Race Recap: Princess Enchanted 10K

It’s now June and I still can’t stop talking about what a fabulous time I had in February at the 2015 Run Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend! I know it’s long overdue, but it’s finally time for my Princess Enchanted 10K race recap! Now is the time to Seize the 10K (you will get that reference soon)!

In addition to the 10K, I also took part in the weekend’s Frozen 5K! Check out my 5K recap here. I flew solo out to Florida to meet my friends for our annual girl’s trip at Walt Disney World for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend! In 2014 I completed the inaugural Glass Slipper Challenge, which in case you aren’t Run Disney obsessed includes the Enchanted 10K race Saturday followed by the Princess Half race Sunday. In order to change it up this year as well as save some money, the girls and I created our own princess challenge by doing the Frozen 5K Friday and the Enchanted 10K Saturday!

This also enabled me to really soak in the 10K and give my favorite race distance a more solid effort. With 10K race options so limited around me, the Enchanted 10K was only my third 10K ever! The first one was done on a track in my final collegiate race and the second was last year’s Enchanted 10K! The day before the 10K was spent doing the Frozen 5K and then walking around the Magic Kingdom (still in our fairy tutus of course) to take pictures as well as catch the ever-so awesome Festival of Fantasy Parade. Needless to say we had been on our feet quite a bit, but that enabled me to get a MUCH better night’s sleep compared to the evening before the 5K, where I maybe got one hour of restful sleep.

Newsies! Seize the 10K!!!

Even with a good night’s sleep though, morning always comes WAY TOO EARLY Run Disney style! Before we knew it our alarms were all going off at the bright and shiny hour of 2:30 a.m. and it was time to get ready to run more magical miles! It was also time to get NEWSIE-FIED! That’s right, for our 10K we decided to go against the typical princess attire for this event and opted to dress as Newsies! Our race theme was Seize the 10K (see now you get the reference!) of course, and I think this was a good theme of our entire weekend in general. Fortunately the weather seemed to be much warmer compared to the below 30 degree temps from the morning before. That being said, it was still quite chilly, especially for Florida and especially compared to 2014 when it was already 80 degrees for the 10K!

The temperature sparked some wardrobe debates as in “sleeves or not to sleeve” and “should I bring a throwaway shirt” and “should I check a bag with clothes to change into after.” Usually I do check a bag, but our plan was to go right back to the hotel after the 10K to rest a bit before hitting the parks later. After some discussion, we decided while it was still pretty cold, we could tolerate it for the race itself and that sleeves weren’t necessary. Plus our Newsie vests and Seize the 10K tanks looked cuter without sleeves underneath. And, well, fashion wins. At least when you Run Disney!

The good thing about running as a Newsie was our costumes required far less maintenance compared to our fairy outfits. We were able to get ready and out the door much quicker! We boarded our bus and off to Epcot we went! In true Run Disney fashion, the energy was already crazy once we arrived. It was still quite chilly for our “standing around” time, which can be quite a while since Run Disney requires you to be at the course so early. At this point I was regretting not bringing a throwaway shirt. It wasn’t too bad though, but I’m sure you could tell I wasn’t a local as I got some odd looks walking around in sleeveless attire while many still had hats and gloves on along with multiple layers! Hey, I had left negative temps behind at home, so in a way this was a “heat wave” for me. We occupied our time well enough to stay warm by taking a few pictures in our Newsie finest!

We eventually bid farewell and headed to our separate corrals. I was in corral A! While I have been assigned corral A at Run Disney events before, I had always jumped back to other corrals to run with someone. So, this was my first time in corral A. I was excited that my wait to start wouldn’t be long because I was chilly and ready to run! I knew once I got going I would warm up just fine as the temperature was good “running weather” by that point. I met some people who totally geeked out over my Newsie costume, which made me happy! I also enjoyed seeing other adorable costumes! I will say being in corral A I saw less elaborate costumes, but that was to be expected as this corral likely packs in more “serious” runners.

Soon enough the fireworks were going off and the race finally started! My goal for the 10K was to run at quick solid pace until I got to World Showcase at Epcot. I wanted to run faster than I normally do for Run Disney events, especially because my Tower of Terror 10-Miler experience was still fabulous even though we stopped for way less photos than usual and held a good pace. Also, since I had to hold back so much last year for the 10K due to running a half the next day, I wanted to see what I could do! Fortunately for me I didn’t have to stop for any bathroom breaks. Not just at the beginning, but the ENTIRE race. This is a first for me when it comes to Run Disney! Usually all the standing around time beforehand has me in a porta-potty within the first mile! The first part of the race through the typical Epcot parking lot tour and Disney highway went by pretty fast. It was almost a blur. I did notice NO ONE starts the race off walking in corral A compared to other corrals. I have zero problems with walkers in races, ESPECIALLY Run Disney ones, but I was glad to be able to get out quick and establish my pace without feeling like I was stepping on someone. Other than an experience with a rude “Belle” who thought it was polite to yell at other runners, things were going well at this point in the race. In fact, rude Belle probably helped me run even faster because I decided I had to pass her. Take your grouchy attitude out of my Run Disney, thank you!

Newsie and Jiminy Cricket!!!

We continued down the dark Disney highway but there were still a good number of volunteers and crowds on hand to cheer us on! The first character stop, Tinker Bell and I believe her sister (?) in their winter attire, was on the highway shortly before entering Epcot World Showcase. I was tempted to stop as the line wasn’t long AT ALL (another perk of corral A), but I wanted to stick to my plan! I passed the half way mark and before I knew it I was already entering World Showcase! As usual, World Showcase was gorgeous. It was still dark when I got there, which in my opinion made it seem more beautiful and even serene, yes, serene despite the fact that I was running alongside thousands of my “closest” friends. I had a solid pace going, but I had to stop for a quick picture with Marie from The Aristocats and of course Jiminy Cricket! Jiminy is a rare photo opportunity in the Disney Parks, so I always try to get pictures with him. My dad is a huge Jiminy fan too, so I like to get pictures to send to him! I got a quick pic with the Snow White Topiaries and took some other quick pictures before continuing on.

Enchanted 10K World Showcase fun and Boardwalk with Baseball Donald!

With my two character stops and a few random pictures, I didn’t really lose much time as the character stops were super-fast! I took in the beauty of World Showcase and headed toward another favorite place to run at Disney: the Boardwalk area! Talk about stunning! Getting to run on the Boardwalk is one of my favorite parts of the Enchanted 10K course! I was looking for baseball Goofy since I got a picture with him there in 2014, but much to my delight it was BASEBALL DONALD instead! Donald is my FAVORITE of the Fab Five and I LOVE baseball. Needless to say this made me VERY excited! Donald was my last character stop of the race, but ending it with my favorite was good enough for me!

Enchanted 10K finisher! Love the bling! So pretty!

Before I knew it was heading back into the Future World section of Epcot. I did see space Goofy and while his line was short, I opted to continue running since I was enjoying my pace and was ready to finish! I soon rounded the corner I know very well as a seasoned Run Disney-er and found myself sprinting down the finish line! I couldn’t believe the race was over! It FLEW by! I was immediately awarded my awesome finisher’s medal, which is BEAUTIFUL! Medal and all I made my way through the finish chute to grab some Poweraid, water and my snack box.

I warmed up considerably through the race and found the temperatures ideal for running, but once I was stopped I noticed my sweat was turning into that “cold sweat” feeling and I was chilly soon after. I thought about getting in line for some post-race character pictures while I waited for my girls to finish, but ultimately decided to set up camp in the finish area to wait. It was here that my great experience had a hiccup as I found myself getting pretty cold and my stomach was a bit jumbly from all the adrenaline of racing. The girls and I had been texting throughout the race to see where we all were as none of us started in the same corral. With such long breaks between corrals, it made our plans to meet at the finish a little scattered. So, with their blessing I decided to head back to the hotel to warm up and hopefully settle my tummy since we had a day of parks planned later! There was zero wait for the Port Orleans Riverside bus and before I knew it I was back to our warm room (that’s still odd to say as it’s usually “cool room” while at Disney). Fortunately a warm shower and munching on some of my goodies from the post-race snack box perked me right up!

We successfully SEIZED the 10K and were ready to enjoy the rest of our runcation at the parks! Overall I once again had a fantastic time during the Princess Enchanted 10K! This is a great course. While some tend to not enjoy the first half, I am totally cool with it. The last half through World Showcase and the Boardwalk makes up for the highway/parking lot portion tenfold. It was another great Run Disney experience and I can’t wait to hopefully be back with my girls for Princess Weekend 2016!

Mickey was proud of his girls!!!

Did you run the Princess Enchanted 10K? I’d love to hear all about your experience!

Tower of Terror 10-Miler Costume Reveal!

Hello friends! Guess what?! We are only a FEW days away from the Run Disney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler! Wow! I am so excited to run into the Twilight Zone with thousands of my “closest” Run Disney friends!

As promised, it’s time to reveal our costumes for the race! Costumes and Run Disney just go together like macaroni and cheese. Like peas and carrots. Like popcorn and Buncha Crunch (seriously you must try it if you've never had this delicious concoction.) Costumes makes the whole race experience more fun. I mean, hello, it's Disney! Costumes galore are pretty much second nature in the house of mouse. If you are new to Run Disney or haven't done a Disney race yet, let me put it to you this way: if you wear just regular running clothes you are actually in the minority! So have some fun, embrace the Disney magic, and wear a costume!

I’ve mainly done the princess/queen side of costumes. I’ve dressed as Cinderella twice and Queen Elsa. However, since this is a villain-themed race and due to my love of the Disney villains, why not embrace the wicked side of Disney?! The husband and I will be joined by our friends, so a group villain theme is where it’s at!

Our evil little group will include Maleficent, yours truly; Darth Vader, the husband; Queen of Hearts, Cailyn; and Gaston, Josh! Due to heat and humidity as well as Florida still being very much summer-like weather, I kept my Maleficent costume rather simple. The Maleficent Evil Fairy Raw Threads shirt (which glows in the dark!) paired with a purple Sparkle Athletic skirt and a Maleficent horns headband. The husband plans to pair his Darth Vader shirt with black running shorts. Crafty Cailyn actually took an old Queen of Hearts Halloween costume that she created a couple years ago and made a few adjustments to make it running appropriate! Cailyn also worked her DIY magic with Josh's Gaston shirt! I can't wait to be dressed in our villainous attire!

Our Villainous Tower of Terror 10-Miler costumes!!!

When I decided to be the Maleficent of our group I had no idea that she would be the theme of this year’s Tower of Terror 10-Miler merchandise! So, now I am even more excited! I can’t wait for some Disney magic!

This is the back of my Maleficent shirt! It glows in the dark!!!

Safe travels for everyone else headed to the Tower of Terror 10-Miler! Will you be in costume? Who do you plan to dress as? Good luck to everyone this weekend! See you in the Twilight Zone!

Fuel and Fitness

Runger. Every runner seems to have it. Runger is defined as a runner who has hunger from well, all the running that he/she does! I tend to suffer from runger big time. In order to help avoid runger as well as keep my energy levels up DURING runs, specifically long training runs, what type of fuel I take in is very important. As part of today’s Tuesday’s On the Run Link Up theme, let’s talk fuel and fitness!

Preach!

My fueling routine before runs depends on how much time I have between eating and running. For example, as an “after work runner” (at 5 p.m. on the week days), I generally eat a regular lunch and nothing “special.” Though I have been known to regret some lunch choices during a run, like wings! Yikes! But hey, I’m far from perfect and it happens. Below, I categorized my various fuel “go to” options based on time.

A few hours before: For a race day or a long run day that I have a few hours of time before, I like to eat toast with peanut butter, a bagel with peanut butter and/or oatmeal. A peanut butter bagel was always my go-to pre-race breakfast during my competitive high school and collegiate years in cross country and track. In fact, a peanut butter bagel is my top choice today if I have a few hours between a race and/or longer distance run. Often I will do toast and peanut butter instead, primarily because I always have bread at the house, and it does the job. This is both filling and an excellent fueling option.

Half hour to an hour before: Energy bars! My top energy bar pick goes to Clif Bars! While I don’t find very many energy-based fueling foods to be particularly appetizing, I actually really like Clif Bars. The standard Clif Bar is very much the same texture as a basic granola bar, but offers an additional boost of energy that’s perfect for running or other endurance based activities. I usually always have a Clif Bar before races, especially super early ones that don’t give me much time to eat “actual food” (I’m looking at you, early Run Disney wake-up calls!) I also often eat a Clif Bar or part of one before runs in general since they give me an extra boost. My favorite flavor is chocolate chip. Personally, I find the standard “chewy” PowerBar to be GROSS. I consumed way too many of those in high school running because there were less options available it seemed. (Eek! Does this make me old?!) However, it is still a good source of fuel and if you can handle the taste and texture, by all means have at it! When it comes to the PowerBar brand, I now prefer the Harvest bars. They are much easier to consume, taste better to me and get the job done! My favorite flavors are chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin! The other energy bar I'd recommend is the Snickers Marathon Bar. It's not the worst tasting energy bar on the market and gets the job done, especially for endurance events!

My FAVORITE! Jelly Belly Sport Beans!!!

Right Before/During: Hands down my favorite of all the energy products, Jelly Belly Sport Beans! My BRF Cailyn introduced me to these bad boys and the rest was history. They are quite yummy and give me the perfect energy boost. They are easy to get down right before a race/long run as well as during. I can usually feel myself perk right up during my long run when I pop even just a few beans. They come in a few different flavors. My favorite is the mixed version, which comes in a black package. Best part about these sport beans is that they also come in a resealable bag, which makes them super easy to bring on runs. As for gels, I don't think I will every truly really like an energy gel. The texture is just disgusting to me. However, I do take energy gels before and during races, specifically, because nasty taste or not, they are most definitely beneficial! I've tried various flavors, including PowerBar brand and GU, but Clif Gels are my favorite. Even though I'm not a real fan of any of the flavors, I think the Clif Gels taste the best and are easiest to take. They come in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated options as well as several flavors. Personally, I find the fruit flavored gels easiest to consume. My go-to Clif Gel flavor is always Razz (raspberry). As much as I dislike energy gels, they almost always give me a good energy zap during a long run.

Give me all the Clif Gels!

I hope these fuel tips help you if you are looking for ways to boost your energy for runs and control that pesky runger! What are your fitness fuel picks? I'd love to know! I'm always looking for new things to try. In fact, I recently purchased some Clif Shot Bloks to try. Let me know if you like them or not! Remember, the key to a good run always boils down to properly fueling yourself!

Successful Streaking: RWRunStreak Review

Well, as promised, I now present my review of the 2014 Runner’s World Run Streak Summer Challenge! I wish I could have posted this a lot earlier, but as you can see from my previous update, the month of July basically came and went in a flash! For those who are just now checking out this blog or if you don’t know what the RWRunStreak is, check out this post. If you really don’t feel like clicking on another post, I will break it down for you: the Runner’s World Run Streak 2014 Summer Challenge was to run at least one mile per day from Memorial Day to the 4th of July, marking a total of 40 straight days of running. This was my second time completing the summer challenge. Like any challenge it had its ups and downs. It was good, it was bad, it was ugly (ha! see what I just did there), and best of all, it was GREAT. Using the good, bad, ugly (and GREAT!) system, here goes all about my streaking experience!

THE GOOD: I have mentioned several times on here that summer isn't exactly my favorite season. I’m sure my summer-lovin’ friends are sick of me counting down the days to fall (my favorite season, obviously, mainly due to two words: pumpkin spice!). Where I live, the summers are generally very hot, but even worse VERY humid. As someone who primarily is an “after work runner” due to scheduling, it’s very difficult for me to run early to beat the heat unless I do so at an ungodly hour, like 4 a.m., which I reserve for Run Disney events only! This puts my runs at the hottest time of the day. I am not a fan of the polar vortex we experienced this past winter, but generally I’d be happier running in 30 degree weather compared to the 90s dripping with humidity we have in the summer. Enough summer complaining (because *yay* it’s almost over!). With my distaste of super-hot humid runs (yet again another thing that Run Disney enables me to naturally tolerate more), I have often found my motivation to run lacking during the summer. It was different when I had a XC season to prepare for, but since I primarily run for myself and my fitness now, I noticed I would slack during the summer months. Last year I used the RWRunStreak to hold myself accountable and MAKE myself run, and it worked! I decided to go streaking again for the 2014 Summer Challenge. I knew I needed to build my base back since it was a bit off balance due to being burnt out from Glass Slipper Challenge training, the usual sinus/allergy issues as well as a car accident that tweaked my back. I also knew with the Run Disney Tower of Terror 10-Miler race taking place in early fall that I wanted to be prepared and ready to jump into training, specifically long runs. Needless to say, it was good to have the motivation to get out there every day from Memorial Day to the 4th of July. There were days I certainly didn’t want to even just do a mile, but committing to the streak forced me to just get up and get moving. Even with some injuries and muscle fatigue, I could see a clear difference from my first to my last run of the streak. It was the perfect motivator. It also was good that the duration of the streak brought about some of this summer’s HOTTEST days, which without my goal to finish, I probably would have skipped or slacked off if I’m being totally honest. Even after a bad run or a run I’m not exactly thrilled to do, I always feel good about myself after. Rest days are nice, but I always miss the satisfaction of completing a run no matter the distance. It was nice to feel good and accomplished each day of the streak!

THE BAD: With anything, especially with a challenge, it’s not all unicorns, sunshine and rainbows. Just like the previous year of streaking, I could really feel the wear and tear of running every day in the final few weeks of the challenge. It didn’t help that I was running on a tweaked ankle, which I experienced during the WV 5K (more on that in THE UGLY). Aside from being physically draining, it was very mentally exhausting as well. I am a runner that thrives with days off and I’ve always been this way, even when I was at my most competitive in collegiate XC and track training. The strain of no real rest day definitely got to me. There were some evenings where I came home, laid down and then got out the door for my quick mile after 9 p.m. At least I was getting in the runs, but as a person who thrives with schedule and routine, I didn’t exactly like how those late runs were completely throwing me off balance. There were days when I wondered why I chose to do the streak again. “Why am I so crazy?!” thoughts ran through my head several times! Running every day without a break is flat-out hard to do! It feels great to finish, but they call it a CHALLENGE for a reason!

THE UGLY: Now for the ugly. I won’t dwell too much here, because for the most part the RWRunStreak was a very positive experience. I probably wouldn’t need to include “THE UGLY” portion of this review if it hadn’t been for my aforementioned ankle snafu during the WV 5K. I tweaked my ankle pretty bad in that race. My own stubbornness and adrenaline came in handy, because otherwise I’m not sure I would have been able to finish the 5K if it was just a training run and not a race. It HURT. Also, normally I would have taken a few days off to give my ankle a chance to fully heal before attempting to run on it. However, I was DETERMINED to finish the streak, and with only a few weeks left, in my mind quitting wasn’t an option. I did have conditions for the streak set for myself that I would quit in the event of illness/injury, but since I could still run on my ankle thanks to the wonders of KT Tape (and my previously noted stubbornness), I forged along. I did back off my usual distances, which helped, but it was clear that my ankle snafu made the final weeks of the streak not  so awesome.

THE GREAT: As I’ve said, the 2014 RWRunStreak was GOOD, BAD, and UGLY. More importantly, however, IT WAS GREAT! The positivity of the streaking experience outweighs the negativity and all the exhaustion. My ankle eventually felt better, and as I mentioned in THE GOOD, by the streak’s end my runs were significantly better than how I started. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment of being a 2014 RWRunStreak finisher made all the crappy moments worth it. It was GREAT that the streak propelled me to push through and get out there EVERY DAY for a run. It was GREAT that I was able to build my base back and be ready to jump into Tower of Terror 10-Miler training. It was especially GREAT to know that I could set a goal and work to achieve that goal regardless of the obstacles that got in the way. Best of all, it was GREAT to receive the support and encouragement through the entirety of the challenge from my family, friends and social media guys and gals, like ALL OF YOU READING THIS! Thank you to everyone who supported me in this venture. You all are what made my RWRunStreak truly GREAT!

Let me know if you are a fellow RWRunStreak finisher! I’d love to read all about your experience! Not a run streaker? That’s totally cool! I’d love to hear all about your summer running in general as well as what motivates you to get out there!

Wednesday's Weekly Wrap-up (June 26-July 2)

(With my wrap-up posts I try to update each Wednesday about my week in review. I include pictures posted during the week from my Instagram @lilrunner1485 as well. Why Wednesday instead of Saturday or Sunday? Well, it just works better for me on this schedule. So, Hump Day it is!)

Hello friends! I hope you all are having a great week so far! Can you believe it’s already July?! Wow!

For this weekly wrap-up, I must start with my day last Friday. Instead of my usual work flow, I volunteered with a group of co-workers for Habitat for Humanity. Since our Habitat site is located in Huntington, I did have to wake up a little earlier to hit the road. I remembered how tired and sore I was after volunteering for Habitat this past November, so I also dragged myself out of bed even earlier to get in a quick run on the treadmill. That proved to be an excellent decision because it ended up being a hot and exhausting day! Despite the sweltering heat and humidity, it was more importantly a very fulfilling day and a wonderful experience. My family has volunteered with Habitat for as long as I can remember. It’s a cause that my family is passionate about and I’m proud to carry on the tradition by volunteering myself. In case you aren’t familiar, Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization devoted to building “simple, decent, and affordable housing.” For more information on Habitat, check out their site here.

I had volunteered with Habitat for Humanity before with my church youth group, but my experience last November was my first full-on work day with the organization. I quickly jumped at a chance to volunteer again with the summer group. While the house we were working on had AC installed, the majority of my day was spent outside painting. I actually enjoy painting so I was happy that was one of the jobs we could do for the day. My co-worker and I painted the exterior along with the trim of a shed. It sounds like a simple task, but it did take up the bulk of our day. The sunshine and no shade made me a sweaty mess, but it felt great to do something different for the day and to know that by doing so I was making a difference in someone else’s life. A shed doesn’t seem like much, but I am darn proud of the job we did and I hope the homeowner enjoys it!

Tropical Moon after a hot work day!

The husband also spent the day volunteering for Habitat, so once our group wrapped for the day we decided to treat ourselves to some froyo at Tropical Moon! After a hot day in the sun doing manual labor, Tropical Moon has never tasted so good! Then the husband had a genius idea that we get Chipotle to go and warm it up for dinner later once we got home. First off, I am so proud I now have him hooked on the awesomeness that is Chipotle. Secondly, he really is a genius because Chipotle (even warmed up) has never tasted so good either!

The rest of our eventful Friday was spent seeing the movie version of Jersey Boys! Thanks to my parents raising me right on GOOD music, I absolutely love The Four Seasons! Needless to say I was very excited for this film, and it did not disappoint. It was SO good. I bought the soundtrack this weekend, which includes songs by the cast as well as original tracks from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. I might be a wee bit obsessed, but it’s just so good! I’ve been listening to the soundtrack non-stop. The music has even made my iPod running playlist! It’s made my hot/humid runs more enjoyable for sure! I really hope I can see the Broadway production of Jersey Boys someday! That's the dream!

Jersey Boys soundtrack is my current music of choice!

Perhaps the most eventful thing to recap is my RWRunStreak update! Last week, I, along with my fellow run streakers, started our decent into the home stretch of the summer challenge. Well, now we are REALLY in the final home stretch and the finish line is almost there! I can practically smell it! Today marks Day 38 of the streak, which means we only have TWO more days left! TWO MORE! TWO MORE! I can’t believe how quickly time has flown! I can tell I’ve been running for 38 days straight (actually 39 since I started a day early lol). Like this time of the summer challenge last year, my legs are really feeling the streak! I can tell I haven’t had an actual day off in quite some time. Knowing I’m so close to completing the challenge is keeping me motivated. For those wondering, my ankle still has some definite soreness, but is MUCH better! Fellow streakers, we’ve got this. Let’s knock these final TWO days out of the park!

RWRunStreak: ALMOST THERE!

Speaking of running in general, I have to note that Run Disney released this year's Tower of Terror 10-Miler Medal! I love it! I can't wait to be back at Disney in October for the race and all the festivities! Who else will be running into the Twilight Zone with me?!

ToT 10-Miler Bling!

What’s on the agenda the rest of the week?

1. Watching Independence Day non-stop. I’ve already seen it twice this week and plan to watch it over and over again with the 4th of July coming up! It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. I love the 90s cheese and really, is there any speech better than President Whitmore's?

2. 4th of July celebration! One of the things I do like about summer is the 4th of July. My family hosts a cook-out every year. I look forward to spending time with family, good food and of course, homemade ice cream.

3. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM. Yes, I realized I just mentioned it, but it’s just so good it must be mentioned again.

I hope you all have a great rest of the week. Have a safe and happy 4th of July! To my international readers, happy Friday! Fridays are always fun in general, right?!

Wednesday's Weekly Wrap-up (June 19-25)

(With my wrap-up posts I try to update each Wednesday about my week in review. I include pictures posted during the week from my Instagram @lilrunner1485 as well. Why Wednesday instead of Saturday or Sunday? Well, it just works better for me on this schedule. So, Hump Day it is!)

Hello friends! Hope you all are having a good week so far. We’ve already made it to Hump Day, which means the weekend fun is just around the corner! This past week was busy as usual followed by a pretty great weekend.

Immediately after work last Friday I planned to get a quick run in and then change in the car before heading to Huntington with the husband. Sometimes I wonder if West Virginia has been channeling its inner-Florida as of late with these random torrential downpours that occur for a few minutes followed by bright and sunny skies. I say this because my weather app indicated no change of storming/rain prior to my run Friday. While the sky did look a little overcast, I brushed it off thinking “well, it might sprinkle a little, but it should be ok.” Just in case, I grabbed my little running belt pack, aka my running fanny pack lol, and stuck my phone in there. As a precaution I put it in a sock since I didn’t have a plastic bag. Crafty! Well, I got about 400 meters into my run when the sky pretty much fell out unleashing basically a monsoon on me. I panicked because of my precious iPhone 5S, which was in just a regular case (not a protective one). I turned around and sprinted back to the car already soaking wet and my phone thankfully escaped this incident unscathed. I ended up finishing my run without my phone by doing laps at the park (boring yawn). The good news is that the rain shower distracted me from how hot it was! Always look for the silver lining folks!

WV 5K Fun!

After my shower, I mean run, we were on our way to Huntington to pick up our race bibs and swag for the West Virginia 5K Championship. We explored the race expo and then decided to have a quick dinner date at Olive Garden. I love Olive Garden salad and breadsticks. What I don’t love is them continually changing their menu as of late. They recently took my favorite dish off the menu and now the husband’s favorite is gone as well. For shame, Olive Garden, for shame. Don’t you just hate when restaurants take away your go-to order? First world problems indeed! It was still a great meal and a fun evening out. Saturday we woke up entirely too early for a non-work day for the race. You can read my full West Virginia 5K Race Recap here. Other than me badly rolling my ankle, which made the race itself not so great, it was a fun morning.

Blonder hair for summer plus a new
Run Disney Mickey for my desk! 

We continued our weekend fun by sticking around Huntington after the 5K to get some things done. We had a quick breakfast at Starbucks (my favorite!) before heading our separate ways for the rest of the morning. I had a much needed hair appointment for a color and a trim. I love getting some hair TLC and I always feel fresh and renewed after a color touch up. It takes a while, but getting my hair done is super relaxing. It’s nice to be pampered! For the summer season my hair stylist made my hair a bit blonder, which I really like. It felt nice to get my layers and bangs trimmed as well. Bangs that have grown to be too long are one of the most annoying things. I’m sure many ladies can attest to that! After my much-needed girly time, I met back up with the husband at the mall. We had planned to get in some shopping but he was completely exhausted and I was having trouble walking thanks to my ankle snafu, so I only made a quick stop at Macy’s to get some makeup. Before we left Huntington we decided to have a late lunch at Chipotle, which recently opened in town. The husband had never experienced Chipotle awesomeness before and I was happy to introduce him to it! I absolutely love Chipotle! It was a really fun lunch date to close out a great day. The rest of our Saturday was spent icing my ankle, napping and being couch potatoes!

Now for a quick RWRunStreak update: Tuesday marked Day 30 of the RWRunStreak Summer Challenge! Fellow streakers, we are now in the HOME STRETCH! We’ve got this! I am very pleased to report that my ankle is feeling much better since Saturday’s 5K. It’s not at 100 percent yet, but with the help of an ice regimen and KT Tape I’ve been able to continue running to keep my streak alive! More importantly, thus far it’s feeling better with each day. Hopefully I continue to stay on the mend!

KT Tape is helping keep my RWRunStreak alive! Winston has also deemed himself my bodyguard since he knows I haven't been 100 percent with my ankle snafu lol! 

What’s on tap for the rest of the week? Friday I will be volunteering for Habitat for Humanity! I volunteered with Habitat this past November and as cheesy as it sounds, it was a very fulfilling experience! I look forward to helping such a great cause again. We are still kicking around our weekend plans, but hopefully we will do something fun! I hope everyone has a wonderful, enjoyable rest of the week!