Monday, March 26, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
Friday Five Firsts (Friday Five Edition)
I was talking to my friends over the weekend and we started discussing firsts. Not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter. It started by seeing what our first purchases were on Amazon and what our first plane ride was. I found the conversation interesting and thought I'd a Friday Five Firsts.
1. Amazon
I have been a purchasing items on Amazon since 1999. My first order was on January 14, 1999 and I bought 2 books. A little bit of background of myself. I was a huge fan of U2 in high school and college. And to say I was a huge fan, is an understatement. More like obsessed. I've seen them in concert all over the country and in Ireland and England.
The next part of this you can't laugh at. I was in my early 20's. I wanted to write a story involving the band, but I wanted to use real quotes that the band had out there to create the conversation part of the story. And like most of my big ideas, I never followed through on it.
What is more embarrassing is my second purchase on December 5, 1999. I know I enjoy reading astrology, but all for fun. I don't remember buying this book and I haven't seen it anywhere in my house in the last 20 years so it makes me wonder if it was purchased as a gift.
2. Plane Ride
While I know I don't remember it, I know when I was about a year we had a trip to Jamaica. I know we would have flown there but of course I don't remember it. There is a picture of me with my parents there and I have been told many times that my brother was conceived there.
The first plane ride I remember was going to Mexico. I was probably 5 or 6. I remember that we went to a small airport and not Stapleton International Airport in Denver. My brother and I got those little pins with wings on them.
3. Tweet
I joined Twitter in January 2009, but I didn't have my first tweet till February 23, 2009. I remember being very bored in my job and really not having much to do. I found twitter and that sucked up some of my boredom.
4. Music
While I was after the time of 8 Tracks (though I remember we played The Chipmunk's Christmas Don't Be Late every Christmas on 8 Track) I actually do remember my first Tape and CD purchases. I remember my first Tape purchase was done in a Target. Don't ask me why I remember that detail. It was What Up, Dog, because it had the song Walk the Dinosaur on it.
I remember getting my first CD player. It was portable and one of my prized possessions. The first CD I bought was "Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits. I'm not sure why that and if I should be embarrassed by it or proud of my weirdness. But I do still have that CD.
5. Trouble
I'm sure I got in trouble before this, but this is the first time I got in big trouble. When I was little I went to a Montessori school. I was about 4 or 5 at the time and we were out for recess and the door to the teacher's lounge had a sign that said "Do Not Disturb". I, along with two friends, kept cracking the door open and yelling "Disturb!!". We thought we were so funny. The teachers never came out to tell us to stop or anything. I do remember that evening my parents gave me a talking to and how they were very upset by what I did. At that age, I was very upset that my parents were upset with me.
What was your first Amazon purchase? Where was your first plane ride to? What was your first tweet? What was the first piece of music you bought? What did you to do get into trouble the first time?
1. Amazon
I have been a purchasing items on Amazon since 1999. My first order was on January 14, 1999 and I bought 2 books. A little bit of background of myself. I was a huge fan of U2 in high school and college. And to say I was a huge fan, is an understatement. More like obsessed. I've seen them in concert all over the country and in Ireland and England.
The next part of this you can't laugh at. I was in my early 20's. I wanted to write a story involving the band, but I wanted to use real quotes that the band had out there to create the conversation part of the story. And like most of my big ideas, I never followed through on it.
What is more embarrassing is my second purchase on December 5, 1999. I know I enjoy reading astrology, but all for fun. I don't remember buying this book and I haven't seen it anywhere in my house in the last 20 years so it makes me wonder if it was purchased as a gift.
2. Plane Ride
While I know I don't remember it, I know when I was about a year we had a trip to Jamaica. I know we would have flown there but of course I don't remember it. There is a picture of me with my parents there and I have been told many times that my brother was conceived there.
The first plane ride I remember was going to Mexico. I was probably 5 or 6. I remember that we went to a small airport and not Stapleton International Airport in Denver. My brother and I got those little pins with wings on them.
 |
| These are not the wings we got, just an example |
3. Tweet
I joined Twitter in January 2009, but I didn't have my first tweet till February 23, 2009. I remember being very bored in my job and really not having much to do. I found twitter and that sucked up some of my boredom.
4. Music
While I was after the time of 8 Tracks (though I remember we played The Chipmunk's Christmas Don't Be Late every Christmas on 8 Track) I actually do remember my first Tape and CD purchases. I remember my first Tape purchase was done in a Target. Don't ask me why I remember that detail. It was What Up, Dog, because it had the song Walk the Dinosaur on it.
I remember getting my first CD player. It was portable and one of my prized possessions. The first CD I bought was "Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits. I'm not sure why that and if I should be embarrassed by it or proud of my weirdness. But I do still have that CD.
5. Trouble
I'm sure I got in trouble before this, but this is the first time I got in big trouble. When I was little I went to a Montessori school. I was about 4 or 5 at the time and we were out for recess and the door to the teacher's lounge had a sign that said "Do Not Disturb". I, along with two friends, kept cracking the door open and yelling "Disturb!!". We thought we were so funny. The teachers never came out to tell us to stop or anything. I do remember that evening my parents gave me a talking to and how they were very upset by what I did. At that age, I was very upset that my parents were upset with me.
What was your first Amazon purchase? Where was your first plane ride to? What was your first tweet? What was the first piece of music you bought? What did you to do get into trouble the first time?
I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
DFL > DNF > DNS (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)
I don't know when the first time I had seen the acronyms of DFL (Dead F*ing Last), DNF (Did Not Finish), and DNS (Did Not Start), but the first time it really meant something to me was when I did my first marathon. I got this bib holder shortly after as I truly believe that it is better to come in last then not finishing which is better then not starting.
I was to do my first marathon January of 2015 at Walt Disney World. I was very excited for this race and trained for it very well. My parents were even coming down with me to celebrate this next step in my running adventure and we made a whole weekend of it.
Along with the marathon, I had planned on volunteering for the 5k and running the 10k, so my parents and I got down there on Wednesday to go to the Expo.
Thursday was a COLD morning, just like it was cold this year for marathon weekend. I had to buy an extra jacket, hats and gloves to volunteer for the 5k. After that, we spent the rest of the day at Universal. If you have never been, go! They have two really fun parks and the Harry Potter section is beyond amazing.
Friday I got up and ran the 10k. After the race I showered, changed, and headed back to the expo. For the life of me I can't remember why, but I have photos from there. I got back to the hotel I grabbed a Chicken Quesadilla for lunch. We really didn't hadn't planned much for the day. Maybe Downtown Disney or something.
By dinner time I was really starting to feel sick. Very nauseous and tired. I told my parents that I'd like to skip dinner. All night long I was in the bathroom with vomiting and diarrhea. I couldn't sleep.
I got up early on Saturday because I actually had to work. We had a major release that got pushed back to that day and since I already had my trip scheduled, I had to give up part of my trip to work. I was starting to feel better, but still felt sick. And by this point I was dehydrated, like really dehydrated. I was so worried about the marathon the next day.
After I was done with my work I talked to my parents and we decided that I should at least talk to a doctor. I had noticed that one of the pre-dialed buttons on the phone was to a doctor. When that is dialed you talk to a doctor that is on call and explain your situation. They can send a doctor to your room for medical care. The doctor on the phone explained to me that with my symptoms I should go to an urgent care facility (transportation would be provided) or the ER. He said that I most likely needed fluids on top of medication and fluids is something that the urgent care facility could not do, so I would probably have to go to the ER.
Even though I was feeling a little better, I had not eaten or drunk anything in almost 24 hours. I was very worried about how I was going to get through 26.2 miles. I had put in so much training and this was my first marathon, I was devastated by this point. I decided that I would go to the ER.
But how would I get there, we took the Magical Express and we have no car. Well since I called the on call doctors they wanted me to go via ambulance. I felt very silly doing that because I could walk. But that is how they wanted to do it.
Within 30 minutes I had a knock on my door. The EMTs were there and started taking my vitals. I had the resort manager come by and see how things were. Then an EMT went to go get a stretcher. I kept telling them that I could walk and didn't need it. But it was the rules and on the stretcher I went. Everyone that saw me gawked and pointed. I'm sure they were wondering what was wrong with me and assumed it must be bad, when it was just a little nausea.
I had my first trip in an ambulance. In route, they started an IV for fluids. The EMT in the back couldn't be nicer. He told me he thought I had food poisoning since I didn't have a fever. I told my parents that they didn't need to come as I didn't want them sitting around a waiting room. My mom felt bad that I had said that as even though she couldn't do anything, she wanted to be there anyway. So the resort manager got them a cab (which Disney paid for) and they met me there.
I was brought back and evaluated some more. I kept telling them that if I didn't have a marathon the next day everything would be fine. I was just worried that I won't be able to run it. They gave me some medicine through the IV and wanted me to stay there while I got more fluids through the IV. I was there for about 4 hours and just laid there and watched Storage Wars the whole time. The doctor that I finally saw told me that I wouldn't be able to run. I was devastated and just cried.
I was glad that my parents did come. Once they released me they gave me a couple of prescriptions. Thankfully there was a pharmacy in the hospital. My mom told me that they were given a voucher for the cab and when we were done we just needed to call to get a ride back to the resort.
The fluids and medicine helped, but I knew I had to keep drinking and eat something. I got some plain spaghetti from the cafe and ate what I could. I truly was feeling better, but I didn't know if I felt good enough to run for 26.2 miles the next day. I told my parents that I would make the decision in the morning.
The alarm went off nice and early. I hadn't had any trips to the bathroom since the hospital. I decided that I might as well try to run. If I couldn't finish, then at least I know I gave it my best. I had trained and all I could do was try.
The first 8-9 miles were fine. I didn't really feel nauseous at all. I saw my parents at the Contemporary Resort and told them that. But soon after my stomach felt a bit off. It wasn't bad enough to stop, but it was bad enough to walk a lot more. I stopped at every medical tent and picked up the Pepto chews which seemed to help a little, but not for very long.
I kept chugging on and new that if I felt bad enough I could just stop. But it really never got worse then some nausea. I was able to get a few Gus in me to keep up my strength. I kept walking more and more and before I knew it I was on the Boardwalk. I knew I could finish at that point.
I was so glad that I tried. I would have felt so miserable if I didn't try. While it was not the race I imagined (are any ever?), it is a race I am very proud of. If things had happened 24 hours later, I wouldn't have even started the race.
Do you have a DFL, DNF, or DNS story?
I was to do my first marathon January of 2015 at Walt Disney World. I was very excited for this race and trained for it very well. My parents were even coming down with me to celebrate this next step in my running adventure and we made a whole weekend of it.
Along with the marathon, I had planned on volunteering for the 5k and running the 10k, so my parents and I got down there on Wednesday to go to the Expo.
Thursday was a COLD morning, just like it was cold this year for marathon weekend. I had to buy an extra jacket, hats and gloves to volunteer for the 5k. After that, we spent the rest of the day at Universal. If you have never been, go! They have two really fun parks and the Harry Potter section is beyond amazing.
Friday I got up and ran the 10k. After the race I showered, changed, and headed back to the expo. For the life of me I can't remember why, but I have photos from there. I got back to the hotel I grabbed a Chicken Quesadilla for lunch. We really didn't hadn't planned much for the day. Maybe Downtown Disney or something.
By dinner time I was really starting to feel sick. Very nauseous and tired. I told my parents that I'd like to skip dinner. All night long I was in the bathroom with vomiting and diarrhea. I couldn't sleep.
I got up early on Saturday because I actually had to work. We had a major release that got pushed back to that day and since I already had my trip scheduled, I had to give up part of my trip to work. I was starting to feel better, but still felt sick. And by this point I was dehydrated, like really dehydrated. I was so worried about the marathon the next day.
After I was done with my work I talked to my parents and we decided that I should at least talk to a doctor. I had noticed that one of the pre-dialed buttons on the phone was to a doctor. When that is dialed you talk to a doctor that is on call and explain your situation. They can send a doctor to your room for medical care. The doctor on the phone explained to me that with my symptoms I should go to an urgent care facility (transportation would be provided) or the ER. He said that I most likely needed fluids on top of medication and fluids is something that the urgent care facility could not do, so I would probably have to go to the ER.
Even though I was feeling a little better, I had not eaten or drunk anything in almost 24 hours. I was very worried about how I was going to get through 26.2 miles. I had put in so much training and this was my first marathon, I was devastated by this point. I decided that I would go to the ER.
But how would I get there, we took the Magical Express and we have no car. Well since I called the on call doctors they wanted me to go via ambulance. I felt very silly doing that because I could walk. But that is how they wanted to do it.
Within 30 minutes I had a knock on my door. The EMTs were there and started taking my vitals. I had the resort manager come by and see how things were. Then an EMT went to go get a stretcher. I kept telling them that I could walk and didn't need it. But it was the rules and on the stretcher I went. Everyone that saw me gawked and pointed. I'm sure they were wondering what was wrong with me and assumed it must be bad, when it was just a little nausea.
I had my first trip in an ambulance. In route, they started an IV for fluids. The EMT in the back couldn't be nicer. He told me he thought I had food poisoning since I didn't have a fever. I told my parents that they didn't need to come as I didn't want them sitting around a waiting room. My mom felt bad that I had said that as even though she couldn't do anything, she wanted to be there anyway. So the resort manager got them a cab (which Disney paid for) and they met me there.
I was brought back and evaluated some more. I kept telling them that if I didn't have a marathon the next day everything would be fine. I was just worried that I won't be able to run it. They gave me some medicine through the IV and wanted me to stay there while I got more fluids through the IV. I was there for about 4 hours and just laid there and watched Storage Wars the whole time. The doctor that I finally saw told me that I wouldn't be able to run. I was devastated and just cried.
I was glad that my parents did come. Once they released me they gave me a couple of prescriptions. Thankfully there was a pharmacy in the hospital. My mom told me that they were given a voucher for the cab and when we were done we just needed to call to get a ride back to the resort.
The fluids and medicine helped, but I knew I had to keep drinking and eat something. I got some plain spaghetti from the cafe and ate what I could. I truly was feeling better, but I didn't know if I felt good enough to run for 26.2 miles the next day. I told my parents that I would make the decision in the morning.
The alarm went off nice and early. I hadn't had any trips to the bathroom since the hospital. I decided that I might as well try to run. If I couldn't finish, then at least I know I gave it my best. I had trained and all I could do was try.
The first 8-9 miles were fine. I didn't really feel nauseous at all. I saw my parents at the Contemporary Resort and told them that. But soon after my stomach felt a bit off. It wasn't bad enough to stop, but it was bad enough to walk a lot more. I stopped at every medical tent and picked up the Pepto chews which seemed to help a little, but not for very long.
I kept chugging on and new that if I felt bad enough I could just stop. But it really never got worse then some nausea. I was able to get a few Gus in me to keep up my strength. I kept walking more and more and before I knew it I was on the Boardwalk. I knew I could finish at that point.
I was so glad that I tried. I would have felt so miserable if I didn't try. While it was not the race I imagined (are any ever?), it is a race I am very proud of. If things had happened 24 hours later, I wouldn't have even started the race.
Do you have a DFL, DNF, or DNS story?
I’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Weekly Wrap (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)
With the time change yesterday, I felt like the whole day got away from me. It didn't help that while I knew the time changed, I didn't bother changing my clocks till the evening.
Last weekend I took off running so that I could rest my legs after Princess. I ran a couple of times but just felt blah and my legs were heavy. It was a good decision just to skip my long run on Saturday. Monday rolled around and I had 4 miles on the schedule. Well I didn't realize that I also had a conference to go to for work and I had to be there at 7. That meant that I would have had to get up a couple hours early just to get my run in and that was not going to happen, especially on a Monday. I deserved another rest day, didn't I? :)
Tuesday I want to the gym for my FT class. We are still in that area out in the open and no one is using the classroom. We still don't understand why we were kicked out.
Wednesday I got out for a run. It felt good and I enjoyed being out there in the morning when it wasn't dark. I knew this was the last week for that. When I got back I realized that I had 4 miles planned and I only did 3. Oh well. I did get to see this very pretty sunrise.
Wednesday evening I went to PT and while nothing really was hurting for him to work on, my quads were still really tight from the Princess Half Marathon. He worked my right glut, which really needed it and then my left hip area. Right at the joint on the side. And OMG, I haven't felt that kind of pain from the PT in quite awhile. That one area radiated down to my quads, IT band, and glut. I knew that the pain would make everything feel better once it was worked out. It just needed to be worked out.
Thursday was another gym day. Nothing too exciting there. It was a good opportunity to work out my hip from PT the day before.
Friday I was feeling good, so I added a couple extra miles. I was already up a little early and had 3 planned. I got out and decided that I would start my 4 mile loop and see how I felt. I could always cut that to 3 miles if needed. My IT band bothered me a little from PT two days before but it wasn't a pain I felt like I needed to worry about. I ended up doing an extra mile for a total of 5. By the end my IT band was feeling better. It really was a good run.
Saturday I planned on doing at least 9 miles. After a good run the day before, I thought I would be motivated for another really good run. Well I talked myself out of it. And it really wasn't that hard. It wasn't the weather or any pain I was having. I was just tired and didn't feel like going out. Maybe on Sunday. I did get my benefits for my job done, as well as my taxes filed. So I was productive somewhat. A friend came over and we went to Fuddruckers. They had closed the one near my house years ago and they opened one a little north of the city awhile ago. We wanted to check it out and see if it was as good as we remembered. He said the burger was good but the turnkey burger was not. We probably won't be back any time soon. We did end up watching Office Space after dinner. We haven't seen that movie in ages and it still makes me laugh.
Sunday I thought I'd try to get my missed run in from Saturday. Even if I didn't get the whole 9 miles done, I thought I would get some. I got up and got dressed and went downstairs and just couldn't get further then that. The thought of running was just something I didn't feel like going out to do. I'm not sure if I'm getting back into my running rut or not. I hope not as I had such a great couple months of getting back in the swings and really enjoying it again.
I thought maybe if I had a treadmill I might have run. It just seemed to take so much energy to get outside. I really don't have the room as is, and would have to move a lot of furniture around, including a huge desk in my office. I did do some research and did find a couple that I liked, but I'm not sure if I really should spend the money on it. Do I buy one used? And is it really safe to have something like that upstairs? I might be able to put it in the front room, but that's where all my knickknacks are. Would they be safe or would they rattle with the running? A lot to think about.
How much time do you take off after a race? Have you seen Office Space? Do you have a treadmill? How did you change your living area for it?
Last weekend I took off running so that I could rest my legs after Princess. I ran a couple of times but just felt blah and my legs were heavy. It was a good decision just to skip my long run on Saturday. Monday rolled around and I had 4 miles on the schedule. Well I didn't realize that I also had a conference to go to for work and I had to be there at 7. That meant that I would have had to get up a couple hours early just to get my run in and that was not going to happen, especially on a Monday. I deserved another rest day, didn't I? :)
Tuesday I want to the gym for my FT class. We are still in that area out in the open and no one is using the classroom. We still don't understand why we were kicked out.
Wednesday I got out for a run. It felt good and I enjoyed being out there in the morning when it wasn't dark. I knew this was the last week for that. When I got back I realized that I had 4 miles planned and I only did 3. Oh well. I did get to see this very pretty sunrise.
Wednesday evening I went to PT and while nothing really was hurting for him to work on, my quads were still really tight from the Princess Half Marathon. He worked my right glut, which really needed it and then my left hip area. Right at the joint on the side. And OMG, I haven't felt that kind of pain from the PT in quite awhile. That one area radiated down to my quads, IT band, and glut. I knew that the pain would make everything feel better once it was worked out. It just needed to be worked out.
Thursday was another gym day. Nothing too exciting there. It was a good opportunity to work out my hip from PT the day before.
Friday I was feeling good, so I added a couple extra miles. I was already up a little early and had 3 planned. I got out and decided that I would start my 4 mile loop and see how I felt. I could always cut that to 3 miles if needed. My IT band bothered me a little from PT two days before but it wasn't a pain I felt like I needed to worry about. I ended up doing an extra mile for a total of 5. By the end my IT band was feeling better. It really was a good run.
Saturday I planned on doing at least 9 miles. After a good run the day before, I thought I would be motivated for another really good run. Well I talked myself out of it. And it really wasn't that hard. It wasn't the weather or any pain I was having. I was just tired and didn't feel like going out. Maybe on Sunday. I did get my benefits for my job done, as well as my taxes filed. So I was productive somewhat. A friend came over and we went to Fuddruckers. They had closed the one near my house years ago and they opened one a little north of the city awhile ago. We wanted to check it out and see if it was as good as we remembered. He said the burger was good but the turnkey burger was not. We probably won't be back any time soon. We did end up watching Office Space after dinner. We haven't seen that movie in ages and it still makes me laugh.
Sunday I thought I'd try to get my missed run in from Saturday. Even if I didn't get the whole 9 miles done, I thought I would get some. I got up and got dressed and went downstairs and just couldn't get further then that. The thought of running was just something I didn't feel like going out to do. I'm not sure if I'm getting back into my running rut or not. I hope not as I had such a great couple months of getting back in the swings and really enjoying it again.
I thought maybe if I had a treadmill I might have run. It just seemed to take so much energy to get outside. I really don't have the room as is, and would have to move a lot of furniture around, including a huge desk in my office. I did do some research and did find a couple that I liked, but I'm not sure if I really should spend the money on it. Do I buy one used? And is it really safe to have something like that upstairs? I might be able to put it in the front room, but that's where all my knickknacks are. Would they be safe or would they rattle with the running? A lot to think about.
How much time do you take off after a race? Have you seen Office Space? Do you have a treadmill? How did you change your living area for it?
Friday, March 9, 2018
Princess Expo 2018 (Friday Five Edition)
I realized that I didn't get any photos of the expo buildings or area. Oh well, you will have to use your imagination. :) I'm not sure if this is normal for the Princess Weekend Expo, but the first day didn't open up till noon. I had been to other runDisney expos and they all had opened first thing in the morning. The noon opening worked out well for me as I didn't get to Florida till after 1, and not getting to the expo till 3.
1 - Buildings
This year, just like Marathon Weekend, they had put the official merchandise in it's own building. I found this to be so much better. It meant more walking, but everything just felt a bit more spacious and less claustrophobic. Bus drop off was in a different location too, but about the same amount of walking so that didn't make much of a difference. I knew that the official merchandise was in a different building and I had walked right by it. I think I was thinking that there was a third building back with the other two and didn't even look at the first building. I could have actually looked at the map that I had, or the one that I printed out, or looked online before I got there, but I didn't.
My first stop was to get a beer on tap with my runDisney cup. I've done this at every expo that has the cups. The new thing is some sort of alcoholic flavored sparkling water. I tried that instead of beer and really liked it.
2 - Bibs
I headed and picked up my bib. I didn't notice a third building back there, but still wasn't sure where the official merchandise was. Again, I could have looked at several maps, but at this point I was going to get my bibs, shirts, check out the expo and figure out official merchandise later. I was running the 5k and Fairy Tale Challenge, so I had 2 bibs to pick up. While I was there I heard several people mention that the wait to get into the Official Merchandise was 2 hours. Hmmm, not sure if I wanted to wait that long. But I would check out the line when I finally found the place.
3 - Expo
I headed over and got my shirts, which were in the building with the expo booths. That area was so much nicer to walk around. While there were still a ton of people, it didn't feel packed. Since the booths could spread out and use the space that the official merchandise usually uses, the walk ways were wider to allow more people to pass by. I did see that Sweaty Bands was having a sale, so I picked up a few of those and headed over to get my shirts. I looked at them long enough to try one on to make sure it fit fine and put them all back in the bag. There wasn't much that I wanted to do there, so I headed out. I did remember to buy a rolling stick from The Stick for my friend C who forgot to get it while she was there. Now to find the Official Merchandise.
4 - Official Merchandise
My friend K had gotten the Race Retreat which meant that they could get into the expo at 10, instead of noon. Fretting the merchandise that I wanted would be sold out by the time I got there, I gave her my shopping list. She was awesome and was my personal shopper. I still wanted to see the merchandise in person and planned on looking around and getting at least my "I did it" shirt that I knew wouldn't sell out so I didn't ask her to get it.
My other friend C, that had gotten there a couple hours before me said that the wait to get into the official merchandise was 2 hours. Her family was there and she didn't want to wait in that line. She asked if I would get her a Challenge Pin. I wasn't sure if I would wait in line for 2 hours, but after asking a volunteer where to go, I went to check out the line.
I slowly realized that I had walked right past the building and kinda felt a little dumb. They did have the race banners out of the main traffic near the building. I thought that was nice. I got my picture with the Fairy Tale banner and headed in to check out the line.
We were lead down a long hallway to a room on the right. I knew that was probably the start of the line and that more lines would probably be across the hallway on the left. It didn't look too bad in the room. I waited in line for about 15 minutes till we were ushered across the hall. And to my surprise we were in the Official Merchandise area!
I was shocked on how big the area was. I didn't even think about taking a photo or video while I was in there. The first couple rows of merchandise was their new Character Performance Wear. It was tech clothes that was supposed to look like a character. I didn't understand the characters till someone pointed them out to me. They were cute, but I tend to buy most of my training clothing on the clearance rack.
The next rows each were dedicated to each race. And there were still tons of merchandise of everything. There were still Sweaty Bands. There were still Pins. There were still lots of everything that I could have wanted. I guess K didn't really have to be my personal shopper, but you know Murphy's Law. I picked up the pin for C and got my I did it shirt. I did fall in love with the Fairy Tale jacket. I just loved that color.
There was a section for just runDisney merchandise that is not race specific. Here is where I found the lack of merchandise and sizes. I had been eyeing a runDisney shirt online and thought that I might pick it up at the expo. There they did not have my size. I found a really cute "Race Day Checklist" that was princess themed that was really cute. None in my size. And then there were these shorts that I would have bought in a second. Not in my size. I found that interesting as they always have plenty stock of the generic runDisney items.
I did see that they had their personalized artwork for sale there. Since I'm not a huge princess fan I didn't go over to that area. But I do like that they are starting to do it at most of the races I have been. It makes for such a special keepsake from the race weekend.
I got the couple things I came for and headed to the checkout line. I probably waited about 20 minutes there, but the line moved quickly.
5 - Pre-purchased Merchandise
I usually get the pre-perchased items as they are usually cute. In the past they used to be something that you could not get at the expo, which made them special. The last couple years I had found that they are the same as in the expo, but it was good to get them early as they usually sell out quickly. This year, they were the same as in the expo and there were plenty of them when I went. As for the pre-purchased jacket, I have gotten in the past and really had not liked the design and last year they stopped taking returns. I decided that since I was not really into princesses, I would skip the jacket.
As I walked out of the official merchandise area I almost walked out without picking up my items. Thankfully I heard someone mention them as I was heading out and made a u-turn. I picked up the items, an ornament, figurine, and magnet. The ornament was the same type as races past, which was a very cute running shoe. The figurine was my favorite. A very cute running Minnie Mouse. When I saw the jacket I was so glad I didn't get it. Not really my favorite design.
I got a picture with running Mickey and headed out. I was exhausted!
I stopped and got a picture with Cinderella's carriage. The volunteer that was helping to take photos said that it was her favorite job. That was so awesome to hear.
Final loot:
Extra - Disney Springs
A new thing that I noticed was that they had a stop for Disney Springs in the bus loop at the expo. This was a good thing as it meant I didn't have to go back to the hotel to head out there. I wanted to get dinner (I was famished) and go to the Disney store.
I headed to Paddlefish for dinner. I've been there a couple of times and it has not disappointed. My favorite item there is the Crab Fries. Yummy. I ended up getting the Salmon which was very good. Between the fries, salmon, and the bread for the table I was stuffed and had to take some of it back to my room.
I headed over to the Disney store after dinner. I like to look around and I have a couple birthdays coming up that I wanted to see if I could get items for them. It turns out that about 2/3 of the store was under construction. There were still the same amount of people in the store and in that less space made it very claustrophobic. I got a couple things and got out of there as quickly as I could.
I remembered buses near the Rain Forest Cafe side of Disney Springs and verified on the map that buses were still there. When I got there I found that section was closed. WTF? I had to walk all the way across Disney Springs to get to the buses. I was tired and just frustrated at that point. I didn't need all this extra walking right before 3 days of races. Oh well.
Where do you like to eat at Disney Springs? Do you like to get to the expo right when it opens or wait till the crowds clear out some?
1 - Buildings
This year, just like Marathon Weekend, they had put the official merchandise in it's own building. I found this to be so much better. It meant more walking, but everything just felt a bit more spacious and less claustrophobic. Bus drop off was in a different location too, but about the same amount of walking so that didn't make much of a difference. I knew that the official merchandise was in a different building and I had walked right by it. I think I was thinking that there was a third building back with the other two and didn't even look at the first building. I could have actually looked at the map that I had, or the one that I printed out, or looked online before I got there, but I didn't.
 |
| A=Official Merch, B=Bib Pickup, C=Expo, E=Kids Races |
My first stop was to get a beer on tap with my runDisney cup. I've done this at every expo that has the cups. The new thing is some sort of alcoholic flavored sparkling water. I tried that instead of beer and really liked it.
2 - Bibs
I headed and picked up my bib. I didn't notice a third building back there, but still wasn't sure where the official merchandise was. Again, I could have looked at several maps, but at this point I was going to get my bibs, shirts, check out the expo and figure out official merchandise later. I was running the 5k and Fairy Tale Challenge, so I had 2 bibs to pick up. While I was there I heard several people mention that the wait to get into the Official Merchandise was 2 hours. Hmmm, not sure if I wanted to wait that long. But I would check out the line when I finally found the place.
3 - Expo
I headed over and got my shirts, which were in the building with the expo booths. That area was so much nicer to walk around. While there were still a ton of people, it didn't feel packed. Since the booths could spread out and use the space that the official merchandise usually uses, the walk ways were wider to allow more people to pass by. I did see that Sweaty Bands was having a sale, so I picked up a few of those and headed over to get my shirts. I looked at them long enough to try one on to make sure it fit fine and put them all back in the bag. There wasn't much that I wanted to do there, so I headed out. I did remember to buy a rolling stick from The Stick for my friend C who forgot to get it while she was there. Now to find the Official Merchandise.
4 - Official Merchandise
My friend K had gotten the Race Retreat which meant that they could get into the expo at 10, instead of noon. Fretting the merchandise that I wanted would be sold out by the time I got there, I gave her my shopping list. She was awesome and was my personal shopper. I still wanted to see the merchandise in person and planned on looking around and getting at least my "I did it" shirt that I knew wouldn't sell out so I didn't ask her to get it.
My other friend C, that had gotten there a couple hours before me said that the wait to get into the official merchandise was 2 hours. Her family was there and she didn't want to wait in that line. She asked if I would get her a Challenge Pin. I wasn't sure if I would wait in line for 2 hours, but after asking a volunteer where to go, I went to check out the line.
I slowly realized that I had walked right past the building and kinda felt a little dumb. They did have the race banners out of the main traffic near the building. I thought that was nice. I got my picture with the Fairy Tale banner and headed in to check out the line.
We were lead down a long hallway to a room on the right. I knew that was probably the start of the line and that more lines would probably be across the hallway on the left. It didn't look too bad in the room. I waited in line for about 15 minutes till we were ushered across the hall. And to my surprise we were in the Official Merchandise area!
I was shocked on how big the area was. I didn't even think about taking a photo or video while I was in there. The first couple rows of merchandise was their new Character Performance Wear. It was tech clothes that was supposed to look like a character. I didn't understand the characters till someone pointed them out to me. They were cute, but I tend to buy most of my training clothing on the clearance rack.
The next rows each were dedicated to each race. And there were still tons of merchandise of everything. There were still Sweaty Bands. There were still Pins. There were still lots of everything that I could have wanted. I guess K didn't really have to be my personal shopper, but you know Murphy's Law. I picked up the pin for C and got my I did it shirt. I did fall in love with the Fairy Tale jacket. I just loved that color.
There was a section for just runDisney merchandise that is not race specific. Here is where I found the lack of merchandise and sizes. I had been eyeing a runDisney shirt online and thought that I might pick it up at the expo. There they did not have my size. I found a really cute "Race Day Checklist" that was princess themed that was really cute. None in my size. And then there were these shorts that I would have bought in a second. Not in my size. I found that interesting as they always have plenty stock of the generic runDisney items.
I did see that they had their personalized artwork for sale there. Since I'm not a huge princess fan I didn't go over to that area. But I do like that they are starting to do it at most of the races I have been. It makes for such a special keepsake from the race weekend.
I got the couple things I came for and headed to the checkout line. I probably waited about 20 minutes there, but the line moved quickly.
5 - Pre-purchased Merchandise
I usually get the pre-perchased items as they are usually cute. In the past they used to be something that you could not get at the expo, which made them special. The last couple years I had found that they are the same as in the expo, but it was good to get them early as they usually sell out quickly. This year, they were the same as in the expo and there were plenty of them when I went. As for the pre-purchased jacket, I have gotten in the past and really had not liked the design and last year they stopped taking returns. I decided that since I was not really into princesses, I would skip the jacket.
As I walked out of the official merchandise area I almost walked out without picking up my items. Thankfully I heard someone mention them as I was heading out and made a u-turn. I picked up the items, an ornament, figurine, and magnet. The ornament was the same type as races past, which was a very cute running shoe. The figurine was my favorite. A very cute running Minnie Mouse. When I saw the jacket I was so glad I didn't get it. Not really my favorite design.
I got a picture with running Mickey and headed out. I was exhausted!
I stopped and got a picture with Cinderella's carriage. The volunteer that was helping to take photos said that it was her favorite job. That was so awesome to hear.
Final loot:
Extra - Disney Springs
A new thing that I noticed was that they had a stop for Disney Springs in the bus loop at the expo. This was a good thing as it meant I didn't have to go back to the hotel to head out there. I wanted to get dinner (I was famished) and go to the Disney store.
I headed to Paddlefish for dinner. I've been there a couple of times and it has not disappointed. My favorite item there is the Crab Fries. Yummy. I ended up getting the Salmon which was very good. Between the fries, salmon, and the bread for the table I was stuffed and had to take some of it back to my room.
I headed over to the Disney store after dinner. I like to look around and I have a couple birthdays coming up that I wanted to see if I could get items for them. It turns out that about 2/3 of the store was under construction. There were still the same amount of people in the store and in that less space made it very claustrophobic. I got a couple things and got out of there as quickly as I could.
I remembered buses near the Rain Forest Cafe side of Disney Springs and verified on the map that buses were still there. When I got there I found that section was closed. WTF? I had to walk all the way across Disney Springs to get to the buses. I was tired and just frustrated at that point. I didn't need all this extra walking right before 3 days of races. Oh well.
Where do you like to eat at Disney Springs? Do you like to get to the expo right when it opens or wait till the crowds clear out some?
I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0
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