Poppy Ran Me Over With His Scooter - A PHM Trip Report UPDATE!! 7/23 Pg. 21

[SkubaDis]

I'm excited to hear all about the half marathon! I've decided I'm going to do it next year!

 

[caralyn817]

I just found you and am hooked. I can't wait to read your report.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Joining in! Can't wait for all magically crazy fun!

 

[MEK]

Thank you for personally sending me the link so I didn't have to search for your TR. I need all the help I can get, as we know.

Thank you for introducing the cast of characters because, as Cynthia and I were joking between ourselves one evening, we really weren't sure how everyone was related to everyone. Now I think I FINALLY have it straight.

For the record - Rick will always be Popadon to me!

I completely forgot that your mom ran the 5K. I don't think I ever congratulated her. That is awesome!

I know exactly how your felt at mile 10.5. I was so miserable by then. Mile 10 and 11 were so AWFUL. I'm considering doing it again next year. I am going to make the reservation next week, but Denny wants to do the 10K so he is trying to talk me into that. But there is NO WAY I could do both, so we shall see.....

 

[DVCWDWMEMBER]

Thank you for personally sending me the link so I didn't have to search for your TR. I need all the help I can get, as we know.

Thank you for introducing the cast of characters because, as Cynthia and I were joking between ourselves one evening, we really weren't sure how everyone was related to everyone. Now I think I FINALLY have it straight.

For the record - Rick will always be Popadon to me!

I completely forgot that your mom ran the 5K. I don't think I ever congratulated her. That is awesome!

I know exactly how your felt at mile 10.5. I was so miserable by then. Mile 10 and 11 were so AWFUL. I'm considering doing it again next year. I am going to make the reservation next week, but Denny wants to do the 10K so he is trying to talk me into that. But there is NO WAY I could do both, so we shall see.....

It was really great to see you Mary Ellen. I would love to be there for the next race but unfortunately January doesn't work for me. I can't take the time at work because of deadlines. Danielle and Rick will be there for the Donald race in january.

 

[IheartDDuck]

Can't wait to read more about your adventures! The fun video clips, Papadon and Joaquin faces, And a run (holy well done) report!

I'm glad that you've hopped on board! The trip was a lot of fun, if a little bit stressful. But it all worked out in the end.

I was following along, okay, really lurking on your last TR and am looking forward to hear all about your adventures!

Well I'm glad you decided to come out of lurkdom for this one.

I'm excited to hear all about the half marathon! I've decided I'm going to do it next year!

Yay! Doing the half marathon is a lot of work, but very rewarding as well. I'm so glad you've decided to do it!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I just found you and am hooked. I can't wait to read your report.

Glad to have you here!

Joining in! Can't wait for all magically crazy fun!

Hi Phil! I'm glad you're hopping on board for the craziness.

Thank you for personally sending me the link so I didn't have to search for your TR. I need all the help I can get, as we know.

Thank you for introducing the cast of characters because, as Cynthia and I were joking between ourselves one evening, we really weren't sure how everyone was related to everyone. Now I think I FINALLY have it straight.

For the record - Rick will always be Popadon to me!

I completely forgot that your mom ran the 5K. I don't think I ever congratulated her. That is awesome!

I know exactly how your felt at mile 10.5. I was so miserable by then. Mile 10 and 11 were so AWFUL. I'm considering doing it again next year. I am going to make the reservation next week, but Denny wants to do the 10K so he is trying to talk me into that. But there is NO WAY I could do both, so we shall see.....

Of course! I figured out everything with the links finally. I had a brain fart before and was trying to do them the old way.

We had too many people to keep straight, I totally understand why you guys would have to discuss to figure out who was who.

He'll be Popadon to a lot of people I think. LOL.

She did! That's okay, I'm sure she didn't even realize it. There was so much going on the entire trip.

Mile 10 onward for me were miserable. I walked so much during those last three miles. I was disappointed with it, but that's okay. It was my first and it can only get better from here. I didn't get swept and that more than anything is what matters.

I know a lot of people who walked a lot of the 10k, so if you do end up getting roped into both, just walk it!

It was really great to see you Mary Ellen. I would love to be there for the next race but unfortunately January doesn't work for me. I can't take the time at work because of deadlines. Danielle and Rick will be there for the Donald race in january.

It was great to see everyone!

I wish you could come down. Maybe we can figure something out.

 

[annmarieda]

I'm considering doing it again next year. I am going to make the reservation next week, but Denny wants to do the 10K so he is trying to talk me into that. But there is NO WAY I could do both, so we shall see.....

Wouldn't doing both mean you would be doing the glass slipper challenge? I think the best merchandise was for the challenge. I totally think you could do both! Just walk when/if you need

 

[Queenofallthings]

Hey girl! So excited to see another TR from you! Not on here much, but when I pop in I'll be sure to catch up! Great start!

 

[JessseJ]

I'm following along! I hope to do one of the Disney races someday soon, I can't wait to see how it went for you!

 

[JKSWonder]

I started running in November. Amazingly, I've gone from "Oh God, I think I'm going to die!" to "Oh God, I actually ran five miles!" much quicker than I thought was possible. I would love to do one of the RunDisney events one day.

 

[Gracefulskinny]

Joining in caint wait!

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

I finally made it... And I can't wait to read all about it!!!

 

[Mom2m&k]

No idea how I ended up first...but super excited about my Papadon pic! Can't wait to start reading your trip report!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Wouldn't doing both mean you would be doing the glass slipper challenge? I think the best merchandise was for the challenge. I totally think you could do both! Just walk when/if you need

Yes! I think Mary Ellen can definitely do both!

Hey girl! So excited to see another TR from you! Not on here much, but when I pop in I'll be sure to catch up! Great start!

Jacquie!!! I'm so glad you're here.

I'm following along! I hope to do one of the Disney races someday soon, I can't wait to see how it went for you!

Yay! Disney races are so much fun. Even though at times it may seem like it wasn't fun, but it is.

I started running in November. Amazingly, I've gone from "Oh God, I think I'm going to die!" to "Oh God, I actually ran five miles!" much quicker than I thought was possible. I would love to do one of the RunDisney events one day.

Good on you! It really does start like that. When I first started, it was a struggle, because it was for weight loss too. So I couldn't even run for 2 minutes. But the work paid off. You should definitely do one.

Joining in caint wait!

Thanks for joining! I can't wait to share.

I finally made it... And I can't wait to read all about it!!!

I'm glad you're here Nancy.

No idea how I ended up first...but super excited about my Papadon pic! Can't wait to start reading your trip report!

Hey, I've been first before on others TR's, and didn't even know how it happened.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I'm here Danielle!!!! 2 Trs at one time??? Count me IN! This sounds like such an exciting trip!!!

 

[IheartDDuck]

Departure Day - Tuesday February 17, 2015

"But....What If I Suck?!"

The day had finally arrived. The day where I was finally getting ready to leave to run the Princess Half Marathon. This day felt like it was a long time coming. Yes, I go to WDW frequently and I'm very blessed and fortunate to be able to do so. But this. This was the culmination of what I've been working on. The hours of training. The miles on the ground. It was all coming to fruition.

It was an exciting and terrifying moment at the same time.

What if.......

I SUCK?!

Zack Attack will tell it like it is.



What if I don't finish? All of these things have run through my head at one time or another. Today was no different.

To explain to those who aren't aware of my journey up until this point, I'll share briefly. And let me quantify, it's still a journey. I'm not done, not by a long shot. I still have a lot to work on.

Around 2 years ago, I was at the heaviest weight I'd ever been. I have a job where I sit down, like most people. And I gained weight while at this job, like most people do. Fast forward to 2 years ago, and I was heavy. Unhappy. And depressed. I knew something had to change.

So I started by making small changes. Diet was the first one. But I knew that I had to start exercising. The problem was that I didn't know what I wanted to do. The idea of doing videos all the time, or getting on an elliptical just bored me. I didn't know what to do.

Jeni, my sister-in-law had started running and really enjoyed it. I thought it was something I could try. Something that I can get better at. You who read my TR's know I'm competitive. So why not set my sights on something that I can get better at right? You can beat times, get faster, you name it, the results are endless. So I started running. I picked a Couch to 5k and I started running. And you know what?

I WAS TERRIBLE!

This is what I felt like.



I'm not exaggerating, I was awful. I couldn't even run for a minute without getting completely and utterly out of breath. And I wasn't running fast at all!

But I didn't give up. That would have been the easy thing to do. That's what I likely would have done in the past. But at this point in my life, I knew that wasn't an option. So I kept on.

Jeni helped me immensely. We used to run together outside a minimum of three days a week. I made it about halfway through the C25K program, and I was done with it. I just wanted to see what I could do outside. It was gradual. First I could run for 5 minutes without stopping. Then 6. Then 7. Before I knew it, I ran my first mile without stopping.

Words cannot describe the accomplishment that I felt from this. It was something I'd never done!

After that, Jeni and I registered for my first 5k. It wasn't a great one. It also wasn't terrible. I finished in 45 minutes. Respectable I thought considering that I'd never run before. (My fastest 5k to date currently is just under 39 minutes).

For those non-runners who think that shaving 6 minutes off of a 5k time really isn't much. They can shut their pie-hole. 6 minutes in running is HUGE! A minute is HUGE!

Running my first 5k fueled my fire. I wanted to do more. So Jeni and I registered for more and more races. We did virtual runs, regular runs, anything.

Injury happened, I'm not going to lie. Every runner struggles with something. I struggle with calf pain and strains. I mitigate that by wearing compression while I run. But when I first got into it, I constantly strained my calf muscles. I also made the mistake of trying to add too much mileage too soon. That's a surefire way to strain a muscle.

All last year, I focused on incremental mileage increases. No more than 10% increase per week. I ran a 10k as a qualifier so I could get into a different corral. I also ran a quarter marathon. I really didn't want to be in the last corrals with no proof of time. And I did it! It took effort, but I did it.

Before my Dad ended up in the hospital in January, the longest distance I had run was 11 miles. On a treadmill no less.

The end state of all this? My transformation is real. And it took work. And effort. And I'm still not done.



Sorry for the long drawn out story, but believe me. This half marathon was a long time coming. This was the end state of my work. The start of a new chapter. See, because if I could do this half marathon. It meant that I could do more half marathons! And get better at them.

So here we are, to February 17, 2015.

I had taken a half day at work. My flight was leaving Milwaukee at 4:35pm, so I worked 8am to 12pm. Mom and Pop were already in WDW, as they had to drive because of Pop's surgery.

My boss is the kind that freaks out whenever I'm not at work. He is very dependent on me. Some would say that it's a good thing, because you have job security.

I say it's more annoying. I also have to hear from my team the he freaks out when I'm not there.

Oh well. I didn't care on this day. I was outta here.

My oldest brother Chris was picking me up at my house at 1:45pm so he could drop me off at the airport. We were also going to swing by the Jelly Belly factory on the way up there, so I could get caffeinated sports beans for the race.

Oh yes. You heard me.

Jelly. Belly. Factory. By my house.

My pup was already at her adopted Mom's house, as she was picked up the night before. I had my kitty all taken care of, so I just needed to put together some last minute items and then wait for Chris to show up. He was right on time, but that's no surprise.

Chris always runs 10 minutes early. My brother Jason. Runs on Jason time, which tends to be like 45 minutes behind.

We drove up and stopped at Jelly Belly first, and I was in and out in about 5 minutes. Soon we were at the airport and I was ready to go. I thanked Chris for dropping me off. I wished he could have come along, but he was going to watch the live feed from home.

TSA was uneventful and in no time I was sitting at the terminal. Flight was basically on time, 10 minutes delayed, so no biggie.

So here I am, sitting in a completely open terminal area, seats everywhere. Lady comes in. Where does she sit.

Right next to me. Personal space much?! Come on! There are seats everywhere, with no one around, and you HAVE to sit next to me?

For clarification.



Thank you.

To add insult to injury, she smelled like food. Onion to be specific. It wasn't a pleasant aroma.

My exact conversation with my Momma:

Me: Tell me why I'm waiting for the plane, there are open seats everywhere, and this lady sits next to me smelling like onions?!

Momma: Bahahahahaha. So sorry.

Mom obviously really cares about my well being, as evident by the fact that she laughs at me often during text conversations.

Suddenly, there was excitement at the gate. Sheriffs came up putt no where and so did a lot of airport staff. They cleared people away from the seats that were close to the jetway.

Onion lady: I wonder who's coming off the plane?

Me: Maybe a convicted felon?

Onion lady: Oooohhh, maybe?!

It wasn't actually. Apparently someone had a medical emergency on the plane that was coming in, and they needed to get them off of the plane immediately when they landed. And being the expert eavesdropper that I am, I overhead that the lady had basically been unconscious at some point during the flight.

Me to Onion Lady: Maybe that's their way of hiding the fact it's a convicted felon.

Soon we were boarding, and I got primo Southwest boarding position A17. Which got me this.

Oh yeah. Exit row baby!



The flight was pretty uneventful, but the guy who sat next to me was the kind that takes both armrests. Ugh, what is that?! And I don't mean to be gender specific but for real, the people that I've encountered that do it. Guys. All guys.

There was some rain coming in while we landed, so the descent into Orlando was a little rough. Nothing too crazy though. We landed around 8:45pm, so about 20 minutes behind.

I texted Mom.

Me: Momma. Landed. Gotta potty. Deplaning.

She and Pop were already waiting for me in the main area. Thankfully, I had no luggage to pick up, since Mom and Pop brought it with them when they drove down. Woooo hoooo.

I had one stop to make though before we left the airport.



I was hungry!

On the drive to WDW, Mom filled me in on what they'd done since they'd gotten there the night before. Basically nothing. Haha. Apparently at first, Pop told Mom maybe he didn't need the scooter. And then he had to walk from Kidani to Jambo. And reality hit him in the face. He got tired.

I told him the scooter was more of a security blanket than anything else, and that we would drive if he didn't want to sometimes.

Soon we were here!



And then we were at Kidani Village.



Yeah, that's like the only picture I took.

Mom had already sweetly unpacked me, even though I told her she didn't need to do that. So what was my first order of business before going to sleep and settling in for the night?

Oooohhhhh yeahhhhh.



I was there! And the rest of our group was set to arrive the next night!

Up next: I AM THE HOLDER OF THE MAGIC BANDS!

 

[IheartDDuck]

I'm here Danielle!!!! 2 Trs at one time??? Count me IN! This sounds like such an exciting trip!!!

Sadly I am notorious for running 2 at a time. Technically I could have 3, because I took a trip over New Years too!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Not going to comment too much on your journey (I mean, you don't me to tell me how awesome you are and you are doing) but it is great you found something you could stick with it and is just great that you are happier. I tried getting into running and just couldn't do it (easy to get distracted with the kids and stuff). I am sure having Jenni to support you helps a lot (I know the one time I was good about going to the gym I had a few co-workers do go with).

I might be old school, the only Zack Attack I know is the one from Bayside and is all about Friends Forever

Glad things worked out ok with your trip - other than Onion Lady at least. And Chick-Filet is a must. Glad that Popadon realized early he needed the scooter - at least as a security blanket. Oh, and definitely noticed the Jamberry nails in the last picture. (my wife and daughter are big into that ... and of course my son gets jealous so he of course has them as well)

 

[SimplyGoofy]

What a great story on how you took up running! I'm so impressed... and wow, you look great! Good for you on starting AND keeping up with it!

I also don't understand why people need to sit next to me when there are five million other empty seats. It's even worse when they have a special aroma.

A17 - what a prime spot AND a great seat! Ending the night with a Mickey bar sounds wonderful.