2014 Walt Disney Marathon Weekend runDisney medals revealed! #DopeyChallenge

This morning at the runDisney Disneyland Half official meetup, lucky runners were given a first look at the medals for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon weekend.  I have a wonderful friend, fellow Princess Bettina Muscara, on the scene to snap these pictures. She okayed them for use here, but do not copy them!  She alone owns the rights to these photos.

The Donald Half Marathon, the Minnie 10K, the Mickey Marathon, the Goofy Challenge, and the Dopey Challenge are shown below!  Check them out here!

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Race Day Grab'n'Go #Giveaway {Closed}

This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent postings for other great giveaways.

We are celebrating our blog makeover with another giveaway.  Hey, we really love our giveaways around here!

Some of you may remember our Head to Toe giveaway this past May.  That was to celebrate the beginning of summer (cross country and trail running season to us).  And you may remember we said we would be hosting a similar giveaway later this summer.  Well, it's back!   

Many of the same goodies as last time, but a little different. All in a handy dandy bag to grab'n'go on your next race day.

This is what you are entering to win:

1) one Sparkly Soul headband in black
2) one Gone for a Run race belt – has toggles for your bib, and six elastic loops for your GU.
3) 6 packets of GU (assorted flavors)
4) one pair Sweat Pink shoelaces
5) one pair Nike Performance Running dri-fit ‘no-show’ stability socks (size M: will fit women sz: 6-10, men sz 6-8)
6) Saucony drawstring backpack. This is a large bag, and it comes with a little zipped pocket inside.
7) Omron Pedometer with USB

Terms of the Giveaway:

1) Giveaway ends August 26th at midnight. Winner will be announced and notified on August 27th.

2) ONE (1) Winner will receive all seven items listed above.

3)  We will ship to US addresses (including US military post office addresses) only.  Sorry, this one is not international. We would like to avoid issues with shipping GU outside the country, as there are restrictions on foods/liquid substances.

4) Enter using the rafflecopter below and GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. The following are promotional items: GU and Sweat Pink shoelaces only. All opinions stated are our own.  We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

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Blog makeover, #runDisney tab, and our sister page

Been a little quiet with new blog posts lately.  But as you can see, we did have something of makeover here on the blog site.  

Here is a preview, if like me, you read your favorite blogs through a third party reader.

What's new:

• Our logo and banner (also used on our Facebook page)
• new subheading:  the fitness fairytale of DisneyBride & DisneyGroom
• inclusion of our training schedule
• Upgraded to what we hope is a user-friendly and responsive template with drop-down menus and scrolling updates
• 'related posts' widget on posts
• navigation buttons
• social media share buttons on posts
• social media 'follow' and 'like' buttons on sidebar
• expanded About section, including 'disclaimer'
• reviews/giveways section - links to relevant posts, media inquiries page, and our Runner Giveaways Facebook group
• #runDisney specific section

The #runDisney drop down menu will take you right to our related posts and most popular links.  One of these links takes you to our 'sister page', Disney Runners Network.  This page is an ongoing project, but can be a great resource to runners brand new to runDisney events. I'm even willing to bet some of the runDisney veterans will discover a few new things on there as well.  Expect some fun happenings from our sister page this coming fall.

So what do you think?  Do we need something else? 

I think our Search button could be a little more prominent - can you as a reader find it easily? Anything else? 

Please share your comments. We love feedback.

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Injinji Running Socks Review and Giveaway {Closed}

This Giveaway has closed.  Check our most recent postings for other great giveaways.

DisneyBride dreams of a sock stash like this!

Let me tell you how I was introduced to toe socks for runners.

DisneyBride calls herself an 'Injinji Evangelist'. She claims to have been one since 2007.  Suffice to say, she was constantly trying to get me into a pair. I fought it because I believed toe socks are for little girls, not grown men.

However, DB is a wife.  And it goes without saying, if your wife is persistent about something, a guy has to eventually go along with it. After repeated attempts at trying to get me to buy myself a pair, she finally just presents me with a couple of pairs for my birthday.  They actually make a cameo in my Jeff Galloway Runner Retreat post from March (the 5th photo).  These are actually the older Injinji crew socks.

Fast forward about three months and DB has been in touch with Injinji.  The company went through some major product redesigns, and greatly expanded their line.  I don't need to tell you that DB was in absolute raptures; it is no exaggeration to say she talked constantly of her excitement over all the many new colors and styles available.

I was a little shocked to see the correspondence going back and forth between DB and Injinji. The Injinji reps seemed almost surprised that someone knew so much about their products. I had always assumed that they had a picture of her at headquarters with the title “Best Unpaid Spokeswoman”.  (A little digging through her tweets will turn up countless instances of her singing their praises.)

The wonderful Injinji folks were kind enough to send us several pairs of socks to test out. They sent us trail socks, original weight run socks, lightweight run socks, and even knee high compression socks. Below, you see a picture of the lovely DB enjoying her trail socks.  Note how pristine the socks are. This will be the last picture of the Injinjis you will see, that are not covered in mud and/or sweat.   

Trail Socks: very soft and cushion-y

You can also check out this video of Injinjis in action.

If that video wasn't enough running awesomeness for you, keep reading. And even if it was, keep reading.

In order to add more masculinity to the blog, my photos will include sweat, mud, and dirt. 

To see clean photos of their socks, visit their website http://www.injinji.com/

Trail Socks

The Injinji socks require a little more patience to put on that your average sock. You must individually place each toe in a individual “toe pocket”. This is not their term, I just can’t think of what else to call it. The sock was extremely comfortable, however, it did take a little time to get accustomed to the individual “toe pocket”.  If you have read my earlier posts, you know that I, like many guys, have a love of pockets.

I must admit, I was a little skeptical of the trail socks. While they are very comfortable and I believe they offer more cushion than my other socks, they also feel thicker. I was worried they may retain sweat/water/mud and feel soggy. 

I was wrong. 

It has been very wet here in North Florida for the last month, and I have worn them for trail runs and several trail races. During each run, the socks were subjected to serious amounts of mud.

Not only were the trail socks extremely comfortable, they kept the dirt/mud from my toes. They wicked the moisture away from my feet and the toe pockets kept my feet feeling great.

The socks look pretty dirty after the race, however, my feet feel awesome.

Apparently, the purple socks have some magical power that keep trail dirt from accumulating on the sock.  Note: In keeping with the masculinity promise, the socks while not necessary muddy, are sweaty. Yet, my feet feel nice and dry.  

Both pairs shown are the Trail 2.0 Midweight Mini-Crew.


Knee High Compression Socks

I decided to put these to work during a virtual half marathon I ran with some friends. Over 13.1 miles, they spent time on mud trails, grass trails, concrete sidewalks, and asphalt. After spending a few extra minutes getting the socks on, they were extremely comfortable. I do recommend putting them on and walking around for a few minutes before putting your shoes on. This makes it easier to make sure your feet are completely in the “toe pockets”.

My long runs in the past have left me with some small blisters on my toes. These socks never failed. Within the first two miles, both of my feet were submerged in muddy water while running the trail portion of our half marathon. I then spent the next 11.1 miles sweating like it was going out of style. The socks did a great job of wicking away the water and keeping me from getting blisters. The compression gave me excellent support, yet was extremely comfortable. These will definitely be my go-to socks for my long runs from now on.
  
Of course, DisneyBride had been telling me at least once a week for the past year that this would happen.  That once I tried them, I would never want to wear anything but Injinjis for my training runs ever again. She is right, of course. But kudos to her for not gloating... this time.

Enjoy the pic of my amazing legs.

These socks pictured above are the Compression 2.0 OTC.  


So now, you want your very own pair of Injinjis.  I know you do.

The awesome folks at Injinji have been very generous and permitted us to give away two (2) pairs of their Trail Socks to one very lucky runner.

Terms of the Giveaway:

1) Giveaway ends August 15th at midnight. Winner will be announced and notified on August 16th.

2) Winner will receive two (2) pairs of Injinji trail socks. The product will ship from Injinji.  Retail value is $39.99.

3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. Winner must provide a US mailing address to receive prize.

4) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.

5) One winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below.

6) In the event winner does not respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided within a one week period, another winner will be selected at random.

7) Void where prohibited.

~DG

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received.  We each received running socks from Injinji in exchange for hosting this giveaway.  Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated are our own.  We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

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Top Ten List: Tips to "Beat the Heat"

Like most of you reading this, we've got marathons and halfs and challenges looming this fall.  And with that comes the mandatory training runs.

Does anyone else feel like a postman sometimes?

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

The 'swift' part definitely does not apply to me, but the persistence through extreme weather does.
Here in North Florida, we get the most extreme temps in the state: the coldest winters and the hottest summers.  So, today's topic: How do DisneyGroom and I ' beat the heat' on our summer runs?

1) In summer, we run nearly exclusively on shaded, woodsy trails.  If this is an option for you, give it a try.  It can be up to ten degrees cooler in the shade.

2) Drink ICE COLD water or sports drinks.  Regular water isn't going to lower your body temperature. A 'slushie' drink will.  Add copious amounts of crushed ice to your water or Powerade. Drink one BEFORE your run and carry one to sip during your run.

3) Take a cold shower or jump in a pool or tub BEFORE your run. This will lower your core temperature. So at the very least the first part of your run you will be more comfortable.  If you can take the plunge 'mid-run' even better.  Split up your long runs with a quick swim or find some sprinklers to run through.  It was fun when you were a kid. We promise: it is STILL fun.  I've even started doing some running in light rain.  Thought I would hate it, but I love it.  As long as there is no lightning, you're good!

4) Run early morning, late evening.  Of course try to avoid 10am - 4pm, the hottest part of the day.

5) Long runs: always go with a buddy.  If you feel faint or dizzy, he or she can get help.

6) Put some ice in a bandana, roll it up, and tie loosely around your neck to wear on your run.  As it melts it will keep your neck cool.

7) Wear as little as possible. The 3 Ss of our summer runs:  singlets, shorts, and sunscreen.

8) Wear a lightweight running hat.  Sounds weird, but soak it in cold water before you put it on.  During a long run, occasionally douse your hat/head with water.

9) Drop to and maintain a slower pace than normal.  Insert some walking. Galloway aficionados already know this.  97 degree days are not the time to be smashing PRs.  Hard-core types, I'm talking to you.

10) Forgive yourself if you don't get all your training miles completed.  Be flexible with the training plan.  If you absolutely MUST get in a 14 mile run that day - try 7 miles in the morning, then 7 in the evening.  We are human beings, not cheetahs.  Its okay to slow down.  

If all else fails, try some of the strategies show here by our friends, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald in this "Stayin' Cool" cartoon.

I particularly like Goofy's 'popsicle bath' at 2:25  


Stayin' Cool on Disney Video

We are not medical professionals.  But the advice above came straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.  A local runner/sports medicine doctor provided us these tips on summer running and races.  Please please please use your best judgment when hitting the pavement this summer. Your primary objective should not be to get in all your miles, but to not get heat stroke.  Consult your physician right away if you are getting headaches or don't feel quite right during or after your workouts.  Always take cool showers and rest quietly after your runs. Best to err on side of caution.
~DB

Tells us, how do you 'stay cool' on your summer runs?

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