Princess Half Marathon 2015

Half Marathon #2 is in the books and I am so sore! Like barely getting up from bed, walking down the stairs, lumps of rocks in my legs sore.

After Nike DC last year I did not have high expectations about the Princess Half. I knew it was going to be fun, but Nike was so great about everything I didn't think it could be topped (read post here, here, & here). But I was happily wrong. I could still be coming off of the "runner's high" but it may have been better!

Because I live in Orlando, the half marathon weekend as a whole wasn't as big of deal as it was for DC. For DC, there was the anticipation of traveling, sight seeing, and completing my first half. All week I had to remind myself that the race on was on Sunday. Even Saturday, while I was running errands with Brandon, I had to keep saying out loud that I running 13.1 miles in 24 hours…

My running buddy (who did Nike DC with me) and I hit up the expo Friday evening and it was a fun experience. I wasn't tempted to make any purchases; which is a good thing since most of it was picked over already, really didn't need to spend the money, and I wasn't crazy about the clothing options. But I felt bad for the people who clearly had intended on buying merchandise. I saw a lot of upset people on the PHM Facebook page who were really disappointed about all the big ticket items being gone really fast. That is a thing Nike DC had going for them, they NEVER ran out of merchandise--one thing would come off the shelf and a sales associate would be right there to restock.

I did end up purchasing Clif Shotblocks for the race and a 13.1 running headband.

If you don't know Disney races, they start EARLY, not like, ew 7:00 am early, but 5:30 EW AM! And the park has only one way in..so if you aren't staying at the resorts and taking a bus in, you have to leave early.

So, my alarm was set for 2:45 am with a 3:30 am leave time. 

I had plans to go to bed early, but Brandon popped in Gone Girl and even though I tried to fall asleep twice during the movie, I was already hooked. When it finally finished, I tried to get the last 2 hours of sleep I had left.

But unlike the alarm for work, when this went off adrenaline kicked in and getting up was a breeze. I put on Jock Jams Pandora and started getting ready.

Running Outfit:

Tank Top: Sports Authority in Volt

Running Skirt: Esty

Wings are from 10 years ago-seriously, Halloween costume in HS-thank goodness for inability to throw anything away.

Not shown: Shorts under the skirt: Sports Authority

Shoe pom-poms: homemade

We got to Epcot around 5:15 and found our friends. This arrival time is later than I recommend because we did not realize that the starting line was a 10 minute walk from the parking lot. Meg and I were supposed to be in corral G, so we knew we weren't leaving right at 5:30, but still needed a bathroom break before getting to the corral--while there are lots and lots of port-a-potties behind bag check in, everyone is also trying to use them, so my tip is to get the corral and THEN use the restroom, there are just as many there that no one is using.

We missed the entrance for our corral by a few seconds and had to jump into H. We ended up starting the race around 5:48 and it really was like herding cattle. Women right on top of one another and I kept having to apologize for my wings. I even told Meg after the first few minutes of running that it would impossible for anyone to PR on this because of how crowded it was getting out.

Photo from google

Mile 1: This first mile came up really quickly, but it wasn't very fast because of all the other racers and it took about 1-2 miles to find our pace group.

Disney does not disappoint with the character stops, we could hear the Pirates of the Caribbean theme blaring soon after we hit mile 1.

Character stop: Pirate ship with Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbosa 

We hit the first water/powerade stop about 1.5--it was our plan to walk through each one.

Between Mile 2-3: Character stop: Several of the fine looking Disney men (Aladdin, Eric, Hercules, Rapunzel guy, and John Smith)

Mile 3-4: The first sight of spectators. After making it through the 5k is was really nice to hear some cheers and seeing our hubbies! Making it to the parking lot was a good feeling that we were getting close to the Magic Kingdom.

Character stop: Villians (Cruella, Malefiecent, Evil Queen)

Mile 4-5: Backyard Disney scenery and a few of the resorts. We had 3 shot blocks around mile 4.5.

Mile 5-6.5: We finally made it to the Magic Kingdom! I could see the top of Space Mountain and a wave of adrenaline kicked in knowing we were so close. You head in through the side of MK and up the middle of Main Street, which is loaded with spectators--including our hubbies again! Thank goodness they are so tall, it was always easy to spot them.

Seeing Cinderella's castle in front of us was so amazing. I may have seen it a hundred times before this, but nothing is quite like running 5 miles to see it! Photo-op necessary.

After passing the castle we headed through Tomorrow Land, run through the castle and into Frontier Land. Coming out of the castle our hubbies caught us again--so sweet of them running through MK to catch us.

More water/powerade stops and character stops: Buzz Lightyear was in Tomorrow Land, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum were in the carnival area, the Frozen characters were above us as we were going through the castle, and Woody was in Frontier Land. We decided to not make any characters stop throughout the run because the lines were really long and we were afraid if we stopped it would be hard to start back up again. But we did take a few "selfies" with them in the background.

Mile 7-8: This is where it was getting really tough. Both of us did not train like we did for Nike and had not stretched properly--we were in PAIN! At this point, both of us had developed blisters on our feet and were debating on whether our feet were potentially bleeding. My inner thighs were so sore and I needed to alternate with some walking with long strides to stretch them out.

Character Stops: Mary Poppins and crew

Mile 8-11: We started making it back to the route that took us out of Epcot and hit that 10 mile mark. At this point, a 5k to go looks like a jog around the block. We also had our last three shot blocks.

Mile 11-12: I still needed to switch to walking strides every mile to stretch out my legs. But by 11.5 we could see the Epcot ball and we realized there was an actual chance I would PR this half--remember at mile 1 when I said it would be impossible?

Damn you Walt Disney….

Well, at this point I was not having any fun, I wanted it to be over so bad--everything was hurting, but we were so close!

At mile 12 we came in around the right side of Epcot and needed to run through the opening of the park, turn around at the lake, and head back past the other side of ball.

I cannot say enough how much better is it to run with a friend. It made the whole 13.1 miles so much fun, I don't think I can run one alone again. With a friend you can't get lost in your own thoughts and you have a motivator with you. Meg was especially awesome during the last mile. Had I been alone I'm pretty sure I would have allowed myself to walk a bit, but not with Meg. She kept yelling out "you're gonna PR..only half a mile to go..only point 3 miles to go..you are gonna PR!"

With her cheering me on and right at the moment I hit 12, Dixie Chicks "Ready to Run," came on my iPod, I took that as a sign from God that I can keep going and make it through..and you know what? I did!

Meg and I crossed the finish line together and I PR'd by 5 minutes!

Loving the race bling!

How perfect is Brandon's shirt?!? He and Meg's husband bought those while they waited for us to run from MK to Epcot. They are the best! I was so happy he was there, he wasn't able to travel to DC last year, so it meant a lot to have him watch me--plus I think he caught the running bug and he wants to sign up for Disney Wine and Dine Half in November..registration is in two weeks, so hopefully he'll still think it's a good idea.

Overall, Disney Princess may be better than Nike DC. 

Either, I'm still on a high from the weekend or it really was just that great. I loved seeing all the costumes, running through a place so familiar, full of Disney magic, and running with a friend.

I can't wait to sign up for 2016!

That leaves the biggest question..what will I dress up as next year?

Monday Made It III & Classroom Library

Monday has snuck up on us once again, but in the summer, I tend to lose track of even what day it is.

But it's time for Monday Made it with 4th Grade Frolics! I actually almost finished my pillow project!

I got an email from JoAnn Fabric with their weekly specials and the pillow forms were all 50% off. I knew I wouldn't find a better deal than that, so I bought three 24 x 24 and used my teacher discount for a total of $24. 

Jo Ann Fabrics is definitely my favorite place to go for every craft project I have. Not only do they almost always have what I need, they accept any and all coupons: emails, app, newspaper, & one competitor coupon, plus my teacher discount!  

Here's all three together.

 I measured out black fleece for the back and I'm really happy with how they turned out. The reason I said I almost finished it is, I still need to seal the bottom of the pillows, I'm just not sure if I'm going to add buttons or a zipper.

 Tomorrow is my pre-employment meeting with HR. I'm really looking forward to it because I get all the details of my job, my schedules, and my finger printing and drug testing done. When I get those cleared, I can finally get into my classroom and meet with my team. Right now, I feel like I'm looking into a dark hole for what I'm going to get with my class and curriculum. 

The first dark hole is the reading levels of my students. Teaching kindergarten and second grade for the last four years, I have a small classroom library, mainly of picture books, and easy reads. I was thinking I would need to hit up garage sales to start expanding to higher level readers, mainly reading levels ranging from 2nd grade-5th grade. My friend, and former coworker, told me yesterday that my old school is getting rid of all their teacher's older books; varying all reading levels. I jumped at the chance to go "shopping" for my classroom and I hit the jack pot!

I filled an entire large Costco bag and a smaller bag full of books. I got several copies of Shiloh, Tuck Everlasting, American Girl series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Coming to America, plus tons more!

What are some other books/authors/series that your kids love? 

And on a random note, I signed up for my SECOND half marathon. I ran my first half ever last April in DC: the Nike Women's Half Marathon, and I really enjoyed the experience (I still hate running) but it was a bucket list for me and something great I accomplished. I didn't want for it to stop there, so I signed up for the Disney Princess Half here in Orlando next February. I'm very excited!

Thanks for stopping by my Monday Made It! Head over to 4th Grade Frolics to see the link up party!

Nike Women's Half Marathon Recap Part III

Race day was here!

The group met at 5:15 am and we headed to the starting line on Pennsylvania Ave. It was a balmy 40 degrees. Good thing I packed a throw away fleece sweatshirt, gloves, and a head wrap. I knew if I got cold I would be absolutely miserable and it would affect my running. See my post on my Raynaud's Syndrom {here}

The fleece was going to come off right away, but I wanted to keep the gloves and head wrap on as long as possible. I could feel my fingers turning white just waiting for the start. 

When we registered for the race in February, we had to report our split time. I put I would probably keep an 11-11:30 pace, so I was assigned to the 11:30 corral start. Unfortunately, I ended up being separated from my friends. Even though I knew we would run separately during the race, it wasn't as much fun being by myself. Luckily, the officials combined the corral in front of us and as some dipping and dodging through the crowd I found Megan.

Even though it was VERY cold, there was a lot of energy to keep us warm.

One of the coolest things was when they played the National Anthem, we could see the capital in the background. It was so powerful and moving. I mean seriously, who else gets to sing the National Anthem with 15,000 other people in our Nations Capital. Come on, it was AMAZING!

Photo Credit: Nike.com Google Search

They sent one corral out at a time. We were in the 3rd or 4th heat, so it took about 15 minutes after 7 am for our group to take off.

I originally set a goal based off time. I thought I would want to finish in 2:30, but it being my first I decided not to run for time and run for milage instead. The longest I had run consistently was 6 miles. I made it my goal to run to 7.

The night before Meg and I studied the race map and planned out what we would be seeing, where it would be easy, and where it would suck.

 

Miles 1-4 would be full on monuments to see. 

It really is crazy to run by the Washington Monument.

Photo credit: Nike Google.com

For me personally, the first two miles are my hardest. It seems to take FOREVER to reach the first mile and even LONGER to get the second. But once I hit mile three, I was feeling great and full of energy.

Every two miles there was a Water and Nuun stop--Nuun is an Optimal Hydration that you add to water {here} My plan was to walk through every water stop. 

Mile 4-7 was the best motivating and high energy miles.  

Mile 4-5.5 we ran over the Arlington Bridge, made a U-Turn at the end and ran back. We were running one direction, while everyone else was running the other. I chose to run down the middle of the street and high five anyone that would high five me back. Women were cheering each other on and I heard "Go Team" after "Go Team!" It felt awesome!

At this point I took off my gloves. My fingers were finally feeling back to normal, and I used the gloves as a tissue for the next few miles. I took my head wrap off around Mile 7. 

Do you know how amazing it is to not run in humidity? I barely broke a sweat.

Photo Credit: Nike Google.com

After the bridge, we ran under the Kennedy Center and Watergate. There it was another point when we got to run next to everyone else. And before I knew it I was at Mile 7 and I felt great! From there it was making it mile to mile.

I knew after mile 7, we were going to hit the boring part of the whole race. We got to run by the Lincoln Monument one last time.

Mile 7-11 were a straight run along the Potomac River. No monuments, no turns, just a straight run.

We would be hitting the halfway point of the run and energy may be fading. I knew this part would suck, but it honestly wasn't too bad.

I run with music, but I hardly realize it's there as long as my mind can stay occupied.

I chose to focus on my rocking playlist during the next few miles.

Photo Credit: Nike Google.com

Photo Credit: Nike Google.com

Photo Credit: Google.com

Mile 9-10 was a curve around the peninsula and right at the curve, there was the College Cheer Squad. Tons of Alpha Chi's, bands, and a DJ were there cheering us on. It was awesome, and reminded me of during high school when our track & field team would cheer during the final 4X4. We called it Blood Alley.

Photo Credit: Nike Google.com

At this point I was getting tired, but I was so close to double digits I couldn't just stop!

After mile 10, I really wanted to stop, I could feel EVERYTHING! I swear my hair started feeling sore. I could literally feel it moving on my head.

You know the scene in Knocked Up when Allison starts screaming...

Yep, that's the one.

My new goal, was make it to Mile 11, take it easy on to Mile 12, and rock it through the finish from there.

I could start to see the monuments again so I knew I was getting close.

I started to slow down and made my first change to a walk. 

I decided not to run with my Nike+ app so I wouldn't feel anxious about the time, so I had no idea what time I was running, and frankly I did not care.

6 months ago I could BARELY run a mile and today, April 27th, I ran ELEVEN! That's ELEVEN miles!

That was enough satisfaction for me.

Once I hit 12, baby it was on. We were back downtown and all the spectators that had slept in where cheering us on now.

I could see the Capital Building, my final turn, and MILE 13 in the distance.

I saw that green finish line and I was full of energy and excitement!

For the last .5 miles I was started to brainstorm if I should do something fun as I cross the finish line. Should I do a dance, cartwheel (ha!), shimmy?

Instead I just started sprinting!

I don't know where the extra energy came from but I'm glad it did. I pass 6 people in front of me, put my arms up and crossed that finish line!

Thanks Nike for the free race photo!

Photo Credit: Nike Google.com

This was right after I finished. We were immediately rushed into a line to get food and water. I would have to say this was one of their only downfalls. It wasn't quite the reception I was hoping for after completing 13.1 miles. Especially, but I had to stop moving when I was standing in line.

But I wasn't too interested in the food, I wanted this….

 FINALLY, after the food line, it was time to get my Little Blue Box. So I got in yet, another line, and was handed my treasure!

After that, I got into ANOTHER line, and got my photo op!

It was onto the TNT tent, consume two bags of chips, realize it's going to be very difficult to walk in the next few hours and hit up a big brunch with my mom. Complete with Mimosas.

 As far as half marathon's go, it's going to really hard to top this one.

Unbelievable energy, no humidity, 15,000 strong running mates, National Monuments, and a Tiffanys & Co® Necklace.

It was unbelievable and I'm so incredibly glad I did it. 

I hope I can do it again next year. 

Nike Women's Half Marathon Recap Part II

I have not been to Washington DC since I was one years old. It was time to play tourist. Here's a few highlights of our Nation's Capital. Since nobody wants to hear this boring stuff:

1. Lincoln Memorial. So weird to see something in person that you've only seen in pictures for 20 years.

2. Vietnam Memorial

2. WWII Memorial. This was amazing to see and so fortunate to be there this day. My grandfather served in WWII, but passed away in the early 90s. Since it opened in 2004, a program was created to fly in veterans to see the memorial, called Honor Flight. My mom and I were blown away by seeing so many veterans and I got a little choked up thinking about the grandfather I never really knew and how one of these men could have known him.

 3. Washington Monument

 4. Selfies in front of Mr. President's House in our matching shades.

It was tough to fit in all the sight seeing I wanted to do between the TNT events, weather interruptions, and race day, but it was fun to do a little bit of it. It would be nice to come back to enjoy the full experiences and take a few scheduled tours, oh well, DC I'll be back!

Saturday afternoon we had our Team In Training Inspiration Pasta Dinner. This event happens at every National TNT event. Chapters from all over the country come to celebrate their accomplishments, training, fundraising, and be reminded of what we did it all for: the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

The only beneficiary for the NWM is LLS and since it's start in 2004, it was raised almost $150 million!

My chapter of NCFL raised almost $35,000 for LLS

 It was great to hear all the success stories and fundraising goals of the chapters. Because there were so many TNT participants they had to break up the Inspiration Dinner into two times. Which was sort of a disappointment because ours was at 3:30, which cut into our sight seeing, plus it meant I would need to eat again to ensure my "carb load" before the race.

Getting our last minute race info. Don't we all look so excited?!?

Laying out my race day outfit. I was ready! 

See previous post for specific info on my race day attire!

 And now a personal shout out to every single individual who helped me get to DC and had my back from mile 1 to mile 13.1 and beyond.

ROCKSTARS $200+

Paula Hamlin $1,000

Stephanie Paul $300

Susie Hamlin $225

Cancer Warriors $100-$199

Claire Theobald

Karen Hadley

Leslie West-Balestrieri

Cancer Crusaders $50-$99

Jason & Christina Evans          Tim & Nellie Hadley

Donna Davis                     Bill Alexander

Meg & Greg Pearsall          Megan Haeffele

Greg Heinz                       Brett Hamlin

FUN-Raisers $25-$49

Marcia Skupeika          Jessica Levine

Miriam Zavagnin           Sarah Eilbracht

         Nicki Mulvey            Tessa Goldsworthy

Janet Koenig           Danny Black

     Erin Smith                  Jessica Camacho

Angela Vincent            Susan Bryant

Marie & Jordan Muzik        Logan Hoffman

Natalie Gragnani               Kyle Plassmeyer

Ashley Schmitz             Cyndi Stephenson

Caitlin Forness           Lindsey Johnson

Alyssa Spurling        Sarah Gouttierre

Chris Roper                Amanda & Josh

Terri Hall            Kathy Hull

Lindsey Early         Nikki VandeVen

Diane Stockman         Sara Noftsinger

SUPERIOR SUPPORTERS <$24

Ashlee Dukes           Keisha Woodall

Paige Colletta       Emma Halterman

Kathlynn James       Aubrie Beysselance

Lauren Schweiss           Kelly Wahl

Kris & Sam Kanatzar        Jason Polsgrove

Anna Lowerre       Beth Kirby

Katie Abramczyk         Jessica Kretz

Tara Ziegler           Hanna Allen

Melissa Fate               Amanda Reynolds

Emily Shaikewitz         Carlee Brown

Greg Walters         Kimi Hines

Brooke McKee           Maggie Favhan

Amanda Kenny        Hannah Peterson

Cassie Western          Megan Bender

Tom & Amanda Ruffin       Megan Grothman

Danielle Tetrault        Ashli Pollard

Valerie Skupeika                Kelley Albers

Morgan Moravec              Brynn Hoffman

Tracy Adams            Jen Schulz

I seriously can't say enough thanks to everyone who showed support through donations, messages, and cheers. If you don't mind a little cheese, you all really were the wind beneath my wings.

Stay tuned for Part III tomorrow as I take you mile by mile as I showed the government how to run the capital!

Nike Women's Half Marathon Recap Part I

For my first ever Half Marathon and first event with Team In Training, the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC was a no-brainer. If I was going to do the fundraising, suffer through months of training, and 13.1 miles of nothing but pavement, I was going BIG or not going at all.

Plus, look at this little blue box. How sweet is that after all that running.

Alright, I'm getting a head of myself. Let's jump back to Thursday night.

My race day necessities:

Team In Training Singlet

KT Tape for my jumpers knee that never seemed to fully heal

iPhone running case and headphones

Nike 2" Luxe Angular Tempo Women's Running Shorts {here}

These were great. I read a lot of blogs and looked at pictures of people running races and saw that most of them wore shorts. I tested out these and another pair that had spandex shorts underneath. These had the attached underwear that reminded me of what I wore in HS track and the shorts itself were really breathable and light.

ASICS GT 2000 V2 purchased at a local running store in Orlando-Track Shack They give a discount to Team In Training participants and host many events all year round. You can also find them {here}

Black Adjustable-Strap Sports Bra {here} 

I've worn a lot of sports bras over the last 15 years and these are my favorite. Due to God's sense of humor, when I hit puberty, I stayed that way and these are similar to a training bra. They are really comfortable for those that need less support.

Balega Lady Endura 4 No Show {here}

I was told to buy a pair of good socks by a TNT alum who has done a marathon and half marathon. These felt great! It's a good investment to get a pair.

Cliff Shot Blocks

Headband from Old Navy. Got to keep that crazy hair in check

And for this race only, a satin white hair bow, my Tiffany&Co touch.

My running playlist: I like to mix it up. I make sure to include rap, hip hop, classics, soft rock, pop and county…on shuffle of course.

Beautiful Day- Back Home

Beware of the Boys - Panjabi MC

Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke

Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Dangerous (feat. Akon) - Kardinal Offishall

Dangerous - Ying Yang Twins

End of Time - Beyoncé

Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys

Get Buck in Here - DJ Felli Fel

It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Larger Than Life - Backstreet Boys

Let Her Go - Passenger

On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

Party All the Time - Eddie Murphy

Right Round - Flo Rida

Run Run - The Rival

Run the World (Girls) - Beyoncé

SexyBack (feat. Timbaland) - Justin Timberlake

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey

Some Nights - Fun.

Story of My Life - One Direction

Swing - Savage

Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Turn Down for What - Dj Snake & Lil Jon

We Run the Night - Havana Brown

BMOC 2008 Opening Music- you bet I brought this awesome mix along

Life is a Highway - Tom Cochrane

Toy Soldier - Brittney Spears

Have you had Enough - Hinder

The Jackson 5 Medley (Immortal Tour) - The Jackson 5

Summer Love - Justin Timberlake

Super Massive Black Hole - Muse

I Belong to You - Muse

Errtime - Nelly

Decode - Paramore

Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls

Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks

My flight was leaving at 6:15 in the morning on Friday. That required a very early wake up call to drop my car at a park and fly. 

The flights were fast and easy. The first one I was able to sleep. We had a very quick layover in Atlanta, which was unfortunate for my plans to eat breakfast, get a coffee and a magazine because NONE of those happened. I have the worst iPhone 5 in the history of iPhones. I turned it off during the first flight at 77% and when I turned it back on, it was at 38%..yay. It died soon after that, so I spent the next 1.5 hours on the second plane ride reading Skymall twice, Spirit Magazine, and picking my split ends.

I was better prepared the flights back and I'm about to throw my iPhone out my car window.

I was able to fly with three of my TNT running mates which also made it more enjoyable and exciting. 

The main transportation in DC is the metro. It's fun to be in a place with public transportation and much cheaper. Was only $4 to get from the airport to our hotel. And we saw some pretty inspiring displays in the lobbies.

After dropping off our bags we hit up the Nike Expotique to pick up our race packet and do some damage at Nike Georgetown.

The Expotique was awesome! Talk about making a girl feel special, personal touches every where.

 

It wasn't too hard to find my name, I just had to do a lot of walking along the first row, and as coincidence would have it, my dog's name is directly below mine!

 I surprisingly had self control during my trip to Nike Georgetown. I only got a hat, training tank, and a 13.1 shirt.

Next up, the sights and sounds of DC, TNT Inspiration Dinner, and prepping for the big day!