Back at it.

This morning, for the first time in nearly a month, I went out into the cold and dark to run a bit. Brian came, too. :)

I mostly walked and ran intervals. Of the 35 minutes we were out, I think I ran maybe 8 of them, but it felt good to be out and moving. Too many of my pants are getting snug, so it's time to stop slacking!

Dudes, I am LAME

I have been so bad about missing runs lately.

House happenings have really been sucking up most of my time and sapping my energy. I hate how behind I am on my training. There are only 108 days until the Princess! I need to clean up my eating and get my ass in gear -- soon!

We have a dedicated Running Room in the new house, but it won't be ready and fully stocked (plans are for 2 treadmills!) until early next year. In the meantime, I need to hunker down and RUN.

Go Go Gorillas!

Charity run sets record!

Jog-a-thon Collectible Shirts!

What's a she-male, mommy?

One Ultrarunning Problem, Solved for Good

Surlygirlie, be warned, there are photos of bare feet in this article.

Yeah I'm nowhere near ready to remove mine.

60 degrees

The last time I ran was at Disney's Race for the Taste 10k over a week ago. It was 94 degrees in Orlando that morning.

Today at 6am, Stephanie and I started our run in 34 degree weather. That's cold.

Despite not having run for a week and the significant temp difference, the run itself was ok. My mind was busy with the recent stresses of life, so there wasn't much room for thoughts of how cold I was or wanting to stop. Before I knew it, it was over.

Then I felt terrible cold again.

So sad

3 die while running in Detroit marathon

Barefoot running on CNN

I hate watching video on my computer at the moment, so I haven't watched this story. Sorry if it sucks!

70 Years Old...

Minneapolis man runs his 163rd marathon

Disney's Bitch

Everyone knows how amped up I get over Disney stuff. Vacations, Races, anything with Princess crap on it -- I love it all.

Add to that the fact that running the Princess 1/2 Marathon this past spring was one of the best days of my life, and it's obvious why stuff like this sells to me.

I bought all three of the new Princess in Training for 2010 running gear pieces that Disney recently put on their site. And I must say, I love them! The long sleeve top is a particular favorite. The wicking fabric is super soft and I love it so much I even sleep in it to get a little of that princess feeling while I drift off to la-la land.

The short sleeve shirt is also delightful -- and is cut exactly the same as the ones they gave out as part of the race goody bag for the Princess. Different color and design, though. ;) They run small, but the cut is feminine and flattering.

The skirt is fine, though I will confess I far prefer the ones I make. I made some alterations to it by adding a bit of elastic at the legs and at the waist. I think it would have fallen off otherwise. I've worn it on one walk and one run and with those fixes in place, it worked just fine, and I do love the strawberry color of it. Wheeeee!

So, if you're in the market for some girlie run gear, have a peek at Disney's offerings. It makes every run feel that much more magical.

Getting ready for a lot of running!

The autumn brings a lot of running opportunities! Here's what's on tap:

Sept. 26 -- Expedition Everest Endurance 5k, Obstacle Course, Scavenger Hunt, WDW

Oct. 3 -- Ted's Montana Grill Bison Stampede 5k, Atlanta

Oct. 11 -- Race for the Taste 10k, WDW

Oct. 24 -- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13k, WDW (this one is still tentative)

Oct. 31 -- Run Like Hell 5k, Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta

Nov. 7 -- PanCan 5k, Atlanta

Nov. 8 -- Lie down.

Hope everyone can join in the fun!

Run Like Hell

Are we doing this this year?

6am!

I am as shocked as anyone to say it, but Heather, Brian and I hit the trail this morning bright and early for a quick run!

I slept in my running pants, and I'm not ashamed to say so. Whatever you gotta do to make it work, right?

Anyway, this was a rough run for a number of reasons, none of which include the early hour. It marks the first time I've run a full 30 minutes since I was sick with a stomach bug a couple of weeks ago. I wore my notoriously slow waterproof shoes. I am carrying like 10 pounds of water weight (no exaggeration - I've been craving sodium lately).

But even so, I huffed and puffed and went the whole 30. Happiness!

Gonna try it again tomorrow morning!

barefoot

I am curious...

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

We ran the Peachtree!

Hell yeah!

Saturday July 4th Heather and I ran in the Peachtree Road Race (10k/6.2 miles) with our friend Molly. The Peachtree is one of the biggest road races in the world, with 55,000 participants. Yes, that number is correct.

Going into it, I had the mindset that I just wanted to run it once to say I had, because it's one of those things that Atlantans just have to do at some point in their lives if they're at all active.

Holy crap. I had a blast. I want to run it every year!

There was some craziness and confusion getting runners and spectators to the event and deciding where/when to meet up, etc., but despite the occasional bumps in the road (no pun intended) it was a fantastic day.

Among the highlights:

-The guy wearing nothing but a speedo and a wig trying to freak dance Heather during the race

- People shouting "Go Wonder Women!" when they saw us

- The drunk crew who were carrying beer and flags with them while trundling down Peachtree

- The woman I think was trying to hire me to make outfits for her and her sister next year

- The Chik-fil-A Chicken Biscuits Brian handed us at the finish. He's a rocking husband and the best fan a gal could ask for.

A Great Smelling Run

Last night, I upped the length of my run time to 45 minutes. I'll survive the Peachtree (and possibly Race for the Taste) yet!

But what was really awesome was the smell of all the various plants blooming along the running route. One stretch was particularly fragrant and lovely. If it smelled that way in winter, those freezing cold runs might have felt easier.

Of course, I seem to be getting smellier and smellier. And not in a good way. Go figure.

Life, the Universe and Everything

Woot! I ran for 42 minutes last night! My longest continuous run yet.

It sucked!

From the first footfall, it was just... blech. My legs felt heavy. My feet weren't comfortable. I had no energy. WTH?

I was also coming off a 5k Saturday that had a really slow time for me. I'm not racing to beat anyone, so it's no big deal to have a slow run, but I still didn't love the feeling of moving backwards. While slogging through last night's crappy run, I found myself analyzing all the factors that made these two runs really rough. I found a few similarities:

1. Shoes. For both runs, I was wearing my waterproof running shoes. They're a little stiffer than my regular shoes, and a tad heavier.

2. I ate garbage on Friday and Sunday.

3. My weight has crept up by about 5 pounds. It doesn't sound like all that much, and I truthfully think it's mostly water, because I have been eating a lot of sodium-laden treats, but the bottom line is, I'm carrying extra weight.

There were a couple variant factors in each run. Saturday's course was a lot of uphill slogging. Last night, I didn't have my usual pre-run banana. But I think those three are the big ones, particularly numbers 2 and 3. Just goes to show that it DOES matter what you eat!

On the upside, it's more meaningful to me to know that I felt like crap but lengthened my run time last night anyway. If I were having a great run, it might not have felt like such an accomplishment.

Longer runs

I am slowly running longer times in preparation for the Peachtree in July. Last night, I ran for 36 minutes. It felt oddly delightful. Around the 32 minute mark, I remember thinking "I've got a lot of energy left!" I probably could have run a little longer, which is a good feeling.

I need to remember that feeling when our runs get even longer and I feel really rough.

Pi Mile Run 5K

This Saturday we'll be running another 5K at Ga Tech (where I work!) It'll be a nice way to tour the campus, which has become infinitely more green than it used to be thanks to the efforts of our students and alumni. Here's the design for the T-shirt that we'll get! I'm looking forward to running around our campus with my former co-workers and some of my new co-workers. One of my coworkers asked, when I warned her that I was really slow and that my running partners typically smoke me when we run, "How do you deal with that? I get so frustrated when I can't run like I used to that I usually quit." And I totally see and feel that sometimes. But I have to do the cognitive bahavioral Guy Smiley talk and tell myself I'm proud that I'm doing it all. Because quitting is actually WORSE. Plus, sometimes it's just about doing it. Being there. In fact I wish I did more things like that.

A month after the Princess

Well, it's been a full month since my magical half marathon. I still feel the positive effects of the whole thing. It's pretty cool. I'm still counting down to next year AND I've decided I want to skip DragonCon 2010 to run the DisneyLand 1/2 Marathon and get the Coast-to-Coast medal! Yeah!

Brian and I were in Anaheim last week to celebrate his birthday, and last night was my first post-vacation run. Phew! It sure felt rough in the beginning! But, even so, I kept going and decided towards the end to add two minutes to my usual 30. It was hard, but doable. At the end, I even ran again on my way back to the cars after a little walk break because a really good song shuffled up and it just made me want to run.

Gotta start building up to the Peachtree! I'd really like to run the whole thing.

Princess Weekend -- Sunday Part 2

Ahhhhh... the post-race shower. Nothing quite like standing in a nice hot shower holding a plastic cup full of champagne. You feel classy and clean all at once! (Little did I know, Tricia and Lili were busy drinking the rest of the bottle while I was cleaning up!)

I kept self-assessing after we got back to the hotel. Was I able to walk? Yes. In pain? Only a little. My only real complaint was a crabby blister on my foot. And frankly, the experience was well worth it. I felt so blissful. Literally FULL of bliss.

Tricia wanted a nap ASAP (I was reluctant to lie down for fear I might stiffen like a cadaver). Heather and Chris were scheduled to arrive at some point around noon. Lili and I were very hungry.

A few calls and texts later, a rough plan was hatched. Lili and I would go grab a snack and wait for the Williamses, and we'd let Tricia get some sleep in peace. Wheeee! Then, hopefully we could all manage a group lunch.

Ok, can I just say, the sandwich that I had at the All Star Movies food court (turkey and muenster on focaccia) was freaking DELICIOUS? It could be because I was hungry and tired, but it was heavenly. Actually, it wasn't just random hunger - I was NOT into the pasta salad, so that sandwich must have been good! We opted to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, so we got to see a lot of other runners coming and going after the race. I was surprised to see quite a number of ladies checking out with luggage and getting on shuttles to the airport. I can't imagine sitting on a plane after running a half marathon! I hope they all got home safe and sound and with minimal acheyness.

Not long after our "snack" (read: lunch number one) Heather and Chris arrived. Chris was heading back to Atlanta, but Heather was there to attend the post-race party with us and spend the night. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Tricia had risen from her nap and was ready to go out and about. We did manage to convince Chris to eat lunch (that makes number two for me!) with us gals, and we ended up at T-Rex in Downtown Disney. I inhaled an enormous and delicious dish of tortellini and guzzled a cotton-candy cosmo. Oh, yes, you read that correctly. It was HEAVENLY.

One of the best things that kept happening all during the afternoon: texts from friends congratulating us on completing the race. It was so warm and fuzzy, knowing our friends were thinking of us. I'm a lucky girl. It's amazing to have people like Brian and Stephanie tracking our progress and letting other people know where we were during the race and when we finished. Amazing people in my life!

By the time our late lunch was over, it was 3:30 - time to head to the Happily Ever After Party at Hollywood Studios!

We said good-bye to Chris and headed to the park. When we arrived, one of the cast members at the entrance asked us if we were there for the party. When we said yes, she directed us to our fabulous red carpet entrance to the side of the regular turnstiles. It was a really cute touch.

Once inside the park, I automatically headed towards the Villains store. Once that rush was over, we sort of meandered. Tricia and I were a little slower than usual, but we did ok. Dinner at the Brown Derby (grapefruit cake, I worship you), Toy Story Midway Mania (one of the best rides I have ever been on), the Great Movie Ride (where I fear we saw my future as an aging Disney cast member... sigh).

We never did ride the Tower of Terror or the Rockin' Rollercoaster, but we did run into Mark and Courtney for a brief chat. (The only time we saw them all weekend long, despite being in the same race and staying at the same hotel!)

We were all worn out little pumpkins by the time we straggled out to the car. On our way out, we received a lovely gift - a set of four lithographs, each one depicting one of the WDW parks. Sigh. I love me some Disney.

Back at the hotel, displayed in most of the windows on our floor were runners' bibs and medals from the race. I loved seeing all of them -- good to know we were surrounded by other princesses!

Knowing our trip was coming to an end was sad, but also felt good. I was surprised at how fast it all went by, but I also felt so accomplished, so good about myself in a completely new way. I missed my Brian and the kitties, and I was definitely feeling ready to see them. As I settled onto the pillow that last night, I felt like I was going to bed knowing I would wake up an entirely new person.

I already have rabies for next year's Princess.
Registration opens May 1st!

Princess Weekend - Sunday Part 1

Our wake-up call was at 3:30am. And we had to spring forward.

But it didn't matter! I woke up excited and nervous, and I think I was fully into my running clothes within 10 minutes of my eyes opening. Because THIS was the day I would run my first HALF MARATHON! WOOOHOOOOO!

I had a couple of sips of soda, a mini Larabar from the expo and a banana for breakfast. Fueled up, ready to go! The three of us (that's right, Lili got up at 3:30 just to support us, fantastic friend she is) headed to the bus. Holy smokes! What a line! Apparently, a LOT of princesses were staying at our hotel. There was a problem with one of the buses and everyone on it had to unload, then get on another one. The line kept growing behind us. Even so, and despite the cold, people seemed pretty cheery. Eventually, we boarded a bus and were on our way to the staging area.

As we got to the staging area, I bee lined for the merchandise tent just to check and see if there was anything I couldn't live without. The race officials were herding people off to the start line, so we got to the tent as it was clearing out. I bought some Tylenol just to be safe, but I managed to avoid buying any extra goodies. Purchase complete, we followed the herd towards the start line. Once we all hit the sign that read "Runners only beyond this point," we hugged Lili goodbye and ventured into the woods - at least, it kinda seemed that way in the early morning dark!

The race info we received had mentioned that the walk to the start line was about 20 minutes, and it was not an exaggeration! As we got close to our destination, we hit the last line of port-a-potties. It looked like there were hardly any lines, so we figured we'd make a pit stop. Little did we know, we were looking at the back side of the fauxcilities. There was a massive throng of people on the other side! Still, we agreed that it was a good idea to take advantage of our last chance to use the restroom before the race, so we waited. The line was on a downhill slope, so we got to stretch our calf muscles in line. We also got to see quite a few people decide they'd rather hit the bushes than wait in the line. Princesses must be adaptable, I suppose!

The good thing about the bathroom line was that it ate up some time. Once we actually got to our corral, we only had a couple of minutes to wait and make small talk with other runners before it was time to hit the road! We tossed our plastic ponchos and started running, waved on by the Fairy Godmother herself.

The first mile, I felt like I was overrunning my pace, mostly because I was trying to jockey for a little space in the crowd. When we hit the mile marker and started to walk (our strategy was to run a mile, walk a mile), Tricia told me as much. But I felt fine. The adrenaline was coursing through me, and it was all aok. I kept reminding myself to really savor the next twelve miles and enjoy all the sights and sounds of the day. There were DJ's, drum corps, beautiful fairytale mile markers. Royalty of all flavors had set up at stations all along the route to encourage us. There was so much to take in, I often found myself hitting pause on my Shuffle so I could hear everything. Every time we passed a mile marker, I checked our pace and I was thrilled that we were doing better than anticipated. The dream of a sub 3-hour time loomed ever larger and more likely. That kept me excited!

When we got to the Magic Kingdom, the castle loomed large and lovely in the early morning sunlight. Cast members were assembled all over the park to cheer us on. One lovely woman named Ada was standing in Frontierland, both arms raised to give out high-fives on either side to all the passing runners, while she called out "You are doing wonderful, my gorgeouses!" Just thinking about that moment makes me weepy!

Before I knew it, we were out of Magic Kingdom and back on the highway. How did that happen so fast? I realized we were just about to hit the seven mile marker, and we were over halfway there! As we passed the Polynesian, there were spectators lining the course. I was so touched that they cheered for everyone they saw, even as they waited for their special runner to pass by. Husbands, sisters, parents and kids held signs high so their family members would see them as they passed.

Tricia and I had stayed pretty close to one another for the better part of the race. My walking speed is a hair faster than hers, so she would sometimes jog ahead and then I would catch up when she switched to a walk. At mile 10, that little demon passed me and I didn't see her again until the end of the race! I started running whenever I felt like I could and walking as needed, but even with the less structured approach, my pace stayed really consistent. Right before we hit mile 12, a girl in a pink tutu passed me, running backwards and holding a camera. I started to wave when I felt an arm around me - another woman dressed as Snow White wanted a picture of the two of us running together. :) I was only too happy to oblige!

Entering EPCOT for the last mile of the race was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. There was an enormous crowd assembled, screaming and cheering the runners, using noisemakers to create a glorious din. One guy exclaimed as I ran by "It's a Snow White speed suit!" which made me grin ear-to-ear. You can't help but run fast, no matter how tired you are, when that kind of force is all around you. It's astonishing. As the finish line drew closer and closer, EPCOT cast members were keeping all of us runners alerted to how far we had left to go. I remember thinking as I passed by Mouse Gear, "It's a good thing I'm running a race right now, or I'd stop and probably spend several hundred dollars." As I neared the semi-hairpin turn at the gates to World Showcase, a older gentleman cast member leaned out to high five me and said "You've got this!" I wanted to run fast just for him! Shortly after that, another EPCOT cast member named Luis yelled out "I am so proud of you!" as I passed by. I burst into tears. The good kind.

I was almost sad when I saw the finish line. What a morning I was having! I felt like I could do anything by the time I hit the end. When I saw that the race clock said 2:45:00 as I finished, I was ELATED! Less that three hours! Tricia was waiting for me right across the finish line. She had completed the race just two minutes ahead of me and hadn't even gotten her medal yet.

We turned in our chips (kneeling down to get it off my shoelace was... interesting), got our glorious medals, and grabbed some refreshments. Then came the big question: where, in this crowd of thousands, was Lili? We had intended to pick a place to meet up when we arrived in the morning and scoped things out, but we all forgot. Whoopsie daisy! Tricia sat down on the ground to stretch and I scanned the crowd. To my amazement, I spotted Lili in less than ten minutes, not far away! I retrieved her and brough her back to Tricia, who was still on the ground. That's also when I noticed that Tricia never dumped her long sleeve shirt from the expo. She had it around her waist, and it looked for all the world like she was wearing a pink skirt, which tickled me to no end in my post-exertion delerium.

Lili handed me my phone and I immediately called Brian. He had been receiving email updates of my status throughout the race, and he said that my finish time according to my chip was 2:38! WHOA! I was so happy, I can't even describe. Next year, I'll aim for less than 2:30 for sure!

We were pretty eager to get back to hotel and get showered. I was ravenous. I think I could have eaten a cow, piranha-style. Onto the buses we went, exhausted and happy.

This entire event was so special because of the support for all the racers that came from everywhere. People there to cheer for family members cheered ALL the runners. Disney cast members, from security to race coordinators to characters, all had words of encouragement for the half marathon "princesses". The volunteers working the water stations would make a point of calling people by name as they passed by (though I have NO idea how they could read the bibs so fast!). Runners encouraged one another and complimented each others' costumes. People cheered for total strangers, willing them to keep going and finish the course. There was SO much positive energy. It made me wish it could go on forever, even when my feet were starting to complain. I wish the "real" world were so positive and affirming. I am inspired to do my part to make everyday life more positive for everyone I can. Because everyone should know such bliss.

Sigh. I wanna do it again!

Princess Weekend -- Saturday

4:30am is early. Really early.

But, Lili and I had to take off by 5:30 for the 5k, according to our race packets, so we were up in the pre-dawn, excitedly getting ready. Tricia was trying to doze, but our bustling about kept her awake.

I was wishing I had thought to get a dietCoke on Friday night so I could have a few sips of caffeine to start the day. I strolled down to the vending machines on our floor, but it was all candy, no sodas. Blar.

At some point I remembered that my headphones were still in the car. I almost always forget stuff like that, so I was pretty happy to have remembered. (I have a really hard time running without music.) On my way out to the car to get the headphones, I passed by - huzzah! - a soda machine. I scrambled around for change while I was at the vehicle and did indeed get my dietCoke on the way back to the room. Whew! Trauma averted!

Onto the bus we trundled. It was a little cold out, but I was so excited I barely noticed. Lili was nervous about maintaining the required pace, but she looked darned adorable in her Fairy Godmother outfit! I figured no race official would have the heart to pull her from the course! As we boarded the bus, it became clear that Lili would be the star of the day. People immediately began exclaiming "Fairy Godmother!" and gasping those delighted little gasps you only hear in Disney. It was so darling! The gasping continued once we got to the starting area. Everyone wanted their picture with Fairy Godmother! She brought a smile to everyone who saw her. I felt like a proud mother hen.

We wandered around for a little while to keep warm, hit the port-o-potties (I'm pretty sure I was the first person to ever use the one I was in), and before we knew it, it was time to line up in our corrals. Lili was a couple of corrals behind me, so we hugged and parted ways to wait for the start. Off we went! Belle and Beast waved to us as we crossed the Start line, and the 5k was officially underway.

The first mile was mostly through parking areas, so it was fairly unremarkable. But the second mile was utterly dreamy. Running through the countries of EPCOT - what a treat! As we entered on the Mexico side of World Showcase, there were several of the young cast members from Mexico on the sidelines, playing instruments and cheering us on. Every single country had cast members out in the early dawn to support the runners and walkers - it was truly magical. The China pavillion had only three people, but they cheered so enthusiastically, it might as well have been 50. The UK and Canada pavillions were especially raucous, which was just what we needed as we headed into the last mile. That third mile whizzed by in a heartbeat. I remember seeing several more EPCOT employees (who were AMAZING and supportive - that park has a fantastic cast) and then, before I knew it, the finish line appeared just after the 3 mile mark. I broke into a sprint. About halfway through that sprint, I realized I had sped up a little earlier than my body normally had energy for, but I figured "No way am I going to slow down now! I might as well gun it, because I'll have time to gasp for air at the finish line!"

I ran my fastest 5k ever that day -- 32:45(ish). For alot of runners, that would be abysmally slow. For me, it was a pretty big deal.

After I finished, I waited for Lili at the finish line. When the announcer cheered "Here comes the Fairy Godmother!" I rushed out of the designated waiting area and met her just after she crossed the line so I could give her a big hug. I was so, so proud of her! She did a fantastic job, and spread a lot of cheer in the process.

We didn't linger long - we had a Boma breakfast to get to! (Also, my watch was already an hour ahead, so I got a little confused and thought we were running later than we were. Whoopsie!) Back onto the bus to the hotel. Walking back to our room, we passed several people headed out to start their day in the parks - it was only 8am, after all! Some of them looked at us with puzzled expressions, wondering, no doubt, why we'd be wandering around in our silly outfits wearing race medals. Showers all around, and off to Boma!

After breakfast, we did a little shopping, and then played a round of mini golf at Fantasia Gardens. Let's just say I don't know my own strength -- I have an unreal ability to send golf balls flying way off the green! We had so much fun, though. I have never, in all the years I've been vacationing in WDW, played a round of mini golf there. It's a GREAT way to relax and laugh and spend time with friends.

After golfing, pool time! Tricia wanted to swim to burn off calories and make room for another evening of Boma gorging. I just wanted to relax and let my feet dangle in the water. Lili hung out and relaxed in the shade. Also, much people watching. There was a threesome of older ladies who gave us a glimpse into our futures - if the three of us are that fabulous at that age, the future looks bright!

More Boma. Holy crap, that prime rib they serve there is like a symphony. I ate alot of it. Bobotie, Ginger Carrot Soup, Zebra Domes, Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake. They made it, I ate it. I was marginally concerned that all that food would weigh heavy in the morning, but I threw caution to the wind, as is my way when confronted with deliciousness.

Again, we did some shopping to help our ample dinners settle. Then it was time to put heads to pillows to rest up for the big day!

Princess Weekend - Friday

Disney's Fit for a Princess Expo is where the weekend kicked off (well, after a stop at Boma for breakfast...). The Expo is where we picked up our race packets for the 5k and the 1/2 Marathon, as well as our Happily Ever After party tickets. There were also a bazillion vendors, selling everything from energy bars to sports bras to shoes to running accessories you didn't even know you needed. Plus, a whole pavillion filled with princess-themed event merchandise! Wooooot! To my delight, there were also several costumes on display - the ones used in the recent Anni Liebowitz Disney portraits series. The Snow White costume worn by Rachel Weisz is every bit as gorgeous in person as it is in photographs. Every inch of it appears to be silk velvet. Scrumptious!

We were tired from driving through the night, but it was still so exciting to finally be there in WDW, getting our materials for the weekend's events. It all started to feel very real as we picked up our shirts and bibs. I wanted to tear right into those goody bags!

I managed a shocking level of restraint, shopping-wise. Lili and I each bought a shirt and a tiara, I also bought a cute sports bra, and Tricia bought an inexpensive long-sleeved shirt for Sunday morning that she could discard on the course once she got warm. (She never did toss the shirt, but more on that in Sunday's report.)

After we left the Expo, we headed to All Star Movies, our hotel for the weekend. Our room wasn't ready, so we grabbed some light cocktails by the pool and waited for a bit. We saw many many people arriving for the Princess - runner chicks were everywhere! Once our room was prepped, we moved in, I scoped out the goody bags, we all got unpacked, and then we headed off to dinner at Boma.

Dinner is a little bit of a blur. I know the food was fantastic. I know I ate a lot of it. But I was getting very, very sleepy. After a quick lap around the gift shop at Animal Kingdom Lodge, it was back to our hotel. I got a very quick shower and was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The princesses have been crowned!

I'm very excited for Surlygirlie and Miz Clayton and their bigtime finish at the Disney Princess Half-marathon. Even though I didn't care for the tiara and pretty pinkishness of it all, and even though I didn't try to train for it, it has motivated me to know of their accomplishment. I ran outside at home in my neighborhood the past two times I've run, and it was a big deal for me to do that because of the hills (they are killer!). But last night I actually managed to run for almost 30 minutes without walking even though some of the hills were a bitch. It felt good.

I hope that now that Surly is such a super marathon diva she will still run with my slow ass sometimes.

I'm so happy for her and can't wait to see her and Tricia soon to congratulate them in person!

Princess Countdown - 10 days!

Yep. 10 days from now, I will be arriving in Orlando with my darling friends. 11 days from now I will be running the Royal Family 5k. 12 days from now, I will be running in my first half marathon.

I am terrified, excited and hopeful. I want to stay ahead of the sweeper bus. I have to be just fast enough for that. I don't really care too much about my time. I have a rich fantasy where I make a certain time, but you know, if I need to stop and get pictures along the way, so be it.

This week has started out really rough at work - many layoffs, though none on my team, thankfully. Part of me wonders "Is it prudent to be going on vacation in these uncertain times?" Another part of me can't help but think "You have been working non-stop since Thanksgiving, and if you don't get away you will go mad."

So, there you have. Excitafearified.

My Snow White skirt is fast(ish).

I tested my running skirt for the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon during our regular run last night. I was quicker than usual, despite feeling slow! Go figure!

Hopefully I'll have a good run when I'm wearing the skirt for the real deal. :)

I am officially OBSESSED with Princess Weekend. I think about it constantly. I drive Brian crazy asking him questions about what might be in the goody bags, what the shirts will look like, whether my outfits look ok, whether I should consider different shoes, etc.

Brian, I apologize.

Everyone else, sorry I'm insane.

Hooray for warmer weather!

Last night's run was spectacular. It was finally warm enough that I could wear just a tee shirt and running capris. (Take that, Groundhog!)

There was (a little) sprinting, there was laughing, Heather and I ran further in 30 minutes than we ever have before (I think). I huffed and puffed and it was glorious.

The Zen of Night Running. Plus Sprints!

I have really been enjoying running in the dark lately. There's one spot on our usual path where the street lights are out and it's only possible to just make out the sidewalk and bushes in the dimness. And I kind of love that part. It's like the purest part of the run for me, because I'm not looking around, I'm not thinking about anything but staying on the sidewalk and getting through the dark spot. It's a calm and simple time.

Heather and I have recently been talking about changing things up by adding sprint intervals and possibly games of some sort to our runs, so last night, I thought I'd try sprinting for 20-30 paces every time a new song started on my shuffle. It definitely added intensity! It wasn't impossible, but it was a challenge for sure!

We're totally badass.

Friday night, even though the temperature was 19 degrees (F.), Stephanie, Brian and I were all out there in the cold, running and walking.

Yesterday, I don't know how cold it was, but it was effing cold, and there we all were: Brian, Heather, Stephanie and me. Hucking it around in the freezing wind.

I am so proud of all of us. 9 months ago, 30 second intervals were rough. There was gasping. We built up our intervals, and a lot of steps were torturous. I remember VERY clearly the first time we ran 20 minutes -- I actually lied to Heather and told her we were going to stop at 18, but we went all the way to 20, and I felt like we were the most amazing creatures alive. I think I might have cried. :p

Now we routinely run for 30 minutes at a time.

In the freezing damn cold.

Completely badass.

We rock!

One more reason I love Neko Case

Lame and Creaky, Part 2!

In what must easily rank as one of the most embarrassing ways to mess up your back, I seem to have pulled something while putting the cat litter scoop away this morning.

As I was nesting the scoop back into its little holder, I heard a weird squishy "kkksh" sound, and then I couldn't move. I did eventually manage to straighten up and regain mobility, but things are a little twitchy.

I'm hoping this will fix itself sooner rather than later. I have a whole training plan for the next couple of months that I'd really rather not scrap.

Ugh. I am an old woman.

Lame and creaky

Well, my hip pain persists, so I think I'm gonna walk tonight instead of running.

I hope that backing off the running a little will get things ship shape again. Because it's a new year, dammit! I need to start it off kicking ass!

Welcome, 2009!

Happy New Year!

Let's run some more!

Now that the holidays are over (and my work schedule has some actual light at the end of the tunnel), it's time for all of us to re-commit! I'm going for consistency in my run routine, and I'm adding heavier weight training to get ready for my 1/2 marathon in March.

It's a new year, a fresh start - and the beauty of it is we're already starting ahead of where we were when 2008 kicked off. Yeah!