Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Are you Ready for Me, Mickey?

By next Sunday, I will be sporting this fancy new Disneyland Half Marathon finisher medal. I can imagine Mickey Mouse dressed in his athletic warm up outfit getting ready for all of the runners and shining the finishers medal! I am so ready excited for this race! Now call me crazy, but that will be a medal worth all of those long miles. I can't believe that race day is almost here. I pushed Monday's run up to today, due to being exhausted from the weekend. For reasons unknown to me I was quite nervous prior to my run, I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is due to major GI issues which cut Sunday's run short, but I truly felt like I had butterflies in my stomach. As this is not my first rodeo I should not be nervous. I set out to simply run 3 miles, but my 3 quickly turned into 5 and I'm not too sure how that happened. Oddly enough I actually enjoy that distance and am beginning to think that 5 is new 3.

Monday, August 29, 2011

there's always another one on my radar...


The Walt Disney World Half Marathon definitely was not on my radar as that would be 2 half marathons during the month of January 2012... But check this out...the 15th Anniversary Walt Disney World Half Marathon Medal features Donald and this is well kind of magnificent. And what makes this one so sweet is that it will be exclusive to the 2012 race.

Probably still not on the running radar, but . . . 

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Born this Way

Today I ran 9 miles. Yes you read that right 9 miles and I feel as though I can accomplish anything after today. Is my race time goal actually obtainable or is it a pipe dream? I like to think that eventually with time I might be able to achieve that goal. After watching an old episode of Glee, Born This Way, I have realized that I need to follow the lead of Glee and embrace the pace and accept my inner slow poke and just accept my running abilities for what they are. At least I am doing it!

For those you have not seen this episode it starts with a knock in the nose for Rachel. Her fellow gleeks get wind that she is considering a nose job and are opposed to this idea as she was 'Born This Way'. The episode culminates with the group doing a rendition of Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way’ where fellow Gleeks deepest darkest secrets are emblazoned in black block letters on white t-shirts. Phrases included, Like Boys!, Can’t Sing!, Can’t Dance!, I’m With Stupid!, and Lucy Kaboosey!.

I might not be the fastest or the slowest runner, but I certainly am a runner. I think that I should emblazon a running t-shirt saying Slow Runner with a Peguin! What would your tee say?

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Why I Love Run Disney

As a child I took my first steps in Walt Disney World, so it is very fitting that I love running especially with RunDisney.

The half marathon...13.1 grueling miles. The first time I even considered attempting this unthinkable challenge I had recently graduated college and was living in a new city. Looking back now, I suppose I had no idea what I was getting myself in to.

Let me just put this out there...I was not a runner, and sort of still don't consider myself a "runner" but I did the training and signed up to run in the Disneyland Half Marathon. That was my first experience with the half marathon.

I have completed 5 so far...some running the entire thing, some walking the entire thing, and some doing both and with each passing race I grow to love it even more. You sit down at your computer and sign up and pay for this race. You analyze the course, study your training plans, and mark up your calendar with the new training schedule. Most of all you make a commitment to yourself and no matter how you cross that finish line, for me I always say, “I don’t care if I walk it, run it, crawl it, I am the 1% of the population that completed such a fete.’...For me, keeping that commitment to myself is so gratifying.

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that I am so lucky to running yet another RunDisney race and I have kept that commitment to myself. Let me leave you with one more thought...18 MORE DAYS!!!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Happily Ever After

While on my run I saw a little girl dressed as Princess Sleeping Beauty and I couldn’t help but wonder. Is there such a thing as a happy ending or is that what were told as a little kid simply to reassure the disillusioned adult that yes they are in fact happy. As a little kid we close our eyes and dream of these fantasies, the white dress, the ruggedly handsome prince charming, the castle. Eventually we grow up, open our eyes, and the fairy tale disappears. Are we set up to fail? Believing and entrusting our futures on the basis that everything ends happily ever after. Are we an entire generation of Cinderella’s without a glass slipper in sight? Do we want or need that glass slipper?

Okay I am not expecting a knight and shining whatever, but would I ever want a white dress or a prince to carry me off to his castle on a hill? Is it more important to be happy right now rather than happily ever after?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Farewell to a Very Good Dog

Today marks 7 months from the day, January 2, 2011, that I received the most unfathomable phone call about Spottie. She had bloat. I still cannot believe that she is no longer here. The pain and grief that I still feel cuts me like a knife and every once in a while takes my breath away. Our souls were and always will be connected. She was my best friend, she would give me a look and I would know what she thinking or wanted. Spottie is a blessing to me as I am to her. To this day I still sometimes forget that she is not here. I catch myself organizing my day around her and then I am jolted back into reality. If someone could pinch me so I could wake up that would be appreciated.
Unfortunately the facts of my reality sadden me to the point that at times I am afraid to be near the happy people afraid that I might infect them or something. Though today was a somber day it was a day to celebrate Spottie and not to mourn her. Every step I took during my run was for her as her speckled paws could no longer feel the cool concrete. She loved being outside in the fresh air and each and every time she stepped outside she pointed her nose towards the sky and took such an inhale one would think that this was her first time being outdoors. As I ran today I felt more aware of my surroundings, smelling the flowers and inhaling the fresh air as she would have done.

Spottie was always there for me, when no one else was, when it was too hard, or when I just needed the company. Goodbye, my precious angel you were a very good dog. I am so glad and honored to have known you, even if you were taken from me too soon.

Photo Taken on the Last Day that I saw Spottie as Spottie.




Monday, August 1, 2011

Lacking Motivation To Run

Monday I wanted to run. I spent the first part of my day applying for countless more jobs. Applying for jobs online is like sending your resume into the black hole. Now my apartment is from the 1940s, so it does not have the accoutrements of modern living. There is no air-conditioning, microwave, which I oddly do not miss, washer and dryer, etcetera. For reasons unknown to me even if it is not hot outside my apartment retains heat. As the heat and humidity seemed to rise with every passing moment I kept putting off my run due to feeling over heated. I would run later in the day I reasoned. When my mom came home I told her I wanted to run, if not now then later, but I wanted to run.

I wanted to run, but I didn't want to run. I need to remember that it is all a mind set. Mind over matter. I was hot and seriously lacking in motivation. I did not eat enough at dinner, to the point that I did not feel satisfied and more frustrated at myself for not running and it was already 7:00 at night.

So I took my own advice…

If you do not have the energy to run, but know you need to run you have only one option and it is simple… get dressed, lace up your running shoes, head out the door, and run 1/2 a mile. If at that point you want to turn around and run 1/2 a mile back home, then do it. At least you can log a mile for the day. Call it a day and tell yourself what Scarlet O’Hara always says ‘after all, tomorrow is another day.’

I'm betting at that 1/2 mile mark, you will find that you had more energy than you thought you had. The thought of throwing in the towel and going home after you already made the effort to get out the door, will keep you going.

3 miles later I was in high spirits. Yes I was sweaty and my stomach still hurt from not enough at dinner. A run is a run and every run I get to go on is a gift as I was blessed with 2 working legs. Even better than getting in my run is that I shaved 30 seconds off of my time and am that much closer to my goal of completing my half marathon in sub 2:30.