February 22, 2014

Tedy’s Team Group Run – 10 Miles

February 22, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

And on February 22nd the weather gods shined down on Boston and said: "Thou shall enjoy a special Saturday with highs of 50 degrees." And the Boston Marathon runners REJOICED!

That's right folks. After battling snow, rain, sleet and negative degree temps, we got some nice weather for a change.

And I freaked. What the heck am I supposed to wear?

***

I leaped out of bed as my alarm shrilled at 6:30am as I still hadn't planned on what to wear. I knew it would be a high of 50, but that didn't mean it would be 50 when our run began at 8am! :P

I settled on a fitting Today's Miles shirt. I mean if the training plan AND the shirt said I was supposed to run 10 then I would. Right? Plus, it was a nice lightweight long-sleeved wicking t-shirt so I thought it would be perfect time to test it out.

Egg Whites, Wheat Toast, Peanut Butter

I put together a quick, but satisfying breakfast before my ride got to my house. All for only 5 Weight Watchers Points to boot. Of course, I took my ENERGYBits as well. I needed the extra boost and it is the best vitamin I can find.

(Interested in purchasing ENERGYBits, use code WEIGHTOFFMYSHOULDERS for 25% off your order)

After a catch-up session in the car with my Tedy's Team running mates, we were at Joint Ventures in Kenmore Square stretching. On the "Riverside runs," which was taking place today, we take the train to the Riverside stop on the Green Line and run the 10 miles back to Kenmore Square. It is a long train ride or rather feels long while you are on there. But the run gives you yet another attempt at Heartbreak Hill.

Thank goodness the Riverside train station has a bathroom. We know I have the bladder of a child so it comes in wicked handy. After a pit stop, Cristina, Nanci and I got this party started.

We got into our rhythm of running and chatting. You really get to know your teammates thanks to Facebook and countless hours pounding pavement together.

I was definitely recognizing that the first mile of this training run is always a warm-up. Reason being - besides the obvious - is the time between the stretching at Joint Venture and the actual time we start running. You can get a little cold while taking the train to the start of the run so the first mile is a time to wake the legs back up.

Oh and did I mention we kick that first mile off on a hill. Yay! :P

Mile 1: 9:39

But once that first mile is behind you, you are back in your groove. We complete about three miles before we show up at the beginning of Heartbreak Hill, which for those that don't remember is a series of rolling hills through Newton. The hills themselves aren't that bad it is the position they come in the Boston Marathon that takes the toll on your legs.

We have been greeted the past few weeks at the beginning of Heartbreak by the Newton Firefighters offering water and snacks outside their firehouse. I will be sure to snap a pic next time I see them. Such an amazing outpouring of support!

Mile 2: 9:03 Mile 3: 9:09 Mile 4: 9:07

The sun was certainly shining today, which made the course seem warmer than it actually was. We know on the 10-miler that we have two water stops to check out.

Can you tell I get a little excited when I spot Margaret at the water stop?

Today was especially meaningful because I got to give her the Stop Stroke Shuffle 5k medal she earned last week. :)

We took in the scene as a film crew drove past following a runner training for - I assume - Boston Marathon. After a little Gatorade and water, it was time to get back to the hills. I set out with Cristina (who is a Boston Qualifier) to pick her brain on how to attack the next week's worth of workouts as I prepare for March 1st's 20-miler. I love hearing the training methods of other folks - especially speedier runners - for possible ideas.

Mile 5: 9:45 Mile 6: 9:04

I always take an extra breathe as we look up at the final hill of Heartbreak. It is the most daunting. I uttered my normal: "I'm ready to make you my b^&*ch" statement and set to work. Something was different today, my legs felt strong and I barreled up the hill. Okay barreling might be an exaggeration, but I definitely made it up the hill faster than usual. Oh and I felt stronger. During the trek up, I was thinking how much stronger my legs felt and thinking all that biking I am now doing might just be paying off. :P

Few things can top the feeling you have getting to the top of the final hill of Heartbreak. You really know that the final 4-ish miles will be a true breeze.

Mile 7: 8:26 Mile 8: 8:27 Mile 9: 8:49

And by looking at my splits you can tell they are pretty darn flat. My legs felt nice and fresh today. I was talking to Cristina and Nanci today about my experience with the Runner's World Running Streak (#RWRunStreak) I participated in at the end of 2013. A Run Streak means you run at least 1 mile a day for x amount of days (set by you are the host depending). I loved doing it, but think it took a toll on my body. Not sure I am built for running every single day.

Now that I am back to running, biking, yoga and swimming, I feel more balanced and I think my legs are really benefitting.

At Mile 9.26, I spotted the familiar water stop hosted by the amazing folks at Blue Trailer (which I will talk more about on Monday). They always have great snacks and signs.

Can you tell we ALL appreciated the weather?

Today their crew was triple the norm so it was like hitting the scream tunnel at Wellesley on Marathon Monday. There was high-fiving, cheering and of course kissing ... oh wait, scratch the last part. That is a Wellesley only thing! After chatting with Molly (owner of Blue Trailer) briefly, I finished up the final 1/4 of a mile.

Mile 10: 8:28

I was probably 0.2 miles from Joint Ventures, but decided to take that last stretch as a nice cooldown walk. I was okay skipping the last 0.2 miles today since I walked with someone instead.

Back-to-back 9 min/mile pace long runs

Overall, the run felt amazing. At the beginning I was dreading it, I think I always feel that way after the extra train ride. However, once we got out on the course, the tune changed.

Plus, I was rocking my unicorn socks. Yes those are rainbows coming out of their bums.

I honestly forget what I am wearing while running so I was wondering why I was getting so many quizzical looks today ... the socks! :)

We foam rolled, stretched and called it a day. I had to get home to refuel anyway: water, low-fat chocolate milk and Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee. In that order!

Next week I will miss the Tedy's Team 16-18 mile group run since I will be running the Black Cat 20-miler in Salem. Will anyone else be there?

***

Week 11 Workouts:

Sunday, February 16: 30-minute bike trainer session

Monday, February 17: Spin Class (47 minutes)

Tuesday, February 18: 5-mile run and 45-minute bike trainer session

Wednesday, February 19: Hill Repeats (2.6 miles), 30-minute Stairmaster and 62-minute Yoga

Thursday, February 20: REST DAY

Friday, February 21: 60-minute bike trainer session

Saturday, February 22: 10 mile group run

***

Looking To Donate

Are you interested in helping to fight Stroke? Please feel free to click on the link HERE to share a donation. Wondering how much? How about $10 in honor of the 10 miles I ran today with Tedy’s Team?

February 08, 2014

Tedy's Team Group Run - 10 Miles

February 08, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

20 degrees with Real Feel 9 degrees. Checking out the weather last night I wasn't allll too excited to be running in the freezing temps. BUT after missing the group run last week since I was in New Orleans, I was happy to be running humidity-free. ;)

My Tedy's Team running partner Meg usually gives me a ride to the run, but she was sick this morning. Her husband, Joshua, who usually runs with us as well still came to give me a ride. I felt so bad. It wasn't necessary, but he had to get Meg coffee anyway. :P

I got dropped off about 7:40am which gave me plenty of time to stretch before we left to take the train at 8am. It was great to see all the familiar faces after missing the 16-miler the week before.

It was a rainbow sock kind of day & yes I still have my RnR Timer thing on :)

Today was what we call a “Riverside” run which means we took the T from Kenmore Square to the Riverside stop and then we run the 10 miles back to Boston., including Heartbreak Hill.

While on the train there was a little incident with a stranger who seemed to be pretty homophobic. You can read about it here.

We arrived at Riverside, hit up the much-appreciated bathroom and hit the course. I was going to try and take it easy today since I knew the sidewalks could be covered in black ice with the recent snow/rain.

It was great to be back with the group. Plus catching up on two weeks of life really helps to pass the time. I did come prepared today with headphones in case I ended up by myself again.

I was relishing in the weather. It was cold, but it was really the wind that was painful. There wasn't humidity though so I was happy.

Mile 1: 9:07 Mile 2: 8:50 Mile 3: 8:46

I felt like I was working harder than my pace was showing. I wasn't sure why, but made sure to continuously check in with my body since Heartbreak Hill was coming.

Mile 4: 8:51

Around 4ish we hit the water stop, which meant I got to see the always smiling Margaret. She is one kickass lady, who is out every week manning a water stop and encouraging all of the runners. She is part of Team Casey, which is a big big part of Tedy's Team.

Oh and she was rocking the Boston Marathon colors in Gatorade.

After a quick regroup, we headed back on to the course to Finish our date with Heartbreak Hill. Again for anyone that doesn't know, Heartbreak Hill isn't one hill it is a series of rolling hills.

Mile 5: 9:17 Mile 6: 9:05

I turned to Sara and Cristina as we approached the final hill of Heartbreak and said: "Okay ladies let's make this our b&#ch!"

And that is exactly what we did. :)

Once we dominated Heartbreak, the run was all "down hill" from there. I usually say it is down hill from here once you hit the half way mark of a run, but not when we do the Riverside run.

Mile 7: 8:42 Mile 8: 8:47

We had our second and final water stop at Mile 7.9. It is great being able to run water belt free and having the opportunity to chat with our Coach mid-run.

I think I got a little extra pep in my step as I knew we had just two miles left. My legs started really waking up and were ready for a little speed to finish it out. Plus, I popped in my headphones and started rocking out to some sweet Disney tunes.

Mile 9: 8:27

At Mile 9.5 I saw the amazing folks of Blue Trailer were out at their usual post. I hadn't seen them in a couple weeks since I was out of town. It is always fun seeing familiar faces. I met Molly (owner) and her crew at one of the first Boston Marathon long runs.

She has a nice water stop, snacks and a fun sign.

Since they were out of tequila, I opted for a munchkin. :)

It was just the little extra I needed to finish out the run.

Mile 10: 8:31 Final 0.25: 2:00

The weather warmed up as we ran, which made the time out there more enjoyable. As a whole the run felt great. It did make me realize I need to get back to hill repeats and cross training. I have gotten lazy since the Dopey Challenge and this lit the fire under my booty to buckle back down.

Now it is time to plan out the rest of the week's activities and prepare for next week's 16-18 miler!

***

Week 9 Workouts:

Sunday, February 2: Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon

Monday, February 3: Walking Around New Orleans/Being A Tourist :)

Tuesday, February 4: REST DAY

Wednesday, February 5: REST DAY

Thursday, February 6: REST DAY

Friday, February 7: 5k run

Saturday, February 8: 10 mile group run

***

Looking To Donate

Are you interested in helping to fight Stroke? Please feel free to click on the link HERE to share a donation. Wondering how much? How about $10 in honor of the 10 miles I ran Saturday with Tedy's Team?

February 05, 2014

Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2014

February 05, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

5am wake-up call. Seemed late after the 2am-4am wake-ups for Dopey Challenge. Yes it may be three weeks post Disney, but I still put race starts in relation to Disney time. ;)

Flat Dani was ready to go!

Real Dani was slightly dragging, but ready to give it my all.

Thankfully Kenlie of All The Weigh lived just a 5-minute walk away from the Start area.

Sah-weet!

I headed to the VIP tent to meet my Team Chocolate Milk running mates for a group photo at 6am. It was drizzling. I just didn't want it to start downpouring. I hoped the real bad weather held off until at least 10am.

I love meeting the other folks from Team Chocolate Milk since we are spread out all over the world. There are a few folks that I have seen at multiple races including the inspiring Angela from We Beat Fat. She and her husband have combined to shed over 500 lbs!!

After grabbing half of a free bagel, chomping on my KIND bar and taking my ENERGYBits, it was time to hit up the special VIP port-o-potties and gear check before heading to the Start.

The race was set to start at 7am so I tried to hustle into Corral 2 with time to spare. Especially since Dacia from My Roots To Grow was going to meet me at the Start.

But as I walked to the Start Line, I tried turning my Garmin, it would spit out "low battery," and shut off.

No No No!

It had been charged. What was going on? I tried about 6 times. Nothing.

Well, it looked like I would be running the race "naked" as runners call it - IE sans watch. You dirty minds you! ;)

Of course I had to grab a selfie.

In case you didn't believe I was at the Start.

I made it to Corral 2 and Dacia was there waiting for me. :) We chatted about her game plan for spectating the race. We were hoping she would see me at least one time out on the course before heading to the Finish.

As we were chatting and taking in the scene, Michael of Point One Miles came over to say hi! He had been at the #RnRTweetup, but we didn't have a chance to chat there.

I was sort of freaking out about not having the Garmin, but talking to Michael and Dacia was distracting. Since Michael and I were in the same Corral, we were going to start the race together.

The National Anthem played and it was time to big farewell to Dacia.

As we approached the Start (both the marathoners and half marathoners were all starting together), I tried to get my Runkeeper app to load. I never keep my location services on so trying to figure out what I needed to change on the phone to get Runkeeper to start was just not working. So I said F-it. I would be running without any sort of tracking.

What was the worst that could happen?

Dacia hustled herself just past the Start to catch this gem!

My goal was to use the run as a training run for Boston since I had missed the 16-miler with Tedy's Team the previous day.

The humidity was thick. The rain was drizzling. The ground was sort of slippery. So I wasn't trying to PR out there.

Michael and I got in a great rhythm. I let him know he could easily leave me at any point if he wanted to try for a PR, but he also felt like taking it easy with the weather conditions.

It was great chatting with someone during the run.

There was what I could call a decent crowd size as we ran through the city.

The bands were great. We were able to enjoy some multiple times as we had a down and back situation at the beginning of the race.

After the band we spotted the two wheelchair racers and the elite runners. I cannot explain how far ahead the first half marathon and full marathon guys were from the rest of the pack. They were running together and neither looked like they were breaking a sweat.

We ran the first 4.5 or so (again no specifics since I didn't have my watch) before we turned around. The weather was overcast and foggy so I couldn't totally see the historic sites.

Thankfully a gentlemen rolled up next to be during Mile 4 to point out Loyola University and Tulane, etc. Thank you again Sir.

We also discussed the Rock 'n' Roll shirts for this race and our disappointment in the color choices. I love making friends on the course. The shirt was grey with dull green/purple coloring. I was just expecting something more vibrant.

Eh! We know I pay more attention to the medals anyway. ;)

While Michael and I chatted away we talked about his running dreams, his desire to want to complete a full marathon and our thoughts on some of the other races we have both done.

I love the down and back because after we took the turn before Mile 5 we could see our fellow runners coming toward us.

I heard someone randomly yell out "Go Irish Eyes!" which made me so freakin' excited. I am glad a photographer didn't catch what I looked like.

And I also got to see Sarah from Mom Running On Empty, Mindy from Road Runner Girl, which totally put a little pep in my step.

As we headed towards Mile 8, the crowds started to get more animated and that's where we spotted it ... a table of donuts!

So of course we stopped. I freaked the poor girl out as I took this little shot.

Then someone else at the table shouted "We have a keg," which is why this diddy was born.

We both passed on doing a mid-race kegstand, but we each took a donut ... or two!

Holy dry mouth. There unfortunately wasn't a water stop after the donuts, but we did see the Mile 8 marker.

I was glad Michael was in for taking ridiculous in-race photos like me. :)

Mile 8 was going to fly. Why? Because I had been texting with Dacia so I knew she and her boyfriend would be there waiting for us at Mile 9.

And they were!!! I came in for a HUGE hug from Dacia. It was a great pick-me-up.

As were these awesome bagpipers.

After seeing familiar faces, it was time to look out for Michael's Lululemon cheering squad. :P I think he thought they were out there just for him. Should I break his bubble? Nah.

They were totally there just for him.

While we headed to Mile 10, we ran DIRECTLY into the fog. We really noticed the blanket of fog as we passed the Crescent City Brewery (which I had visited the day before).

I wondered if we were just going to fall off the end of the world. It was a sight similar to Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half back in October 2013.

But we went into the fog and thankfully came out alive. :) We even got a little clearer shot to see the RnR Dude.

I love seeing that guy at every race because it usually means you are inching closer to the Finish.

I tweeted out to the masses that we had hit the Mile 10 mark. It was at that time that I actually started feeling the humidity. You could cut it with a knife.

All race long I made sure to grab water and gatorade at each water stop to make sure I was keeping myself hydrated. It may have looked overcast, but the humidity was there.

We hit Mile 11 and the clock was off. Dammit. I was hoping to try and do a little math in my head to see how we were doing.

Michael had stuck with me, took goofy pictures and had a donut (or two), but I was still hoping we would finish sub-2.

Mile 11 actually flew by as we were busy talking to the folks around us. Oh and I was trying to ignore the humidity.

By Mile 12, I was ready to be done. Hey, there are just some races that you feel like that.

But when we hit Mile 12, the clock said 1:45 and change. Michael turns to me and says: "I don't know if we are going to make it." I reassured him that I am from Boston and no matter what I would walk a mile faster than 15 minutes so we would be golden.

At Mile 12.5, we saw the signs ... JELLO SHOTS!

Oh hell yeah we would be stopping for one of those and we did. It was a little difficult to eat while running, but this race was all about fun so we made it work. ;) Plus how often do you say I had a jello shot during a race.

At that point the Full Marathon runners headed to the left, while we continued straight ahead to the Finish. I felt like I was on a treadmill. I was moving, but didn't feel like I was moving forward. It made me feel like I was back in the last 0.2 miles of the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Full in November 2012.

But Michael was being a great cheerleader and we were pushing each other along.

Apparently Dacia and Erick were just after the Mile 13 marker, but I was oblivious. I saw the Finish Line and was gunning for it.

Michael and I went Start to Finish together and rocked and rolled to a 1:55:43. It turned out to be Michael's second-fasted half marathon. Woo!

Don't we look great for having OWNED 13.1 miles.

I had a blast. It was a great flat course. The crowd wasn't as full as I would've expected. I was also surprised to see the Finish Line over a mile from the Start. I hadn't experienced this at a Rock 'n' Roll event before. I think some spectators had difficulty getting around the course in a timely manner.

My spectators Dacia and Erick were ON it. I need to thank them again for jetting around New Orleans to see me.

After snapping a couple of pics at the Finish Line,

I headed over to the Got Chocolate Milk tent to #FinishStrong. But, we needed to move from one tent (Half Marathon) to the other tent (Marathon) so I could see some of the other folks that manage the team.

Can you tell I am in a "Take me wherever you need to" mode? :P

And it was worth it. Oh delicious low-fat chocolate milk. The best way to refuel post-race (before the beer of course).

I met back up with Dacia and Erick and we headed to the second VIP tent so I could grab a quick snack and a much-needed mimosa.

Oh and a mini beignet of course. Deeellliisshhh!!!

I did pay the $20 to have my medal engraved. It is $20 at Rock 'n' Roll races, but I do it at every one. Mainly because if they mess up they have a whole stack of medals to replace it with. I don't have that luxury if I do it at home.

My amazing cheerleader and I snapped a couple photos before heading to breakfast.

I was REALLY into whatever Dacia was saying. :P

It was great walking back down the street, while others finished both the Half and the Full Marathon. Some of those Full Marathoners were finishing sub-3 hours and looking strong and fierce.

So running without my Garmin or Runkeeper was slightly unnerving, but it was also freeing to just run and truly live in the moment. How about not having any sort of splits in a race recap? :P

***

I want to thank Got Chocolate Milk for sponsoring me to run the RnR New Orleans Half Marathon.

Did you run? Did you have a blast?

February 05, 2014

New Orleans: Arrival, Expo & #RnRTweetup

February 05, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

Did you all know I was excited to head to New Orleans? You may remember this post about it - check it out if you don't.

I arrived to the airport early since I was heading solo and I am a worrier. Plus I like a pre-flight beer at Boston Beer Works.

If you don't recall, I was heading down to New Orleans on Jet Blue. Thanks frequent flyer miles. When I rolled up to the Gate, my name was being called over the loudspeaker. Oh man that is never a good sign - is that I said to all the people around me.

BUT IT WAS AWESOME!! It is the 10th anniversary of Jet Blue being in Boston and I was the 10th person to check into my flight so I won...

... 10,000 Jet Blue Miles and a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card.

Aaaaahhhh-may-zing way to kick off the weekend.

The flight itself was uneventful - little napping, little TV, little people watching. The usual.

I arrived in New Orleans and took a cab to my friend's place. I would be staying with Kenlie from All The Weigh for the weekend.

We checked out the amazing view from her rooftop and I had to dip my toes in her pool. I didn't care that it was chilly ... it was warmer than Boston so I had to do it. :P

We headed out to grab dinner at a cute little sushi place before checking out Bourbon Street. It was my first time to New Orleans so it seemed like a "must do." It was definitely a sight to be seen.

After a long day of work, traveling and adult beverages, it was a deep sleep. Plus Kenlie's couch was super comfy.

I sprang out of bed off the couch Saturday because it was finally #RnRTweetup time.

I was excited to finally meet these lovely bloggers in person.

Kenlie was nice enough to drop me off at the Expo. Little did I know the convention center was MASSIVE. I entered at Hall A and the RnR Expo was at Hall J. I was shockingly running late, which is rare for me.

I made a quick stop at Starbucks to grab a coffee. :( It was no Dunks.

But I hustled down the covention center and made it to the Expo with about 15 minutes to spare.

I headed over to the Stage area. Ahh I would be up there talking and hopefully people would be there enjoying it.

Oh and our names were even on the poster.

I was geekin' out!

There were the ladies! I have been chatting with these ladies online for years and it was finally time to meet them in person.

From left to right: Me (Duh!), Sarah from Mom Running On Empty, Mindy from Road Runner Girl & Abby from Back At Square Zero!!

We all hopped on stage and got the party started!

It was a BLAST! The time flew by and I was happy to see so many familiar faces in the crowd. :)

Here are some amazing shots captured by Ashley from Rock 'n' Roll.

Not the most flattering photo of me, but I am probably talking about my love of Race Bling! ;)

What do bloggers do when they get together at a tweet up? This picture sums it up perfectly! :P

I can't express how awesome it was to meet such amazing women at one time. I was overwhelmed with love and happiness. It was a magical morning.

A big thank you to Rock 'n' Roll for letting Abby, Sarah, Mindy and I have such a once in a lifetime experience. How about we make it more than once in a lifetime? Huh Huh? Tweet me Rock 'n' Roll. ;)

I want to thank some amazing folks for attending the tweet up.

My friend and Team Chocolate Milk teammate Angela from We Beat Fat

Tanee from From Fat To Fit Chick

Leah from Glitter On The Go

And others who I didn't nab a pic with.

Just as the #RnRTweetup ended, my girl Christine (aka Dubyawife) arrived. :) We have hung out at the past two Fitbloggin' conferences and she drove an hour from Baton Rouge, LA to hang out. I was PSYCHED to see her.

After giving tons of hugs to the girls, Christine and I headed to pick up by bib. 'Cuz ya know I was in New Orleans to run. I forgot. :P

As soon as I had the swag, we headed to the Got Chocolate Milk booth so I could grab my wristband for the VIP tent (sweet perk), snap a pic with the chocolate mustache and see some teammates.

Even Christine got in on the fun!

And then I ran into some of my amazing Team Chocolate Milk running mates.

Aren't they handsome fellas? :)

After chit chatting with the guys, it was time to head to my second must-see booth at the Expo: Sparkly Soul.

I was wicked excited to see Pamela. She and her sister run Sparkly Soul and are great great people.

Who here went to the booth and said "Weight Off My Shoulders sent me" and got a free headband. I would love to see you showing off the sparkle. I thank the ladies for giving me that opportunity and the 10% off everyone else received. :)

I love representing good and authentic companies.

Christine and I took a little spin around the Expo before heading out to grab lunch. We ate at Ernst Cafe, where we received a free beer thanks to checking in on Foursquare! Yay social media! :)

After a great time catching up, it was time for Christine to head home and me to head back to Kenlie's for a quick recharge.

I re-bonded with Kenlie's couch before heading out to meet up with my girl Dacia from My Roots To Grow.

Dacia, her boyfriend and I had a great time walking around the city, trying Crescent City brewery, dinner at Gordon Biersch and just catching up. It was a nice relaxing pre-race evening. The pizza at Gordon Biersch was delicious. The crust was just the way I liked it.

We parted ways and I headed back to Kenlie's to get some sleep.

It wasn't until this point that I realized I was in Central Time Zone not the Eastern. Yeah I am not swift on the uptake. :P

But with a 5am wakeup call, I was ready to crash before 9pm ... and I did.

Not before laying out Flat Dani of course.

And if you didn't realize before, Kenlie's couch was comfy so it was "Hey I should get more ...Zzzzzzzz"

Hello 5am!

Tune in next time to hear how the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon turns out...

January 28, 2014

Disney/Dopey Challenge Recaps

January 28, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

So I thought it might be easier to keep links to all of my Disney posts in one place for people to read a little easier: Disney Part 1: Arrival & Expo

Dopey Challenge Race 1: Family Fun Run 5k

Disney Part 2: #WDWRaceTweetup

Dopey Challenge Race 2: Inaugural Minnie 10k

Dopey Challenge Race 3: WDW Half Marathon

Dopey Challenge Race 4: WDW Marathon

Celebrating Dopey (Video Blog)

Disney Part 3: Final Day

Overall Thoughts On Dopey Challenge

January 27, 2014

Dopey Challenge Race 4: WDW Marathon

January 27, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

"It's just a marathon Dani."

That is what I fell asleep telling myself the night before the fourth and final race in the Dopey Challenge.

When would I ever use the word "just" and "marathon" in the same sentence.

Nerves were running HIGH!

When we last left off in the Dopey Challenge saga...

Is it really a saga? Can it be a telanovela? Or maybe a series on Netflix only? That way you can all binge-read my recaps.

Woah Woah! I am getting off topic and basically making myself think my Dopey Challenge recaps are binge-worthy ... like Arrested Development or Orange Is The New Black.

Okay they are masterpieces. And entertaining. And fraught with amazing photographs. My odd yet humorous thoughts during races.

But I digress.

We left off from the WDW Half Marathon with me falling in to bed just after 8:30pm. To say I was going to bed peacefully would be a complete lie. I was - as previously stated - a nervous wreck over the marathon.

Now going into this marathon I had completed three other full marathons so I know I could complete it. BUT, after the stress reaction and my lack of long runs (nothing longer than 13.1 since The Boston Marathon back in April 2013), I was worried I wouldn't make it.

I had dreams of being swept.

Now, in reality, I knew that wouldn't happen. Even if I had to walk the entire marathon, I had to keep a 16 min/mile pace. Which for a Bostonian isn't that difficult. If there is one thing I can do well, it's walk fast! :) So I kept that in the back of my mind as I slept and when I woke up.

I flew out of bed at 2am. I felt the day before that I didn't get my money's worth in the race retreat so I made sure to wake up earlier before the Marathon (Sunday, January 12) so I could enjoy what I shelled out for.

It seemed I had decided the order of my costumes from easiest to most difficult to get into. Don't ask me why. But I woke up the wife and she helped make sure Snow White looked perfect before heading off to the race.

Thank goodness my wife can sew. Right folks?

I had once again laid out everything I needed the night before so I was out the door quickly and hoped the wife would be back to sleep soon.

I think I was the eighth person in line for the bus. Yes I was actually on the first bus out of the hotel. :) I tried my best to squash the nerves and I did that by finding the one and only Linzie from See Sharp Run on the bus and saddle up to him.

Thanks for the photo Linzie!

Seeing a familiar face was helping. We chatted and hung together until we got to the Start Area.

As Linzie made some last-minute Dopey Challenge purchases, I headed to the Race Retreat. I grabbed a bagel and pulled a chair up to once again watch Mary Poppins.

My stomach was not taking well to the bagel. I wondered if it was because it is a plain bagel and I don't really eat those anymore or if it was nerves taking over. Since I was there so early I just ate half before taking one of a zillion trips to Race Retreat's private port-o-potties (score!).

I decided a little later to try another half of a bagel, but with peanut butter this time. It seemed to sit better and I just tried to drink as much water as possible. I knew the humidity would be picking up and I wanted to be as hydrated as possible.

I was having a tough time connecting with the bloggers and runners I knew running the marathon so I needed something to distract myself. I thought why not make a poster to thank all the supporters I have - aka YOU GUYS! :)

So thank you again for following this journey and all of the messages I received before, during and after the Challenge.

Before I knew it, they were announcing Corrals A-C to the corrals. I hit the private Race Retreat bathrooms again before heading out. I was alone, which is not my preferred way to hang around a race because I get to in my head, so I was trying to distract myself by looking for people I knew.

And then it happened. Out popped Stephanie from Run for Fun. Stephanie and I met through a mutual friend when she was living in Boston before she relocated back to New Jersey. Gotta love how in a race with over 20,000 runners sometimes you luck into meeting someone you know.

Stephanie and I chatted while we meandered over to our corrals. We parted ways as I headed to Corral C and quickly sat my butt down and tried to stay warm. I think they said the temps were in the 40s, which should've been a heatwave for this New Englander, but I was freezing.

I tried to make myself as small as I could, while I listened to others around me talk about their excitement. I was just trying to calm my nerves. I couldn't remember the last time I was as nervous as I was in that moment.

So it was time to have a heart to heart with myself. I reminded myself that "I am stronger than I think I am," "I was trained enough for the event," and "I was there to have a blast." That was it. I was there to have fun.

As Tedy Bruschi had said before. The Start Line is the Finish Line and the race itself is the party ... and I was ready to get my party on!

The Run Disney announcers were doing a great job entertaining the crowd as best they could. It was FINALLY time to send the wheelchairs off. I could tell my stomach was starting the settle. I was ready to just get out there and run.

A went off ... B went off ... and it was time for Corral C.

As we walked to the Start Line

I caught my friend Carissa's eye, a Run Disney announcer, and she gave me a shout out. I looked around as if anyone in my corral knew who I was, but it made me smile and put me at ease. So thanks Carissa! :)

I was checking out the folks around me and caught the Pacer. It said 3:35 on it. I actually laughed out loud. Yes I was placed in my Dopey corral based on my half marathon PR of 1:44, which would make sense that I would end up near a 3:35 marathon pacer. But I know I will never get a time close to that (unless 3:58 is the new 3:35) so I was feeling out of place.

I KNEW I had to focus on running my own race and not get swept up in the speed demons around me. I kept myself tucked to the far left to make sure I stayed out of people's way.

Then it was time for Mickey to count us down! 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... GO!

And there it was. No matter what I was feeling. All I had to focus on in that moment was putting one foot in front of the other.

And locating the first port-o-potty. Hey nerves plus waiting forever in a corral weighs on a girl's bladder.

The marathon starts out just like the half marathon so I knew I had some highway time in front of me. They also use some of the same Disney character stops (bound to happen), but I committed to stopping at duplicates. I mean Hello I am in a different costume.

First stop again was Pirates of the Caribbean.

While waiting in line for this beauty, I chatted with a Perfect Marathoner. That means she had taken part in the previous 20 Disney marathons and this marked 21. It was really cool to hear her thoughts on how the race has changed over time. Year One the race had 2,000 runners and didn't include any of the frills (aka characters, etc) that the race does now.

Shortly after that stop we hit the Mile 2 marker, which meant all Dopey Challengers were officially halfway through the Challenge. WOO! It was all downhill after that, right? ;)

I had also decided I would have fun with the race photos ... can you tell?

We made our way to Magic Kingdom just like we had the day before, but Cinderella's Castle looked even more electric.

Plus do you like the Chuck Norris sign photobomb in the bottom left corner.

It was in Magic Kingdom that I had to do some back running and that means I ran past a character and had to double back for the photo.

We then made the turn to heard towards the Castle. Instead of Donald and Daisy, it was Mickey and Minnie. I assume since the marathon's mascot is Mickey.

How amazing did the Castle look?

I was chatting with women in line and one actually had recognized me from my Jessie costume the day before. :)

And as you emerge from the Castle, the photographers are there to capture your photo and usually get some of my favorite moments from the race.

Like these!

I took a couple more character photos before we left Magic Kingdom.

After MK, it was back to highway/parking lot running but not before stopping at the Speedway. Friends, we ran on an actual speedway!

The entrance was slightly scary as you went down a sharp decline, which was shockingly followed up a steep incline. Thank you photogs for being at the top of that incline so I had to act like I was owning it.

Holy Sweat Marks Batman!

The speedway gave me a chance to see fellow runners outside making their way towards the Magic Kingdom. I love cheering folks on so I was trying to yell and clap them along as best I could.

It was cool to run around the track. It was lined with race cars, as well as old school cars that people had driven in. The folks were even sitting outside them cheering us on. And some were already BBQing. Ohh the food smelled good.

We hit the Mile 9 marker while on the Speedway and then made our way to Animal Kingdom. I was wicked excited for the rest of the race since it would all be new to me. We headed down Bear Creek Road and that is when I spotted her. The Evil Queen. I got too giddy for the people around me when I spotted her.

I got quite a few compliments from folks around me for the photo. I loved it.

I had been told you hit Animal Kingdom around Mile 13 so I knew we would be on the road for a while. I used this time to check in with myself and strike up conversation with runners around me that would talk. ;) I had a great time chatting with two gentlemen doing their first marathon. They were impressed with how upbeat I was for being so far into the Dopey Challenge. How could I not be upbeat? I was running through freakin' Disney and having a blast.

I will tell you I was stopping at every water station and having water and powerade. I wanted to keep myself as hydrated and energized as possible. Note with that much liquid, I was also visiting ever port-o-potties. Between bathroom breaks and character stops, my legs were feeling great. I was shocked and relieved.

I felt like a giant next to Jiminy Cricket

I posed with King Louie just before the halfway mark. As I hit the line for the halfway mark, I got a little sad. I only had 13.1 miles left in this amazing journey.

I was getting the text updates for my splits while I was running and saw that I was projected to finish in 5:06:43 at that moment. I was slightly disappointed. I wanted to love the run and not care about time, but I still wanted to try and finish under 5 hours.

I put the phone back on airplane mode to save battery and to take my focus off the splits.

And to apparently pretend that I was flying?

And at that moment I saw the lovely ladies of We Run Disney - Christine and her mom Pam. I was sooo happy to see familiar faces. It was great chatting with them and snap this selfie.

I was also working as PR. Telling everyone around us how they should check out these ladies on social media.

Now I had noticed folks passing me all along the course as I stopped for pics, but it hit me when I saw these ladies. I started in Corral C and they started in Corral G. Now they were both going for PRs so they weren't stopping for photos. Either way it made me realize the folks I started with were probably almost done. Eh! I was having fun.

We bid our goodbyes and I stopped to take more photos on my way out of Animal Kingdom.

The Mile 14 marker was just after this photo. Nothing too exciting happened between Mile 14 and 17. We were out on the highway making our way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Apparently without a ton of character stops my pace picked up.

Mile 17-21 included the trip into, around and out of ESPN Wide World of Sports. I can tell you this was the most boring stretch of the marathon. There were no character stops and no real entertainment besides a brief spell running through the Ballpark where the Atlanta Braves spring train.

The highlight of this portion of the race was catching back up with the We Run Disney ladies and having Pam pay me one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. :)

I do want to thank Run Disney for having cold rags available here as well. It was wicked necessary.

I made up some serious time here since at Mile 20 I got the notification that my estimated Finish Time 4:53:37. That was a 13 minute jump from the previous prediction.

If you recall, this Frozen Mile Marker design was seen in all 4 race recaps. We love Frozen!

Now at Mile 20 it hit me. I only had 6.2 miles left in this sweet race. With Mile 22 being one of the last stretches of highway we would have. Woo!

The last 4 or so miles of the race went through Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk and finally EPCOT.

Around Mile 23 we were in Hollywood Studios and a volunteer handed me this glorious treat.

Now Special Dark Chocolate is my favorite chocolate in the world. It was a great treat to snack on while I waited to grab a pic with Wreck It Ralph!

Now by this time the parks are open to the general public so it was my first experience running through the crowds. Obviously Disney does a great job of patrolling the traffic and making sure the runners stay on course. It was funny running past people that were clearly confused as to what we were doing.

In Hollywood Studios, we got to see some behind-the-scenes stuff like the costume department.

I loved it.

Again I know everyone is running their own race, but I was surprised more people weren't stopping to take pics.

We ran past the Hat and towards the exit of the park.

The miles were ending and I was getting sad. Post-race depression was sneaking in before the race even ended. I tried to push it aside and continue with the mantra I had used all race long: "Live IN The Mile."

Just before Mile 25 as we headed into EPCOT, I saw him. He was being escorted from an apparent break by a Disney cast member. It was DOPEY!

I 100% GEEKED OUT! It was the picture I wanted at the perfect moment. Plus the Cast Member grabbed this shot on my phone.

Right after this photo I entered the World Showcase and hit Mile 25. Oh man, this glorious morning would be over in just over 1 mile. I had to soak in EVERYTHING I could.

It was cool to see Mulan and Mushu outside Japan.

We left the Showcase and headed back towards the Ball. I checked in with my body, which felt great, and decided to kick it into gear and run a little harder.

While in the World Showcase, I was texting with my dad and my wife to find out where in EPCOT they would be. My dad and mom were going to be on my left as I passed the Ball to exit the park and the wife would be at the Finish line.

I approached the Ball and there they were. I high-fived both my parents and kept going. I started crying. I was so happy to see them and so excited to finishing this challenge.

There were a ton of photographers coming down the pike and I just hoped I looked as happy as I felt. :P

With a high-five to Minnie right before I crossed the Finish Line ... it was over.

The floodgates opened and I started the ugliest/happiest cry I have ever shed.

Glad they caught me stopping my Garmin. :P

Just after the Finish Line I turned to my left and in the huge crowd I spotted the wife ... and started crying harder!

The wife captured the moment on her phone.

I had the volunteer drape my marathon medal over me as I headed to pick up the final two medals: the Goofy Challenge and the illustrious Dopey Challenge medal.

How beautiful!

My official Finish time was 4:45:57.

I was bawling. A volunteer said "Don't cry. It's over." I responded: "That's why I am crying."

I finally tuned in to my body and it was feeling the 48.6 miles. I was walking slowly, but I kept moving forward. I headed to the Race Retreat tent to grab food. The eggs only had cheese in them and a volunteer offered to locate me some without cheese. I thanked her about 10 times. It was a sweet gesture that I needed.

A different person came over to me. She was worried I was alone. I explained that my wife was outside. But she took a couple photos for me and gave me a big hug. It was exactly what I needed.

I headed over to the Runner's World portion of the Race Retreat tent so I could check in on Caitlin - a RW employee I met in 2013. She rocked Dopey!

It was finally time to run outside and be reunited with the wife. We waited a couple minutes so I could snap a photo with the lovely We Run Disney ladies before heading back to the bus.

As we headed to the bus, I spotted a champagne tent. Yes after finishing the Dopey I was content with spending $10 for a glass of champagne.

It was delicious!

I hobbled up the steps of the bus and just stared at the medals. I couldn't believe it was over. It hadn't sunk in.

I signed up for this race in April 2013 and now it was over. I was one of a certain number of people who had completed the inaugural Dopey Challenge.

The 4 hours and 45 minutes of the marathon felt like 20 minutes. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Taking the route I did - stopping for every photo - helped me more than I could have expected.

Once back at the hotel, we stopped so I could get some chocolate milk to refuel with AND so that I could put all six medals on at the same time.

Ahhh!! The moment I had waited so long for.

After a shower, some social media work and a change, we were off to Magic Kingdom. And yes the six medals came with me.

We had an amazing afternoon before heading to EPCOT to join my parents for dinner in Germany.

Celebratory beers.

Walking around the parks was the smart move as my legs felt refreshed rather than sore when I turned in to bed that night.

This race was more than a marathon. This Challenge was more than 48.6. This experience was life-changing!! :)

January 25, 2014

Dopey Challenge Race 3: WDW Half Marathon

January 25, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

3am. The time the alarm went off for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, January 11th. Now by this time in the Dopey Challenge - Race 3 - you think I would've been used to the early morning wake-up... NOT!! It still hurt, but nerves/excitement kept propelling me out of bed like I won the lottery!

I was ready.

I had actually run the Disney Half in 2013 (my first Run Disney event) so I actually knew what the expect course-wise. For once. ;) I was even repeating a costume. My Jessie costume in January 2013 was such a hit and I had spent good money on the red cowboy hat that I was perfectly okay with reusing. This time however we used a different white shirt. Actually it was a tech golf shirt, which we thought would breathe in the humidity a little better than the cotton shirt I used the previous year.

Since I had signed up for the Race Retreat (which was $200 extra to attend before the Half Marathon and Marathon), which includes:

Pre-Race Amenities

Pre-race bagels and fruit, plus coffee, water and PowerAde
Temperature-controlled tent with lounges
Private restrooms and bag check
Padded stretching area

Post-Race Amenities

Internet access to check live results
Brunch with hot and cold beverages
Changing tents
Self-treatment and First Aid station
10-minute massage for only $10 (based on availability)
Designated location to meet friends and family to celebrate your accomplishment!*

(Taken from RunDisney.com)

I headed out of the room at 3:30 and off to the busses. The bus was actually pretty packed and I enjoyed talking to a woman who was running her first half marathon. It was great to tell her about my experience on this course and share in her excitement.

I arrived to the Race Retreat and it was in full swing. I grabbed a bagel and took a seat near the "Kids Korner," which was showing Mary Poppins. As I drank water and ate my bagel, the announcements started. They asked runners in corrals A-C to head to the Start Line.

Gah, already? I just got there. At that moment, I told myself I had to get to race retreat earlier the next day to get my money's worth. It was nice to hang out inside a heated tent as it was chilly outside. Before I headed to the Start Line, I got a picture with the crew from Mary Poppins.

Yay penguins. I usually never see those guys around the parks.

The line at the Race Retreat port-o-potties was wrapping around the tent so I headed outside to use the other port-o-potties. In retrospect, I should've just waited inside, but I was worried about getting to the Start.

I actually ran into a couple of folks that were related to an Instagram follower of mine (did you follow that?) on my way to the Start Line so it was nice to chat with them.

Just like 2013, Jessie was a hit already and a few people asked to take a photo of me. Kind of odd to just pose by myself, but I was happy to spread the Jessie love. :0)

I made another pit stop at the port-o-potties after the trek to the Start (which is a dimly lit walk that is about a 1/4-1/2 mile). I headed to Corral C and started stretching.

In 2013, I was in Corral A so this was an adjustment not being the first folks off after the wheelchairs. But it was great to experience the Start a few times.

Finally it was our turn!! :)

I started out a little too fast and made sure to real it back in. I knew I needed to run my own race and not get swept up in the crowd around me. I was placed based on my 1:44 Half PR and knew I was going to run a slower race than that so I didn't want to speedy folks around me to get in my headspace.

Since I had taken part in the race previously, I knew what to expect ... a lot of highway time. But Disney does a great job of distracting you during those long patches. Enter characters tops and DJs.

Our first character stop was the same, hello Pirates of the Caribbean.

Being two corrals back from the previous year I was worried about longer lines at characters. Right off the bat I noticed a slight increase, but not as bad as I expected.

As we cruised down the highway and I jammed out to some great pop and Disney tunes, the entrance to Magic Kingdom caught me off guard. It was a happy sight though.

The entrance to Magic Kingdom hits you around Mile 3. That doesn't mean you are in the actual park yet, but the parking lot and Speedway.

There is where I spotted Launchpad McQuack. I have NEVER seen him in a park or on a course so it was a treat I had to stop for.

And the lovely Nightmare Before Christmas folks.

We continued on streets/high way areas until just past the 5 mile marker. At that point, we started taking the back entrance into Magic Kingdom. Taking part in a Run Disney race does give you a behind the scenes look at parts of the parks.

Just after you make it through the back roads of Magic Kingdom you take the entrance into the actual park and you take the right onto Main Street. That moment is absolutely breathtaking. The crowds are massive and the energy level is unparalleled. It is an experience that is tough to put into words.

What a sight, right?

After passing the Castle you take a right into Tomorrowland and work your way through the different sections of the Magic Kingdom. I easily get distracted by looking at the surroundings, thanking the volunteers and trying to spy who the next character stop will be.

Buzz & Jessie reunited

POOH!

I actually really enjoyed stopping for the character stops since 1) it gave my legs a chance to rest and 2) I had a fun time meeting other runners and talking Dopey Challenge/costumes/etc.

I had to get another pic with Donald and Daisy before running through Cinderella's Castle, which is my favorite part!

Can you tell I was trying to hide my phone from the photograph?

It is cool to come out from Cinderella's Castle and look out on to Main Street and the massive crowds, as well as the other runners!!

We took the right turn into Fronteirland and that is where it happened ... Jessie and Woody!

It was just after this photo that we hit the Mile 6 marker.

You are really only in Magic Kingdom for a couple of miles before you head back on to the highway/streets to make your way back to EPCOT. This is a stretch that could be dreaded, but the crowds keep you pumped up and Disney makes sure there are characters spread out along the stretch. Including...

You can see it was still dark out. The sun finally starting breaking through as I was heading towards Mile 9. Yay! Finally the pictures stopped looking like I was running at night. :P

Once you hit Mile 9, you are on the opposite side of the highway we started out on. It was interesting to see some of the runners/walkers, as well as the Disney clean-up crew. They were right behind the last walker ready to clean up the course so roads could reopen as quickly as possible.

This stretch allowed me some time to take an in-race selfie! Pretty right? I hit send on this puppy as we hit Mile 10.

It was at that time that "Go The Distance" from Hercules came on my iPod shuffle and great motivating text messages flowed in.

It was also when I texted my Dad to let him know I was at Mile 10. His response? "Slow down. Stuck on the bus."

Ummm... okay dad. :P There was no changing my pace. Ha. I was ready to be back into EPCOT and heading towards the Finish Line.

Just after Mile 10 you hit a little incline as you do a turnaround to get off the current highway and up to the road that leads you straight into EPCOT. More highway. More DJ. Etc.

At Mile 12, I had to take a picture with the mile marker - it was the Frozen one, which had also been used during the 5k and 10k.

Yes you can see that the humidity was NOT working with the red marker/tech golf shirt combo. Oops! It was looking like Jessie had seen better days.

Right after this pic you head into the park. Running through EPCOT never gets old. Now that we were getting close to the Finish folks weren't stopping for pictures, but I was ready to keep my "stop at every character" streak alive.

With 1/2 a mile to go, it was time to check in with my body. I felt great. My legs felt fresh. The right foot didn't feel any worse than before.

So I decided to kick it in to a faster gear heading to the Finish Line. Why not right? So off I went.

But you know I had time to yuck it up for the photographer.

Then it was over. The third race of the Dopey Challenge - the Half Marathon - was done: 2:22:31.

What a thrill. 22.4 were done. But upon further review, we still weren't half way through the Dopey Challenge.

I even spotted my Dad and wife at the Finish Line. Yay! They had made it in time to see me Finish.

I waved and headed to grab my medal.

I headed to the Race Retreat to grab a quick post-race meal: bacon, bacon, bacon. You know how it is! I tried to eat quickly since neither my wife nor dad could go into the tent because we didn't buy them the access. So I ate quickly and headed back out so we could go back to the hotel.

I got back to the room and crashed - still in costume. Yes the lack of sleep was catching up to me. After the nap it was time for a quick shower, change and chocolate milk time!!

We decided to spend the afternoon in Animal Kingdom including lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue, which has some kick ass pulled pork.

After Animal Kingdom, we met my parents in Hollywood Studios for dinner at the Sci Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant before calling it a night. Thankfully I was in bed just after 8:30pm to rest up for the BIG SHOW ... the WDW Marathon!

January 23, 2014

Dopey Challenge Race 2: Inaugural Minnie 10k

January 23, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

I was a part of history!!! That's right folks! Dani Holmes-Kirk will go down in the record books.

When future historians look back at what happened in 2014, they will see my name in the list of people who participated in the inaugural Minnie 10k.

Yup - that's right!

I'm in the record books. :)

After I announced that I would be undertaking the Dopey Challenge, my friend Krissy (from Shiawase Life) told me she was going to take part in the 10k and suggested we run it together! YAY! :) I love having a running partner. Plus, I knew she would help me focus on the fun and pictures and keep the pace slow.

I let Krissy know that I would be rocking the Tinkerbell costume for the 10k and she decided to do a partner costume ... which I will reveal shortly.

Let's get to the day...

On Friday, January 10th, I started the earlier wakeup calls with a all three phones (mine, my wife's and the room's) all went shrieking off around 3:15am. I once again leaped out of bed and started getting into my costume.

The outfit wouldn't have been complete without Tink's pom poms on the shoes. :)

I once again grabbed up my ENERGYBits, Lara Bar and Armpocket and headed out to the busses. My need to be on one of the earlier busses allowed me to get to the Start area with plenty of time to hit the port-o-potties, bust a little move and get in place to meet Krissy near Corral A. :)

And there she was ... my Tiger Lilly!

Aren't we cute??

We had an EASY time passing the time before the race started. Between chatting, running into other folks we knew and generally loving hanging out, the time flew. Before I knew it, it was time for us to sashay - if you will - up to the front-ish part of the corral. Yes I had learned the day before that they let you into the corral on one side and let you out the other side to actually head to the Start Line.

It is amazing to instantly click with someone IRL after building a friendship online. This was just the second time that Krissy and I had hung out in person and it felt like we've been hanging out for ages.

We did some more sashaying to try and get a tad closer up to the Start Line.

After a second day of Run Disney announcements, Cigna spokesperson and the National Anthem, the fireworks went off and we hit the road.

I hit my Garmin as we crossed the Start Line - mainly out of habit than caring about pace - and we headed out through the EPCOT parking lot.

The course mark above shows the 5k route in Blue and the 10k route in Red. Parts overlapped as you can see, but we did spend more time in the EPCOT parking lot area in the beginning.

I will say the first mile of the race didn't include any music or character sightings, which was disappointing. BUT, the first character stop we did see ... was PERFECT for Krissy and I. Here's why:

AH-MAY-ZING right?

We were probably in the parking lot/outside EPCOT for the first half of the race before...

...heading into EPCOT.

Also there were some awesomely hyper and awake volunteers cheering us on and high-fiving us as we ran through. I do not want to know how early those poor people had to be there. Ouch! I hope they know how much we appreciate their lack of sleep.

Krissy and I did a great job of stopping at every single character (yes keeping my streak alive) and got some characters I hadn't seen on the course before like

Genie

(Note: Holy sweat Batman!)

Goofy as a football player

After running through the World Showcase,

we took the bridge over to the Boardwalk.

It was cool to check out a new area that I hadn't run on before and on a different surface - wood.

Krissy and I were just talking about life, running. what I could expect from the marathon route since she had done it before and overall having a great time.

Can you tell? :)

And please don't ask if I was trying to raise the roof or something. I'm not sure what I was going with there.

I will say I expected more characters on the course since it was twice as long as the 5k and was disappointed. I know it was the first year of the race, but I thought it would've offered more.

I did like how they took us on a different route within the park (besides World Showcase) so the surroundings weren't the exact same as the 5k.

But as soon as it started it was ending. I'm not sure 6.2 miles has flown so quickly before. Now I told Krissy I wanted to do something on the Finish like holding hands victoriously. Well we were ready for a magical Finish Line photo when...

... we got photobombed. AND two guys tried to top us:

How Rude! I mean really. ;)

We officially clocked a time of 1:05:40, grabbed our medals and headed for some post-race photos.

Donald got into the flying!

Ladies' Morning

While we were waiting in line for the photos, I actually got to finally run over and give the We Run Disney ladies a hug. I hadn't met them in person yet, but was so excited to even get a hug in. :)

Once we got our character pics, we headed back to the Finish Line to meet up with Kat (from Katrina Elle) and Linzie (of See Sharp Run) so we could all get some celebratory hugs, high-fives and pics in.

Yay lime green

#wdwracetweetup reunion

After we all got our fill of each other ;), Kat offered to give me a lift back to the hotel since she and Linzie drove. I couldn't resist more time with friends so I said yes. After a nice trip around the parking lot to find Kat's car - yes that happens when you park at like 3:30am in pitch black.

I need to give Krissy a special THANKS for being a great running partner. Let's do it again chica! :)

Once I finally got back to my room, it was time to shower, change and take this lovely medal on the road.

After refueling with Got Chocolate Milk of course!

Oh yeah I wore both the 5k and 10k medal to Hollywood Studios. After the race Minnie had a line wrapping around the Finish Line area and I just didn't want to wait. THEN at Hollywood Studios we fell into an opportunity to get a private pic with Minnie in her "dressing room" and this gem was born.

Awesome, right?

We had a great afternoon at Hollywood Studios before enjoying dinner with my parents at Hollywood & Vine. But before we made it to dinner, a Disney photographer caught Wreck It Ralph & Vanellope oogling over my bling.

I ended the day celebrating my 2-year anniversary of hitting goal weight with Weight Watchers with a beer.

Of course.

After dinner and the bus ride home, I promptly passed out in order to rest up for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.

Catch ya at the recap?

January 22, 2014

Disney Part 2: #WDWRaceTweetup

January 22, 2014/ Dani Holmes-Kirk

Have I told you racecations are an awesome time to meet up with friends both long-time and "just meeting for the first time, but been friends through social media for awhile" friends? Enter the birth of the #wdwracetweetup, which I had the honor to host with my friends Kat (of Katrina Elle) and Linzie (of See Sharp Run)!!

On Thursday, January 9th, after completing the Family Fun Run 5k and getting myself cleaned up, the wife & I made a pit stop at the Magic Kingdom (like folks do)...

... before heading to grab lunch and meet Kat and Linzie at Downtown Disney for the tweet-up. :)

Thanks for sharing this pic with me Linzie!

We had a little time to set up our amazing giveaway prizes before folks arrived. I want to thank our awesome sponsors again:

ENERGYBits

Honeystinger

INKnBURN

Outside PR

Shower Pill wipes

Sparkly Soul

Zensah Compression

The swag was TIGHT!! I knew folks would be climbing over each other to win stuff. :)

As we sat eating and chatting, the rain started to fall. Eek! I got a tad nervous that folks wouldn't show, but I knew Run Disney runners were tougher than that.

As it approached 1, we set up camp near the Carousel. I may or may not have nudged us a little closer to the outside plug I had found the day before so I could charge my dying phone. ;)

Then all of a sudden folks started showing up! YAY!

It was wicked cool to meet folks in person that I had chatted with online for so long. I also met some folks I hadn't known before. That is the great thing about having 3 different bloggers inviting folks to meet-up.

We let Linzie handle the intros and as you can see he did a spectacular job.

It was a great enthusiastic crowd of about 20-25 runners. It was great to chat strategy with other folks that would be tackling the Dopey Challenge. I loved sharing why and how I use my ENERGYBits before and during races to fuel. I may have also shared how Showerpills shared me once or twice or more when I didn't have enough time to shower between a workout and a meeting. :) Plus, I get a great thrill giving away not 1 but 5 Sparkly Soul headbands!

Thank you again to everyone that came out, tweeted, shared, hugged and made some new friends with us! We really appreciated it.

A few folks showed up just as the tweet-up was coming to a close so we stopped at the nearby margarita bar to share an adult beverage with those new friends! :)

After rehydrating? - yeah sure - the wife & I headed over to Hollywood Studios to hit up some rides and meet my parents for dinner at Mama Melrose. Mmmmm carbs! :P

Where shall we meet next? The inaugural Minnie 10k of course!