Hakuna Matada - Racing into January!

[es45]

Hello, everyone,

Rick, Mike, Dave, Vicky, Eva, and Kim: Great to meet you at the POP meet. Almost didn't make it in time; we hadn't even checked into the hotel yet and I had to run off to do that before dinner. I hope to join everyone for a meal next time as you are as great in person as you are on this board. Safe travels to you as you return home.

My half time (3:18) wasn't what I hoped for but I'm happy to have finished it. I can see why everyone loves the WDW marathon. It was beautiful weather and the crowds were fantastic. Congrats to everyone on your times; you all finished strong.

Tandy: Sorry to hear about the ultra, but I'm happy to hear that you'll be able to continue races and that you are healing.

Sue: Hope to see you in 2013!

AFM: Already back in the real world this morning. I'm walking the rest of this week and hoping to get in a run on Sunday. Gotta make my goal for the Princess in 45 days!

 

[es45]

Vicky: When you are back, please add the following to my race calendar:

Princess Half: 2/26

Cooper River Bridge Run 10k: 3/31

Cary Road Race 10k: 4/14

Myrtle Beach Diva Half: 5/20

Tower of Terror 10 miler: 9/29

Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon and 5k: 10/20 and 10/21

Thanks!

 

[bunnyfoo]

Just wanted to say hello! I'm over at AKL and I'm going to grab some zebra domes for the ride home. The ME is going to be here in a few hours... Boo! I had a blast meeting everyone over the past week! It's great putting real faces to names!

Will definitely do a RR when I get home! Chat soon everyone

 

[wilbur]

Good Afternoon Team!

Elizabeth, Congrats on your fantastic 1/2.
Looks like you have a great 2012 race calendar setup.

Safe travels to all...........Sue

 

[RunRookie]

I finally had the time to put thoughts to keyboard and complete a Race Report for Disney. There was so much awesomeness that I experienced during this weekend, and part of what made it so amazing was getting to meet so many WISHers, and putting faces (and real names) to those I have met here on the boards.

This was a life-changing event for me and I will never forget it. And I thank all of you for being a part of it and for being great supporters, advisors, and friends!

Walt Disney World Marathon Race Report

 

[rubato]

Good morning team. I hope everyone has made it home safely and feeling recovered completely.

Rick: Great RR and good job getting on the Marathon Show website! It sounds like you had an amazing time. My first half was just a little local thing, and it just didn't have the grand feel that doing it at Disney does. I was very happy that my first marathon was at Disney.

Sue: I would really like to do 2013, but it kind of depends on how all the vacations go this year. Now, we're talking about possibly waiting until 2014 because then my son could run the half with me and I could do the full alone the next day. We'll see.

Vicky: I was disappointed that I couldn't look Goofy results up by bib number, but since I know your name, I was able to see how great you did! Good job! How does it feel to be Goofy? Hope all the meets went well.

Elizabeth: Congratulations on getting it done. It's tough when you don't end up where you wanted to be, but you did it! Glad you got to meet so many of the team. I hope to make it next year, but will have to see.

Dave: Have you made it back yet, or are you still in line for Toy Story?

AFM: No running again. Tried on Wednesday morning and after 1 minute, I was done. The knee just isn't ready. So, I'm back to walking, icing and taking it easy.

I'm in full throttle mode right now trying to get everything ready before school on Tuesday. I have painted, finished the basement, worked on the closets, cleaned, cleaned and cleaned, gotten the Europe trip completely planned other than buying airfare (have to wait until Carsten gives us a definite yes), am finishing up Harrison's Denver trip, and hope to be done with the first Branson trip planning. That one isn't as big a deal. I already have the room booked and the season tickets purchased, just need to fill in here and there. I almost added another class to my schedule and then had a moment of clarity. I just can't do it and don't really know what I was thinking. My dream professor ended up with 2 openings, but I just don't think it'll work out.

Can't wait to hear how everyone's trip went. Race reports please......

 

[es45]

Hello, everyone,

What a beautiful day. Wish I could be outside instead of behind a desk.

Tandy: Wow, you and Lynn always tire me out with the amount of work that you get done in a day! When do classes start?

Rick: What a fantastic report! I'm happy that you had a great experience at your first half.

Sue:

Dave: Did you figure out what you were seeing at MK? That sounds like the Fantasyland expansion with a new Seven Dwarfs ride, a new Ariel attraction, and a castle for Belle and the Beast. I believe Dumbo is expanding too. The castle looked like a bit of an optical illusion when I ran by it on Saturday. Wondering just how big it really is. Safe travels!

AFM: I'll begin running again tomorrow. I'm down 5 pounds after my trip to the Mouse. It always happens, I eat better on vacation because I am not stressed.

Everyone in the house is sick except me. Taking it easy tonight and looking forward to a good run tomorrow. 42 days until Princess!

 

[windwalker]

We have returned from our Disney adventure. The battery in my mustang was dead and there are a few inches of snow on the ground. I hope that's all the surprises we find. We stopped at the market on the way home to buy healthy food for the week and sadly beer isn't part of that menu.

Hope everyone is home safe now except Mike who is leaving tomorrow. I'm glad him and Rick joined us.

Dave

 

[Lynn G]

Just a quick check in, we are sitting in the airport waiting for flight to Hawaii. We had a great cruise, great trip to WDW, great seeing everyone at Kona Cafe - can't believe Mike ate 2 ordered of Tonga Toast!!!

I will post again in a few days.

 

[Pudge_The_Fish]

Hello team!

Rick - WTG, what a great time on the HM!

Dave - They are expanding Fantasyland at MK. The castle is Beast's castle from Beauty and the Beast. There will be new rides and restaurants. The Dumbo ride will also be moved from its current location.

Elizabeth - WTG on the HM!

Tandy - Sorry about the ultra, but I'm glad you're healing.

AFM - Trying to get back into my normal routine since getting back Tues night. I have a lot of laundry to do this weekend and need to put the Christmas decorations away.

Overall, we had a good trip to Florida. We finished the half in 2:53. It wasn't the best race for us, due to several factors. My routine had been off for over a week and I hadn't been sleeping well, plus I don't think our training has gone as well as it has for previous races. But we finished under 3 hr which is what we wanted.

Now, we're working towards our C2C medal. We've decided we like the DL half better than WDW so I'm looking forward to it.

Have a good day!
Emily

 

[es45]

Hello, everyone,

Glad to hear that everyone is returning safely.

Emily: Great job on the half! Exactly what I wanted, under 3 hours. You must have passed me on the way to the finish. Or, I never managed to catch up to you Why do you like the DL half more? Is it the location?

Lynn: Can't wait to hear more about the trip and see some pics!

Dave: Get that laundry done. When you finish, be sure to stop by here and work on mine. I've been home since Tuesday and just found a bag that didn't get unpacked.

AFM: Woke up with horrible pain in my lower back. Stretching seems to be helping it so I don't think I need to see a doc. This is unusual for me so I decided to take it easy with a slow walk this evening and then I'll start running again tomorrow. 41 days until Princess!

 

[windwalker]

Is it just me or is it hard to get motivated to move at all the day after you return from vacation? Got all the chores done and the bills paid but finding energy and the desire to move has been rough. Good thing we walked an hour this morning before we did anything else. But healthy eating has gone well and everything is done. Maybe tomorrow I'll be feeling the Grrrrrrrrrr! again.

Dave

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hello team! I think almost everyone is back home now? Time flies and I can't believe the races and the trip are already done and over with! What a week! Where do I start?

I was on the same flight as Kim and Mike and they were nice enough to take me along to the airport with them! Yay! It was a 6:30AM departure which meant we had to be at the airport about 2 hours before departure. So if you work backwards ... I had to get up at ... well, let's just say I'm not a morning person on the best of days so it was on the cusp of being really early in the morning or really late at night But the nice thing about an early flight is that there's no traffic and the lineups at the airport move quickly.

On the flight I ended up sitting near a family who decided to put all their tiny child sized backpacks into the overhead compartment. Come on people! First time flying? Put them under your seats! I coulda shoulda woulda said something to them but seeing how I was already cranky, this was clearly not worth fighting over. I do believe it was their first time on a plane (at one point, they were yelling after the flight attendant down the isle for water right after take off). Anyway, Mike was nice enough to stash my knapsack down in a bin by him so I was good with that I slept the whole flight and a little over 2 hours later, we were in Orlando!

We picked up our bags and went off to get the rental car. I think it took us about 30 mins from the airport to Pop Century. There wasn't much of a line up and I was glad to hear that I had a room that was ready. A second CM put Kim and I into the same building! I told her that she was stuck with me for the whole trip (kidding!) We dropped our bags off and did a quick grocery stop. I went to Kona Cafe for dinner and the waitress was nice enough to send me back to the hotel with a giant pineapple bread roll and a container of sweet butter with macadamia nuts! So you know what I had for breakfast the next morning!

On Thursday morning, we met up with Dave and Sally and they drove the three of us over to the Expo. We had to split up once inside because the Goofy pickup was upstairs and the relay pick up was downstairs with the half and full. The pick up was fast and pain-free since we were there first thing! I walked next door to the goody bag pick up. I checked out the race merchandise but wasn't really impressed with anything. I didn't care for the the long sleeved "I did it!" Goofy shirts but I liked the "I did it!" Mickey shirts.

I walked around and found Kim and Mike over at the KT booth. Luckily there wasn't a lineup (that I could see) so I scootched in and got my ankle taped. I sweet talked the guy into taping both my ankles without having to buy any tape He used the new pro tape on my ankles and warned me that I would need baby oil to remove the tape or I'd risk taking off skin. Great. But as long as it lasted until Sunday, I would be happy! While I was getting taped, I got a surprise from Debra (deekaypee) who snapped a couple of pictures of me. The KT Tape guy said "Do you know her?" LOL We walked around the expo for a bit and then I met up with Regina and Kyle! They are so nice and easy going! We walked around the expo a bit more, did some shopping and headed back to Pop. We dropped off our goody bags, had a quick break and then we were off to Epcot. We had lunch at Sunshine Seasons. I like eating there because there's a little more variety than just hamburgers and fried foods. Walked around and did a few rides after lunch. I'll never quite figure out the line up for Soarin' ... or as I call it Snorin'

The three of us also went to Boma for dinner that night! If you've never been, I highly recommend it! I believe the roast beef and the desserts are always the same but menu rotates depending on which day you go. It's also not a bad way to carb load because there's a lot of rice, flatbreads ... and there's also a lot of sugar in their other foods. I'd love to go one time and tell them that I couldn't have any sugar and see what the chef would make. But then I probably couldn't have zebra domes

Friday morning was the day of our team breakfast at Kona Cafe. I was really looking forward to pancakes ... I mean meeting everyone! Just kidding We had three reservations and got three tables near each other but not exactly together. The assignor wasn't as accommodating as she could have been. We also got a nice surprise from Lynn and Scott who showed up at the meet! So when we took a group photo, we had almost everyone from the team! And I don't know if you remember Mike posting about eating two orders of Tonga Toast ... he wasn't kidding! After the breakfast, I headed over to MK to take a few photos and to go on a few rides. It was really crowded though - there was a 2 hour wait for Space Mountain and the ice cream parlor on Main Street was closed. So I got a pineapple float instead!

I went back to the resort, took a quick nap and then was off to the WISH meet at 4PM. I got to meet a few WISHers I chatted with on the boards. Even though I see pictures on Facebook or on the boards, it's always nice to put an actual face to the names! We did the giant group photo (which I'm trying to get a copy of) ... and then I was off to California Grill for dinner! I can't say that I've ever done fine dining before a race but there's a first time for everything! I stuck to an order of flatbread and sushi - I will have to remember to ask them to go a bit lighter with the wasabi on the nigirizushi because wow ... too much! I think I was in the middle of talking to Jeff when I suddenly looked like a cross between and

I thought about going to HS and seeing the Osborne Lights after dinner. I had never seen them before and REALLY wanted to go but figured sleep/rest was more important. If I had known they were still up, I would have headed over on Wednesday night. Maybe next year. I got a lift back to the resort and headed back to my room to get everything ready for tomorrow morning. I laid out my race clothes, pulled out my throwaway top, made sure my Garmin was charged, doubled checked for my sunglasses, hat, running shoes, running socks ... oh well, you guys know the routine And then I was finally ready for bed around 8:30PM. Does anyone actually sleep the night before a race

More to come...

 

[Hockeychic]

Hey everyone just a quick check in. We made it back, bumpy flight coming home but we are home. It was so good seeing everyone this past weekend, I always love marathon weekend. Will try to catch up tomorrow.

I am tired and sick. Started with the sore throat yesterday and full out cold today.

Kim

 

[bunnyfoo]

Ok the race calendar has been updated! Let me know if I mis-typed anything or have any dates, names, links down wrong. I have to say that it's only January and I am impressed by how everyone has got races they're registered for or are thinking about. You guys rock!!

Tandy - I'm sorry to hear about the ultra! For me, the Goofy was a huge commitment in terms of time. I can't imagine having your home, school and personal schedule and still being able to put in the mileage. If you trained for fulls or halves, I'll bet you'd be placing in your age group! I'm glad you have the Europe trip set up! Which country are you looking forward to most?

Ok, I'm going to go and post pictures from Disney. I got the ok from almost everyone to tag. If you don't want to be tagged, let me know and I'll remove them.

And if anyone wanted to be team captain for this year, let me know!

 

[bunnyfoo]

These are my photos more or less from last weekend...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.323338567700911.82340.100000743108717&type=1&l=dfc9e24932

I'll get a file sharing thing set up so that anyone who wants copies, can get one. I'll put the hi res versions on that site so that if you want to print them, they'll come out nicer.

 

[windwalker]

I started back training today. Went to the track for a warm up then 4.5 mile of fast but comfortable race walking and a cool down. Then a good stretching routine after some light calistetics.

I'm making an effort to get my eating as natural as possible. Things like butter instead of margerine, cage free eggs and checking labels for the least amount of ingredients.

Dave

 

[Hockeychic]

Hey everyone. Wow life is just crazy busy sometimes.

Went for my cholesteral check yesterday and he has put me on a low dosage med. Lipitor, he said my numbers are getting better but with my strong family history he thinks it is for the best. I got back in 2 months and I will knock his socks off with my lifestyle changes, it was good to know that some of the small changes I made did help my numbers so kicking it up should help even more. I want off these meds.....

So back to trainning for me also today. Did P90X Core workout I love this one.

Planning on cutting back on the races I wanted to do to concentrate on gtting my weight down. I am sure I told anyone who would listen that this weekend but need put it out there. Just doing a 1/2 in May and that is only if my friends from Maine decide to come up and do it and either Scotia or Niagara 1/2 in Oct. Scotia works well into my mararthon trainning but I have a few American friends who have show interest in the Niagara marathon so that might make the decision for me.

OK enough about me how is everyone doing since getting back? I haven't had a chance to really read the posts but one of my resolutions is to check in more often.

Have a super Tuesday all.

 

[es45]

Hi, everyone!

Kim: Good luck with the weight loss and making those lifestyle changes. You can do it!

Vicky: Great photos and report! Really hope to hang out more with everyone the next Disney race I attend to make it into a few of those photos too.

Dave: Grrr!

AFM: I am still experiencing lower back pain. It started a few days after I ran the half. Not sure if I did something in the run or pulled it at some other time.
Using ibuprofen and a heating pad but I would welcome any treatment suggestions. From all of my online reading about lower back pain and running, it appears to be a core strengthening issue.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hello team! I had my first gym workout since coming back from vacation! It was a butt kicker! I can usually do about 20 frog leaps across the gym without stopping but this time I had to stop halfway through. But it definitely feels good to be working out again!

Kim - You will definitely make huge changes and surprise your doctor the next time you go in to see him. Are the meds a temporary thing? I thought you looked fantastic when I saw you last week I have also found that training for races and weight loss do not always go hand in hand. It is definitely easier to focus on one or the other. Have fun with the PX90! Keep us updated on your progress!

Dave - I agree that clean eating is definitely the way to go. If a product has an ingredient on it that you can't pronounce, it's probably best to avoid it. If you come across any neat recipes be sure to share with the rest of us

I had the same motivational problems after I got back. But I have to say it was nice being able to sleep in on the weekend and walk around the house in my PJs drinking tea. I rarely get a chance to do that when I'm training.

Elizabeth - How's your back doing? Do you have a heat pack like a Magic Bag that you can use on it. Back pain is no fun! I've had it before in the past. I missed washing my dirty socks when I was doing laundry on the weekend so I'll have to wait for another load. How's your training going for the Princess half?

Emily - Congrats to you and Patrick on your half! It was fun seeing you on the course for the half and then again cheering for the full! I was so excited to see your sign! What do you like better about DL? I'd like to try and get out there for the half this year and earn my C2C medal Any recommendations for a DL hotel?

AFM - I love how everyone has their racing schedule planned for the year. It's motivating me to get out and decide what I want to do. But I've noticed that some of the races are getting pretty expensive - even the early bird pricing is up there. Yikes!

Then I happened to be in a meeting with an exec this morning who had some medals and trophies in his office. Me and my big mouth ... I ask him what they're for (the company dragon boat team) and before I know it, I'm more or less signed up for the team. I did sign up for the non competitive team so that I can don't have to do all their events. There are some races like the 30K and the DL 1/2 later in the summer that I definitely want to do. I figure if nothing else it will be good for networking. This was my manager's managers so it was difficult to say no. I might have to get some PX90 lessons from Kim since I have next to no upper body strength.

Have a great day everyone