Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Day 3 - Inaugural WDW 10K

So, us Dopey folk are three days into our wild adventure. I say three days because being at the expo for the first day is an adventure in itself. This morning, Dopey runners and 10K runners took the Epcot Wonder parking lot by storm as we kicked off and ran the inaugural Walt Disney World 10K! The 10K is a very popular race distance. It isn't to short, but just far enough to spark a challenge! It also isn't intimidating as a distance for most newer runners since it is 6.2 miles. By leaps and bounds a great accomplishment for any and all who take on the distance.

So as I am sure you guessed, this was another early wake up for the race! I woke up around 4AM and got dressed up in my INKnBURN Dazzle Camo tech tee, grabbed some EnergyBits, and headed out the door with Kat!

We arrived at Epcot, parked, and took the sleepy walk to the runners village. Of course, I met up with some of my friends prior to the race where we checked up on how one another was feeling and discussed strategies for how we were going to take on today's race. 2/1 run/walk intervals were the overall winner.

Me, Jill, John, Erica, and Jenn

We made our way to the start line once the officials released the B corral (that's where we were) and we eagerly awaited our GO signal in the form of fireworks.

We were off! We started our journey with every intention of keeping the pace easy. Many of us are participating in the Dopey Challenge, so we want to ensure we have plenty of stamina and muscle strength left to complete the challenge. Utilizing the run/walk method was a brilliant plan. Our pace was consistent, and none of us felt fatigued. A couple of folks I ran with have ever used this method in a race (or training) before. I made believers out of them. The course was simple enough in its design. You take a trip around the Epcot parking lot, enter the side gate of Epcot (same as yesterday) take a trip around the world, run completely around Disney's Boardwalk, back into Future World and make a bee-line for the finish line.

Taking it easy, we came across the finish line around 1:23. Not too bad with walk breaks a few character stops. Overall, I feel pretty good at this point. Mildly fatigued, nothing a nap, hydration, fuel, and compression socks won't fix. My spirits are high, I am highly motivated, and very anxious to take on the tasks at hand. It isn't anything I can't handle, but the distance must be respected at all times. This is no walk through Magic Kingdom by any means. Races are not meant to be run back to back like this. Your body needs time to regenerate and heal, and so does your mind. This is as much mental as it is physical, so you absolutely have to keep your head in the game at all times. If you are someone who is participating in multiple races this weekend, continue to hydrate and eat as clean as you can! I know it's Walt Disney World so that is tough, but try. Your body needs all the nutrients it can get to heal and keep you performing at your best! I want you to succeed!

I want to also take a minute and say thanks to all of you for your encouraging Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and in person hellos and encouragement. I always enjoy interacting with each and every one of you! Even if I am a little sleepy at the start lines lol!

Shout out to Jill, Becca, and Kat for a great run this morning! It was great having some awesome chats and getting to know everyone a little bit better!

Me, Becca, and Kat

I LOVE running into running pals at the races! I was so happy to run into my girl Krissy! She's pretty much awesome...and fast...very fast.

KRISSY!

I also can't help large group cheesy pictures HAHA!

Patrick, Matt, Linz, Dani, Kat

I also took a moment to reunite with my #WDWRaceTweetUp pals Dani and Kat...well just Dani because I ran with Kat but you get the idea :)

Overall, today was a good day! Tomorrow will be a test before the big show on Sunday! The rest of the day holds rest at Pop Century, and dinner at some point and an early bed time for some much needed Z's. Looking forward to the half tomorrow! Wish me luck, and good luck to all the runners and congratulations to those that rocked it today!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Day 2 - WDW Family Fun Run 5K & the #WDWRaceTweetUp

Today officially started my journey towards pure-Dopeyness. I woke up this morning to a wake up call from Indiana Jones in my room then got dressed and headed downstairs where my #CorralG sister Jenn was there waiting to kindly shuttle me over to the start line of the race (THANK YOU). When we parked at Epcot we made a point to remember where we parked the car. We didn't want to relive the infamous shake out run of Wine and Dine 2013 lol. We walked over to the runners village where we ran into some awesome folks from Team #runDisney! We stopped and chatted and caught up with old friends and met some new ones!

Team #runDisney

After our meet and greet we headed toward the corrals and enjoyed some small talk and strategizing. My crew decided to go with 2/1 run/walk intervals for running. We encountered some light rain/sprinkling but nothing we couldn't handle. Before we knew it, our corral was up next and we were greeted by our fireworks indicating we were clear for take off!

We made our way around the Epcot parking lot and through the side door of Future World. We wre able to run under Test Track! This was really awesome, but grateful the test cars weren't rolling at 60 MPH on top of us...that would of been loud! We took our first trip around the World Showcase and enjoyed the beautiful sights!

World Showcase at Dawn-ish

No runDisney race would be complete without at least one character stop...we took two! It would have been three except Dopey who resides in the Germany pavilion had his line backed up to Italy by the time we got there. If you've been to Epcot before, you understand.

The crew and Norwegian Daisy

The Crew with Remy and Emil

We made our way back toward Future World and toward the finish! As the sun continued to come up and the sky turned blue I couldn't help but stop by the Fountain of Nations and just appreciate nature and remind myself that I was alive and so happy to be here in Disney World.

We absolutely were not here for speed today. This is the first leg of Dopey so we went fast enough to keep our muscles loose but not fast enough to use up all of our energy. We crossed the finish line in just under an hour (with character stops LOL) and were awarded our lovely Pluto medal/medallion thingy. It really is a cute medal! It was really cool to see all the families out there enjoying themselves!

This afternoon Dani from Weight off my Shoulders and Kat from Katrina Elle hosted our #WDWRaceTweetUp!

Dani, Kat, and I met at Downtown Disney Marketplace and eagerly awaited the arrival of our guests!

Dani, Kat, and I

We had about twenty awesome folks show up to the meet up! Considering the light rain, this was a great turn out! We raffled off some awesome great prizes, chatted, and made some awesome new friends! I really do love hosting these tweet ups! Pavement Runner Brian was missed as a host, but Dani stepped right in and was wonderful per the norm haha.

Again, thank you so much to all the great runners who came out and joined us today for our meet up! We really enjoyed meeting you, hooking you up with awesome swag, and wishing you luck on your races this weekend. Met a lot of first time marathoners this weekend! So amazing! I'm ready for the 10K tomorrow! Check back tomorrow for more fun and adventure.

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Day 1 - The Expo

Day 1 of marathon weekend was VERY good to me! But as the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm. This was absolutely true today. Last night, my friends Jill and Jenn decided that we wanted to wake up early and wait in line for the newest New Balance runDisney shoes. This would be the first weekend they were released, and we wanted to get our hands on them before they ran out. We arrived at ESPN Wide World of Sports complex and followed the shoe prints to the line that had already begun for the shoes. Jenn was nice enough to pick me up and she brought coffee and bagels! We apparently were ready to camp out!

Follow the shoes to find the line

We arrived and took our place in line. I was number 21! There was no way I wasn't getting a pair with such a low number.

Jill, Jenn, and I trying to stay warm in line

We waited in the cold until 9:00AM when the gates opened and we made our way through Champion Stadium where we met the New Balance staff and entered our phone numbers and email addresses into the iPad system they had. This would notify us when it was our turn to enter the side door of the Jostens Center to have our turn at the shoes. Since we were basically at the front of line, by the time we exited the stadium it was time to go meet New Balance. We checked in and New Balance provided each of us with our own shoe expert. They asked us which shoe we were interested in, then grabbed the styles and sizes we requested. I opted for the Sorcerer Mickey 860 V4s. Other shoe styles available included the very cute pink Minnie Mouse shoe also in 860 V4 as well as Goofy and Cinderella in the neutral 890 V4.

As soon as I saw them, I fell in love with them. They magical details throughout the shoe were very well thought out. You also had the option to buy shoe charms and inserts. I found the New Balance staff very nice and very helpful! Now, each person was able to purchase up to four pairs of adult shoes and two pairs of children's shoes. Sadly, many of these shoes are now on eBay at inflated prices which means some people won't get the shoe they wanted. Sad. In terms of the process to obtain shoes, since I was at the front of the line, I absolutely know that my opinion and experience will be vasty different than those behind me. I thought the iPad check in was an awesome idea and very fair and efficient.

Onward to official runDisney merchandise. I have a love-hate relationship with this. I love all the things, but hate spending the money haha. Good thing, my aunt gave me some money for Christmas JUST for the expo, so that helped...a little bit. There were a lot of aisles of merchandise to choose from, sectioned off by race/challenge per the normal.

I bought all the things.

I picked up my usual wine glass and a mug. I also picked up a running hat, it's the one thing I actually didn't have and on some runs wish I owned. I obtained my inaugural Dopey tech tee in red, and a 2014 WDW Marathon track jacket. I chose the marathon jacket because I thought it would translate better when I go non-runDisney races. I also got my four days - four parks tee that has really awesome gold foil accents on it! That was a great surprise. I also bought the individual pins for each race. I like to pin them to my medal ribbons :)

Accessories of sorts

Once I paid for all my goodies, I of course had to head over to INKnBURN and see what was new. If you haven't yet, make sure you stop by the booth! They have released some new items for men and women including yoga gear and new designs! I picked up the new retro surf shirt which will be available online soon, but you can get it at the expo this weekend! Also, while supplies last if you spend $50 or more you get a free high quality drop backpack with your purchase! What a surprise and a great deal! The bags are valued at $20 dollars and are made of high performance material. Go check out their stuff.

That was enough of the expo side of the house. I then went over to the HP Field House to pick up my race packet. This, of course was probably the easiest thing I did today. I picked up my bibs (Dopey runners receive two) and picked up my shirts (which are all awesome). I collected my arms full of STUFF and headed to Jenn's car to deposit my bounty. All in all, today was pretty epic!

Word of caution: If there is something you really want at the expo, go as early as possible. Often sizes, styles, and options will run out! So if you can, make your way to the expo and get your shop on. Tomorrow is day 1 of Dopey Challenge...the 5K. I plan on taking this real easy, but watch for the recap :) Also, sometimes the New Balance system isn't sending emails/text messages when your time is ready! So be sure to pay attention and check in if you haven't gotten notified.

Also, don't forget tomorrow at 1PM at Downtown Disney Marketplace by the carousel is the #WDWRaceTweetUp hosted by Katrina Elle and Weight off my Shoulders! We hope to see you there!

Let's Race!

Turning Dreams Into Magic

I've never been a person for New Years resolutions, I just do my best to recognize my opportunities and do better tomorrow. Toward the last couple months of 2013, I was sorting through my mind trying to figure out how I could get the optimum result from my running. I wanted my body to look, feel, and perform stronger. I reached that first milestone when I achieved my first sub 2 half marathon in December. I wanted to be faster and more consistent.  So clearly, if you want results you need to modify training regiments.

To kick off my daily fitness goal I will be working with Katrina Elle who will get me whipped into shape through the use of Focus T25! I hope to utilize Kat as an awesome resource to stay motivated and fit! Plus, it's always a plus when the person you are working with makes you laugh on a daily basis.

Now, today while at th airport (I'm writing this from the plane) I made the decision to reach out to my good friend Holly. Holly is also a fitness pro and an ultra marathoner. I asked if she would be interested in being my running coach, and he accepted...this made me happy :) I know Holly the Squirrel Whisperer in my corner there is no reason I can't be ready for Javalina Jundred in 2015, or even get Boston qualifying ready! Just typing this I am getting jazzed!

This is a quick post to say this...if you want something bad enough, you need to align yourself with friends, and resources to get there. The running community is filled with incredible people that are ready to help, provide tips, and offer guidance. Even a pro can learn something new. Every run teaches you something because no two are ever the same.

I look forward to kicking off these routines and partnerships when I come home from Dopey Challenge weekend! Here's to progress and doing better!

Let's go Further, Faster, Forever!!!!

2013 Highlights

Oh look, it's New Year's Eve! That can only mean a few things, but one thing I know it means for sure is I get to recap my top favorite moments of 2013! I have a list of my top 10 favorite memories of the year! Following that, I will share my top 5 favorite albums that came out this year! The list is in no particular order of importance, as each moment I have selected means something extremely special to me, so it wouldn't be fair to rank them! Sooo...let's do it!

This year, I was honored to join the INKnBURN ambassador team! I have a huge passion for this company and their amazing athletic apparel! Being part of this team has been nothing short of a dream! Thank INKnBURN for having me, and allowing me to represent your brand!

I was also asked to join the EnergyBits family of ambassadors! EnergyBits has been a VERY awesome company to represent! Health is so very important, and it is always necessary to fuel properly before, during, and after a run! So I am thrilled to be a member of such an amazing network of athletes!

With the help of some awesome friends, I became a marathoner in January. I crossed my first marathon finish line! I was on top of the world with happiness and elated with a sense of euphoric triumph! You never forget your first marathon! I was just happy it happened in Walt Disney World with some of my new found best friends!

Running the Chicago Marathon this year was absolutely unreal! I usually don't get to nervous before the start of a race, but this race was so special. I love Chicago as a city and was so blessed to be able to run through it. Not only did I have a great run and enjoy the weather and the amazing spectators...but I ran my first sub 5 marathon and PR'd! Chicago wins!

I was trying to achieve this goal literally all year! During my last half marathon of the year I finally did it! Just two weeks ago I ran my very first sub 2 half marathon with a time of 1:57!!!!! YES!!!!

Although not all of us in the in the photo above, we were together in spirit! The members of #CorralG have become more than just a group of runners who were looking to support one another through a marathon...we have become family. We speak everyday and look forward to the next time we can always be together. My life is so much better knowing I have these guys in my corner!

Along with some of the members of #CorralG we decided to visit Boston for the B.A.A. 10K! We had an absolutely amazing time running the race as well as eating and drinking our way through Boston! Truly an amazing experience! I hope to run the Boston Marathon someday to reinforce those amazing memories.

Look, I could go on and on about what a great year this has been! These are just a few of the stand out moments but trust me there are so many more! I hope to meet more of you in the coming months, and trust that we will be able to laugh, run, get fit, and encourage one another through each of our journeys. I wish you all a wonderful, healthy, exciting, and blessed 2014! Let's do it!

Sharp

T25 Focus 21 Day Challenge with Katrina Elle

I will be the first person to say I have the hardest time staying motivated to cross-train. Cross-training is one of the most important activities (in my opinion anyway) for a runner. Running isn't just about how fast you can go for how long of a distance. It is your body being balanced and strong from top to bottom. I consider myself to be somewhat strong, but often feel the fatigue in various muscle groups when I am out running. This is due to the body not being as strong in certain areas. Well...we will fix that.

I don't like going to the gym to lift weights. Believe it or not, I actually don't like being stared at when I am trying to work out. So, I happened to be texting with my girl Kat from Katrina Elle and she mentioned that she was going to start hosting her 21 day fitness challenge on her blog! Kat is a personal trainer, insanity trainer, marathoner, Beachbody coach, and pug mom! You may remember that we co-hosted the #DumboTweetUp together in September alongside Pavement Runner Brian.

I was talking to Kat about various exercises I could do to stay fit, and was getting some advice about nutrition. Again, I am TRASH when it comes to my nutrition...why do burgers and fries have to be so darn tasty??? Kat gave me some amazing advice and ideas! I decided that this would be an amazing way to get fit, stay motivated, get stronger, and get my body ready to rock the INKnBURN tank tops this summer! No seriously.

I told Kat I was all in! I wanted to get my body ready to Stand on the Sun like Beyoncé in the H&M commercial...or something like that. Just go with it.

 I ordered my DVDs of T25 Focus. I not only ordered the DVDs, I also ordered the very large bag of Shakeology! I've tried Shakeology before and found it to be quite tasty. So I will be excited to see how it works as a breakfast supplement. Goodbye cinnamon toast.

This is not only about achieving awesome results for my physique, but this about discipline. I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that includes working out, and eating right. Doing this will not only improve my performance on race day. Now, I am also very excited to be able to incorporate EnergyBits into my daily routine as well. Normally I take a handful of bits in the morning as my vitamins, but now I will bring some with me as food throughout the day, continuing to provide my body with essential vitamins and minerals throughout the day! Bits aren't just for performance, they are for your everyday life.

The challenge kicks off next week, so you still have time to join the fun. My whole household is participating in the challenge! If you want to know more, head over to KatrinaElle.com and shoot her a quick email for all the details and to join the party! I also encourage you to check out Kat's Beachbody Coach page. Everyday right here on See Sharp Run I will be recapping my thoughts using tag #FitnessRealness! Keep up to date, and keep me encouraged and accountable! Who knows, maybe you'll want to try it out for yourself! Let's Do This!!!!!

2013 - The Year of the Incredible

It's time for that bittersweet blog post...my 2013 race year has come to a close. That means I get to recap and discuss some thoughts and share some insights from this amazing year!

First, let me start by saying THANK YOU to each and every one of you! The readers of the blog and followers on social media! Without you guys, this would not be as much fun! I started blogging in 2012, and in June of this year I moved my domain and blog over to Blogger. The page and post views have been unreal and absolutely surpassed my own expectations! So thank you very much for continuing to support the blog and my efforts as I run all the races and hopefully inspire you to keep going or even to try something new.

To help illustrate what kind of intense year I have had, I created a small info graphic. Now, when I actually did the math on the miles I've traveled this year...well...you'll see what I mean haha.

Incredible! I am so blessed and thank each of you for all of your support and love this year! You have helped me grow as a runner, blogger, and as a person. Now, I want to shout out the awesome folks over at INKnBURN and EnergyBits for being such wonderful companies! Their support has really been nothing short of incredible and I hope to continue the relationships with them in the coming years! I would also like to take a moment to stop and thank one of the sweetest Race Directors I've had the privilege of working with, Keira Henninger! Keira has an amazing spirit, is always smiling, and is one hell of an ultra athlete. She began following me on Twitter and asked me to help her promote her trail races. It has been an awesome experience to run her races and work alongside her! By the way, Griffith Park trial marathon registration is open! (plug).

So, I put a lot of miles on my shoes this year as you can tell from the image above. But of all those races, which ones were my favorite?

I have 4 I selected and I want to share with you why!

1. Walt Disney World Marathon! This was my first attempt at the marathon distance! I was undertrained, scared, and anxious! Luckily, thanks to social media, my very good friends (they are more like family really) #CorralG was born! The memories, laughs, frustration, and smiles will ALWAYS be one of the brightest moments of my life! The moment we all joined hands and jumped over the mile 20 timing mat, the conga line to the finish line, my Grumpy Cat mile at mile 24, finding Perry at mile 26. This race had everything, and I am so happy to fortunate I gained some awesome friends out of it!

2. Bank of America Chicago Marathon! My first World Marathon Major! It doesn't get much cooler than that! I was very excited for this race! #CorralG sisters Marcia and Katie met me in Chicago! Katie also ran the race, so the night before we went to Gino's East and ate all the pizza! Being in the start corrals was one of the most intense experiences of my life. I was intimidated and excited to take on the race! I enjoyed everything about this race and the weekend! Great friends, including my wonder twin Christopher who came in from St. Louis to support me. I also PR'd this race and ran my first sub 5 marathon!

3. The San Francisco Marathon! Probably one of my favorite marathons! Running across the Golden Gate Bridge was ALL I needed! It was perfect. I felt free, I felt amazing, I felt inspired! I connected with the air, the ocean, and the energy the runners were pounding into that bridge. There is NOTHING like it. Especially being born and raised in California...this was SO special.

4. Wine and Dine half marathon! This weekend was MUCH needed. I reconnected with #CorralG and ran my favorite half marathon. I ran the race with sisters Jill and Marcia and I crossed the finish line giving Chef Mickey Mouse a HUGE hug and cried at the finish. My spirit was renewed this weekend!

All this to say, this year has been incredible! Each and everyone of you is to thank! I can't wait to see what 2014 brings! I know it will be amazing!

What did you enjoy about 2013?