Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[Sleepless Knight]

Yeah, I kind of love running in costume too! Probably why I have a sparkle skirt addiction even for "normal" races. One day I'll get one of those sparkly capes I see people wearing so I can have my own personal little superhero moment too.

One day when my 8 month old nephew visited my office, I flew him around the office with John Williams Superman theme playing in the background. I think I had more fun than he did. And he loved it.

As it is, the official title of my Star Wars 1/2 Marathon playlist is "A Tribute to All John Williams Music, But Mostly Star Wars."

If I ever run the Superheroes 1/2 at Disneyland, I'm running as Batman.

 

[roxymama]

So I was a spectator for hubby on his race #12 of the year, The Most Holy Redeemer Raider Run 5k.
It's the church and school in our neighborhood and we've yet to run it but every year we see the red ribbons on the trees as it goes past our house.
The only reason I didn't run it is because "my turn" is 10/1 for the next local race. We trade off sometimes to not "burn" through our grandma/nana babysitting requests.
So we walk to the start line. I hauled my kiddo in a wagon the whole way so that was my "arms day."
And it seemed the whole town fire dept and police dept was there. Nice to have a small town feel so close to the big city.
And here's the funny part. It was like 90% little kids running this race. I think all the schools track and cross country and football, etc kids and coaches were there. My husband stuck out amid all the short people. Here's the start to give you an idea.

It's funny how all the kids crowd the start line, like its a 100 meter dash. After the race hubby said his first mile was his fastest ever (8:10) bc these kids just sprint and it's hard not to go with them.
The course was kind of loopy so I was able to walk one block to catch everyone running past, then about half a block to catch them at mile 2. And the back to finish.
At one point I was kind of near a water table and kids kept running up to me saying "water?" Or "snacks?" I guess I officially look a "mom."

The leader was the same guy who wins every race around here. He must have known he was gonna finish first because he finished in a "slow for him" 20 min. And looked like he wasn't even trying. I can tell you there were A LOT of kids finishing between 22-25 min. I was shocked. Got some athletes living here.
Here's the funniest part. Hubby's division was men 15-99!

Watching the finish line I had been thinking "shoot, I could have age grouped" but turns out that since the ages were 15-99 I would have come in like 8th or 9th thanks to some speedy high school girls. Haha

Just thought I'd share a fun experience. If any of you want to run a race with a million tiny humans running all over the place (they don't run in a straight line) and get smoked by a bunch of 8 year olds, I have the race for you.

 

[roxymama]

Okay. Firstly and most importantly ... don't dis DCC: Making the Team. That show is awesome.

Second, you are insanely busy, and I'm amazed that you can keep up with everything. You rock!

Third, congrats on being the treadmill survivor. You should definitely get some sort of fancy prize for that.

Fourth, I definitely get the "no time for laundry ... until I run out of workout clothes" thing. I've been known to run in non-weather appropriate bottoms (aka leggings in the summer), whatever shirt I can find, and bras that I've owned for 10+ years. And then I finally get over myself and do the laundry (and/or ask my mom to do it).

Fifth,. old milk smell is the worst. Yuck. I hope it's all gone now!

Sixth (I really have no idea why I'm counting right now), being that crazy person who keeps running is the best! The people running the 5K may think you're nuts, but you get a nice fancy medal that they don't get, so you win!

Seventh,
(even though I'm 99.9% not doing it because I have other travel plans earlier in the year that will make Disneyland in May very difficult)

I cannot believe I forgot to do this earlier



Although like @SarahDisney I probably won't be running it next year. But you TOTALLY should!!

So glad you get to be a sucker who runs longer! I remember when that happened to me (just a few months ago) and it's the best feeling. You're amazing!

Also, while I won't make it out there due to other trips I will add to the count!

All of you are stinker bells !!!

Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond sooner. I just got back from my 7 mile long run and it was a grind. I like running at 11min miles and was doing just fine but it was 84 out and Sunny. Why didn't I just wait until after dinner? Who even knows. 77+ minutes is a long time to be running especially in the heat. I was doing just fine through mile 5, hovering around where I should be but now and again slowing down and bouncing back. But then I got two blisters! At least the start of one and a real one. This had happened before in same spots after my 10k in July in these shoes. I think maybe it was the combo of my 4 mile tempo run (treadmill...actually not so bad) and this run that my feet were like "Meh." Could it be too much treadmill? Annoying.
I told hubby that I'm borrowing his body glide for next run and maybe want to go get new synthetic sox. (I've been wearing boombas)
God love him, he said I should just order those nikes I tried on earlier this year and rotate them in. So maybe?

@SarahDisney nice shoes btw!!! I've been so busy I didn't have time to tell you that yet.

My three thoughts for the day:
A) park water fountains are great. Getting back to running after the stop is a bit of a mental thing. Also the longer I hold them on, the colder they get (reminder to self for next time.)
B) "finding" 7 miles in my area is a bit zig-zaggy and tricky. This will need to be a new skill I must learn.
C) you know those solar powered toys that like dance in the sun. What's the opposite of that? If they can make a lil runner that speeds up in the shade and slows down in the sun I would buy it.
Fourth) I'm still scared of 9.3 and 13.1. Safe space = being honest. Getting to that over an hour mark again wasn't a cake walk today. I'm sure I'll make it to 8 when its time for 8 but I was at my finish line so to speak today. What do you call being proud and totally unsure at the same time?
I mostly blame this blister!

 

[DopeyBadger]

What do you call being proud and totally unsure at the same time?

"Endurance Runner"

 

[roxymama]

"Endurance Runner"

Haha, good point.

 

[roxymama]

Time for a brief interruption of my journal for a Tri-wife brag

His race #13 on the year in his attempt to do 20

 

[DopeyBadger]

Time for a brief interruption of my journal for a Tri-wife brag
View attachment 195533
His race #13 on the year in his attempt to do 20

Tell him congrats for me! And congrats to you as well because as runners we know it takes family to do what we do.

 

[roxymama]

I'm in for the half if registration gods smile upon me on Tuesday. Sounds like my non-running sister is gonna come cheer for me and you all.
I now owe hubby and brother trip hiking a 14-er next year which honestly sounds awesome.

Commence excitement, over planning, and being like "what have I done"

 

[DopeyBadger]

I'm in for the half if registration gods smile upon me on Tuesday. Sounds like my non-running sister is gonna come cheer for me and you all.
I now owe hubby and brother trip hiking a 14-er next year which honestly sounds awesome.

Commence excitement, over planning, and being like "what have I done"

 

[Ariel484]

 

[roxymama]

I guess all that pixie dust worked on me! Now maybe my 15k will automatically seem less daunting?

Big decisions coming up on where to stay, how to fly in, shuttles etc. I think doing just the half is the right call personally for me to have the most fun/least stress. I'll have to figure out some cheering situation for the 10k. But there's lots of time for that.

Ack!

 

[Anisum]

 

[Ariel484]

I guess all that pixie dust worked on me! Now maybe my 15k will automatically seem less daunting?

Big decisions coming up on where to stay, how to fly in, shuttles etc. I think doing just the half is the right call personally for me to have the most fun/least stress. I'll have to figure out some cheering situation for the 10k. But there's lots of time for that.

Ack!

You've hit on a big pet peeve of mine that runDisney has created thanks to their challenges...JUST a half marathon?!?? tsk tsk!

Ahem, anyway...as I said in the Tink thread, the times I have gone to DL I have flown into LAX and used SuperShuttle to get to the hotel. LAX just seemed to have better flight times and prices for me, and Super Shuttle is pretty cheap ($34 roundtrip or something) - it's a shared can so you're sort of squeezed in like sardines and possibly have to make other stops, but it's pretty good for what it is. I'd like to try to fly into SNA this time though, just because it's way closer to Disneyland...

 

[roxymama]

You've hit on a big pet peeve of mine that runDisney has created thanks to their challenges...JUST a half marathon?!?? tsk tsk!

Ahem, anyway...as I said in the Tink thread, the times I have gone to DL I have flown into LAX and used SuperShuttle to get to the hotel. LAX just seemed to have better flight times and prices for me, and Super Shuttle is pretty cheap ($34 roundtrip or something) - it's a shared can so you're sort of squeezed in like sardines and possibly have to make other stops, but it's pretty good for what it is. I'd like to try to fly into SNA this time though, just because it's way closer to Disneyland...

Thank you for saying that! I totally agree with you. It reminds me to fix how I am thinking about this. (it seems a lot of local big Chicago races are doing the challenge thing too lately which is fun, but I have to remind myself I don't need to do all the things to feel awesome about what I am doing.) I'm going to ammend my comment to:
GUYS I'M GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON! OMG, THIS IS GONNA BE A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT! I really mean it.
Oh geez, and now I'm already getting emotional thinking about it (in a good way.)
Plus, now if I ever decide to do a challenge, it will be a whole 'nother thing to put on my bucket list. Gonna decide if I even like running 13+ miles first, haha.

Thank you for flight advise. I have too many flight credits right now (thanks to a travelling hubby) so luckily that part of it will not be a huge $ issue. My feeling is I'll probably fly out Friday and that will be a non-park arrival day, even if late afternoon or evening. Then Saturday I can have park fun (with the idea to not go too crazy walking around) and then Sunday HALF MARATHON OMG, and then Monday I'll fly home and inform everyone if I survived or not. Oh and at some point I'll probably try to track you (and other dis-ers) down...perhaps an insane legging meet-up? I'll start participating in the tink thread and obsessively reading last years since it probably covers almost all my questions.
My gut is saying maybe Paradise pier, but not sure yet. So $$$.

 

[ZellyB]

I'm in for the half if registration gods smile upon me on Tuesday. Sounds like my non-running sister is gonna come cheer for me and you all.
I now owe hubby and brother trip hiking a 14-er next year which honestly sounds awesome.

Commence excitement, over planning, and being like "what have I done"

Woohoo!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

@SarahDisney nice shoes btw!!! I've been so busy I didn't have time to tell you that yet.

Thanks

A) park water fountains are great. Getting back to running after the stop is a bit of a mental thing. Also the longer I hold them on, the colder they get (reminder to self for next time.)

Yes, but ... understand that they may get shut off when the weather gets colder. I got burned by that one a few times. Stupid NYC Parks Department.

B) "finding" 7 miles in my area is a bit zig-zaggy and tricky. This will need to be a new skill I must learn.

I'm lucky because I happen to live near a few parks, but ... when I got to that mileage, I had to find an entirely new route. There was no way to do it where I had been running before without driving myself nutty. So you may have to look outside of your normal running area to find a good route.

Fourth) I'm still scared of 9.3 and 13.1. Safe space = being honest. Getting to that over an hour mark again wasn't a cake walk today. I'm sure I'll make it to 8 when its time for 8 but I was at my finish line so to speak today. What do you call being proud and totally unsure at the same time?

Adding distance is a lot harder it seems sometimes. It's okay to be scared of the longer distances. Just take it one run at a time, and you'll get there.

I'm in for the half if registration gods smile upon me on Tuesday. Sounds like my non-running sister is gonna come cheer for me and you all.
I now owe hubby and brother trip hiking a 14-er next year which honestly sounds awesome.

Commence excitement, over planning, and being like "what have I done"

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's all I can say. I'm so excited for you!! You will have such a great time!

 

[CherieFran]

You've hit on a big pet peeve of mine that runDisney has created thanks to their challenges...JUST a half marathon?!?? tsk tsk!

THIS X1000!!! Half marathon is super worthy of excitement and pride all on its own merit!

 

[dis_or_dat]

Gosh, all this Tink talk is making me want to register!

 

[Ariel484]

Are you ready?!

$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[roxymama]

Are you ready?!

$$$$$$$$$$$$

I think so...what am I forgetting?

Active.com profile is up to date...birth date looks correct.
I have my credit card handy and will write out the number for copy and pasting for quickness.
I think (and here's where I may need guidance) that I will be using my 10k proof of 1:05 from this summer since it was my PR (I've only ever ran two of those.) So unless I run a 10k before the cutoff to improve that...should I put my predicted finish time as the 10k pace or use the Macmillian calculate to figure out my 1/2 projected pace? I think that would be 10k of 10:28 pace and 1/2 marathon of 11:04.
Tips on what to choose. 10:30-11:00?
I'm not running this half for speed AT ALL, but I like the idea of being in an earlier corral for all the reasons everyone has (crowding/pictures/time bubble, etc.)
I don't think I want to pre-order the jacket. But I want to pre-order the pin.
I DO want a jacket from the expo but likely won't be at the expo until Friday...so hoping I just get lucky with selection. I could not for the life of me find the "official pre-order" jacket pictures from last year.

And finally...considering booking paradise pier but the $$$ is so shocking...is there any chance at all a better deal comes along and I can flip-flop for better rate?

I may go ask the pace question in the Tink group.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (that's my anxious excited internal squeal.)