2012 Disney's Half Marathon Weekend and Race Report

Ok, here we go. It's going to be a long one, so, get a snack, settle in. I once again drove down to Orlando with K. Along the way, we stopped in Tifton, GA to have breakfast with one of my dearest friends... Lisa! It was such a treat because I so rarely get to see her because she's so busy with work and school. 

We were having a great time on the drive down there, and even making great time. Once we crossed into Florida, we were bombarded with signs for stores selling oranges and one even advertised having a giant alligator. We stopped to see said stuffed gator, and I have to say, they may have lied about the size of their gator. Is that a common thing in Florida?

We managed to make it to Orlando, found our sad little hotel and headed to the expo. This year, the number pick up was in a tent across from the Jostens Center, and we then had to head inside to pick up our shirts... REALLY?! I mean c'mon, I like the fact that pick up was in a separate place but t-shirt pickup couldn't be in the same place? Oh we didn't even get an even bag like last year, just a plastic runDisney bag, I felt slightly robbed. Also, there wasn't any swag, there was a virtual race bag, but it was lack luster at best. I pay a lot of money, throw something fun in there for me....pretty please, I love swag.

Here's my expo swag, I kept it pretty low key compared to K who did some serious shopping.

Saturday morning, we hit Downtown Disney and like a big dork, I was mesmerized by all the stuff outside of the lego store. I love legos and so does B.

K and I also did a little exploring outside of the touristy part of Orlando, and hit up a local running store called Track Shack. Saucony was there with their trailer full of shoes to try out, and I might have found a new love... the Hurricane 14 shoes. They felt like a little slice of heaven on my feet, I am going to look into getting a pair to put into rotation. I was supposed to meet up with some people from a Facebook running group, but when it came time to get ready, I had to make the executive decision to stay in that night. I won't get into the details here but it was just for the best. I did manage a trip to the store to buy myself a beer (to calm some of the nerves), some sour gummies (because I love gummies), and a powerade.

Then came race morning, believe it or not I had a half decent night's sleep. K and I got ready and headed to Epcot bright and early. She and I parted ways after we got there because she had purchased the Race Retreat package and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on it, and the weather was wonderful, so there wasn't a huge need for it anyways. I headed over to the dj booth, and got my groove on. I was dancing with some people from the massage team and some other random princesses. I even got on the tv screens, I'm sure because I was droppin' it like it was hot! LOL I even got to meet up with an FB running friend who is just an amazing woman, she had some clothes for me because she has lost an incredible amount of weight. It was wonderful to meet her even briefly because she's just such an inspiration.

This fabulous Drag Queen was there for the festivities.

I was texting back and forth with my friend Danielle, because I wanted to catch a picture of us before the race, and we ended up chatting on our walk from the little athlete's village are to the corrals. Somewhere in the conversation, Danielle decided to drop back so she could run the race with me. I know it's selfish but it totally made me day.

You can just see bits of my tutu, which didn't stay on me long.

This year I got to be up close to the starting line when our corral went out, and even managed a picture of the Fairy Godmother, who did a much better job of sending us out this year.

The first half of the race went by pretty fast, we chatted. We were snapping pictures with our phones, and stopped for a few pictures inside the Magic Kingdom.

Even though I'm looking down and doing something funny with my hands, this is
one of my favorite pictures.

Then it happened, because of all of our stops the dreaded balloon girls caught up to us as we were leaving the Magic Kingdom. No, we weren't swept, but those chicks sure were bossy. I know that they were trying to be helpful but fear of being swept that always haunts me didn't let the rational part of my brain work.  The intervals went out the window, I was feeling sore, and then when it started to drizzle, I fell apart. I was a wreck and had it not been for Danielle who pulled me, I am not sure I would have been able to make it. That being said, it was still a fantastic time, especially getting to spend it with a dear friend. Oh did I mention that we ran into a dude that was bedazzled?! Yup, he was totally bedazzled, from his face to his chest, down his legs and even his running shoes were bedazzled. To make the whole thing better, he was wearing a tutu, and had his hair up in spikes... it was AWESOME!  Once we hit mile 10 or 11 (can't quite remember), Danielle reminded me that Bella and my parents would be at the finish waiting for me, and that was all I needed. Every time that I started to want to quit,  I remembered Bella, I wanted her to see me finish strong. This time when we approached EPCOT, I managed to not have a panic attack....SCORE!! Although, I did manage to cry like a baby when we got to the gospel choir, and the tears flowed as we neared the finish. Not even sure why. Danielle again, got me to get it together, so we danced a little, high fived and jogged it across the finish. I would have loved a sprint across the finish but I just didn't have it in me. The lovely volunteer handing out medals was in tears, so that just set me off crying again. I was a mess to say the least. Half marathon #5 was DONE! Guess who missed it?! Yup, Bella and my parents were stuck on the bus on their resort to Epcot, so I didn't get to see them until after I had settled down. 

Second half marathon together

#5 for me! 

After the race, K and I headed back to the hotel, got cleaned up, packed up the car and met Bella and my parents. We had a little lunch and I got to see my family for a little while before we headed back home. All in all, a pretty wonderful race weekend. Can't wait until next year, it'll be the fifth anniversary of the race and one of my dearest friends is considering as her first half marathon. 

Princess Half Marathon Road Trip Starts In The Morning

Heading to Orlando in the morning for my second go around at the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I'm so excited, and I plan on having the very best time. Here we go....

Was That A Cupcake?

Tonight, I had a speedwork session on the schedule. Earlier in the day Wifey from Run Wifey Run posted this on Facebook. 

Photo Source

When I saw it, it hit home, then the Coach mentioned it as well. She brought up a good point about it too, I have sometimes run with a physical person whom we'll refer to as Doubt. I decided that because I had a speedwork session on the schedule, I would take that quote and write it on my arm. So, during the run I had something to look at to keep me going strong when I really just wanted to slow down. It worked like a charm, it was great to have something that was visible to help keep me focused.

While I was on the treadmill, I was delirious because I looked over to the treadmill beside me just to peek at what they were watching, and I could have sworn I saw a cupcake on the screen. That being said, it took me a second to realize that no, it wasn't a cupcake on the screen, it was something different all together. After that, all I could think about were cupcakes. Yup, I had cupcakes on the brain and it wasn't pretty because I would have cut someone for a delicious cupcake at that moment. I obviously have a twisted obsession with those delicious little pastries that are a little bit of heaven. After the Princess, I am definitely going to have a cupcake.

Coming Out Of Hiding

Slowly, but surely I am coming out of bloggy hiding. I had big plans for the blog in 2012, then when everything went down with Patrick, things got hectic around here... I know what you're thinking... lame excuse Lucy.

Anyways, let me get you updated on the goings on with me. When I came home from my trip to Toronto for New Years I got on the scale for the first time in a while and imagine my surprise when I saw that I had gained 20 pounds... yup, 20. NOT GOOD AT ALL. Seeing that number, then the subsequent events with Patrick sent me into BEAST MODE. There was NO reason that I should have gained that weight, there is no reason that I am not closer to my goal weight by now. I have managed to lose a few pounds and I am back on track and in FULL BEAST MODE. I'm keeping up with my weight training, running, cross training and teaching my Zumba classes.

Photo Source

So, when I was in Toronto, I was given an awesome gift. I was given the entry fee for the Disney Princess Half Marathon, so I could an experience the magic all over again. So, the countdown to my road trip down to Orlando is on! I am excited for the race, it'll be half marathon #5 and I plan on enjoying this race as much as humanly possible. I am traveling down there with K but I will be running alone because K runs much faster than me and she has someone running her pace that will be down there. I get an awesome bonus, my parents are taking B to Disney World that weekend and will be at the finish line to watch me earn my tiara bling. I think it's important for B to see not just me finish but other finishers as well.

So, I've been logging a lot of miles by myself, and I have figured out a few things. First of all, if I am on the treadmill, I need to be watching a movie. So I have a few movies that have come with a digital copy, and I load the movies onto the ipod and I've watched the same few movies over and over but it works for me. Also, I found some great music mixes on Rock My Run, if you haven't had a chance to check them out, they are definitely worth looking into. I'm always looking for new music inspiration.

Anyways, I am back on track, back into the blogging world. I missed some race reports so what I think I am going to do is make one big post with the missing race reports pics at least.

This Is THE SIGN

Photo source

I spent Thursday evening at the hospital with my husband because he was complaining of chest pains. It was very alarming because he actually came and got me out of my Thursday night Zumba class. I got quite the shock when I saw Patrick and B walk in, B was supposed to be at basketball practice. He informed me that he was having chest pains, and that I had to take him to the er. He had called his aunt and she was other way to get B, and take her home but she was a few minutes away. My lovely students kept B until his aunt could get there to pick her up, and I am so glad they did because she was already a little freaked out because he pulled her out of practice, she didn't need to go to the ER with us. I was in full freak out mode, not just because my 37 year old husband was having chest pains but because this is not the first time he has.
Let me give you a little history... In the spring of 2005, I was at home with a 7 month old B, when I received a call from Patrick letting me know he was being taken to the hospital from work because he was having chest pains after getting into a heated argument. I rushed up to the hospital with B in tow. When we got there, Patrick was having a million different tests done there, and being monitored to see if he was in fact having a heart attack. After a few hours, he was discharged, the ER doctor diagnosed it as bad indigestion and esophageal issues which can behave exactly like a heart attack. That being said, he was given orders to schedule a stress test. When we got home, he did just that. Then, a few days later (the day before the scheduled stress test), we were getting ready to take a little trip to Athens, GA, when Patrick told me that he had to get to the hospital ASAP. I called the paramedics because there was no way I was in any shape to drive him myself, I was freaking out. Thankfully, my sister in law was there and she took B so that I could stay with Patrick. When we got to the hospital, the doctors ran the same tests as they had before but this time, it wasn't just bad indigestion and esophageal issues, it was a real heart attack. My then 30 year old husband was having a heart attack, and I was 24 with a baby and scared to death that I was about to become a widow. Before I knew it, Patrick was being wheeled to an ICU room and I was being told that he had to have some more tests done to see the extent of the damage from the heart attack. The next few days were a blur of tests and being transferred to another hospital to have stents put in. One doctor informed me that the type of heart attack he had is one they often call the widow maker. It was severe, and taxing on not just him but on myself and all of his family as well. I was sure that this was going to be his wake up call to quit smoking, start exercising and watching what he eats.
Fast forward to January 2010, Patrick was still smoking, had gained even more weight (he's always been a big guy but now he was bigger than I'd ever seen him). I had just had a little epiphany that kicked off my own weight loss journey, I was inching closer and closer to weighing 500lbs with each passing day, I was smoking, and I realized that if I kept up I would probably have my own heart attack before I turned 30 that upcoming December. So, I started on my journey, in the hopes to change my own life and maybe even Patrick's as well. He didn't follow suit.
Let's fast forward once more to Thursday, here I was almost 7 years later watching similar events happen again. This time the doctors once again said it was esophageal issues. To be honest with you, I'm scared to death, because once there has been one heart attack, another isn't if it'll happen again but when will it happen again. My husband is going to have another heart attack and the next time he might not be so lucky. He is still smoking, not exercising or watching what he eats. Wanna talk about the obesity epidemic? I'm living it, this is a very real part of my life. A real part of my daughter's life. Now, I'm not looking for symapathy or anything like that, I needed to get this off my chest and maybe help someone who reads this in the process. Here is an opportunity, a sign, a warning for him to make some real changes in his life. I fear that if he does not, he will not make it to see his 40th birthday. I hate it for B, because it's not fair to her, she needs him around. No matter what I say to him, it won't make a difference. This change has to come from him because I cannot make anyone do anything they aren't ready to do. If he was waiting for a sign, here it is. If you are reading this and waiting for a sign, here it is. I had another ah-ha, "here's a sign" moment when I was in Toronto during the holidays, the same kind of moment that originally kicked started the weight loss journey. It was exactly what I needed to help me refocus because in the last year my weight has yo-yo'ed and I had once again become lazy with my nutrition and my weight training and cross training. This is the year that I get to my goal and do my best to be my best so that I can be here for B for many, many years come. She needs me here, and I want to see her grow up, graduate, get married, have her own babies. I know the realities of being obese, I have seen first hand the damage it can cause to not only the person who is obese but to the people around them. The arthritis in my knees is awful, and I caused all that damage to myself because I chose to take the easy way out for so many years instead of taking care of myself. The damage I've caused to my body is ridiculous, no 31 year old should be like this. That being said, I'm working on bettering myself and my life to prevent doing more damage to myself. I have seen my husband, the person who I'm supposed to grow old with tear up his heart, his lungs, his joints because it's easier make excuses. Now, making a change isn't easy, I'm not going to lie, but you better believe it will be worth it.

Not Running Related, Not Even Zumba Related

So, I caved and have become one of those moms. What moms you ask? The moms we all see on facebook posting the exploits of their child's Elf On The Shelf. I am a little ashamed of myself because I have become the mom that I would have made fun of when B was a baby. Now, every night I find myself scrambling to remember to move the damn thing, or setting up what ever prank. It's been fun, I won't lie, but I am ready for that damn elf to take it's little peppermint loving a** back to where it came from. Here are some of Buddy's exploits.

She started out innocently enough.

Messing up a craft was still pretty tame.

Then she did this...

I think she was hitting the elf wine when she decided to hang from our decorations

 

Looking pretty pleased with herself

This one made B super angry, apparently this was going too far. It wasn't the undies, it was the fact that Buddy was in her room.

Zumbatomic Training

On Sunday, I attended Zumbatomic training. What is Zumbatomic you ask? Well, it's a specially designed Zumba program for kids. Being a mom, of course, I was interested in this because it's a great way to get kids into Zumba but in an age appropriate way. The training was with ZES (Zumba Education Specialist) Marcie Gill, she was an incredible instructor. This training was a ton of fun and I cannot wait to start teaching this program. What's not to love?! It's a great way to get kids moving and making it feel like a little party, plus it's not a huge commitment like most kids activities tend to be. The possibilities with it are awesome because they go above and beyond just having classes for the kids at a gym or community center.

Not only did I get licensed to teach this program, but I got to meet, network, and make friends with some awesome Zumba instructors from the Atlanta area and a few from Alabama. Getting this opportunity, just solidified in my mind that I have to find a way to make it to Convention this year. Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE ZUMBA?