tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47445203063681031982024-03-17T02:51:57.324-04:00Running Happily Ever AfterThe runDisney Adventures of a Disney Bride and GroomDisney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-83142781919154201452016-04-14T03:23:00.002-04:002016-04-14T18:32:21.583-04:00Recap: 2016 Ironman 70.3 Florida Relay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've heard it said that every athlete will get a DNF at some point. It is just a matter of when. Well, this is the story of mine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Most of our readers are runners, not triathletes, so this recap will go into some detail describing the process and also things unique to this event. I am telling this from a Back of the Pack perspective. You know those people that are the last ones to cross the finish line? That's my tribe. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you are a triathlete reading this, I apologize in advance for the over-explanations. This was also our first time at a long distance triathlon event so everything was a new experience.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our plan was this: DisneyGroom would swim 1.2 miles, DisneyBride would bike 56 miles, DisneyGroom would run 13.1 miles to equal the 70.3, a half Ironman distance. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Since this event was a team effort, the recap is written by both of us, DisneyBride's sections are red, DisneyGroom's sections are in blue. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We arrived late Friday night for a Sunday race. Our hotel was about 8 miles from the race location. The race itself is held at the beautiful Lake Eva Community Park in Haines City, Florida.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Saturday morning we headed to the park. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Ironman Village was an outdoor expo. There was a stage, a handful of vendor booths, and a few larger sprawling vendor tents for specialty cycling, running, and tri apparel and gear. If you forgot bike shoes, nutrition, shorts, bras, socks, even if you forgot your bike - whatever... you could get it there. The Ironman branded merchandise tent was absolutely MASSIVE. They even had changing rooms.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">There was a booth to rent racing tires, which I thought was interesting. Also there was a large pen for pick up and drop off of bike transport. It was a private company that coordinates bike shipping internationally and domestically for those athletes that fly in or otherwise cannot bring their bike themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Packet pickup went smoothly. Relay teams had their own table for checking in and picking up our bibs, swim caps, and getting our athlete wristbands put on. I had a minor freak out the day before when I realized I did not have my USAT card with me for check in. (Every athlete participating in a triathlon event must have one.) But thankfully someone told me about the member card app, I downloaded it and viola! I had a digital version. But as it turned out, no one ever asked for it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">There was another table to pick up your timing chip (the tracking anklet), another table for shirts and race bags, and a final one where a volunteer stuffed our race bags with sponsor swag: Red Bull, Clif Bars, Lava magazines, cold therapy packs, Old Spice items, and one nice touch from name sponsor, UCF: gold Schwings for our race shoes. Everything moved VERY quickly and we didn't have to wait in any lines. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">My coach had instructed us to do several walk-thrus of the transition area, and several other people in our tri club whom have done this event in previous years also stressed the importance of doing this on various occasions. Apparently this transition area is trickier than others. And so it was. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">We started from the beach where you exit the lake, then found the Relay tent where we and all the other relays teams would hand off our timing chip. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Then we looked for Swim Out, which is the entrance to the Bike transition. The racks were numbered. I found our team number and was dismayed to see that the relays racks were the furthest from the Bike Out. Also Bike Out and Bike In were one and the same. This means to start my bike leg, I had to put on my helmet and bike shoes and run through transition with my bike past all the other bikes to head Out to the bike mount area, and then get on my bike to begin the course. Then when I came back after completing the 56 miles, I would have to dismount, and then walk my bike all the way back through the transition to rack it. I envied those people near the exit and the top level, because they only had to run a very short distance with their bikes. I'm a klutz, and it is not easy to run in cycling shoes, much less while rolling your bike along. What also made this transition a little tricky is that it was an outdoor parking lot with two levels, and you had to wind around from the bottom to the top level to get out. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Athletes wanting to 'test out the waters' so to speak, were given the opportunity to swim in the lake the day before the race. Lake Eva is closed to swimmers all year long. It is only open for swimming to triathletes registered for this race and only during the race weekend. So unlike the run or bike course which we can access any time we are in the area, this is the only chance we have to get into the water before race day. The buoys were already up for the course the next morning. There were kayaks, jet skis, and plenty of personnel and volunteers patrolling the water and the shores for safety. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">We put on our timing chips and crossed under the arch just like we would on race day. The timing chip also allowed race staff to track which athletes went in and came back out. We had from 11am - 2pm to go in and out of the water as much as we liked.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I'm glad I took advantage of the open water swim time. The course is an "M" shape and the turns can be tricky. The opportunity to swim out to the turns and see them from the water was definitely helpful on race day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">After his swim, we went to the stage for the athlete briefing to receive any additional race instructions. I'm glad we did not miss this, because they announced a lot of important info not in the athlete guide, including course cut offs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I knew the swim cut off was 1 hour, 10 minutes after your wave start, and I knew the bike cut off was 5 hours, 30 minutes after swim start, and the run cut off was 8 hours, 30 minutes after swim start. I also knew that Ironman race cut offs are very strictly enforced - ruthlessly so.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">But they announced <b>that the aid stations would have cut offs as well. </b> WHAT THE WHAT??? </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had actually emailed Ironman with this question a few weeks ago, and received the response that they do not and would not have aid station cut offs. So this was news to me. The second aid station on the bike course at Mile 33 would have a cut off of 11:45 am. The third aid station on bike course at Mile 43 would have a cut off of 12:30. When I heard this, my heart sank, because while I felt okay about making the first cut off at aid station 2, with the worst of the hills between those two stops, it would be a struggle. I went up for questions at the end of the talk and asked him to confirm the times for me. The race director said "yes, these are the aid station cut off times, but really it is just for athletes that cannot continue." Words that would come back to haunt me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A runner friend of ours, Bill (blogger at <a href="https://rillaruns.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">RillaRuns</a>) lives nearby and he popped over to hang out with us for a bit. Then at 2 pm, bike check in opened. I went and got my bike from the car and brought it over to transition. I showed my event wristband and was admitted to the bike area. All the racks were arranged in numerical order according to bib numbers, and a</span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> very nice touch,</span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">on the rack itself - stickers with the individual bib numbers had been placed on there and were spaced neatly apart with plenty of room. This would make it easier to find your bike, and also prevent anyone from moving your bike to squeeze their bike into your rack (can happen at other races). </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I found my number, racked my bike, and let some of the air out of the tires. My coach had put this instruction in my race plan and I was glad she did. Apparently with the heat, the tubes might pop if left out for so long. Then I left my bike there. </span><br />
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Doesn't my bike look lonely?</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Sounds crazy but I had a very bittersweet moment leaving her overnight. I joked that I now know what parents feel like when they drop their kids off at summer camp. My bike and I have gotten really close these past several months. I have to depend on my bike for training and race day, so I try to take good care of her, and don't even keep her in the garage. Some of you might relate to this, but most of you just probably think that sounds nuts. I'm okay with that. Suffice to say leaving her in the care of strangers was weird.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Then that was it. We went off to find food, because by now we were starving. There were a few food trucks and vendors there, but surprisingly for an event full of ridiculously fit people, it was mostly carnival style junk food. There was one vendor with smoothies and fruit, but it was mid afternoon and we needed a substantial meal. We ended up going to Sweet Tomatoes in Kissimmee. We actually eat at this location before about half of our runDisney races. It's a buffet with plenty of vegan options, so we were all set. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A quick stop at Target for some provisions, then we went back to our hotel for the earliest bedtime I have had since I was a toddler. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I got Tritats (temporary tattoos with your bib number) for Disney Groom and we put then on, since his arms and legs would be uncovered during the race. I would be covered in cooling sleeves and compression socks.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u>Race Day</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Four a.m. wake up. We got dressed, grabbed our transition bags and my bike pump and headed to the start. Street parking may have been plentiful earlier, but we missed out. We paid $10 to park on the grass by a church a few blocks from the park. It was pitch black out, the neighborhood is not well-lit, and I was relieved I was not trying to navigate my bike through strange streets in the darkness. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I briefly stopped at Body Marking, to get my bib number put on my arms, and the R on my left calf designating Relay. If I were not doing a relay, my age would be placed prominently on my left calf instead. There is no room for vanity regarding your age in triathlon. It's right there for the whole world to see. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I got to my bike and DG pumped the tires for me. I filled up my Speedfil (hydration system) with ice and coconut water, loaded my pockets with a few wet wipes in a ziploc baggie (3 words: Race Day Portapotties) and I put my nutrition (Hammer nutrition bars that I pre-cut into cubes) into my bento box. For my coach reading this: yes, I did bring along extra packets of Skratch powder to mix up my hydration drink at aid stations. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Don't we look great? (She says sarcastically.) Still trying to wake up here.</span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">It felt chilly and we put on all the clothes we had with us to try and stay warm. Our friend Bill came by to hang out with us again for part of the morning. After DG left for the swim, I was very glad to have someone to chat with to distract me and keep me from getting too anxious.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><u>The relay start</u></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The race starts in waves, like corrals in road races. But unlike road races, where you are seeded according to your pace - in triathlon it is according to age groups. Each wave is provided a different color of swim cap to identify themselves. Some triathlons may also have designated waves for Elites, PC (physically challenged) athletes, Relays, Athenas (women weighing over 165 pounds), and Clydesdales (men weighing over 220 pounds). To compete as an Athena or Clydesdale, you have a weigh in the day before the race to prove what you weigh. This event had some of these classes, but not all of these. As you can see from the guide below, we were assigned the last wave at this event. That is not always the case for relays. But what it does mean is that each course for the swim, bike, and run will be closing right behind our wave. So slow relay athletes (raises hand) are more likely to get swept off the course than slow athletes in earlier waves.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">To put it in runDisney terms, imagine you are in the last corral for the marathon, and even though you trained very hard for 9 months, your pace is exactly a 16:00 min/mile. You have no margin for error - no potty breaks, no character stops, no photos, not even stopping to tie your shoes, or catch your breath at a water stop. If you stop, you will get swept. Well, that's what we were up against.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><u>Swim</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">The first wave started before sunrise. That must have been interesting swimming out into a dark lake. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">With a 8:05 swim start, at 7:30 I headed down to the beach to line up. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I will say this about the swim- there is no training to prepare you for getting kicked in the face! After getting kicked, I did manage to get into a pretty nice groove. I don't feel like I swam too far off course at any point, and I probably should have pushed myself a little harder. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">One note on doing this particular course. Make sure to swim all the way to the shore on your exit. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I stood up about 15 feet from the water's edge and took two steps before falling into a hole that was deeper than me. Apparently, someone had told me about this (I think it was DisneyBrides's coach's husband actually), but I had forgotten by race day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">I did manage to swim the course within about 2 minutes of my goal. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I was already dressed in cycling gear, gloves, bike shoes, and ready to go when DisneyGroom arrived from his swim. As soon as I saw him running up the ramp, I fastened my bike helmet. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">DG ran up to the tent and as he handed me his goggles and swim cap, I handed him his glasses. Then he removed his timing chip and placed it on my left ankle (left side so as not to bump against bike gearing). A quick good luck kiss and I was off.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I ran into the transition area and grabbed my bike off the rack. Since relay was the final wave, most of the lot was empty of bikes and athletes, so I wasn't fighting any bottlenecks on my way out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Felt like it took forever maneuvering my bike through there. No one was running though, or really appeared to be hurrying. I had been to a Transition Clinic the week before put on by my local tri club, Gulf Winds Triathletes. and I picked up several timesaving tips. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">At last, I went under the arch and crossed the Bike Mount line and got on my bike to start my race. You start on an uphill. It's a little steep (for Florida) actually. I could hear my coach's voice: Always always always start in an easy gear, <u>especially</u> on an uphill.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">WOO HOO! It was happening at last!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><u>Bike</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">My legs started pedaling, and my feet instinctively clipped into the pedals like they had a mind of their own. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had my Garmin 910xt mounted on the handlebars already. So I started it up and went to Virtual Racer. I had preloaded the bike course, set it to 4:15 (my goal pace) and planned to 'race' against it to help keep me on track. You know the rule about nothing new on race day? Yeah - I broke it. I had watched a youtube video and thought I knew how it worked. NOPE. It was showing a 4 hour pace and I could not figure out what any of the data fields were... Ooops! I would have to ride naked and blind for 4.5 hours! </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I shut it down and restarted it, but still had the same 4 hour pace and screens that didn't make any sense to me showing.. well crap... now what?</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">But wait, I had my Garmin Vivoactive on my wrist. This would save the day! It was already synced to my speed and cadence sensor on my bike, so those started right up, but it was not synced to my recently replaced heart rate monitor, so I would later find that no HR data was captured. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I put my Vivoactive on the handle bars but I didn't have time to tighten it down. All this is happening while I am riding the first 1 1/2 miles of the course, rollers (back to back hills) through a suburban neighborhood. To say I am not the most elegant of riders is an understatement, so rather than risk my continuing to wobble and possibly crash, I just left it loosely wrapped on the bars. This was okay for most of the ride, but if the asphalt was uneven or cracked, occasionally it would knock loose and spin around face down, or the right button would get bumped against the bike stem and the timer would pause. I would notice it a minute or two later, and I had to restart the timer. Probably happened about 5 times. So my recorded data is not perfect. C'est la vie!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">So many thoughts and emotions running through me those first few miles.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Scared... of crashing</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Worried... that I will get a leg cramp or a flat tire...</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Nervous... that my stomach might decide to stage a mutiny many miles away from any facilities,</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Fear... of getting attacked by a pack of wild boars (more on that later),</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Disbelief... that this is really happening at last, </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Joy... that I got to be outside on a gorgeous Florida day,</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Awe... over the adaptive and challenged athletes I saw competing out here this morning, </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Wondering... just how far can I go today? </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">But most of all - gratitude. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude for the absolutely perfect weather conditions, </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude for my wonderful Triattic triathlon coach whom prepared me for this day, </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude for my amazingly supportive husband and relay partner, </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude to our friends that showed up to cheer for us today,</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude to my bike shop, Higher Ground, in Tallahassee, for the bike fittings, gear, and advice to help me become a capable cyclist,</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude for everyone involved in the race- athletes, cops, volunteers, race officials, spectators, and</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gratitude that I am blessed with good health and strong legs that are able to transport me 56 miles. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had never seen it during the morning like this, but I began to recognize the bike course from previous visits. Last September, we were in Orlando and we came down and drove the bike course all the way through. During Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, I brought my bike and rode the first half of the course to become more familiar with it. Then again in March, we came down and I rode the second half. I don't like surprises, so I wanted to know what the road conditions were like, where the tricky turns are, what kind of hills I will have to climb, etc. I knew which landmarks to look for, I knew which hills would challenge me the most, and I knew which roads were in DESPERATE need of repaving (Lake Marion, Jim Edwards cough cough). Also I had seen wild boars during each of these trips, the first time we drove here we saw a whole pack (even<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgfbVuXyW-4" target="_blank"> got it on film here</a>) and I was hoping and praying I would not see any on race day. I reached down and pulled out the safety whistle I was wearing around my neck, under my jersey. The shrill noise might not frighten off boars that may charge at me, but it made me feel better having the whistle, if only to alert others. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The bike course loops through mostly farmland with a few neighborhood clusters along the way. There are lake views during some portions, but the most striking thing are the citrus groves. On previous rides here, I found myself suddenly surrounded with a very familiar smell. In Walt Disney World, EPCOT's popular ride, Soarin' has a moment where you are flying over orange groves. The scent of oranges fills the air - powerful, sweet, tart... then quickly it is gone. Imagine riding on a bike past miles and miles of citrus trees; you are surrounded on both sides of the road. It is absolutely heavenly. On race day, I knew I would encounter citrus groves at various spots along the course and I was eager to get to them. It literally took my breath away, and I sniffed the air like a dog hanging his head out of a car window. (You can see the oranges look ready to be picked.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">During these first few miles, I was passed by several other athletes. I don't really know how many, but at least 30, perhaps more. As they came up behind me, many shouted encouraging words. So I did the same. "Looking strong! Keep that pace </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">going! stuff like that. There were maybe 5 or so athletes that snuck up and whizzed past without so much as an 'on your left' to warn me. I shouted 'Have a great race!" to those riders too. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">By Mile 5, I began to have ... umm... discomfort in the lady bits area. This happens sometimes. I had put on TriSlide at 4 am, and it was now 9:30am. It's supposed to last through a full day, but maybe it was wearing off? I looked at the clock and groaned... how the heck can I endure this for another 51 miles? I moved my butt further back on the seat and that took the pressure off. Miraculously, it didn't bother me the rest of the ride.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Because the bike course is just one big long 56 mile loop, there are very few spectators. Well maybe they were there for the previous waves, but there was not much excitement happening at the end of the pack, so if they were out earlier, they were gone by now. When I did see a spectator, I shouted Thank You! Every single cop I saw on the entire course, I shouted Thank You! Every volunteer who caught my eye, Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I am slow. I was anticipating being out on the course for over 4 hours. You may not ride side by side with other athletes, when passing you have 25 seconds to put a distance of six bike lengths between you, or you risk a drafting penalty. Race conditions are not conducive to carrying on a conversation with anyone. I've run for four hours before, and always had other runners nearby to talk to. I've been on group rides where I can chat with other cyclists. But here I was, my first long distance race on a bike, I found myself faced with only my own thoughts for company. There was nothing else to do, so I smiled, waved, and said thank you to everyone I saw. It was the only human interaction available to me. But the more I did this, the more cheerful I became. Yep, my small grinch heart grew three sizes that day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I reached the first aid station, about Mile 17, and my coach will cringe when she reads this... (sorry Jo) but I didn't stop to refill my Speedfil bottle. I had plenty of fluids left to get me to the next aid station at Mile 33, so I grabbed a water bottle a volunteer was holding out, took a quick swig, then dumped it all over my arms, neck, and back. The temps had started climbing and this cooled me down and felt great. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I was invigorated by the cool water and picked up my pace. Then I settled in to enjoy the mostly flat road, because I knew that would come to an end soon enough.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">At almost exactly the mid point of the race, the real hills begin. Now, this is nothing if you live in Colorado. But for a Florida resident... these are Hills with a capital H. Long gradual climbs over a mile long.... ugh - the worst. Shorter steep ones... also not fun - for a chubby girl. I must have been having one heck of a great day, because I made it up all those hills, butt-in-the-saddle, slow and steady. My friend Ashley told me later, she saw some athletes walking their bikes up the hills. For all the months grumbling about training on hills, and for all my stubbornness in learning my bike gears, it all came together.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I got to the second aid station, Mile 33 at 11:29, 16 minutes ahead of the cut off! Yes!!! I really wanted to keep going. But this time I knew I had to stop. I yelled out to the volunteers, I'm going to pull over and I need water. There was a row of tables bunched together pretty close together and there were many volunteers standing in front of the tables. I rode past the first table with water, the second table with Gatorade, the third table with GUs, the fourth table - had chocolate chip cookies, and finally there was a break where I could get off the road. I unclipped and discovered my legs forgot how to stand upright. ha ha. I carefully dismounted and I am standing there --- no water nearby. A volunteer approaches.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Me: May I please have some water? </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Volunteer: ummm... There's umm... no water over here. Hang on... (turns back and shouts) Do you have any water left? </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I hear: water? .. no... these are my bottles, I am drinking them..</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">He looks back at me, I am too stunned to say a word, but I must look pretty pathetic, because he says, I'll find you a water and runs off towards a table far away from us. Before I can ask him to bring me two bottles, he is gone. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">He comes back after what seems like AGES later and hands me a bottle. We fill up my Speedfil to the top and the bottle is empty. It is now really hot and I wanted to dump a bottle on myself. I tell him, I'm sorry - I need more water. Off he goes again, running towards that faraway table. The only table apparently that still has water. He comes back and I take a few swigs, then dump the water over my arms, back, and down the front of my jersey. I hand him the empty bottle and get back on my bike. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I am now nervous about being on the clock. I don't know how many minutes this was, but I told myself, I was slightly above pace for the first half, so once I get past these hills, I will make up the lost time when the course gets flatter again. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">As I am leaving, I notice a car with a Bike Tech sign parked at the far end of the aid station. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Similar to road races, there are designated spots after the aid stations where you can toss your cups on the ground (in this case - bottles) and volunteers will pick them up. In triathlon, if you are caught tossing trash outside of these designated zones, you could get a penalty for littering. I had heard of this, but this was my first experience with them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Well either a lot of athletes got penalties or the referees missed this section because the following mile of road was an absolute landmine of bottles and gel wrappers. It was a quick down hill and then up hill, and here is where the real trouble started.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I am very slow climbing up hills. A turtle wearing a blindfold could beat me. I go so slow that I am sometimes in danger of toppling over because I am not moving forward fast enough. It only happened once... okay twice... during training sessions months ago. I've worked on my gearing for many weeks to get better and I have improved. But I wasn't prepared for the obstacle course of race trash. I changed gears too quickly without enough momentum, and boom... my chain dropped. I tried to spin out of it, but no... man down. man down.... MEDIC!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had no choice. I unclipped, dismounted, and moved my bike into the grass. I was thankful that I had learned how to put my chain back on. So I get the chain back on, sighing over my now filthy grease covered hands, and get back on to ride.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">This is where I remember the last rider of the day passing me. A woman with long brown hair and a red and white kit. I had seen several athletes with flats or bike trouble further back. I know some got moving again and passed me but not all of them did.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I advance maybe 5 feet. Loud scraping, chain catches hard, my bike jerks and I almost fall over. I dismount again. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I didn't know anything about bikes several months ago. I didn't even have a road bike until last September when I began to train for this event. So I had to learn bike lingo and basic repairs quickly. Well this had happened to me before. I knew what to look for and sure enough there it was.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Behind the front derailleur and chain there is a small flat aluminum plate that is mounted to the bike frame. Not all bikes have it, but carbon bikes will often have one to protect the frame from this: a dropped chain taking little bites or making gouges. That little chain guard was bent. And it was bent A LOT. The dropped chain caught on it and pulled it partially away from the frame. It was now sticking out far enough that it scraped the chain and did not allow it move freely. My bike shop has fixed this before for me, but I didn't have shop tools at my disposal. I did have a tiny little folding multi-tool kit in my saddle bag. I pulled out one of the Allen keys and set to work trying to push in the skid plate and flatten it back down, at least enough that the chain would clear. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I also noticed that the Bike Tech vehicle I saw earlier was headed towards me. I did the best I could, and by then bike tech arrived. I thought about saying - No, I'm good and then trying to keep going - scraping and all. But I had an expert there, so I had him look at it. He checked it out closely, ran it through all the gears, asked me about the clicking noise, said he didn't notice any scraping, then he made a slight adjustment to the derailleur. There was actually still some mild scraping, and I knew I would need to get to my bike shop back home and have this repaired. But it was good enough to finish the race.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I said Thank you and he said he would be out here if I needed him. I asked is there another bike tech further up the road, he said - no, it's just me - until the end of the course. I got back on my bike... uphill starts..ugh.. and kept going. I glanced at my Garmin... it was 11:48. That was it. I knew at that point I was done. Unless I suddenly sprouted wings, I won't make the next cut off. It was the hilliest stretch of the course, and I had nearly ten miles to go in 40 minutes. Easy peasy for many, sure. But even with a few downhills, I knew my pace would end up averaging 10 and 11 mph until I got back on the flats. My one consolation was that I had already made it up these hills last month without having to get off and walk my bike, so I knew I already knew I could do this course. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Well, as much as it sucked, I would do like I did at Princess Half Marathon in 2013, when I knew I was behind pace and sweeping could happen at any moment. I would just keep going until a race official told me I had to stop. And not a moment sooner.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had not gone more than 1/2 a mile when a motorcycle cop rides up next to me: Hey Monica!!! </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">(I am thinking: How do you know my name? It's not on the bib, and I'm not wearing a bib anyway.) Instead I say... "Was I speeding, Officer?" I am not sure he heard me, but he smiles then says - your friend is waiting for you at the top of the hill. Holding a sign and everything! So don't go thinking about giving up. You keep going! </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Wow. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">It was like a Fairy Godfather appearing out of nowhere with a message of hope. That was exactly what I needed to hear at a low point like this. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I wasn't sure if the 'friend' was our friend Bill from earlier, or if it was another friend, Ashley. She lives in Lakeland, about an hour away, and I know her from the Athena Triathletes facebook group. In fact, she rode the back half of this course with me last month as a training ride. She was not racing today, but said she would come out to cheer. Athletes are prohibited from having ANY communication devices on the course at any time during the race: no ipods, no radios, no mobile phones (gasp! I KNOW!), not even cameras (including Go Pros). It's an immediate DQ (disqualification, not Dairy Queen). Without my phone this morning, I had no way of knowing if she ever came, where she was, or anything. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">It had to be her. I really hoped it was her. Ashley is pretty awesome and has the coolest job, as an operations director for some major endurance events. She is living the dream. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I kept going. Hill after hill, after hill. After hill. The motorcycle cop came by again. "Your friend is wondering where you are. Keep going! You are doing great. I'll ride up ahead to say you are almost there." He caught me right when I was out of breath, so I didn't get to ask who it was, I just nodded and kind of smiled pathetically.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Around Mile 39, I see this crazy woman wearing donut leggings and holding a neon green Go Monica! sign. Unmistakably Ashley. I start waving. I yell out Thank you! Without stopping I ride by and I ask her to send a FB message to Bill that I had bike issues and am behind pace, but I am still going. I thought at the time Bill might still be with my husband and he could pass along the message. She says okay, and I continue on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">More hills..</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">At Mile 41, I hear a car behind me. I've had several cars behind me all day, but they have all gone around as soon as the oncoming lane was clear. This one didn't. Other cars pass, but I can hear the same engine - close behind me. I flash back to 2013 Princess again, the line of sweeper vans snaking right behind me. I remember wishing I hadn't looked back and seen them. This time, I didn't look back. I didn't want to look back. I kept my eyes ahead and kept moving. I saw the turn I needed to take and the 3rd aid station right in front. It is now 12:35. A man walks out into the road and stretches out both arms. The universal symbol for 'I'm blocking your path'. He says very simply, "you need to get off your bike." So I do. Then I see other athletes and bikes being loaded into vans. I don't know how many. I saw at least four, there were more already in the other vans. I'm standing off to the side awaiting further instruction, and a volunteer walks over to me and whispers.. "just go!" I say, huh? He says, "if you are fine, and your bike is fine... then just go. It's a public road - they can't stop you!" I ponder this for a moment. And am sooo very tempted. The course cut off is 1:35, so really <u>I have one full hour remaining on the clock to get just 13 measly little miles</u>. The worst of the hills are behind me, it is mostly flats. I feel good, I could totally do this. The volunteer says to the man in charge, the guy who stopped me -- " hey, why not just let her finish?" One word response: NO. He looks at me and says.. "well that sucks." I know, dude. I know. I see Ashley drive past. She says she messaged Bill, but he had already left Ironman Village and wasn't with my husband anymore. My husband didn't know what was happening... I had no way to reach him, and all I wanted to do was get to him.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Loading bike into SAG wagon</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I had about 5 minutes of standing around in the chaos of people and SAG wagons, and packing up water tables, where I could have made a break for it. But I didn't. Maybe they wouldn't notice me for a while. .. hmm.. They had cars and could catch me before I had gone even a mile. I accepted that my race was truly over. Some might have pitched a fit about unfairness, and in some ways I don't think it was fair that I had to stop, when I was able to continue. But I looked around at all those people there. They all have a job to do, and most are giving up their Sunday morning for no pay. I really didn't want to be THAT person, the one that causes problems. I fully intend to do other Ironman events, and I don't want to get banned or labeled a troublemaker at my first one. No, I will be good. This time. </span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I got in the van; there was another athlete there with his bike. We waited what seemed like a very long while. I tried a few times to converse, but he had not been having a good day, so I was mostly quiet after that. The SAG wagon driver got a call, and gave the other person our bib numbers. Then he asked us to turn in our timing chips. I asked him to ask the person on the phone to please notify my husband in the relay tent what was happening. The driver was a volunteer and this was his first experience with a tri. He had a lot of questions about the bikes, how the race works, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">He then tells us about a woman they picked up earlier that morning with a punctured tire. He describes with some horror, the massive meltdown she had, crying, screaming, tears, uncontrollable sobbing, the works. Then how she wanted to call around and put another tire on her bike to continue her race. Newbie that I am, even I knew that was against the rules. The volunteers had been talking about it all morning and some were really shaken up by it, because how do you handle someone completely freaking out like that? Okay, now I am really glad I didn't cause a scene, or even put up any kind of protest.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Having someone that was chatty kept my mind occupied. I was okay, but was not looking forward to seeing my husband's face and telling him that he wouldn't get to run. I love him so much and I know he worked really hard with swim training all these many months. How he put up with a messy house, and me spending a lot of money and time on this new <strike>hobby</strike> obsession. How could I disappoint him like this? </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The van dropped us off and I saw that they had taken both my tires off to fit bike in the van. The back tire is tricky, with the chain assembly, but after a few minutes, I got them back on, good enough to stay on, but not secure enough to ride. Then I asked "what's next?" I was told - "just head back to transition". So I started walking my bike that way. As I got closer I saw DisneyGroom waiting in the relay tent with one other person. He got excited and waved. Then he looked confused, probably because I was walking my bike. From this far away, I realized he did not get the message that I was swept. By this point, there was still 35 minutes before the bike course would cut off, and bikes continued to stream in. He thought I had finished the course and was coming to do the hand off. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I was about 50 yards away when I stopped and slowly shook my head. He stared at me for a moment, then he turned and left the tent. It was the only time that day that I wanted to cry...</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">But I didn't cry. Not on race day. I never went into transition. I had turned in my chip. If there was some other step that we needed to do, then I missed it. We had our race shirts, a couple of items I got at the expo, and our race bags. But this is the first time we came home from a race with no medals. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Watching DisneyBride walk up to Bike In and not riding her bike was scary. I couldn't tell what the problem was. When I finally got to her I was just so relieved she wasn't hurt. I didn't care about the bike or anything else. But, it did alert me to a something other relay teams may want to think about. Without communication devices and no quick way to get to her, I was left thinking the worst. A simple predetermined hand signal could have alleviated the issue. Guess it's time to review the divers signals handbook. It should work pretty well, even if you are seeing each other from far away. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Here I am, two days later, and I admit to having some regrets that I didn't make a break for it at the 3rd aid station. The race director's words at the athlete briefing came back to haunt me "the aid station cut offs are really just for athletes that cannot continue". That wasn't me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">I did my best. Could I have done any better? I don't think so. My hydration and nutrition was on point. I trained for headwinds and hills and got through those just fine. The delays I had with the water at the aid station, with the chain guard - maybe they could have been avoided. Maybe not. This was not my day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">My bike splits here, broken into every five miles tell the story. I am doing better than average (for me) splits early on, because I know the back half of the course will be a lot slower. Why? Several reasons: 1) Will be around 12 noon, hottest part of the day. 2) Fatigue kicks in. 3) Surrounded by mostly miles and miles of farmland and without any buildings or tall trees nearby to block the wind, the headwinds can be strong enough to knock you off your bike. But 4) The biggest reason of all: because t</span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">he hills really start to kick in right around the midpoint of the course. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">In order to finish within the cut off, I needed a 12.4 mile/per hour pace. Easy right? For me, that is doable... on flats. But on hills, that's where I struggle. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Gravity. Big girl. Up hill climbs a mile or more long. Not exactly a winning combination.</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">And on the hill climbing is where my pace will drop to 10 mph. And there are a fair number of climbs on this course. It's not Utah or Colorado kind of hills of course, but definitely more than you would expect in Florida.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Oh and we did meet up later with my friend and super awesome cheerleader Ashley. Aren't those tights the best thing ever?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><u>My DOs and DON'Ts</u></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><br />So you think you might want to try a tri or a tri relay? Well besides the obvious, being able to swim, bike, and run - these are some of the things I've found unique to this sport that were a big help to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><u>DOs</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1) Know the rules. And there are A LOT of rules. There are sanctioning bodies that govern triathlon events. In the US, that is <a href="https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon" target="_blank">USAT</a>. Before doing any tri event, be familiar with the rules. Penalties could be issued if you are caught breaking the rules, and there are even penalty boxes where you have to sit out of the race and serve your time (like hockey). Repeat offenses or serious offenses can be an automatic DQ (disqualification). Often the DQ comes after the event, but if you are caught in the act, this means you might even be kicked out mid-race, depending on what it is you did. Race directors of individual events may add more rules unique to that race, so always read the athlete guide. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2) Find a coach. I am not someone that needs a lot of hand-holding. Until I do. And then I really need it. Last summer, when I signed up for this 70.3, I reached out to a few local triathletes I trusted and asked for recommendations. Am grateful to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/simplerobin/" target="_blank">Robin</a> for sharing her coach with me. I love my coach.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jcurry30/" target="_blank"> Jo</a> has the patience of an angel and I trusted her immediately, a rare thing for me. She has been there every step of the way, through all my triumphs and setbacks in training. For race day, she </span><span style="font-size: large;">had a detailed plan written for me, and I tried to follow it to the letter. She has done this course before, and it helped a lot having something to refer to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3) A triathlon team. If you don't have a coach, or even if you do, training with a team will help you improve. I'm the slowest swimmer, cyclist, and runner on my teams (Triattic and Gulf Winds Triathletes) but I have learned a lot from group rides, brick sessions, team swims, and other events.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4) Fuel. Meticulously plan and train with your nutrition and hydration. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Eat something about 30 minutes to one hour before your race. If you are doing a relay, this is tricky, because you have to estimate when your team mate will be coming in to hand off to you. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Find out what your race will offer and try to train with that. I can't tolerate Gatorade or Powerade, which is what most road races and triathlons offer on the course. For all my long rides and runs, I've been using </span><a href="https://www.skratchlabs.com/collections/products/products/exercise-hydration-mix?variant=864288073" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix</a><span style="font-size: large;">. The pineapple flavor is my favorite. I also prefer real food over GUs and gels. So I brought my own nutrition too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Special gear. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Besides the usual bike, tri kit (adult onesie), cycling kit, shoes, etc, we got some special items. DG is a strong swimmer, but he also can't see without his glasses. Corrective goggles (</span><a href="http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/speedo-vanquisher-optical-goggle-7789/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Speedo Vanquisher Optical</a><span style="font-size: large;">) because it will be much safer for himself and for the other swimmers if he can actually see where he is going. In a pool, this isn't that big of a deal, but in open water, sighting (spotting markers to swim to) is vital. He also got prescription sunglasses to protect his eyes while running in the sun. My special gear: <a href="http://www.invisciddesign.com/standard.htm" target="_blank">Speedfil hydration system</a>, a 40 oz bottle with a tube assembly - because I am so clumsy if I mess with bottles while moving at race pace I will most likely fall and <a href="http://www.continental-tires.com/bicycle/tyres/race-tyres/gatorskin" target="_blank">Gatorskins </a>- tires that are not designed for racing, but are thick and durable for long distance riding, with a reputation of being flat-proof. While nothing is 100% flatproof, they came recommended by my bike shop and a few other cyclists I spoke to. Most triathletes will not touch these, because they want the lightest weight possible for everything on the bike. I'll take security over saving a few seconds of speed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6) Do Believe in Yourself. One more time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Believe. In. Yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>DON'Ts</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">1) Nothing new on race day... I decided to test out Virtual Racer on my Garmin for the first time that morning. Such a bad move, it was almost comical. My backup Garmin came through. Most people don't carry two watches, but this tri geek tried to be prepared. (See what I did there...)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">2) Gear: Don't go overboard and get more than you need. There are thousands of tri-specific items on the market and the only limit is your budget. Get the basics, learn from other triathletes in your community, then figure out if you need anything special (like corrective goggles).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">3) Don't disregard the rules. There are penalties on the course if you do. And the tri community is small, so we will all hear about it.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4) Don't freak out. Okay, this may be unavoidable. But if you do freak out, don't do it on race day. I had my freak out 3 weeks before my race. I had come down to Haines City to ride the course, and it was really hot, and I was really slow. And when I looked at my Garmin data, I had a meltdown and decided I couldn't do it. I even talked to a woman I just met (a good cyclist though) about taking my place on the bike relay, and then I would be the runner. I'm glad I talked myself out of that craziness. I worked really hard for this. I received a great piece of advice. "Do your best and remember you are there to have fun." Sounds so simple, doesn't it? And on race day - it actually was. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5) Don't make yourself crazy trying to control what you cannot actually control.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">The weather. Unless you were born to a virgin in a manger, am pretty sure you have no say in how windy, how humid, or how hot it is. Be prepared for a monsoon or a scorcher.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Course conditions. Wildlife encounters. Crappy roads. After the race, write a letter to the race director or the Mayor of the town you are racing in. Let them know. But on race day, you gotta roll with it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Aid stations. Provisions and set up. Yep, I was frustrated with the accessibility or lack thereof of water at the second aid station. I don't know if there was water at every table earlier and they just ran out? or if there was only water at the first table all along. Which logistically doesn't make sense because if an athlete needs to pull over, and many do, the only place to do that is after you pass all the tables. There was nothing I could do though. And having an adult temper tantrum would have solved nothing. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Other athletes. The other guy in the SAG wagon with me had crashed. Two other athletes had zoomed past him and sharply cut him off. He flipped his bike and was pretty shaken up. You can hope most other athletes won't act like this - but nothing you can really do, except hope they get busted by an official.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6) The final Don't should really go without saying. DON'T GIVE UP. We saw a blind triathlete with his guide, an amputee, and a paraplegic athlete. Seriously! Those guys were amaze-balls! They were out there crushing their race. If they can train and race while adapting to the challenges they have, so can you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">So as I said starting out, everyone will get a DNF some day. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I have mine out of the way, and now I can focus on the business at hand: more training, more races, and more adventures for Team To Infinity and Beyond. This was our second tri relay (but it was the first long course distance) we have done as a team, and it won't be the last.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you have read this far, then YOU deserve a medal.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Run Happy!</span></span><br />
<br />Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-55113022881430415742015-12-31T07:10:00.000-05:002015-12-31T08:16:45.267-05:00Recap: 2015 Best Damn Race Marathon - Cape Coral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Since I have never run a marathon in my hometown, I decided it was about time to run a race in my old stomping grounds. Fortunately for me, Best Damn Race holds a race about 2 miles from my parent's house. Can't get too much closer to home than that. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cape Coral is in South Florida, about 7 hours south from where I currently live. The race was a good excuse to take a weekend drive down and visit the family.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The expo was held in a field adjacent to what would be the starting line. Thankfully, the weather was nice. Otherwise, it may have made packet pick-up difficult. On the upside, I was able to bring the dogs to packet pick-up. With my packet in hand, I headed back to my parents house to relax. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Race Day - </span><span style="font-size: large;">12/13/15</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Well rested and ready to run!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was very nice only <span style="font-family: inherit;">having a <span style="font-family: inherit;">3</span> minute drive to</span> the starting area. (Yes I could have walked th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e few miles, but I wanted to stay fresh for the race.<span style="font-family: inherit;">) </span>I <span style="font-family: inherit;">hung around <span style="font-family: inherit;">race village for a few m<span style="font-family: inherit;">inutes, then</span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">made my way to the corrals. The marathon and half marathon course are the same, with the marathoners enjoying a second loop. Since I had just finished Space Coast a couple of weeks previous and the weather was going to be brutal again, I planned to run/walk an easy pace and enjoy the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And we're off!</span></span></span><br />
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Most of the race ran through neigh<span style="font-family: inherit;">bo<span style="font-family: inherit;">rhoods I was very familiar with<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
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Best Damn Cheerleader! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My lovely DisneyBride brought me cold Gatorade, ice, and snacks along the course. Magnus offered me enthusiastic barks and slobbery kisses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mission accomplished! The weather turned out to be even more brutal than I had expected. My Garmin recorded temps at 93 degrees. Following the race, I wanted nothing more than to get back to my parents house and <span style="font-family: inherit;">jump</span> into the pool to cool off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Pretty solid finish line pic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I did manage to finish within about 2 minutes of my PR. Eventually, I want to have an opportunity to run a marathon with close to ideal temps. My luck, it will be at Disney, when I just want to take pictures with characters and hop on rides<span style="font-family: inherit;">! <span style="font-family: inherit;">Ha!</span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I am hot! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Really, I am very hot! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was 90+ degrees</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pro<span style="font-family: inherit;">s</span></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The aid stations were well manned. Special recognition to the volunteers from Cape Coral High School! Once a Seahawk, always a Seahawk.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Flat course.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Well marked course.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ice on the second lap. This was great to help keep the beverage in my polar bottles cold. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The finish line had plenty of food and beer<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Pollo <span style="font-family: inherit;">Tropical is a Sou<span style="font-family: inherit;">th Florida chain of cuban style <span style="font-family: inherit;">food. Beans, rice, plantains, <span style="font-family: inherit;">roasted chicken. <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">They had much so that my Wife, Mother, and Grandmother were all offered food to take home. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Finish line beer. Cold and delicious, the perfect finish line beverage. They also had a hard root beer, I tried a couple of sips. It was just too sweet for me. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I'm going to call her the 'tutu volunteer'. A woman with a boa and a colorful tutu was cheering on runners at about the 1.5 mile mark. She was beyond upbeat, not only first thing in the morning, but just as excited and cheerful at the completion of my second lap. Thank you awesome volunteer!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><b>Free</b></u> race photos. Yep, no paying extra for photos. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cons</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Super Hot. Not the race's fault, just an observation.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Not enough volunteers to manage traffic from side streets. Too many drivers going far too fast, far too close to runners.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nuun. This is more a preference issue. I don't think Nuun has enough calories for me. I also seem to remember that the website advertised a different beverage (Note: I can't find this now. Perhaps, I remembered wrong<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span>)</span> </li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This might be my favorite pic of the day. Ben and Magnus rode with DisneyBride in the car and were my furry cheerleaders. They had air conditioning. I didn't. Life ain't fair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To continue with my fairly aggressive race schedule - I have a half marathon on Jan 3 - my last longer distance race before Dopey Challenge.</span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-47840214905144413642015-12-30T23:56:00.001-05:002015-12-30T23:56:27.827-05:00Recap: 2015 Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon: PR or ER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zpOQzQg5174/VoSLR0T0HYI/AAAAAAAAEtw/i9sN6H8Adkc/s1600/SC%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zpOQzQg5174/VoSLR0T0HYI/AAAAAAAAEtw/i9sN6H8Adkc/s400/SC%2B1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DG: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">My training has been going pretty well this season. So a couple of months ago, I decide to make the Space Coast Marathon my A race. The course is flat, the weather in late November is typically good, and I didn't have any big races before Space Coast.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><u>Saturday</u></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">DB: We followed our traditional pre-Space Coast Routine again this year. After waking up early, dropping off the dogs at the vet's office, and picking up the rental car we got on the road to Cape Canaveral. It's a bit over 4 hours and we arrived just in time for lunch. I used to live in Brevard County in the late 90s, and I had a favorite falafel spot. A very tiny little - blink and you miss it place: Sinbad's. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lWlpAy7At1M/VoSuerTq7JI/AAAAAAAAEvI/fS8Q_O_X9lw/s1600/sinbad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lWlpAy7At1M/VoSuerTq7JI/AAAAAAAAEvI/fS8Q_O_X9lw/s400/sinbad.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Y<span style="font-family: inherit;">ep, <span style="font-family: inherit;">t</span></span>he logo on their sign looks like Aladdin. Maybe this was what originally piqued my interest in this place. I do love me some Aladdin. But I love falafel even more. And theirs is FANTASTIC. They add pickled red cabbage - and it is heaven. Really. This is the third year in a row that we've been coming down for this race, and the falafel meal at Sinbad's has now officially become a pre-race tradition. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WjTW_jlSlyw/VoSuosn04CI/AAAAAAAAEvQ/ncPd9v23w1g/s1600/fal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WjTW_jlSlyw/VoSuosn04CI/AAAAAAAAEvQ/ncPd9v23w1g/s400/fal.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">DG: Arriving later to the expo is not without some advantages. The lines are not bad to pick up your packet. In just a couple of seconds DisneyBride and I both had our bibs. The only long queues were in the Space Coast Marathon merchandise tent. I am so glad that a friend of mine picked up my Tervis tumblers that morning. It has be<span style="font-family: inherit;">come my tradition to collect <span style="font-family: inherit;">t<span style="font-family: inherit;">hem when they are available for races. </span></span>These sell out quickly and were already gone</span> when we made our way through the booth. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFWaYU3y2aM/VoSMrIEdJFI/AAAAAAAAEuU/-OMlAY2oeNM/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RFWaYU3y2aM/VoSMrIEdJFI/AAAAAAAAEuU/-OMlAY2oeNM/s320/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love my Tervis Tumblers! </div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the way out, we took the astronaut photo (up top) and headed to meet some friends. I really wish they would move the statues somewhere else. It makes it confusing on the way into the Expo with everyone crowding around for photos. It just seems to keep people from being able to leave and prevents people from entering. </span></span></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Race Day (Sunday - </span></u></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No<span style="font-family: inherit;">ve<span style="font-family: inherit;">mber 29, 2015</span></span></span></span>)</span></u></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFXoGDvE388/VoSLR6X4vyI/AAAAAAAAEt0/8UD70kP0KPg/s1600/SC%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFXoGDvE388/VoSLR6X4vyI/AAAAAAAAEt0/8UD70kP0KPg/s400/SC%2B2.jpg" width="375" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Y<span style="font-family: inherit;">ikes - what a scary photo!!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Pre-race - Yep - we woke up at <span style="font-family: inherit;">4am!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">DG<span style="font-family: inherit;">: </span>With the goal of setting a PR, I left the big hydration pack and mobile phone behind. Yep - <span style="font-family: inherit;">except for my Garmin, I ran 'n<span style="font-family: inherit;">aked'. </span></span>After a quick shower, a PB and J, and some Mountain Dew we were off for the start line. With a bathroom break and some catching up with friends, DisneyBride was off for her race. The half marathon starts 30 minutes before the full. A kiss and wishing each other luck, she headed for the corral. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>First Half</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After the countdown start, we were off! The weather at the start was perfect. Nice and cool (relatively) and the humidity was manageable. However, the crowding on the course seemed to be far worse than in past years. Not only on the first half of the course, but the entire course. My 1:1 intervals felt great, and I was right on pace for what my training runs had shown was possible. As I approached the half way point, a very light rain started to fall. I crossed the the mid-point right on time! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Second Half</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">How quickly things change. The temperature quickly rose, according to my watch topping out at 88 degrees. My pace plummeted and just finishing the race became the goal. I felt like I slowed to a crawl. I was not alone, it seemed like the heat was really hurting runners all around. The heat was brutal and my goal time was thrown out the window. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fortunately, the second half of the course features far more on-course support from spectators and entertainment. The cool/wet towels from the Parrot Heads were amazing. It amazing how a little heat can change what you want on the course. </span></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">I did manage to cross the finish line with a PR. The mission was accomplished, however, I had hope to cross it sooner. I think it will be a while before I try to PR a marathon again, it did take quite a bit out of me.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">DB: <span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of you may know<span style="font-family: inherit;">, I have been focused more o<span style="font-family: inherit;">n cycling lat<span style="font-family: inherit;">ely, and my running has taken a backbur<span style="font-family: inherit;">ner. I <span style="font-family: inherit;">followed a training plan but I <span style="font-family: inherit;">didn't really have high hopes for this race. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">But </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">I got lucky.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;"> There were pace groups for all paces! Yep - even for me!<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>I've neve</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">r run</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;"> with a pace </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">group before, because well - they </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">usually don't have them beyond a 16 m<span style="font-family: inherit;">in/mile pace. You know - </span>for the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">'all<span style="font-family: inherit;">-<span style="font-family: inherit;">the-way-</span></span>in-back<span style="font-family: inherit;">-</span>of<span style="font-family: inherit;">-</span>the<span style="font-family: inherit;">-</span>back<span style="font-family: inherit;">-</span>of<span style="font-family: inherit;">-t</span>he-pack</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">'. Which is where I live. But <span style="font-family: inherit;">at Space Coast this year - there was</span> a <span style="font-family: inherit;">4 hour <span style="font-family: inherit;">run<span style="font-family: inherit;">/<span style="font-family: inherit;">walk pace group. </span></span></span></span>I know - 4 hours is slow by most standards.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> But <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">since th<span style="font-family: inherit;">is</span> course is open for 7.5 hours, I've always known I had a lot of t<span style="font-family: inherit;">ime. So </span>for </span>the pa<span style="font-family: inherit;">st few years, I've walked this race, made a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> lot of stops, <span style="font-family: inherit;">took a lot of photos, <span style="font-family: inherit;">etc - making my already slow pace<span style="font-family: inherit;">...</span> eve<span style="font-family: inherit;">n slower. </span></span>This yea<span style="font-family: inherit;">r<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>I wanted to stay on <span style="font-family: inherit;">track. </span></span></span></span></span></span>And I found <span style="font-family: inherit;">this gu<span style="font-family: inherit;">y here </span>carryin<span style="font-family: inherit;">g a Jeff Galloway run/walk pacer flag. So I joined in - had a lot of laughs along the way, and instead of goo<span style="font-family: inherit;">fin<span style="font-family: inherit;">g around, I stu<span style="font-family: inherit;">ck with the group and <span style="font-family: inherit;">got a PR.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiZ6Tmemzzc/VoSmN2CLPrI/AAAAAAAAEu4/oGuu638xW4E/s1600/12304294_912008345519144_822736694356504040_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WiZ6Tmemzzc/VoSmN2CLPrI/AAAAAAAAEu4/oGuu638xW4E/s640/12304294_912008345519144_822736694356504040_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My wonderful pacer,Mel!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since this was Year 3 of the 5 year Big Bang Series, <span style="font-family: inherit;">D<span style="font-family: inherit;">G</span></span>, myself, and our friends we traveled with, all walked away with the Milky Way Challenge medal for completing 3 consecutive years.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2 big medals each. Not bad.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">Final Thoughts</span></u></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DG: We'll </span>be back again next year. The rest of my running crew have sworn off the marathon and vow to only run the half. The race is perfectly placed as a great Dopey warm-up, I guess I'll see if I give into peer pressure. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second half of the course needs more (more visible) medical support. It was scary the number of times I was asked about where the medical tents were. The weather never seems to cooperate with this race, it gets very hot. This is my third year running, and I have still seen no improvement in medical support.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DB: I was thinking after 3 consec<span style="font-family: inherit;">utive </span>years<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I <span style="font-family: inherit;">was done with this ra<span style="font-family: inherit;">ce. <span style="font-family: inherit;">There are just SO many other races I want to do <span style="font-family: inherit;">on or near this <span style="font-family: inherit;">date. </span></span></span>But take a<span style="font-family: inherit;"> look<span style="font-family: inherit;"> at this view. This is what you are looking at on the course<span style="font-family: inherit;">. <span style="font-family: inherit;">A bea<span style="font-family: inherit;">ut<span style="font-family: inherit;">i<span style="font-family: inherit;">fu</span>l <span style="font-family: inherit;">waterfront. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My one <span style="font-family: inherit;">suggestion for improveme<span style="font-family: inherit;">nt<span style="font-family: inherit;">: Vegan options.</span> This ra<span style="font-family: inherit;">ce is known for having a<span style="font-family: inherit;">n excellent after party<span style="font-family: inherit;">. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Beyon<span style="font-family: inherit;">d the typical water and bagels - <span style="font-family: inherit;">there <span style="font-family: inherit;">are </span></span></span></span>beer trucks,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> icy cold <span style="font-family: inherit;">Co<span style="font-family: inherit;">ke products, <span style="font-family: inherit;">cold O<span style="font-family: inherit;">J, </span></span>and for food: hot pizza, freshly made pancakes, and sc<span style="font-family: inherit;">ram<span style="font-family: inherit;">bled </span></span>eggs. The <span style="font-family: inherit;">drinks are fine - but as <span style="font-family: inherit;">vegans - <span style="font-family: inherit;">our</span> food options were limited to eating a bana<span style="font-family: inherit;">na. Yes, - that is all we had to eat <span style="font-family: inherit;">a<span style="font-family: inherit;">t the party. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>It is very ea<span style="font-family: inherit;">sy to make<span style="font-family: inherit;"> regular pizza vegan<span style="font-family: inherit;"> - <span style="font-family: inherit;">they can just leave off the cheese and pepperoni - a<span style="font-family: inherit;">nd leave the <span style="font-family: inherit;">bread, sau<span style="font-family: inherit;">ce, and veggies</span></span></span>. You can make pancakes vegan too, don't use eggs or milk in the batter. (B<span style="font-family: inherit;">is<span style="font-family: inherit;">qui<span style="font-family: inherit;">ck is <span style="font-family: inherit;">vegan<span style="font-family: inherit;">. Just add w<span style="font-family: inherit;">ater!</span>)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I<span style="font-family: inherit;"> ra<span style="font-family: inherit;">n into <a href="http://girlsgotsole.com/">http://girlsgotsole.com</a> blogger, Shannon, <span style="font-family: inherit;">a vegan we<span style="font-family: inherit;">'ve met through runDisney events<span style="font-family: inherit;"> - and she has been writing th<span style="font-family: inherit;">e Space Coast RD</span> and asking for vegan options also. So if you <span style="font-family: inherit;">would l<span style="font-family: inherit;">ike to see plant-based o<span style="font-family: inherit;">ptions in 201<span style="font-family: inherit;">6</span>, send an email to the race director. I will be doing that<span style="font-family: inherit;"> myself.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>yes, I'll be back <span style="font-family: inherit;">next year. </span></span></span>I do hope there are still pace groups for the back of the pack. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It made all the difference for me that day - and for many other runners in that group. </span>T</span>hank<span style="font-family: inherit;">fully <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DG and I</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">each got the</span> PR and did<span style="font-family: inherit;"> not have to go to the ER<span style="font-family: inherit;">! </span></span></span></span>After the race, we showered and <span style="font-family: inherit;">made the 1 hour drive </span>to our happy place. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You guessed it! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZ0stXgMCVk/VoSxk2c-OlI/AAAAAAAAEvk/RqJigXN61m8/s1600/12238362_911553892231256_7857262892802009050_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vZ0stXgMCVk/VoSxk2c-OlI/AAAAAAAAEvk/RqJigXN61m8/s400/12238362_911553892231256_7857262892802009050_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not sure where we got the energy a<span style="font-family: inherit;">fter<span style="font-family: inherit;"> waking up at 3:30 am and then running <span style="font-family: inherit;">- IN THE HEAT</span></span></span>, but we managed to hit all <span style="font-family: inherit;">four <span style="font-family: inherit;">Disney </span>parks<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that evening. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sb3py5SJQTQ/VoSkdogI4SI/AAAAAAAAEus/CBmLvR8b58g/s1600/PicMonkey%2BCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sb3py5SJQTQ/VoSkdogI4SI/AAAAAAAAEus/CBmLvR8b58g/s640/PicMonkey%2BCollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then after the parks closed - we ma<span style="font-family: inherit;">d<span style="font-family: inherit;">e the 4.5 hour drive home. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yep - <span style="font-family: inherit;">i</span>t was a <span style="font-family: inherit;">very long <span style="font-family: inherit;">day - but a ver<span style="font-family: inherit;">y memorable <span style="font-family: inherit;">one.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Note: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;">If you plan to do this<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> race</span>, keep in mind the half marathon usually sells out the first day registration opens. On<span style="font-family: inherit;">e <span style="font-family: inherit;">good thing, </span>i</span>f you have run the previous<span style="font-family: inherit;"> year - you <span style="font-family: inherit;">get first crack at an</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">early registration.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-6120195145932298392015-12-29T00:29:00.002-05:002015-12-29T00:29:31.022-05:00Pumpkin Bars #fromSkratch<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OsTELnUAJZE/VoIQqi1pe0I/AAAAAAAAEsQ/FP54QOMwzSw/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OsTELnUAJZE/VoIQqi1pe0I/AAAAAAAAEsQ/FP54QOMwzSw/s640/IMG_1558.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It seems like the holidays are all about baking and enjoying treats.And if you have a sweet tooth, well - it can get out of control. DisneyGroom and I are on a continuing mission to make better choices about what we eat. But I know my hubby all too well, and I know he misses my baking cookies, brownies, cakes, and pies. Even I miss it! And I didn't eat the things - I just enjoyed baking them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, enter Skratch Labs cookie mix. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is their nutritional info</span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0121/9362/files/Cookie-Mix-Ingredients-Panel.jpg?2164278100360403698" style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #67b502; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Skratch Labs Cookie Mix Nutrition Info">Cookie Mix</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> - Serving Size: 22g</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Amount Per Serving (as prepared but without mix-in): </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Calories</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> 120, Calories from Fat 50, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Total Fat</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> 0g (8% DV), Saturated Fat 0g (18% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg (8% DV), </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Sodium</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> 180mg (8% DV), </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Total Carbohydrate</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> 18g (6% DV), Fiber 0g (0% DV), Sugars 8g, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Protein</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> 1g, Vitamin A (4% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (0% DV), Iron (2% DV). Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0121/9362/files/Cookie-Mix-Ingredients-Panel.jpg?2164278100360403698" style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #67b502; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Skratch Labs Cookie Mix Ingredients"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">: </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Wheat Flour</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Brown Cane Sugar</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Cane Sugar</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Oats</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Leavening</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">(Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda), </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Vanilla Extract</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">, </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Cinnamon</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Allergens: Contains Wheat</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/products/cookie-mix" target="_blank">The Skratch Labs webpage contains a recipe here</a>, but I had to make it healthier (and vegan) of course, so these are my substitutions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instead of eggs and butter - I used pumpkin puree (15 oz.) <i>make sure it is puree and not pie filling - the cans look similar</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instead of chocolate chips - I used carob chips 1/4 cup</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instead of nuts - I used shredded coconut 1/4 cup & 1/4 cup oatmeal</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SG1w_yVRa2c/VoILHZogkEI/AAAAAAAAErY/Y9FuJR4uc1I/s1600/image%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SG1w_yVRa2c/VoILHZogkEI/AAAAAAAAErY/Y9FuJR4uc1I/s640/image%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Mix dry ingredients first in a large bowl, then stir in your pumpkin puree until you get a smooth thick consistency. The mixture should be thicker than cake batter, but still be able to pour into a pan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I used an 11 x 7 pyrex baking dish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The mixture will look pretty flat at first, but it will rise as it bakes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees. You can poke center with toothpick to check when done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Allow it to cool. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Your bars will have a moist, banana bread-like consistency.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HA9jDg-i3tI/VoILMMA3d1I/AAAAAAAAErg/jOfxyMRLoNw/s1600/IMG_1469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HA9jDg-i3tI/VoILMMA3d1I/AAAAAAAAErg/jOfxyMRLoNw/s640/IMG_1469.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can even try using cookie cutters to make fun shapes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I should probably add that I do not have a sweet tooth. And I don't even like the taste of pumpkin. (Nope - not even the infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte --- yuck). But, I actually like these! They are not very sweet and they don't taste overwhelmingly of pumpkin, at least not to me. The coconut and oatmeal added a nice texture, and the carob was sweet in a mild way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Paired with a nice cold glass of almond milk, it was a great evening treat. But you could stash a few in a ziploc bag and have them in place of your usual nutrition bar before or after a run. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Where do you get this fabulous and very customizable 'cookie mix'? I found mine at my local bike shop, right next to the energy gels and powdered drink mixes. But if your running or bike shop doesn't carry <a href="http://www.skratchlabs.com/" target="_blank">Skratch</a> products, you can always find it online. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>note: I was not compensated in any way by Skratch Labs. I just really enjoy their products. These turned out so well, I felt compelled to share. I hope you enjoy them.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Run Happy!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">~DisneyBride</span><br />
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<br />Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-68667078489286203502015-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:002015-11-27T20:22:50.679-05:00Recap: 2015 #runDisney #WineDineHalf Weekend: Splash & Dash<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's been a few weeks since Wine & Dine weekend, and at last I've got my recap complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Friday: </span>Expo</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Driving from Tallahassee that morning, we missed the mad rush that is the opening of the expo. Upon our arrival, I quickly grabbed my bib, waited in line for my pin, and headed to the runDisney booth. The only thing I purchased was my magnet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Jeff is always wil<span style="font-family: inherit;">ling to hel<span style="font-family: inherit;">p with last <span style="font-family: inherit;">minute</span> advi<span style="font-family: inherit;">c</span>e. </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">[</span>My filing cabinet at the office <span style="font-family: inherit;">holds my <span style="font-family: inherit;">race magnet collection</span>.</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">S</span>ide not<span style="font-family: inherit;">e:</span> my colleagues are starting to think I have a running problem<span style="font-family: inherit;">.<span style="font-family: inherit;">]</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Foll<span style="font-family: inherit;">owing <span style="font-family: inherit;">the <span style="font-family: inherit;">expo we headed to EPCOT and Magic K<span style="font-family: inherit;">ingdom to en</span></span></span>joy <span style="font-family: inherit;">some park time.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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Cheese!</div>
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Carb loading is important!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bu<span style="font-family: inherit;">zz wants to be just like me.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We stayed until the fireworks and then called it a night. I had an early wakeup for the morning 5K.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jingle Jungle</span> 5k</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've run this race twice. It was actually our first run<span style="font-family: inherit;">Disne<span style="font-family: inherit;">y even<span style="font-family: inherit;">t<span style="font-family: inherit;">, way back in 201<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. But this time, I <span style="font-family: inherit;">decided to <span style="font-family: inherit;">volunteer instead. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>I enjoy volunteering at the races almost as much as I enjoy running them. <span style="font-family: inherit;">M<span style="font-family: inherit;">y assignment: </span></span>I spent my morning moving people from the finish line to the medal volunteers. "Move along folks, nothing to see here." Yeah - <span style="font-family: inherit;">that was me! </span>I saw many of my runDisney friends cross the finish line. Great job everyone! Also, if you haven't volunteered for a race or the expo, I can't recommend it enough. So<span style="font-family: inherit;"> much fun. </span>Do it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Saturday: Baptism (The Sp<span style="font-family: inherit;">lash<span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></span></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now for the "splash" in the splash and dash. My two <span style="font-family: inherit;">little</span> nephews were scheduled to be <span style="font-family: inherit;">B</span>aptized <span style="font-family: inherit;">at midday<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span></span>between the 5k and the half marathon. So, following my volunteer shift, I grabbed DisneyBride and headed for Tampa. <span style="font-family: inherit;">We d</span>ashed to the church, <span style="font-family: inherit;">r</span>ejected Satan, splashed holy water, and enjoyed dessert with the nephews before heading back to Orlando to relax for a few minutes before the race. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Saturday Night: Half of a Half (The Da<span style="font-family: inherit;">sh)</span></u></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I <span style="font-family: inherit;">decided to go with a <span style="font-family: inherit;">costume that paid homage to my <span style="font-family: inherit;">fav<span style="font-family: inherit;">orite chef. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The Swedish Chef<span style="font-family: inherit;"> from the M<span style="font-family: inherit;">uppe<span style="font-family: inherit;">ts</span></span> i<span style="font-family: inherit;">s leg<span style="font-family: inherit;">endar<span style="font-family: inherit;">y in the <span style="font-family: inherit;">Runn<span style="font-family: inherit;">ing Happily Ev<span style="font-family: inherit;">er After household.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The costume s<span style="font-family: inherit;">tarted off intact as you see here, but the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> humid evening <span style="font-family: inherit;">qu<span style="font-family: inherit;">ickly made a casu<span style="font-family: inherit;">alty of my <span style="font-family: inherit;">mustache adhesive. So I <span style="font-family: inherit;">ran 'sans musta<span style="font-family: inherit;">che'.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I arrived at EPCOT before 7:00 to make a quick trip into park. With a kiss from DisneyBride and some<span style="font-family: inherit;"> soda</span> from the Cool Club, I headed for the buses to ESPN Wide World of Sports. Boarding a bus a few minutes after 7:00 I assumed it would be smooth sailing<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span>I was <span style="font-family: inherit;">W<span style="font-family: inherit;">RONG</span></span>. The traffic was <span style="font-family: inherit;">horrendous</span> and it took the better part of 35 minutes to get to our <span style="font-family: inherit;">destination</span>. Upon arriving, the Wine and Dine atmosphere is<span style="font-family: inherit;"> very</span> different <span style="font-family: inherit;">from</span> other <span style="font-family: inherit;">runDisney events</span>. The prom<span style="font-family: inherit;">ise<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of beer and wine at the finish makes it </span>m</span>ore <span style="font-family: inherit;">adult theme<span style="font-family: inherit;">d</span></span> than <span style="font-family: inherit;">fa<span style="font-family: inherit;">mily<span style="font-family: inherit;">-themed</span></span></span>. Not bad just different. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I worked my way around the crowd, running into friends and making some new ones. Eventually, I decided I needed some caffeine. I headed to the vendors to <span style="font-family: inherit;">buy<span style="font-family: inherit;"> a</span></span> soda. A few minutes later, the wind kicks up and then everyone is making a mad dash for the baseball stadium. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will skip the details of the weat<span style="font-family: inherit;">her </span>delay and just say that I am a little disappointed that runDisney/Wide World of Sports didn't seem to have a better communication plan. Depending on where <span style="font-family: inherit;">t</span>he runner<span style="font-family: inherit;"> was</span> pre-<span style="font-family: inherit;">race</span>, <span style="font-family: inherit;">he or she may</span> not have had any information. The floor of the expo hall was the only place where I could hear announcements. I assume that WWOS has more communication equipment,<span style="font-family: inherit;"> as I</span> imagine that evacuation of the fields is a normal occurrence during the summer. I do not fault the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> race organizers</span> for the decision to shorten the race or to evacuate us (apparently due to lightning), please just do a better job with communication in the future. Also note, that not <span style="font-family: inherit;">all runners carry</span> their phone during a race, so more frequent announcements to everyone would have been appreciated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the all-clear given, it was anot<span style="font-family: inherit;">her</span> mad dash to the start line. It may have just been the quickest start of any runDisney race I have ever participated in. Here is where I would like to give the volunteers a shout out. They were evacuated as well, and still managed to get all their tasks done. Everything from having the water stops setup and manned, to guiding <span style="font-family: inherit;">run<span style="font-family: inherit;">ners</span></span> back to the corrals. </span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The course was shortened with the out and back to Animal Kingdom being removed. The short course lead to pretty long waits <span style="font-family: inherit;">at all the character stops</span>. My longest wait was almost 20 minutes for Buzz and Woody. Everyone along the course seemed upbeat, <span style="font-family: inherit;">despite</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">confusion</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">over</span> the shortened course. <span style="font-family: inherit;">This is my <span style="font-family: inherit;">third</span> runDisney night race <span style="font-family: inherit;">(a<span style="font-family: inherit;">fter </span>the <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/10/recap-2014-rundisney-tower-of-terror-10.html" target="_blank">fin<span style="font-family: inherit;">al </span>Towe</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/10/recap-2014-rundisney-tower-of-terror-10.html" target="_blank">r of Terror 201</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/10/recap-2014-rundisney-tower-of-terror-10.html" target="_blank">4</a> and the <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/11/eec.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">final </span>Expedi</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/11/eec.html" target="_blank">tio</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/11/eec.html" target="_blank">n Everest 2015</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">) and </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>I really enjoy<span style="font-family: inherit;">ed them all. L</span>ooking forward to running the complete 13.1 course in a future year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the final year of the Osbourne Family Festival of Dancing Lights in Disney Hollywood Studios, so I was excited and nostalgic getting to run through there. </span></div>
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The Muppet Theater! </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>After Party</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With the course being cut short, it appears EPCOT was unprepared for more people staying for the after party. The lines for food, beer, and wine were crazy. I would say that they were as bad as any weekend day I have spent at Food and Wine. Again, the night races being accommodated by an after party is great. The crowd never really seemed to thin, even when we left at 3:30. I was also impressed with the amount of characters<span style="font-family: inherit;">, especially t<span style="font-family: inherit;">he ones <span style="font-family: inherit;">you don't see too often, </span></span></span>that were out meeting fans during the party. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I just ran a Half Marathon of undetermined distance and all I got was LIGHT beer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Final Thoughts </u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even with the shortened course, I had a great time. Sure, I'm disappointed that it wasn't a half marathon, but any run <span style="font-family: inherit;">through</span> Disney Parks is fun. I also enjoyed the party-like atmosphere that the Wine and Dine Half race weekend is famous for. The after party, while packed, was still <span style="font-family: inherit;">fun</span>. I will <span style="font-family: inherit;">do this race again, </span>with the hopes of enjoying the full course and a less <span style="font-family: inherit;">crow<span style="font-family: inherit;">ded</span></span> after party.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And DisneyBride picked up my souvenir race banner above to add to the other collection in my office. Now you see why my colleagues think I might be obsessed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up is the Space Coast Marathon<span style="font-family: inherit;">. The theme for that race is PR o<span style="font-family: inherit;">r ER.</span></span> Yep - you hear<span style="font-family: inherit;">d right, I'<span style="font-family: inherit;">m going for a marathon P<span style="font-family: inherit;">R this coming S<span style="font-family: inherit;">unday. </span></span></span></span>See you on the course soon!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-DisneyGroom</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who is your favorite Muppe<span style="font-family: inherit;">t?</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you enjoy <span style="font-family: inherit;">r<span style="font-family: inherit;">unning or <span style="font-family: inherit;">racing at n<span style="font-family: inherit;">ight?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b><br />
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-73612414029248205072015-11-05T06:30:00.000-05:002015-11-05T13:54:35.168-05:00Fall Race Season Starts NOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fall means another race season is upon us.</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: black;"> And as we take on new challenges, we are both super excited about this year's line up of events. </span></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">Disney Groom </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">My 2015/2016 race season kicks off this Saturday with the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. This season is pretty packed with 4 marathons, 3 half marathons, and 2 legs (swim and run) of a half Ironman. My schedule follows (with my famous commentary), if you are planning to attend any of these races, let me know. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">Disney Bride</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: large;">My focus this fall and winter is to get strong on the bike as I prepare for a half Ironman relay in April 2016. To that end, I've really cut back on the number of running events. </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon 11/7/15 </u></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DG: We've been coming to Wine & Dine weekend every year since 2012 for the 5K. Surprisingly, the half is the only Florida runDisney race we haven't run. I will be taking advantage of all the characters and entertainment on the course. I will not be running this one with any focus on time - just about having fun! I am looking forward to an epic Food and Wine festival at the conclusion of my run. Someone save me a beer! </span></span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FYI: I will have my favorite and best costume yet!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Also, I may not be running the 5K, but they can't keep me away! I will be volunteering at the Jingle Jungle 5k in the morning; I have not been given an assignment yet. Keep a look out on <a href="https://twitter.com/disney_groom/" target="_blank">twitter</a> and <a href="http://instagram.com/disney_groom/" target="_blank">instagram</a>, I'll let everyone know where I am going to be. </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Space Coast Marathon 11/29/15 </u></span></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">DG: I have enjoyed this race the last two years. This year I will be completing the Milky Way Challenge. I am also shooting for a PR. Its been awhile since I have gone for a marathon PR, so far my training has gone well. It appears that a PR is well within reach. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;">DB: This is a really well organized event. The course support is fantastic and I love getting to see so many of my runDisney friends again. I'm back for my third Space Coast Half Marathon </span> </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Best Damn Race (Marathon) Cape Coral, FL 12/13/15</u></span></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">DG: The destination race that's not a destination race. Cape Coral is the town where I grew up. My parents live less than 5 miles from the starting line. Depending on how things go at Space Coast, I may make a second attempt at a PR. I look forward to a very flat course on very familiar streets.</span>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Swamp Forest Trail Half Marathon 1/3/16</u></span></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">DG: Returning for my second year. (Unless you count pacing DB for final 6 miles of this course when she ran it in 2013.)This is an absolutely amazing race on some beautiful trails in Tallahassee. I plan on using this as a taper run for the Dopey Challenge. </span>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Walt Disney World runDisney Dopey Challenge 1/7-1/10/16</u></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DG: Returning for year 3, I can't wait to join thousands of my runner friends for an epic 4 day race series. I will continue my "Perfect Dopey" streak. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;">DB: I'll be running the 5K and 10K (or what is quickly becoming known as the Bashful Challenge). Plus I'll be volunteering at the half and serving as sherpa during the full to support my Dopey. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Tallahassee Marathon 2/7/16</u></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">DG: This is the year I finally run a marathon in the town I live. The Tallahassee Marathon has completely changed their course this year. The new course features some of Tallahassee's most famous landmarks. You should consider adding this race to your calendar. </span> </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Ironman Florida 70.3 (Relay) Haines City, FL 4/10/16</u></span></span></b>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">DG: Because running by itself isn't crazy enough, DisneyBride has dragged me into the world of triathlon. I fought it pretty hard, however, I am really enjoying the swimming. This should be a really great event. I am doing the 1.2 mile swim and the 13.1 run.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;">DB: I am SO very excited for this! Am looking forward to this race like no other event that has come before. I am working with a coach to help me on the bike as I take on the longest leg of the event: a very HILLY 56 miles. Yes we do have hills in Florida.</span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Walt Disney World Star Wars Darkside Challenge + 5k 4/15-17/16</u></span></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">DG: RunDisney always seems to make a pretty big deal about new races. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for this weekend. I'm in for the 5K & Dark Side Challenge (10K + 13.1).</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;">DB: Okay - so this is just 4 days after our Ironman 70.3. Will we be wrecked? Probably. Can we pass up an Inaugural runDisney event in Florida? Heck no! I'm in for the 5K and 10K.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The season will be busy, the training will be hard, and the glory will be eternal. Don't forget to let us know if you will be running or volunteering at any of the above races.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-90481363995846671522015-11-05T00:00:00.002-05:002015-11-05T00:10:31.238-05:00Recap: Expedition Everest Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QsSTmN6JIfI/VjqwKiofufI/AAAAAAAAEmQ/yH2JxQg9LL0/s1600/2015-Expedition-Everest-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QsSTmN6JIfI/VjqwKiofufI/AAAAAAAAEmQ/yH2JxQg9LL0/s640/2015-Expedition-Everest-Logo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Better late than never. We've been
so busy with multi-sport training all summer that this recap has been sitting
around in draft form since May. oops! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Expedition Everest Challenge
was one of the runDisney events we had been planning to do for years and just hadn't
gotten around to actually doin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g. For 2015 it</span> was announced, would be the
last year of this event, and we just had to make sure that we made that final
trek. The event is different from all other runDisney races. You
run your 5k race, and that is immediately followed by a scavenger hunt. Yeah!
Cool, right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On to race weekend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><u>Friday</u></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We loaded up the car that morning and
headed down to the "Expo". We arrived in the Animal Kingdom
parking lot at about 11:30am and took the photo of the #tinyexpo. I
understand that runDisney never advertised an expo, only a packet
pick-up. However, this is runDisney and this is a destination race. We
feel they could have done better. Most of the weekend had the feel that
the race was only being done because they needed to check a box. I hope
this wasn't anyone's first runDisney race, if it was, please don't use this as
a yardstick for other race weekends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">#tinyexpo
Seriously, this was the WHOLE THING!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since we were already at the Animal
Kingdom, we decide to take the afternoon and enjoy the park. We always
seem to enjoy cheesy games and experiences, and in keeping with the weekend's
Expedition theme, we played the "Wilderness Explorer" Game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rocking
the Wilderness Explorer book</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We also
made sure to run around Asia and check out some Everest merchandise, since the
only merchandise at the #TinyExpo was the pin and a t-shirt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Creepy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neat
Cap, probably should have picked one up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yeti!
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DisneyBride
will always find a Dole Whip, even when they try to be sneaky and just call it
a 'Pineapple Whip' (Tamu Tamu Refreshments)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Following
our trip to the park and a quick bite for dinner, we headed back to the hotel
to put together our "flat runners". I will say that a night
race does have the benefit of being able to sleep in. So putting the flat
runner together the night before was more of following a habit than needing to
do so to get a few more minutes of sleep.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Race
Day</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ahhh
sleeping in is sweet. Since we had never been to the EPCOT Flower and
Garden Festival, we decided to spend some time at EPCOT. It's a lot like
the Food and Wine Festival, just with more flowers and less food. I
really enjoyed the gardening displays, I don't think DisneyBride was as
impressed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beautiful
arrangements were everywhere</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Can't
go to EPCOT without a picture with SpaceShip Earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm
having a lot more fun that I appear to be. Really I promise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lunch
in Morocco (vegan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EPCOT
had the coolest topiaries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">'Frushi"
dessert in Japan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While
in the art store near the front of the park, I happened to ask the artist if
they still had the Marathon Weekend art cells. They did! So I was
able to get my Dopey drawing that I missed out on during Marathon
Weekend. I think it turned out great. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Race
Evening</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
really enjoy the night races. I'm not quite sure why, but normally at
home, I would be in bed by the time the runDisney night races start.
There is just something about running in a large group of people at a time
where the rest of the world won't judge you for a post-run beer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DJ
@Disney_Bride rocking the house for Carissa Bealart</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
was not disappointed in the costumes this year. I think my favorite may
have gone to the woman dressed as Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons. I told her
I was the one destined to sit on the Iron Throne. She was not amused, but she
didn't sic her dragons on me at least. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
we're off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
5k
portion of the race was pretty similar to any other runDisney race. I
believe it is the same course as the Jingle Jungle 5K during Wine and
Dine Half weekend. However, it felt different, since we got to run
through Animal Kingdom at night. Unfortunately, there was construction
that seemed to block many of the good views within the park. However,
the
darkness added a cool something extra to the race. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unlike
other runDisney races, this one has a few obstacles. Pretty timid by
Spartan and Tough Mudder standards, but an interesting touch. Perhaps
runDisney will require Dopey participants to actually mine some precious stones
in January before awarding finishers medals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoy the view!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm
convinced that they used trailer tires, my size 13 feet couldn't fit in most of
them. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bWs0xvS0DwE/VVX9-ZqQEGI/AAAAAAAAEeA/1J0fOPO0MBo/s1600/098%2B-%2BCopy.JPG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
scavenger hunt was more challenging than I had expected. We
can debate the meaning of digital vs. analog all day, but just know
that the scavenger hunt was not for the ill-prepared. </span>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sunday</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Keeping
with runDisney customs, we spent Sunday running around the parks wearing our
medals. The Fairy Godmother spent some time enjoying our
running/scavenger hunt success. It was odd only seeing a few people
wearing medals, it's nothing like the larger race weekends where 1/2 the park
guests are wearing their medals. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pretty
neat medal! We heard there were many that broke. Both of ours managed to
stay in one piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Following
our day in the park, an</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">d getting ready to make the drive back to Tallahassee we
decide to try and get a meal from the world famous Chef TJ at the Trails End
restaurant. Chef TJ prepared us a very tasty 5 course vegan meal. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pre-meal
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Post
meal! My "food baby" is huge! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
stole one of Mickey's shoes for Magnus! Just kidding, there is a new line of
pet accessories and we picked up several items to bring home to our spoiled
puppy.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Final
Thoughts</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While
I am very glad we made the trip down to run this 5K, I now understand why
runDisney is no longer hosting this race. It appeared that this race was
an afterthought, from the "tiny expo" to the lack of interaction in
social media. The premise of the weekend is a good one: both
a physical and mental challenge. Would like to see this pairing
return in some way for a future event. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
did you think of this race? </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did
you run it this year or a previous year?</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See
you at Wine and Dine in November! </span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-76235740911910527422015-10-29T22:43:00.004-04:002015-11-05T11:29:03.812-05:00#EatMighty Mighty Nut Giveaway! {CLOSED}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;">This Giveaway has closed. </strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;">Check our most recent posts to see if we are hosting any giveaways.</strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><br /></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-mNKI8HqLc/VjLIb4rLgaI/AAAAAAAAElQ/-H3fqhnXjb8/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m-mNKI8HqLc/VjLIb4rLgaI/AAAAAAAAElQ/-H3fqhnXjb8/s400/IMG_0182.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="display: inline-block;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>What is Mighty Nut?</b> </u></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="display: inline-block;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mighty Nut is a very tasty</span> powdered peanut butter<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span> </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="display: inline-block;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Each batch of Mighty Nut is created
from quality USA grown peanuts. The peanuts are roasted, then pressed,
to remove most of the fat. What remains is protein, fiber and delicious
peanut buttery taste. Mighty Nut powdered peanut butter can be
rehydrated and used as a spread or dip, or as an ingredient in baking,
cooking or smoothies<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></span></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through my partnership with Fit Approach, I got a chance to try two of the flavors: Original and Flax & Chia. As a big fan of peanut butter, I really enjoyed them! As someone who is watching her weight, the "85% less calories than regular peanut butter" allows me to enjoy these guilt-free! Only 1 gram of fat per serving and 5-6 grams of protein. Bonus: it is all natural, non-gmo, gluten-free, and vegan.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dkg19NknOMk/VjLIflQbx8I/AAAAAAAAElc/fKrOVt4bOdg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dkg19NknOMk/VjLIflQbx8I/AAAAAAAAElc/fKrOVt4bOdg/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you would like to try <a href="http://mightynut.com/" target="_blank">Mighty Nut</a>, it is available at several major grocers and available for purchase online.</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">How do I use Mighty Nut<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>?</u></span></span></u></b> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There are several recipes on the Mighty Nut <a href="http://www.mightynut.com/recipes/" target="_blank">website</a>. And I am really looking forward to making the noodles and the brownies! In the meantime, I decided to mix it up a bit with my morning smoothie.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 frozen banana</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">5 large frozen cherries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">8 oz of almond milk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 scoop of Mighty Nut</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I used Vega Vanilla)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Blend and enjoy. </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne4WRNKrbjU/VjLIfyYLwBI/AAAAAAAAElY/Z3W6TqUATb0/s1600/FullSizeRender%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ne4WRNKrbjU/VjLIfyYLwBI/AAAAAAAAElY/Z3W6TqUATb0/s320/FullSizeRender%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mighty Nut adds a bit more protein and that peanut butter flavor I love, but with less calories.</span></span></span></h1>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Now for the Giveaway!</u></b> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 23.3333px;"><span class="il">Mighty Nut</span><span class="il"></span> is allowing us to give away one bottle to a reader. The winner can choose any of the following flavors: </span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Original</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Vanilla</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chocolate</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Flax <span style="font-family: inherit;">and</span> Chia</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 23.3333px;"></span> Review the terms below and then enter via the rafflecopter
widget. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<br />
<u><span style="background-color: white;">Terms of the Giveaway</span></u><br />
</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">1) No Purchase Necessary.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">2)
This giveaway begins Thursday October 29, 2015 and ends Wednesday November 4, 2015 at
midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog
post. He or she will be notified Thursday, November 5, 2015.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">4) One (1) winner will be selected. <i>One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already
won another prize from Mighty Nut through another blog, please disclose
that you have already won so we can choose another winner. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">5) Sign in through Rafflecopter
below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail
or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance
with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact
you if you win.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">7) The winner will be chosen at
random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined
by the number of eligible entries received.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">8) In the event winner does not
respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided, another winner will be selected at random.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">9) Void where prohibited.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="4a8fefb750" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a8fefb750/" id="rcwidget_hhg0p6rr" rel="nofollow">Giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: x-small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="color: black;">Disclosure
of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We
received product from Mighty Nut (through our partnership with Sweat Pink / Fit Approach) in exchange for this review.
Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be
good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We
are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s </span></i></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088b2; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #006fa3;"><i><span style="color: black;">16 CFR, Part 255</span></i></span></span></a><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="color: black;">: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising</span>.”</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">For more great giveaways<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>click the image below</span></span></span> </b><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.runningwithsdmom.com/2015/10/wednesday-giveaway-roundup_27.html#.VjLYnCuqE8I" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.runningwithsdmom.com/2015/09/wednesday-giveaway-roundup-clifbar-kid.html#.VgjE0ZeqE8I" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A025MgK9pi8/VPdCMmZ85WI/AAAAAAAAERU/U9_RfP5MA3E/s320/giveaways.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-27476716046932664062015-09-28T00:35:00.000-04:002015-11-03T11:28:38.047-05:00Freekeh Foods Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Freekeh Foods Review and Giveaway</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;">This Giveaway has closed. </strong><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;">Check our most recent posts to see if we are running any giveaways.</strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xczt_5erqe4/VgiRNtdbkLI/AAAAAAAAEko/0mdCcYJ0Rsc/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xczt_5erqe4/VgiRNtdbkLI/AAAAAAAAEko/0mdCcYJ0Rsc/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Have you heard of Freekeh Foods? Yep, it is a crazy name. </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><a href="http://www.freekeh-foods.com/what-freekeh"><b>Freekeh</b></a> is an ancient <b>Green Wheat. </b><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;"> Freekeh
is a process which means “to rub” in Arabic. Freekeh was created by
accident nearly 2,000 years ago when a Middle Eastern village was
attacked and their crop of young green wheat was set ablaze. Most folks
would sulk over their misfortune, but the crafty villagers rubbed off
the chaff, cooked it up and “Eureka!” Freekeh was created. </span></i></blockquote>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0); line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But what is it? This is toasted green wheat. Similar in texture and taste to bulgur wheat. If you are conscious of where your food comes from, you will be pleased to discover this is a USDA Organic product, and Non GMO certified. All of the flavors currently available do not contain any animal products or flavorings, so it is safe for vegans and plant-based eaters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cooking instructions are similar to rice, so I prepared a batch in my rice cooker. DisneyGroom and I really enjoyed it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He preferred it to eat it hot - like rice, with some stir fry veggies and tofu. The tamari flavor was perfect for this.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I actually preferred it cold - add some diced parsley, cherry tomatoes, and a bit of lemon juice to make a tasty tabbouleh salad. Either the original or rosemary sage would work beautifully in a salad.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much like quinoa, couscous, or wheat berries - you get a slight nutty flavor. I think this might be even more versatile than those three other foods though.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you would like to try Freekeh, it is available at <a href="http://www.freekeh-foods.com/find-freekeh" target="_blank">several major grocers</a>. I have found it at my local Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and Fresh Market.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Try it out in some of your favorite dishes, and if you run out of ideas, there is a recipe library on the <a href="http://www.freekeh-foods.com/recipes" target="_blank">Freekeh Foods page</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="color: #424242; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Now - it's time for the Giveaway</u></b> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23.3333px;"><span class="il">Freekeh</span> <span class="il">Foods</span> is allowing us to give away a package of <span class="il">Freekeh</span> to a reader. The winner can choose any of the following three flavors: original, rosemary sage, or tamari.</span></span></span> Review the terms below and then enter via the rafflecopter
widget. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="background-color: white;">Terms of the Giveaway</span></u></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">1) No Purchase Necessary.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">2)
This Flash Giveaway begins Sunday Sept 27, 2015 and ends Monday Sept 28, 2015 at
midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog
post. He or she will be notified Tuesday, Sept 29, 2015.</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4) One (1) winner will be selected. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5) Sign in through Rafflecopter
below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail
or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance
with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact
you if you win.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7) The winner will be chosen at
random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined
by the number of eligible entries received.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">8) In the event winner does not
respond to contact attempts via e-mail or facebook name provided, another winner will be selected at random.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">9) Void where prohibited.</span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="4a8fefb749" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a8fefb749/" id="rcwidget_83vm9n0h" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></span><script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="color: black;">Disclosure
of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We
received product from Freekeh Foods (through our partnership with Sweat Pink / Fit Approach) in exchange for this review.
Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be
good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We
are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s </span></i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088b2; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #006fa3;"><i><span style="color: black;">16 CFR, Part 255</span></i></span></span></a><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="color: black;">: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising</span>.”</i></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">For more great giveaways<span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>click the image below</span></span></span> </b><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.runningwithsdmom.com/2015/09/wednesday-giveaway-roundup-clifbar-kid.html#.VgjE0ZeqE8I" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.runningwithsdmom.com/2015/09/wednesday-giveaway-roundup-clifbar-kid.html#.VgjE0ZeqE8I" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A025MgK9pi8/VPdCMmZ85WI/AAAAAAAAERU/U9_RfP5MA3E/s320/giveaways.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-54423209117829327852015-07-14T22:46:00.001-04:002015-07-25T12:53:56.615-04:00"Someday" is today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RMMXtTtxI_A/VaXEGgBzAjI/AAAAAAAAEjU/-VzNI_XT_nE/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="469" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RMMXtTtxI_A/VaXEGgBzAjI/AAAAAAAAEjU/-VzNI_XT_nE/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever say to yourself, "Someday I will ___________"?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yeah, me too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I did something crazy today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I registered for an Ironman 70.3.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While this registration seemingly came out of the blue, this isn't just a whim. I've actually been wanting to do this for many years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But today, I surprised even myself when I actually hit that REGISTER button.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtvYCwyMby8/VaW6w5aKbwI/AAAAAAAAEi4/9luV5UG-cnc/s1600/im.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TtvYCwyMby8/VaW6w5aKbwI/AAAAAAAAEi4/9luV5UG-cnc/s640/im.png" width="606" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What finally gave me that push?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a combination of things.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1)
I NEED a new big goal to work toward. I've gotten complacent, nay..
I've gotten lazy. In the upcoming year, I have a few races on the
calendar that are all repeat events with generous pace requirements.
They were fun and will be fun again, but I've done them before. </span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I need something fresh. Something with very strict time limits to get my butt into gear. </span></span></b></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Preparing for this event should give me the jump-start to push forward.<br /><br />2)
I've been following ultrarunner Scott Jurek as he set out to break the
Appalachian Trail course record. Yes - he succeeded this past week and
broke the old record. He ran from Georgia to Maine in 46 days, 8 hours,
and 7 minutes. That's 2,189 miles, through 14 states. Pretty amazing,
right? One memorable quote from the very humble Scott stuck with me
these past few days. So much so, that I made a meme. This is a favorite
photo I took during this year's Gasparilla 8K in Tampa.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Nqpb9GX7qw/VaW9GeDHtNI/AAAAAAAAEjE/vTo2G3lVy1E/s1600/11705438_854936494559663_7323882438230701022_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Nqpb9GX7qw/VaW9GeDHtNI/AAAAAAAAEjE/vTo2G3lVy1E/s640/11705438_854936494559663_7323882438230701022_o.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />I think it is time for me to attempt something I'm not sure I can actually do. <span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Call it madness, call it stupidity, call it what you will. But I'm doing it.</span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />3) If not now, when? </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In record numbers, people my age are drawn to these tri events as sort of a pre-mid life crisis thing. I totally get it. </span></span>It is no accident that the largest fields in triathlon tend to be the 35-39, and 40-44 age groups. Yeah, that would be me. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Aging is inevitable. </span></span>Sure, you read about runners and
triathletes in their 90s and 100s still out there, kicking butt and
taking names. But there aren't a lot of them. </span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>If I want a shot at being one of those butt-kicking active seniors, I need to start stepping up my game now. </b></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So
that's it in a nutshell. I have several additional motives for wanting
to do this event - but these three are the big ones that gave me the
final push today. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've
been telling myself for the past few years, "Someday, I will train for
an Ironman." I got tired of hearing myself say that.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, that "someday" was today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've
registered for the relay option. Yep, that means a team. So I won't
be going it alone. More on that in an upcoming post. I look forward to
sharing this journey on the blog and through social media.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finish this sentence: "Someday I will _________"</span></b></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>What has to happen for you to make that 'someday' today?</b></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Run Happy!</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Disney Bride</i></span></span></span>Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-28996577979469533812015-06-03T00:20:00.001-04:002015-11-03T11:29:49.683-05:00Review & Giveaway: Vegan1 Protein<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_cGpPLxQFY/VW5r1Py2VhI/AAAAAAAAEhc/gl0d2XYfs-M/s1600/Nutrition-53-Vegan1-Chai-810033011511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_cGpPLxQFY/VW5r1Py2VhI/AAAAAAAAEhc/gl0d2XYfs-M/s640/Nutrition-53-Vegan1-Chai-810033011511.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Recently, <a href="http://www.nutrition53.com/collections/vegan1-15-serving" target="_blank">Nutrition 53</a> reached out to us to try out some of their protein mixes. They offer a wide selection of nutritional supplements and we opted to sample their vegan products.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The company itself has an interesting origin.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>For Nutrition53's founder and CEO Bill Romanowski, performance isn't just a passion; it's a way of life. In his NFL career that included an unprecedented 243 consecutive games highlighted by five Super Bowls, he learned firsthand the power of nutrition from the leaders in the field. In his 16th NFL season, Bill's quest took an urgent new turn: the concussions on the football field had robbed him of his memory. Bill brought together the world's best doctors, scientists, and nutritionists to arrive at a formulation that would fully restore his mental function. The result was Neuro1, Nutrition53's first formula.</em> </blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;">So unlike your typical nutrition shake company - this one isn't just about just fat loss or muscle gains. Their products are geared towards a range of health and fitness areas, including brain performance and sleep.</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>From staying lean to sleeping well, feeling energized and thinking clearly, Nutrition53 provides real tools and answers to help you achieve your very best and "live like you mean it."</em></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The rundown on <a href="http://www.nutrition53.com/collections/vegan1-15-serving" target="_blank">Vegan1</a></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span class="lfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">20g of plant-based protein </span></span></li>
<li><span class="lfloat"></span><span class="rfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">10 fruits and vegetables</span></span></li>
<li><span class="rfloat"></span><span class="lfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">22 vitamins and minerals </span></span></li>
<li><span class="lfloat"></span><span class="rfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Active Enzymes</span></span></li>
<li><span class="rfloat"></span><span class="lfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Antioxidant protection </span></span></li>
<li><span class="lfloat"></span><span class="rfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Probiotics</span></span></li>
<li><span class="rfloat"></span><span class="lfloat"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5g of dietary fiber</span></span></li>
<li><span class="lfloat"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="rfloat">100% all natural</span> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ej1g8uuqtMI/VW5TS65EMCI/AAAAAAAAEhE/cmZ5K24lMwY/s1600/1510716_830894953630484_873612332407374927_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ej1g8uuqtMI/VW5TS65EMCI/AAAAAAAAEhE/cmZ5K24lMwY/s640/1510716_830894953630484_873612332407374927_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Pros</u></strong></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">
<li>Can be used as meal replacements. I've enjoyed them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (on different days). These shakes are nutritionally complete. So, if you aren't able to sit down for a meal - just mix up a scoop with your liquid of choice and you are all set.</li>
<li>Conveniently available in single serve packets or tubs.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You can go to this link and request a free sample: </span><a href="http://www.nutrition53.com/collections/free-sample-vegan1"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">http://www.nutrition53.com/collections/free-sample-vegan1</span></a></li>
<li>I'd rate the taste as Very Good. I always mix my protein shakes with vanilla flavored rice milk or almond milk - because I like some sweetness. You can mix with juice or water, and add sweetener or fruit to customize the taste to your liking.</li>
<li>4 flavors to choose from. The universal Vanilla and Chocolate of course, but also Chai and Banana. Chocolate is my fave, and I also really liked the Chai!</li>
</span> </ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xQ_aKKUiRA/VW5TS0oORzI/AAAAAAAAEhA/n7Cr0c7jPak/s1600/10403679_829758993744080_5326731364182095811_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xQ_aKKUiRA/VW5TS0oORzI/AAAAAAAAEhA/n7Cr0c7jPak/s640/10403679_829758993744080_5326731364182095811_n.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Cons</u></strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've yet to see Nutrition 53 products in brick and mortar stores, at least near me in North Florida. You can easily find them online though. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>~</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Beyond the 'shake'</u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are someone who doesn't like having traditional shakes all the time, try being a little creative in the kitchen. You can add Vegan1 to your brownies, cookies, cereal, oatmeal, and more. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Chia pudding is something I make often, and this time I added a bit of banana Vegan1.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tSRAxhrFc-s/VW5TTMObmjI/AAAAAAAAEhQ/zTLPmvt3uuI/s1600/FotoFlexer_Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tSRAxhrFc-s/VW5TTMObmjI/AAAAAAAAEhQ/zTLPmvt3uuI/s400/FotoFlexer_Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My go to Protein Powerhouse Pudding Recipe:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">1 scoop of Vegan1 (any flavor)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">5 or 6 tablespoons of chia seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">10 oz of non-dairy milk (I used chocolate almond milk)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Optional: 1 banana, handful of berries, 2 tablespoons flax , a natural sweetener of your choice </span><span style="font-size: small;">(I don't add sweetener to mine, as any added fruit is sweet enough for me. You might like it a bit sweeter though - my husband does, as do my coworkers who have tried it.)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Blend all ingredients until fruit is no longer chunky. (Mixture may be a bit thick and will get thicker as it sits.) Pour into small pudding cups or jars. Don't fill all the way to the top because the chia seeds will expand. Store in fridge for at least 2 hours; overnight is better. I like to grab one in the morning for my breakfast, or take one to work to have with my lunch.</span><br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Now - it's time for the Giveaway!</span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nutrition53 is allowing me to give away prizes to TWO lucky winners. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The winners will each receive one tub of Vegan1 (1.5 lb.) and a shaker bottle. Review the terms below and then enter via the rafflecopter widget.</span> </div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="background-color: white;">Terms of the Giveaway</span></u></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white;">1) No Purchase Necessary.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white;">2) Giveaway begins Wednesday June 3, 2015 and ends Tuesday June 9, 2015 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post. He or she will be notified Wednesday, June 10, 2015.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4) Two (2) winners will be selected. Approximate retail value is $46.98 each prize pack. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">8) 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.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">9) Void where prohibited.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">For more great giveaways:click the image below</span></span></span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-56192277534706723612015-05-27T14:53:00.001-04:002015-12-09T22:12:58.297-05:00#WIAW: Top 5 reasons I love Salad in a Jar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Lately, in the interest of making better eating choices, DisneyGroom and I have been preparing more of our meals at home and bringing them in to the office. One of my summer favorites is Salad in a Jar. </span><span style="font-size: large;">For #WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday), I will share with you </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">my Top 5 reasons why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>1. Perfectly portable and sized just for you!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ever get a take out salad? It comes in a UFO shaped plastic clamshell contraption. Large and awkwardly shaped, you need a bag to carry it in. And be careful not to drop it or put any weight on it, or the container will collapse and your salad will go everywhere. (Don't ask me how I know.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Why a jar? A jar has a tall shape and a tightly fitted lid. Unlike a flimsy container, it is solid and you can toss it in your purse or gym bag, and it will be fine. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jars come in all shapes and sizes. Some people like tiny salads, some like big ones. There is a jar for everyone. I use a standard 'regular mouth' pint size Mason jar for mine. I pack DG's salads in a 'regular mouth' quart size Mason jar. I replaced the 2 part 'canning' lids with screw top lids for convenience. Pick the jar size that is right for you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. Use up what you already have.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1/4 head of cabbage in the fridge? Dice it up and toss it in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Half eaten jar of artichoke hearts? Add it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pantry full of beans, but it isn't chili season. Toss them in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Your garden is overflowing? Chop it up and pack your jars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You get the idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Be creative! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Don't limit yourself to fresh veggies only. Mix it up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Try the following:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Nuts</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Fruit - fresh or dried</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Chopped tofu</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Crumbled (cooked) tempeh</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mushrooms</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sprouts</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Diced (cooked) sweet potato</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pasta (like orzo or macaroni) </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Quinoa or couscous</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Canned beans or corn</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pickled beets/artichoke hearts/cabbage</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Jar of olives, mushrooms, asparagus, etc.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. Batch Food Prep rocks! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Make several jars in advance and you have your lunches for the week! Load up your fridge and grab one each morning before you head out the door. No more stressing over what to eat, or being tempted by unhealthy take-out options.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is one of my typical lunches. 1 salad, 1 piece of fruit, and a small container of a hot entree (in this case: roasted sweet potatoes with tempeh in a creamy sauce) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. Earth friendly! </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">By using (and reusing) glass jars you are eliminating the waste you would have created with styrofoam or plastic take out containers, plus the bag to carry it in, and the gas you would have used to drive to the restaurant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. Save money.</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">This one just might be my favorite.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I can buy a salad from a nearby restaurant and pay anywhere between $6 and $12. If you are like us and are using up all your kitchen 'leftovers' - then your salads are costing you very little. We are taking our savings and registering for future races!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I can think of several more reasons I love Salad in a Jar, but I'll let you discover more reasons on your own. But now that you know WHY I love them, you want to know HOW do I make them? And How do I eat them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>HOW TO MAKE:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I found this handy diagram online. The key is to<u> put all your wet ingredients at the bottom</u>, to keep your more delicate ingredients from getting soggy throughout the day. Then fill it to the top to keep your items from getting mixed around too much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://images.abesmarket.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2014_12/Salad_InAJar_FB.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.abesmarket.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2014_12/Salad_InAJar_FB.png" height="640" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HOW TO EAT:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then at lunchtime, you get your jar and <u>FLIP IT OVER onto a plate.</u> The wet ingredients and dressing from the bottom will now nicely cover the entire salad. (I forgot to tell DG about flipping the jar and dumping the salad onto a plate, and the poor guy was struggling to eat out of the jar for weeks. Save yourself that aggravation.)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Do you do batch food prep? </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If so, tell us your favorite reason.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If not, do you think you will try this?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Run Happily!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>@Disney_Bride</i></span></div>
<br />Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-10280600135026076512015-04-24T11:15:00.003-04:002015-04-24T11:15:24.008-04:005 Things We Like Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ce0kya9W6NA/VTpbDpJfolI/AAAAAAAAEa4/BxEUZGoGO9c/s1600/jixzpan6T.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ce0kya9W6NA/VTpbDpJfolI/AAAAAAAAEa4/BxEUZGoGO9c/s1600/jixzpan6T.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<i>Trying a new feature on our blog. Let us know if you like it!</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. <a href="http://store.oofos.com/" target="_blank">OOFOS Recovery Footwear</a> *</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pro: These are VERY comfortable! Designed to be worn for recovery after a long run/race or just for long days, these are well made and provide excellent arch support. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I have recently converted to a standing desk in my office, and these are perfect to keep me on my feet and still comfortable all day. There are several colors and styles available for men and women.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Con: The shiny coating on my black OOCloog Luxe clogs has started to peel. Next time, I'd like to get the OOlala (flip flop style) in one of the fun colors they offer. The <a href="http://store.oofos.com/collections/frontpage/products/oofos-oocloog-mens" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">OOCloog - Men's</a> clogs have not been available in larger men's sizes, at least in the past few months we've been checking. DG wears a 13, so he could only get the <a href="http://store.oofos.com/collections/frontpage/products/oofos-original-men-s" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;">OOFOS OOriginal</a>, not the clog he would have preferred.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF8GXpUo9tI/VTpRuevVC5I/AAAAAAAAEac/bTX1mfDV4ws/s1600/16913024379_5cac7865de_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF8GXpUo9tI/VTpRuevVC5I/AAAAAAAAEac/bTX1mfDV4ws/s1600/16913024379_5cac7865de_k.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. <a href="http://cordskinz.com/" target="_blank">Cordskinz</a>*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pro: Available in many fun colors and keeps your earbud or headphone cords untangled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Con: Did not cover the entire cord assembly, so I still have the tangling issue. I would need to order two sets to cover my earbuds.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nxfuwgLYAk/VTpUUt3BIwI/AAAAAAAAEao/SVkP_n0MnyM/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nxfuwgLYAk/VTpUUt3BIwI/AAAAAAAAEao/SVkP_n0MnyM/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/216513719/rundisney-magicband-vinyl-decal" style="line-height: 25px;" target="_blank">run Disney MagicBand Vinyl Decal</a> on etsy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pro: Only $4 and you can add a little running Mickey decal to your Disney magic band. They have a lot of other cute Disney inspired images made into decals.<br />Con: I can't think of any. These are cute and very reasonably priced.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s3hkGKM_NkU/VTpOYOkEfUI/AAAAAAAAEaQ/ijJj7DyGL5Q/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s3hkGKM_NkU/VTpOYOkEfUI/AAAAAAAAEaQ/ijJj7DyGL5Q/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" height="275" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snack</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pro: Satisfies your salty, crunchy cravings for a mere $0.99. Entire package has only 60 calories (2 servings per package/ 30 cal. each).<br />Con: Wish there was a way to reduce the excessive packaging, and make this eco-friendly.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/images/fearless-flyer/uploads/article-1690/92743-roasted-seaweed-snack.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://www.traderjoes.com/images/fearless-flyer/uploads/article-1690/92743-roasted-seaweed-snack.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5. <a href="http://us.daiyafoods.com/products/chocolate-cheezecake" target="_blank">Daiya Chocolate Cheezecak</a>e</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Pro: OK, I was impressed. No, it doesn't taste like homemade, but it had the tartness, creaminess, and texture I had almost forgotten I missed. My omnivore husband's take: "I can't tell the difference between this vegan cheezecake and a regular dairy cheesecake that we could get from a grocer." Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-free. Vegan. Excellent!<br />Con: Right now, I can only find these at Whole Foods. Would like to see them in more grocers.<br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://us.daiyafoods.com/sites/default/files/Daiya-Chocolate-Cheezecake-US_0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://us.daiyafoods.com/sites/default/files/Daiya-Chocolate-Cheezecake-US_0.png" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Hope you liked our little roundup. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Did you find something new you would like to try? Let us know.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Until next time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Run Happily!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyBride</span><br />
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*<span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.480001449585px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em><span style="color: black;">Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We received products from OOFAS and Cordskinz in exchange for our opinion. Products from Trader Joe's, daiya, and etsy were purchased with our own money. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s </span></em></span></span><a href="http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088b2; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #006fa3;"><em><span style="color: black;">16 CFR, Part 255</span></em></span></span></a><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em><span style="color: black;">: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising</span>.”</em></span></span>Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-75269136116619345562015-04-20T12:00:00.002-04:002015-04-21T16:36:19.280-04:00#MotivationMonday Maickel Melamed runs #BostonMarathon<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today is the running of the 2015 Boston Marathon. The eyes of the running world are on this city and it's prestigious race. Each runner today worked very hard to get there - whether through a qualifying time or raising money for a charity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Among the numerous inspiring stories of the athletes running today, there is one that is getting little fanfare - but he should. Maickel Melamed is from Caracas, Venezuela, and although he is well known through the Latin American press, there is very little of him in the mainstream North American media.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fInSs0GixQ8/VTUhEtF-1fI/AAAAAAAAEZw/5WiJvPNOISk/s1600/Maickel_melamed_marathon_caracas_10k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fInSs0GixQ8/VTUhEtF-1fI/AAAAAAAAEZw/5WiJvPNOISk/s1600/Maickel_melamed_marathon_caracas_10k.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started following Maickel Melamed while he was running the 2013 Chicago Marathon. He has run some of the world's most prestigious endurance events. In fact - he set out to run The Big 5. What will surprise you - are his finish times.</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://time.com/3782807/runners-high-one-mans-new-york-city-marathon-dream-comes-true/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">New York</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"> (2011) 15:22</span></a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/deportes/120930/maickel-melamed-supero-el-reto-de-berlin" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Berlín (2012), 14:20</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://abc7chicago.com/archive/9286065/" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Chicago (2013) 16:45</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"> </span></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.liderendeportes.com/noticias/tiempo-extra/maickel-melamed-no-pudo-en-tokio.aspx" style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Tokyo (2014), 14:30; DNF at mile 22</span></a></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born with <span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;">hypotonia, a rare type of muscular dystrophy characterized by a state of low muscle tone, even the most routine physical acts like walking are a struggle for Maickel. The fact that in 2011 he set out to run the most prestigious and well-known marathons in the world, and has been accomplishing this, is nothing short of miraculous.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282828; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;">Maickel was born with his medical condition, and he has not let it stop him from achieving professional and personal successes. He is an economist, a professor, a motivational speaker, and when he decided to climb a mountain, he climbed the highest mountain peak in his native Venezuela. He doesn't do things on a small scale. This guy DREAMS BIG and LIVES BIG. So deciding to run these world class endurance events - he chooses to be among the best and fastest athletes. He chooses to do what they do - to show that anyone can work hard and accomplish their goals.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282828; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;">None of these things come easy. I've watched the live stream of some of his races. It is heartbreaking when he falls down. He has been hurt many times, but he perseveres. It is incredibly emotional to see him approach that last mile and home stretch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282828; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;">Founder of Proyecto Vamos! (translation: Project Let's Go!), Maickel reminds us all that there are infinite possibilities in life. And he inspires and leads people from all walks of life to embrace those possibilities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can check out this brief video to see more about him.</span></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZmky8WPQ4c" width="560"></iframe></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: large; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;">Like the other runners, Maickel trains year round for these events. Like the other runners, he has tremendous mental determation.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; font-size: large; line-height: 26.8800010681152px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And like every runner in Boston today - Maickel motivates us with his determination and will. We send our hearts and best wishes to all the runners this morning - and long after the elites, the fast, the mid-pack, and yes, even the back of the pack comes in, Maickel will still be out there - putting one foot in front of the other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I can't wait to see him finish!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can follow Maickel today on</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">https://www.facebook.com/maickelmelamed</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">https://twitter.com/maickelmelamed</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">(Sorry his social media is in Spanish, but Facebook does have a translate option.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">~Run Happily</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">DisneyBride</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 18pt;">Update on 4/21/15:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">AMAZING! After over 20 hours, most of it in pouring rain,</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a data-gt="{"entity_id":"185234536263","entity_path":"\/pagelet\/pageletserver.php:PagePostsPagelet"}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=185234536263" href="https://www.facebook.com/maickelmelamed" style="cursor: pointer;"><span style="background: white; color: #3b5998; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Maickel Melamed</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> gets his </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><a data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/bostonmarathon?source=feed_text&story_id=820117218041591" style="cursor: pointer;"><span style="background: white; color: #6d84b4; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">#</span><span style="background: white; color: #3b5998;">BostonMarathon</span></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> finish. Through the cold, rain, and wind - he persevered! Am
glad to see his story got picked up by several North American news outlets. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "inherit","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">http://boston.cbslocal.com/2015/04/21/boston-marathons-final-finisher-an-inspirational-story/</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 18pt;">And the
Mayor of Boston himself presents Maickel with a medal!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-91085099603030669822015-04-19T22:07:00.004-04:002015-04-19T22:07:46.463-04:00Gasparilla Distance Classic- 2 days and 30.4 miles<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qGRVElby8fU/VTRY4-UusUI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/QEsngv2ucD4/s1600/11001792_794107080642605_8183811108767099250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qGRVElby8fU/VTRY4-UusUI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/QEsngv2ucD4/s1600/11001792_794107080642605_8183811108767099250_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sorry for this recap being nearly two months late. The Gasparilla Distance Classic was Feb 20 & 21, 2015.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This year we did not run the runDisney Princess Half Marathon. We ran the Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa that weekend. The GDC is a two day event, with two races on Saturday (15K & 5K) and two races (1/2 Marathon & 8K) on Sunday.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BMjhU4PZnNo/VTRTibBAtqI/AAAAAAAAEYk/JksTRfywVFo/s1600/17206267905_4d89818c00_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BMjhU4PZnNo/VTRTibBAtqI/AAAAAAAAEYk/JksTRfywVFo/s1600/17206267905_4d89818c00_z.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are three challenges available: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Michelob Ultra Challenge: All four races for 30.4 miles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Michelob Ultra Amber Challenge: 15K, 5K, & 1/2 for 25.5 miles</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge: 15k & 8K for 14.2 miles</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I did the Ultra Challenge and DisneyBride did the Ultra Lime Cactus Challenge.</span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Expo</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This expo was by far the best I have ever attended. The expo took over a pretty large portion of the Tampa Convention Center. Free samples and demos were everywhere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There was even a Star Wars themed booth with characters for photos.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3_KYMuX_vk/VTRTiWUpTxI/AAAAAAAAEYo/m0WWxBTc6hE/s1600/16929304409_ae35360bb0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h3_KYMuX_vk/VTRTiWUpTxI/AAAAAAAAEYo/m0WWxBTc6hE/s1600/16929304409_ae35360bb0_z.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The pick-up areas (Bibs were picked up separate from your shirts and jackets) were well staffed with volunteers and the waits were a couple of minutes tops. Free samples and demos were everywhere. We tried several foods including electrolyte popsicles, chips, drinks, fruit, and other snacks. Also, the reusable bags from the race sponsor, Publix, were a very nice touch.</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Day 1: 15k and 5k</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our hotel was near the start area so we could walk to the races. The starting area was well organized and the corrals were well marked. The 15k was an out and back course mostly along Bayshore Blvd. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was a cold morning but we had a fun time. We ran with several friends from Tallahassee.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLw1z-RdYeM/VTRThgDW4uI/AAAAAAAAEYg/ABtCRbeo_pw/s1600/11001823_794326133954033_8880307327512202684_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aLw1z-RdYeM/VTRThgDW4uI/AAAAAAAAEYg/ABtCRbeo_pw/s1600/11001823_794326133954033_8880307327512202684_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The course had plenty of aid stations and also featured entertainment at several points. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4TEtx6vir4/VTRTjLTmwzI/AAAAAAAAEY0/Trzwq42xCAg/s1600/553339_794397960613517_8455574012610634596_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4TEtx6vir4/VTRTjLTmwzI/AAAAAAAAEY0/Trzwq42xCAg/s1600/553339_794397960613517_8455574012610634596_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The legendary Bart Yasso was announcing the runners as they crossed the finish line</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After finishing the 15k, runners had the option to check their medals before the 5k. I choose to put my medal in my hydration pack. Other runners told me the medal check was organized and accepted and returned medals very efficiently. The finish line was well stocked with water and Gatorade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I finished the 15k with plenty of time to stroll towards the starting line for the 5k. Plenty of volunteers were on hand to guide runners to the the start of the next race. The 5k followed the same course as the 15k (obviously the turn around was much earlier). For a very well attended race, the crowds didn't seem that bad. At the turn around for the 5k, I ran into DisneyBride. We finished our respective races together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following the race we headed to the festival area. The festival area is broken into two separate areas. One near the Convention Center has plenty of food and drinks from sponsors available. Fresh fruit, cold coke, fruit cups, and more was available to runners. Further down the walkway, in an adjacent park was a live band and the beer area. The cold beer and live music was a great way to wind down from the races. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Day 2: Half Marathon and 8k</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The starting area was well organized on day 2 as well. Since I had to finish the race under 2:55 gun time, I decided to try and PR. The course is a basically a figure 8 and relatively flat. Again oncourse entertainment was plentiful, bands and entertainers to keep your mind off the running. </span><span style="font-size: large;">I did manage to get my half marathon PR that day. Not quite the PR I had hoped for, but a PR. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The finish line was again well stocked with beverages and the medal lines were quick. I headed for the starting area of the 8k as was pleasantly surprised by how close it was. I had read recaps of previous years where people made it out to be quite the hike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The 8k was essentially the same course as the 5k. Running the half really took a lot out of me. I ran the 8k pretty leisurely with a friend. Crossing the line, I headed to the food area next to the convention center (long drive this day, so I skipped the beer), they really brought out their "A" game. Unfortunately, everyone decided to enjoy the festival area. Lines were enormous. I skipped almost all of them and headed straight to The Columbia table and enjoyed a nice plate of delicious hot food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><u>The Good</u></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">The Ultra Challenge (all 4 races) cost the same as the Princess Half Marathon, so I felt like it was a good value</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The expo was amazing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Aid stations were plentiful </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Post-race food was great</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The shirts and the challenge jacket</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XFbBn_uVDs/VTRThKCeDRI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/FDISDN3Exmc/s1600/10408787_794098033976843_8842013788458157425_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5XFbBn_uVDs/VTRThKCeDRI/AAAAAAAAEYQ/FDISDN3Exmc/s1600/10408787_794098033976843_8842013788458157425_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My Michelob Ultra Challenge jacket</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_XAPJ9JOeQ/VTRThACbNlI/AAAAAAAAEYY/xfjZO6cIA4o/s1600/10430894_795012950552018_4171812799851492939_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y_XAPJ9JOeQ/VTRThACbNlI/AAAAAAAAEYY/xfjZO6cIA4o/s1600/10430894_795012950552018_4171812799851492939_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">DisneyBride's jacket, bib, and medals</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><u><b>The Not as Good </b></u></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">All four courses are pretty similar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The medals (with the exception of the half marathon) look the same.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">The challenge medal was not that impressive.</span></li>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aht9XPMmdP4/VTRfSzJyDAI/AAAAAAAAEZg/ERZIUwtR6vk/s1600/IMG_5119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aht9XPMmdP4/VTRfSzJyDAI/AAAAAAAAEZg/ERZIUwtR6vk/s1600/IMG_5119.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For next year, we are undecided if we will return. I would love to go back, but DisneyBride wants to go to Princess Half Weekend. We still have a few months to decide.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pirates OR Princesses for 2016? </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tough decision. Which would you choose?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">~DisneyGroom</span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-29405493651416828112015-04-14T20:00:00.000-04:002015-04-14T20:00:16.167-04:00Is it time to sign up for #WDWMarathon already?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">~Reminiscing about the 2015 Walt Disney World 10K~</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yes kids, it's that magical time of year again. It may still be 266 days away, but registration time for the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend events is upon us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Today just before noon, I hung up my "At Lunch" sign outside my office door and sat down with credit card ready. Early registration for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and Disney Parks Annual Passholders (Walt Disney World only) became available today for the 2016 runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon weekend events. I know, it seems like it was just yesterday that we were there running through the parks, earning our bling, seeing our friends, and eating like we had just run a long distance event. But the calendar tells us it was over three months ago. And so - nine months out, it is time to register.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The registration pages were predictably very slow to load and after 10 minutes of trying, I finally got in. To DisneyGroom's delight, I was able to get him registered for Dopey Challenge #3. Yes, he is going for a third, and fully intends to keep going... until when, I don't know. The Dopey Challenge does not hold the appeal for me that it does for him, kind of like marathons and ultras. Those are his thing. I have other ambitions, at least for now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sadly for me, once I got his registration complete, I was too late to register myself for the 10K or the 5K. I don't have any info on how many race and challenge allotments are designated for early registration, but it can't be too large a number. So now, I wait. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And like tens of thousands of other hopefuls, in two weeks my fingers will be poised over a keyboard, impatiently pressing refresh, and praying active.com doesn't crash.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If you are on facebook and would like a reminder for registration, feel free to join our event reminder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1392975691004984/" target="_blank">here</a>. Just set your facebook settings set to alert you on your smartphone or via email, then you will have that reminder and can try to be ready by 12noon EDT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If this will be your first WDW Marathon Weekend, then you are in for more fun than you can possibly know. If you are returning, well - then you know what an awesome time it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">You can check out some of our Walt Disney World Marathon recaps here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html" target="_blank">DisneyGroom's 2015 Dopey Challenge</a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/01/day-1-disneygrooms-dopeychallenge.html" target="_blank">DisneyGroom's 2014 Dopey Challenge</a></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2013/01/wdw-marathon-weekend-day-1-expo-shop.html" target="_blank">DisneyBride's 2013 WDW Marathon Weekend</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Run Happy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~DisneyBride</span></div>
Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-66557883071762109862015-03-02T19:27:00.001-05:002015-04-17T20:15:00.018-04:00Trail Toes Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.480001449585px; text-align: justify;">This Giveaway has closed. </strong><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: Verdana; font-size: large; line-height: 24.480001449585px; text-align: justify;">Check our most recent posts to see if we are running any giveaways.</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">There are a few running issues that no one likes to talk about. Today I will talk about one. Chafing. I have chafed and blistered before, and I can tell you one thing - I'll do anything to prevent this.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LHI_qTJTEic/VO_RiIcV8zI/AAAAAAAAEQU/G3nBUjpKciE/s1600/photo%2B(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LHI_qTJTEic/VO_RiIcV8zI/AAAAAAAAEQU/G3nBUjpKciE/s1600/photo%2B(6).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mickey </span>doesn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> like to blister or chafe!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As I've gotten more involved in trail running in preparation for my ultra, we did some research on what 'those guys' use. You know - the crazy guys that run 100 mile races. If the typical runner can get bloody nipples during a well-supported half marathon road race, imagine what might happen on 50 plus miles in remote and often harsh conditions - where aid stations are very few and far between. This is how we heard about Trail Toes and Trail Tape. This stuff is designed for ultra runners. It is made to withstand hours and hours of water, mud, dirt, sweat, and more. I just had to give it a try!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was luck</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">y enough to test out both the Trail Toes and the Trail Tape. I have to say that I put them both through their paces and I am a huge fan. I have tried a couple of other products in the past and they just couldn't keep up with me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">My first test for Trail Toes was my </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/recap-2015-swamp-forest-trail-half.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Swamp Forest Half Marathon</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">. I slathered trail toes on my feet to try and avoid blisters and angry toe nails. I also used some on what I will refer to my "bathing suit area". While on long training runs, both areas have experienced chafing. The trail was very wet from the rain, and it continued raining through the race. The Trail Toes worked like a champ. My feet were blister free and "my bathing suit area" stayed free of any chafing or irritation as well. I will spare you pictures of my gross runner feet. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpIJd5ItUwE/VKtXtt1F4nI/AAAAAAAAD4I/ozuIoFtD5io/s1600/image%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpIJd5ItUwE/VKtXtt1F4nI/AAAAAAAAD4I/ozuIoFtD5io/s1600/image%2B%282%29.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Muddy, wet, and very humid. No "bathing suit area" chafing or blistered feet!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following my trail half, I continued to use the Trail Toes on my runs. I also put some of the Trail Tape on my feet to see if it would hold. The tape held steady on my feet even through wet trails and humid and hot runs. I also tested the Trail Tape on my nipples. Being a larger guy, nipple chafing has been an issue for me. I have previously been using a product called 'nip guards'. They work well, but each package contains just ten pairs and retails for about $12. The Trail Tape works just as well for a fraction of the cost and at 10.9 yards per package, I think one box ought to last me for years, if I only use them for my nipples. Suggestion: pre-cut the tape before leaving for a destination race. Don't be like me, frantically hunting for scissors on race morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Trail Toes protected me all throughout the the runDisney<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDWMarathon.html" target="_blank">Dopey Challenge</a>. Four races and 48.6 miles and I didn't get a single blister on my feet. I also found out that Trail Toes can help when you fail to ensure your race gear is ready. Marathon morning, I woke up and got dressed only to realize that my compression socks had a hole on the heel. DisneyBride freaked out and tried to talk me into changing into a different pair. Nope, I decided to put the Trail Toes to the test and just slathered it on my heel. It could've turned out badly, but to my relief - no issues at all. </span><br />
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Holey sock, no problem, just add some Trail Toes.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">48.6 miles is no problem when your feet feel great!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Probably my biggest test for Trail Toes and Trail Tape came from my 1st ultra marathon. I ran the Destin Beach Ultra Runs 50K in Destin. The race is 100% on the beach, features countless water-crossings, wet sand, and the ever changing tide. One can only imagine what this puts your feet thorough. I slathered my feet and "bathing suit area" with Trail Toes and protected the nips with Trail Tape. Further, I left more Trail Toes in my drop bag with fresh shoes and socks at mile 16.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sand and water was the ultimate test for Trail Toes! It passed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I reapplied the Trail Toes and Trail tape at mile 16.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After 30 miles of wet sandy feet, not a blister could be found. My "bathing suit area" was free of issues as well. You might be laughing about the last comment, but a runner dropped out of the 100 mile race because he had rubbed his "bathing suit area" raw. <i>He used a different term, but this is a family-friendly blog</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The combination of saltwater and sand really beat up the feet of far too many runners that weekend. Once across the finish line, many runners were catering to horrific looking blisters on their feet. I can't help but think that could have been avoided with some Trail Toes. </span><br />
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Wiped out after 31 miles. My feet may be wet and covered in sand, but I don't have any blisters.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The following week after my ultra, I had another destination race event: Gasparilla Distance Classic in Tampa, FL. 4 races, 2 days = 30.4 miles in temps that started near freezing and ended in mid 70s plus wicked humidity. I don't have my race recap up for that one yet. But you bet I was glad to have the Trail Toes and Trail Tape with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">That's 126.2 miles of races, plus countless training miles that this stuff has come through for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Some final thoughts</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Keep some Trail Toes and some Trail Tape in your running bag and in your car. You never know when you (or someone else) will need it. Trail Toes cleaned up pretty easily with some soap and warm water. Don't remove the Trail Tape from your nips until you are in the shower and can loosen the tape with some soap and warm water (learned this one the hard way). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Trail Tape retails for $6.50 on the Trail Toes page. For $6.50 you almost have a lifetime supply of nipple protection. This is far cheaper than the method I currently use. DisneyBride used the Trail Tape on the bra strap area, where she is prone to irritation. She finished all her events (on the beach and on the road) with no issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Don't forget, the tape can be applied directly to any part of your skin, including your feet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Trail Toes comes in a 2oz bottle ($11.99) or in 7 gram single use packet($.99) . I find the packets to be great for drop bags and for packing for racecations. </span><br />
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1st prize</div>
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2oz bottle of Trail Toes</div>
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One box of Trail Tape</div>
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Second prize</div>
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10-single use packets</div>
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Trail Tape sample</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Terms of the Giveaway</span></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white;">1) No Purchase Necessary.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white;">2) Giveaway begins Monday March 2, 2015 and ends Monday Mar. 9, 2015 at midnight. Winner will be announced on the Facebook page and this blog post. He or she will be notified Tuesday, March 10, 2015.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3) Must be 18 years or older to enter. Must be a U.S. resident. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4) Two (2) winners will be selected. The 1st winner will receive one (1) box of Trail Tape and one (1) container of Trail Toes. Approximate retail value is $18.49. The second winner will receive 10 (10) single-use packets of Trail Toes and a Trail Tape sample. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5) Sign in through Rafflecopter below to enter. With your first entry, the app will capture your e-mail or facebook name. This is so we can reach you if you win, in accordance with sweepstakes terms. Your contact info will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6) There are additional opportunities for multiple entries.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7) The winner will be chosen at random using the rafflecopter app below. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8) 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.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">9) Void where prohibited.</span><br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="4a8fefb747" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4a8fefb747/" id="rcwidget_c4p0sqgy" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em><span style="color: black;">Disclosure of Material Connection: No financial compensation was received. We received product from Trail Toes in exchange for this review. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we believe will be good for our readers. All opinions stated on this blog are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s </span></em></span></span><a href="http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088b2; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #006fa3;"><em><span style="color: black;">16 CFR, Part 255</span></em></span></span></a><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em><span style="color: black;">: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising</span>.”</em></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; line-height: 24.48px; text-align: justify;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">For more great giveaways:click the image below</span></span></span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-37257539209592155092015-03-01T13:52:00.000-05:002015-03-20T21:14:16.522-04:00Destin 50k- My 1st ultra!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I have crossed over to the "Dark Side". On February 15th, I completed my first ultra, the <a href="http://www.beachultra.com/" target="_blank">Destin Beach Ultra Runs 50k</a>. This event features several options for the ultra runner; including a 50k, 50 mile, 100 mile, and 24 hour race. All the races are held entirely on the beach, yes I said ON the beach. One could not ask for a more beautiful course. Beautiful sand, sun, and water for the entire course. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rrU-UyKG4fc/VP92Zg11MmI/AAAAAAAAETE/6g8Wp3o4ejk/s1600/IMG_8086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rrU-UyKG4fc/VP92Zg11MmI/AAAAAAAAETE/6g8Wp3o4ejk/s1600/IMG_8086.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Beautiful views were always available. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXQg8QBnBcs/VP92ZOQJ7JI/AAAAAAAAESw/_zjRzPZEeR0/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mXQg8QBnBcs/VP92ZOQJ7JI/AAAAAAAAESw/_zjRzPZEeR0/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(4).jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The view from our hotel room. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We arrived Friday night with plans to run the <a href="http://www.sonofabeach.org/" target="_blank">Son of a Beach 5k</a> on Saturday. We decided to stay at the host resort (<a href="http://www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/florida/northwest-florida/destination/resort/topsl-beach-racquet-resort" target="_blank">Topsail</a>) and if you plan on running any of the Destin Beach Ultra Runs events, I recommend that you do as well. We stayed in the Tides building, right on the water. We could see the 100 mile and 24 hour race right outside our balcony and also enjoy looking out over the water.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPItEe1DYFo/VP95vlbkXeI/AAAAAAAAET8/xZeyh-fyBSY/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPItEe1DYFo/VP95vlbkXeI/AAAAAAAAET8/xZeyh-fyBSY/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Enjoying lunch right after our Son of a Beach 5k packet pickup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Why the Son of a Beach 5k you ask? Because running a 50k on Sunday just isn't enough. The 5k started and finished at the Back Porch in Destin and featured the best post 5k party I have ever attended. The course was beautiful, the beer was cold, the food was great, and if you were fast enough, the awards looked pretty amazing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Ready to run the Son of a Beach 5k</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyBride sporting the 5k medal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> With Zane (Destin Beach Ultras RD) at the finish line</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9kNukWOgUpM/VP95t6idJtI/AAAAAAAAETo/ZYkKvmU1wzU/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9kNukWOgUpM/VP95t6idJtI/AAAAAAAAETo/ZYkKvmU1wzU/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5k awards</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Plenty of beer and food was available.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: justify;">Following the 5k and afterparty, we headed back the the resort to pick up our packets and attend our 50k runners meeting. The race is a small event, so it is just packet pick up. No expo, and the merchandise was limited to just a couple of shirts for the race. The shirt that came with my registration was nice, so I passed on purchasing another one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: justify;">The runners meeting was very helpful. It was nice to be in a runners meeting where the Race Director had a cheesy sense of humor. It appeared that many of the runners were frequent fliers, the entire event had an atmosphere of a big family reunion. After a presentation from the </span><a href="http://www.specialops.org/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Special Operations Warrior Foundation</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, Zane (RD) provided us all the information about the course, aid station sponsors, and what to expect that we could ever want. It was extremely helpful. The only bad news provided was that one of the dunes on the course had burst and one of the water crossing was going to be far longer and deeper than in any of the previous years.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Zane provides last minute tips during the runners meeting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Before heading to dinner, I went down to the beach to watch the start of the 100 mile and 24 hr race. Watching the runners complete a couple of laps was pretty impressive. These runners were absolutely flying down the course. I can only imagine running a 2 mile loop for 24 hours. Not sure that I'll ever have that kind of dedication. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-neVPeaj35IY/VP97xzZ1PZI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/AV-yve6Q3go/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-neVPeaj35IY/VP97xzZ1PZI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/AV-yve6Q3go/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(1).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The start of the 100mile and 24 hour race. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We headed back to our room to relax and prepare for dinner. We decided that since we didn't want to fight Valentine's Day crowds at the local restaurants, we would opt for the race dinner. This was the only disappointing part of the entire weekend. The dinner consisted of a salad, tempeh tacos (vegan), chicken, and cheesy pasta (gluten free). This was not a runner's dinner. It was food that I assume the cook prepares for elderly couples on a daily basis. The chicken was like a hockey puck, and all the food was too spicy. I love spicy food, but I don't want it the night before a 50k. Also, I don't particularly care for gluten free pasta. I would have preferred a more traditional pasta dinner. Perhaps it was only me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Flat DisneyGroom</span></div>
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Since the 24 hr race and the 100miler was happening on the beach directly behind us, DisneyBride and I walked down to the beach for a while and watched the headlamps go back and forth in the dark. Not only was it overcast (no moon), it was extremely windy, chilly, and damp. The sand was not packed down - so it was hard enough to walk. Really, it was uncomfortable just to stand out there - I couldn't believe how tough those men and women were to be out there overnight - doing the same 2 mile loop over and over. After we went back up to the room, we could still see the headlamps like tiny dots moving to and fro on the beach. I packed my drop bag and laid out my race wear. After checking my drop bag about a dozen times, I headed off to bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Drop bag, this was a 1st.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Race Day</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At O'Dark Thirty: Me and my running buddy, Michelle, heading down to the start. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I had my normal race day breakfast of peanut butter and jelly washed down with a some Mountain Dew. After I was fed, dressed, and ready we made our way to the start. The 50 mile and 100 mile competitors had already started their race. Shortly after our arrival at the start line, the National Anthem was played and we were off. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The course was an out and back 30 miles, but at the beginning of the race the 50K runners did a one mile out and back in opposite direction first. This was to get us to 31 miles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The weather and the course were beautiful. I would run this race with my running buddy Michelle. We are both horrible running enablers, convincing not only each other, but our friends to constantly run races. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx5jdC_NN_M/VP92SOm01EI/AAAAAAAAESc/e3Qx2wU_TUw/s1600/IMG_8136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sx5jdC_NN_M/VP92SOm01EI/AAAAAAAAESc/e3Qx2wU_TUw/s1600/IMG_8136.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Checking in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I will mention here that the course features about a dozen water crossings. From ankle to knee deep water, and in length from 2ft to about 10ft. Thankfully, the chest-deep water crossing we were warned about the day before had been plugged. One crossing on race day did have a pretty swift current. The Sheriff's Department was onsite to help guide runners to the more shallow portions of the crossing. Sometimes you loved having some cool water on your feet, other times you dreaded the water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My view for the race-amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's about 5.6 miles until the 1st aid station. Since the tide was low, the running conditions were amazing. We arrived at the 1st aid station and I was looking forward to enjoying some delicious food. </span><br />
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The first aid station was sponsored by <a href="http://www.stinkysfishcamp.com/home" target="_blank">Stinky's Fish Camp</a>. They provided some pretty amazing homemade strawberry fruit leather (fruit roll-ups), and granola. I choose to skip the granola, grabbed two pieces of the fruit leather, a Cliff shot, and headed back onto the course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQNQyFkNBac/VP99FSAaidI/AAAAAAAAEU8/0SqGReNkoA0/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQNQyFkNBac/VP99FSAaidI/AAAAAAAAEU8/0SqGReNkoA0/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(2).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Great aid station volunteers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We settled in pretty quickly with our 1:1 ratio (run 1 minute, walk 1 minute) on the course. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the temperature increased. Again, running on the beach is absolutely beautiful. After passing the 1st aid station, we started seeing some of the leaders of the 50 mile and 100 mile race. These runners looked amazingly fresh. Side note: again this race seemed like a big family reunion. I have never seen so many runners congratulating one another. Not only from the back of the pack to the front, but the front of the pack to those of us at the back. It appeared that the runners really just enjoyed the event and want to make sure that everyone was having as much fun as they were. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We arrived at the second aid station and I was anticipating the delicious food. Since I remember that the aid station was sponsored by <a href="http://www.anotherbrokenegg.com/" target="_blank">Another Broken Egg Cafe</a>, I was anticipating bacon. I was not disappointed; they had some pretty amazing bacon and potato wraps. After enjoying a wrap and taking a couple of pieces to eat on the way, we headed off for the turnaround.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Great wrap!</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sFYjZhsGds/VP99EA_BufI/AAAAAAAAEUs/zJmUSIkukzA/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sFYjZhsGds/VP99EA_BufI/AAAAAAAAEUs/zJmUSIkukzA/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(1).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Fueled by bacon!</span></div>
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Again, running on the beach is beautiful. As we made our way towards the turnaround, the tide slowly started coming in. The higher the tide, the more difficult the course becomes. Think about running in either baby powder-like sand or in the saltwater. It was about this time that I really started looking forward to a dry pair of socks and shoes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Arriving at the turnaround I was happy to see that they had a couple of chairs available. I quickly found my bag, took a seat, removed my wet shoes and socks, toweled off my feet, reapplied some TrailToes, and put on new shoes and socks. I had packed some sunscreen in my drop bag, and I'm really glad I did. The sun was brutal and shade can be found nowhere when you are running on the beach. This aid station also had a nurse available to help anyone in need. This aid station had some salty snacks, fruit cups, and Cliff shots. Only thing that could have made it better was if they had a hot food option at this stop as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The turnaround.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaving the turnaround, I tried to keep my feet dry. I finally had dry shoes and I wanted to enjoy them. That only lasted about a mile and a half. It was high tide and packed sand was hard to find. I alternated between running in the loose sand and dodging waves. However, wet feet did not bother me nearly as much as I had assumed it would.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Back at the bacon aid station, I decided I needed (yes, I said needed) another bacon and potato wrap. It was just as good as it was the first time. I also decided it was getting hot enough that the long sleeve shirt needed to go. Refueled with bacon, I headed back out onto the course. It was about this time that a couple of other runners started asking to run with me and my friend. It was also about this time that the heat and other conditions started picking off a few runners. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">JazzHands - just because...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Man did it get hot quick. I polished off both of my Orange Mud bottles in my vest getting to the last aid station. Stinky's Fish Camp had some amazing shrimp and grits to get us to the finish line. </span><br />
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They were also the only aid station that had beer and soda. I passed on the beer, knowing that it would be at the finish line. I did ask for a soda and all they had was Diet Coke. BTW, who drinks Diet Coke during an ultra marathon??? Apparently Stinky's felt we all needed to watch our figures. It was cold and wet, so I did drink it. This was also the aid station with the greatest number of spectators and they were very vocal. It appeared that several runners had crews there to provide support. The crews all appeared to be well stocked with beach appropriate drinks and cocktails. It was one big party. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Great shrimp and grits.</span></div>
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The last leg seemed longer than 4.6 miles. It's also about this time that I really started to get sick of wet socks and dodging the waves. I also started thinking that perhaps training for a 50 miler next time is not all that crazy (I may need to get my head checked out). </span><br />
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Approaching the finish line, I was also thankful that the Race Director put the extra mile at the beginning instead of teasing us at mile 30 with the finish line. </span><br />
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As I got near the finish, I could finally see my lovely DisneyBride. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Finish Line at last! The race director personally shakes your hand and gives you your medal. DisneyBride watched him. Runners don't see this - but he stood out there for HOURS and HOURS as runners from all four events: 50K, 50Miler, 100Miler, and 24 hour race all finished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My hard-earned bling. A very hefty and large 'dogtag' with enamel on both sides.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The finish area was full of spectators and the medical tent seemed to be busy, but not overwhelmed with runners trying to take care of what appeared to me to be mostly foot issues. By the time I crossed the line very little hot food was available. I grabbed some beverages, a couple of slices of cold pizza, and headed back to the water to take a "redneck ice bath".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Who needs a tub when you have a beach in February? </span></div>
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Following the ice bath, I felt it was time for some beer. Heck, I ran a 50k, a couple of beers were in order. The pool deck was the party area. A band was playing music, draft beer was available, and (now cold) pizza and ravioli was served. </span><br />
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The atmosphere at the finish line was a lot of fun. Runners talking about the highlights of their race, talking about past races, and looking forward to future races. After a couple of beers, we all headed back to the room to relax before heading out to dinner.</span><br />
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The following day, the race weekend concluded with a lunch at <a href="http://www.localcatch30a.com/" target="_blank">The Local Catch</a>. This was a really thoughtful finishing touch to a great weekend. We sat around a big table with fellow runners. While many people at lunch arrived as strangers, very quickly it felt like a large family dinner. Talk about training, what went right and wrong, and talk about what race to run next year were plentiful. There were door prizes, and both DisneyBride and myself were each lucky enough to win a pair of <a href="http://www.hokaoneone.com/" target="_blank">Hoka One Ones</a> at the lunch. Over half of the runners I saw the entire weekend were in Hokas. I wouldn't have thought they were the best shoes for the beach - but I guess I was wrong. Hoka was a race sponsor, as was <a href="http://www.runwithitfl.com/" target="_blank">Run With It</a>, a local running store, where we went afterwards to pick out our shoes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I look exhausted!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyBride is excited to win the Hokas as well.</span></div>
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I look forward to running this race again in the future. I will note that DisneyBride managed to win an entry into the <a href="http://www.destinmarathons.com/" target="_blank">Destin Marathon</a> also directed by the same gentleman that directed this race. So, we are planning to head back if not for the Beach Ultra, then the other. I'm really excited to run in Destin again next year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Recommendations for beach races:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Take advantage of low tide. Having nice packed sand with minimal chance of the tide catching you is ideal. Enjoy it while it lasts. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Grease yourself up. Sand will end up everywhere. I do mean everywhere! I'm glad I planned accordingly. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Incorporate some training runs on the beach or at least a trail with very loose sand, whenever possible. </span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For the Race Director</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For a race that prides itself on aid station food, perhaps add a hot food option at mile 16 aid station.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Having Coke or Diet Coke at all the stations would be nice.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It would have been nice for us slower runners to enjoy hot food (pizza and ravioli) at the finish line party. I was solidly at the back of the pack. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Receiving my medal from the Race Director was a nice touch, please continue the tradition.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Please strive to keep the family-like atmosphere, it was inspiring to run with such a small and supportive group. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Keep the Monday post-race lunch. I enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with many accomplished ultrarunners. </span></li>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The runners of the 50 mile and 100 mile have access to 2 restaurants during the last 20 miles. The restaurants actually take orders on your way out and have the food and/or drinks waiting on your way back. I guess this is an incentive to get runners to take on the longer distances. I think it may have worked. <i>I see a 50 miler in my future.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;"><b>Have you taken the leap into ultra races?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you have ever run on the beach, what tips do you have?</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-39675114618719894312015-01-31T00:21:00.000-05:002015-01-31T00:25:24.068-05:00Day 5: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend #DopeyChallenge #WDWMarathon Recap <div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The big day has arrived. Going to bed early the night before paid off. The alarm went off at 1:45am (I wish that were a typo) so that we could get to the start area early. Since I missed out on a Dopey Challenge race banner last year, we had decided to arrive very very early. That meant driving. It worked. Arriving at about 2:30am, we were about the 5th group in line at the merchandise tent. The merchandise tent itself did not open until 3am.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Nnpf8ibgs/VMxjmYgTRAI/AAAAAAAAEO8/QRIgp9-LeP4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Nnpf8ibgs/VMxjmYgTRAI/AAAAAAAAEO8/QRIgp9-LeP4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I got my Dopey banner and also picked up a Goofy one as well. They look great hanging in my office. (We get them signed by characters.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After picking up the banners, I headed back to the car to relax. Since we arrived before everyone else</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">, we had a pretty sweet parking spot. Having the car there meant I was able to spend some time in a nice warm comfortable seat. Very convenient since I was feeling a little twinge in my ankle. DisneyBride kept trying to get me to take a nap, but I was too excited to sleep. So at about 4:45am we got out of the car to go catch up with a friend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With Michelle from <a href="https://middleofmainstreet.wordpress.com/">https://middleofmainstreet.wordpress.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">No, that is not my costume. Yes, I really did wear a trash bag at the start line. It was cold. #DontJudge</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Speaking of costumes - this might just be my first runDisney event where I did not wear a costume or at least something costume-like. Instead I had on my <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/" target="_blank">Marathon Maniacs</a> gear (because the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon qualified me to be a Maniac). I also wore <a href="http://www.inknburn.com/" target="_blank">InknBurn</a> shorts, my custom <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/RunAliceRunCo" target="_blank">Run Alice Run</a> arm sleeves, and my <a href="http://www.orangemud.com/" target="_blank">Orange Mud </a>Vest Pack 2. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After catching up with friends for a few minutes, I gave DisneyBride a goodbye kiss and headed for my corral. The weather for the marathon was far better than it had been for any of the other races. Even so, I kept my trash bag on to keep me warm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Let me take a second to point out something I thought was a little off all weekend. The poor Goofy runners almost received no love. Even before the marathon, they seemed to only get a quick mention. It was the 10th anniversary for the Goofy Challenge and the Dopey Challenge still seemed to cast a huge shadow over Goofy. Congrats to all the Goofy Challenge participants and and even bigger congrats to those that have completed all 10 years!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The fireworks to send off the runners were amazing. Better than I've ever seen at a runDisney race start, and I've seen a few. I need to learn how to get better photos of the display. Thankfully, most of you read the blog for my humorous take on running, not for my photography skills.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAMn0nzqrF8/VMGkcu0XXoI/AAAAAAAAEHc/B_ai_e82sBs/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DAMn0nzqrF8/VMGkcu0XXoI/AAAAAAAAEHc/B_ai_e82sBs/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The course starts off the same as the half. For the Dopeys, the 2 mile marker is an important one. It is just past the halfway point of the Dopey Challenge's 48.6 miles. Pretty amazing to think that 2 miles into the marathon, you are only half way though the challenge.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KhP-PDBT-A/VMGkmodxT1I/AAAAAAAAEHk/QcnKXELlyN8/s1600/photo%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KhP-PDBT-A/VMGkmodxT1I/AAAAAAAAEHk/QcnKXELlyN8/s1600/photo%2B3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Outside the Speedway, a few new cars were out on the course. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9SatCUwrLOE/VMGks3l7edI/AAAAAAAAEH0/fjWo7eNvrSQ/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9SatCUwrLOE/VMGks3l7edI/AAAAAAAAEH0/fjWo7eNvrSQ/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just outside the Ticket and Transportation Center, I ran into DisneyBride. It's always great to see smiling faces. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MxEVU1bIuUQ/VMxERe2FjSI/AAAAAAAAENU/BQtBSIgq0IQ/s1600/unnamed%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MxEVU1bIuUQ/VMxERe2FjSI/AAAAAAAAENU/BQtBSIgq0IQ/s1600/unnamed%2B(2).jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">DisneyBride looking good with her Mickey hand and Buzz Lightyear hat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Speaking of smiling faces, the High School bands really knocked it out of the park again. Here is the Timber Creek High School band, my vote for the best band of the weekend. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KpA3QdGIbmE/VMGksTUXH8I/AAAAAAAAEHs/xTohdb1FNXw/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KpA3QdGIbmE/VMGksTUXH8I/AAAAAAAAEHs/xTohdb1FNXw/s1600/photo%2B5.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The run from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom is pretty uneventful. The DJ with the huge Mickey hands always does a great job of pumping up runners to make it up the hill in front of the Contemporary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Arriving in the Magic Kingdom the first picture should come as no surprise. The one, the only, the Buzz Lightyear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Second stop was the Mine Train. Thanks again runDisney for giving us the false impression months ago that the Mine Train would be operating during the Marathon, Apparently, running past the Mine Train was enough to make it "part of the race course". Yes, I did 'air quotes'.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I said it before and I'll say it again, it never gets old running through the castle. I even managed to get a spectator to take another great castle photo for me.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dQdmqYBlrok/VMGocbuFq8I/AAAAAAAAEIA/ySZsvwcsy0s/s1600/image%2B(2).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dQdmqYBlrok/VMGocbuFq8I/AAAAAAAAEIA/ySZsvwcsy0s/s1600/image%2B(2).png" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leaving the Magic Kingdom you make your way past the monorail resorts. My first stop after Magic Kingdom was Genie and Abu. Apparently, my luck ran out right before it was my turn for a photo. The Genie had some sort of genie emergency and had to take a few minutes. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJj6Wt64XhI/VMGocjYVp2I/AAAAAAAAEIE/Hz2AJuJ8AKw/s1600/image%2B(3).png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJj6Wt64XhI/VMGocjYVp2I/AAAAAAAAEIE/Hz2AJuJ8AKw/s1600/image%2B(3).png" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up was the Speedway, running on the track is always a really awesome experience. Several local car clubs bring out some cars to show off. My favorite was a 1966 Ford Fairlane. I probably liked it because it is very similar to my 1st car, a 1967 Ford Galaxie.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After leaving the Speedway, we started heading to Animal Kingdom. The first stop was the couple partying with their RV. Last year they had pickled herring to help fuel the runners. Unfortunately, they didn't have any fish to fuel us, but they were enthusiastic cheerleaders. It was nice since the next several miles are pretty boring/gross. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzg7EfwuYH8/VMGpLP1uUcI/AAAAAAAAEIk/mbfC44_L3NY/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vzg7EfwuYH8/VMGpLP1uUcI/AAAAAAAAEIk/mbfC44_L3NY/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(1).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First up, the compost facility and the solid waste transfer station. Super pleasant to see and smell. It's a little too 'behind the scenes' for me. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfrcsKwZOyg/VMGpT2pLFsI/AAAAAAAAEI0/JBS2VKVIL-c/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LfrcsKwZOyg/VMGpT2pLFsI/AAAAAAAAEI0/JBS2VKVIL-c/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(1).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Then the Country Bears were jamming out. I guess runDisney really wanted us distracted. Because the next sight is probably the favorite of all the marathoners. The waste water treatment facility truly sprinkles 'Disney Magic' upon our noses. Even being a pretty cool day and the plant spraying to keep the smell down, it was still there. Oh the joy!</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7GimPm9eQQ/VMGqcAmQ0kI/AAAAAAAAEJE/N5ZBu2kJSvw/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k7GimPm9eQQ/VMGqcAmQ0kI/AAAAAAAAEJE/N5ZBu2kJSvw/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(2).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJzVX9YiO4Y/VMGpPH4YgpI/AAAAAAAAEIs/lft3j6SkQEk/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wJzVX9YiO4Y/VMGpPH4YgpI/AAAAAAAAEIs/lft3j6SkQEk/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(1).JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The cast members had several animals out again. I managed to stop for the sheep and pig. The animals also had custom bibs, a really nice touch. Perhaps, I should have gotten better pictures of their bibs. You know... just to check the results and see if they beat me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had hoped to ride Expedition Everest upon my arrival in Animal Kingdom. Since I arrived just minutes before the park opened, the ride already had about 30 minutes worth of runners waiting to get on. I decided to pass, waiting that long just wasn't an option. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CuvSUxmF-PQ/VMGq_nHcmII/AAAAAAAAEJs/blC33_JzsHg/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CuvSUxmF-PQ/VMGq_nHcmII/AAAAAAAAEJs/blC33_JzsHg/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(3).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaving the park I finally hit the halfway point.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g94NvT7Wr20/VMGqzGGG2HI/AAAAAAAAEJU/_B-CWZ2X_EQ/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g94NvT7Wr20/VMGqzGGG2HI/AAAAAAAAEJU/_B-CWZ2X_EQ/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(2).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It really seemed like the second half of the course flew by. If your are still reading, I promise the second half of this recap isn't as long as the first half.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The parking lot to the Animal Kingdom had quite a few spectators with really great signs. Also, Mickey was on hand to ensure that everyone was having a great time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZvqMJtMqts/VMGqw4Nr0eI/AAAAAAAAEJM/MFmcwnowdM0/s1600/photo%2B5%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZvqMJtMqts/VMGqw4Nr0eI/AAAAAAAAEJM/MFmcwnowdM0/s1600/photo%2B5%2B(1).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WWWcrC_C2BM/VMGsDVds63I/AAAAAAAAEKU/awWm2exKH3A/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WWWcrC_C2BM/VMGsDVds63I/AAAAAAAAEKU/awWm2exKH3A/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(4).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm a big fan of the GraveDiggers. They are always rock solid in their performance and really get into the spirit. Even better, the line was super short and moving very quickly. Even with runners taking time to 'get buried' they were up and back to running in just a few seconds.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqvM3E89SI0/VMxbcb2SehI/AAAAAAAAEOk/YHmOXwr9nh8/s1600/1010222_776626795723967_9151420677373445838_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KqvM3E89SI0/VMxbcb2SehI/AAAAAAAAEOk/YHmOXwr9nh8/s1600/1010222_776626795723967_9151420677373445838_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I always enjoy the run through Wide World of Sports. The cool towel on the way into the complex was really refreshing. Nothing like having something cool to wipe the sweat from my face and neck. The constant scenery changes, the varied surfaces, and the twists and turns keep you distracted from the run. The run through the baseball stadium is one of the highlights for me. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTUYOd6oFH4/VMGr7orwPJI/AAAAAAAAEKM/PdNwE4_GG1I/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTUYOd6oFH4/VMGr7orwPJI/AAAAAAAAEKM/PdNwE4_GG1I/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(3).JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTUYOd6oFH4/VMGr7orwPJI/AAAAAAAAEKM/PdNwE4_GG1I/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(3).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After leaving the complex, I finally arrived at mile 20 marker.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--IXEM1tdsmI/VMGrn8gilhI/AAAAAAAAEJ0/mVTAXPnFZow/s1600/photo%2B5%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--IXEM1tdsmI/VMGrn8gilhI/AAAAAAAAEJ0/mVTAXPnFZow/s1600/photo%2B5%2B(2).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Its just about 2 miles until you arrive at Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios has probably my favorite aid station. Yep, cool delicious chocolate. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVaf_u2SovM/VMGs0WG-prI/AAAAAAAAEKk/s5p6x4FVtLs/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NVaf_u2SovM/VMGs0WG-prI/AAAAAAAAEKk/s5p6x4FVtLs/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(4).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The run through Hollywood Studios is short, but very scenic. It was also my opportunity to make up for not being able to run Expedition Everest. While in Hollywood Studios I decided to go off the course and ride Toy Story Midway Mania! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">If was funny watching people yell at me "You're Going the Wrong way! Then they laughed when I told them I was heading to a ride. It might have been even better than riding Expedition Everest. I think I have a new tradition. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2yW2DnkoO5o/VMGs-g29X7I/AAAAAAAAEK4/U7ze2Q_Texk/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dZ1slEI8eY/VMGtB8Kw6sI/AAAAAAAAELs/v9efeQe40v4/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3dZ1slEI8eY/VMGtB8Kw6sI/AAAAAAAAELs/v9efeQe40v4/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(5).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In line for Toy Story Midway Mania!</span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6XsqE7Ch5Mg/VMGtVXugPHI/AAAAAAAAEL8/LYkFX1ZA_LY/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who rides the rides in the middle of a marathon? This guy!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Approaching EPCOT, I began to get thirsty. Luckily, Germany was nearby. Just like <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/01/day-5-disneygrooms-dopeychallenge.html" target="_blank">last year's marathon</a>, an adult beverage was in order. Yep, had to stop for an ice cold beer. Having the opportunity to choose the country where it comes from is just a bonus. Perhaps next year I'll change it up: England, Canada, Japan, who knows?</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keFZUMALlkw/VMGs-q4Lv7I/AAAAAAAAEK0/amDZpejluJs/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keFZUMALlkw/VMGs-q4Lv7I/AAAAAAAAEK0/amDZpejluJs/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(6).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I cannot believe how AMAZING this grapefruit beer is! I gotta bust out some dance moves!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fgqT-Q9x9L4/VMGtBbZofWI/AAAAAAAAELo/3KZ4AfCt2uM/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzC-MZr7n58/VMGuD3LJ9dI/AAAAAAAAEMM/vPmLHiN8w_w/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzC-MZr7n58/VMGuD3LJ9dI/AAAAAAAAEMM/vPmLHiN8w_w/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(5).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Crossing the finish line, I felt really good. I immediately received my Marathon medal and headed for the Dopey tent. Anxious to see what they were going to confirm, I peeked at the computer as they typed in my bib number. All they checked was that I was the one who had picked up the bib at the expo. I don't believe they actually checked to ensure that I ran the other races, just that I picked up the bib. I hope that they eventually get to the point where they verify times for the Challenge participants. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AhiKclwo454/VMGufQSYTQI/AAAAAAAAEMk/HnayBB6sKvk/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AhiKclwo454/VMGufQSYTQI/AAAAAAAAEMk/HnayBB6sKvk/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(6).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marathon medal Volunteer!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1UvhKml_kes/VMGuYu9A2yI/AAAAAAAAEMc/cuyMruiD-Ao/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goofy Challenge Medal Volunteer</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dopey Challenge medal volunteer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With all my medals around my neck, I headed for the reunion lot. I wanted to get my final Dopey photo with all the medals gloriously around my neck. DisneyBride was already in line with my 5K, 10K, and 1/2 marathon medals and she greeted me with a big kiss. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tgwO0vKv6_I/VMxESo8IO_I/AAAAAAAAENo/HeWi-WJTIFw/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tgwO0vKv6_I/VMxESo8IO_I/AAAAAAAAENo/HeWi-WJTIFw/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, DisneyBride understands my love of Tonga Toast and came through again this year. Waiting for me was an order of Tonga Toast and some bacon. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d447ONRsNhE/VMxESQ4goII/AAAAAAAAENk/LOXIgjrZP6o/s1600/unnamed%2B(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d447ONRsNhE/VMxESQ4goII/AAAAAAAAENk/LOXIgjrZP6o/s1600/unnamed%2B(5).jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was only back home a few days before a few friends agreed to sign on for 2016 with me. Yep, I'll be heading back for another Dopey next year!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">-DisneyGroom</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Thanks for reading!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For my other 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend recaps see the links below.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Expo Recap</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.480001449585px;">
<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html" style="color: #0088b2; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5k Recap</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.480001449585px;">
<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html" style="color: #0088b2; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html</span></span></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.480001449585px;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10k Recap</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 13.6000003814697px; line-height: 24.480001449585px;">
<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html" style="color: #0088b2; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html</span></span></a></div>
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-qTUYOd6oFH4%2FVMGr7orwPJI%2FAAAAAAAAEKM%2FPdNwE4_GG1I%2Fs1600%2Fphoto%252B4%252B" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qTUYOd6oFH4/VMGr7orwPJI/AAAAAAAAEKM/PdNwE4_GG1I/s1600/photo%2B4%2B" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sJj6Wt64XhI%2FVMGocjYVp2I%2FAAAAAAAAEIE%2FHz2AJuJ8AKw%2Fs1600%2Fimage%252B" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sJj6Wt64XhI/VMGocjYVp2I/AAAAAAAAEIE/Hz2AJuJ8AKw/s1600/image%2B" -->Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-7567810415468819082015-01-17T19:55:00.000-05:002015-01-18T22:38:40.710-05:00Day 4: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend #DopeyChallenge #WDWHalf Done- 22.4 down, 26.2 until eternal greatness!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChZwWdrjW7c/VLsEQ_R5OqI/AAAAAAAAEG0/6YkIMCtrlws/s1600/IMG_7877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ChZwWdrjW7c/VLsEQ_R5OqI/AAAAAAAAEG0/6YkIMCtrlws/s1600/IMG_7877.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For this race, I would be flying solo. Since she wasn't running or volunteering, DisneyBride decided to sleep in. Yeah, I know. But I can't blame her - those 2am wakeups are brutal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Again I decided to catch a later bus. This time, it almost came back to haunt me. The driver managed to get lost trying to get out of the Art of Animation parking lot. If only Disney provided large direction signs to help drivers exit their resorts, oh wait, they do! He managed to do 2 figure eights before finally making it out of the resort. A revolt almost broke out on the bus. We did make it to the starting area, we arrived about 15 minutes later than we should have. I think I am back to taking the earliest bus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I wish something could be done to end the long march to the starting corrals for the half marathon. The lighting was better this year, and they were kind enough to provide a DJ and cheerleaders along the path. I would venture a guess that the walk from bus to the startline adds at least a mile. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The corrals set off at much shorter intervals than the 5k or 10k. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4tIR-qmrmE/VLnYA43Y5sI/AAAAAAAAEFA/qGJnYe2QAck/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4tIR-qmrmE/VLnYA43Y5sI/AAAAAAAAEFA/qGJnYe2QAck/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">With the highway being the course for about the first 5 miles, crowding wasn't much of an issue. I am a big fan of the long stretch on the way to the Magic Kingdom. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb8LiKL0U0w/VLnYCFad96I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/Mzw_Ra_6MMw/s1600/photo%2B3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb8LiKL0U0w/VLnYCFad96I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/Mzw_Ra_6MMw/s1600/photo%2B3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Arriving at these parking gates always reminds me of my first trip to Disney as a kid. Its also the point that spectators start lining the course (ok - it is a little distance beyond the gates, but hopefully you get my point.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPt0HW-H5OM/VLnX7VM54CI/AAAAAAAAEDs/BzHKhqYfmSY/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPt0HW-H5OM/VLnX7VM54CI/AAAAAAAAEDs/BzHKhqYfmSY/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(3).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Let me take a minute and compliment all the marching bands that participated during the half and full marathons. They really stepped up their game this year. They all seemed to be really into performing and hamming it up with the crowd. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7o5-CnHiU-w/VLnX-psiZEI/AAAAAAAAEEU/MVeImTCKJlE/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7o5-CnHiU-w/VLnX-psiZEI/AAAAAAAAEEU/MVeImTCKJlE/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(3).JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The last thing I was ever going to do in high school was get up b</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">efore the sun and watch people run. Thank you all!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I also found the cheerleaders again!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1fGPGIjyUo/VLnX9IWS4nI/AAAAAAAAEEE/O3gh3tkPKXE/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1fGPGIjyUo/VLnX9IWS4nI/AAAAAAAAEEE/O3gh3tkPKXE/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" height="400" width="352" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It was nice to see Wreck-it Ralph and Vanellope on the course. I am always happy to see some of the newer characters on the course. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-leUMtu_l49A/VLnYEstJLgI/AAAAAAAAEF8/P66ack8zZWQ/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-leUMtu_l49A/VLnYEstJLgI/AAAAAAAAEF8/P66ack8zZWQ/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" height="578" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The run onto Main Street is always incredible. Rather than take a selfie, a spectator was nice enough to snap my photo.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_MgArT0_Yk/VLnYBsJkCPI/AAAAAAAAEFM/uNE4WqGCtWY/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o_MgArT0_Yk/VLnYBsJkCPI/AAAAAAAAEFM/uNE4WqGCtWY/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(3).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It should come as no surprise that I made a stop in Tomorrow Land. Buzz Lightyear took a break from Star Command to meet with runners. He is always gracious, however, he didn't seem to appreciate my Darth Vader costume. He's a hero, I'm a villain - I get it...</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HfJJ4KtWbYA/VLnYDaeP9pI/AAAAAAAAEFo/LfjETpvFDT0/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HfJJ4KtWbYA/VLnYDaeP9pI/AAAAAAAAEFo/LfjETpvFDT0/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(3).JPG" height="640" width="628" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anna and Elsa welcomed us to the castle this year. They even had snow. It wasn't enough that you froze us a couple of days earlier, you had it snow at the castle. Enough with the Frozen stuff, Let it go! After I ran through the castle, a spectator took a fantastic castle photo for me. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4ghjk9a4qI/VLnX7nR0kkI/AAAAAAAAEDw/tNWqLxOD63c/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M4ghjk9a4qI/VLnX7nR0kkI/AAAAAAAAEDw/tNWqLxOD63c/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(4).JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Really excited about this pic - the castle isn't cut off this time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's the little things...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Near the Wedding Pavillion, I ran into Disney's alleged 'Disney Grooms'. Never fear! There can only be one @Disney_Groom.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OXru8thvTsM/VLnX_fW0mOI/AAAAAAAAEEc/nb9yP1306pI/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OXru8thvTsM/VLnX_fW0mOI/AAAAAAAAEEc/nb9yP1306pI/s1600/photo%2B2%2B(4).JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Eventually, runDisney will remove these posers from the course. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The run to the Finish Line in EPCOT was pretty uneventful. Characters and entertainment were plentiful, however, I didn't stop for many characters until EPCOT. Upon my arrival in EPCOT, I did stop for Phineas and Ferb. I have never stopped for them in the past and no one was in line, a win-win. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFC0boKPKr4/VLnYCd1sdYI/AAAAAAAAEFU/xrikzTBjj8U/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bFC0boKPKr4/VLnYCd1sdYI/AAAAAAAAEFU/xrikzTBjj8U/s1600/photo%2B3%2B(4).JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I also managed to get a pretty good shot in front of the Spaceship Earth. This costume seems to photograph pretty well and might just become a staple at races. The force is strong with this one. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QXXG3Yyslig/VLnYEcerfSI/AAAAAAAAEF0/3Diws50w5lY/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QXXG3Yyslig/VLnYEcerfSI/AAAAAAAAEF0/3Diws50w5lY/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(4).JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Approaching that glorious finish line just never gets old. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY_EpD54ztY/VLnX7UZMdKI/AAAAAAAAED0/v_wRUHnwuig/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZY_EpD54ztY/VLnX7UZMdKI/AAAAAAAAED0/v_wRUHnwuig/s1600/photo%2B1%2B(2).JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Mickey was even present to welcome us. I did a very quick, run-by selfie. Don't worry, I checked to make sure no one was running up right behind me. Unfortunately the sun was right behind us... oh well. Going to try again at the full.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This was my awesome medal volunteer for the Half!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwB9fbbgaFo/VLnYClcMjDI/AAAAAAAAEFg/G5dx_X2iLL4/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwB9fbbgaFo/VLnYClcMjDI/AAAAAAAAEFg/G5dx_X2iLL4/s1600/photo%2B4%2B(2).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I received my medal, beverages, and box o'food then headed to the bus area. I had planned on just heading back to the resort. Upon leaving the finish area, I noticed that Dopey had almost no line. So I decided to keep the streak alive and grab a Dopey photo. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">I had a lot of compliments and questions, on my shorts, my hydration pack, and my custom compression arm sleeves that day. My </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">shorts are from our awesome sponsor: <a href="http://shop.xracewear.com/" target="_blank">X RaceWear</a>, my vest is the <a href="http://www.orangemud.com/collections/running-packs/products/hydraquiver-vestpack-hydration-pack?variant=788382337" target="_blank">Orange Mud VP2</a>, and the sleeves are from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/runalicerunco?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Run Alice Run</a>. </span></i><i><span style="font-size: large;">The items all served me well on race day (and on training runs).</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaving the race, I headed back to the hotel to get DisneyBride before heading to Magic Kingdom for lunch. On the way, we ran into the Mayor and First Lady of Main Street. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I wished him well with his upcoming campaign (I think he is a lock), and he wished me luck on my marathon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had a 70 minute wait (the best we've seen all weekend) so we got in line. Sure enough, the ride breaks down while we are in line - causing a 25 minute delay. We were too close to the front of the queue to give up (hey distance runners are stubborn people... it's who we are) so we waited it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were well rewarded. The ride was AWESOME!</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--lzTV8taHto/VLsAp8Y5t7I/AAAAAAAAEGc/Rz4W6kt0ZLE/s1600/1509720_776291122424201_3670892148014951757_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--lzTV8taHto/VLsAp8Y5t7I/AAAAAAAAEGc/Rz4W6kt0ZLE/s1600/1509720_776291122424201_3670892148014951757_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following lunch, we attended a meetup hosted by Meranda and Lacey of <a href="http://www.fairytalesandfitness.com/" target="_blank">FairyTales and Fitness</a>. All but one us (Amy) were running bloggers, so it was really cool getting to meet the authors of several of the blogs we follow. The sparkly skirts seen below were provided by Amy Maust, owner and founder of <a href="http://rockcityskirts.com/" target="_blank">Rock City Skirts</a>; she was in town to run the Walt Disney World Marathon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I was offered a sparkle skirt, as was Robert (husband of Lauren of <a href="http://www.laurensglassslipper.com/" target="_blank">Lauren's Glass Slipper</a>). We both graciously declined, much to the disappointment of our wives, who did their best to convince us we 'have the legs for it'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I did however get a different prize, a running journal from Gone For a Run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Leaving the meet-up, I had to call it quits and head back to the hotel. It was pretty early - only 4:00ish, but spending more time in the parks would not have been the prudent decision. It took me about an hour and a half to make it back to the hotel, get dinner, and put the marathon clothes out. It was not a fun thing to do, however, it was the correct call. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyBride, ever the party animal - went off to Animal Kingdom to ride the rides, find some dinner, and get as many character photos as she could, until the park closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I think I was asleep before 6:30pm - because I wanted at least 6 full hours before the long day that was to come. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just 26.2 miles to go!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For my other 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend recaps see the links below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Expo Recap</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5k Recap</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">10k Recap</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">-DG</span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-16361397354773966162015-01-15T23:13:00.000-05:002015-01-17T21:04:39.155-05:00Day 3: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 10K recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygh42S_m9Cw/VLgQLFlfetI/AAAAAAAAEBA/57gYdMpV3ns/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygh42S_m9Cw/VLgQLFlfetI/AAAAAAAAEBA/57gYdMpV3ns/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="636" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; text-align: start;">After a very cold 5K the day before, we were extremely thankful it warmed up a little. However, it was still a lot colder than anticipated. So adjustments were made to our costumes. Disneygroom added a tech sweater under his <a href="http://shop.xracewear.com/" target="_blank">X Racewear</a> shirt; DisneyBride added a fleece jacket. The 'throwaway' sweats people usually tossed at the start were worn the entire race. Everywhere you looked, stylish running gear and elaborate costumes were sacrificed and covered under multiple layers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Again, we caught a later bus. The few extra minutes of sleep and staying out of the cold were extremely nice. While I live in North Florida where it does get quite cold, I am still a South Florida boy at heart. I have no tolerance for the cold. DisneyBride is from Washington DC originally, and she grew up with snowy winters, but years of living in Florida - she has lost all her tolerance for lower temps. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1FE_zVTh2w/VLcR28wx_ZI/AAAAAAAAD_E/O3E4RDba3rQ/s1600/image%2B(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1FE_zVTh2w/VLcR28wx_ZI/AAAAAAAAD_E/O3E4RDba3rQ/s1600/image%2B(1).png" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just like the 5k, it appears that runDisney has added some more time between corrals. I found that for the 5k and 10k, this makes for a far less crowded course. Many people will disagree with me here, but... while no one likes to wait around in the corrals, I actually this leads to a far more enjoyable run, as it greatly reduces crowding and bottlenecks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anna and Elsa from Frozen reminding us why it's cold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The 10k course was like the Inaugural race last year. I think this one did have a minor change, running a slightly different path through Future World before exiting the park. Though we both started and ran separately, we found each other again once during this race. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Weird choice for race entertainment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Oooooooooooo! A 10K. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Even though we just heard the fireworks signalling the start of the last corral, the sweeper buses (labeled Parade Bus) were already waiting in the same spot as last year, at Mile 2.75 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As far as we can tell, from the 2014 WDW 10K, the 2014 Enchanted 10K, and this race (all run on the same course), this was the last pickup spot. Right after this, we are in the backlots of EPCOT, and then the course heads into World Showcase, then onto the Boardwalk, and back into EPCOT. We haven't heard of any sweeps after that 2.75 mile mark, and there doesn't appear to be roads in the second half of the course that will accommodate a bus anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Glad to report we spotted no balloon ladies or sweepers that day.</span></div>
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We each stopped for a few photos in the World Showcase and the Boardwalk, but it was just too dark - and most of the phone pics didn't really come out.</span><br />
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DisneyBride did grab this one of The Genie though... There was a pretty long line, understandably so. We really miss Robin Williams... may he Rest In Peace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">From memory, the course appeared to have just about the same amount of entertainment as last year. One really cool addition was Sports Mickey at ESPN this year. While I was looking forward to Sports Goofy, it was really cool to see Mickey in his football gear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This is the from the bridge that connects the Boardwalk to the Yacht and Beach Club area. It was foggy and misty - but no one really seemed to mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Heading back into EPCOT, these guys had a really long queue, but DisneyBride just had to stop for a photo. Or did she just want to flirt with Chip? Probably both.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Finally around that last turn, the one we all know and love so well (where the choirs are singing during the half and full). These guys were there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And at last - the finish!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Gotta love our volunteers!!! Standing there for hours giving out medals to sweaty runners. They are amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyBride spotted the therapy dog from the 5K again. Once again - dog and human both dressed as Minnie Mouse, but this time in red. Cannot get over how awesome it is that the dog had her own bib and medal!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After crossing the finish line, DisneyGroom found that runDisney was not actually verifying times or photos for Dopeys or Goofys. Still confused about why the post-race process does not match the participants guide. Maybe it will all be explained following the marathon?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Two Dopeys walk into a <strike>bar</strike> finish area...</span></div>
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We have to say - we were really impressed by our character interaction with Minnie (and all the characters we saw this weekend). Disney does a really great job trying to make everything special and memorable - and we really have to give a shout-out to Minnie. </span><br />
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She took her time with all the runners and made us all feel incredibly special. With DisneyBride, Minnie spent a few extra moments positioning her in just the right pose for photos --- and stressing that the pinky MUST be extended to show off the medal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Just a few of the photos are shown here in this slideshow.
The photographers actually got over seven (yes 7!) dozen photos of us here with Minnie - mostly of us laughing - as we all tried to get our medal pics just right. That Minnie Mouse is something else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />After the race, we headed back to shower and take a quick nap before our eventful afternoon. More on that in the next post...</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">DisneyGroom's 5k Recap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html</a></span><br />
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-65013902045602069772015-01-15T19:01:00.001-05:002015-12-29T18:09:25.972-05:002015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: Cigna's Blogger Meetup & Cook Off #CignaRunsTogether<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A few weeks before we left for this trip, we received an invitation from Cigna to participate in a blogger meetup/cook off. We like the idea of an event that combines our love of running and cooking. Not knowing what to expect, we sent in our RSVPs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We arrived at the event and immediately recognized many of the faces. Not only were Disney bloggers invited, Cigna had invited several food and Disney park bloggers. After having a few minutes to catch up with old friends and time to meet new blogger friends, our hosts spent a few minutes talking about the importance of healthy eating. Then came the fun stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We divided into several teams: There were teams preparing chicken, fish, vegetarian dishes, and a yes there was a vegan group. I followed DisneyBride to the vegan group so that we could cook together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Each group was assigned an actual Disney chef to guide us. After a few minutes talking with the chef, our team had a plan. The chef had suggested a stir-fry using some Gardein Beefless Beef tips. After spending some time slicing, dicing, and cooking, our dish was done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It got pretty exciting towards the end as we all raced to get our dishes cooked in the time allotted. Yes, it felt almost like we were on a reality cooking show.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following the food prep, we all spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the dished prepared by the other teams and the chefs (ok, I tried the other dishes, as they weren't vegan, DisneyBride and the other vegans stuck to their dishes). Everything came out delicious. You couldn't tell it came from us 'amateur' chefs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chef Mickey dropped by to greet us! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following the meet-up we headed to Hollywood Studios to enjoy some park time before calling it an early night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Fortunately/unfortunately, we spent more time in the park than anticipated. I continue to hope that spending time in the parks doesn't come back to haunt me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Sarge wanted to make sure I was ready to run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">For other 2015 Marathon Weekend recaps see the links below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Expo Recap: </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html" style="line-height: 24.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">5k Recap: </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html" style="line-height: 24.48px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-2-disneygrooms-2015-dopey-challenge.html</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">10k Recap: </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html" style="line-height: 24.48px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDW10K.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Half Marathon Recap: <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDWHalf.html" target="_blank">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDWHalf.html</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Marathon Recap: <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDWMarathon.ht">http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/2015WDWMarathon.html</a></span><br />
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-12253216464093695682015-01-08T21:52:00.000-05:002015-01-15T14:30:19.952-05:00Day 2: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Family Fun Run 5K #DopeyChallenge #WDW5K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And we're off!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This morning was the Disney Family Fun Run 5k. Apparently, runDisney wanted our Northern friends to feel at home. Or, someone really annoyed Elsa. It was super cold and very windy. I am really looking forward to it warming up.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KCGSo8nF-QA/VK8uoIsnSKI/AAAAAAAAD6c/dTfqs1v4BBE/s1600/Freezing%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcorral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KCGSo8nF-QA/VK8uoIsnSKI/AAAAAAAAD6c/dTfqs1v4BBE/s1600/Freezing%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcorral.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Freezing in the corral</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We did not attempt to catch the 1st bus this morning. I think that I will continue this tradition. It shortened the time freezing while waiting to get to the starting line and meant less time on my feet pre-race. We did run into a few running friends this morning, if I missed you, please excuse my absent-mindedness. It was cold and I was trying to think about warm things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We ran into Lauren and her husband of Lauren's Glass Slipper and chatted before the race. Given the freezing winds, we all got to know each other pretty well, since we were all huddled together to keep warm.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gsfrshi4-N0/VK87E_-F5XI/AAAAAAAAD8k/sevP-mo_t3w/s1600/IMG_7404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gsfrshi4-N0/VK87E_-F5XI/AAAAAAAAD8k/sevP-mo_t3w/s1600/IMG_7404.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Also, with it being so cold, I didn't take many photos or tweet during the race. With warmer weather, I should be able to take more photos and live tweet the rest of Dopey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The race course should be very familiar to those who have run the Family Fun Run 5k. The character locations always seem to be the same. The race did change slightly, you now run past "The Land" in Future Land. One more change from last year. I was in the B corral this year. It makes for a completely different race. The lines for characters were nowhere near as long. I did skip most of the characters, however, I ran into DisneyBride right before Pinocchio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We spotted a few service dogs on the course. This one here was dressed as Minnie, to match her human. I thought it was really neat that the dog had her own bib, and got her own medal!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This was one of the best costumes seen all day. Not one you see often. Does anyone recognize this character? Think back... way back.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LbAqMFcLPYY/VK87aiYaeuI/AAAAAAAAD88/ktB6FeNqYqQ/s1600/IMG_7431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LbAqMFcLPYY/VK87aiYaeuI/AAAAAAAAD88/ktB6FeNqYqQ/s1600/IMG_7431.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Was tough getting too many photos today. Frozen fingers you know. Hopefully the 10K will be better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Crossing the finish line, I did manage to get the phone out to take a picture right after the finish line. I also got a photo of my very cheerful medal volunteer.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv2GNAYkJ1A/VK8uqNGpv9I/AAAAAAAAD6k/rMIf7kJ_aM4/s1600/Medal%2BVolunteer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv2GNAYkJ1A/VK8uqNGpv9I/AAAAAAAAD6k/rMIf7kJ_aM4/s1600/Medal%2BVolunteer.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">At the finish, the process for Dopey runners was not the same as the process described in the Event Guide. When I went to the Dopey tent for confirmation of my time, I was told that nothing needed to be done until the Marathon. Then runners would have their finish times verified before receiving medals. Not sure why the process is different than described in the Event Guide, but I hope it all works out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following the race, the festival area had Dopey and Pluto out this morning. With it being cold, most runners did not elect to stand in the line. I got my photo with Dopey as I assumed the lines would be really bad later this weekend. And well, you should always get a 5K photo with Pluto.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_r5ON6WXagc/VK8uvZVeN-I/AAAAAAAAD6s/cxdEnjZNwlI/s1600/Pluto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_r5ON6WXagc/VK8uvZVeN-I/AAAAAAAAD6s/cxdEnjZNwlI/s1600/Pluto.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following the race, we headed back to the hotel to change clothes and warm up a bit before heading back to EPCOT for lunch at Akershus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following lunch, we enjoyed some time in EPCOT before heading to Magic Kingdom to enjoy a little more park time. I hope that all the time in the parks doesn't come back to haunt me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We did both have a Disney 'first' today. DisneyBride has been wanting a haircut at Harmony Barbershop in Magic Kingdom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My little Rapunzel chopped off over 12" of hair to donate (and even after the cut, it still reaches her waist). </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFTER: She was excited when they pixie-dusted her.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I decided to get a trim too.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My barber gave me a sticker because I was a "good boy".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">-DisneyGroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Keep tuned to the blog for recaps of the rest of my Dopey Challenge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A review of the Expo can be found <a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2015/01/day-1-disneygrooms-2015-dopeychallenge.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-10222481302990479082015-01-07T22:01:00.002-05:002015-01-15T14:32:44.652-05:00Day 1: 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Expo & #DopeyChallenge <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykm_3y0V0Fk/VK6XFboFjRI/AAAAAAAAD6E/0RLtu3xOLaE/s1600/dopey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ykm_3y0V0Fk/VK6XFboFjRI/AAAAAAAAD6E/0RLtu3xOLaE/s1600/dopey.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Day 1 (of 5) of my Dopey Challenge recap</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The day finally arrived. Bright and early Wednesday morning we hopped in the car for the four hour drive to Walt Disney World. We made great time and headed straight for the expo, as has become our custom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Once we got to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, we made a beeline for the runDisney merchandise area. There were only a couple of things we wanted, but history has shown that you better get what you want first. Your race packet and shirts will wait. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ds8zHiLC3Bo/VK6S6Ulex3I/AAAAAAAAD5I/VlyPd00gBWY/s1600/1972261_775164745870172_8238315006647860908_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ds8zHiLC3Bo/VK6S6Ulex3I/AAAAAAAAD5I/VlyPd00gBWY/s1600/1972261_775164745870172_8238315006647860908_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">With our goodies in hand, we walked the expo. The Champion booth had some really cool shirts that we just had to have. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">No runDisney expo is complete without a visit to see Jeff and Barbara Galloway. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9p4_dKMRo7U/VK6VPuuOYyI/AAAAAAAAD5U/f9TA1FapI-w/s1600/photo%2B(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9p4_dKMRo7U/VK6VPuuOYyI/AAAAAAAAD5U/f9TA1FapI-w/s1600/photo%2B(1).JPG" height="636" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Both Jeff and Barbara are extremely nice people, and Jeff even had a nice handout to help people with post-race recovery.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZM-bCOf3tI/VK6WjXY_AsI/AAAAAAAAD50/aqeZeMFF074/s1600/10891899_775106139209366_5121490261609588713_n%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZM-bCOf3tI/VK6WjXY_AsI/AAAAAAAAD50/aqeZeMFF074/s1600/10891899_775106139209366_5121490261609588713_n%2B-%2BCopy.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VudJXddGaKg/VK6Wjn_ORuI/AAAAAAAAD54/zpYHwqNjk9s/s1600/1966882_775108652542448_9154352827506994199_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VudJXddGaKg/VK6Wjn_ORuI/AAAAAAAAD54/zpYHwqNjk9s/s1600/1966882_775108652542448_9154352827506994199_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Following our time at the expo we finally headed to the hotel to check-in. This year we're staying in the Art of Animation Resort in a Little Mermaid themed room. This hotel is very well themed and I hope that it warms up a little so that we can enjoy the pools. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH18koU9q44/VK6VdJx86xI/AAAAAAAAD5c/amYDAIbDv1U/s1600/10930197_775164045870242_541415336245003678_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iH18koU9q44/VK6VdJx86xI/AAAAAAAAD5c/amYDAIbDv1U/s1600/10930197_775164045870242_541415336245003678_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Watch out Disney, you will now be seeing more of both of us. DisneyBride's highlight of the day was her picture with Aurora. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zJYiW0A_ZE/VK6V0NlWzWI/AAAAAAAAD5k/bhTp0wPO2X4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6zJYiW0A_ZE/VK6V0NlWzWI/AAAAAAAAD5k/bhTp0wPO2X4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">As you might have guessed, mine was riding Space Ranger Spin (maxed out the high score - because I am awesome) and my Buzz photo.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JlggiCn5PY/VK6WFHa-JEI/AAAAAAAAD5s/HmJVaGNNWcc/s1600/10897750_775211652532148_2977606548162345226_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JlggiCn5PY/VK6WFHa-JEI/AAAAAAAAD5s/HmJVaGNNWcc/s1600/10897750_775211652532148_2977606548162345226_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Between the early mornings and park time, the chance of me having the posts up daily is looking pretty slim. Hopefully, I'll still be able to get them up pretty timely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Are you running at Walt Disney World this weekend?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Please say hello if you see us anywhere!</b></span><br />
<br />Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4744520306368103198.post-69725186933238446142015-01-05T23:49:00.001-05:002015-01-06T00:12:47.314-05:00Recap: 2015 Swamp Forest Trail Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WJGcvgW4MFw/VKtlbW0ozHI/AAAAAAAAD40/uZ1m8PSAC1s/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WJGcvgW4MFw/VKtlbW0ozHI/AAAAAAAAD40/uZ1m8PSAC1s/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(3).jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I thoroughly enjoy running trails. In the last few years, a local race director, Bobby York, has organized several trail races. I ran his Summer Trail Series (recaps </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/07/race-recaps-summer-trail-series-1-2.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.runninghappilyeverafter.com/2014/08/GWTCSummerTrailSeriespartdeux.html" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">) and had a blast. So this year, I added the </span><a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/swamp-forest-trail-marathon-half-marathon-and-65-mile-run-tickets-13074603491" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Swamp Forest Trail Half Marathon</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> to the schedule. (DisneyBride ran this Inaugural race in 2014.) This race is my last before kicking off runDisney's Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna. Or as us Dopeys call it: Dopey Week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Swamp Forest Trail course is a 6.7 mile loop trail that I would run twice to complete the half marathon. It is a beautiful single track trail within </span><a href="http://www.talgov.com/parks/parks-parks-phipps.aspx" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Elinor <span style="background-color: white;">Klapp-</span>Phipps Park</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> in Tallahassee, Florida. The weather this day did not cooperate; the rain never seemed to stop. This made the trail very slick, portions were flooded, and mud was around every corner. In other words, the perfect trail race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After catching up with a few people before the race, I filled my </span><a href="http://www.orangemud.com/products/hydraquiver-vestpack-hydration-pack?variant=788382337" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Orange Mud Hydraquiver Vest Pack 2</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> with Powerade and headed to the start line.</span></div>
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Local running friends- Karen and Patty</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP1bAj_Lfwk/VKtX5V6g71I/AAAAAAAAD4o/zlQaTiaGBcY/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tP1bAj_Lfwk/VKtX5V6g71I/AAAAAAAAD4o/zlQaTiaGBcY/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%282%29.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nathan of <a href="http://www.theffkid.com/" target="_blank">The FotoGraphing Fat Kid</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The race starts with about a quarter mile of access road to allow the participants to spread out. Fortunately, I have found trail runners to be very honest about their placement on the starting line. After having a little time to spread out, we all hit the trails. Single track trails make it hard to pass, so I skipped my intervals for about a half mile to allow a little more distance in between runners. The rain came through in waves during the 1st lap, nothing too heavy, but always reminding you it was there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Between the roots, mud, and pooling water, you always had to keep your eyes on the trail. Knowing that the Dopey Challenge was just around the corner, I was extra careful during this run - watching where I stepped. While I am normally one of the first people to wipe out on a trail run, this time I managed to make it through unscathed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The trail was extremely well marked. The Swamp Forest Trail has many twists and turns, and several intersecting trails. I have been known to head out to the trails on a Sunday morning and end up somewhere completely different than my intended location. Fortunately, it only shows you more cool places to run. Thankfully, on race day I never left the course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">About a 1/4 mile from the 2nd aid station, I came across a friend who had taken a pretty nasty spill. She was writhing in pain and another runner had stopped to provide help. She had caught her foot in a root and twisted her ankle pretty bad. A couple of other runners had stopped to help as well. It always amazes me the concern that trail runners are willing to show their fellow competitors. It quickly became clear that she wasn't going to be able to get out on her own. A fellow runner and I both grabbed an arm and tried to help her to the aid station. She was in too much pain to have both of us carry her. After a few steps, I had to give another runner my hydration pack to drop off for me at the aid station, and I had to 'fireman carry' her off the trail. Fortunately, by this time we had someone from the aid station already working on getting an ambulance. Fellow runners were extremely helpful in helping me avoid slipping on the trail or hitting the already injured runner's head on a low hanging branch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The aid station happened to have a couple of volunteers who were nurses. They did what they could to make her comfortable while we waited for the ambulance. DisneyBride was volunteering at the finish line, so I borrowed a phone from one of the aid station volunteers and called her. I asked her to keep an eye out for the injured runner's husband (he was running this trail race also), and to notify him of her injury and where to find her. Since it was such a wet rainy event - none of the runners seemed to have phone on them. I was too invested at this point to leave, so I stayed until her husband arrived, right around the same time as the ambulance. After she was on her way to the ER for an x-ray, I headed back onto the trail to finish the 1st loop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Back on the trail, I was even more careful than before. With the rain continuing on and off, the trail was getting more and more flooded and wet. I finished the rest of the first loop without any issues.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpIJd5ItUwE/VKtXtt1F4nI/AAAAAAAAD4I/ozuIoFtD5io/s1600/image%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MpIJd5ItUwE/VKtXtt1F4nI/AAAAAAAAD4I/ozuIoFtD5io/s1600/image%2B%282%29.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finishing the 1st lap</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Time 1:59</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Second Loop</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">After waving at DisneyBride and trying to convince a couple of friends to join me on the second loop, I was off. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7qxY9b0O14/VKtXvcvZn6I/AAAAAAAAD4Q/0wxPJRMOr38/s1600/IMG_7340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b7qxY9b0O14/VKtXvcvZn6I/AAAAAAAAD4Q/0wxPJRMOr38/s1600/IMG_7340.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The rain started to really come down. The trail was turning into what felt like an ice skating rink. All the runners I saw had really slowed down. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I later learned that several full marathoners dropped down to the half, and a few of the half marathoners dropped down to the 6.5 mile loop. Yep, it got pretty bad, especially for those unaccustomed to trail running.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finishing the race at this point was going to be all mental. Every step had to be watched, each hill taken slowly, and each root avoided like the plague.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Swamp Forest Trail was really living up to it's name. After completing the second lap without any issues, I was looking forward to the finish line (the 2nd aid station did remark that they were glad to see me not carrying a runner this time). Not only was my lovely DisneyBride waiting for me at the finish line, but this was waiting for me as well...</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vhCt8yBJCc/VKtXC4RZmkI/AAAAAAAAD4A/GIkGrgWtyLI/s1600/MoonPie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vhCt8yBJCc/VKtXC4RZmkI/AAAAAAAAD4A/GIkGrgWtyLI/s1600/MoonPie.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Moon Pies!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing beats a post-race<a href="http://moonpie.com/" target="_blank"> Moon Pie</a>! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Securing Moon Pie as a sponsor is just one of the many reasons our race director is awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another amazing race completed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Finish time: 3:38 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next race on the #DopeyAintEnuf schedule is the the WDW Marathon Weekend 5K on Thursday. I hope to get recaps posted daily, this may slide a bit due to spending time in the parks (you understand). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">-DG</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">p.s. Our friend luckily did not have a broken ankle. She is in an aircast for a while, and expects to recover soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>What is your first running event of 2015?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Would you complete a race in the rain?</b></span></div>
Disney_Bridehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01578907402578115348noreply@blogger.com0