Walt Disney World Half Marathon

Starting line with fireworks

Next up in my series of Florida recaps is my Walt Disney World Half Marathon experience. This was most definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. So was my 10k race that I blogged about earlier this week, but overall the half marathon was even more exciting! The non-exciting part...the middle of the night wake up call that comes along with Disney races. I believe this day I work up at 2:53 in the morning, making it the third day in a row I was up by three. After throwing on my race clothes, along with some throw away clothes, and making some breakfast we boarded the bus to the starting corrals. 

After checking our bags and finding some additional Virginia friends we made the long walk to the start. I'm not really sure why they make you walk miles to your corral before they have you start a half marathon, but they do. On our way to our corral this day we spotted the BEST costume EVER. A lot of people come dressed as Disney characters. There are some really dedicated friends that put some work into these costumes too. My absolute favorite was this guy dressed as Peter Pan and then there was a guy with him completely covered in black. HIS SHADOW! So funny! As my friend and I were walking to our corral we wondered if the shadow would run behind him the whole time. 

Peter Pan and his shadow

Once we made it to our corral we still had waiting to do since there were a bunch on corrals in front of us. With every corral that started there were fireworks that went off. I was thankful when we started approaching the start. I was ready to start so that I could warm up. As our corral's fireworks went off we started running. Like the 10k, the half marathon starts off on highways outside the Disney parks. There is some entertainment the first few miles, but not much. There were some marching bands and volunteers cheering, and big screen playing some disney cartoons. Somewhere around mile two or three we were on an off ramp of the highway. This was terrible. Your legs are uneven and everyone is cramped together. I was not a happy person. Thankfully it felt like it ended quickly. Once we were back on normal ground we saw the pirates and their pirate ship and passed the Walt Disney World Speedway around mile four. 

Mile Four-ish!

I was excited about making it to mile four because we knew our friend Julie would be cheering around there. Races are so much more fun with spectators, especially ones you know. I was so excited to see her face when we found her! So exciting! She quickly snapped our picture and we were off again. 

We were now headed toward the Magic Kingdom. I was excited to get to this part because it would actually feel like we were running at Disney instead of just on highways. We ran down Main Street where there were tons of people cheering. That was a pretty fun part. From Main Street we went into Tomorrowland. We ran past Space Mountain, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Buzz Lightyear, and the Tomorrowland Speedway. Next we got to run through Cinderella's castle. I think Elsa was there and I think she was making snow. It was very crowded and hard to look to really see. After coming through the castle we stopped to take our picture in front of the castle. After our quick picture we ran through Frontierland. This is where my friend and I separated for a little bit. I went ahead of her until I saw the 10k split mat and a water stop. After I ran through those, and was about to exit the Magic Kingdom by Splash Mountain, I waited for a quick minute for her to catch up. People were very concerned about my stopping, but I reassured everyone I was going to make it. 

After exiting the Magic Kingdom things get a little crowded. There are a lot of people in a little space. This was annoying, but also one of the highlights of my race. They were playing some music over big speakers. The song that was playing was Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. I sing all the time in my car, sometimes I sing to my running partner. That day I sang to all my crowded friends. Some people even joined me, and some other people danced while running. It made a more annoying part of the race much more enjoyable for me. Miles eight and nine are back on the highway and you pass The Grand Floridian and The Polynesian resorts. There was also a wedding singer on the side of the road. This part of the course had some people cheering as well. 

Everything was going just great during the race. The weather was pretty perfect, I felt mostly good physically, I was having fun, Kathy was great. Then came mile 10. I got mental. Really. My hip was hurting and there was this ramp. Similar to the early slanted ramp from around mile two, but this was also uphill. I was starting to lose it. I remember being mad at myself for not being able to get my mental game back together. On this ramp there is also a green army guy from Toy Story yelling at people, and making them do push ups. Not humane. Seriously. We finally made it to the top of the incline and ran the downhill, but I was upset with myself still. I struggled through mile eleven too. I knew I must have been looking pretty mental when Kathy started singing to me. Not something that would normally happen. I was grateful to have such a fabulous running partner. Mile 11 also included our last uphill which was also that stupid slanted ramp business. After reaching the top and being able to run down it, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. That might have also had something to do with the fact we were now at mile twelve. Only a little over one mile left. 

Mile 12

Kathy's husband was waiting for her at mile twelve. He had already completed his own half marathon much earlier. Mile twelve also leads you into Epcot. This is another exciting section since you are actually feeling like you are in Disney. This time entering Epcot we were right by Spaceship Earth which was a little confusing for me since that's also where you finish. I decided not too think to hard about it and just keep moving. I had a goal for this race. Well really I had like a multi-level goal for this race. I really wanted to beat my Pittsburgh half time, which was very possible but I was worried about crowds. I knew the whole race that we were doing OK and would beat it. As a second part of that goal, I also wanted to be under a certain time and knew pretty much the whole race we would be, but I was also getting mental about that during my break from reality a mile earlier. So once we were nearing the end I just wanted to keep running. That, plus there was a lot of professional photographers and I always like to look like I'm having the time of my life when they are around. 

Just before the finish line we saw the Gospel Choir singing. That was fun! After we turned the corner we could see the finish just like the day before. It was definitely a better feeling this day, though. I was very excited that I beat my Pittsburgh time by almost 15 minutes and had met my goal for the race. After crossing the finish line and collecting my medal we went to get ice. I needed some for my hip. This was quite the adventure. When they wrap ice on your hip, things get interesting. I looked like I had a saran wrap thong. 

Post race complete with beverages, medal, and saran wrap thong

Just like the 10k, I thought this race was awesome. Obviously I had a rough two miles, but they really weren't totally terrible. I was a little disappointed in the lack of entertainment along the course, but at the same time that's not really what completing a half marathon is about (to me at least). Mostly I am sad that my half marathon is over, and that I am not going to Florida for the Princess race in February. I need to win the lottery and just run fun races all the time. That would be the life.

Half Marathon medals

Walt Disney World 10K

Friends, it's been forever! I have been so, so busy this month. First, getting home from NYC, then going back to school for a whirlwind three days, during which I wrecked my car in our first snowfall. Soon after that I was off to Orlando for six days for my races (and some fun vacationing), and most recently I have been playing catch up on school and life. I can't tell you how great my sleep was this weekend. It really felt like the first time in weeks! Apparently it wasn't enough because I was thinking I would be posting this on a Monday (like Marathon Monday), but really it's Tuesday. In any event, today I will be recapping the Walt Disney World 10K that I did on January 9th!

In all my Marathon Monday posts I never really mentioned that I was doing the Disney 10K because my bigger goal was the half marathon. When I originally half decided I was going to Florida this year I had only registered for the 10K. I wasn't for sure that I would end up going, so I decided the 10K was very doable if training didn't go well and it was a lot less money to lose out on if I didn't end up making the trip. I am happy I registered for this originally. I hadn't ever done an official 10K before, only lots of six milers in training, but 10K is just a great distance.

Virginia Friends

The Disney races start very early. We had to get on the bus at 3:30 in the morning! This means I had to get up at 3:03! This was the second in a string of mornings I was up by 3:00 and had gone to bed late. There was no rest in Florida. The bus drove us from Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we were staying, to the parking lot of Epcot where the starting corrals were. While we were waiting, we found some of our other Virginian friends and tried to stay warm. This included wearing a stained sweater and a garbage bag.

After waiting for the first few corrals to start it was finally our turn. A little over half of the race takes place outside of the parks, through a parking lot and on highway. The first mile or so was nice and open and we ran into Elsa who was on a bridge above us blowing snow and playing Let It Go. The next two miles were a little bit crowded, but not as crowded as I had prepared myself for. There are a lot of people that do the Disney races, so I was worried I would be getting run over, or that I wouldn't be able to move around. There was only one really crowded time I wanted to throw down on a lady dressed in full firefighter gear. I got over it quickly. The good news is that my friend and I decided to take it easy for the 10K and save our legs for the half the next day. I think this decision made it so much more enjoyable. It was kind of like we were just hanging out, doing a 10K.

The last three-ish miles are through Epcot and the Boardwalk area. It was so much more fun to be able to do this part of the race. It was still kind of dark when we entered the World Showcase part of the park. All the countries were lit up and Spaceship Earth was glowing :) There was also some music playing. This was probably my favorite part of the course. After the World Showcase we crossed over to the Boardwalk. I couldn't believe how quickly the race was going. I decided to stop at mile marker 5 for a picture with Nemo. There were some spots for photos with characters throughout the race, but they were always so busy. This was one of the only non-busy mile markers. Plus it was on the sand so I decided to stop.

Mile 5

After Nemo we only had a little over a mile left. We soon crossed back over into Epcot, ran across the park, around Spaceship Earth, saw some large Little Mermaid puppets, then turned the corner and saw the finish line. I collected my medal and my snacks. It was super fun to complete my first Disney race. Like I said I was really liking the 10K distance and our approach to the race. The first three miles could have been a little more exciting entertainment wise. Overall, though I really liked this race! I'm excited to tell you all about my half marathon experience next. Stay tuned.

Finish Line

Walt Disney World 10K medals

Marathon Monday

This week was weird. It was sort of productive, yet not. And also slightly painful. Not my favorite. I saved my long run to do on Monday since we were still on break from school. Within the first quarter mile I could tell that something was wrong with my foot. I was also just feeling a little sick. Not a good combination. I stopped to try to fix my foot, and it seemed OK so I went on. I decided very quickly that I would have a distance only goal that day, I wouldn't care about my pace. I was also worried about not being able to make it the full eight miles I had planned because of my foot so I did a lot of loops to stay close to my house. Thankfully, I did all eight miles, even if it was a little slower than usual.

After the eight miles I was really regretting things. My foot was not good and got progressively worse over the next couple days. I was in a little bit of a panic. I decided to take it easy the rest of the week. I did notice that my foot and walking was way better when wearing shoes. I took the rest of the week off from training until Friday.

Friday while I was in New York City, I decided that the weather wasn't looking so great for the weekend so I decided to do my last six miler in Central Park that morning. I was a little nervous about the whole thing, but at the same time I so wanted to do it. I knew I would regret it if I didn't. I was worried about the unfamiliar territory, big city, usual running problems, my foot, etc. It turned out to be a super easy thing to do logistically. I was happy for that. I was not happy about how surprisingly hilly the route was. It was still really cool, despite the hills, to run through the park. I started at the south end running clockwise on the Outer Park Drive Loop up the east side's rolling hills, past the reservoir and then up Harlem Hill. I had read about how steep Harlem Hill was, and it was, but after the reviews I was expecting much worse. I also thought the endless rolling hills of the east side and one or two of the bigger hills on the west side seemed worse. Still, I can't believe how hilly Central Park is. I just thought a park in the middle of the biggest city would be flat. Wrong. The second half of my run was down the west side. I looked at all the museums and also got another nice view of the reservoir. Toward the end I was ready to be done. I was pretty excited about finishing with a decent pace, especially with all the hills and the reviews I read warning people to expect a slower time than their typical pace. So my two runs this week total 14.22 miles. Not as many as I had hoped, but still OK considering I was a little hurt and traveling.

GREAT NEWS! This is the LAST Monday before my race!!!! I have been counting down until the Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, but I have hardly mentioned that I am also doing the Disney 10k on Friday. So this weekend I will do 19.3 miles in two days. I hope to live. ONLY 4 days!!!!!!

2014, In Review!

Oh 2014, what a year it's been!  We've had so many highlights. I went back through my blog to pick out a few of my favorites from this year. Enjoy this year's summary, and enjoy your last night of 2014!

A big theme throughout my posts from January, February, and even March was SNOW! We were lucky enough to enjoy many snow days last winter. I am beginning to wonder where they have been this school year. I hope they find us soon! During one of those early January snows I remember binge watching episodes of Orange is the New Black. I recently heard somewhere that Netflix is one of the biggest game changers of 2014, and I have to agree. Binging on OITNB and Breaking Bad were great breaks from reality. And our Breaking Bad finale party was a fun night to begin our fall.

Spring was full of big achievements! Matt graduated with his Masters in History from George Mason. It was a great celebration of a lot of hard work, late and stressful nights and weekends. Also in the spring, I completed my first ten mile race and half marathon! In the realm of big accomplishments might also fall my relinquishment of coffee, not to say there haven't been some cheat days :)

The summer of 2014 was my best in a long time. For the first time in a long time I chose not to work during my time off from school. We started the summer off with a trip to Dewey Beach for a few days. Soon after we drove to Boston to celebrate Matt's sister's wedding. The rest of the summer was filled with lots of funsies with friends around town and by the pool. I also very pleased with the amount of leisurely reading I did. There was also some time spent being tourists in our own town. Most recently, as DC tourists, we were able to get up close and personal with the White House.

Of course no year would be complete without our families or our friends. We had plenty of game nights and other events to keep us occupied on the weekends in Virginia. Visits to Massachusetts and Pittsburgh, or visits from our families, for holidays and other exciting times, are always our favorites.

Going back to school after a fun summer is usually a little bit of a drag, but this year I have had some exciting things going on to make my time at work a little more pleasurable. I was given my own classroom to use for my lessons! And I have also been enjoying holding some book clubs with my fifth graders. This fall Matt and I also found the illusive Bull Run Mountain and hiked to the top not once, but twice.

I am so looking forward to going through our Boston Baked Bean Pot tonight to find some more happy memories. I can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for us! If our plans for January are any indication, I know it will be a great year!

Marathon Monday

My goal this past week was simple. Just remember to do some miles. I knew things might get a little lazy around here having checked off my last really long run, combined with winter break, combined with traveling for Christmas. Not the most motivating factors coming down the homestretch. Thankfully, I kept up with my training schedule pretty well.

Monday and Tuesday, while still in Virginia, I did two 5k runs around my neighborhood. While I was running I realized I hadn't done any short runs in my neighborhood in forever because of daylight savings time. It was nice to be done so quickly compared to my weekend long runs. Wednesday I took a walk around my parents' neighborhood with my mom. This is when I was seriously thankful I don't have to do training in Pittsburgh. The hills are ridiculous.

On Friday I wanted to do four miles, but the thought of having to run the hills in my parents' neighborhood was way too much to handle. I dragged my mom and Matt to the Franklin Regional High School track to make things manageable, and reminisce about the class of 2002 (kidding). After about five laps on the track, things got boring. I then decided to 'run the complex' (a favorite of any former FR Lady Panther, kidding again) to get a little variety in my life. After my second mile around, I opted to finish out on the flat track. I ended my 13.51 miles for the week with a walk to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon. I can't believe how quickly time is passing, time off work will do that. Only 11 days until the half marathon, and less than that until Florida!

Marathon Monday

Lots of miles happened this week. I am pretty happy with almost all of my outings this week too. I started off with an 8 miler on Sunday. I was dragging my feet getting started, but knew it had to be done. Matt helped me get on the road by offering to do some of the miles with me. That was super helpful. Pretty soon after getting started I knew I had too many clothes on. It was a super sunny day and it was relatively warm. Quite the opposite of the week before. Matt stayed with me for my first 3.5 miles, but then we went our separate ways. I had a hard time toward the end, electing to walk most of the 8th mile, but I was happy to have finished the eight and check it off the list!

I did a short run on Monday, continuing to take advantage of the nice weather. The run was pretty uneventful, but one of my quickest paces. It made me feel a lot better about how I finished my miles the day before. Wednesday was the return of my buddy runner! So exciting. We got a late start after having to attend an after school meeting. We planned to do two since it was late, but got to a little over three before we were really running in the dark. This is the best part of having a running buddy...even when you are feeling lazy (like Sunday), or have a decent excuse (Wednesday), having a buddy provides a little extra motivation and stay accountable to your training plan.

Friday was my last day of school for this year. My running buddy and I decided that we should do our last longest run on Saturday, our first day of break, to get it checked off the list. I can't say I was too excited to get out from under the blanket I was laying on the couch with, but the thought of tapering after this run after was exciting. At about .5 miles in, we saw one of our students who we tease all the time about ringing his doorbell to join us for a run. When he saw us, he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. He ran into his garage and hid by the car. He then decided to join us for a half mile jog around the block. Hilarious. It was a training first. Our last ten miler brought me to 24.33 miles for the week! Only 18 more days until Disney. The time is going to fly with all the excitement in between!

Marathon Monday

This past week's theme: WIND. Oh my goodness was it windy. You might remember that I was having a rough go of it last week. I rebounded pretty well. I did my long run for the week last Sunday. That's when I thought it was windy (Wednesday hadn't happened yet). It was pretty chilly out, but kind of sunny. I got dressed and stood on my porch for a couple minutes to make sure my outfit was weather appropriate. I thought it was, but then I left my porch and found out I probably should have a warmer top on. The first two miles of that run was like running in a wind tunnel, but the wind was swirling. Crazy. During mile six I think the wind chill was frostbite like. I was very happy to finish after eight miles.

My other two runs this week were after school on Monday and Wednesday. Monday was cold, but fine. I just did a quick 3.14 miles around my school. Wednesday was so cold and so windy. There was one point on my Wednesday run where I swear I wasn't moving forward. The wind was so strong. I felt like maybe my miles should count double. I was so disappointed on Friday...I wanted to try to do some miles, but when I went to go change after work I realized I had forgotten my running stuff at home. Ooops! I guess 14.77 miles is better than the 7ish last week. There is now under one month left until my race, 25 days to be exact!

On a side note, I was feeling lazy and not so motivated on Saturday evening when I was thinking about my long run for Sunday. Then I got this very kind text from a friend. Big thanks to Chris Miller for helping me find some optimism and helping me get my self in gear.

Marathon Monday

So here's the truth. Sometimes I still strongly dislike running. Sometimes I have no motivation. Sometimes the weather is crappy. And sometimes miles just don't really fit into the schedule. Last week was alllll of these things. Then there was the fact that I was just being super negative about training.

I just felt very 'done' with the training process last week. I was wishing I could have already run the half marathon and just not have to worry about getting these miles in. I think my schedule was just off with traveling to Pittsburgh and then hosting Matt's family for an extended Thanksgiving celebration. I'm glad to say I am already back on track and in a more positive mood this week. I need that attitude to last at least another 32 days!

The very short two runs that I did do last week were after school. Neither of them were great, and one was in the rain. I'm disappointed in my 7.16 miles, but at the same time, if I'm trying to be positive, I guess that's better than none. Here's to a better month ahead!

Marathon Monday

2014 Pittsburgh Turkey Trot

My training schedule was quite action packed this past week! I started out my week with a long run on Sunday. It was a little rough keeping the motivation to get out of bed and get started, but once I got going things went very well. I did 10 miles...the longest I have gone by myself in a long time. And it was at my fastest pace ever for that distance! 

Tuesday I was determined to get some miles in before leaving for our Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. I dragged my friend along with me. We had just enough time for two miles before the sun was gone. The sunset that night was beautiful. Below is just one stage of it. 

Benefits of Daylight Savings Running

Thanksgiving morning I had signed up for the Pittsburgh Turkey Trot 5 miler. Last Thanksgiving I participated in the 5k race and it was FREEZING. I was very happy that while it wasn't warm, it wasn't 8 degrees. The weather ended up actually being pretty close to perfect for running. I really enjoyed the first 3-4 miles of the race, but after that it got a little redundant. We kept having to loop around the same area. I finished the race in under my goal time. The race also made me really hungry for Thanksgiving dinner!

Finally, on Saturday I decided to try the treadmill in my parents' basement. It was a nice reminder that the treadmill is just not for me. I stuck it out for four miles. All the while fretting that I would fall off or bore myself to death. Luckily, neither happened. Later that day I added four more miles gallivanting the Penn State campus.

I am also pleased to report that the beginning of this week brought us into the threes for my Runcation countdown! After my 25.2 miles this week we are down to 38 days! So exciting!!!

Marathon Monday

Last week I was busy racking up the miles. This week, not so much. Just a little over 13 miles total. My long run this past week was only to be six miles, a step back from last week's nine miler. That combined with the fact that we had some unseasonably COLD weather didn't prove well for even coming close to last week's accomplishments.

Sunday we did our 6 miles around my neighborhood. For a change of pace I decided we should do the route backwards. It's always so weird doing stuff like that. All the hills you think you are running up never seem hilly going down them, yet all the regular downhills seem like mountains to get up.

My other two runs, on the manageable weather days this week, were just as uneventful. I was pleased with my pace though. And it was exciting to use my new headphones, which very happily stayed in my ears. Upgrade! The two days included a little over three miles on Monday and four on Thursday leaving right from school to try to beat the sun setting. If nothing else it's nice to have somewhere different to run around rather than my neighborhood or my friend's.

The best part of this past running week was entering into the 4's on my countdown. Only 46 days until half marathon funsies!!!

Marathon Monday

Last Sunday started my training week off strong. My running partner and I planned to do eight miles around the lovely rolling hills of Bristow complete with water stop and bathroom break. We started off with our typical five mile loop around my neighborhood. We stopped back at my house for what was supposed to be just a couple minutes, but for some reason decided to take our good old time having snacks and chatting. Once we finally went back outside to do the remaining three miles, starting straight uphill, three more miles seemed like a lot. Ironically, though, at the last minute we decided to tack on an extra mile at the end to give us nine for the day!

We had last Tuesday off for Veteran's Day so we decided to take advantage of our daylight hours and do another five or so miles. I went to my friend's neighborhood this day. She decided to try to change our route. I swear to you it was all uphill. I felt like I was on one of those switchback roads going up a mountain. I was struggling. Looking back, though, it might not have been the smartest to do 5.61 miles after doing our longest training run a few days before. A three mile run might have been a better decision. Lesson learned.

I ended my training week with two shorter runs. Friday I went immediately after school for a little over three miles. Not only are we suffering from what I feel like are extremely short days, but a serious cold front took over at the end of last week. Friday evening's run was COLD. My legs and arms were so cold by the time I was done, but I kept reminding myself that anything is better than those hot, summer runs.

Saturday afternoon I kinda forced myself to do 3.5 more miles to get myself over 20 miles for the week. I was moving along the first half mile when my RunKeeper lady told me that I was actually moving along quite quickly. I decided I would try to break my pace record at this point. So I got myself in the zone. I was still doing well about a mile and a half in when tragedy occurred. My headphones cut out in one ear. I tried to jiggle the wire around to fix it. That's when the other ear cut out. I stopped to try to fix everything, but they were officially dead. This not only means I couldn't hear my RunKeeper lady that helps me know how I am doing, but also my music which helps me keep my mind off the ideas that I might be dying. It was a challenge, but I was determined and I beat my former fastest pace/mile by 18 seconds! It was exciting. I was also excited to purchase new headphones the next day. Whats even more exciting is that Saturday's run bumped me up to 21.35 miles for the week, and there's only 53 more days until Florida (next week the days will start with a 4)!!!!!!!!

Marathon Monday

This week in training started off with a lot of drama. Weeks ago, before things got serious, I might have suggested we go hike Bull Run Mountain with some friends. Matt decided to hold me to that idea. I was forced to go hiking even though it was SO COLD and I was in serious fear of injuring myself and thus forfeiting all the training I have been working on. I was not even close to a happy hiker that day. I might have had a point, though. I slipped about 34 times and full out fell down good old Bull Run mountain during the course of the morning. Luckily, I came out mostly unscathed. I was glad that was over. In any event that hike counts toward my miles for the week.

Tuesday I had a different work schedule because of conferences. I was able to do five miles before going into work for the day. It was great to be able to do that since the daylight is hard to come by recently. This daylight savings business is really, really putting a major damper on things. That was pretty much the theme of the rest of the week. Both Wednesday and Friday I planned to do at least three miles after school. Even with trying to leave in a timely fashion after putting everyone on the bus and going to my running buddy's neighborhood closer to school, three miles still ends in the dark, which is scary and not fun.

I guess you could say it's been a week of lows (daylight savings and that rough hike) and highs (multiple days of buddy running!). This week did not contain a long run, but I still covered 16.47 miles. Only 60 days left until Disney, which seems so close (and SO EXCITING)!

Marathon Monday

I swear the fall foliage was better looking than this.

Last week started with my Sunday long run. My goal was to do eight miles. In reality I was OK with only getting to six, so my goal was really more like at least six, no more than eight. I also asked Matt if he wanted to come along, and he surprisingly said yes. Historically, running together has not gone well. He goes too fast, I go too long. It's never worked out, but I am happy to report this time things went quite smoothly. At least the running together. I, however, was struggling. I knew two miles in that I was dehydrated, but kept making myself go. Really not the best idea. I ended up having to stop and collect myself a couple times. We stopped at about seven miles when I could take no more. 

Tuesday after school I was really not feeling it, but knew I needed to do something. I wanted to just get a couple miles in, but as I was gallivanting my neighborhood I started thinking about the rest of my week and realized that time was limited the rest of my days. I forced myself into doing a little over four miles because I knew the time wouldn't be there later in the week. Toward the end, some lady started being my cheerleader. She was telling me what a great job I was doing and then telling me all about the other places she had seen me that afternoon. 

Thursday I had a whole bunch of stuff to do, so I left school pretty quickly and got my run out of the way. I was super excited about my pace, one second off my fastest pace ever. I think I should run under pressure more often. 

This weekend we had Sunday plans to go hiking, so I did my long run on Saturday. Two long runs in one week technically. Matt joined me again for this one. I made up a new route and hoped for the best. After getting through the first couple miles things were going really well. I felt super good and the temperature was much cooler than the weekend before. I ended up getting my fastest pace for six miles which was exciting. This brought me up to 20.39 miles for the week. Only 67 days left until Disney...seems so close, yet so far!!!

Marathon Monday

I started off this week of training with a Sunday long run. Sunday was a little chilly (no big deal, better than being hot) and very windy. I'm telling you it was like swirling wind in every direction we turned. It was great resistance training. Sunday was the most enjoyable part of my training week. Then the weekdays came...

The weekdays had me so wishing we owned a treadmill. It rained a lot. And it was serious rain. No chance for running on Monday or Tuesday, and after two days of having a great excuse to do nothing, it's difficult to get motivated again. Wednesday it was still raining and secretly I was hoping the rain wouldn't stop, but then it did. My excuse was gone. I made myself do the miles and surprisingly they didn't go that bad. Thursday after a very crazy day at work I was glad to go out for a few walking miles, and then I finished my week of miles on Friday (Saturday was a rest day since I have been doing my long runs on Sundays). Friday was a little painful and it was dark. I was happy to be finished with 16.44 miles for the week and happy the weekend was starting.

When this week is over it will be November! Last November I was just starting to train for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. It is exciting to think about how far I have come since then. It was challenging just to do two miles at a slower pace than I do now. And I think my mental toughness has definitely improved. Only 74 days until my second half marathon!

Marathon Monday

I have been doing my long runs on Sundays. Last Sunday was ROUGH. I was struggling the majority of the time. Every so often when I am running I have terrible calf and shin pain. Sometimes it loosens up and it's OK. This was not the case on Sunday. It just wouldn't go away. I have never been so happy for 6.13 miles to be over.

Last Monday I had a professional development day ALLLL day long. After Sunday's experience I was really not wanting to do any miles, but I forced myself since I was home earlier than usual and since I basically sat all day. I can't tell you the difference. It was seriously such a good run. My legs felt great and my time was my fastest pace ever by a lot. To make that day even better, Matt made dinner (recipe to follow) because he had off for Columbus Day.

I finished the second half of my week with a Wednesday run after school with a friend, and then on Friday doing a little over four miles before going out to socialize. I was a little more focused on getting those four miles done and out of the way with the promise of 'Rimkus pizza' after it was over :) Friday's run brought me up to 16.75 miles for the week and today we are 81 days away from my half marathon, and only 80 days from the 10k I will do the day before. I'm already excited, but it's still a long time to wait.

Marathon Monday

Well friends, not every week in half marathon training can be magical. It's not like this past week was bad, just nothing exciting. I mentioned just briefly last Monday that I was finally reunited last Sunday with my running partner. That was the highlight. Running with a friend is always more entertaining than logging the miles on your own in my book. I have a lot less of {these} crazy thoughts when running with someone. We did our long run for the week together and then I did three more weekday runs alone, for a total of 15.27 miles this week.

Weekday runs are my biggest challenge. Somedays it's just the last thing I want to do, but I have been trying to keep myself in a good routine. I bring my clothes to school and change before I leave. That makes it easier to come home and get going, or to just do my miles around my school. I am hoping that my motivation and self-discipline can hold out for the next 88 days. Going on a RUNcation is definitely a motivating factor :)

Marathon Monday

I have just had the most fabulous week in training! Let's start with last Sunday (because I'm not trying to drive myself crazy with Tuesday-Monday weeks this go around). I couldn't do my long run on Saturday because we had morning plans and then Penn State was on, and after that it just gets to be a little bit warm. So last Sunday...I tried experimenting with a little variation on my normal 5ish mile route because I'm already getting a little bit bored. My new trial route was nothing amazing, but it ended up going very well. I achieved my fastest pace ever for 5-6 miles. Good way to start the week.

Both Monday and Tuesday we had back to school night at BES, so those days had to be no mile days because I have given up my morning miles since it's darker and the temperatures are now more manageable in the afternoons. After the longest start to the week ever, I was happy to have a reason to leave work at a reasonable time to get some miles in on Wednesday. I had to work a little bit harder to keep my enthusiasm for after school on Thursday. I decided maybe a random route would cure my boredom with my 3ish mile weekday route. After inhaling serious fast food grease smells and gas fumes while running this random route, followed by my RunKeeper malfunctioning, I didn't have high hopes for my pace as I was getting closer to end of my run. I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and my RunKeeper informed me that I set a new record for pace...and it was by quite a bit!

I ran both days this past weekend, but only Saturday's miles count in my total for the week. I did another 5ish miles. This time my usual 5 mile route. The weather was pretty nice, but the sun was a little warm. The best part was that I beat my Sunday time by one second! The best part about the whole weekend, though...I FINALLY REUNITED with my running partner yesterday! Seriously so much better than dong the miles by myself. Not only that, but it was nice and cool, but still sunny, and I got a change of scenery! I was just thrilled for myself.

After 16.51 miles this week and consistently doing the miles at a good pace, I feel like I am getting back to where I was in the spring. Good thing because we are now less than 100 days (95 to be exact) away from Disney!

Marathon Monday

MARATHON Monday! It's officially back! It's back because I signed up to run the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January!

Here's the story:

I have a friend who does Disney's Marathon weekend every year, and last year a lot of my friends went, but not me. After they came back I was convinced that I was going, but wasn't sure what race I would register for, if any...maybe I would just go on vacation. Registration opened in April - and sells out very quickly - and at that time I wasn't really sure where my life would be in January, and I still hadn't run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon yet, so I wasn't completely sure half marathoning was for me. So in April I signed up for the 10k held that weekend and figured I could at least walk the 6.2 miles if nothing else.

Fast forward to two weeks ago...I was wavering about even going to Florida. I was thinking I was just going to take my registration for the 10k as a loss and stay home. I was also considering registering for the Richmond Half Marathon in November since I had started doing miles again. Matt was encouraging the Disney trip, but I felt like there was a lot to consider, and a lot of reasons to not go. Then suddenly Disney decided to open up more spaces in the half marathon. I didn't sign up immediately. I was having major heartache over this. Really, I was. I couldn't decide if I should abandon my Florida plans completely or solidify them by registering for the additional race. Matt was extremely sick of hearing about it, so finally I decided that if it was still open on Friday morning I would register. And guess what...it was.

I filled out all the information and really stared at the 'submit payment' button for a long time. I finally clicked it. I can't say all of my reservations were gone. I felt sick until at least lunchtime. I'm still not sure I made the right or best decision, but at least it's a decision. I'm going to Florida in January...to run a 10k on Friday and half marathon on Saturday...

Marathon Monday

Runners of Steel

If you would have told me in October that I would be posting about my half marathon experience today, I'm not 100% sure I would have believed you. I signed up, sort of hesitantly, sort of excitedly, for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on October 30th last year. I needed a goal to work on that would take time and energy. I don't know why I decided that should be a half marathon, but I knew if it was a half marathon it had to be Pittsburgh. The day I signed up I figured I could always back out. I didn't. There were days, maybe weeks, and sometimes months - mostly November and December - that I thought about quitting. Then it was the worst winter ever for training, but after 5 miles in the hot Virginia sun yesterday, I'm glad my training was through the winter. 

Back to race weekend. I had two friends coming with me to Pittsburgh also doing the half marathon. We left Friday night after school and headed north. After getting in late, we got going into town to pick up our packets on Saturday afternoon. We picked up our bibs and race shirts first. My race shirt is my biggest disappointment of the weekend. They were super tiny. Then we headed to the other end of the expo to pick up the rest of our bags. We listened to Jeff Galloway talk to for a little bit and then walked from booth to booth. I purchased a new hand band that I had wanted for a while to replace my arm band. I used it the next day during the race and it worked out well. I have also used it a few times since, and I highly recommend it. It's a lot easier to see and use than keeping my phone attached to my arm. 

After leaving the expo we decided to drive the race course to see just how bad the hills were going to be. We made a stop at Primanti Brothers in The Strip so that my friend, Brian, could have his first Primanti's ever. We got back in the car and continued on the route. Things were going well - hilly, but not too scary. Then we got to the infamous Birmingham Bridge and mile 11-12.5. It was scary. When we got to the top of the Boulevard of the Allies we looked down at the Southside where we had just been for miles nine and ten and realized that tomorrow we would be climbing a mountain. For real.

After driving the route, we took a little drive up Mt. Washington for a scenic view of the city. We then joined my mom and dad and sister and brother-in-law for a big pasta dinner at Lidia's.

Mt. Washington

After being mostly excited and anxiety free all day, I couldn't sleep at all the night before the race. I was so annoyed with myself which was making everything worse. I had my alarm set for 3:43 so that we could leave the house by 4:15. Sadly, I didn't need my alarm to wake me up. After quickly getting ready and getting my pre-race food and drink together, we were on our way downtown. We got there quickly and got a good parking spot with no problems. After hanging out in the car for a little while, we decided to find real bathrooms. We found ourselves in the Renaissance hotel for awhile with a whole bunch of other racers. We also met up with my uncle (who was also running the half) and my aunt before heading to our corral. We met my sister - also running - outside the corral before heading in. 

Just before the race started, it started raining. Not a bad rain, but raining. I should stop here to just mention how great the temperature was. About two weeks before the race I became obsessed with the weather the day of the race. As it turned out, it really couldn't have been a better day. I think the rain stopped somewhere around my mile three. We were in Corral C, the third corral to start. 

The race starts downtown on Liberty Avenue and is mostly flat (just know when I say flat, it's Pittsburgh flat) as you run the first two or three miles from downtown through the Strip District. At about mile three you cross the 16th Street Bridge to the North Side. We got to run past the Priory where Matt and I had our wedding reception between mile markers three and four. Mile marker four also leads you to the second bridge crossing back into downtown and then immediately back over the third bridge back to the North Side. While the bridges are a fun addition to the race, and a Pittsburgh landmark, they are also steep inclines. Just before one of the rougher hills at mile 5 we saw Matt, my mom, and my aunt. It was fun to have my family come out to see us. At the top of the hill at mile five we could see all kinds of black and gold balloons, and tons of people cheering. At first we thought it was a relay exchange point, or some kind of station sponsored by the marathon, but it wasn't. It was just a community organization that was out cheering. Now, I have never done a big race like this one, and I am a die hard Pittsburgher, but I thought the crowd support for this race was awesome. There were people everywhere. The signs were funny. They gave out snacks. And they were very entertaining for all 13.1 miles. 

a little before mile 5

I don't really remember anything too exciting about miles five and six, except for eating a peanut butter Gu. I do remember thinking that I was still feeling good and was so happy my legs weren't giving me any problems. And I was glad I was still awake. Approaching mile seven you cross the West End Bridge, the fourth bridge of the race. Running through the West End neighborhood was one of my favorite parts of the whole race. It's probably the part I will remember the longest. There were a lot of people and music, and there was finally a downhill! As we were about to leave the neighborhood I noticed there were people sitting in a bar. I knew that both Kathy and I needed to use the bathroom soon. The lines for the port a pots at this race were so long...and they are port a pots. This is when I had the genius idea to go in the bar to use the bathroom. We ran in and couldn't find it. I started yelling to some guy on the street asking where the bathroom is...turns out it was the owner of the bar. The bar wasn't actually open, but he did let us use his bathrooms. We ventured down a flight of stairs into a shady basement where I ran into a men's room so we could both go at the same time. It was an experience, but much better than waiting in line and using the port a potty. 

After this we ran past Station Square, one of the quieter parts of the race, probably my least favorite section. Station Square also led up a big hill into the Southside where things got a lot better. I think this was around mile nine. I do remember thinking to myself that I couldn't believe I was still at mile nine and still felt so good. I think it was also at this point that I knew I was going to finish and that without any major disaster I was going to happy and having fun the entire time. Mile ten was pretty flat through the Southside, and there were lots of people again that made things more entertaining. I also ate my favorite salted carmel Gu and there was a spectator handing out orange slices. Then it was time for the last bridge. The Birmingham Bridge. This is where things go from flat and a little hilly to scary mountain. Just look at the elevation chart below. Tell me who plans for that at the end of a race? Crossing the bridge you have the marathoners on one side and half marathoners on the other. I was happy to be on my side. Once you are off the bridge you make a sharp left and all you see before you is a giant hill. I just started laughing. It was huge. Then you think you get to the top of it and you turn onto the Boulevard of the Allies and realize there is more. The nice part about this is that once you get to the top...you are downhill for the finish. 

Seriously.

Once you start running that downhill you can see the finish line. It's off in the distance but you can see it. I was excited. As you come down the hill you are back downtown and there are tons of people everywhere. We walked a little and then ran to the finish. I was just happy I could still be running parts at the end. Again, I really can't believe how great the whole race was. My legs felt great, I was happy and entertained the whole time, and I think most importantly the weather could not have been better. 

After we finished and went through the chute to get our medals and some snacks, we wanted to find ice for our knees. Well apparently the only place they had ice was in the med tent....so we ventured over there. It was quite an experience. We were treated like royalty. They gave us special snacks and drinks, and got into fights about how our knees would be iced. We even had to be discharged and talk to many people about our ice. Intense. 

The worst part of my day, and my biggest meltdown of the weekend, was our drive back to my parent's house. I could not find a way out of the city with all the road closures. I really did almost cry I was so frustrated. Eventually everything worked out and we made it back...about six hours later I realized I lost my car key. Really lost. With the spare key in Virginia and the other spare key with Matt on his way back to Virginia. We searched my parents house, my car, the grass, Matt pulled over and searched his car,  we searched everywhere five times over. We were stuck in Pennsylvania. Luckily we had planned to come back on Monday. I was going to figure things out with a Honda dealership in the morning. Then at 6:30 a.m. my dad found the key in his closet while getting ready for work. I was so happy. 

Finishers!

That, my friends, is the story of the Pittsburgh Half Marathon weekend. Seriously I couldn't have asked for a better first half marathon. It was such a great experience that I'm even considering a race in June. I haven't completely decided yet. Cross your fingers for me that something works out. Like I said, six months ago, I wasn't really sure what I was doing, or what would really happen come May 4th, but I'm so happy I picked this as a goal this year. What made my experience better is that my sister and my friends decided to do the race too. It was nice to have other people doing the training near and far to talk with and to prepare with. I completed this marathon alongside my friend, Kathy, who ran in the pouring ice/rain/sleet with me, who encouraged me go running when I didn't want to, who took time away from her busy schedule to travel to Pittsburgh, and listened to all my craziness, and entertained me in the miles we did in training for the race. I am thankful for her, and for every person who has encouraged me in the last six months! Especially poor Matt who had to hear my whining, and about my running schedule a LOT :)

Marathon Monday

Happy Marathon Monday! I survived my half marathon adventure! Best part is...I had FUN the WHOLE time! Next Monday you can read my full review!