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’m linking up with with MCM Mama Runs, Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and My No Guilt Life for the Tuesdays on the Run linkup.

Weekly Update (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)

It was another busy week.  The kind where you can't believe it's Friday already.  I haven't had many of those in the last year, so to have two back to back has been odd.

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  I haven't had that day off since I was in school, so it was a happy surprise to have it off.  It was another chilly day and I was glad that I was able to wait till mid-morning to get my run in.  I did get a new face mask for running and was excited to try it out.  It was soft and comfortable, but I found that by the last half of my 3 miles, I was getting hot.  It is fleece lined and really too hot to use, even in 25 degree weather.  But since it was a shorter run, I was fine with it.  I really did like the face mask part of it as it was more of a shape and unlike the others that I have warn, the material didn't feel like it was getting sucked into my mouth.  A good purchase, but will only be able to use in the really really cold weather.

Tuesday was back to the work week.  Nothing special, but I did get to the class for my FT class.

We got snow again on Wednesday.  Unlike two weeks ago, this one wasn't as bad.  Though it seemed to have a little more ice to it then snow.  Thankfully my run schedule called for a rest day, so I didn't have to worry about the roads or getting to the gym.  Even though I could have worked from home, I made it into the office with a handful of people.  It was nice to be in a quiet office to get work done.  Though I did have to scrape all the ice/snow off my car when I went home.

Thursday morning I looked out my window and my road didn't have that much snow or ice on it, so I knew I'd be heading out.  The gym said that it wasn't going to open till 7 that morning.  My normal class starts at 7, so I thought I would head there.  I brought my running shoes and iPad just in case we didn't have class.  I stuck to my normal morning schedule and got to the gym about 5 minutes before 7.  There already was a handful of cars waiting for them to open up the doors.  The instructor was there as well as other regulars for the class I take.  So we started a little late, but still had our class.

During the day on Thursday I had made the decision to run the Frostbite 15k that Sunday.  My long run for the weekend was slated to be 10 miles and since the race was 9.3 I thought that would make due.  The weather for the weekend, and especially for Sunday morning looked amazing.  Without much thought I signed up.  This is the latest I have ever signed up for a race.  The site said that I wouldn't get a shirt, but that's OK, I have plenty of race shirts.  The site also said that we could check after the race to see if there were any left, so I planned on doing that.

Driving home Thursday night I made a special effort to look at the side of the roads to determine if I was going to run outside or if I had to head to the gym on Friday morning.  They looked fine enough to run on, so I ran outside Friday morning.  Since I was running the 15k on Sunday, I decided to up my 3 miles to 4 to compensate.  The run was interesting as the first 3 miles were in the dark.  So I was judging if the dark areas were shadows or ice and if the white areas were salt or snow.  Most everything was shadows and salt.  There was only one area where the whole width of the road was ice which I carefully walked slowly over.

Since the race was on Sunday, I decided to get out early and run my errands as the stores opened.  I hate crowds, so this is when I like to get out and get things done.  One of my stops was Michael's as I have decided to try and give Bullet Journaling a try.  I've needed a better way to organize my many Post-its and scraps of paper worth of lists.  While I love my lists, I hate that they are all over the place.  I have tried to keep a notebook with everything there, but found that it was hard to organize what still needed to be done, especially if it needed to be done by a specific date.  I ran across someone's post mentioning it a few weeks back and liked the idea.  I wasn't sure if it was for me until I saw the disc notebook at an office supply store.  It is a morph between a spiral notebook and a three ring binder.  It acts and feels like a spiral notebook, but the system allows you to remove and add pages through out the notebook.

With the Bullet Journal the ideas are endless so I spent some time looking through my scrap booking items as well as at Michael's to get inspiration on what I could do with it.  By the end of the day on Saturday I had a basic layout that I cannot wait to put to use.  My main use for it will be organizing items that I need and want to get done, as well as having one place for my training schedule.  Also a place to make notes on my day or events that I go to.  I also want to try and organize my blog thoughts.  I have so many ideas that roll through my brain that I want to blog about but I never remember them when I sit down to type.  If I find that I'm still using it in a couple of months, I'll go into more detail of how I've been using it.

Sunday I was up bright and early to run the Frostbite 15k.  I'll have a full post about it, but here is a sneak peak.  I kinda dreaded this race.  I dread most races the night before and morning of, but I think I am a little out of practice, which is good that I did this race.  I did packet pickup the morning of and it was very simple.  The weather was wonderful and running around the lakes was beautiful.  Couldn't have had a better morning.  I ran into running friends and it was good to catch up with them.  I did end up getting a race shirt after the race.  There were a handful left and I was able to get one in my size.  I got a PR!  Well not as exciting as it might sound, because I have never raced this distance.  I was glad I did it.

How was your week?  Have you tried Bullet Journaling before?  Did you get snow?  What was the latest that you have ever signed up for a race?  Have you ever done race day sign up?

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

How I Have Been Surviving the Cold and Snow (Friday Five Edition)

This winter has been unusually cold for us here in Virginia.  So much so that I just don't understand how people live further north where it's like this for 3-5 months strait.  While we do get part of those arctic freezes that come down from Canada, they usually only last a couple of days.  Our normal high for right now is in the low 40's and we probably hit or exceeded that only 5-6 times this month.  My new thermostat will tell me when my auxiliary heat runs for more then 6 hours and my system kicks on the auxiliary heat when it's below 20 degrees outside.  I've had to hit OK to that message every day but 2 this month.  We have also had a few snow storms this year.  None of them more then a few inches, but we don't have the amount of plows cities up north do, so our roads are usually a mess for a few days.  These are the challenges I have when I'm in a training cycle during the winter months and how I combat them.



1.  Not signing up for any race that happens between December and March.  But that's not the best option, especially if running a race in the warmer part of the country.

2.  This is the time of year when cross training is important.  Sometimes I end up cross training a little bit more and run a little less when it comes to the winter months.  This lets you keep up your cardio even if you are not running.  And a great cross training idea is water jogging.  I've done it while I was hurt and was able to keep up my training.  But I have to say it is so very boring and very hard to jump into a pull when it is this cold outside.

3.  The dreaded treadmill.  I don't mind using the treadmill once in awhile, it just seems to be an inconvenience.  Every winter I think I should just chalk up the money and buy one for the house, but I can't see spending all that money for something I would only use a few times a year.  I have a gym membership, where they have plenty of treadmills to use.  But I don't even like to drive someplace to run outside, so to have to drive someplace to run on a treadmill is so unappealing.  This season I've only headed to the gym when there was snow and ice on the road.  I've actually ventured out when it dropped below freezing.



4. Layers, Layers, Layers.  When I do laundry, I usually do one load that is just my workout clothes.  This past time I did laundry, I had so many pieces of workout clothes, I had to do two loads because I wore so many layers.  I've been looking into finding a fleece lined pair of pants, but haven't found one that fits me well.  I'm sure the moment I find a pair I like, it won't be cold enough to wear them.  I guess I should find a pair soon.  It's still a balance of wearing enough cloths and not too many when  going out when it's below 20 degrees.  And also not ending up like the kid from A Christmas Story who couldn't put his arms down when his mom dressed him to go to school.  Though I don't think I could have put on enough clothes to keep me warm on my 10 degree run.

5.  This year has been the first year that I have done more then one run a season in temps below 20 (don't laugh at me northerns!) as I usually op for the treadmill.  But this year I found that I'd rather deal with the cold then go to the gym to use the treadmill.  My biggest issue with running in temperatures below freezing is that I can't breath.  Even if I'm not out there running, the moment I step outside in freezing temperatures I start coughing.  Then I come inside and I start coughing.  My lungs just can't deal with it.  So while digging for running hats and gloves I came across this running buff that I got with a Runner Box.  I've never used it before so I thought I'd give it a try to help keep my face warm.  Well I have to say that it worked.  Though it did get hard to breath with it over my mouth after it started to get wet due to the moisture in my breath.  But it was much better then not having something.

I started looking for something that was made to go over your face and be able to handle the moisture of my breath.  I found one on Amazon that was fleece lined and bought it.  I used it for the first time when it was in the mid 20's and it worked great.  I didn't get the breathing issues at all.  Though with it being fleece lined, it was actually a bit warm, even at 25 degrees.  And the problem with this design is that if I took it off, I wouldn't have anything on my head and it was way too cold to not have something on my ears.  It was only a 3 mile run, so I survived with my head being hot.  I'll have to look for something that's not fleece lined and/or able to separate to hat and face mask.

How have you stayed warm on your outdoor runs?  Any other tips to help out a winter training cycle?  What conditions will get you on the treadmill?  

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Weekly Update - Even If It's 2 Days Late (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)

Last week was a very busy week.  So busy it flew by.  As in, when Friday hit, I couldn't even remember if I worked on Monday or not.

Monday we still had snow and ice on the streets, so I took off to the gym before work for my second in a row treadmill run.  At least this time I knew what I needed to do for the treadmill, that is until I noticed that it was going to end my run after 20 mins.  Well, poo.  So I decided to end that run at one mile and then start it up without it counting down the time.  I did 3 miles watching The Sopranos and it really wasn't too bad.  I feel like I really only work on speed work when I use the treadmill.  But again, I didn't want to push it too much as I'm still really early into a training cycle (one with no real base to work from).

Tuesday I got to the gym and took my class.  That evening I went to an Agile User Group.  I'm not sure if they have them for outside IT, but basically it's groups that get together once a month and have someone give a presentation.  They have them for all different jobs within IT.  They are great networking tools as well as getting fresh ideas about your job.  I did run into someone from my last job.  It was fun catching up to see how my old team was doing.

Wednesday was a planned rest day.  I had a longer run to do that weekend and am watching how many miles I run during the week when I do have longer long runs.  I also had someone coming into upgrade my security system.  While he was there he was testing the window sensors and he leaned over my kitchen table and knocked over a full, unopened bottle of vodka.  It was from a distillery in Virginia and I was really looking forward to trying it.  Not only was it all over the floor, but landed were the cat food dishes are.  It all had to be cleaned up as I not only wanted them around the vodka, but there was also broken glass everywhere.   I wasn't really upset that he did that and he did clean most of it up.  I just wish that he would have offered to repay me.  I wouldn't have let him, but the offer would have been nice.

Thursday I went to my gym class at the gym.  Friday I got out and got a 3 mile run in.  It was 65 degrees and raining.  A huge change from the week before when it was below freezing.  I got a little bit of a late start as I was watching the radar and local news and saw that if I did wait just a little bit, most of the rain would be gone.  And then a little bit of a later start as I found my head lamp's batteries were dead.  I went back into the house to get my second one.  Dead too.  I grabbed some extra batteries but neither one of them would work with the new batteries either.  I really didn't want to waste more time as I did eventually have to get to work, so I thought I would see what blinky lights I had and see if they would light up enough to see the road.  Then I saw and remembered my knuckle lights.  And the first on I pulled out was dead.  Well this looked like something was telling me I shouldn't run.  But I wanted to run more then anything because it was so warm out.  I wouldn't have this opportunity tomorrow as it was supposed to be cold again.  But as luck would have it the second knuckle light worked.  And out the door I went.

It was a little later then I planed, but it seemed like most of the rain was gone, so it probably was a good thing I had a little extra time running around the house.  When I started it was a little bit of a drizzle.  Not bad at all.  By the time I got to the end of the first mile, it was really starting to rain.  If it had been any colder I would have been upset, but it was so warm out that the rain felt good.  I'm sure the people driving by as they went to work thought I was even more crazy then normal to run in the dark and the rain.  By the end of the second mile it had gone back to a drizzle and had stopped by the time I finished.  I so cannot wait for the weather to get warmer.

Saturday I planned on doing 8 miles.  The running group had 5 and 9 miles planned.  I took their 9 mile route and guesstimated on where to turn back to make it 8 miles.  I knew that we would start off warm and then just get colder as the morning and day progress.  When I turned on the news when I woke up they said that we had already hit the high for the day at 55.  So what to wear was something I himmed and hawed about.  Since I'm a morning runner, I'm used to preparing for temperature during my run to get warmer, not colder.  So I decided to dress for the coldest temperature that I would be out there for.  And from what I could tell it would be between 35-40 by the end of my run.

I decided that I would give myself a head start and get out there about 30 minutes before the rest of the group.  With as slow as I run, I wanted to try and get the run done as soon as possible so I wouldn't be out there when it got really cold.  And I really don't run with anyone in the group.  I'm usually doing more miles then the slower people and I'm not fast enough to keep up with those doing longer runs.  As I drove to our meeting place I noticed that some people still had their decorations up.  I thought to myself that this weekend was probably time to take them down.  When I got out there and started my run, the temperature had already dropped almost 10 degrees.  There was no way I was going to be over dressed.  I brought my hat and sun glasses (as it started off cloudy, but the news said that they were going to part soon).  I put on my hat sooner then I anticipated and never needed my sunglasses.  I really had wished I brought a pair of gloves too.

I read the directions and knew where I was going and knew I needed to turn on Grace Street.  When I got to Grace Street I pulled out the directions to read the next few turns.  Well I realized when I read Grace Street, I really should have turned on Grove.  Not a huge deal, I know the area well enough that I knew how to get myself back to the route without backtracking.  So I ran on.  I ended up passing a house that still had their Christmas decorations up and had to laugh at myself.  I was glad they did as they do the "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme.  I have run by it the last couple of years, but since I had not been training for a January race, I had not seen it this season.  I then had to take back my, "it's time to take down Christmas decorations" as I was happy to see these.





As I got closer and closer to the turn around point I needed to figure out where I was going to turn around.  I didn't know the mileage difference between what I ended up running and what the route was, so I decided to just turn around where I had planned to.  And then I second guessed myself and went down to the next light.  I wanted to make sure I got in the whole 8 miles and didn't want to run around the block over and over to just hit that.  Well it turned out I really didn't need to worry about that as I ended up getting 9 miles in instead.  The extra mile wasn't too bad, but by the end, I was ready to be done.  It had gotten really cold and had dropped down to 37 degrees with a wind chill of 28 and I just wanted a hot shower.

The clouds we so beautiful as I finished up the run.  This picture does not do it justice.

Sunday was a planned rest day.  I had Monday off and I knew I wanted to get my kitchen clean.  It wasn't really dirty per say, but it was cluttered.  I have very little storage in my kitchen, so a lot of stuff ends up on the counters and kitchen table.  Which is how my vodka bottle was broken as it should have been in the cabinet but it was as full as it could get.  So really, I wanted to reorganize and see how I could get as much as I could put away.  I got the eat in section, including my table done.  I even got on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floor.  I thought that when I shoveled snow the week before that I used muscles that I never used.  But scrubbing the floor showed me even different muscles.  I'm still sore today.  Getting my kitchen cleaned meant that I stayed off the computer so that I wouldn't get distracted.  Which is why my post is two days after I planned it.  But when I look at a clean and organized kitchen, it was well worth it!

Did you get a warm day to run last week?  For those who run in the evening, how do you dress as it gets colder on your run?  When stuck on the treadmill, what do you like to watch or listen to to help pass the time?

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

First Weekly Wrap of 2018 (Weekly Wrap-up Edition)

I can't believe that the New Year was just a week ago.  It just seems like it was forever ago, or maybe I can't believe we are already a week into 2018. It's been a busy week with Snow and below freezing temperatures.

Despite freezing temperatures, I ended 2017 and began 2018 with runs.  I was very proud on getting out there even if the high temperature wasn't going to get out of the 20's.  On New Year's Eve I got out there and did my longest run since the Baltimore Marathon Relay.  With the temperatures around 25 degrees and the wind chill at about 16 degrees.  I bundled up with many layers and even found something to put over my face.  I have such a hard time breathing when it's below 35 and I was glad I found the face mask as I wouldn't have been able to finish it.  The run actually wasn't bad at all.  I feel like I dressed well and everything felt good for the whole run.



On New Year's Day I decided to get out there again.  I was carrying my top layer of clothing downstairs where I would finish getting dressed and I dropped something on the stairs and stepped on it and slipped most of the way down.  Beyond the stupid feeling, I also got rug burn on the top of my foot.  What a way to start off the year.  I walked it off and really nothing hurt, so I decided to go through with my run.

Taken a couple days after

The temperatures were about the same from the day before.  The run was another good one.  Getting a normal 3 miles in and just shaking it out from my long run the day before.  I made sure that I didn't push it and just tried to enjoy being outside.  My foot only hurt every so often and that was more of my sock rubbing the tender rug burn area.



Tuesday was my regular gym class day.

Wednesday I debated about going out for a run.  It as 10 degrees!  Yes, 10 degrees, which is the real temperature and not the wind chill.  Thankfully there was no wind, or it would have been worse.  We don't see these types of temperatures here on a normal basis.  I debated on if I should run, but I knew we were to get snow on Thursday and even if it was a little, the roads wouldn't be good for running.  I debated on going to the gym to run on the treadmill, but I hated that thought.  So after much hemming and hawing, I bundled up and headed out for 3 miles.  It was dark and it was cold, but I got out there and got it done.  I could have used some fleece pants or a third layer cause my thighs and buns were cold by the end of the run.  I'm glad I only had 3 miles on the calendar or I would have been an ice cycle.



I woke up Thursday to snow.  Here in Virginia we do not do snow very well.  We do not have the plows or cleanup like other areas do.  So I passed on going to the gym, even though they were open.  It just wouldn't be worth it if something happened on the way there.  So I went out and shoveled the drive way and that was my workout of the day.  And I have to tell you, I used muscles I hadn't used since probably the last time we had snow last year.  I was able to work from home and snuggled on the couch with the Old Lady as we stayed warm.

Taking advantage of the snow day

Since I had done my run on Wednesday I didn't have to worry about a run on Friday.  I was able to get out and go to work.  Though I have to say they hadn't plowed my neighborhood, so that was fun.  But once I was out on the main roads everything was good.  Schools around here were closed for a second day though.

Saturday I decided to push my long run off till Sunday.  I had a bunch of errands I had to run and wanted to get them done first thing.  And I am such a first thing exerciser that I knew I wouldn't do it after.  Plus they still had not plowed the neighborhood so there was no way I was going to get outside to run.  I also kept up on Social Media with those running some cold races down in Disney World.  Congrats to those who participated!!

Sunday came and I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it outside for a run.  They hadn't plowed the neighborhood and at this point I knew they weren't going to.  I don't think we had made it above 25 degrees since Tuesday and it was just ice all over the roads.  I was not going to break my neck just to get a training run in.  So that meant I either had to skip the run or go to the gym.  I really hate going to the gym to run on the treadmill.  I'd more likely run on a treadmill if I had one in my house, but I really don't have the space and can't justify spending the money to just use a handful of times throughout the year.  But times like this, I wish I had one.  So after a lot of hemming and hawing, I got my but in gear and made it to the gym.  I have to say it was packed!  I forgot that it was the New Year's Resolution gang was in full force on top of the normal upswing of people on the weekend.  This was a fallback week, so I only had 4 miles to do.  After I figured out the treadmill, I got to almost half a mile and I knocked out that stupid emergency plug and it stopped.  Once I got it started again, I just decided to start over.  I could handle doing a little extra.  I played around and did different speeds and got into a good rhythm and got the 4 miles done.  It did help that I was able to watch The Sopranos on my iPad.  Though when one of the many scenes came on with ladies with no clothes on I had to look around and make sure no one noticed.  I'd hate to think that others would think I was watching porn or something like that while getting my workout in.

Less then 2 months from Princess weekend.  Even though it took me longer then expected to get into a good training routine, I think the last few weeks have shown me that I could do it.  It feels good to get back into the swing of things again.  I hope that I can keep it up (and not get hurt)!

Oh, and I had to mention how I'm giving more money to runDisney.  Under normal years, if you ran the Star Wars Half in Disneyland and the Star Wars Half in Disney World, you completed the Kessel Run challenge.  And you get the coolest medal of them all, The Mellenium Falcon! 

They just announced that they are putting out the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon.  You can complete that, just like the Shorts Virtual runs and get a medal at the end.  Now if you do the Star Wars Virtual Half and the Star Wars Disney World Half, you complete the Kessel Run Challenge.  With that, you get your Virtual Run medal, all the medals from the completed Star Wars Disney World races, and the Kessel Run challenge medal (plus a "Star Wars-themed Keepsake").  So I had to do it.  I have completed the first two challenges and I need to continue my streak.  Plus I'm just going to use the Princess Half as my Virtual Run.  Is that bad?  It also gives me hope that they are going to bring back the Disneyland races.

Did you get the arctic cold weather or snow this past week?  Do you have a treadmill just for these freezing occasions?  Are you training for any spring races?  

Linking up with Holly and Tricia's Weekly Wrap Up.

Upcoming Fall Plans (Friday Five Edition)

With my summer not being very interesting, I thought I'd try to highlight things that I want to do this fall.  That way I won't let the season get away from me without a little bit of excitement.


1. I have one real race this fall.  I really don't count the Bubble Run that I did last week as that is more of a fun run then a race.  I have joined a few other ladies and we will be doing the Baltimore Marathon Relay.  It's only 3 weeks away and with my lack of training, I hope I get the shortest distance. :)

2. I really need to get a massage or two or 50.  At least once a month my back tenses up so bad I have to spend a lot of time on my lacrosse ball.  I'm always saying how much easier it would be if I just scheduled regular massages.  I'm not sure if I like the idea of the big box places where you sign up for a membership.  I just don't know how reliable the masseuses will be.  But then if you find a nice independent one, they are only open during the week, during week hours.  So I go back and forth on what I want to do and then just don't do anything.  I need to get off my but and schedule one once a month.

3. I really want to try to keep biking over the winter.  I'm not talking like every weekend or anything like that, but it would be nice to keep riding even when it's a little on the chilly side.  I do have to say that more then anything I HATE the cold, so this will be a challenge.  I did buy a long pair of biking pants and a couple biking underwear.  Now don't laugh too hard at this.  They are basically very short biking shorts that make it easier to wear under normal (non-padded) pants.  This way I'm spending less money and able to use the tights and pants that I use for running.

4. I really want to try and get my house organized again.  I know this doesn't sound like fun, but it will really make me feel a lot better.  When I was out of work earlier this year, I really got some good cleaning done.  I didn't 100% finish everything and those rooms I did finish are starting to look a bit cluttered again.  I'd like to just pick something small in a room each weekend and get that done.  I'm hoping by the time winter comes around, I won't feel like I'm starting to lose control of the mess.  I just want to try and get ahead of it, just a little.

5. Fix up some things outside my house.  Again, it doesn't sound very fun, but it will make me feel much better.  I need to do things like weed and cut back growth from this summer.  I need to power wash one side of my house, which has green stuff all over it.  I need to power wash and stain my front porch.  I'd like to find someone to move the tree/bush things in front of my house to the back.  I feel like it's a security issue not being able to see my front door, but I don't want to cut them down.  Or maybe I can find someone who can trim it better then me to make them a lot smaller.  I'm not sure how much I'll get done, but we will have some nice weekends coming up in the next month or two.

This is from 2 years ago, those are at least a foot taller

I'd like to also try to spend more time with my kitties.  My old lady is 18 years old this month.  All she wants to do is to lay in my lap.  But that means I will just have to sit on my couch some extra. :)

Do you get massages from those subscription places?  Do you like them?  What races do you have coming up?  What fun fall plans do you have?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Five Reasons I'm Trying to Love the Fall (Friday Five Edition)

I am one of those that does not like to see the summer over with.  There are many reasons I don't like the fall.  I don't like the cold, I don't like the shorter days, and I think I have repressed memories of going back to school.  I don't have kids to be excited that they are going back to school.  I don't drink coffee to be excited about all the fall flavors.  I hate wearing layers of clothes, I just want to put on shorts, shirt and sandals an head out.  I won't get a chance to bike ride as often or any during the colder months.  Instead of being sad about it, I thought I would come up with five reasons to love the fall.  I hope this helps others that are already missing the summer days.

Cooler Running - There is about 2-4 weeks of perfect running weather each spring and fall.  I still don't have to think about what I need to wear for the temperature and I'm not a sweaty mess the second I step out the door.  If I could have every run in the mid-50's I'd run all the time.  There are also the prospects of a lot of fun fall races.  This weather has even motivated me to get out and run after 3 months of not running.


Open Windows - I love to have my windows open.  If I could have them open all day every day I would.  But like running, there are only a few weeks each spring and fall that I can do that.  My kitties love it even better.


Fall Foliage - If you have seen my Instagram, you will know I love beautiful nature pictures.  The colors of the trees in the fall just fascinate me.  Sometimes I take a day trip up to Charlottesville to see all the colors in the mountains.  And something I have been doing since I was a child was stepping on leaves.  I still love to hear that crunch.


Chili - I don't do a lot of cooking, but the one thing I make and make well is chili.  I do a few different types of chili, but I love making my White Chili.  Instead of ground beef, I will cook up some chicken and cut it up to little pieces and then add the beans, spices, and tomatoes.  I will also add corn and rice.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

TV - While TV has evolved over the years, I still have excitement over the new shows and episodes that will come across the tubes.  I don't have cable anymore and I don't watch a lot of TV weekly, but I still look forward to hearing about the new shows and putting them in my Netflix or Hulu queues.  And with the weather colder and the nights darker, there is nothing better then snuggling under a blanket on the couch.

And each day that we get through fall brings us closer to the Holidays!!

Why do you like the fall?  What else can I be excited for?

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0

Star Wars Light Side 5k 2017 (Friday Five Edition)

I left off last talking about the Expo on Thursday.  The next morning we were getting up early to run the 5k.  It was a little colder then I thought it would be.  I did look at the weather before I packed, but things change.  So I ended up wearing one of the race shirts instead of the tank top that I brought.  I was glad I did.  I really had no thoughts about this race.  I knew I really wasn't in the mood to run, but I was getting swept up in the fun of a race.  I ended up having a fun time on the run.  Really it was only 3 miles, so why not have fun?  Here are 5 things from the race.


1. We were in Corral A.  The only time I could get into the A corral is for a 5k.  We got right next to the stage so we could have a good view of the entertainment.  The time went by quickly.  They showed the original trailers to the original movies that came out in the 1970's and 80's.  I don't think I had ever seen them, so it was fun to see them.

There was some guy behind us that had his Rebel bib on.  The one that is supposed to get him into the 10k and half, not the 5k.  I'm back and forth on if he wanted to save $80 on the 5k or if he put on the wrong bib by accident.  I'd like to think it was just an accident, but who knows. 

2. My favorite costumes that I saw were of a mother/daughter team.  The daughter was dressed up as Princess Leia in the white gown and her mom was in a yellow slicker.  It was in tribute of Todd Fisher's (Debbie Reynolds' son and Carrie Fisher's brother) drawing he did shortly after they both died.

 

3.  I fell!  Yes, the klutz that I am, I fell.  I was in Disneyland and came around in a dark area.  It had been raining overnight and the roads were slick.  My foot slipped into the trolley tracks and I went down hard.  Thankfully I didn't skid, so I didn't scratch up my knee.  It did hurt some, but not too bad.  At that point, I was just embarrassed.

4. There were horses on the course!!  So cute and I was happy to get pictures with both of them.  Honestly, I was more excited to see the horses then any other character.


5.  There wasn't much of a line for Chewie.  I wasn't planning on stopping for any characters, but with only 5 people in line, I couldn't resist.  Also, they seem to have a good system down for pictures, after how many years?  They had the official photographer and then 3 cast members that effecently got our cameras/phones and kept the people moving quickly.  I don't know if that was everywhere or every race, but I was impressed with it.


I also saw Boba Fett but he was up on a cross over bridge, so I couldn't get a photo with him.


Bonus - They had a couple of photo opportunities at the start/finish festival.  I got one of them last year, but saw that there were no lines for the other one that I wanted so I jumped in and got it with no waiting.  They had huge lines for the next two days so I am glad I got it after the 5k.

This was a really fun 5k. While it's yet another morning to get up and another race on top of the Rebel Challenge it is a fun one. 

We went back and showered and headed to Disneyland.

Also, check out my vlog for the 5k!

Do you stop for pictures at Disney races?  Do you remember the original trailers for the Star Wars movies?  

I'm linking up with Fairytales and Fitness and Running on Happy for Friday Five 2.0