5 miles and counting

Woohoo!!!! I just ran 5 miles ... which I have never done, consecutively anyways. I am so proud of myself, I bested my 5k time and did my fastest mile to date 10:24" This might be due to the fabulous song I downloaded before going out... "radioactive" by imagine dragons.

I took my camelbak aurora out for the first time also to see how I liked it. My verdict... amazing! I loved it, so glad I found it. It has so many pockets and holds 2L of water. I didn't even remember it was on my back, I didn't get sweaty or anything :)

It was so much better than running with a handheld water bottle. I even put my phone in it so I didn't have to wear the armband! I will do a more detailed review of it this week so you can see how awesome it is.

During my run I ate my chomps and drank about half a liter of water and felt good. I got the blast of energy kick in around mile 3, I started dying out around 4 ( it was really hot out). I was glad to be done so I could try out my gu brew recovery mix and be in some air conditioning.

I bought the strawberry watermelon flavor, on the package it says to drink it right after training...so I did. It was really refreshing and easy to make. The flavor was light and not overwhelming, great for after my long runs. Till next time...

xoxo,
Me

Tower of Terror training update

Well I survived my first long run! 4 miles in 50min, averaging 13min miles :)  I was mighty exhausted by the time I came home but felt very productive. I didn't have such a great night because I am dog sitting and he kept waking me up all night. We went for a morning walk around 8am and then I ate some yummy Justins on toast to fuel my run.

I gave running in the morning another shot, this time I ran a different route that was mostly shaded. I must say I still enjoy running at night better but it wasn't as hot as the other time. I took my new nathan handheld water bottle with me. It wasn't all that great just because my hand got really sweaty and my gatorade got warm. On the upside it did stay in place and it has a pocket for my gu chomps.

I will give it another try on my short runs to see how it goes.

xoxo,

me

GU chomps review

I have heard so many different opinions on GU that I kinda got a little scared to try them. So for starters I am trying the GU chomps. These are gummy versions of the gels.

My first pack is the watermelon flavor... yum is the thought that comes to mind. These were absolutely delicious, great consistency and amazing flavor. They tasted like a jolly rancher mixed with a gummy bear, and they're good for me????? SOLD!

The baggie comes with 2 servings, so it will last on a long run. It is pretty big so it might not fit in your armband, but it will fit in a waist pack. I really enjoyed these and recommend them for those of you that are timid to try the gels :)

xoxo,
Me

Race kred

I wanted to share this really neat thing I found the other day while I was online. Race kred! These are charms for your laces, they say the different types of races you have completed.

I plan to fill my laces up with all of my accomplishments so when I'm feeling like giving up all I need to do is look down and get some inspiration! I want to fill up my laces with all of my races ( going all dr. seuss on you).
My first charm is from the Everest challenge I was in this past may in disney. 

You can get your own at race-kred.com .. Happy racing :)

xoxo,

Me

Can't miss me ..

What a long weekend... I am so tired as I write this! Yesterday me and Dan stayed at the keys for father's day and had such an early morning today & then work right after. I couldn't miss another workout considering what happened last time I took a running vacay, according to my nike app I hadn't worked out in 5 days. Let's start out with my bright and fabulous outfit... couldn't miss me if you tried. I never really match so I felt a little corny but hey it looked cute after all ( the socks matching was a coincidence I swear!).

I also tried out some sport beans on my run, didn't really notice any change in my energy but I also didn't run very far. The taste was yummy, reminded me of gatorade. I had trouble taking them out of the pouch mid-run since the opening is fairly small. I felt like I was eating candy.

My pace stayed around the same as previous runs, I'm just glad it isn't slowing down too much. This weekend is my first "long run" which is 4 miles, hopefully I keep a decent pace!

When I feel like the snails are passing me I always try to remember that quote. To have big dreams you have to have big determination :)

Attack of the sharkies

My run the other day was per usual :

I was able to complete most of the lap with a light jog which for me is more of a light run. I feel like I'm starting to tolerate the running without all the huffing and puffing. The run went pretty well until the end.

 Earlier in the day I went to sports authority to get some energy chews and other things to aid me. The first gummy I will review is the sharkie . These are technically for kids but I thought I'd try them anyways as a good way to introduce myself to energy chews.

i had the pack before my run and let me tell you I did not have a pleasant surprise at the end of my run. I was on the way back about 2min from my house when BAM it hits me. My stomach was at war with these gummies.  Lets just say I had to run back :( 

I never really take supplements so I think my body needs to get used to them slowly. I didn't feel much of a difference, probably because I bought the kid ones and clearly I am not 8! I will be reviewing all my other goodies as the weeks roll on. Next time I will try them out at home first before I go off on a run to see how they sit with my tummy... Lesson learned!

xoxo,

Me

Back to a normal pace

I have been a little spoiled because every time I have gone out for a run I best my previous mile (I guess because I am pretty slow). As I told you in my last post l had some trouble starting back up on the whole running regimen. Yesterday I finally was able to get back to a normal pace, to be honest I was just happy to complete my 30 min run!

I didn't do my best time but hey at least i finished :) I worked on my breathing more than my pace, which should help me in the long run. They say you are supposed to be able to hold a conversation while you run and sometimes I can barely string together a sentence. Hopefully I will have that under control soon enough!

xoxo,

Me

Morning test run

Ok so I usually run at night and today I decided to give the morning a shot. I have missed several training runs during the last two weeks since we were on vacation and the weather hasn't been the best here, so I knew this wasn't going to be a breeze.  It was beautiful day and I had to take advantage.

( this is my usual route.. Awesome right?)

I started out great, even ran my fastest mile to date which is 10'43".. as the time passed or crawled by I started to deteriorate. I set a goal of 4 miles and barely made it half way when I couldn't even catch my breath. I slowed down to a walk and had to stop the run on my nike app :( .

 While I was walking back to my house I was thinking of some of the things I did wrong and ways to improve on future runs.

• Eat a good breakfast; I basically only had a glass of milk
• Make sure you feel comfortable with the weather; I am def a night runner the heat was too much
• Stay hydrated; I forgot my water bottle and hadn't drank much water since the day before
• Don't go too long without a training run; I feel like I lost all the hard work I had been doing

I am proud of myself for realizing I wasn't feeling all that great and being able to turn around without much guilt. Till next time 

Xoxo

Me

Glass Slipper Challenge Sign-up

I did it.. I really did it. I signed up for the WDW glass slipper challenge! It is all sinking in now, I will be runnning 19.1 miles in two days. I seriously can't contain my excitement! By some miracle I was able to do the early registration and even get a $10 discount using the code : dvcrundisney.

I have been anxious since the day before yesterday about signing up because I know this race is going to sell out in record time. I am lucky enough to have signed up for other races right on time before they were sold out and I wanted this not to be any different. I am posting the different prices for all the races and events in case you haven't seen them yet.

Entry Fees and Deadlines

Disney Princess Half Marathon

• $160 by August 13, 2013
• $175 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $190 on or after November 20, 2013

Disney Enchanted 10K

• $95 by August 13, 2013
• $110 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $125 on or after November 20, 2013

Glass Slipper Challenge

• $270 by August 13, 2013
• $290 between August 14 and November 19, 2013
• $310 on or after November 20, 2013

Cinderella Royal Family 5K

• $60 per participant

runDisneyKids Races

• $15 per Kids Dash participant
• $30 per One Mile Run participant

Pasta in the Park Party Tickets

• $52 for Adults (ages 10 and up)
• $28 for Children (ages 3 – 9)
• Children Under 3 are free

Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Breakfast

• $37.50 for Adults (ages 10 and up)
• $17.50 for Children (ages 3 – 9)
• Children Under 3 are free

ChEAR Squad

• Bronze – No Charge
• Silver – $39 per package
• Gold – $65 per package
• Platinum - $115 per package

Race Retreat

• $120 per participant

In the registration you get to pick your favorite princess for your bib number; I chose Jasmine :) I will be planning my outfit around her colors. I am really looking forward to participating for the first time in the princess half and royal 10k, and I can't wait to get all that race bling!!!!

xoxo,
Me

Run / Walk you ask?

So now I am all signed up for the races and now what? Time to pick a training method!

                                   
                                 (looking forward to the expo to get these babies ^!!!)

Many of you have heard of the run/ walk method of training created by Jeff Galloway. I first learned about this on the run disney website. Since I have no prior training I decided to give it a whirl. After several runs using the different ratios of walking and running, I was disappointed. All I was left with was a ton of shin pain. I really think it is all the stopping once I have a bit of a jog going.

Once I get into a comfortable groove I like to keep it going as long as possible, I feel as if I get more tired with all the stop and go. Lots of people have had success with this method but it is just not for me. The training that I have been doing so far is just jogging and when I felt I was getting out of breath or tired I slowed down to a power walk and once I recovered I continued on. This really helped with the confidence I had in my running, I actually was able to complete almost 3 miles in about 30min. I use the nike running app which let's you know around every 5 minutes what your pace is. Using this app keeps me in check and I know when I need to speed up and when I can take a mini break.

So it is a good idea to try the methods that are already out there and if they don't work for you just follow what your body tells you :)

xoxo,
Me

A Non-runners beginning

Hello!

Welcome to my first blog post.. So I have decided to start this blog to track my progress and tell my tales of training for a half marathon with other races sprinkled in between. Let me preface this all by saying I AM NOT A RUNNER!

I am one of those love to lay on the couch and eat a pizza if possible people. I have tried so many different forms of exercise and nothing really calls out to me. I live in Dowtown Miami and have a great view, there is an island right across from my building which seemed like the perfect place to run. Only one small problem... I don't run.

You might ask, then why on earth are you running? The one thing that motivated me was as I was surfing the net I saw that Disney has racing events, I was instantly sold. I love disney, if I could go every weekend I probably would. I got the courage to sign up for the next 5k they were having, "The Everest Challenge". This race is a 5k with obstacles throughout and then a scavenger hunt right after.

I honestly haven't had that much fun in a while. I ran with my amazing boyfriend Dan, and let's just say he isn't a runner either but more athletically inclined. With barely any training we ran the 5k in 40min, something we are very proud of. If you are thinking about doing this race trust me you won't regret it. I have since then started attempting to run on a more regular basis since I fell head over heels for these disney races and proceeded to sign us up for the Tower of Terror 10 miler in October & the wine and dine half marathon in November! The best part is once you sign up there is no turning back :) I will document the good, the bad and the ugly on my blog and hope you will accompany me on this fabulous adventure, after all ....

"Every Mile is Magical".

xoxo,
Me