Disney's Tinker Bell Half Marathon

On January 17th, Patty and I landed at LAX for Tinker Bell Weekend.  We joined the swarms of runners for a fantastic weekend in Disneyland enjoying the expo and the race.

Friday morning we lined up outside of the Disneyland Hotel for packet pick-up and the Health and Fitness Expo.  The line moved quickly and soon we had our bibs, finals race instructions, and commemorative pins in our hands and we were heading upstairs into the expo hall and our wallets were getting nervous.  We walked the entire hall and made sure that we checked out every booth.  Team Sparkle, Sweaty Bands, and the Official Merchandise booths were our must stops.  BeeCause Charms was a new discovery and we picked up adorable shiny charms to put on the laces of our running shoes. On Saturday morning we went back to the expo when it opened in the morning to go to the KT Tape booth and get taped up for the next morning.

With Kelly from Team Sparkle!

Sunday morning, the alarms on our cell phones started blaring at us at the extremely early hour of 2:45 am.  By 3:05 we were out of our beds, getting on our Lilo and Stitch costumes and lacing up our sneakers.  By 3:45 we were out of the room and meeting up with Dad and Amy who were there to cheer us on as we tackled the race.  The four of us headed over to the festivities near the Disneyland Hotel and after a few pictures, Patty and I headed to Corral C.  The nerves started hitting us as we were standing in the corral waiting for the 5:00 hour to arrive.  We could hardly believe that it was really here and we were really about to run (well, mostly walk) a half marathon! 

Lilo and Stich at the stage before the start of the race.

At about 5:12 am it was time for Corral C to get running!  The first mile ran down the streets around the perimeter of Disneyland before we headed into California Adventure after Mile 1.  Running through the parks was one of the coolest parts of running this race.  The lights were up and there were cast members cheering for us along the whole route.  We ran with our cameras and took a few character pictures as well as stopping to take a picture of every mile marker.  Somehow we missed Mile 3's marker, but it was probably because we were caught up in the excitement of running through the park. 

Photo Stop #1 with the Monsters, Inc. characters!

The 5K mat was in the entrance to California Adventure and we made our way across the way to run into the Disneyland park.  Disneyland was so much fun to run through and going through the castle put huge smiles on our faces.  Once we made our way through the park, it was through Downtown Disney we went.  At this point I heard someone shouting my name, and there were Dad and Amy cheering us on.  At about Mile 6 were headed out onto the streets of Anaheim and the sun was rising.  While running down the streets wasn't quite as cool as running through the parks, it was still a good course.  

Once we reached Mile 9, that's when things started getting tough.  We had stopped trying to run at all about two miles before and we were getting exhausted.  I kept saying out loud "only 4.1 miles to go!" while on the inside I was saying "we're never going to make it."  We pushed through and began counting down the miles left.  At Mile 10 there was only a 5K left to complete and we started dreaming of that finish line.  Soon we were at Mile 11, then Mile 12.  At about 12.5 we turned a corner and could see the finish line ahead of us.  Unfortunately we weren't quite there yet, but we knew that we were almost there and I got choked up from the emotions of knowing I was actually going to make it.  We had to do a little out and back through the parking lot before we came upon the Mile 13 marker.  At this point, we looked at each other, then looked ahead, then started running.  As we approached the finish we joined hands and crossed the mat.  

Crossing that finish line hand in hand with one of my best friends and then having that medal placed around my neck is one of the absolute greatest moments of my life.  

All smiles after we completed the race

Our official finish time was 3:25:55 and even though it wasn't as good of a time as we had been hoping for, it was a miracle that we finished.  We were hurting, we didn't know if we would finish, but we did.  The pride and excitement of making it outweighed any pain that we experienced.  

Our countdown has already started now for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in Orlando at Walt Disney World where we will complete the Coast to Coast Challenge.  

she's back

So, what has happened in my life over the last eight months since I posted?  Well, a lot.

In my last post, I was talking about getting ready for the five miler at Boston's Run to Remember.  I managed to complete that great race in 57:57 and claimed my second race medal.  After that I went on to complete the B.A.A. 10K in June where I picked up race medal number three along with some family and friends.

In July I took on two really fun 5K races.  The first was the Finish at the 50 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.  I got to run around the stadium where the Patriots play and the best part was getting to run through the giant inflatable helmet onto the field and then crossing the 50 yard line finish line.  After that, team Dark Blue Divas ran The Color Run.  Three friends and I joined forces to run 3.1 miles getting covered in color dust while laughing and smiling the whole way to the finish line party.

My biggest challenge was the Rock n Roll Providence Half Marathon Relay in August.  It was a fantastic weekend that included a great expo at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Saturday before the race on Sunday morning.  Caitlin dropped me off at the relay point at Mile 5 before making her way back to the starting line in front of the Providence Place Mall.  When Caitlin reached the relay point, she handed me over the drum stick baton and it was my turn to run my furthest distance yet, 8.1 miles.  The weather was perfect for a run through the city and I triumphantly ran up the hill in front of the mall to reach the finish line and clutch my shiny new medal with a huge smile on my face.

In October I ran the 5K at the ING Hartford Marathon where I got to attend another great race expo the night before I set my 5K PR.  As of this race, my fastest 5K time is 33:36.

On Thanksgiving morning, my little brother and I ran the Framingham Turkey Classic 5K with our proud mom waiving her sign and cheering us on.  This was my last race before I took on the big one... my first half marathon at Disneyland, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in January.

last run before five

Tonight I went out to tackle my last training run before Boston's Run to Remember 5 miler on Sunday.  It felt great and it was an awesome run.  I completed 2.31 miles in 27:38 with an average pace on 11:56.  I was even taking it a little easy!  If I was able to manage keeping it under 12:00 per mile while taking it easy, I may very well succeed in coming in around 55:00 on Sunday!

The weather today was gorgeous and perfect for an outdoor run.  I went out at 6:00 or so and the temperature was just over 70.  When I went to run on Sunday it was the first time I had gone out to run in the heat (I only started running last October, so warm weather running is something completely new to me) and it was rough and I didn't last long out there at all.  I managed to run about .6 miles before I stopped to take a walk break, but I felt that I could have run for longer.  However, I definitely didn't want to overdo it with the race only three days away.  I also decided to skip the park and do the neighborhood tonight so that I could get a little bit of inclines in instead of just the perfectly flat track.  I also got a honk from one of my best friends as she drove by me!

I am completely psyched to run on Sunday and go to the expo on Saturday.  It'll be really exciting to take on the new distance and then to get another medal to add to my Disney one.  A friend is also running the half marathon taking place so I get to cheer her on at the finish line.

Tomorrow will most certainly be a rest day for me, and Saturday I'll be doing a lot of walking around the city, but nothing too strenuous.  Sunday morning is going to be bright and early with a 5:00 wake up call, then getting ready in my cute new race outfit (which I tested out last weekend, so I know it'll work!) before heading into the city.  The race course looks great, starting at the seaport, then running up around the Boston Common before heading back for the finish line.

I'm also going to make sure that I remember to put on sunscreen before I leave the house that morning!  On Sunday it didn't even occur to me to put some on before I went out to run and I ended up with some tomato-y looking shoulders and a very pink forehead.

Look for my race recap on Sunday afternoon!  I'll even try to take some pictures to add in to spice it up a little.

one week to five miles

Wow, so it's been over two weeks now since I've posted.  Things have been very busy around here and I haven't really been that great about getting out and running.  I haven't been just sitting around these past two weeks though, I have managed to get out about four times to run, plus I have done all my weekly Zumba classes.  Today I mostly just walked, but did three miles in 45:00 as my last long run/walk before the Boston's Run to Remember five miler next Sunday.

These past two weeks have been really rainy around here and I'm not one to go out to run through the rain and I'm also not a big fan of running on the treadmill.  However, I don't like relying on the weather to determine whether I work out or not, so I think I'm going to have to learn to embrace the treadmill.  This week's weather forecast looks to be rainy all week and gorgeous on the weekend again, so the weekly runs may have to be on the treadmill.

This week my plan includes today's long run and then two more short (two miles or less) runs during the week.  There will be no Saturday morning Zumba for me this weekend, but I will be doing a little bit of strolling around Boston before and after the Boston's Run to Remember expo.  Then Sunday I will tackle my next distance challenge when I take on the five miler.  I'm really excited and I'm hoping to finish in under an hour, but my real goal is going to be 55:00.

going farther

This morning I dragged two of my friends to the park to run with me.  My goal was to complete at least five miles in preparation for Boston's Run to Remember on Sunday, May 27th.  Well, I succeeded today! I completed 5.22 miles in 1:10:01.  My average pace was 13:25 minutes per mile, with three of my miles being under my goal 12:00 per mile for the race.  I mostly walked miles 3 and 4, but it was good because it allowed me to complete the last mile strong.  I hit the five mile mark at 1:07:24, so I have three weeks to get to that distance in under an hour.  However, the adrenaline and excitement of a race somehow manages to make my legs fly a little faster than I thought they could, so I'm thinking that it will be no problem.

I'm proud of my friends too for staying out there with me for over an hour and completing a little over four miles themselves.  They hate me (but really it's love) because I have pulled them into the running madness!  The three of us are a team for The Color Run in Amesbury, MA on July 28th, which we are all really looking forward to and can't wait to participate in.

When I was out running today, all I could think about was the Tinker Bell Half.  I'm looking past the five mile and the 10K and looking towards the big one, which is a little daunting.  At the two mile mark I was thinking, okay, only three more miles to go.  Then I thought to myself that at Tink, I'll be saying only 11.1 miles to go.  Gulp.  That's going to be a long distance to tackle, but I'm confident that eight months from now it won't seem so bad and it will be possible.  I can't wait to cross that finish line and have that awesome medal put around my neck.  Guaranteed I will burst into tears at that moment and it will be one of the best moments of my life. :-)

clear it out

My plan for today was to either go for a run or do a pilates DVD after work.  Well, it's one of those days where I just really don't feel like doing anything but sitting around in my comfy sweats and watching TV. However, so I wouldn't feel totally guilty, like I probably would have had I just come home and plopped on the couch, I took on a project.

Once I got home I put on the comfy pants and giant sweatshirt, turned on "Army Wives" (thank you Netflix and my handy Roku for making me addicted to this show), and opened my closet doors.  This afternoon's project was one of the best parts about losing weight.  I started getting rid of all of the clothes that are now too big for me!  My closet looks pretty empty and there are now four huge shopping bags full of clothes to be donated sitting on my floor.  It feels great to get rid of some of these clothes that last summer were too tight on me!  Also, there's now plenty of room in my closet for new skinny clothes!

Getting rid of clothes and making room for the smaller ones is one of the awesome rewards that comes with all of the hard work it takes to lose weight.  It's a tough road, but seeing all these bags of clothes on the floor filled with things I used to wear daily but are now falling off of me is an amazing feeling.  It's a great accomplishment.

Today was my weigh-day and I was a little disappointed to see that I was only down .2 pounds for the week, but any loss is good and it's certainly better than gaining!  Instead of letting this discourage me, I use it as motivation to just make the next week better.

This weekend is going to be another tough weekend that's going to require lots of willpower to get through without gaining.  Tomorrow night is dinner and movies with the girls, Saturday is my friend's wedding, and Sunday I'll be in a town that has some amazing restaurants.  So Saturday morning I'll be going for a nice long run to prepare.  Come hell or high water, I WILL run five or more miles come Saturday morning.  I've got three and a half weeks to get ready for Run to Remember!

run it faster

Tonight I went out for an easier run because my legs were a little tired from Saturday's run and then last night's two hour Zumbathon.  I ended up doing 2.24 miles in 28:00.  I managed to run my first mile in 10:29 and I ran every step of it!  This is the fastest mile I have completed outside of a race.  It's amazing how the pressure and excitement of a race can make me move faster than I thought I could. 

For the first time I was able to run around the track two and a quarter times before I stopped to take my first walk break.  The local park is my new favorite place to run because I can run until I can't run any more and I don't have to worry about trying to get back home.  It's also helping me to see just how far I have come in my training when I make it further and further around the track before I have to walk.  

Last night's zumbathon also showed me how far I have come in my fitness journey.  The first zumba class that I took last summer wiped me out so much I felt like I couldn't move for a couple of days.  I was able to keep my hips shaking for two straight hours last night and felt like I could probably keep going!  It's an amazing feeling to see the process that I have made so far and I can't wait to see where else my journey towards fitness takes me!

new milestones

Today I went out for a run with the intention of running four to five miles.  I headed out to the park in town so that I could just run circles around the track until my legs were good and sore!  I wanted to run for an hour and see how much distance I could cover.  The last time I ran at the park, I could barely run a third of the half mile track loop, and this time I ran the entire loop plus some before I had to stop to take a walk break.  This really showed me how far I have come in my running endurance.  Back in October or November I never could have imagined accomplishing that.

The first mile went well and I ran it under my 12:00/mile goal race pace.  At about a mile and a half however, I started having some pain in my hip.  It started hurting really bad, so I took a break to stop and stretch before getting back on the track.  I also decided that I would walk the rest of my time.  I really didn't want to walk the rest of it because I was going for the most mileage I could accomplish in an hour, but I knew if I pushed it, I could end up seriously hurting myself.  Plus, I have a 2-hour Zumbathon tomorrow night, so I need my hips in working order :-)

I kept walking the track for a while until RunKeeper told me that I had been going for 50 minutes and had gone 3.33 miles.  At that point, my hip was feeling good, so I picked up the pace and managed to complete 4.18 miles in 59:45.  While it wasn't quite what I was hoping to accomplish when I went out this morning, it is the longest run I have done so far, so that's an accomplishment in my book!  Only .82 miles away from five!  That 5 mile race is four weeks from tomorrow!

In the world of Weight Watchers this week I hit another milestone.  This week I hit 26 pounds lost!  When I stepped on the scale for my weigh-in (in my bathroom, I only do online, not meetings) I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had exceeded my goal of hitting the 25 pound mark.  I am now about 10 pounds from my goal and it's really exciting and motivating to be this close to my goal.

Also this week, I made my decision on what will be my first half marathon.  On January 20, 2013 I will be competing in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.  I am so excited but I really realize how much work I am going to have to do to get myself up to being able to complete 13.1 miles.  Having a half marathon on the horizon is going to be a huge motivator to get me out on the road and start logging more miles.  I can't wait to complete the B.A.A. 10K (which I will register for on Wednesday) so that I will have a time to put in when I register for Tink.  I also managed to convince my roommate to run this with me, so we will be taking on our first half, and first 10K, together!

PR and it feels so good

This morning I ran the Race Against Extinction 5K race in Boston and I set a personal record that I can hardly believe! I ran my 3.1 miles in 34 minutes and 42 seconds, beating the time in which I ran my first 5K in November by FOUR minutes!

The race was at 11:00 am at Artesani Park in Boston with proceeds going to environmental organizations because after all, today was Earth Day!  A looming rain storm had us a little nervous that the day may become a mud run, but mother nature held out and there were no drops felt as we ran through the park.  Bib pick-up was quick and easy and we were surprised to also get a free WWF water bottle with our registration.  We always love the freebies!  There were not many participants, maybe around 200 people participating, but that meant that it was not crowded.  People were also encouraged to run with dogs and strollers, so there were lots of dogs hanging around the course!

We took off at 11:00 am started our run through the park.  Kristin yelled back to us "Meet you at the finish!" before she took off out on the course.  Patty and I decided to keep pace with each other and we were each other's motivation to keep running harder and longer.  I had RunKeeper going tracking the run,  and when the 10 minute audio cue came up I could hardly believe that I had almost run a mile!  We completed our first mile in only 10:11!  It was great motivation to keep us going at that point.  Patty and I kept up our run/walk pace and managed to average a 10:52 minutes per mile pace.

Overall, it was a great run and the weather held out for us, which was the best.  People cheering us on towards the end (including Kristin who finished in an awesome 25:48) helped us keep up our run to the finish line.

This week was also another great accomplishment in the world of my Weight Watchers adventure.  I needed to buy a dress for a wedding in two weeks and I have been putting it off to make sure that it'll fit on the day of, and Thursday night I bought a wicked cute polka dot dress... in a size SIX!  Last year I started Weight Watchers the week of my birthday and the dress I bought to wear for my birthday celebration was a 10.  All my efforts have resulted in two dropped dress sizes.

This has certainly been a great week for new personal records.  I can't wait until my next run where I can try to set another :-)

slowly getting back in the game

Unfortunately I haven't really been able to run the past two weeks due to a case of bronchitis.  But today I was able to get back out on the road and attempt a run.  It wasn't the easiest, and it involved a lot of walking and a lot of coughing!  Since the Run Against Extinction 5K is coming up in just a week, I am determined to get some mileage in these next few days.  For today's run I was able to manage 2.32 miles in 33:25 for an average pace of 14:25 minutes per mile.  Definitely not my best and not anywhere close to what I would like to accomplish next weekend at the race.  However, I know that after two weeks of no running and getting over being sick, that it's going to take a little time to get back to my 12:00 miles.

As far as my Weight Watchers adventure goes, this week I have hit 22.2 pounds lost and it feels great.  I'm hoping to be able to post a loss this week as well, but lots of treats and drinks at a bachelorette party yesterday may have derailed that.  I'll just have to be extra good with my eating the next few days and resist the urge to eat the junk food!  Luckily the bag of chocolate chip cookies is gone (they were so good).

My goal is to get at least two more runs in this week and attempt to get my speed up a little so that on Sunday I can run the 5K in at least 38:00.  I'll make sure to have a full race recap next weekend!

4.03

Today I accomplished 4.03 miles in 58:41.  I walked most of it because today's goal was distance, not speed.  For my first mile, I kept up with my goal pace of 12:00 minutes per mile, which is the pace at which I would like to run my next couple races.

I have never done more than a 5K and the looming 5 miler has been making me a little nervous.  So when I tied my running shoes this afternoon I decided that I would do 4 miles in under an hour, which I succeeded in with more than a minute to spare!  Now I just need to work on fitting an extra mile into that time frame, but I have almost two months to work up to that goal.

I have the Run Against Extinction 5K in Boston three weeks from today and I'm so excited!  It'll be fun to run with my roommate (for her first 5K) and my friend who ran the Princess Half.

Today's run/walk showed me just how much work I have left to do if I'm going to do a half marathon in the next year and a half, but rather than it being a downer, it was motivational.  After all, half marathons have awesome medals, and I run for the bling. :-)

the big 2-0

So I didn't get in a run this week.  I'm blaming the drop in temperature, it has definitely been on the chilly side this past week.  However, the forecast is showing temperatures a bit warmer this week, so I'll have no excuse.  Also, it's now less than two months until the Boston's Run to Remember 5-Mile, so I have to start getting some longer distance runs in to train for it.

It hasn't been a week of just sitting on the couch though.  I did go to both of my Zumba classes this week. Zumba is one of my favorite workouts, it's an hour of fun and dancing where you hardly feel like you're working out because it's so much fun!  Saturday morning Zumba class is one of the best ways to start my weekend.

This was a great week for Weight Watchers though!  I hit the big 20 pounds lost and I am back to where I was the first time I lost.  Believe me, I will not let those 20 pounds come back.  Trying to lose it the second time is really hard.  Willpower certainly prevailed this week when I refused a cupcake (I KNOW!) and made sure to be better about tracking the points.  Tonight's dinner out with friends and tomorrow night's concert will be another challenge, but I think I'm up for it.  I will refuse the fun and fruity drinks!

this is the beginning...

So here's the deal. I've been doing Weight Watchers since July and struggling a bit in getting to my goal weight.  I'm also trying to work my way up to being able to run a half marathon.  


A few years ago I did Weight Watchers and lost roughly 30 pounds and was so proud of myself.  Flash forward to last July and I had put almost 20 of those pounds back on.  Not good.  So I set my mind to it to do the program again and succeed in keeping the weight off this time.  At this point, I have lost 19 pounds and am hoping to go for another 15.  It's taking more time than I had hoped, but maybe this time it will stick!


As far as running goes, I was never a person who thought that I would want to run a 5K, let alone have a desire to run a half marathon!  Last summer my friend told me that she wanted to do the runDisney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World.  When I looked up the event, I saw that they also had a 5K that weekend.  It sounded like it could be fun, so I signed up in October.  I ran a "practice" 5K in November, the Concord Turkey Trot, and it was a tough feat, but I did it.  I trained as much as I could in the cold New England weather and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Florida to run the Tangled Royal Family 5K.  And that was it, I was now hooked on running. 


So here it goes!  I'm registered for another 5K in April, and then a 5 miler in May.  I'm more than half way to my goal weight.  


Let's get running :-)