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!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, March 13, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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!
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!
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