Guest Post: WDW Half Marathon

January 15, 2014 by scootadoot

I signed up for the WDW Half Marathon very last minute (early December through a travel agent), and was not very prepared for it training wise after being sick for the majority of December. With the 10K the day before, I knew that the half was going to be tough and long no matter what I did, and I was right!

If you read my blog about the 10K, you know that I had to wait 40 minutes to start for the 10K, and I was in corral E. After that, I had no idea how long I’d have to wait to start the half when I was in corral I. The half start was structured a lot more like Wine & Dine with only 2-5 minutes between each corral, which was good since there were 16 corrals! I actually only waited about 30 minutes for the half to start which I was happy with.

Starting out I was already sore and needing to take walk breaks by mile 1. From there I went into the race with the mindset, as long as people keep passing me I’ll be ok! It’s when they stop passing you that you know you’re in trouble.

With the new mindset I had a lot more fun! I focused on getting to the Magic Kingdom and to the characters I wanted to take pictures with. The half has A LOT of spectators throughout the course, which is great encouragement! Not only are they cheering you on, but it’s always fun to see the creative signs they make. With the help of the crowds and knowing the feeling of running down Main Street, I made it to the Magic Kingdom! This is about 4.5/5 miles into the race.

I love Disney races because of all of the pictures I take with the characters on the course. I always buy the photo package, so I purposely stop for as many as I can, and make Shutterfly books for each race weekend. While I have a lot of character pictures, Disney continues to surprise me and adds characters I haven’t seen or stopped for before on course! It literally took me an hour to get through Magic Kingdom because of all of the character lines I waited in! But I did get so many great pictures throughout the day.

Back on the course, I was struggling! My legs hurt and I was having a hard time sticking to longer running intervals. A good thing to know too about this race is the course is VERY narrow. Most of the roads are only one lane. This means if you wait an hour on character lines, you’ll be towards the back of the pack with all of the walkers. This isn’t a bad thing, I was walking a lot too, but know that if you do plan on trying to run, it’s a lot of weaving in and out of people or running on the grass around everyone.

I was really impressed with all of the character stops they added throughout the non-park portion of the course. Again there were characters/costumes I had never seen before, i.e. golfer Mickey! Last year, this was my first race ever; I didn’t stop for any character pictures and don’t remember how many there were to compare to this year, so I was pleasantly surprised this year.

There is nothing like seeing that 13 mile marker and knowing you’re almost there! Disney is extra special for me because you have some of the fab five waiting for you and cheering you on at the finish. I might have even stopped a few feet before the finish line to take a picture with Goofy!

Crossing that finish line is a feeling that never gets old. Whether it’s a 5K or a Marathon, you accomplished a huge feat! You overcame obstacles however big or small, and no one can ever take that away from you. This was my 4^th half, and race anniversary, and an overall great experience!

Pros:

Running through Magic Kingdom and Epcot
Running through the Castle!
Lots of character stops
Lots of spectators and motivators along the way

Cons:

Tight course
Lots of participants!
Super early morning start (3:15 wake up call)
Running on exit ramps (aka hills of death!)

Meredith is a 29 year old living in South Florida. She started her running journey with the 2013 WDW half marathon and has been hooked on RunDisney ever since! You can find her on Twitter @MSchechter1218 and over at her blog, justanordinarygirlinfl.

Have you ever ran back to back races? Do you take it easy the first day so you can push the second? Or vice versa?

Goal-Setting and Well-Wishing

January 9, 2014 by beewhobabbles

It’s January! I love a new year. I don’t make resolutions but I always find myself making goals and lists and trying to be a better me even without committing it all to paper. This also happens before a new school year (because that is it’s own year, really) and before summer (because Pinterest makes it a Big Deal).

photo 3-8

My fitness goal is easy. I want to PR in the half marathon. I will PR in the half marathon. My current PR is 1:57:52 and really, I just want to best that. But deep in my heart, I want to best that in a Major Way. So we’ll see. I’m focused on the Glass Slipper challenge right now, and increasing my weekly mileage closer to 30 instead of in the lower 20 range. I’m also working on getting faster- I’m still not fast enough to reach my current race PR (which I reached before my last pregnancy). I’m giving myself until December because I am very generous and also, I’m trying to be realistic. (my fingers are totally crossed for reaching goal A in April and doing Something Major in December though.)

I am also making some wonderful chore charts and calendars to do a better job cleaning my house. I know that’s really boring stuff, (for me and for you) so that’s all I will say about that. If I come up with an awesome system, I’ll let you know.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that my girlfriends and I have done a holiday gift exchange for the last ten years. Last month, we met for a delicious dinner, sans gifts but avec wine and good conversation. One of my girls said that this year, she decided that if she didn’t care enough to wish someone a “Happy Birthday” on Facebook, she would delete them from her friend list. I’m not really sure how this qualifies as a resolution (I will have less friends? I will only be friends with someone if I want to celebrate their birth? I don’t know exactly.) but it made me think. My husband hates those Facebook birthday wishes. He thinks they’re insincere. Perfunctory. I don’t have a strong feeling about them- I mean, who doesn’t like hearing a birthday wish, no matter how it comes?- But I prefer to text or call my close friends. In 2014, I’ve decided to take a page from long-term, snail mail penpals, Mer and Vic, and send birthday cards. I will likely have to send them in a batch at the beginning of each month, because I am terrible with mail, but I know it will make my people happy, and that makes me happy.

Hanging with my girls made me wish for more time with them, so I am definitely making that a priority in 2014.

These girls! My favorites for 15 years.

Lastly, some friends and I decided to start a club. A fit club, with a goal of taking one new class each month. In the past, I’ve tried to form book club, wine club, craft club, mom movie night club- and nothing ever sticks. I think this one will- and it will be fun- and I can’t wait to report back to all of you on our progress.

As the Floridian of the Chicks, I want to welcome the runDisney runners to Orlando this weekend! It’s going to be a hot one, so hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and be sure to take a selfie by the pool so your friends are jealous.

Also, go to Epcot! The Frozen princesses are in Norway, along with a statue of runner Grete Waitz. You can have a cronut (omg, delicious) near Canada and a margarita in Mexico. All the salt and sugar will be good for your recovery. (So I’ve heard. I’m not a marathoner, so don’t take my word for it.)

Meeting Elsa and Anna was the highlight of our week (the 3 hour line was not).

I’ll be at the Magic Kingdom on Sunday to see our UCF Knights march in the parade. If you see me, stop and say hello and I’ll give you a high five and compliment your marathon medal. Happy running!

My baby with some guy. Who is he? (If you follow college ball, you probably know the Knights quarterback now!)

Roll call! Who is headed to the most magical place on Earth this weekend?

Do you make resolutions? What’s your fitness goal? What’s the best fitness class you’ve taken? Birthday wishes on facebook- yay or nay?

Guest Post: 1-2-3 Blast Off!

December 6, 2013 by beewhobabbles

Today, our honorary Chick, Sara, is recapping her experience at the Space Coast Half Marathon in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of running in the Space Coast Half Marathon. Boy! What a fun race this was! According to their website it is the only space-themed marathon and half-marathon race on the planet. I am kind of a closet Star Wars geek (thanks to my husband), so I knew this would be a fun one.

The course for this race was breath taking. It was approximately 6.5 miles down the coast and back on a street lined with the most gorgeous homes on one side and then the intercostal on the other. It also doesn’t hurt to have Darth Vader standing on the corner cheering you on.

I would have to say the first 6.5 miles went pretty well. It wasn’t until the turn around that I noticed the wind was now against me for the last 6.6 miles. The wind gusts we so strong on a few occasions I felt like I was not even moving. I knew this was going to slow me down a little but I didn’t let it bother me. I turned my music on and powered through.

I apologize for the lack of fun photos. I came to this race on a mission. My mission was to do a sub- 2:15 half marathon. This was my second half marathon so I was definitely determined to PR at this race. My final time was 2:14:38. Yahoo! I did it! I PR’d by over 20 minutes. All those 5:30am running sessions with the fabulous Brooke paid off.

My finisher medal is big, colorful and glittery. What more can a runner ask for?

I also loved the beach towel we got after the race. Another unique aspect of this race is the virtual goodie bag. Instead of a plastic bag with a bunch of coupons, flyers…etc, they email you a virtual goodie bag before the race. There you can look through all the info and only print what you plan on using. I wish more races would go this route. If we are being honest here, I usually just throw the goodie bags out. This virtual goodie bag will help reduce waste and also make planet earth a little more greener.

Up next for me is the Glass Slipper Challenge in February at Disney. I am definitely thinking a sub-2:10 half. What do you think?

What is your favorite space movie? What running items are on your Christmas wish list?

Sara is a wife, mom, crafter and Brooke’s favorite running partner. She also PRs like a boss. You can find her at The Classy Crafter.

Race Day Packing List (leave the anxiety at home)

November 6, 2013 by beewhobabbles

Am I running a half-marathon this weekend? I’ve done the training, and I know we’ve mentioned it around these parts quite a bit, but other than that, I’m really unprepared. Friends are asking me what time I’m arriving, where I’m staying and I’m all “Hmmm. I should know the answers to these questions.” I wasn’t even sure what corral I was in, until last night.

If you know me well, you know this isn’t the norm. I’m a bit scattered- but I love to plan. I live for poring over details for things, again and again. Making lists, checking them twice. Sort of like Santa, but with better shoes.

I’m not sure what my deal is with this race, but I’m feeling mostly breezy about the whole thing. Perhaps it’s because I know it’s not going to be a PR moment for me. Sure, I’m going to try my best, but my current best is not so close to my overall best. For me, that eliminates a lot of race anxiety and pressure. It’s also an insane Saturday for me and my family; my husband has football tickets to his college’s homecoming game (Go Knights), and I’ll be working at our city’s craft show all morning; it’s the major fundraiser for my women’s service club. (A nap has been scheduled. Now who can I get to make me pancakes at 6am before I have to be at the show?) There’s been a lot of coordinating between us, the grandparents, and our babysitter to make sure we all get to do what we need to do. I have a lot on my mind! Finally, I’m just really excited to see my friends. My kids and I met up with Meri and her fam on Monday to travel around the world in EPCOT, and it was the best day I’ve spent at Disney in a long time. This Friday, I’m heading to the expo with Vic, and then the Wine & Scoot Chicks, plus some cool friends, will all meet on Saturday for some pre-race fun. So yeah. I’m thinking about a lot of stuff besides the race. And that’s okay. I’m sort of enjoying my lack of anxiety.

I started packing on Saturday, because I was cleaning my bedroom and thought- “why put this away if I’m just going to pack it in a suitcase in a few days?” Besides my costume and shoes, I had to think about my racing essentials. In no particular order…

1. My garmin. I switched to the Forerunner 10 when my 210 broke a few months back, and I absolutely love this watch.

2. My spibelt. I wear this so I can easily carry my fuel and my iphone.

3. Clif Shot- Mocha flavor. I had some trouble figuring out what would work best with my invisalign and this is tasty and gets the job done without getting stuck in my braces.

4. My iphone. Every blogger needs a camera and a twitter account at all times, right?

5. My ipod shuffle. I don’t normally run outside with music, but I think I’m running solo at this race. Music will be a good break from being inside my head! Usually, I run 7 or 8 miles of a half marathon without it, and then I blast my tunes for the homestretch.

6. My water bottle. I’m debating this because I hate water stops. They’re crowded and I always feel like I lose momentum. I also usually end up looking like I’ve entered a wet t-shirt contest. I don’t care for my current water bottle though so…maybe.

So, I’m packed and feeling good. The only thing I’m nervous about is running so late at night, because I’ve definitely become an early morning runner. I guess I should stay up late for the rest of the week. Who will entertain me on twitter?

What are your racing essentials? Should I bring a water bottle to the race? Are we following you on twitter? Leave me your twitter name!

A Tale of Two Night Racers

October 29, 2013 by beewhobabbles

We’re talking about one of our favorite subjects today- food! How to eat before running a night race, to be exact.

VIC:

It took me years to figure out the best way to fuel for a morning race or long run. So when I signed up for runDisney’s Tower of Terror 10-miler, I knew I was wading into uncharted territory.

Sure, I’d be running in the dark. But I’ve done that before as I tackled many pre-dawn runs. Plus I knew the course would be well-lit and filled with Disney characters, so that wasn’t too much of a concern.

But how was I going to fuel? I was used to resting, waking and eating something small and settling – a bagel flat with peanut butter, a banana or a granola bar. So with a 10 p.m. race start, snacking the day away wasn’t really an option. Hydrating like crazy wasn’t a great strategy either, unless I wanted to spend my hours before the start repeatedly racing to a toilet.

I decided to eat a large lunch around 1 p.m. My meal consisted of a delicious mozzarella and tomato sandwich on foccacia bread, a light vegetable orzo salad and plenty of water. I also inhaled a bunch of bread. I nearly ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, but decided on the meatless option since I knew it would sit better in my stomach. Another option I would consider would be a very light pasta entrée (no gnocci, ravioli or alfredo sauce here!)

My theory on fueling with a meal on race day: the blander the better. Fewer frills on my plate means there’s less of a chance for an upset stomach.

(For the record, I ate an egg, cheese and turkey sausage biscuit and some fruit for breakfast that morning.)

I dined with friends at an eatery at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and we all consumed gallons of water. I hydrated well into the afternoon, but stopped cold around 6 p.m. I didn’t want to keep heading to the toilet.

Hydrating from the rocker

I attempted to nap around 4. That lasted all of 45 minutes. My roommate and friend Jen managed a two hour nap while I hydrated and chatted with friends in cozy rocking chair at our resort, Disney’s Boardwalk. I don’t think napping is vital, but laying down to rest, even just for a bit helped ease my brain about staying up until the wee hours of the morning!

Around 6:30, Jen and I each ate a bowl of instant oatmeal. I’ve eaten this in the past before many a long run and knew It would supply me with some much-needed energy in the coming hours. Jen and I also split a banana around 8:30 p.m.

When I head back to Florida next month for my next night race, I plan to utilize this strategy again. I’ll eat a large midday meal, the blander the better. I’ll nap – or try to nap the afternoon before the race. And I will eat some oatmeal 3.5 to 4 hours before the race is set to start. It worked for me in October! Fingers crossed that it will go smoothly too!

And this? I’ll be enjoying it after my run!

BROOKE:

Disney’s Wine and Dine half marathon was my first half-marathon back in 2011. It’s easy to find advice about fueling for a race online…but for a night race, specifically? Not so much. I remember googling different phrases to see if I could find anything on the subject and coming up empty.

Unlike Victoria, I still hadn’t figured out exactly what race day nutrition would work best for me, and I was extremely nervous about getting a belly ache during the race.

I’m an over-thinker. I love to ponder something for days. Weeks, even. Discuss pros and cons with my husband. Make a list or ten. I’m true to my Libra ways in this respect. After googling and discussing and writing it all down, I decided to treat this race like I would a morning run. I’d eat a large lunch, then not have anything but water for about six or seven hours before the race. At that time, I’d have my small breakfast-y type that I was already accustomed to eating before a long run.

I had an early lunch- around 11:30 or 12 (I can’t recall the exact time)- a simple pasta with red sauce and bread. Then water, water, water. At dinner time, I had my toast (and coffee, which was part of my “morning” ritual) and I brought my banana with me to the race start.

This nutrition strategy worked well for me, so I plan to do the same thing in a few weeks. I have the fuel figured out, we’re working on costumes and I already have dates set with my girls. The countdown is on!

Have you run a night race? Did you take a pre-race nap? How did you fuel? Roll call! Who is coming to Florida in two weeks?

It’s Training Time

August 21, 2013 by beewhobabbles

My oldest girl started kindergarten last week. Watching her smooth her dress down before entering the class, and smile shyly at her new teacher reminded me of all my years of back-to-school butterflies. Will I like my teacher? Will I make friends in my class? Of course, it only took one day; she’s already found a new buddy in class, she adores her teacher and she’s excited to tell me about her day every afternoon.

While she fretted about going to a new school and meeting new people, I experienced some anxiety of my own. Half-marathon training began for me this week, and the thought of adding an extra day of running, and increasing my mileage is daunting, to say the least. It’s a busy time of year- sure, two of my kids are back in school, but with that comes dance class, soccer, homework, making lunches, and car lines. (Times two and across town from each other, natch.) I’m also taking on a new volunteer opportunity and joining a couple of baby playgroups. And have I mentioned that Little Dude doesn’t sleep through the night? (I have. I know. Take a nap for me, okay?)

When I trained for my first half-marathon two years ago, I ran on the treadmill on weekdays, once the girls were in bed. This time around, we no longer have a treadmill (boo) and now I have a laundry list of chores to complete once my littles are asleep (Oh! Laundry. I should add that to the list.) I’d also rather spend my evenings relaxing with a book. Or my husband.

Remember the girl who loved her treadmill? Well, she’s left the building, folks. I’ve moved on (mostly) to pavement and jogging strollers and running with friends. I’ve become a morning runner, and I plan to keep it up through racing season. Running right after I wake up will give me more time with my family and more time to accomplish everything else.

I’m pretty nervous about doing it all. I know there will be times when the dishes don’t get done before I go to bed, or I trade time with my kettlebell for a nap. I know I will probably miss a blog entry or two because I just don’t have time to write. I also know that I can do this. I’m excited to run longer distances. I’m excited to see my friends in November. I’m excited to run hard and do my best. For now, I’m just going to enjoy that flutter of anticipation in my belly because I know it’s leading to something amazing.

Couch to Excitement/Nervousness

May 2, 2013 by bec2point0

So, the C25K posts have been pretty lean the last few weeks. Which makes sense because the C25K has been pretty lean the last few weeks. And by lean, I mean I’ve gone running once.

There was a trip to NY, family out of town, date night, doctor’s appointments, prom dress shopping and well… there was also some laziness. I’ve been working very hard on my diet for the last few weeks, changing things and researching, so I’m not in a bad place.

Bec and Bffl, in New York. Not running.

I’m just not running.

Bec and the boy in Central Park. Still not running.

But all that is going to change. It has to change. And this isn’t one of those ‘I need to get out of my own way and stop making excuses’ posts. Oh no. This is one of those ‘well holy cannoli (which I no longer eat), what the heck did I just do’ posts.

What the heck did I do, you might ask? (I know you are insanely curious about the minutiae of my life, folks).

I SIGNED UP FOR A HALF MARATHON.

Yeah, I don’t know how it happened either. But it happened. I am officially registered for the 2014 April Fools Half Marathon in Atlantic City.

And what’s even stranger? I’m actually excited about it. Nervous excited (nervouscited, it’s a word), but excited nonetheless.

I’m going to get to run with some of my fellow Scooters – read: behind my fellow Scooters – and with the Chicago-style Bec, Anne. And I’m going to accomplish a goal that I’ve had, running my first half before I turn 40.

Well… I’m going to accomplish my goal if I prepare.

So, that’s why there has to be running.

Delicious food Bec made while she was not out running.

There has to be consistent running, at that. And since it’s been anything but, I’ve decided to go back a bit.

I’m going to reboot C25K. I took so many days off that the one run I did in the last three weeks? It was a horror show. I very much run ‘in my head’, meaning even when my body feels like things are okay, my head convinces me that it’s most definitely not okay. But in this case, even my body was not okay.

And that’s not okay.

So, bright and early Saturday morning, it’s C25K Week 1, Day 1 all over again. If you’d like to cheer me on, please do! That 30 seconds is going to feel like a full minute!

And we’ll go from there. And then we’ll keep going. And then we’ll run a half marathon.

What are your half marathon experiences? Have you run one? Do you want to? Do you think Bec is insane? Tell us all about it!

DO AC: 2013 April Fool’s half marathon

April 9, 2013 by Meridith

DOAC

Last year I ran the inaugural Atlantic City April Fool’s half marathon to ring in my 35^th year. This year’s race wasn’t on my birthday (since April 1^st was on a Monday) but when my friends started floating the idea of running, I jumped on board. After all, I almost view this race as “mine” since it’s an homage to my birthday and one that I’ll return to year after year.

Packet pick-up was quick and easy and laid-back. In fact, this entire race is very laid-back with the added bonus of being extremely well-organized, two things that you don’t often see paired together when it comes to racing. There is no expo; the packet pick-up took place in the host resort, which was Revel this year.

Dorothy and Jody warming up by the fire pit at Revel.

Revel is AC’s brand new resort and casino and is absolutely gorgeous, albeit a bit confusing to navigate. Thankfully they have staff everywhere to point you in the right direction so you don’t wander aimlessly for too long.

However, AC is still AC and most people there are in “party” mode, not “sleeping and running a race” mode. Which means the clientele of the resort included a drunk dude wandering the halls at 4am, knocking on doors and shouting for “Blair” on Friday night (hope you found her eventually, man) and the party people who decided to stay in and celebrate someone’s 30^th birthday with shots and singing at the top at their lungs rather than paying $12 for drinks… until 3:30 in the morning.

Next year? I’m sleeping at home and driving the hour. Hold me to this, please. Early wake up is better than no waking up because I never actually slept.

Going into a half marathon on a small amount of sleep isn’t the best way to do things but alas, that’s how it played out. My suggestion to an AC hotel hosting runners for an event would be to put them all in the same area.

We fueled with wheat bagel flats and almond butter/peanut butter, dressed, and joined the other runners (and partiers who apparently never went to sleep the night before) in the front vestibule.

Approximately 2,000 runners participated in the half marathon, with the 7k/11k races being held on Saturday morning. This was a change from the 2012 races, as all races were all held on the same day. Not going to lie, we were a bit bummed about the change but the race directors were very good at compensating the runners who were affected by the change. Jody ran the 7k on Saturday morning, while Moe, Dorothy and myself were ready to take on 13.1 miles.

We headed outside into the chilly morning air around 7:45, with the race beginning at 8am. At the start we were able to find our friends Rob, Brandi, and Sean – all of whom were running as well!

Starting promptly, we were off, down the boards. After a quarter mile, I realized that in the pre-race excitement I’d forgotten to start my Garmin so I’d be flying solo on that level – I was upset for about a hot second but realized that I’d just have to let it go. Sidenote: I got a Garmin and Road ID tan on my arms during this race. Time to break out the sunscreen!

It began to warm as we made our way down the boards and the smell of the ocean air was invigorating. Moe and I fell into a nice comfortable pace, hanging out side by side and occasionally knocking into each other while dancing to our own iPods.

Who has two thumbs and a flying ponytail? Moe!

Around mile 4 my feet started giving me issues with my toes curling a bit, which didn’t feel so fantastic so I walked a couple of seconds. That didn’t help so I started running again. This is also about the time that we saw the winner of the race headed back to the finish. Always impressive!

And then, there are people like this. These dudes ran like this for the entire race and ran the race in two hours. More power to you, horse and horse rider! (Horse dude kept his head on the entire time. Crazy!)

See that little turn there – right before mile 5? That’s when we took the streets. And that’s when I knew I’d be hurting a bit. WHERE IS MY BOARDWALK? Couldn’t we have made it longer? However, I knew Lucy was ahead and I was very much looking forward to seeing the elephant.

“The elephant???” You might ask. Oh yes, the elephant.

What, this isn’t normally what you see when you race? (Check out other random things seen on runs at OliveToRun’s How Bizarre Photos!)

Eventually we hit the 7 mile mark which meant it was time to turn around and hit the reverse button! I swung around the flag (not literally) and off we went, back where we came from. The street seemed to expand and getting back to the boards took way longer than I anticipated. Finally Moe pulled to the side where she could look ahead and see the cones turn – we were nearly back on the boardwalk. Huzzah!

Since I didn’t have my Garmin, I lost mile 9. For all of mile 9, I thought I was in mile 10… Until I saw the flag marker that said 10 and nearly cried because I so desperately wanted it to say 11. Alas, it did not.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

And right around then was when I felt the blister forming and I was just ready to be done. 3.1 miles to go – a 5k! Then I looked up and saw this…

And remembered how blessed I was to be in that moment.

The water stations were phenomenal and it definitely makes up for the lack of crowd support because they are like a cheer station unto themselves. The volunteers are incredible with this race, always with a smile and making you laughing by fighting over whose water or Gatorade you’d take.

There are also a couple of bands and DJs along the route as well, so when I saw those I’d take my yurbuds out to jam with them for a couple of seconds.

The last two miles I was speed walking more than running and a one point Moe turned around to see where I was. I waved her on and told her, “keep moving THAT way” and off she went. I could see her pink hat bopping along ahead and that gave me the motivation I needed to stay strong and keep moving toward the finish line.

I passed where the finish line was the previous year and was sad that it wasn’t actually there again this year because that would mean I’d be done. At that point, there was a little over a mile left. The boardwalk started having more people milling around, which is difficult because at that point instead of bobbing and weaving around other runners, you’re moving around people who don’t have a clue that a race is going on. I just kept moving forward, alternating between a run/walk and pushing as much as possible.

And just like that, I saw the finish line in the distance. I heard cheers of people as I drew closer and I pushed myself to sprint those last few minutes, thanks to some very sweet ladies from Black Girls Run giving me some special cheers.

I asked someone if I could borrow her sign so Dorothy and I could get a picture with it. Don’t believe it though – we’re definitely more like 3/4th crazy.

I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, having attained a personal record! I’m not a fast runner and I may never BE a fast runner, but I bested myself on Sunday… and that felt damn good (even if my feet didn’t and don’t)!

I’m already looking to sign up for next year’s April Fool’s half.

Is there a race that you return to time and time again? What is it that keeps you coming back?

Rural run through Amish country

April 8, 2013 by vfreile

I went home to rural Lancaster County over the weekend, where I ran one of the most beautiful race courses I’ve yet to see.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania is Amish country. Home to many in the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish and Mennonite community. Many in the county’s Amish community love to run and are quite fast. I am familiar with the Anabaptist community, as I grew up in the area and regularly visit my parents, who still live in Lancaster.

The annual Garden Spot Village Marathon was filled with such runners. Some of the men ran in their plain clothes and women ran in dresses. I also spotted some incredibly speedy Amish kids. It was a pretty impressive sight.

This race was different from any I’d run before. First off, it was on a Saturday morning, this is in part because Sunday is a day of rest for Amish and Old Order Mennonites.

Since I worked a full day before making the five-hour drive south, my mother graciously offered to collect my race packet from the expo in New Holland, Pa. (Thanks, Mom!) Race officials offered packet pickup Saturday morning, for about 90 minutes before the race. I loved knowing this was an option, as did the more than 700 runners who weren’t able to attend the Friday evening expo.

I gathered my race gear Friday evening, including my trusty roller, The Stick. I knew my quads would be sore since I raced a hilly 15K last weekend. I had looked at Garden Spot’s elevation chart — hills were definitely par for the course.

Ready to roll!

Race morning went smoothly. We left the house around 6:30 a.m., arriving at the race site shortly after 7. Parking was a breeze. We were directed to a spot in the grass and waited in our car until 30 minutes before the race was slated to begin, 8 a.m.

In less than 20 minutes, I used a toilet twice, located my friend Wendy and lined up at the start. This is one highly organized, user-friendly race.

Wendy and me at the starting line.

Meet Wendy, a childhood friend who was itching to run her first half-marathon. Together, we selected a race in our hometown as a bit of a homecoming since she moved to South Carolina after high school and I’m in upstate New York. Her older brother Eric and her nephew Nate joined us.

Soon enough, we were off. We lost the guys within 30 seconds. Side note – Nate, 12, won his age group with a time of 1:51. So impressive!

Wendy and I settled in for a much slower pace, we ran out of the village, along East Earl Road, then Stauffer Road. We hit a few small hills as we rounded the corners. And we repeatedly dodged road apples (horse manure) left behind on rural roads.

Beautiful course. Note the woman on the right running in a dress.

We chatted with each other and strangers as we jogged along. We were happy with our pace, even as we took on the hills.

We passed several Amish buggies on the course. We also had a rather large cheering squad of Amish and Mennonite kids, many who sat on their porches and waved to runners. Some sat on blankets and wagons in their yards. All appeared to be excited to see the parade of runners.

Around mile 4, we headed up a rather significant hill that passed by the horse auction. Amish and Mennonite men and women were lined up for the weekly event, barbeque cooking on the old pits. Some horses hitched to buggies and carts appeared to be circling a fenced course, as if they were racing. It was a scene from yesteryear.

Eventually we turned off Hill Road to Steep Hill Road. (I kid about the name, but it would have been appropriate.) We headed downhill past more buggies and fans. And then we hit THE HILL. We knew it existed, but seeing it in person still shocked us.

Heading down the Mentzer Road hill in mile 6.

We slowed WAY down to avoid tumbling. We ran well past mile 7 to the turnaround point and straight into the wind, and ultimately, back up this evil hill.

It may not look incredibly steep, but trust me, it was. 100+ feet straight up just past mile 8, followed by another 100-foot incline back on Steep Hill Road. A cow in a nearby field urged us on: “Mooooo-ve!” I heard.

We huffed. We puffed. But we made it.

We reversed the route, back past the horse auction and downhill (hooray) until the last 5K. We turned off on Overly Grove Road, past a park and more farms and hoofed it into the finish.

Wendy was beginning to fade a bit during that last mile, but considering the hills we had conquered, her movement was impressive. She had not walked once. She pushed forward through the wind and hills. She didn’t quit and we passed several runners that last mile as we moved forward.

Then we turned into the village campus.

“Where’s the finish line? I don’t see it,” Wendy said.

“Ahead,” I promised. “Less than 2 minutes to go. It’s just you and me out for a run. Ignore everyone else.”

About 90 seconds later, we rounded the last bend to the finish line. I spotted my mom as she yelled our names. We sprinted it in, finishing around 2:12. Excellent job Wendy!

We reunited with our families within minutes, grabbed some delicious homemade post-race food.

There is a second Amish Country race in Lancaster County – the Bird-in-Hand half marathon in September. I have a feeling I will be back.

What’s the most beautiful race course you have run? Have you ever run among the Amish?

Part 1 of the Goofy Challenge – the half marathon

March 8, 2013 by vfreile

We were ready to run.

After a fabulous carb-loading dinner (gnocchi for me!) at Downtown Disney Friday evening, we slept for several hours before our 2 a.m. alarm sounded.

Now let me say, my running pals are Type A early birds who would much rather arrive at the race site early rather than rush to our corrals just before start time. I agree wholeheartedly.

I should introduce you to my race partners for the Goofy Challenge, Jen and Aaron. Jen is one of my closest friends and was my first “real” friend in college. I met Aaron a few years back here in Rochester and we run together regularly.

(left to right, Jen, me, Aaron at our pasta dinner!)

So to sum up the next few less-than-exciting hours, we prepped, headed out the door for a shuttle pickup and were on the first bus out of the Saratoga Springs resort, arriving at EPCOT shortly after 3 am. We sat on a bench for a while, then checked our bags, made our way to Corral A, where we waited some more.

Finally, the fireworks went off and we started running. Within a mile, my glasses fogged up from the humidity. Awwwesome.

We zipped into the first toilets we saw – no lines! Huzzah!! But otherwise, we ran and ran and ran some more. Around mile 3, came up to the toll gates for Magic Kingdom and started chanting; “Caution runners, road narrows, speed bumps ahead.”

We got a few other runners in on the action – Hey, we had to entertain ourselves SOMEHOW.

We ran through the parking lots, past cheering crowds at the kingdom’s transportation center, toward the contemporary resort. And there it was, our first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle on the predawn horizon.

It always takes my breath away, just for a second. We’ll be there soon!

We passed by Space Mountain – and a rather dark stretch just outside the park – and then we passed through some back gates and entered Magic Kingdom! After a loop behind the scenes at the park, we entered Main Street USA. This is always my favorite stretch of any Disney race: it’s a bit like stepping onto a stage.

Crowds of cheering loved ones and many Disney cast members lined the street. We, of course, stopped for several photos on Main Street and in front of the castle, which was covered with stunning wintry lights.

Jen and me running along Main Street USA! (jazz hands!)

We hung a right and headed into Tomorrowland – and straight to a lovely restroom with flushing toilets. One member of our crew needed a rather lengthy pit stop here. (We didn’t time it, but it was well over 10 minutes.)

Soon enough, we were again on our way. We ran toward Fantasyland, stopping by the teacups, a favorite ride of mine and Jen’s dating back 15+ years.

We passed a few more characters before it was time to run through Cinderella’s Castle! Such a magical feeling to cross through to the other side!

Cinderella’s Castle still in its winter splendor.

We ran down the ramp and veered into Frontierland. We waved to Princess Tiana, saluted Woody and Jessie, cursed Splash Mountain (for being closed for repairs) and were spooked by the idling train on the tracks as we left the park just past mile 6.

The sun peeked over the horizon as we passed parade float storage, which now also housed all of Splash Mountain’s unused log boats.

Queue the Disney-induced mist and fog over the Magnolia golf course – breathtaking! (More on that in the full marathon post.) We ran past several more resorts and headed back to the highway.

Starting mile 7, we launched our run-walk-run plan to conserve energy, our legs and our sanity for Sunday’s marathon. We walked 1/4 mile and ran 3/4 mile for each remaining mile through the end of the race.

The miles clicked off and soon enough, we entered EPCOT. The last mile loops through future world, past Spaceship Earth to the finish line in the parking lot. Just before mile 13, we passed a gospel choir jiving and singing Hallelujah!

Jen and I joined hands in the last stretch as Aaron whipped out his camera. Together we crossed the finish, hands in air.

Medal number one!

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