Let’s Go Streaking: RWRunStreak 2015!

Why hello there! It’s been a bit since I last posted. Yeah yeah yeah I already missed out on my “posting once a month at least” goal, but hey, May is just a crazy busy time for me y’all! I think every May has been hectic since my school years and working years! What’s new? Well, with summer not officially but basically here it means the hot, humid, muggy weather is alive and well in West Virginia!

Unless you are new to the blog (and if so hi new friend!), you all know by now that summer isn’t exactly my favorite because it’s soooo hot. Plus when you no longer have summers off the allure is kind of gone. Not to mention most of my television shows are on hiatus. Womp womp. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy many aspects of summer like baseball, flip flops, cook-outs, the 4th of July, and sunshiny days. BUT as a runner, boooo summer. I’d rather run in 20 degrees compared to hot humid temperatures in the 80s and up!

Something about running in the humidity and heat makes me feel sluggish. And I mean I’m all about the AC this time of year and that often sounds more appealing compared to sweating my way through a run through the neighborhood. Due to these negative thoughts, my motivation to get out there can be low this time of year. However, the past two summers I’ve put in plenty of miles and stuck to my routine thanks the Runner’s World Run Streak Summer Challenge. To read about my challenge experience last summer, check out this post!

The RWRunStreak challenge officially started on Monday, Memorial Day. The rules of the challenge are to run at least one mile every day until the challenge ends on the 4th of July. That makes for a total of 41 days of running! As Runner’s World says, also 41 days of AWESOME! My personal rules for the challenge are to continue to follow it to the best of my ability with the exception of illness/injury. I also plan to mentally stress to myself the importance of doing “only one mile” on certain days. Both years that I’ve done the challenge I’ve sometimes struggled with that because I tend to think “only a mile why not do two?” Lol! I am a firm believer that days off are important and year-round run streaking is not for me. This is why allowing myself and telling myself that it’s ok to go out and run “just a mile” is perfectly acceptable!

Only three days into the challenge and I’m already finding myself much more excited about running again! Maybe it’s the Barney Stinson in me, but sometimes I need the challenge as an extra boost. So, RWRunStreak: challenge accepted! I’ve really enjoyed doing this challenge for the past two years. I actually debated a little about doing it this year, but ultimately decided it was just what I needed!

Who all is streaking this summer? Even if you missed out on the first few days, I still encourage you to join if you need that motivation boost or if you want to try something new! Just add on the extra days after the 4th. No one is judging here! Good luck to all my fellow streakers and happy running!

Follow me on Twitter @lilrunner and/or on Instagram @lilrunner1485 for regular RWRunStreak updates!

Goodbye Roaring Twenties, Hello Fabulous Thirties

Tomorrow I will bid farewell to my twenties. Yes, that’s right I am turning the big 3-0. Frankly I can’t believe it. I am not sure I’ve been handling this approaching milestone birthday well as it completely freaks me out! I mean THIRTY! I remember thinking 30 was “like so totally old” when I was in my teens. Now here I am less than 24 hours away from no longer being a “twenty something.” The Friends clip below never fails to amuse me and now I understand the humor and freakout-ness of that episode LOL!

The husband has already turned 30 and I’ve celebrated several good friends turning 30 as well. Still, it seems surprising that it’s finally my turn. It’s one of those things that remind you that you really are a grown-up. It’s a reminder of how fast life can really pass you by. Growing up can be hard y’all.

However, as I get closer to parting ways with my 29 year-old status, I am not feeling as freaked as I was. I still feel young! I still look young and continue to get carded on a regular basis. I’m also laughing at my teenage self that once considered 30 old. Really folks, 30 is basically the new 20! More importantly, I’ve also thought about everything that happened in my twenties. So many major life changing events. Of course like in everything, there were some sad moments, but the blessings and amazing memories I made this past decade of my life is incredible.

My twenties were filled with many milestones themselves. It’s truly incredible the difference between 20 and 29. I get emotional thinking about all the great things that happened over these last 10 years. I really am truly blessed. My favorite memories of my twenties can be summed up in the following list:

1. The first three years of my twenties was spent in college. During this time I celebrated my milestone 21st birthday (y’all know how that one goes). I also made some of my best and life-long friends during this period of time.
2. I went to Europe for a summer.
3. I ran my last competitive cross country and track race. I am still a runner, but it was emotional as I closed that chapter of my life goodbye after devoting so many years to running cross country and track competitively.
4. I graduated college and earned myself three degrees to go along with it! #humblebrag
5. I officially moved away from home and got my own place.
6. I got my first “adult” job and truly joined the workforce.
7. I married the love of my life!
8. I said goodbye to my apartment and became a homeowner.
9. I met even more friends through my “work life” that I’ve stayed close with as well.
10. I got my furbaby Winston, who continues to be my absolute pride and joy. I love my puppy boy!
11. I ran my very first half marathon. I was hooked after that and have continued to do more since!
12. I quit my first job, which had turned into a life sucking experience, and came out stronger!
13. I accepted a new job that I am still at and absolutely love!
14. I got addicted to Run Disney!
15. I became an Aunt. My nieces and nephews are some of my greatest joys.
16. I finally got to see WVU go to the final four in basketball. I also saw my Mountaineers capture Fiesta and Orange Bowl BCS victories in football.
17. After 20 years of awful, I got to see my beloved Pirates make the playoffs and end a horrid losing streak. The 2013 Wildcard game at PNC still makes me cry tears of joy when I think about it!
18. Best of all, through trips, family and friends, I’ve made more fabulous memories than I can count!

This! Life truly is a gift! So bring on 30! 

It’s also worth noting that I learned A LOT in my twenties. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. I had to learn some tough life lessons along the way. There were rough patches, but I am proud that even through the dark times I was able to grow as a person. Here are some of the most noteworthy things the last decade of my life taught me:

1. It’s okay if not everyone likes you. Sometimes people just don’t like you and that’s that. No need to stress or wonder why. Be yourself because your true friends are really the only ones that matter and they will love you because YOU ARE YOU.
2. To reiterate number one, BE YOURSELF and let your freak flag fly! I used to worry entirely too much what people thought of me and now I honestly don’t care. You will find true happiness when you embrace who you are.
3. It’s okay to spend Friday nights in wearing your sweats and watching Netflix. In fact, this can be an ideal time!
4. Life is messy. Instead of expecting perfection, learn to make the most of the mess!
5. It’s up to you to be happy. If you make an effort to be happy and smile more, you really will be happier!
6. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s life is different. Stop trying to “measure up” to your friends and embrace the blessings you have.
7. It’s fine that you might not be as skinny or “fit” as you were at 20. Normal even. Stop comparing yourself to your past you and live in the present! This is something I continue to tell myself now!
8. Sometimes you will “fail” or you will feel like a “failure.” But remember the sun will always shine the next day. Pick yourself up and try again. Never stop trying.
9. Don’t settle! You are worth it. Fight for what you want!
10. Most importantly cling to those who matter in your life. Your true friends and family will always be there for you, and those are the people that make life worth living!

So, as I approach my 30s I am still a little freaked. But, after I think of all the major life moments I’ve experienced these last 30 years, I look forward to making even more beautiful memories in this next chapter of my life. I am so thankful for life itself because it truly is a gift. I want to thank all of my friends and family for being part of my life. I love you all. More than you will ever know. Those of you reading this who might even be a stranger to me, thank you for being part of my life by supporting this blog.

I often find myself focusing on the future that I don’t just stop and look around to enjoy the present. As I start this next chapter I have one major goal: live in the moment! Thirty and FABULOUS! And don't worry, my humor continues to be as mature as ever:

Race Recap: Princess Frozen 5K

Another Princess Half Marathon Weekend is in the books folks! It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a month since I was in Walt Disney World with my BRFs for our annual Princess girls’ trip. This year instead of doing the Glass Slipper Challenge, we created our own Run Disney challenge by doing both the Princess 5K and 10K races. In true Run Disney fashion, magical miles were had by all and more magical memories to count were made!

A Royal Greeting at the Princess Expo!

Princess Race Swag!

To kick off the race weekend, we went to the Fit For a Princess Expo and got our race swag! This year's race shirts were so much better than last year! Very colorful and much more "princessy." I especially loved the purple Enchanted 10K shirt! I also purchased a FlipBelt at the expo. I love it, so expect a review here soon! We later hit up Hollywood Studios for a little bit of park time and Fantasmic. Before we knew it, we were off to our room at Disney's Port Orleans Resort-Riverside for an early bedtime, because when you run Disney you not only get magical miles, you also receive super early wake-up calls!

For phase one of our race weekend, we participated in the Princess 5K, which was appropriately themed the Frozen 5K this year. One of the great things about Run Disney is their dedication to event theming. Themes and Disney go together like peanut butter and jelly. That being said, I didn’t realize when I registered for the Frozen 5K last summer just how close to the theme that race would be! Of course, I’m sure not even Run Disney officials could have guessed the Frozen theme would be taken to another level by Mother Nature herself. While I normally anticipate overly hot and humid temperatures for my Run Disney Florida races, imagine my surprise when the morning of the 5K my weather app read 30 degrees. THIRTY DEGREES people. I guess that’s what happens when you put Elsa in charge of the race. I mean we all know the cold never bothered her anyway!

We had fun visiting with Jasmine at the Princess Expo! 

I know Run Disney sent out a weather reminder that it could be chilly the morning of the 5K, but I assumed it would be “Florida cold” and nothing major to worry about. Anything seemed better than the sub-zero temperatures and snow that I left behind in West Virginia. Still, being the overly cautious and always prepared runner that I am I managed to pack a few long sleeve options that could work with my race costume. That being said, I found myself wishing that I had packed even more layers. Normally at home a 30 degree run would be no biggie with my proper attire and such. However, I was in Florida and this type of race weather was just totally unexpected! Again, thanks for that Elsa.

Flora, Fauna and Merryweather!!!

While slightly annoyed at the weather, which was more so because we would be standing in it for a while before the race actually started, I knew I needed to LET IT GO (do you see what I did there?) and enjoy another Run Disney experience that I was blessed to be able to do! So I put my “fairy” best attitude on and got into my costume, which was the Flora part of our Sleeping Beauty fairy trio! Seeing my BRFs in their Fauna and Merryweather costumes to complete our fairy theme raised my spirits even more! As soon as our tutus were on and glowing (that’s right they had lights in them!), the Run Disney magic had officially taken hold of me!

Flora Fairy ready to go!

It wasn't easy getting off the warm bus, but the energy before the 5K was contagious. I loved seeing everyone's costumes, but I especially loved how other runners were geeking out of our fairy outfits! Cailyn, who designed our beautiful light-up tutus, hats and wands, deserves all the credit! She did such a great job! Be sure to check out her blog here. On a not so humblebrag, I think we stood out as one of the best group costumes I saw before the race. You know you are rocking a great costume when strangers are asking to take your picture as well as take pictures with you!

Eventually, it was finally time to start the race. By this point the weather hadn't warmed up at all and it was still cold. Again, thanks Elsa! We were soon off and moving though and that helped warm us up! We planned to stay together the whole time and to take the race super easy. We also wanted to take as many character pictures as possible since this was the first Run Disney race that all three of us would be together the whole time! The first part of the course is the typical Epcot Run Disney parking lot tour, but soon we saw our first character: Minnie Mouse in her special blue snowflake dress! She looked super cute! I will have to wait until I purchase the official race picture to show y'all because the photographer clearly was rushing people as fast as possible and I wasn't even looking at the camera since they literally snapped the picture as soon as we got next to Minnie! I guess that's why the picture stop lines that were pretty long went by so fast! Lesson learned!

Pluto with his winter antlers so cute!

From there we soon were entering the gorgeous Epcot World Showcase area, where Let it Go was appropriately playing for all to hear. I absolutely love running through World Showcase. It's so beautiful! Our Minnie character stop was by far the longest line, but during this time we actually made friends with another group of girls who we kept meeting along the course. That's the beauty of Run Disney - you get to connect with so many awesome people who share your love of running and Disney! They even saved us a spot in line as if we were part of their group for the next character stop, Pluto, who looked extra cute in his winter antlers! After our brief Pluto visit, we took in the sights of World Showcase and continued forward. Let it Go continued to play, and this was the point where we realized the song was being played in a different language. This would continue through the entirety of World Showcase. I love me some Frozen and the ever-popular Let it Go and enjoyed hearing it in different languages, but it was even a little redundant FOR ME. I can't imagine how some of the moms and dads running that hear this song daily anyway felt LOL!

Fairies with Goofy, wearing his winter finest!

The next character stop was Mickey in his winter sweater. His line was pretty long, so we decided to skip our pal and keep going. In hindsight, we probably should have stopped since our next character stop, Goofy, would be our last as well as the only remaining character picture stop of the race! We caught Goofy, who was also wearing his winter sweater, before we left World Showcase. We fully expected to see Donald eventually, since at this point we realized the only characters they were utilizing for this race were members of the Fab Five. However, Donald was no where to be found. Womp womp. So there were only FOUR characters total! That was a disappointment, I'm not going to lie. I've read other Run Disney 5K recaps that had more than four characters. Even the Castaway Cay race on an island had more than four characters. I'm not sure if the cold had something to do with it or what? Did anyone see Donald? Maybe he was gone when we ran by, but we didn't see any place where there would have been a stop. Oh well, I had my best girls with me so we still had a blast even without as many of our Disney friends to see along the way!

With some Frozen Dudes after the race!

Eventually we made our way back into Epcot on the future world side, which was utilizing basically the same route I know well by now as a seasoned Run Disney runner. To perhaps make up for the lack of character picture stops as well as highlight the race's theme, we did see Anna, Elsa and Kristoff from Frozen! They were on a stage-like set-up and not available for photo-ops, but we did get some pics with them in the background! They were hilarious as usual as they joked with us and shouted words of encouragement. It wasn't too long after this that we were running down the finish shoot! We made sure to hold our fairy wands high, smile and take in every magical moment of crossing the finish line together! I've crossed many finish lines in my running career, but it was super fun to do so with my BRFs!

Love me some Run Disney bling!

We immediately got our bling and were given mylar blankets, which were a much needed addition to the usual Run Disney post-race accompaniments. They really helped keep us warmer as it was still quite cold! We also grabbed our Run Disney snack boxes, which also were a nice upgrade. I've received a snack box for every Run Disney event I've done, but the boxes for Princess Weekend were better than usual! Our medallions are so cute. They are rubber, unlike the metal ones you get for longer races, but are still really nice!

Before leaving the race area, we did enjoy some post-race pictures with the guys from Frozen and some cute snowflakes! Instead of going back to our hotel like we usually do, we stayed in costume and hopped on the monorail to Magic Kingdom! This was mainly done so we could get our picture with Princess Aurora since she wasn't on the race course! It was worth staying in costume because of that as well as we seemed to be entertaining other Disney patrons! We got more photo requests, even from official Disney photographers! That's when you know you have a pretty great costume theme going for you!

Princess Aurora with her fairy friends! Make it pink! Make it blue!

Overall cold and all it was a great race experience! It was fun being with my BRFs, and I think that's what made the Princess 5K most enjoyable. Did you run the 5K? If so, what did you enjoy most?

Princess Frozen 5K fairy fun and magical memories!

Stay tuned for my Princess Enchanted 10K Race Recap coming soon!

It’s Time to RUN Princesses!

Forget the glass slipper and lace up your running shoes fellow princesses, because the Run Disney Princess Half Weekend is ALMOST here! With the Frozen 5K kicking things off Friday, many princesses are already at the House of Mouse or making their way down shortly!

This running princess leaves TOMORROW! I couldn’t be more thrilled to get away from the snowy cold of West Virginia and to the sunshine state! Yes, Florida residents I get that this is your winter and that it is a bit colder than usual there, but I will gladly accept temperatures in the 50s and 60s right now! I’m looking forward to a girls’ trip runcation. Even though this is a quick Disney trip, it will be nice to get away for a few days with the BRFs and enjoy time in my favorite place with some of my favorite people!

Princess activities kick off Thursday with the race expo at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. I can’t wait to see what the official race shirts look like this year. We’ve already been given a sneak peak at all the beautiful bling! The Enchanted 10K medal, like last year, is still my favorite. Run Disney also shared a few pictures on their Facebook page of some of the official race merchandise. I am so excited to see everything there as well as explore the other vendor booths. The Princess races start Friday with the Frozen 5K, followed by the Enchanted 10K Saturday and the Princess Half Sunday. Did I mention how excited I am for this weekend?!

Last year I completed the Glass Slipper Challenge, which involves running the Princess Enchanted 10K Saturday followed by the Princess Half Sunday. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that my race plans are different this year. I’m still doing two races, but not the Glass Slipper Challenge. As an effort to save money and change it up a bit, I am doing my first ever Disney Princess 5K on Friday. I will then get my princess on for the Enchanted 10K Saturday! I am a run all the races EVENTUALLY Run Disney fan, so this plan works for me this year. I will miss doing the Glass Slipper Challenge and am not ruling it out for future races, but for 2015 this is the right race plan for me (and my wallet thanks me).

Of course the year I chose to do the 5K it ended up being Frozen themed. So just take a minute to imagine the hysteria that involved signing up for this race. Regular Run Disney fanatics know the sign-up process for Princess Weekend is crazy as is! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Frozen mania is still alive and well, so of course the Frozen 5K sold out quickly! It will be a jam-packed race and I can’t wait to have fun with my BRFs and thousands of my “closest” Disney friends! Unless the husband comes with me, I typically run the actual Run Disney races solo. However, since the 5Ks at Disney are even more fun (if that’s even possible) than the longer races, the BRFs and I plan to do this one together. We are looking forward to hopefully achieving some PRs in FUN Friday! As for our race costumes, check out the picture for a clear-cut hint of what you might see!

 Saturday, I will take on the Princess Enchanted 10K for the second year in a row! I am SUPER excited for this race. I LOVED the Enchanted 10K last year and my only regret was feeling like I had to hold back and not being able to fully soak in the experience knowing that I still had to run 13.1 miles the next day. Well, this year I will not have that worry and I look forward to hopefully crossing that magical finish line anxiety-free! While the first few miles of the 10K are the typical Disney highway/parking lot tour, the last half of the race is awesome! In fact, it’s one of my favorite Run Disney courses! The Enchanted 10K takes you through the World Showcase as well as the Disney Boardwalk area, which is my favorite part of running at Disney. There were several character photo opportunities last year as well, including baseball Goofy, who I hope to see again! Hopefully we also get another Elsa surprise during the first few miles of the race this year too! As for our race costumes, let’s just say that we plan to SEIZE THE 10K!

I will be staying at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside, so if you recognize me say hi! I’d love to meet my fellow running princesses! I met some of you out on the race courses last year and that was a blast, so maybe we will “run into” each other again this year! Follow me on Twitter @lilrunner and/or on Instagram @lilrunner1485 for my Princess Weekend updates! Official Run Disney hashtags for the weekend are: #Princess5K, #Princess10K, #PrincessHalf, and #GlassSlipperChallenge!

Good luck to all the runners in whatever races you choose to do this weekend. Let’s all have fun over those magical miles and make some pixie-dust filled memories together! See Ya Real Soon, Mickey!

Cross-Training: Friend, Foe or Frenemy?

Running is a great full body workout. It obviously is a wonderful source of cardio. Running also works the legs and arms as well as your core. However, to really reach your fitness potential running on its own isn’t exactly the answer. This is where CROSS-TRAINING comes into play.

It’s no secret I am not a fan of lifting weights and would rather go out and run for hours instead of doing a strength training session. That being said, I also know the benefits cross-training can do for not only my running, but also my overall strength and fitness. Cross-training can be my foe, my friend, but usually hangs right around frenemy status for me.

As a competitive cross country runner in both high school and college, I generally did regular cross-training exercises to coincide with my running. I never much cared for it back then either. With so much of my focus on being a competitive athlete as well as no full-time job and other fun adult responsibilities, it was easy to keep my cross-training consistent. Even though I didn’t enjoy it. As I retired from my competitive status into being a runner who runs to stay fit and for “me,” my consistent cross-training regimen really went down the toilet. That’s not to say I didn’t partake in cross-training or strength programs. I did P90X as well as the 30 Day Shred and other core exercise plans. Once I finished P90X I didn’t really keep up with strength training on a regular basis. I also completed the 30 Day Shred, as in doing it the full 30 days, but when it was all said and done I again shifted my focus back to primarily running. I got on a yoga kick for a while. Every now and then I’d start to cross-train again, but it definitely wasn’t a set in stone regimen.

As a creature of organized routine and habit, it’s funny that my cross-training efforts over the past few years lacked consistency. With devoting time and effort to training for longer races as well as working a full-time job and maintaining a family/social life, I honestly found it difficult to work cross-training into my schedule. It was this annoying thing I knew I needed to do, but couldn’t seem to regularly keep up with. This really is just an EXCUSE. Yes, it’s true that it’s hard to fit it in. It’s hard to fit in runs too, but I still manage to because I enjoy it (well most days LOL). What I finally came to realize is that I was expecting too much to soon. I don’t have to do a full program all at once to get in cross-training benefits. Doing so usually bores me and makes me very unmotivated. I don’t have to spend hours lifting either. I don’t have to do it every single day. I just needed to make it part of my routine somehow, someway.

As 2015 rolled in, I came up with some goals to start off the New Year. I am not a New Year’s resolution person, as I choose to focus on goals whenever I want instead. Throughout the year I am constantly adding new goals to motivate myself. However, it just so happens that each new year represents a fresh start, so that’s always a good time to set some new goals. Call it a resolution if you want, the only thing that matters is striving for something and working to accomplish it. Among several things, one of my 2015 goals is to make my good ole frenemy cross-training a priority again. I want to keep up with it on a consistent basis.

Well we are now about a month and a half into 2015 so how am I doing you ask?! As an active person who loves cardio by nature, I’ve found that the circuit training method of cross-training is the most effective for me personally. It also saves time! This really helps me to balance my busy bee life! Depending on the strength/core set I choose, I usually get a solid workout in within 30 to 40 minutes compared to hours and hours. Of course, this means it’s a harder workout overall as there aren’t really any breaks, but that’s what works for ME. I prefer to go all out and get it done, even if means copious amounts of sweat and not much time to catch my breath. Again, I must stress everyone is different and everyone responds to exercise differently. If you are the type that would rather get in two hours at the gym of strength/core training, that’s great. Do what works for YOU!

I do ALL my cross-training workouts at home as well, which again I’ve found to be more effective for ME personally. I’ve never much enjoyed the gym as I find it rather dull. If you are a gym rat that’s awesome for you and I encourage you to keep going! Working out at home also helps me keep up with cross-training because it’s convenient. I’ve been primarily using Jillian Michaels DVDs since she places emphasis on the circuit training method, which I actually enjoy and sometimes even causes cross-training to be bumped from frenemy to friend for me! I rotate 30 Day Shred workouts quite often. The 30 Day Shred workouts utilize the circuit training mix of strength, cardio and abs. There are zero breaks in all three levels of this DVD. Jillian also combines strength/core moves to work multiple body parts, which helps increase calorie burn. For example, instead of doing just bicep curls, which I find redundant and boring, you do them while doing lunges as well! It’s TOUGH but gets the job done!
I haven’t mixed in a whole lot of yoga yet, but plan to increase that since cross-training also requires stretching to be another priority!

I am very proud that I’ve kept up with my cross-training so far. I really hope to stick to this goal as I can already see changes in my strength as well as running! For one, I am much stronger than before. My push-up ability was downright sad before I started cross-training. Push-up are still hard for me but I can now do so much more! My running has been getting faster as of late and I know that’s a direct result of the cross-training. One of my other goals is to focus on some speedier runs instead of just endurance based running. It’s nice to see that these two goals are working together! The foe other than not being my favorite thing with cross-training is I've found that my shins are much sorer than usual. This could be because I prefer more circuit based workouts that involve a lot of jumping. However, as a whole the benefits of that type of workout outweighs the negative, so for now I plan to stick with it!

Cross-training continues to alternate from foe to friend to frenemy status with me, but the benefits make it worth my time. Fellow runners how do you feel about cross-training? What are some things you do in addition to running? Do you have any 2015 goals? Let me know in the comments below!

Race Recap: Tower of Terror 10-Miler

Finally! Let’s get down to business to defeat the huns… Instead, let’s talk the 2014 Run Disney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler. Without delaying this any further, here is my long overdue race recap! This was such a FUN race and experience for me, so I am very excited to share it with all of you!

We arrived in the sunshine state and immediately hopped aboard the Magic Express to head to our hotel, Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Despite arriving earlier than check-in time, our room was ready. Josh and Cailyn, our Tower of Terror 10-Miler Team Villains counterparts and vacation companions, were already there. Cailyn, who by the way ran the race on a BROKEN TOE, convinced the hotel staff to not only move her and Josh’s room closer to the main lobby but ours as well. Seriously she is both awesome for her persuasive skills and oh yeah, completing a 10-mile race with a BROKEN TOE. Beast mode.

Off to the expo we then went to pick up our race packets. Run Disney usually does a great job designing cute race bibs (although the 2014 Glass Slipper Challenge ones did nothing to impress me), and I must say that I LOVED the 10-miler race bib! Our race tech t-shirts were really cute as well. While grey isn’t always my favorite race t-shirt color, it’s much better than the typical white. Race expos are a runner’s paradise, especially the Run Disney ones, which are always on point with merchandise and display booths. We spent some time shopping around a bit and I purchased some of the official Run Disney gear as well as some new Sweaty Bands headbands. A lot of the Run Disney official merchandise was Maleficent themed, which made me really happy since my race costume was Maleficent! It's as if they knew I'd be dressed like her (and probably hundreds of others lol).

"The Four Seasons" at MNSSHP!!!

After the expo and a quick nap, we dressed as The Four Seasons, as in the actual seasons not the musical group, and headed to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! Gotta love great puns and DIY costumes! We tried to not stay on our feet the entire time since we were racing the next day, but sometimes you just can't stop the Disney magic!

Race day arrived and thanks to the beauty of a night race, for once I wasn’t getting dressed in the dark at 2 a.m. like I've done for every single other Run Disney race I've done. In fact, thanks to the race not starting until 10 p.m., I was even able to SLEEP IN! So weird, yet so nice. However, the negative aspect of a late race was it felt like we were basically waiting around all day to run. For someone like me that likes to "get things out of the way," this was a bit of challenge to deal with! We occupied our time by taking the world’s longest bus ride to Downtown Disney to get some Earl of Sandwich for lunch as well as do a little shopping. We then paid a cab to take us back to the hotel to avoid another longest bus ride ever. At this point we still had quite a long time until we had to even think about getting ready to race so we attempted naps. My race jitters and excitement didn’t amount to much of a nap at all, but I’m sure my legs appreciated the rest. Another oddity of a night race was the question: what to eat for dinner? I decided to take myself back to my track and cross country days and grabbed my pre-race staple of a bagel, peanut butter and some fruit from the Pop Century market area. The meal was enough to give me fuel, but also light enough to not make me sick for the race. Plus I knew I’d have my handy dandy sport beans to fuel me right before and during the race!

Team Villains! Gaston, Queen of Hearts, Maleficent & Darth Vader!

After what felt like an eternity, we finally were in our Team Villains costumes ready to catch our bus to Hollywood Studios, where the Tower of Terror 10-Miler both started and finished! Even so, we still had quite awhile until the actual race started, but the music was playing and like all Run Disney events, the energy was electric. We had ourselves a mini photo shoot, checked our bags and eventually bid farewell to Cailyn and Josh as we finally headed to our various corrals.

Fireworks to start the race!

Again, like with all Run Disney races each corral got their own firework start! Before we knew it our corral was off and running (literally) and we were headed into the Twilight Zone for 10 magical miles! The first mile or so wasn’t exactly pleasant as both the husband and I had to pee! I am talking like major gotta go right now folks. The uncomfortable point of having to pee. I would say TMI, but runners can freely talk about pee and a good race recap always talks on course bathrooms! Fortunately, a large block of porta-potties were located somewhere within the first mile of the race, so all was well after that!

From there things really started to pick up. At some point I realized I had missed a mile marker so I was surprised to see we had less miles left than I previously thought! See, those Disney magical miles just fly right by! The early portion of the course was the typical Disney highway tour, but there were water stops at about every mile as well as on course entertainment and characters. We eventually made our way toward Animal Kingdom, but the course veered off before actually entering the park. We then made our way onto a trail-like path, which I LOVED! As a former cross country runner, this was awesome for me! I had read past recaps that the trail wasn’t lit well, but it seemed like Run Disney listened to the concerns as we had no trouble seeing on this portion of the course whatsoever. It was one of my favorite parts of the race experience! At this point we had yet to stop for any characters and were on quite a roll pace-wise. However, once I saw that the Old Hag from Snow White’s line wasn’t long, we jumped in for a quick photo. You never see her in the parks! This is another perk of what you can expect from Run Disney events! Unique photo opportunities!

Uh oh! I probably shouldn't eat this apple!

We continued on the trail and headed into the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which was another highlight of the race experience. We ran around the complex and then through the baseball stadium, where the Braves have their spring training. On that note for my fellow Pirates fans out there, Let’s Go Bucs! We also ran around the track, which was another highlight since both the husband and I are former collegiate track runners! It was hard to not really push the pace on the track because anytime my feet hit a track I get really excited! Before heading out of the ESPN Wide World of Sports, we stopped for our SECOND and LAST photo op with the Haunted Mansion Gravediggers. This was my major “must do” photo for this race! This is another unique photo you don't usually have a chance to get in the parks.

A little blurry (phone pics at night aren't the best), but here we are with the Haunted Mansion Gravediggers!

After our quick picture stop with the Haunted Mansion Gravediggers, we were still feeling strong pace-wise. We decided to take in the sites but to keep going! Normally for Run Disney races I do take advantage of many character stops, but I was truly just enjoying the race itself and continuing to push the pace since both the husband and I were feeling good. It wasn’t too long before we entered Hollywood Studios! I couldn't believe we only had a mile or so left at this point! This showed me how fun the race had been so far and showed me how much shorter a 10 mile race can feel compared to the usual 13.1! LOL! Running through Hollywood Studios was a blast! I hadn't done a Run Disney race through this park yet, so it was really exciting, especially since it's one of my Disney favorites! We ran down the Streets of America area and continued through the park before veering off to a "backstage" employee only area.

Big spider along the race course! This photo courtesy of Cailyn!

We continued on pushing the pace and it wasn't until the point where we had less than a half mile left that either of us really started to feel tired. We pressed on though because we knew it was just a little bit further and then we would be finished! We could hear music blasting and we could see the Tower of Terror in the distance as we rounded a corner and sprinted our way through the finish line! At this point I couldn't believe the race was already over since it went by SO FAST! We made it through the Twilight Zone! We got our super cool medals, which are shaped like the Tower of Terror complete with a moving elevator and also glow in the dark! From there it was a bit of a blur as we tried to snap some quick photos, grabbed our post-race snack boxes, and made our way through the longest post-race finish shoot ever (LOL at least for races I've done.) Finally we found our way to the bag check area, which was located on the stage where they do the Indiana Jones show! It was really cool getting to hang out there and made the lengthy post-race walk worth it!

Post-race medal selfie!!!

Although the race was finished, the night was far from over! By finishing the race we got to attend the post-race party and stay in Hollywood Studios until 3 a.m.! Since we finished the race before midnight, the night was still young for us! We changed out of our sweaty race clothes and immediately hit up Star Tours! Another perk of this party? Minimal to no lines! We got word that Cailyn and Josh were finished as well! So what do you do after running 10 miles and it's after midnight and you have yet to eat a "real meal"? You share a burger, fries and post-race cupcake of course! After re-fueling we enjoyed the park and had fun photo ops with the various villainous characters that came out for the post-race party! Sadly, Maleficent wasn't there, but we did manage to get pics with Darth Vader, the Evil Queen and Cruella! We stayed as long as we could and closed down the park at 3 a.m.!

Darth Vader convincing us to join the Dark Side!

Overall, I have to say that the Tower of Terror 10-Miler has been my favorite Run Disney experience to date! While waiting for the night time start wasn't my cup of tea, I did feel more alert and awake during the race, which I attribute to that. I love the Disney villains, so of course I loved the villain theme of this race. Even though I didn't make too many character stops myself, I enjoyed taking it all in and if you love character stops, this race had plenty to choose from! The course didn't feel boring at all, even with the Disney highway stretch at the beginning. I was entertained the entire time. The weather was PERFECT as well. I know Run Disney can't control that, but it really enhanced the experience for all of us! The post-race party was great! With the morning Run Disney races you don't get parties in the park like this since the parks continue their regular hours (which is understandable). 

Hello Evil Queen!

I would say I'd be back for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler in 2015, but much to my sadness and the sadness of many others, this particular race is not on the official Run Disney race calendar currently. Many rumors indicate it's due to construction of a new possibly Star Wars themed area of Hollywood Studios. Since the WDW Marathon still runs through Hollywood Studios as far as I know, this doesn't make too much sense to me. It really bums me out this race is off the schedule since I enjoyed it SO MUCH! I know a lot of other Run Disney runners want it back, so hopefully it comes back someday! Make it happen Run Disney!

Tower of Terror 10-Miler Finishers!

Did you run the Tower of Terror 10-Miler? If so, leave a comment about your race experience! Now enjoy some extra post-race party pics!

Darth Vader and Maleficent were happy to finish the race!

In front of the Tower of Terror post-race!

Post-race cupcake for the win!

Entering Hollywood Studios! Photo courtesy of Cailyn!

Tower of Terror Bellhop Goofy at the finish line! Photo courtesy of Cailyn!

Modeling with Cruella! Couldn't think of a better pic to close out this post!

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year

After a longer than expected hiatus, I’m back! First off, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I realize my last post was about my upcoming Run Disney Tower of Terror 10-Miler race and I know I am LONG OVERDUE in writing a race recap! It was my intention to have that done before Halloween, but life got hectic and before I knew it the holiday season was in full swing. The holidays came and went in a whoosh and now here we are at the start of the new year! It’s absolutely crazy! How is it already 2015!? Is it just me or did 2014 zoom right by?

Team Villains!
Gaston, Queen of Hearts, Maleficent & Darth Vader!!!

I know I will still be writing/typing 2014 on stuff until June lol. I am happy to report that the husband and I did indeed make it through the Twilight Zone and finished the Tower of Terror 10-Miler strong! Along with perfect race conditions, it was clear that our training paid off as we both felt fantastic during the race. We felt strong and I think we could have gone even faster, but hey it’s Run Disney and we did have to stop for just a couple quick pictures along the course. I mean you don’t always see the Old Hag from Snow White or the Haunted Mansion grave diggers out and about in the Disney Parks! Other than those two photos, we were feeling so good that we didn’t really stop during the race like I’ve done for past Run Disney events. I just wanted to keep going and was really enjoying the course and race experience itself. I promise a full recap is coming soon, but I will close with saying that the Tower of Terror 10-Miler was by far my favorite Run Disney event so far!

October also was time for vacation! The Tower of Terror 10-Miler marked the start of our fall Disney World vacation. We had a great time enjoying Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Our race companions, Cailyn and Josh, also spent the week in Disney with us. One of my favorite aspects of Disney is the food, and along with eating our way around the world with the Food and Wine Festival we also had some great sit-down dinners. We went to Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first time and it was delicious. The Animal Kingdom Lodge was amazing too. Someday I will stay there! We also enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Contemporary’s California Grill. Following our dinner, we were treated to an amazing view of Wishes from the Contemporary’s observation deck. It was a great new way to watch Wishes, especially without having to deal with large crowds like you get when seeing the show at Magic Kingdom.

We had an Incredible time at Disney!

Other highlights: meeting Anna and Elsa from Frozen, The Frozen Sing-Along, and the Festival of Fantasy Parade. I didn’t think anything could top the Boo to You Parade, but I was so wrong. The Festival of Fantasy Parade was spectacular. We were lucky to have prime seating for it thanks to our fastpasses! It was an overall wonderful trip and I’m already looking forward to seeing Mickey and the gang real soon next month when I return to the House of Mouse for my annual girls trip!

After Halloween, it seemed like Thanksgiving came immediately and before we knew it, Christmas was here! Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and really I consider the months of November and December as the entire holiday season. We are always super busy during the holidays, but that’s fine because I love it all. On the running front, we started our Thanksgiving Day right with the Turkey Trot, our first race since the Tower of Terror-10 Miler!

Ready to Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving 2014!

Also in December I went to my first ever hockey game and it was a blast! I can’t wait to go to another! As for Christmas, we had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. We got some great presents and ate yummy food. Like usual, I was sad to see it all end, but hey it’s now less than a year until next Christmas, right?!

First hockey game! Let's Go Pens!!!

We brought in the New Year in quiet fashion with an evening at home with our furbaby, Winston. Quite the party animals we are right?! Seriously after the hustle and bustle of Christmas, it was nice to spend New Year’s Eve on the couch with the Blacklist on Netflix and some frozen pizzas! No Blacklist spoilers please!

I am not one for New Year’s resolutions really, as I am more of a GOAL oriented person and prefer to set goals and challenges for myself as I see fit. One goal for 2015 is to try and be more regular with this blog and at least post once a month. I’d like to post more than that, but we will see how things go first.

Best wishes to you all for a great new year!!!

In closing, below are some highlights from my October Disney Vacation! If you are in a cold winter climate like me, I hope these pictures can bring you some Florida sunshine!

Hanging out with Snow!

Elsa enjoyed our Elsa shirts! Let it Go!!!

Tower of Terror pic to celebrate being ToT 10-Miler finishers!

Do you wanna build a snowman?!

Why hello, Smee!

My favorite princess, Cinderella, and her Prince Charming!

Wishes from the best view ever at the Contemporary!