I got in the car to head home and had a moment where I felt just exhausted. Just the thought of driving home seemed like it would be too much. But just when I couldn't stop about getting home and opening up another bottle of wine I remembered.... I have Disney things to go home and research when I get home! 
It's amazing to me how just knowing that I have a "plan" makes life so much better. I was thinking about how once the year out mark hits, time will fly! Now lets Move on to my latest obsession that is the ToT 10 Miler. 
Twitter was my next stop in my RunDisney journey. I started following the organization and some other Disney friends who participate. Pictures started surfacing of run times and fun costumes and suddenly.... the races didn't seem too intimidating. I've never been a "runner" and when I thought of "runners" I thought of the people you see running the marathons who don't have an ounce of fat on them. I began to wonder though.... could I be a runner? 
With that I decided I would start to train. 
I was completely hooked. I literally can't even wait to run in another Run Disney event!
It is through their podcast that I've learned more about the Jeff Galloway method for training. for those of you who don't know Jeff Galloway is a past US olympian and the resident training consultant to the Run Disney organization. I was under the assumption that he was all about training for the BIG runners, ya know the ones that do the goofy challenge and run a half marathon and a full marathon all in one weekend. 
However through the "Mickey Miles Podcast" i've learned that I was totally wrong. Jeff is all about making running less intimidating by using a run/walk method to boost your endurance and stamina. One of my biggest fears going from a 5K to anything higher in milage was the thought of "I'm going to run for how long? and how far is that???!!!" 
Knowing that I can use a run/walk method and it be completely except able at a Run Disney event makes me feel like I can totally handle it. 
It's going to definitely take alot of work but I'm confident that if I start building my base from now until when I need to start the formal "training plan" in June I should be just fine. 
Once I got home from the appointment i came home, got in my PJ's and did the only thing I knew would make me feel better.... DISNEY SHOPPING! I parked myself on the couch, put on my guilty pleasure TV and jumped on eBay. Anyway, I was in the market for a new iPhone case. The one I had was not Disney 
and truth be told, when it cracked and broke I was kind of excited to have an excuse to get a new one! 
I wanted something unique to me and something that I hadn't seen before. I think I found it in this little number!
As a kid I was a HUGE "Who framed roger rabbit" fan. I would watch it all the time. (Fast forwarding the part where the bad guy gets flattened, it scared me) I know it has some characters that are NOT Disney in it but still, it was a Disney movie. I also loved Jessica! I remember not understanding why all the men liked her when I was little, but one thing I always remember is that when asked why she married "the Rabbit" her response was "He makes me laugh". That's what made me like her!
I'm so excited about this! DH and I will be arriving the day after our 4 year anniversary and I think it'll be great to get some pictures to commemorate the trip.
She wants me to eventually move to a bigger medical center and fix it up just like I did with my current center. There are some moving pieces that need to happen before I make the move to another center but I am super excited for the new challenge ahead of me!
THANK GOODNESS! I was starting to worry that I was never going to feel 100% but I'm in the clear now I think. I have a follow up with my Dr in a couple weeks just to be on the safe side but I'm not worried.
I'm looking for something rustic, rural, and not formal. I think these resorts fit that bill rather nicely!
Sometimes I need a distraction from the every day craziness and remember that I have my happy place to look forward to. I started googling images and I am obsessed! The country feel, and the log cabins... OMG! I wanted the theme of these pictures to be country because we move to literally a farm town in NH. (No I don't live on a farm but we jut love the country). DH and I grew up ten miles north of Boston and the city just wasn't our scene. So when we moved to this new house we just fell in love with the area. I wanted to do something country to represent that. 
Hey! I just read through your whole PTR and I just have to say, I'm already obsessed with your trip.
Your wedding photos from AKL are just gorgeous! Are those from the same photographer who will be doing your anniversary shoot?
P.S. I love the idea of the anniversary shoot and all of your different ideas for it. I think Fort Wilderness will give you some great and different photo opportunities!
As far as ADRs go, we are absolutely obsessed with lunch at Tusker House. I don't know how you and your DH feel about characters/character meals but we went there on a whim when we got a last minute ADR in January and we actually planned two meals there on our last trip!
I'm counting down the days to my second shot at the wine and dine half. A search for like minded people brought me to your PTR. My thoughts:
1) As you've learned already with the jingle jungle, disney races are like no other. Pixie dust makes the miles go by a lot faster (mentally if not physically, at least) This is soooooo true! It was amazing!!!
2) I still don't call myself a "runner", and 13.1 miles is FAR. I have also been having hip/ leg issues lately (calling a podiatrist is on my to do list...) I wound up with the half due to timing around other family commitments but think you made a good choice. I'm jealous. I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I really thought about doing the half but it just scared me too much. I needed the 10 miler because it was really the only stepping stone available to me.
3) Train well, push yourself in training so you feel strong and confident, but DON'T plan on running a disney race for a personal best time. I found myself periodically pausing to gawk, for photo ops, to soak up ambience, etc. I have pictures I took on the course with floats from the electrical parade, darth vader, buzz and woody, fairy godmothers, the osborne lights, etc. I took 10 minutes longer than on my "practice" half a month earlier, but SOO worth the captured memories. Couldn't agree with this more! I will only do races like Run Disney races because to me exercise of any kind should be fun!I will train and push myself but I don't want running to become a chore.
4) practice in advance for the fact that you're running a night race. both TOT and wine and dine start at 10pm. For me, that's bedtime, not go time. It takes some tinkering to figure out food for race day, resting, hydration, and whether or not that Rockstar energy drink to stay awake is such a good plan. (for me, not so much, but everyone's different)I'm going to struggle alot with this I think. I'm an early bird, not a night owl. Usually on vacation I change it up and stay up later than usual but this is going to be tough. When I start my formal training plan over the summer I'm going to start doing my runs as late in the afternoon as I can. And on weekends I'm going to run event later.
5) the after party is amazing. It's like extra magic hours on adrenaline. And stinkier. But you'll have double the rush on rock n roller coaster. I can't even tell you how excited I am to do the after party!
6) go for the costume- figure something out that's cute but still comfortable to run in. I kept minnie mouse ears on for 13.1 miles and they surprisingly didn't bug me at all. a friend with a stuffed Pascal stitched to her shoulder was crazed. Not a whole lot of fans on the course but they will yell louder if they can identify you in some way. "go minnie" was a lot easier than "go tired limping chick"...
7) try to find someone to run with you if you can- even link up with someone here on the Dis if you can. rundisney wants everyone to get to the starting corrals way early so that they can do road shutdowns and get characters, stages, water, etc. Set up. I had friends with me last year and the wait in the corral for race start would have been brutal without them. If you're outgoing and good at chatting with strangers, more power to you. I was nervous and glad for reassurance. Talked my DH into running this year. Not sure if he'll actually run the race with me or leave me kn the dust, but the company before and after will be huge. Yea, usually I don't mind talking to people but it was nice having DH in the last race with me. I'm going to try and connect with some people through the DIS over the next year and get a running posse together! You sure you can't switch to the TOT????
8) do try to stay at a host resort, but not if it'll mess with your "dream" vacation. Host resorts are nice cause of the shuttle to and from the expo and the race. It's really nice not to have to worry about transportation at all,especially when you're trying to focus on getting ready to run, and at 2 AM after you've run far and then celebrated that fact. And depending on how you make your reservations, you can be eligible for discounts on room and tickets. But it is possible to do it with cabs if you need to do so. Just requires a little more cash and planning. I am staying at a host resort cause the not thinking is more important to me than hotel choice. I'm hoping BW will be a host resort for the TOT. I like the idea of being able to walk to and from the start/finish line. I just need to get to the expo!
9) in the serious planning of your day to day itinerary, think long and hard about how much walking you'll do on race day. I'm not suggesting renting an ECV to save your legs, though now that I think about it... maybe that's what the Goofy runners do...
Also think about what you're gonna want to do the day after race day.YES! I am planning on some fun non-stressful ideas for the day of the race and the morning after. More to come on this later in the PTR!
10) Keep posting! I'll try to keep checking in and will be rooting for you, especially if I retire my distance shoes after this run. Or... I'll get jealous and dust off the shoes and meet you at the starting line myself!
I absolutely will! i'm glad you were able to find my PTR and are enjoying it! Glad you're here!
Enjoying this PTR so far.
