February 2014 in Review

This month I ran 122.09  miles compared to 90.3 in January.  Definitely another great month.  Ugh, I cannot take this winter anymore!!  It is driving me nuts!  More snow and more snow.  I cannot wait till Spring.

I ran two races:  Walt Disney World Enchanted 10K and Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon. Two humid days in FL.  After the race on Saturday, I went to Epcot and had so much fun!  I’ve never been there and am glad I was able to go.

My training for the 50K is going OK.  I’ve tried to keep up with all of my workouts but man sometimes I am just not in the mood to run.  Thankfully Coach Sara has been very helpful and understanding.  My training plan includes doing a variety of runs (tempo, steady, recovery, and long) which makes my runs interesting.  But with 23 kids in a classroom for 6.5 hours, after work all I just want to do is come home and relax on the sofa.

Papers I need to review and grade this weekend.  Not fun.

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I am sure you’ve heard of Apera Bags.  I’m excited because I purchased a bag and am supposed to get it on Tuesday.  They have so bags but at the expo last weekend in FL, they were there and I was able to see the bags and decide which one to purchase.  The winner is…Sling Tote.

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The bag is roomy but yet not bulky.  I like that it can be worn over the shoulder or across the body. Every morning I walk out with at least 3 bags to go to work and this bag will simply make it easier for me to haul my stuff for the gym.

I also bought a pair of Aspaeris shorts.  According to their website “The patent pending technology uses Dual Sensory Compression™  in key compression zones that guide knees into the proper position, acting as a guide that creates muscle memory. This, coupled with a second layer of overall compression leads to proper joint, “loading,” to help you avoid injury and improve performance as your legs move more efficiently.”

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I was worried when I got them because they look very small.  I wear a medium in Nike and Brooks shorts so I decided to also buy a medium.  No, I did not pay attention to their size chart.  The first time I wore them the waistband kept rolling down and made it uncomfortable to run.  I pulled them up and they finally stayed put.  I wore them again today, adjusted them, and ran 12 miles in them.  Not sure if that’s what I am supposed to do each time or maybe I ordered the wrong size and should have gone with a large instead?  Overall, I like the shorts.  They’re silky soft and felt comfortable once I adjusted them.  They did not ride up at all.  Yeah, definitely my kind of shorts.

How cute are these pink ones?

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Source: www.aspaerispivotshorts.com

Walt Disney World Enchanted 10K

This past weekend I escaped the cold weather in Chicago for a warm weekend in FL.  I went back to Walt Disney World for the Glass Slipper Challenge–10K on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday. After completing the Goofy Challenge last month, I was convinced that I could accomplish anything. Well, I already knew I could but the challenge “sealed the deal” for me.

Travel plans began on Friday morning.  After last month’s travel fiasco to CA for Tinker Bell Half Marathon, I told myself that for future trips I would get on the first available flight.  My flight was supposed to leave at 6am but due to weather conditions and other technical difficulties, it left 2 hours later.

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AR and I arrived in Orlando about 11:30 or so, picked up her luggage, and then headed to Terminal B for the Disney’s Magical Express Bus.  Our wait time was about 15 minutes and then we were on our way to the hotel.  The bus ride was about 45 minutes but it sure went by fast.

Check-in at the hotel was fast and easy!  We each got a personalized MagicBand to unlock our hotel room, enter the parks, and buy food and merchandise.

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We stayed at the All-Star Movies Resort and this was on the way to our room.

We had a quick lunch and then off to the expo.  It was pretty much the same as the WDW Weekend last month.  This time I bought two tops from Running Skirts.  I was tempted to buy a long sleeve shirt too but realize that I have too many of them.

After walking around for a couple of hours, it was time for a drink.  Check out the cool bib!

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The next morning I was up at 3:10am for the 10K.  I got ready and then headed to the lobby to get on the bus.  I did not wait long and was at Epcot about 4:15.  Then it was just to wait for the 5:30 start time.  I didn’t want to put together another costume so I wore the same one from the WDW Half Marathon.

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It was a humid morning.  Finally it was time to run.  The first 3 miles were B-O-R-I-N-G.  Oh dear!  It was dark and we were running on roads so pretty much there was nothing to see.  The next half was the best part.  The best part was running along the Boardwalk.  Oh, and I ran again with Jeff Galloway. He is such a cool guy!

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I only took one picture along the course.  Love it!  I think this was about mile 5 or so.

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Finish time is 1:10:38.  Definitely not my best time but I was not expecting to PR or anything like that.

I felt OK throughout the race.  The humidity did not help at all.  I was disappointed with the course. This was the first year of the 10K so hopefully they’ll change it for next year.

I liked the convenience of staying at a Disney property.  There was an airport pick up, transportation to/from the expo, and transportation to/from Epcot for the race.  Oh, and I loved the MagicBand.  My only complaint is that there was no coffee maker in the room.  In every hotel I’ve stayed in, there’s always been a coffee maker.  The cafeteria was not open on race morning nor was there any coffee in the lobby.  I am a big fan of coffee and MUST have it every single morning.

ZOOMA Chicago

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I’ve been selected as an ambassador for the ZOOMA Chicago Half Marathon & 10K.  Yes, I am excited!  I’ve heard so many great things about this race and am happy to be a part of it.  The race will be on Saturday, August 9.  The half marathon starts at 7am and the 10K at 7:30am.

It will be an exciting weekend — a mocktail party, recovery yoga, and running with friends.  Every participant receives a cool swag bag which includes a technical tee (see below), a pair of Feetures! Performance Socks, a ZOOMA running hat, and a reusable bag.

ImageCheck out the medal!  Pretty cool huh?

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Register online or download a registration form.  You can this discount code CAMB8 to save 10% for either the half marathon or the 10K.

January 2014 in Review

This month I ran 90.3  miles compared to 104.65  in December.  Almost all of my runs were on the treadmill.  I refuse to run on the snow.  I don’t mind too much the cold but I hate running on snow.  No thank you.  Yes, I’m a wimp.  And we’ve had plenty of snow here in Chicago.

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I also ran three races:  Walt Disney World Half Marathon, Walt Disney World Marathon, and Tinker Bell Half Marathon.  Of course each race was different but my favorites were the marathon and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon.  On Tuesday I signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare (10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday).  I am convinced that if I can finish the Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday) then anything else is a piece of cake.

In April I will be running my second 50K.  I got myself a coach and she put together an awesome 10 weeks training plan.  So far training hasn’t been too bad.  This week was week #1 and all of my runs were on the treadmill.  Did I mention the snow?  She did tell me to set the treadmill incline to 1 percent.  My first run was on Tuesday, 7 miles with 2 at tempo pace.  I enjoyed my run.  Nice and slow but at 0% incline.  But then on Wednesday was 5 miles at easy pace.  That kicked my you know what. I was feeling tired and could not keep up so I only ran 4 miles.  Thursday’s run was 7 at a steady pace. Again I was tired so I only ran 5.76 miles.  Today’s run was 14 at a long pace.  Yes, I was determined to run all 14 today and I did.  Tomorrow in only 10 miles.  My coach told me that by next week I will not notice the incline on the treadmill.  We’ll see about that.  🙂 I realize that my 1st week was kind of rough for me but hopefully it will go smoother in the upcoming weeks.

In January I began running in another pair of my favorite Brooks shoes, the PureFlow 2.  Love them!

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I am excited about this month’s races, RunDisney Glass Slipper Challenge.  The challenge is a 10K on Saturday and a half marathon on Sunday.  Easy peasy right?  I am debating on whether to wear a costume.  If I do, most likely they’ll be the same ones from the Goofy Challenge.

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl!  What team are you rooting for?

My trip to CA after Tinker Bell

I ran the Tinker Bell Half Marathon last Sunday then stayed an extra day to go to Disneyland.  The last time I was there was in 1991.  Yeah, a long time ago.  Below are pictures from my fun trip.

I told my nephew he needs to get me this keychain.  He laughed.

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Time for the parade!

It’s a Small World.

I saw Woody!

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Disneyland looks beautiful at night!

The fireworks at night were spectacular.

Time for some sightseeing before heading to the airport.

Finally a good breakfast in Hollywood.

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I had a great time in CA.  The weather was just perfect, I enjoyed running the race, and had a great time at Disneyland.  Oh and I am a little bit jealous for those that live there because I am tired of the snow and cold weather in Chicago.

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