In case you missed the recaps from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend in April:
Here is my vlog from the 10k on Saturday. Enjoy!
I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0
Showing posts with label epcot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epcot. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2018
Star Wars Dark Side 10k 2018 vlog (Friday Five Edition)
I had finally caught up on all of my race recaps! I know, finally.
In case you missed the recaps from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend in April:
Here is my vlog from the 10k on Saturday. Enjoy!
In case you missed the recaps from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend in April:
Here is my vlog from the 10k on Saturday. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Star Wars Dark Side Half 2018 (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)
I'm finally getting to my Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend recaps from April.
In case you missed previous posts from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend:
We didn't meet as early this morning like we did the other mornings. We had no plans on getting any pictures before the start. Like the 10k, the start of the Half was in the parking lot of Magic Kingdom. We did the normal bag check, port-a-potties, stretching, and off to our respective corals. Kelly and Franklin were in the same coral ahead of me and I was in coral F.
I tried to get excited about the run, but I was tired. Physically and mentally tired. It was in the low 70's and overcast. There was a chance of rain during the morning and part of me just wanted it to rain to cut the humidity.
I tried to get as close to the front of the coral as possible so that I could have as much of a buffer from the balloon ladies as I could. It felt like forever between the first coral and my coral to get going. I started out with a 30/30 walk run, and within the first quarter mile my knee gave out on me. It had been doing so good all weekend long, and now it hurt. A lot.
I tried to keep up with my 30/30, but ended up walking a lot of the first mile. I wanted to get it worked out so I could make it to the end. It got to the point where it was bearable, but it was gonna suck to deal with it for another 3 hours.
We were on back roads with very little entertainment. I at least thought ahead and brought my iPod and earphones. It sprinkled for like a minute and made things more humid. I continued to trudged away for about 4 miles before we got to Animal Kingdom.
We entered Animal Kingdom at the same place I had in other races, like the Marathon, but instead of going left, we went right and headed towards the new Pandora section. Here I saw for the first time the back of the Tree of Life. I'm not sure if I ever was in that part of the park before, or just never noticed. I almost missed it except I saw people beeline over there to get pictures.
We went through Pandora land. Don't ask me what that is behind me, but it was a photo stop.
We went though the Discovery Island and past the Tree of Life again, from the front.
And then over to Dinoland.
Through Animal Kingdom, I noticed a dog running a little behind someone. I noticed this dog a few times and couldn't figure out how he was a helper dog as he didn't stay next to or in front of his owner, but like a foot or so behind. And she was keeping a great pace.
We were in Animal Kingdom probably 2-3 miles, which was great. It perked me up some and made me almost forget about how my knee hurt. But that time was over quickly and we exited out of Animal Kingdom and headed towards Hollywood Studios. Goodbye Animal Kingdom.
Last year it felt like we went into nowhere's land and then came back on the same street. With more time in Animal Kingdom, we didn't have that awful out and back. But getting to HS still sucked.
Right outside Hollywood Studios we hit the 10 mile mark. The 501st Legion was there again.
I decided to walk through HS as I knew we were not in there long, and I needed to enjoy the time we were in there. It also gave me a chance to rest my knee some. Again, we were barely in HS before we were leaving it.
We next headed to the path that lead to the Boardwalk. My knee hurt, but I tried to keep up my walk/run as much as I could so I could just finish. We got to the Boardwalk and it was nice to see everyone cheering us on.
We got into Epcot the same way we normally do, but instead of going the short way around, they had us go right and take the long way around to Spaceship Earth. That was so disappointing! I thought I knew how much we had to go and it was longer.
We finally got to mile 13 and the 501st Legion was also there in full gear. I knew I was almost there and just needed to finish.
I was finally done and just mentally and physically exhausted. I got ice, medals, food, and water and just limped to the bus. I just wanted to get back to my room and shower and crash. When I got to the hotel there was a photo booth of sorts that they had set up. I really didn't want anything to do with it, but I had to walk through them and I ended up talking to them a little. They were such nice ladies there that they perked me up enough to get a couple fun pictures.
I showered stretched and rested a little, but I didn't want to hunker down as I needed to get some real food. I kept going and headed to Disney Springs. I hadn't made my way there, yet, this trip and wanted to check a few stores out.
I had no plans for lunch and as I walked by Raglan Road, I saw that they had Irish Dancers and music going on. I went in and decided to have lunch there. I was able to get a seat with a great view of the stages. When I arrived, they had just left on their break. But soon enough they were back out.
I have always been fascinated by the Irish culture, so listening to some truly Irish music and watching the dancing was the most fun.
I had the fish and chips, and a yummy alcoholic beverage. It was the most wonderful way to end the weekend.
In case you missed previous posts from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend:
We didn't meet as early this morning like we did the other mornings. We had no plans on getting any pictures before the start. Like the 10k, the start of the Half was in the parking lot of Magic Kingdom. We did the normal bag check, port-a-potties, stretching, and off to our respective corals. Kelly and Franklin were in the same coral ahead of me and I was in coral F.
I tried to get excited about the run, but I was tired. Physically and mentally tired. It was in the low 70's and overcast. There was a chance of rain during the morning and part of me just wanted it to rain to cut the humidity.
I tried to get as close to the front of the coral as possible so that I could have as much of a buffer from the balloon ladies as I could. It felt like forever between the first coral and my coral to get going. I started out with a 30/30 walk run, and within the first quarter mile my knee gave out on me. It had been doing so good all weekend long, and now it hurt. A lot.
I tried to keep up with my 30/30, but ended up walking a lot of the first mile. I wanted to get it worked out so I could make it to the end. It got to the point where it was bearable, but it was gonna suck to deal with it for another 3 hours.
We were on back roads with very little entertainment. I at least thought ahead and brought my iPod and earphones. It sprinkled for like a minute and made things more humid. I continued to trudged away for about 4 miles before we got to Animal Kingdom.
We entered Animal Kingdom at the same place I had in other races, like the Marathon, but instead of going left, we went right and headed towards the new Pandora section. Here I saw for the first time the back of the Tree of Life. I'm not sure if I ever was in that part of the park before, or just never noticed. I almost missed it except I saw people beeline over there to get pictures.
We went through Pandora land. Don't ask me what that is behind me, but it was a photo stop.
We went though the Discovery Island and past the Tree of Life again, from the front.
And then over to Dinoland.
Through Animal Kingdom, I noticed a dog running a little behind someone. I noticed this dog a few times and couldn't figure out how he was a helper dog as he didn't stay next to or in front of his owner, but like a foot or so behind. And she was keeping a great pace.
We were in Animal Kingdom probably 2-3 miles, which was great. It perked me up some and made me almost forget about how my knee hurt. But that time was over quickly and we exited out of Animal Kingdom and headed towards Hollywood Studios. Goodbye Animal Kingdom.
Last year it felt like we went into nowhere's land and then came back on the same street. With more time in Animal Kingdom, we didn't have that awful out and back. But getting to HS still sucked.
Right outside Hollywood Studios we hit the 10 mile mark. The 501st Legion was there again.
I decided to walk through HS as I knew we were not in there long, and I needed to enjoy the time we were in there. It also gave me a chance to rest my knee some. Again, we were barely in HS before we were leaving it.
We next headed to the path that lead to the Boardwalk. My knee hurt, but I tried to keep up my walk/run as much as I could so I could just finish. We got to the Boardwalk and it was nice to see everyone cheering us on.
We got into Epcot the same way we normally do, but instead of going the short way around, they had us go right and take the long way around to Spaceship Earth. That was so disappointing! I thought I knew how much we had to go and it was longer.
We finally got to mile 13 and the 501st Legion was also there in full gear. I knew I was almost there and just needed to finish.
I was finally done and just mentally and physically exhausted. I got ice, medals, food, and water and just limped to the bus. I just wanted to get back to my room and shower and crash. When I got to the hotel there was a photo booth of sorts that they had set up. I really didn't want anything to do with it, but I had to walk through them and I ended up talking to them a little. They were such nice ladies there that they perked me up enough to get a couple fun pictures.
I showered stretched and rested a little, but I didn't want to hunker down as I needed to get some real food. I kept going and headed to Disney Springs. I hadn't made my way there, yet, this trip and wanted to check a few stores out.
I had no plans for lunch and as I walked by Raglan Road, I saw that they had Irish Dancers and music going on. I went in and decided to have lunch there. I was able to get a seat with a great view of the stages. When I arrived, they had just left on their break. But soon enough they were back out.
I have always been fascinated by the Irish culture, so listening to some truly Irish music and watching the dancing was the most fun.
I had the fish and chips, and a yummy alcoholic beverage. It was the most wonderful way to end the weekend.
While I hated the running part, I had a fantastic weekend otherwise. I'm still in debate on if this will be my last runDisney race for awhile or not. In 2 years I would have gotten a perfect Dark Side and Kessel Run challenge. I don't think Disney is doing much of anything for those special few that do the first 5 years, so it may not be worth it.
Where do you like to eat at Disney Springs? Have you ever seen the back of the Tree of Life?
Where do you like to eat at Disney Springs? Have you ever seen the back of the Tree of Life?
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.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Star Wars Dark Side 5k 2018 (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)
I'm finally getting to my Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend recaps from April.
In case you missed previous posts from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend:
Friday morning I got up at 2:30 so that I could get ready and do some stretching before meeting Kelly and Franklin at 3:20. We caught the bus and headed to the Epcot parking lot. Like previous races, they had characters out to take photos with. We decided to stand in line for Boba Fett. While lines were long, they moved quickly and we probably were in line just 20 minutes.
After the photo, we went to the bag drop off and then to the start line. The 5k start and course is the same one that is used during Princess and Marathon weekends, so there are no surprises for us. We were all in Coral A which was good so we could hang with each other longer before the start. The plan was Kelly and Franklin were going to take off and do as many photo stops as they could and I was going to walk as much as I could so that I could save my knee for the weekend. We were entertained while we waited by announcers and Storm Troopers. They even played the original trailer for Empire Strikes Back.
It was warm but not terribly hot, about 63 degrees at the start. The first mile or so is outside the park and very boring. Once we were in the park it was a lot more interesting. The R2-D2 line looked short and I almost got in it, but didn't because I already had a picture with him and I didn't want to spend extra time on my feet since this was just the beginning of a long weekend. As I went on, I kinda regretted it, but after the race Kelly told me that it wrapped around behind where you couldn't see and it was a really long line. That made me feel better.
We wrapped around and saw Spaceship Earth through Torii Gate in Japan.
And seeing Spaceship Earth with some of the Flower and Garden Festival Topiarie.
When I got up to Spaceship Earth, there was a short line to take photos with the Storm Troopers. I jumped right in. Within moments of me getting in line, I looked behind me and the line was so long it was wrapping into the course. When there was just a person in front of me left, some Cast Members came up and said that the Storm Troopers were not part of the race and that we could only take selfies with them (at this point Cast Members were helping out taking photos). Everyone was very confused by them saying they were not part of the race. Maybe they meant that they were not part of the official photo ops where there was a Disney photographer.
It was my turn and I asked the guy behind me if he just wanted to swap cameras so that we could still get photos without having to do a selfie. He said yes. I got up there and a different Cast Member offered to take the photo instead. Well of course, that would be great, thank you! Just very weird.
I got to the end where the choir usually is and the 501st Legion was there all dressed up to get pictures with. Some of their costumes are very elaborate.
This Jawa's eyes even light up, which was a cool effect since it was still dark out.
I was going to take a quick selfie right before the finish, but a medical lady offered to take the photo for me. How nice!
And then a quick selfie with a Storm Trooper right before I crossed the finish line.
Even though my knee felt fine through the race, I had them wrap ice around it as a precaution. I got my medal, water food and a picture and then picked up my bag from bag check.
Kelly and Franklin were done and standing in line for Darth Vader when I joined them.
Kelly's favorite is Phasma and they had already gotten photos with her before I finished. She insisted that I get my picture taken with her while they waited for Kylo Ren. I really didn't care either way so I got one with Phasma.
After the photos the buses were coming through. They couldn't pull up till the last runner had gotten past the finish line area. We boarded the bus and headed back to the resort. We had a long day at Magic Kingdom planned and we all wanted to get cleaned up and rest a little before we headed back out.
Continue reading about the rest of my day at Magic Kingdom.
In case you missed previous posts from the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon Weekend:
Friday morning I got up at 2:30 so that I could get ready and do some stretching before meeting Kelly and Franklin at 3:20. We caught the bus and headed to the Epcot parking lot. Like previous races, they had characters out to take photos with. We decided to stand in line for Boba Fett. While lines were long, they moved quickly and we probably were in line just 20 minutes.
After the photo, we went to the bag drop off and then to the start line. The 5k start and course is the same one that is used during Princess and Marathon weekends, so there are no surprises for us. We were all in Coral A which was good so we could hang with each other longer before the start. The plan was Kelly and Franklin were going to take off and do as many photo stops as they could and I was going to walk as much as I could so that I could save my knee for the weekend. We were entertained while we waited by announcers and Storm Troopers. They even played the original trailer for Empire Strikes Back.
It was warm but not terribly hot, about 63 degrees at the start. The first mile or so is outside the park and very boring. Once we were in the park it was a lot more interesting. The R2-D2 line looked short and I almost got in it, but didn't because I already had a picture with him and I didn't want to spend extra time on my feet since this was just the beginning of a long weekend. As I went on, I kinda regretted it, but after the race Kelly told me that it wrapped around behind where you couldn't see and it was a really long line. That made me feel better.
We wrapped around and saw Spaceship Earth through Torii Gate in Japan.
And seeing Spaceship Earth with some of the Flower and Garden Festival Topiarie.
When I got up to Spaceship Earth, there was a short line to take photos with the Storm Troopers. I jumped right in. Within moments of me getting in line, I looked behind me and the line was so long it was wrapping into the course. When there was just a person in front of me left, some Cast Members came up and said that the Storm Troopers were not part of the race and that we could only take selfies with them (at this point Cast Members were helping out taking photos). Everyone was very confused by them saying they were not part of the race. Maybe they meant that they were not part of the official photo ops where there was a Disney photographer.
It was my turn and I asked the guy behind me if he just wanted to swap cameras so that we could still get photos without having to do a selfie. He said yes. I got up there and a different Cast Member offered to take the photo instead. Well of course, that would be great, thank you! Just very weird.
I got to the end where the choir usually is and the 501st Legion was there all dressed up to get pictures with. Some of their costumes are very elaborate.
This Jawa's eyes even light up, which was a cool effect since it was still dark out.
I was going to take a quick selfie right before the finish, but a medical lady offered to take the photo for me. How nice!
And then a quick selfie with a Storm Trooper right before I crossed the finish line.
Even though my knee felt fine through the race, I had them wrap ice around it as a precaution. I got my medal, water food and a picture and then picked up my bag from bag check.
Kelly and Franklin were done and standing in line for Darth Vader when I joined them.
Kelly's favorite is Phasma and they had already gotten photos with her before I finished. She insisted that I get my picture taken with her while they waited for Kylo Ren. I really didn't care either way so I got one with Phasma.
After the photos the buses were coming through. They couldn't pull up till the last runner had gotten past the finish line area. We boarded the bus and headed back to the resort. We had a long day at Magic Kingdom planned and we all wanted to get cleaned up and rest a little before we headed back out.
Continue reading about the rest of my day at Magic Kingdom.
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.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon 2017 (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)
I feel like a lazy person not getting this out earlier. But that's life and here it is. Thankfully I made some notes about it so it won't be "dark, boring, hot, done".
If you missed my previous posts, please take a moment to catch up.
The morning started early again. We didn't get on the first bus this time as we knew we weren't going to stand in line for any pictures. Franklin was not running the half, but was there to see the start and both Kelly and I were in different waves again. The time up to the start of the race was the same as all of the Disney races. Like the 10k they split each coral up into different groups and let us go a few minutes apart. The last coral didn't leave till about 50 minutes after the start of the race.
The first couple of miles were very unforgettable. We started in the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom and headed down towards Animal Kingdom. They had a school band near the start and then a couple of photo ops. The first was R2D2 with a not too bad of a line, but since I got a picture with him during the 5k, I decided to skip him. The second was of an Ewok. I really wanted to stop for him, but the line was super long.
But really what was annoying about the first few miles was that we were on back roads where it was very dark and hard to see much around you. Every so often they would have spot lights, but that was it. They did have a section where they had laser lights flashing around and they ended up flashing me in the eyes. That was not fun.
By mile 3 it was already getting hot and humid as the sun started to come up. I wished I had thought to bring my towel to wipe the sweat off my face. About this time I decided to put on my music as I was really bored. I did see a couple of fun "costumes" that people had. One guy was in full Dark Helmet costume from Space Balls. Man do I love that movie. For the first Disneyland Star Wars race I dressed up as Dot. And then another person had a Dunder Mifflin Fun Run shirt from The Office. That is one of my favorite episodes and I would have never of thought to buy one to wear at a race.
They had a couple of non-character photo ops that I thought were fun. The first I came across was from Star Wars A New Hope where they were stuck in the garbage compactor. They had this setup at Disneyland and it still is a fun photo op.
About 4 1/2 miles in we finally reached Animal Kingdom. Yay!! I was so bored up till then, that I was glad to have something fun to look around and see. I was doing a quick clip for my vlog and right as I finished I heard someone ask if I was Heather. I looked around and it was Chaitali. I knew she was going to be there and had kept an eye out for her. I saw some of her Instagram pictures so I knew what she was wearing but she found me first. It was so good to meet her and have someone to talk to for a few minutes through the park.
We really were in the park for about a half a mile, which seemed like a shorter time, especially having someone to chat with. After we got through the park, we split our ways as we were doing different intervals. As we rounded the lake outside the park we had this most beautiful view.
The other non-character photo op that I stopped at was the Emperor's chair. There was a nice person there that was wiping down the chair after each person because we were all drenched in sweat from the humidity. And I really felt like this, just hot and tired. My IT Band was bothering me a bit at this point as well.
At this point we were making our way to Hollywood Studios. Again there really wasn't much to look at on these back roads. They did set up a few movie clips from different Star Wars movies throughout the course which was a nice distraction. I think my times got slower near there so I could watch more.
Somewhere during mile 7 I really got into a funk. I really kept trying to use my mantras to keep my spirits up, but they really weren't helping. There weren't any spectators out in these areas as there isn't a way for them to get out there. There wasn't anything interesting to look at except for road and other runners. It was just getting hot out. Thankfully at this time it was still a bit overcast so we didn't have the full sun beating down on us as well. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, just to get to Hollywood Studios.
By mile 9 the sun was starting to peak out from the clouds and just was making things hot. I kept seeing signs for Hollywood Studios and kept thinking that we had to be close but we never seemed to get there. It felt like a mirage, you could see it and you kept moving towards it but you never got to it.
We finally got into Hollywood Studios a little after mile 10. The 501st Legion had a group set up again right before we entered into the park. Like the 10k the day before, we were in and out of that park in less then half a mile. It did help my funk once we got into the park, even for a short time. I was in a park and would be done in less then 3 miles. That was something to be happy about.
The rest of the course was the same as the 10k from the day before. We made our way out of the front of Hollywood Studios to the path that leads to The Boardwalk. Once I hit The Boardwalk I knew my funk was gone. I really do love running there. There are so many people that come out to cheer you on that it always picks me up.
And then we finally made it into Epcot. It was great to see Spaceship Earth. I knew the finish line would be right behind that and that thought got me to the finish line. We actually were in Epcot about the same time as the other parks put together.
Have you ever done a race where the course just bored you? Do you do races just for the medal?
If you missed my previous posts, please take a moment to catch up.
The morning started early again. We didn't get on the first bus this time as we knew we weren't going to stand in line for any pictures. Franklin was not running the half, but was there to see the start and both Kelly and I were in different waves again. The time up to the start of the race was the same as all of the Disney races. Like the 10k they split each coral up into different groups and let us go a few minutes apart. The last coral didn't leave till about 50 minutes after the start of the race.
The first couple of miles were very unforgettable. We started in the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom and headed down towards Animal Kingdom. They had a school band near the start and then a couple of photo ops. The first was R2D2 with a not too bad of a line, but since I got a picture with him during the 5k, I decided to skip him. The second was of an Ewok. I really wanted to stop for him, but the line was super long.
But really what was annoying about the first few miles was that we were on back roads where it was very dark and hard to see much around you. Every so often they would have spot lights, but that was it. They did have a section where they had laser lights flashing around and they ended up flashing me in the eyes. That was not fun.
By mile 3 it was already getting hot and humid as the sun started to come up. I wished I had thought to bring my towel to wipe the sweat off my face. About this time I decided to put on my music as I was really bored. I did see a couple of fun "costumes" that people had. One guy was in full Dark Helmet costume from Space Balls. Man do I love that movie. For the first Disneyland Star Wars race I dressed up as Dot. And then another person had a Dunder Mifflin Fun Run shirt from The Office. That is one of my favorite episodes and I would have never of thought to buy one to wear at a race.
They had a couple of non-character photo ops that I thought were fun. The first I came across was from Star Wars A New Hope where they were stuck in the garbage compactor. They had this setup at Disneyland and it still is a fun photo op.
About 4 1/2 miles in we finally reached Animal Kingdom. Yay!! I was so bored up till then, that I was glad to have something fun to look around and see. I was doing a quick clip for my vlog and right as I finished I heard someone ask if I was Heather. I looked around and it was Chaitali. I knew she was going to be there and had kept an eye out for her. I saw some of her Instagram pictures so I knew what she was wearing but she found me first. It was so good to meet her and have someone to talk to for a few minutes through the park.
We really were in the park for about a half a mile, which seemed like a shorter time, especially having someone to chat with. After we got through the park, we split our ways as we were doing different intervals. As we rounded the lake outside the park we had this most beautiful view.
The other non-character photo op that I stopped at was the Emperor's chair. There was a nice person there that was wiping down the chair after each person because we were all drenched in sweat from the humidity. And I really felt like this, just hot and tired. My IT Band was bothering me a bit at this point as well.
At this point we were making our way to Hollywood Studios. Again there really wasn't much to look at on these back roads. They did set up a few movie clips from different Star Wars movies throughout the course which was a nice distraction. I think my times got slower near there so I could watch more.
Somewhere during mile 7 I really got into a funk. I really kept trying to use my mantras to keep my spirits up, but they really weren't helping. There weren't any spectators out in these areas as there isn't a way for them to get out there. There wasn't anything interesting to look at except for road and other runners. It was just getting hot out. Thankfully at this time it was still a bit overcast so we didn't have the full sun beating down on us as well. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, just to get to Hollywood Studios.
By mile 9 the sun was starting to peak out from the clouds and just was making things hot. I kept seeing signs for Hollywood Studios and kept thinking that we had to be close but we never seemed to get there. It felt like a mirage, you could see it and you kept moving towards it but you never got to it.
We finally got into Hollywood Studios a little after mile 10. The 501st Legion had a group set up again right before we entered into the park. Like the 10k the day before, we were in and out of that park in less then half a mile. It did help my funk once we got into the park, even for a short time. I was in a park and would be done in less then 3 miles. That was something to be happy about.
The rest of the course was the same as the 10k from the day before. We made our way out of the front of Hollywood Studios to the path that leads to The Boardwalk. Once I hit The Boardwalk I knew my funk was gone. I really do love running there. There are so many people that come out to cheer you on that it always picks me up.
And then we finally made it into Epcot. It was great to see Spaceship Earth. I knew the finish line would be right behind that and that thought got me to the finish line. We actually were in Epcot about the same time as the other parks put together.
The 501st Legion group was also right before the finish line like they were for the 10k. A last pick me-up before the finish line. As I rounded the corner I pushed as much as I could to finish the race.
We went through the finisher's chute and collected medals. I got my medal for the half marathon.
Then I got one for the Rebel Challenge.
Then I got the black Coast to Coast (which I still don't get why).
Then I got the mother of all medals. The one I do both the Star Wars races for. The Millenium Falcon.
Overall I really did not like this course either. There was so little time in the parks and after spending that much money for the race, I would like a little more time in the parks. Last year's course wasn't the best one I have done, but it was a ton better then this year's. Would I do it again? Yes, I already signed up. I had a great weekend with my friends and expect the same for next year. And there is always a chance that they will change the course again.
After the run I went back and cleaned up and rested for a bit. I headed back to Disney Springs to find someplace to eat. I walked around some and ended up back at Paddlefish. Their crab fries were so good that I had to get them again. I also read tons of reviews on how wonderful the Fish and Chips were so I had to try them out (minis the chips as I was having the crab fries). I do have to say that the fish was good, but not for the price I paid. I think next time my whole meal will be the crab fries.
And as I made my way back to the boat to take me to the hotel I was greeted with this beautiful sunset. A perfect way to end my trip to Disney.
We went through the finisher's chute and collected medals. I got my medal for the half marathon.
Then I got one for the Rebel Challenge.
Then I got the black Coast to Coast (which I still don't get why).
Then I got the mother of all medals. The one I do both the Star Wars races for. The Millenium Falcon.
Overall I really did not like this course either. There was so little time in the parks and after spending that much money for the race, I would like a little more time in the parks. Last year's course wasn't the best one I have done, but it was a ton better then this year's. Would I do it again? Yes, I already signed up. I had a great weekend with my friends and expect the same for next year. And there is always a chance that they will change the course again.
After the run I went back and cleaned up and rested for a bit. I headed back to Disney Springs to find someplace to eat. I walked around some and ended up back at Paddlefish. Their crab fries were so good that I had to get them again. I also read tons of reviews on how wonderful the Fish and Chips were so I had to try them out (minis the chips as I was having the crab fries). I do have to say that the fish was good, but not for the price I paid. I think next time my whole meal will be the crab fries.
And as I made my way back to the boat to take me to the hotel I was greeted with this beautiful sunset. A perfect way to end my trip to Disney.
Have you ever done a race where the course just bored you? Do you do races just for the medal?
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.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Epcot 2017 Part 2 (Tuesdays on the Run Edition)
So here is the second part of my day at Epcot during my Star Wars Dark Side Weekend.
If you missed my previous posts, please take a moment to catch up.
We had just finished lunch at the Liberty Inn and the time was getting close to my first scheduled FastPass at Test Track. We decided to take the boat across the lake to get to Future World. I had never even heard of this ride before I booked my FastPass and had no clue what I was in for.
If you missed my previous posts, please take a moment to catch up.
It was a lot of fun. As part of waiting for our turn, we were allowed to create our own car. Not anything close to what we would be riding, but to compare to others who create their own. I had no clue what I was doing, so I just started picking things to add to the car. Franklin was able to use the station next to us to build one as well.
We got into the actual ride and that was a lot of fun. It's sort of like the Cars ride at Disneyland. It does some maneuvers to "test" out the cars made and then a fun fast bout outside where you reach speeds of 64 MPH. Feels faster with the wind blowing on you then it does a real car. In the end, my car beat Franklin's in the score!!
We headed into the Festival Center. Kelly wanted to see if she could find some gifts for birthdays and Mother's Day. I actually found something. It's a plant that is made from other plant DNA and not a seed. I wasn't sure if it would make it home, but it would be fun for my mom if it did. Spoiler alert, it did not survive the plane ride home in my checked bag.
We decided to meet Joy and Sadness. While we waited, Franklin went over to see Baymax from Big Hero 6. That line moved fast enough that he had enough time to join us. I loved seeing Sadness, she was so cute.
Then we headed over to Soarin'. I love this ride and couldn't wait to see the changes they made. I used another one of my timed FastPass and Kelly and Franklin used their second "anytime" FastPass. I have to say that I really enjoyed the changes. It was fun to see all the places around the world and was even more fun to point to the ones I've been to. I did see why people were complaining that if you were too far to a side, things looked a little distorted, like the Eiffel Tower was curved a bit, but it was still fun.
We got into the actual ride and that was a lot of fun. It's sort of like the Cars ride at Disneyland. It does some maneuvers to "test" out the cars made and then a fun fast bout outside where you reach speeds of 64 MPH. Feels faster with the wind blowing on you then it does a real car. In the end, my car beat Franklin's in the score!!
We headed into the Festival Center. Kelly wanted to see if she could find some gifts for birthdays and Mother's Day. I actually found something. It's a plant that is made from other plant DNA and not a seed. I wasn't sure if it would make it home, but it would be fun for my mom if it did. Spoiler alert, it did not survive the plane ride home in my checked bag.
We decided to meet Joy and Sadness. While we waited, Franklin went over to see Baymax from Big Hero 6. That line moved fast enough that he had enough time to join us. I loved seeing Sadness, she was so cute.
Then we headed over to Soarin'. I love this ride and couldn't wait to see the changes they made. I used another one of my timed FastPass and Kelly and Franklin used their second "anytime" FastPass. I have to say that I really enjoyed the changes. It was fun to see all the places around the world and was even more fun to point to the ones I've been to. I did see why people were complaining that if you were too far to a side, things looked a little distorted, like the Eiffel Tower was curved a bit, but it was still fun.
We had time before our next FastPass and we were trying to decide if we wanted to do Soarin' again or if we wanted to do the Living with the Land ride that is also in The Land building. We decided to do Soarin' again. This would be Kelly and Franklin's last "anytime" FastPass and my second. It was so worth it as I had asked that we be in the middle group in the first row. That meant we had the best seats in the house. Right in the middle and on the top where no one's feet were in our line of vision. I was so glad we had done it the second time.
After the ride was over we headed down the stairs to check out if there was any line at Living with the Land and there wasn't. We hopped right onto the boat.
While this isn't a fast or scary ride, it was a lot of fun learning about different ways that Disney grows food and raises fish. It was also nice to be off our feet for a little while.
After the ride was over we headed down the stairs to check out if there was any line at Living with the Land and there wasn't. We hopped right onto the boat.
While this isn't a fast or scary ride, it was a lot of fun learning about different ways that Disney grows food and raises fish. It was also nice to be off our feet for a little while.
We headed to our next FastPass, meeting with Mickey and Pals. We saw Mickey, Goofy, and Minnie. Goofy was in rare form. He didn't have anyone visiting so he was goofing around with the other Cast Members. Yes, Goofy was acting goofy.
After this we parted ways. They had FastPasses for the new Frozen ride and I had one for Mission: Space. I had a little bit of time before my FastPass started so I decided to do the Test Track again and use my last "anytime" FastPass. In the end my second car was only one point better then my first. Guess I like to build the same type of car.
I then headed over to Mission: Space. I hadn't heard of this ride before either before booking my FastPasses, but after reading about it, it sounded like something I've been on before when I visited NASA a couple years ago. They have a Green team and an Orange team. They are both the same ride, a launch from Earth to Mars, except the Green team skips the centrifuge, or spinning action, so it's more of a gentle ride. I, of course, opted to join the Orange team.
After this we parted ways. They had FastPasses for the new Frozen ride and I had one for Mission: Space. I had a little bit of time before my FastPass started so I decided to do the Test Track again and use my last "anytime" FastPass. In the end my second car was only one point better then my first. Guess I like to build the same type of car.
I then headed over to Mission: Space. I hadn't heard of this ride before either before booking my FastPasses, but after reading about it, it sounded like something I've been on before when I visited NASA a couple years ago. They have a Green team and an Orange team. They are both the same ride, a launch from Earth to Mars, except the Green team skips the centrifuge, or spinning action, so it's more of a gentle ride. I, of course, opted to join the Orange team.
I was teamed with a dad and his two boys (one a lot younger then the other). As the video played and talked about the team formation we joked around on who was what position and remembering to hit the buttons when we needed to. As we got in, I ended up being the navigator while the younger brother was the captain. There were a lot of things I read about how people riding the Orange side would get motion sickness. I experienced none of it. I don't even think I knew when the centrifuge happened. We all pressed our buttons like we were supposed to and got to Mars safely (mostly) and had a fun time.
I realized that because I decided to add in Test Track before Mission: Space, I was now late to meet up for dinner. Oh no! I raced through Future World to Mexico and made my way to Italy. Whoa that was exhausting. We had reservations for Via Napoli to get some good pasta in.
I realized that because I decided to add in Test Track before Mission: Space, I was now late to meet up for dinner. Oh no! I raced through Future World to Mexico and made my way to Italy. Whoa that was exhausting. We had reservations for Via Napoli to get some good pasta in.
Kelly and Franklin had already ordered, good. So I took a quick look at the menu and really wasn't sure what I wanted. I asked the waitress what she thought was good and she said the Linguine allo Scoglio. Pasta and seafood? Yes, please! The dish came and it was huge. Kelly and Franklin ordered a white pizza, all cheese, yummy! My pasta dish ended up not that great. The pasta was under cooked and I don't think there was a lot of seafood there. But that's OK, it filled me up. They said the pizza was great, until it was on the floor. They had eaten less than half of the pizza and with no one touching it slipped off the rack and right onto the floor. The manager was very nice and allowed them to get the small pizza to make up for the half that they lost.
By the time we were done with dinner we all were beyond exhausted. And my feet were killing me. I felt like my planters ficiatis was rearing it's ugly head my way again. So we headed back to the the hotel to call it a night. We had to get up early again for the 10k!
By the time we were done with dinner we all were beyond exhausted. And my feet were killing me. I felt like my planters ficiatis was rearing it's ugly head my way again. So we headed back to the the hotel to call it a night. We had to get up early again for the 10k!
I have to say that was a great day. I never knew that Epcot could be so much fun. I know part of it had to do with the great company, but I also discovered a whole new side to the park. I can't wait to go back!
What's your favorite ride at Epcot? Would you do the Orange or Green team on Mission: Space? Have you eaten at Via Napoli? What did you think?
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.
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