I know Tuesday's on the Run's main focus is supposed to be about running, but I wanted to get my vlog from Denver up. In my defense I do talk about the runs I did while I was there. So I hope that counts. :)
Disclaimer: Again, I didn't get as many videos done that I wanted to, so I filled some of it with still pictures. I'll have to see if I can do better in Disneyland. I hope everyone likes it.
So I really don't have a weekly wrap-up. So here are a few things that happened this week.
I actually got a couple of runs in this week. I stayed after my class at the gym and did 3 miles on the indoor track on Tuesday. And then 4 miles outside on Wednesday. The run on Wednesday really wasn't too bad. Didn't start really hating it till the 3rd mile. That's progress. I didn't have time to run on Friday and then it snowed this weekend, so no other runs. I might try to get to the gym tomorrow to run, but we will see if I make it out on the snowy roads.
I've been touring day centers for my dad. I'm very grateful for my friend who happens to be an elder advocate going to these places with me. She knew the questions to ask that I would not have thought of. We have one more to look at Tuesday and then I'll start talking to my mom about this whole thing.
It snowed on Saturday. We don't get a lot of snow here in Virginia, so when we get more then a few inches everything shuts down for a week. I think we officially got like 8-9 inches. I finally got my driveway shoveled today. It was very light snow so it was not too bad. But I have to say my forearms hurt. Guess I don't use those muscles very often.
I finished cleaning out my office. It was that room where I threw stuff and closed the door and forgot about it. A couple trips to the Goodwill, trash and recycling that went out Friday, and it's clean. I don't think it's organized how I really want it too, but I'm excited to have it clean. I'll have to see how I use the room to organize it better. Next is my bedroom. It's not very dirty, but it can use some organizing since I'm on that kick. And you can never clean out the closet enough.
I heard about the WDW Half being cancelled on Saturday. I am really glad that I did Dopey last year. I would have really cried if I was supposed to run it and they cancelled it. But it sounds like people took it well and that's good. Glad everyone was safe.
I'm off to Disneyland this week for the Star Wars Rebel Challenge. I'll be meeting up with my friend Kelly and she has a fun weekend planed for us. I swear I'll have more interesting posts after I'm back from the weekend.
Are you back on track after the holidays with your runs and workouts? Did you get snow? Did you run any races this past weekend at WDW?
Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.
This weekend is the WDW Marathon Weekend. Two years ago I ran my first marathon there. Then last year I ran Dopey. Here are some memories from the Dopey Challenge Last year.
1. Four races in four days is really hard. It is true when people say that getting up early four mornings in a row (6 if you have early flights getting there and going home). If you put in the training necessary, the mileage is not too bad, but missing out on the parks so that you can stay off your feet and going to bed super early is the hard part.
2. I signed up for the Runner's World VIP package. This included the breakfast after the 5k and 10k, Race Retreat for the half and full, Pasta Party the night of the 5k, and a special shorter walk to the start line of the half and full. I was too tired to take full advantage of everything. The Pasta Party was fun, with great characters to take pictures with, but I was too tired to stay too long. And I didn't even make it to the Race Retreat after the half and full as all I wanted to do was get back to my hotel. Both the breakfasts and Race Retreats had some interesting character photo ops. And the shorter walk to the start line was fun. We ended up on a path in the woods. Getting through the crowds and path in the woods was a bit tricky, so they had us all hold onto a rope. It was like we were back in kindergarten holding hands so we don't get lost.
At the 5k Breakfast. I have no clue who they are.
At the Pasta in the Park with Lotso from Toy Story 3.
At the 10k Breakfast. Again, no clue.
Finally someone I knew at the Race Retreat before the Half.
3. The 10k was rainy through the race. Most characters were not out to get photos with. But I decided to stay after the race, even though it was raining. I knew if I waited it out I would be able to get pictures with Minnie Mouse and Dopey with short lines. Everyone left right after the race and after about 20 minutes of waiting in the drizzle, the rain let up and I got the photos with almost no line.
Minnie and me.
Love this picture.
4. My right calf started to hurt the night before the marathon. I was very nervous about the marathon. I did make it through, with stops at ever medical tent for more bio-freeze. It was a very slow marathon but it was finished.
5. I did ride Everest. It's a perfect adrenaline rush half way through the race.
Ready for Everest to start.
Spooky!!
People often ask me if I would do the Dopey Challenge again. I never will say never, but I don't see me doing it again. I really wish I had a friend to run with through the races, as doing all races by myself was hard. But I'm really glad that I was able to do the challenge. I love telling people how crazy I am by doing the challenge. Have you done the Dopey Challenge? Have you ever done any of the extras, like Race Retreat or Pasta in the Park? What is your favorite character to get a photo with?
So I haven't done much of anything to report on the running front. I really just haven't had the motivation to get out there and run. Though I really need to get a last long run in the next couple of days since I have a half marathon in two weeks.
I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. While the second half of 2016 really hasn't been that great for me, I'm looking forward to making 2017 a much better year. 2017 will be the year of change. I will be at some point getting a new job, and at the very least, that will be a lot of change with that. For now, that means I have a bit of time off.
With my time off, I'd like to organize my house. Right now my whole house is a huge mess. Between half unpacking (and
getting things ready for my trip in a couple of weeks), laundry, and
cleaning out that room. You know that room, the one where you throw
everything into and close the door. I'm about half way through cleaning
it out. Which means everything that was in that room is everywhere else in
my house. Bags of trash, recycling, and Goodwill. I hope to finish sometime this week and get the trash and recycling out for Friday's pickup and all the bags to the Goodwill. I have a feeling there still will be a ton to do to get things all organized the way I want it to be. Which will mean more bags of trash, recycling, and Goodwill.
On the race front I am only registered for two races this year, the Star Wars Challenges with runDisney. As for other races, I'm leaving that up in the air for now. I'm still thinking about the King Crab Challenge in Maryland, but I will wait a few months to make that decision.
As for resolutions, I usually don't make them. I always think if there is something that I need to change in my life, I don't need to wait till the New Year to do so. I need to find a new job, but that really isn't a resolution. I need to lose weight, but I don't have the motivation right now to go on a diet. So really, there isn't any resolutions I will be making this year.
Today we are going to be doing our family Christmas celebration. We didn't want to bring all of our presents to Colorado with us to just bring them back home. So we will be having presents and our goose Christmas dinner tonight.
Here's to a great 2017!
Do you make resolutions? What do you hope to get out of 2017?
Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.
Before I get into my Friday Five, I wanted to take a quick moment to share my sadness for Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. Carrie Fisher is best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars. She was a princess but could kick some ass. Princess Leia was a role model for girls before the Lora Crofts or Katniss Everdeen. She was a Princess that did more then wait for her Prince to save her. Carrie Fisher was also an advocate for those with mental illness. May she rest in peace.
So it's been a busy week. We spent Christmas with family in Denver and had a good time. I grew up here but moved to Virginia when I was 12. I've only been back once and that was 20 years ago. So I only remember a few things. But as we go around town I am getting flashbacks. Here are five things that we did.
1. On Friday we went to the History Colorado Museum. It was a very fun museum to visit. They had a special exhibit about awkward family photos. You know those pictures you have on the wall which you wish you could hide in the attic so company would never see? A bunch of those that just make you laugh.
They also had a bunch of things about Colorado that reminded me of my childhood. Like the Barrel Man. He would wear this barrel and hat (and nothing else). On a $10 bet Tim McKernan was supposed to get on TV. To do this he wore this outfit and won. He then continued to do this for every game for 30 years. No matter how cold.
2. We went to dinner at Casa Bonita.
This place I totally remembered and it hasn't changed a bit. This place is a Mexican restaurant that has a tons of entertainment. They have shows like gun fights, magic shows, and diving.
If you have never been there, it's kinda hard to describe. South Park had done an episode about it that captures it pretty well. I think it was the one thing I remembered best from my childhood in Denver.
3. I did a 10 mile run through downtown Denver. I started at the Coors Field, the ballpark for the Rockies.
I then headed down to the 16th Street Mall which is about 1 1/4 miles long.
I then headed down to City Park, which is a very big park that includes the Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and even a golf course.
I didn't realize it during my run, but the high school that my dad graduated from was right across the street from the park. And then I headed back the same way back to Coors Field.
4. On Christmas Day we ventured out in wind gusts of 70-75 MPH and went to Black Hawk. It's a place where there are a ton of casinos. We hung out and I lost money, my Aunt won and then we ate free at their all you can eat buffet.
5. We ventured into the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which I had ran by a couple of days before. I didn't think I had been there before, but there were a few things that I remembered. The outside of the IMAX. The growling sabertooth donation display.
The animal dioramas.
I didn't remember the exhibit, but they had a really cool dinosaur exhibit.
Bonus - I know it's only Friday Five, not Friday Six, but I wanted to add the last place we went. The Old Spaghetti Factory. It is another restaurant that has not changed a bit since I was last there 30 years ago.
Did you go anywhere for Christmas? Have you ever been to Denver? Do you try to run when on vacation to see different sights?
I always have a hard time this time of year because I don't like the cold and I hate these short days. Two days ago, on Wednesday, was the Winter Solstice. My dad always said that the Winter Solstice is his favorite day of the year because the days only get longer from here. I think of that and can look forward to the cold winter months as I know each day is getting longer and longer. I hope you enjoyed the shortest day of the year (or longest night - how ever you would like to think about it). Now on with my recap.
This past Saturday I did the Surf-n-Santa 5 Miler in Virginia Beach. This was the first time I've done this race. I was signed up for it last year but the holiday time just got in the way and I deferred it to this year. I'm kinda glad I did as this year they were trying to break the Guinness Book of World Record of having the most Santas in a race. Here are five things about the race.
1. This was my first 5 mile race. I had to think about it some while I was running, but I have never done the 5 mile distance. I've run that distance many times during training, but never as a race. It's a nice distance.
2. Seeing all of the people dressed up in Santa suits was so much fun. When I picked up my bib, we were given a one size fits all Santa suit instead of a shirt. It comes with pants, coat, belt, beard, and hat. You had to wear all 5 pieces crossing the start line and finish line to be part of the record. It was weird to see people that were not in a Santa suit, or even in any holiday outfits. They really stood out.
3. We ran down the Boardwalk and they had festive lights everywhere. My favorite was the 12 Days of Christmas. They had all 12 days in different lights. I wish I took some pictures of them as some of them were really creative. I just wish they would have started us a little later so when we got to the Boardwalk it would have been a little darker to really enjoy the lights.
4. I really like the J&A Races, especially the shorter ones as they are fun routes. The route started at the Convention Center and went down to the Boardwalk and then back to the Convention Center. I liked being on the Boardwalk for as long as we were. They gave out Ginger Snap cookies and Candy Canes on the course. They also give some sort of finisher thing at the end of the race. This race we got gloves.
5. The weather was unseasonably warm. It was chilly all day, but a warm front came through in the afternoon. It was about 50 degrees when we started at 4:30. I knew to just wear shorts and a light shirt underneath. I felt bad for those who had long pants and heavier shirts on. Some were stripping down during the run to their base layer (which is legal for the record as long as they put everything back on before they crossed the finish line).
I think I would do this race again. I know they won't do the Guinness Record again, but it is a fun race on the Boardwalk. It's just a pain to drive 2 hours back and forth for the race.
Before I end this post, I wanted to give a shout out to Heather for my Blogger Card Swap. She sent me a very cute card with a fun sticker from #werunsocial and a gift card for Target. I heart Target. :) Thanks so much Heather!!
Have you done the Surf-n-Santa race before? Have you done a 5 miler race, there doesn't seem to be a lot out there? What is your favorite holiday race?
