’re slowly trying to phase it out.

I'm sorry your race was so tough, but this is definitely a positive thing to focus on! I remember when you first started posting about your injury and fears that you wouldn't run again, so this is HUGE. And sending a big virtual

because I know how tough it can be to not meet your own expectations after an injury or sidelining.

Thanks. I really, really did feel awful about it, and myself. And while I can recognize that I have come a long way since the initial injury, I’m sick of coming here and posting about how slow I feel, or how disappointed I am in my progress. I know you’re right that I need to focus on the fact that I CAN run when I didn’t think I’d be able to again, and I’m trying to do that, but I think I was starting to feel pressured (by no one but myself) to report more progress here, and that was starting to get to me.

I'm sorry to see the end, but I totally get it. I've thought numerous times about starting my own training log here, too, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up (heck, I can't keep up with keeping up lately! and this is one of my very favorite places on the internet). Once it becomes a chore, it's time to take a break. I have really enjoyed your trip reports (you'll still do those, I hope?) and this log, your writing style is by turns hilarious, poignant, and real. Hopefully you'll get some time to step back, refresh and rejuvenate, find things that fill you with much joy and then you'll be free to post again or not post again. Wishing you well on your future training and in life, and see you on the boards!

Thank you so much for such a nice comment, I really appreciate it. I don’t think the trip reports will be going anywhere.

Sorry the race didn't go as well as planned. No matter what I'm super proud of you.

I'm sad to see you've decided to end the thread. I've enjoyed following along your journey but I can understand your reasons. I wish you the best of luck! I hope to see you around all the other threads because you always have such great input. You've helped me immensely in my journey of RunDisney because of all of the posts you've made on here.

Thanks again for your help over the past few months, I really do appreciate it.


I’m not quitting the boards…I’ll be around.

I get deciding to end your thread - your updates each week are definitely very detailed. I only do monthly as that is all I could commit too.

Yeah, I thought about how you do your thread – I think you’re way smarter to have recognized your limits time-wise early on. There were other factors behind my wanting to end the thread, but the time suck was definitely a big issue.

Congrats on getting to double digits! Don't beat yourself up for not doing as well as you think you were going to do! You finished and that is something to be proud about!

Thank you – I KNOW you are right and I am trying to remind myself of that. I am not as upset about it today as I was Sunday/yesterday...progress?

Hope you continue with the yoga to help strengthen your mind and body

Um, ME TOO. I have been AWFUL about getting to yoga lately and that is a problem. I am signed up for classes on Friday and Sunday!

Great job on finishing a 10 miler! I have greatly enjoyed your journal and trip reports but I can imagine they are a lot of work and time, wishing you all the best.

Thanks so much – wishing you the best too with your Tink training.

Thanks for all the fun! I appreciate the time that went into these reports. You have a gift for journaling.


See you around!

Thanks so much, I appreciate it!

@Ariel484 I'm sorry to hear that you're ending your journal and will miss the updates, but I understand that it must take a lot of time. Good luck with your continued training, and I hope things move in the right direction for you. Congrats on finishing the 10-mile race, even if it didn't go as you hoped.

Please pop into the Wine and Dine thread when you get a chance and let us know how it's going. Perhaps I'll see you there in November.

Thank you! I’m thinking that by ending this thread I’ll have more time for the race threads, so you’ll see me around in the W&D thread. [/QUOTE]

 

[Ariel484]

I will miss you.

You will miss me…until January.

I've also appreciated your insights. Hope things get better for you. Social media can offer many good things, but can also create artificial stress that we don't need in our lives. Hope to continue to see you around these boards with your experience and advice.

YES to the bold portion in your comment. Sometimes I don’t think I’m cut out for social media AT ALL...

I’m still planning on hanging around!

Well its never easy when a race doesn't go as planned. I hope things get better for you. I really hope you still continue to be the amazing helpful person you are on the rundisney threads because this board needs people like you. Do what is best for you though. I really enjoyed reading about your experiences.

Wow, thanks Ryan. I really think that may be one of the nicest things someone has ever “said” to me here.

I was not sure what to write, because I know it is selfish to want one of your favorite journaler/trip-reporters to keep on producing content...just like when you want your favorite tv show to not end. But I also 100% GET IT. It takes a lot of work and effort to journal, whether online or in a physical personal-journal at home that no one sees. Some days you want to share everything and other days you don't and many days you just forget it exists.

The TV show analogy is hilarious.

Thank you for GETTING it. I think the days of my wanting to share everything are behind me (I mean, not like I shared 100% of my life before, but it’s time to pull back).

So what I do want to say is THANK YOU for being so encouraging and helpful and funny and REAL. It makes a difference to a lot of people and myself.

I hope so! That is something that was surprising to me when I started sharing how frustrating it was to feel slow and wonder if I even wanted to run anymore – that other people felt the same way (either saying so here in this thread or via PM). It was comforting to know that it wasn’t just me feeling this way. Right now I don’t think it’s best for me to continue updating here regularly, but for a while, it did really help to have this space to vent and commiserate/get encouragement. For that, I am very grateful.

But YOU GOTTA DO YOU! And this will always be here if you decide to use it again. I hope your run journey continues for you in a way that makes you happiest.

I think it will. I have a plan of attack going forward that I am happy with!

I told my husband this weekend that I won't always want to keep getting faster or going farther...that one day I'm just gonna end up wanting to only run slowly and comfortably and scenic-ly, but I don't know what day that will be. And he said "cool"...so I'm saying to whatever you decide you want to do...Cool!

Supportive husbands are pretty great, no? As are supportive friends… Thank you!!!

 

[dancingtodisney]

Ok first off... you know how much I love your journals and how inspiring you are and I genuinely think you're some sort of superwomen for putting in all the training you do and recording it all and everything but you are so right to step away from it if your heart is not in it. I know that sometimes writing about how something is going when it's not going in a way that makes you want to tell the whole world can be stressful and upsetting and as much as I love your updates I would hate to think of you feeling that way.

Secondly... your Disney trip!! The real reason you're on here anyway right?!

Really enjoyed reading your mini trip report, I'm also home now (sadness) but have Disneyland Paris in two weeks so I'm focusing on that now lol

As you know we were in MK the same night as you but MAN it was crazy busy, we actually left while wishes was on because we'd be up like 22hours at that stage! ALSO... we were in MK the next morning too on your last day AND we went to Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch!! We were there around 12.30 I think!! Even more weird... we got the Colony salad and the sticky toffee pudding... no jokes...!

Wishing you all the best with your training and I'm sure I'll catch you around some other threads on here. Thank you so much for sharing...

 

[ZellyB]

Congratulations on finishing the 10-miler. Rocking the Red Robot singlet for sure. I'm sorry it wasn't what you hoped for, but still a great job in finishing and the furthest you've been able to go since your injury. YAY!!! I know it's been a frustrating recovery for you, but I'm really proud of how you stuck with it and were SMART about how to come back properly. That takes a lot of mental fortitude and you've got that in spades. Well done and I know you'll continue to improve and grow stronger.

I'm also sad to have one of my favorite threads come to an end, but as everyone else has said it's completely understandable. I love reading what you write, so I'll miss your updates here, but anytime something like this becomes a chore or something that doesn't make you happy, it's time to stop. I admire that you recognize that and I especially admire that you put it out there so people weren't left hanging.

I'll look forward to reading along with you on other threads and maybe get a chance to see you in January. Namaste, Lady!

 

[Keels]

You will miss me…until January.

Reunited and it will feel SOOO goooood!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

I don’t think the trip reports will be going anywhere.

[/QUOTE]

Yay!!

 

[Ariel484]

Ok first off... you know how much I love your journals and how inspiring you are and I genuinely think you're some sort of superwomen for putting in all the training you do and recording it all and everything but you are so right to step away from it if your heart is not in it. I know that sometimes writing about how something is going when it's not going in a way that makes you want to tell the whole world can be stressful and upsetting and as much as I love your updates I would hate to think of you feeling that way.

Thanks so much, Karen. That is really nice of you to say.

Secondly... your Disney trip!! The real reason you're on here anyway right?!

Really enjoyed reading your mini trip report, I'm also home now (sadness) but have Disneyland Paris in two weeks so I'm focusing on that now lol

AHHH I can't wait to hear about Paris! You guys are going to have so much fun. I'm already jealous of your bling.

As you know we were in MK the same night as you but MAN it was crazy busy, we actually left while wishes was on because we'd be up like 22hours at that stage! ALSO... we were in MK the next morning too on your last day AND we went to Liberty Tree Tavern for lunch!! We were there around 12.30 I think!! Even more weird... we got the Colony salad and the sticky toffee pudding... no jokes...!

MK is just the place to be, no?

How funny that you were at LTT the same day! I'm telling you, Colony Salad and Ooey Gooey Toffee cake - lunch of champions!!

Wishing you all the best with your training and I'm sure I'll catch you around some other threads on here. Thank you so much for sharing...

Back at ya! I'm not going anywhere, don't you worry!

Congratulations on finishing the 10-miler. Rocking the Red Robot singlet for sure. I'm sorry it wasn't what you hoped for, but still a great job in finishing and the furthest you've been able to go since your injury. YAY!!! I know it's been a frustrating recovery for you, but I'm really proud of how you stuck with it and were SMART about how to come back properly. That takes a lot of mental fortitude and you've got that in spades. Well done and I know you'll continue to improve and grow stronger.

Yeah, looking back I think there are quite a few things that I could have done differently to make this race go better...what can ya do? Just learn from it and more on, I guess (and, full disclosure, have a good cry about it ).

It HAS been frustrating. I've considered quitting multiple times and looking into trying different activities to keep up with exercising. If I weren't signed up for (quite a few) upcoming Disney races, I very well may have quit by now. But I feel much better about things today. I think having a fresh start with a new (old to me) training plan, and knowing that my #1 goal right now is Goofy and not some race where I am putting pressure on myself to run a certain time is doing wonders for me.

I'm also sad to have one of my favorite threads come to an end, but as everyone else has said it's completely understandable. I love reading what you write, so I'll miss your updates here, but anytime something like this becomes a chore or something that doesn't make you happy, it's time to stop. I admire that you recognize that and I especially admire that you put it out there so people weren't left hanging.

Thanks! I said upthread that I really admired and appreciated the way @SarahDisney ended her WISH journal...that was what I had in mind when ending this one. Plus, I have "known" quite a few of you for awhile now, and I do appreciate the encouragement I've gotten here this year, so it didn't seem fair to just stop posting with no explanation.

I'll look forward to reading along with you on other threads and maybe get a chance to see you in January. Namaste, Lady!

I hope so!! Namaste!

Reunited and it will feel SOOO goooood!

Yay!!

 

[steph0808]

I'm sorry your race didn't go as well as you had hoped. It always sucks when that happens.

I'm totally bummed that you are ending your report, but I can understand it. Your reports are the only ones I follow here on DIS, and I'm sad to see them go.

Maybe someday I'll get back for another Disney race and we'll be able to meet up. (2018 marathon?)

 

[Ariel484]

I'm sorry your race didn't go as well as you had hoped. It always sucks when that happens.

I'm totally bummed that you are ending your report, but I can understand it. Your reports are the only ones I follow here on DIS, and I'm sad to see them go.

Maybe someday I'll get back for another Disney race and we'll be able to meet up. (2018 marathon?)

Thanks Steph. Looking back, I think if I'ad adjusted my expectations for that race, I wouldn't have been as upset. It was a good learning experience.

Thanks for understanding! I'm still planning on doing trip reports so I'm not totally disappearing.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do for 2018 just yet, but I'd love to meet up!

 

[girliea]

Well I'm not going to lie, this is pretty disappointing news! But, it's so important to listen to what feels right and good for you for following that. I totally get that this takes a lot of time to write up. I couldn't handle doing more than a one day TR from my Feb. trip haha I also can relate to taking a break from social media and the freedom you feel from it. I broke from Facebook this summer and it felt SO GOOD (though I still check it about once or week or so to keep up on distant friends) So bottom line, though I will miss your writing so much, I'm happy for you too!

I do want to thank you for all you've given me and others who read your stuff. Your runDisney TRs (along with @ZellyB's!) are what helped me discover rD. And they motivated me to make them a reality. Also, the way you have handled your injuries and your perseverance of coming back to running is nothing short of inspiring-- even if you feel like you haven't come back all the way yet!

This...

Sorry the race didn't go as well as planned. No matter what I'm super proud of you.

I'm sad to see you've decided to end the thread. I've enjoyed following along your journey but I can understand your reasons. I wish you the best of luck! I hope to see you around all the other threads because you always have such great input. You've helped me immensely in my journey of RunDisney because of all of the posts you've made on here.

and This....

I will miss you.

and especially This....well, you get the point!
But I can't wait to see you on the threads just commenting, and who knows-I'm planning to do Dopey 2018 with DS and hope to bump into you!
The absolute best to you Ariel484

 

[CherieFran]

I've really enjoyed following along with your journal. Looking forward to seeing you around the other threads and definitely looking forward to future race reports!

 

[camaker]

The end.

And with that race report done...I'm ending my thread here. There are a variety of reasons as to why I'm doing this, but the biggest ones are...

It's become a chore for me.
It takes a decent amount of time.
I've increasingly become interested in pulling back on Social Media.
Related to the first point above...it's a lot more fun to write about running when running is going well.

Along with some other reasons I won't get into here.

This is something I've been thinking about for a bit now, and something that I decided on this morning during the drive to my race. Though, not gonna lie...I wasn't looking forward to coming back her to "report" that the race didn't go well.

I still plan on staying involved in various race weekend threads here in the runDisney section, but keeping THIS thread is something that I just don't think I want to do anymore.

I want to thank all of you who have followed along and left comments - ESPECIALLY during the beginning of this year when things were so difficult for me. Your encouragement and support has meant the world to me, and I appreciate you all so much.

See you around the boards!

I'm so disappointed to hear this! It's been fun reading through your reports, but I can certainly see how it could become a time sink, especially as busy as you are overall! On a more important note, who's going to turn me on to new gear now!?!? Five InknBurn shirts and a Hydraquiver later...

 

[Ariel484]

This...

and This....

and especially This....well, you get the point!
But I can't wait to see you on the threads just commenting, and who knows-I'm planning to do Dopey 2018 with DS and hope to bump into you!
The absolute best to you Ariel484

Thanks so much! I'm still not sure what my plans are for 2018 yet but I'm always up for bumping into DIS-ers!

I've really enjoyed following along with your journal. Looking forward to seeing you around the other threads and definitely looking forward to future race reports!

Thanks! AHHH your race is coming up so soon! You're gonna crush it!

I'm so disappointed to hear this! It's been fun reading through your reports, but I can certainly see how it could become a time sink, especially as busy as you are overall! On a more important note, who's going to turn me on to new gear now!?!? Five InknBurn shirts and a Hydraquiver later...

Shall I PM you with future product recommendations??! Maybe this thread ending will be good for your bank account!

 

[Pudge_The_Fish]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights! I've really enjoyed reading along, but understand your reasons for ending your report. Best of luck in your training and upcoming races!

 

[BigEeyore]

I totally get it but I will miss reading along! I will look forward to future TR's and maybe even getting to say hi to you at a rD race someday. You have really come so far from a pretty devastating injury, and you were smart about managing your recovery. Congrats on your 10 miler, even though it didn't go quite the way you had hoped, you got thru it (and the red robot looks awesome on you!). Thanks for all the time you have put into this thread and all of your other TR's, I have really enjoyed reading and have been inspired to do my first half marathon...then my first marathon...then Dopey! Just seeing it "first hand" thru your training and racing made me feel like I could do it too - so thank you!!

 

[Ariel484]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights! I've really enjoyed reading along, but understand your reasons for ending your report. Best of luck in your training and upcoming races!

Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate it!

I totally get it but I will miss reading along! I will look forward to future TR's and maybe even getting to say hi to you at a rD race someday. You have really come so far from a pretty devastating injury, and you were smart about managing your recovery. Congrats on your 10 miler, even though it didn't go quite the way you had hoped, you got thru it (and the red robot looks awesome on you!). Thanks for all the time you have put into this thread and all of your other TR's, I have really enjoyed reading and have been inspired to do my first half marathon...then my first marathon...then Dopey! Just seeing it "first hand" thru your training and racing made me feel like I could do it too - so thank you!!

I feel so silly saying it, but the injury really was devastating to me. I'm glad I wrote about it here, though - it's helpful to me on days when I'm feeling upset about my progress to go back and see that, yes, I really have improved over the past year.

I do love the red robot! I should have really gone for it and worn the capris as well. Missed opportunity!!

Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it.