Disney Part 2: #WDWRaceTweetup

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!

Disney Part 1: Arrival & Expo

Did you all know I went to Disney? I don't think I brought it up here on the blog at all ... or on Facebook ... or on Twitter ... or in every conversation leading up to January 7th. ;)

January 7th. it was finally the day we had been planning for months. Now just before we were set to depart Boston was hit with some horrible weather and the Midwest was hit with freezing temperatures - both impacting dozens of flights in and out of Boston. I was terrified that our flight might be impacted so I may or may not have the wife & I get to Logan Airport about 3 hours before we needed to be. :P Oops. I just thought if we were there we would be apt to get off the ground. Makes sense, right?

So we decided to set up camp at the Boston Beer Works which was right across from our gate. Oh and it had beer! Win-win!

Thankfully our flight took out on time and without any issue. Yay!

We happily arrived in Florida to ... the temps in the high 30s/low 40s. Say wwhhaaa?? That isn't Florida. I was assured it would be warming up, but in the moment I needed more warmth.

My friend Linzie from See Sharp Run offered to pick me up a case of bottled water from a local convenient store and I jumped at the opportunity. We were both staying at Pop Century Resort so we met up as soon as we checked in and had a glorious airport type/big hug/movie type reunion.

Can't you feel the excitement through the picture? :)

Linzie would also be tackling the Dopey Challenge and would be co-hosting the #wdwracetweetup with me and the amazing Kat from KatrinaElle on the Thursday.

We both flew in that day and were feeling tired so we had another epic hug - after meeting some fellow runners from Canada. Gosh I love meeting new friends - and headed to bed.

Tori and I woke up early on Wednesday, January 8th to get ready for the Expo. The Expo opened at 10am so I wanted to make sure we got there on time so I could buy up all the Dopey Challenge gear I wanted. ;)

So I obviously knew I was running Dopey, being in Florida and attending the Expo should make the Challenge seem real, but it wasn't until I picked up the race bibs did it really sink in.

We would be using the green bib for the 5k and 10k and the grey bib for the Half and Full.

 After securing my bibs, picking up my t-shirts and grabbing all the Dopey Challenge merchandise I could carry :P the wife and I headed over to the part of the Expo with all the booths. AKA where more of my money could be spent! ;)

In an unshocking move, my first booth stop was ... Sparkly Soul! DUH I know.

I HAD to buy a Minnie Mouse Sparkly headband as they were 1) adorable, 2) new and 3) only $10 onsite! :)

After getting my sparkle on, it was time to stalk find my favorite Run Disney Announcer, Carissa from Fit2Flex. I could hear her voice echoing through the Expo (she was hosting it as well) and I knew I could track her down.

Success! And let me tell you after this she was stalking me. :P Every where I turned she was there. She is speedy in that tutu.

I took advantage of the free KT Taping (even though I brought my own) and after some more roaming around we decided it was time to head back to the hotel.

Run Disney had put huge banners of all the races/race medals at the entrance of the Expo so I had to stop and take a picture with Dopey.

As we were waiting for the bus back to the hotel, a lovely Instagram follower Cerissa stopped to say Hi. I love meeting blog readers/social media followers in real life (IRL).

Thanks for stopping Cerissa! :)

Once we got back to the hotel, it was time to take inventory of all the race t-shirts I acquired.

I may never need to buy a t-shirt again.

Since we didn't get a park pass for Wednesday, we decided to head to Downtown Disney to walk around and check out the stores. We did a giant lap around Downtown Disney before my parents came to meet us. They flew down that morning from Boston and were ready for some food.

Oh and I even found a great outdoor plug to charge my dying food. Let me tell you this plug would come in handy in the coming days. ;)

It was great having all four us safely in Disney and ready for a great vacation.

Of course that included trying on tiaras. I clearly need extra Sparkle in my life.

With an early morning the next day for the Family Fun Run 5k (6:15am start), we attempted and were successful at pushing our dinner reservation earlier at Raglan Road Irish Pub. This dinner was a belated birthday dinner for my Mom, who is a New Year's Day baby. Raglan had great food, delicious brown bread, awesome Irish dancing to witness, yummy food and great beer. I couldn't decide which one to try so I went for the sampler flight. :)

After a fun dinner with the family, it was time to head home and prep for the following day.

I slept soundly in preparation for the big day - Day 1 of the Dopey Challenge! :)

Tedy's Team Group Run - 14.7 Miles

Reunited with Tedy's Team and it felt so good! :) I missed the week 4 run because I was in Disney so I was looking forward to seeing everyone again. Now I normally take 2 weeks off from running after a marathon, but with the Boston Marathon less than 100 days away I am taking my training a little differently this time. Plus, my legs actually felt AMAZING when I came back from Disney. I think all that walking around the parks really helped keep my legs fresh!

My teammate Meg picked me up like usual and we headed in to Kenmore Square to Joint Ventures to meet everyone else for the run. I made sure to take my ENERGYBits pre-run since I needed as much power as I could. Now the Weather app said it would be real feel of 18 degrees for the start of the run so I wore my Under Armour to be prepared.

Yeeahhh it was definitely warmer than 18 degrees so the beginning of the run was slightly warmer than I expected.

I was with the group at the Start and had no idea what to expect from my legs. I knew I wouldn't be running with Meg since my pace would definitely be slower than our normal pace and I wasn't sure how far I would be running. The schedule had 4 different options for the day: 10.5, 11.6, 12.8 or 14.7.

I had originally planned on 14, but when I started the legs felt heavy.

Mile 1: 9:09 Mile 2: 9:15 Mile 3: 9:07

My pace was faster than expected and faster for how I felt. I checked in with our coach John at the Mile 3 water stop. He told me to do a very slow 10 miles and take it easy. So I had that in my mind.

And then... just after the water stop I started chatting with a woman Michelle, who was running with Project Hope. We were having a great conversation. We realized we live less than 1 mile from each other and had a lot in common. We were in a great groove of chatting and running. It felt easy and the conversation was definitely distracting me from whatever I was thinking in my head: pace, weight of legs, distance, etc.

Mile 4: 9:44 Mile 5: 9:42

I was paying little to no attention to my Garmin as Michelle and I were running and all of a sudden looked down at the Mile 5 water stop to realize we had hit 5 miles and I felt great. The legs were waking up thanks to the slowed pace. Michelle asked if I would be turning around and I said no. I would go to the 11.6 mark and just turn on to the appropriate street to head back to base.

Mile 6: 9:21

It was around this time or so (I can't remember the exact break out), where we caught up with Dennis (Tedy's Team) and Holly (Team Brigham & Women's) and started getting in a conversation with them as well.

And before I knew it with some "bullying" by the three of them, I decided to do the 14.7 mile loop. Yes we all know it doesn't take much for me to be talked into running more. Plus, I was having a great time with these folks and that is what group long runs are about. Right?

So we soldiered on.

Mile 7: 9:30 Mile 8: 9:48

It is during Mile 7 that you come off Beacon Street, make a right onto Chestnut St then make a right on to Comm Ave. It is here where you start the trek back to Boston. :)

Oh and you encounter Heartbreak Hill.

Now Heartbreak and I haven't seen each other since April 15, 2013. I didn't know if he would welcome me with open arms or with a fight. But, I would conquer him for the first - of many - times in 2014.

Heartbreak Hill isn't a particularly large hill - it is actually a series of rolling hills for probably a good 2 miles. The reason it stinks is the placement of it in the Boston Marathon. You come to Heartbreak around Mile 17 with tired legs ... at least mine were.

But I was happy to meet him again.

Michelle had run Boston in 2013, but was unable to Finish. Dennis and Holly will each be taking Boston on for the first time in 2014. So being able to share with them some of what I experienced on Heartbreak during the 2013 Marathon was fun. Plus it was another distraction.

It was great to be back on the familiarity of the Boston course.

Mile 9: 9:49 Mile 10: 10:03

We had another water stop somewhere along Heartbreak and it was much-needed. A little Powerade, water, a pep talk from coach John and some swedish fish! Yes my favorite thing about marathon training are some swedish fish during a long run. A nice zap of energy and an excuse to eat swedish fish!

With a little extra power we soldiered on!

Mile 11: 9:37 Mile 12: 9:52

Our final water stop was Mile 12.5 near Marathon Sports and it was great to see the smiling face of Margaret. She is an amazing person who is the #1 Tedy's Team supporter. She is out there (wo)manning the water stops and cheering us on.

Mile 13: 9:35

Neither Dennis nor Holly had run more than a half marathon before Saturday so it was exciting that with every step over 13.1 was a PR for them. I love watching folks push themselves to new levels. Awesome to be a part of for sure.

During the final miles back "home" there were a lot of encouraging words being thrown around and some expletives - c'mon they were to motivate. ;) But either way we just kept telling ourselves we were almost there. Just had to keep moving.

That is exactly what I had to do. After finishing Heartbreak my legs had started to feel sore. I think it hit around Mile 11. Had this been a flat 14 I'm sure I would've been fine, but with the added hills I was getting tired.

So I fed off these three people's energy and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Mile 14: 9:24

I was too excited to see the CITGO sign because that meant about 1/2 a mile to go!!

And like that it was over. High-fives all around and hustling inside. As we were out running the weather in Boston turned worse. Rain turned to wet snow turned to hail turned to heavy snow. The temperature dropped as we ran as well. So I was happy just to finally be indoors.

But the run was done.

And I have these folks to thank!

And on this day I matched my socks ... I felt like Wonder Woman!

After the run we had a nice little Tedy's Team get together at UNO's. Unfortunately my salad never came, but it was nice to have a post-run drink with teammates before lunch with the wife.

Until next week's run...

***

Week 5 Workouts:

Sunday, January 12: Disney Marathon

Monday, January 13: Walking Around Disney Parks

Tuesday, January 14: Travel Day Home/REST DAY

Wednesday, January 15: 30 min elliptical and 30 min walking on treadmill

Thursday, January 16: REST DAY

Friday, January 17: REST DAY

Saturday, January 18: 14.7 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 $14.70 in honor of the 14.7 miles I ran Saturday with Tedy's Team?

Dani Dishes 1-20-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about post Dopey Challenge depression, how I combat post-race blues & what's next! :)

Dani Dishes 1-13-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I celebrate being DOPEY!!! There are quite a few tears, but overall my quick thoughts on one AMAZING life-changing experience.

It's FINALLY Dopey Challenge & Disney Time!

It's here! It's here! It's here! It's ...

TUESDAY!!

Ahhh I know. Who else is stoked that it's Tuesday?

Wait wait!

This note is being handed to me as I type ... it more than just Tuesday!

It is time to head to DISNEY!

Wooo!

How could that have slipped my mind? ;)

For those that may have missed why I am going Disney, you can catch up on the background info here.

But simply put - I'm heading to Disney to have a great vacation with my family (my parents and wife) and to OWN the Dopey Challenge!

I can't believe we finally leave for Disney today. We have been planning this trip since April and it is actually happening.

We have a great week planned. That's right we are going from Tuesday, January 7 to Tuesday, January 14, which includes 5 days checking out the Disney parks.

As I started packing yesterday - yay last minute! - I set out each of the race costumes to make sure I wasn't missing anything!

Want to see the costumes? I know they are what people care about. :)

5k - Minnie Mouse

10k - Tinkerbell

Half - Jessie from Toy Story

Full - Snow White

Woo! I love how they all came out. I hope you like them as much as I do. I know the shirts are all a little too big and not all that flattering, but I hate tight clothing when I run so I went comfort over fit.

Oh and yes I will be wearing running sneakers this week! ;)

Thankfully focusing on the costumes distracted me from the nerves about the challenge itself.

Did my training go as well as I wanted it to? No. I hit an injury that has impacted my right foot since September. As a result, I haven't run more than 13 miles in a row since October. BUT, I did take part in the #RWRunStreak, where I ran every day for 35 days totaling 153.1 miles. Having that stamina makes me think my body is ready for the test.

But my goal for the Dopey Challenge is to survive, collect my 6 medals and HAVE FUN!!! :)

Besides the races and the parks, I am wicked excited to host a Disney tweetup with my friends Linzie from See Sharp Run and Kat from Katrina Elle on Thursday, January 9th at 1pm in Downtown Disney.

Be sure to join us if you can. In addition to hanging out with fellow runners, there will also be GIVEAWAYS!! :)

I want to give a big THANK YOU shout out to our sponsors:

ENERGYBits

Honeystinger

INKnBURN

Outside PR

Shower Pill wipes

Sparkly Soul

Zensah Compression

We wouldn't have such amazing prizes without them!

While I will be bringing a laptop with me, I'm not sure I will be blogging about the whole experience until I get home. That being said I will have my new iPhone with me so feel free to catch the journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!! :)

Dani Dishes 1-6-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I pose the question: "If you were given the chance to redo the hard times in your life - would you?" Check out the video for my answer!

1st Run 5k To Ring In 2014

New Year's Day. What I do on January 1st tends to set the tone for the entire year. Okay okay. If I sleep in on New Year's Day it's not like I'm sleeping in the rest of the year ... or am I?

Maybe I just use the "setting the tone" as an excuse to get myself to sign up for a road race. ;)

Since 2011, I have walked or ran a 5k each New Year's Day. In 2011, I had a herniated disc so my wife and I walked the course. I apparently also perfected the thumbs up as the years have gone on. ;)

In 2013, my first New Year's Day back in Boston I participated in the Lowell's 1st Run 5k (which you can read about here). I loved the bling so much (pictured below) I had to go back for more in 2014!!

And I even recruited some friends and blog readers to take part as well! <<evil grin>> :P

My wife and dad made the trek to Lowell with me - it takes about 35 minutes from our house. The bib and hat pick-up takes place day of so we made sure to allow for a little extra time pre-race.

The line moved smoothly and I had my number and hat in no time. Thankfully the pre-race packet pick-up/area to hide from the cold was in a nice VFW hall in Lowell. Same spot as last year so we knew the lay of the lands.

After running into my friend Robin (darn me for forgetting to snap a pic), I went back to chit chat with my two best supporters and was tapped on my shoulder by Susan. Susan is a blog reader who was walking her first 5k. I was so proud to meet Susan and be a part of her first 5k.

I had my bib secured to the usual spot - on my leg - in no time and it was time to head to the port-o-potties. :)

With over 1,300 runners between the 5k and 10k option, we made our way to the Start corral at about 10:45am. I wanted to get a good spot in the corral.

It hit 11am, the National Anthem played and we were off!

Thanks to the race photographers for grabbing a pic right after the Start.

Since I had run the course the previous year I had a vague recollection of what to expect. I stress vague. So yes I forgot the course started out on a hill. Oops! :P

I wasn't really sure what to expect from my legs since I had run 10 miles the day before and New Year's Day marked the 35th and final day of the Runner's World Run Streak (#RWRunStreak). But, I told myself that I would give my all - as always.

The legs actually felt great. I just decided to let go and have a blast.

Mile 1: 7:39

As the race went on, the scenery and terrain started coming back to me from the previous year.

It was great to see so many runners out starting their year on such a positive note. I just smiled at all the runners around me and thanked the few spectators that braved the cold weather to cheer us on. (It was 13 degrees at the start of the race!)

Just before the half way mark, we start our decent from the incline to the flat shot along the River to the Finish. It was around this time I started asking a woman near me where she got her jacket. Hey it looked cute and functional. The woman had no idea, but told me she would tell me at the Finish since she "wouldn't be able to forget my outfit." I decided to take this as a compliment and a reminder that not everyone likes to chat during races as much as I do. :P

As we hit the flat straight route along the River, the wind picks up and attacks you right in your face. I remembered this from the previous year. I remembered feeling like I was running in place on a treadmill. Thankfully the wind wasn't AS strong as the last year, but it was still packing a punch.

Mile 2: 7:24

I made sure to thank all of the volunteers freezing their booty off to keep traffic at bay, hand us water and keep the tunes going. Unless I am having a hard time breathing, I always make sure to thank all volunteers/police officers! :)

Plus, I had to give a nice pose to the race photog who was positioned just before the turn towards the Finish area.

I tried to pick it up a notch for the final mile and actually felt like I was making up some time...

... until I looked at my watch. ;)

Mile 3: 7:33

I was really shocked when I saw that time. Can I blame the wind? Either way I was happy with the time, but realized I am still learning to "feel" my pace. Something I am working on in 2014.

As I hit Mile 3, a random guy started creeping up my right side and I knew there was NO WAY I was letting him pass me this close to the end. So I kicked in everything I had left and booked it through the final 0.1 miles of the race.

BOOM!

First race of 2014 complete: 23:43.1 (7:39 min/mile) -- 52 out of 869 overall and 4 out of 169 in my division.

Oh and you wanna know who came in third in my division? Yup, my girl Robin! ;)

Within minutes of finishing, I was joined by my Saturday morning running buddies, Nanci and Cristina ... who I had nicely convinced to do the run.

They both did great.

And I KNOW you are wondering how Susan did. She ROCKED it. She experienced a side stitch during the walk, but slowed down the pace and kept moving forward. I am so excited for Susan and again happy to meet her before the race.

I was sad to miss a couple other friends/blog readers at the race, but I know everyone had a blast - which is all that matters.

***

Did you start the New Year with activity?

2013: Finish What You Started ... 2014: Consistency

2013 proved to be a year. The End.

Oh is that not how a "Year In Review" blog happens? Not gonna lie I haven't really done one of these before. :P I guess because big things happened at the end of the two years this little slice of the internet has been around.

2011 - deciding to move back to Boston from Chicago

2012 - Grampa unexpectedly passing away on December 27, 2012.

2013 rounded out without major issue so let's see what kind of review I can put together.

The year was truly defined in April. It gave me the mantra for the reminder of the year: Finish What You Started!

I can't believe how long ago the trip to Disney in January 2013 feels.

It may have been just 365 days ago, but it seems likes a world away.

Why?

Simply put.

April 15, 2013.

That date will forever be engrained in my mind ... and tattooed on my body.

On that day, I lined up for the Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team in honor of my Stroke Heroes - my grandparents.

For those that read the blog you know the ordeal and if you are new - 1st Hi! :) and 2nd feel free to read about my Boston Marathon Bombing experience here. I was lucky to cross the Finish Line 1 minute before the explosions happened and for all of my friends/family/teammates to make it out of the area unscathed.

But that one single event impacted the rest of the year. It never truly leaves you or your memory. Months later it is still hard to walk down Boylston St or to hear folks talk about the events on that day, but it made the city of Boston and the country come together.

It gave me a sense of purpose for the remainder of the year. Simply put: Do things those hurt/killed on that day can't!

So I set out starting in May to live in the moment with friends and family, find new fitness challenges to conquer and earning some amazing accolades.

Friends And Family

Friends, Family and Folks I have met through the interwebs became the backbone of 2013. I needed those faces, those hugs and those interactions to remind me how lucky I was to be living, to be breathing, to be walking.

One of my BFFs, Lindsey, & I enjoying wine! :)

In June I had the honor to attend Suzi Storm's wedding in update New York. We had not met in person before that day, but had formed just a tight friendship through social media that I happily jumped in a car for about 7 hours to witness the biggest day of her life.

This amazing meeting led into Fitbloggin. An amazing weekend for bloggers that I attended in 2012 for the first time. After encountering about 8 hours of delays on my way out from Boston to Portland, I finally made it. Fitbloggin has a special place in my heart. You can read why here.

Fitbloggin occurred at the perfect time. I needed to be surrounded by the love and in a judgment-free zone. Many of the people at that conference were the first to check on me after the Marathon Bombings. The hugs and love experienced that weekend are still felt today.

My other best friend, Sarah, and her family moved to Bar Harbor, Maine (over 5 hour drive from Boston) at the end of May so when her daughter - my Joanna - turned 1 in July. We took the long trek to see them. We spent over 12 hours in the car to spend 12 hours with them ... and it was worth every minute in the car.

Wouldn't you agree for that face?

But just a couple weeks after that, we faced a roadblock. My wife, Tori, underwent an ACL replacement the day after her birthday. It put a big hinge on our summer/fall plans, but seeing her have a healthy recovery was worth the sacrifice.

As a result of the surgery, Tori missed out on the adventures I had meeting new friends through racecations in September and October.

Philadelphia

Cape Cod

Providence

Brooklyn

Los Angeles

I even hosted my first meetup/tweetup in Los Angeles. It was AMAZING to meet so many folks that I had only interacted with before online.

Check out the pics and recap here.

As I mentioned, the theme of this year was to hold on to the loved ones and it spawned meeting social media friends IRL (in real life) and it was magical. I loved seeing online relationships foster into real friendships.

Oh social media.

Fitness Challenges

In the beginning of 2013, I focused on the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and The Boston Marathon. But I knew I needed to keep signing up for races in order to push myself farther outside of my comfort zone.

During Memorial Day weekend, my friend Kim and I took on a special challenge. We were going to take on two races in one day: The Boston's Run To Remember Half at 7am-ish and the Cambridge 5k Freedom Run 5k at 9:30am.

And we made it!! Kim experienced a leg injury/cramp during the Half, but I refused to lead her side and she finished like a champ - leading to this amazing embrace being caught at the Finish Line.

But on that day we did, we conquered 16.2 miles! :)

Then came the obstacle races. These scare me more than a marathon. I have limited upper body strength so they freak me out. But in 2013, I conquered two obstacle races and even got to do the second with a team of Boston bloggers. :)

Ruckus

Urban Raid Boston

In September, I took on the challenge of completing two half marathon in two days in two different states - ZOOMA Cape Cod (9/28) and Rock 'n' ROll Providence (9/29). It was an amazing experience and went smoother than I thought. :)

Oh and I even dabbled in more intense trail running. Yup, that included one at night - thank you See Sharp Run for being my light - in more ways than one and one in the big mountains of Maine, which reminded me I am injury prone. :P

Haunted Trails of the Night 10k

FBC Autumn Trail Race

But the biggest fitness challenge of 2013 - the one I dreamed about for ages - was...

tackling my first Sprint triathlon!!! It was something I never imagined myself completing, but it was a blast. And yes, I was quickly hooked! Which may have led to one of the 2014 fitness goals. :)

Amazing Accolades

Weight Watchers bestowed a couple amazing honors on me in 2013. In our annual April celebration, I earned the Rookie Leader of the Year award and Diamond Leader status.

In October, I was contacted by WeightWatchers.com and told I would be featured on the website as a Success Story. While I can't show any of the photos from the photo shoot yet (it hits the web in March 2014), I can share a couple pics from the trip to NYC itself.

Great dinner with fellow WW Sucess Stories - over 330 lbs lost in this pic

Little trip to Statue of Liberty with the wife

For the second year in a row, I won a spot on Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel. Thank you all again for taking the time to vote! :)

Out Of The Comfort Zone

This year I made two big leaps outside of my comfort zone.

At Fitbloggin in June, I was asked and accepted a spot in the new Fashion Show that took place during lunch one day. I was nervous, but knew if there was a place to make an attempt at walking in a Fashion Show it would have to be at Fitbloggin.

Look I even tried to strike a pose. :P

I even put myself out there with a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2013 ... and you know what? It happened!! :)

What was even cooler? I exceeded it. I ended up setting a 2nd (1,111) and finally a 3rd mileage (1,150) goal for the year.

It was one of my proudest moments. Seeing my body accomplish such a big goal that seemed so daunting when I set it in January 2013.

But even with injury and sickness, I pushed forward and used that goal guide me!

***

So to say 2013 was eventful is an understatment. It had it's lows, but with the help of friends and family they turned into highs. It was a trying, yet fulfilling year.

What could 2014 possibly bring?

Consistency.

My goal is to be more consistent in life. Have I fully defined that yet? No. It will be a work in progress as 2014 dictates. But I know I let some old emotional eating habits creep in in 2013 and I am ready for those to quietly fade away.

What about fitness wise?

The big goals of 2014 are: The Dopey Challenge January 9-12, The Boston Marathon April 21 and my very first Half Ironman September 7.

Wow! I would've never imagined myself signing up for these five years ago, but now is the time to learn, to love and to push my limits.

Bring it 2014!

Dani Dishes 1-1-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, it's time to let the emotions/thoughts out on the #1000MilesIn2013 goal & completing the #RWRunStreak!! And of course a THANK YOU to you - the viewers!! :)