Throwback Thursday: 2014 Wine & Dine Half Marathon

It's right around the corner: the 2015 Wine & Dine Half Marathon! I'm bummed I won't be going this year--it's one of my favorite runDisney events and favorite time to go to WDW. I knew it wouldn't be worth it, though, since I'd be running slow and not able to enjoy the BEST part of the weekend-the wine!

For those of you going, here's a Throwback Thursday for you: My 2nd time running, and the race that became comically known as the "splash and dash".  A little rain never hurt anyone, right???

Original Post: 12/22/14

Race Report: 2014 Wine & Dine Half Marathon

I hope I can remember this race!  Yes, it's been way too long and I should have recapped sooner.  I got sucked into the holiday rush and too much work at work.  Here goes nothing!

My Dole Whip Costume...Dry :)

 

We spent the day at the parks, and returned to our hotel room around 5 to get ready for the race.  We were able to lay down for about half an hour before getting ready, which was great since we planned to shut down the after party.  We, along with everyone else running, were looking at the gloomy forecast with sad eyes.  There was no avoiding it.  It was going to rain.  We got ready, not changing much of our plans for costumes and attire.  We were sure to pack some ponchos for afterwards, and just figured we'd suck it up and have fun.  Even as I write this, I'm still not back to where I was with speed, so it was no big deal to just take it slow.

 

The last dry pic of the night

We headed out of the hotel around 7:30 and took a cab to Saratoga Springs.  We stayed off property at the Hilton near Downtown Disney, so this seemed like the best option.  Boarding the bus was easy and we were on our way to meet up with the Mickey Milers.  This race is fun to be at early--everyone is awake and buzzing with excitement.  We had ponchos to keep dry before we started.  Of course, us being totally inexperienced with rain, threw them away because it had stopped raining.  UGH!  How dumb are we?  Once the corrals opened, we stopped one last time for the bathrooms and the lines just weren't moving!  It was the worst we'd seen!  And then it started raining.  Cold, wet rain.  A very nice fellow runner managed to get an extra garbage bag and gave it to me.  I love runners!  They are the best strangers! 

 

We had to rush to the corrals, even missed the National Anthem.  I felt super rushed.  Not sure what the difference was, but I don't remember this last year.  By the way, it was still raining.  I lined up at the back of corral C, knowing I'm slower now than I was when I registered.  I got all my electronics up and running, and soon we were off.  Yep, still raining.  I tossed my garbage bag right before the start.  I guess this was going to be a new experience for me! 

 

I started and stuck to my intervals of 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking.  And it continued to rain.  Luckily it really wasn't that cold, so my tank and pants were perfect.  Thinking about it, it's probably better to run in less in the rain.  I had no choice but to be cautious running.  I'm already cautious--it's amazing what a huge fall will do to your confidence.  This race, though, was even more cautious than I usually am.  I was very careful about my footing and not running too fast.  Then I saw someone fall and it was all over for me.  I was not going to take the chance of injury.  I kept it slow.

 

As for the course, we went through Animal Kingdom first, then Hollywood Studios, then Epcot.  I didn't bring my phone or camera with me.  They would have both died had I brought them out in that rain.  I did notice a lack of characters.  Not sure what they could have done with the downpour, but we all knew it was going to rain--they should have planned for it.  I think my favorite part was running through the costume tunnel in Hollywood Studios.  Just for a few minutes, we were dry.  It felt amazing.  Oh, and those Osbourne Lights!!!!!  This year I decided to walk through.  It never gets old.  Just absolutely beautiful!!!!!  The rain really started to come down at the last mile.  I was glad I was almost done and could change into dry clothes.  That last bend before the finish line is great at Wine and Dine--they have lights and blasting music that really captures the party feel.  Round the corner and I was done.  I made it in 2:31, not lightning speed, but with the weather, I thought it was pretty great.  I collected my medal, fuel, and was off to the bag check.

 

I was one of the lucky ones whose medal did not break (there were many that were broken with the spinner).  I was not, though, lucky when it came to the bag check.  I'm not sure if they were short volunteers or what, but I waited over half an hour in the freezing cold rain after running a half marathon to get my dry clothes.  It was awful!  This was the most unorganized I've ever seen it.  This is my #1 complaint about this race (last year was nothing like this, so I'm going to be optimistic and assume it was a fluke).  Not only was it cold, but as each minute ticked away, it was time ticking away from my party time!  It took over 30 minutes to get my bag.  Once I did, I felt instant relief.  I made my way to a real bathroom and changed.  I know they have tents, but tonight it was just too cold and I was too wet to bother with a sweaty, hot tent.  It felt amazing to be in dry clothes.  I really wished, though, that I had packed flip flops or some other wet-proof shoe.  I had to put my sloshy wet sneakers back on after changing.  Very little time went by and Bill was ready to meet up.  We finished freshening up in front of Epcot, then we were off to the party.

A little rain didn't stop us from partying!

 

Oh, and in case you were wondering, it was pouring rain there too.  If you remember, my goal was to shut down the after party.  I was not going to miss it again!  We put on ponchos and started drinking! 

 

Honestly, I can see how this is a favorite race for so many runners.  I loved the after party, even though we were soaking and freezing.  Because of the rain, not as many rides were open and the vibe was a little low-key.  I joked to Bill that this means we have to come back AGAIN next year.  Don't think that will happen, but I'm sure we'll be Wine-ing and Dine-ing again in the future.  Overall, it was a great race with bad weather, and we loved every minute!  

A Gender Reveal Fit for a Prince!

During the 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, we had BIG plans, not just to race, but to officially find out the gender of Baby S! When we knew we'd have the ultrasound just a few weeks prior, we instantly thought of Disneyland as the place we'd want to find out. Since our families both live in different states, it just made sense to have us all meet at the Happiest Place on Earth and celebrate.

We started with Disney Dining--We made our reservation for dinner at Carthay Circle for the night of the Half Marathon. We knew we wanted to be done racing and be able to stay out late and enjoy. When I called, I explained that we wanted to do our gender reveal for dessert and they were able to start the process right then and there.

In less than 24 hours, I was put in contact with a Disneyland Pastry Chef. From there, it was pure magic! She helped us in picking the size, design, flavors, and even sent pictures of images so we could decide what we wanted. A few emails back and forth and our cake was all set. Well, except for one small thing...we didn't know the gender.

That had to wait until we had our ultrasound. The tech sealed up an envelope for us, and it was sent directly to Disney. I had my fingers crossed it didn't get lost in the mail, and within a few days we had an email with a "congratulations" and confirmation that the results were received. I have to admit, it was a bit torturous to know that a tech and the Disneyland bakery knew if it was a boy or girl, and we had no idea. Those 3 weeks dragged on forever, and we were so preoccupied during race weekend, I could barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other.

Finally, we had our dinner at Carthay Circle. It was delish, as usual, but we were all ready for dessert from the moment we sat down!!! In fact, the cake had been delivered earlier in the day, so the whole staff was ready for us to have dessert too--they wanted to know if Baby S was Team Mickey or Team Minnie! The cake was beautiful, but definitely not too beautiful to cut into. A few pictures, and we were ready to cut. There was no mistaking, it's a boy! Team Mickey won!

I cannot thank Graciela, the Assistant Pastry Chef that handled this entire process, enough! She made our experience so special and completely stress-free. I could not have dreamed of a better way to make this very special announcement. I never doubt anything Disney does, but this truly blew me away in how perfect it all turned out!

Have you ever done a special event at Disney? How did yours turn out?

Grandma’s Take on the 10th Anniversary DLH Weekend

With Aly and Bill's NJ baby shower about a week away (I can't wait to see the change in the "baby bump" since the DLH), I began to reflect on our exciting Disneyland Half Weekend.

After I checked into the Disneyland Hotel early Thursday afternoon, I headed to the expo. The process for runDisney merchandise at this expo was new to me. You had to go upstairs to get a wrist band, get in line and wait for your group to be brought downstairs. The line went rather quickly. I think this was the first time Aly didn’t give me a “list” to scoop up stuff for her before they got to go the next day. I didn’t get much either, treating myself to a magnet and shirt. I think it was the excitement of the real reason I was there…the baby reveal. Yes, I was enjoying the race weekend, but I couldn’t wait until Sunday.

Anniversary Party attendees
got this nice sling bag.

I picked up my bib, anniversary ticket and swag, and then got a text from Katie and Chris who were at the expo. I met up with them for a bit, but then returned to the hotel to rest.

Water projection on
Rivers of America

Disneyland was calling but I didn't get going until about 8pm. (I know I could have gone earlier, but I was up since 3:30 that morning to catch my flight to the west coast.) I walked around and found a good spot to catch the fireworks. Sat, people watched and talked to others for a while, but the fireworks never happened. A DJ was entertaining the crowd by playing music on a barge in Rivers of America. I rode Pirates twice, which was kind of nice to walk right in. The rides had no lines.The “party” seemed kind of empty.The largest lines were for character pictures. I really wanted to see the special “Paint the Night” parade, but that was at 11pm (2am for me) and I didn’t make it. I slowly made my way back to the hotel exhausted.The kids called saying they were an hour away.I vaguely remember them coming in.

The Queen of Hearts while she
was still running.

My 10k bib was acquired at the last minute through a travel provider who had 1 bib left. It was interesting because I should (and could) have signed up for the 5k, but my competitiveness to capture that last bib took over. Fail. I was not prepared and limped my way through the last 2 miles. Countless runners asked if I was ok as they passed me. I knew it would not be good as I did not train well. Not being a consistent runner, it’s all about the training leading up to the race, no matter what the distance. Lesson learned. But, I finished. My highlight…running through the castle! That is something I never thought I would get to do, as I will never be able to run a half marathon.

The next morning, I cheered on the rest of the family. I saw them all at different points but was able to capture some pics near mile 12. I was a little concerned when Katie and Chris passed and I wasn’t seeing Alyson. She’s usually a faster runner, but as I found out later, she took a tour of all the Disney rest rooms and port-o- potties on the course. 

Katie & Chris with a sunshine glow!

Bill

Alyson

The races were over. Aly, Bill, Katie and Chris had another Dumbo Double Dare under their belts.   Now it was time for the celebration. 

I didn't understand why Carthay Circle didn't change their sign to read The "Baby" Celebration!

Dinner was absolutely delicious, but we were all waiting for dessert.That was the main reason I came.The Disney Bakers made a fun (and delicious) cake. We were all excited when it was cut and we found out…

IT'S A BOY!!!

Of course, I was prepared with a Team Mickey gift. (And, I couldn’t fool Alyson. She knew her Mom and figured out there was also a Team Minnie gift in my backpack.)

Baby S' first Mickey T Shirt and Mickey Onesie

We all went back to our hotels exhausted and excited. The next day we managed to get some “I’m celebrating “ buttons and this grandma-to-be is gladly keeping her new Disneyland souvenir.

Are you ready for Paris? Oui!!!

I know, I've been so quiet lately. If you follow me on FB or Instagram, you may have seen that I was in a pretty big car wreck. Me and Baby S are okay, but it was a terrifying experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

That all being said, since I was preoccupied with hospital and doctor visits last week, I personally think runDisney postponed the Paris Half registration for me! LOL

Tomorrow is the big day...officially!  We are finally able to register for the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon!  Our family put in our request with GET travel, so we are hoping that was enough to secure our 2 half marathon and 2 5k spots. We'll be with baby, so my mom is joining me and the hubs so we can run the half, then me and mom will tackle the 5k together. Of course we're going to also spend at least a week in Paris after the races. EEK...so excited!!!

In case you are still on the fence, GET travel has posted the pricing and options. Looks very affordable, in comparison to some other races. Of course, you still need to get to Paris, and after that long of a trip we're not just going for a race.

Here's the link if you're wanting to check it out. I believe there are other travel providers who will also be offering similar packages.

http://gettravel.com/dlhmparis/hotels.shtml#disneyland

Are you planning to run in Paris?

Two New Smoothies To Try!

During the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend, I was invited to attend a blogger meetup hosted by Cigna at Napa Rose. The theme was healthy, nutritious meals, and my favorite station (probably because I could really do it) was the smoothies.  The chefs at Disney's Banquet Department came up with 2 recipes for us to try. They were both delicious, and they will definitely be making an appearance in my home! Let me know what you think!

Coffee Crunchy Pre-Workout Smoothie (one serving):
1 cup ice
1/2 cup coffee
2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 cup almond milk (they used soy, but I stay away from soy milk)
3 tbsp almonds
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 bananas (frozen)
Blend until smooth!

Post-Workout Smoothie (one serving):
1 cup ice
2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp ground flax
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup cactus pear
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
Blend until smooth!

See,,,my type of cooking!  If you want to know about the rest of the meetup, check out my full post HERE.

Disneyland Half Cigna Blogger Meetup

I had the pleasure of being invited to a blogger event by Cigna, one of the sponsors of the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. It was so much fun to meet other blogger friends and reconnect with those I've been at events with before.  runDisney people are the best!!!

We met at Napa Rose in the Grand Californian Hotel at 10 and were greeted with chef hats and a warm welcome from Disney and Cigna.  We talked a little about health eating and the importance of spreading the word of health through what we do (hellloooo...this seriously IS my life's calling!). We were split into 4 groups and got to attend 4 cooking demonstrations by some of Disney's best chefs. Someday I have great hopes of working with runDisney on running training or fitness in some aspect...clearly I have NO hope of working with Disney in a kitchen! They made it look so easy!

We started with a delicious chicken with pesto, veggies, and farrow. Yep, I'd never heard of it either, but it was delicious. Chef Chris from Disney's Banquet Dept flew threw the recipe, even butchering a whole chicken in minutes. It would have easily taken an hour for me, but it's definitely inspiring to see someone so passionate about the creative side of cooking!

We followed up with the dessert station where we tried tons of delicious fruits I had never heard of, including cotton candy grapes (what???). They actually tasted like cotton candy. The main ingredient was peaches, of course. The ONE thing I can't even touch because I'm allergic. They did look delicious, and we also learned to make a yummy crumble, which I plan on using for a different cobbler. Don't worry, I had a big spoonful of the crumble to make up for the lack of peaches in my tummy!

Mmmmm...dessert!

Next up was smoothies. We did a pre-workout and a post-workout. They were simple and tasty. I made sure to take meticulous notes, so I'll be sharing both of those in a separate post so you can make them too! I guess this is my level of chef-status...throwing things in a blender!

Finally, we headed to the salad station, where we learned how to make our own dressing, as well as a salad filled with berries, Delish! I definitely need to make my own salad dressing--it not only is healthier, but saves money too. Forget all those chemicals they put in the bottled junk at the store!

Of course, after we finished, the man of the hour appeared: Chef Mickey! Nothing like an appearance by the big cheese to get a bunch of Disney nuts excited. We took some pictures, then sat to eat all of the yummy things we'd been staring at for over an hour. This preggo lady was ready to EAT!!! Not that I had any doubts, but each dish was more delicious than the last. It was a great meal, and a great start to my Disneyland weekend.

I have to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Cigna for hosting such a fun event! I had a blast, and I hope there are more in the future. See you at the next race!

And finally...we EAT!

Race Report: 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon

Well, I considered naming this post "The tour de port-o-potties" but thought I'd just stick to "race report".  This was technically not my first half marathon pregnant, however the first was Tink when I was about 6 weeks along and had not even hit morning sickness yet. This time around I was sporting my bump, about 10 extra pounds, and a lot slower pace.

Bill and I decided to run together--he never has enough time to train for this race since it's right at the end of his busiest season at work and he wanted to be sure to support me and Baby S.  Luckily he didn't mind going slow! We made some shirts (they came out great) and stuck to a pretty low-key look.

We headed to the start with enough time to leisurely get into corral C.  We made sure to line up toward the right since we knew we'd be walking and definitely hung back a little to let the faster runners get a good pace going.  We started out at a 2:1 run/walk ratio, but a few miles in, the heat started getting to me (it wasn't bad, but it wasn't cool and being preggo doesn't help).  We had to switch to a 1:1 run/walk and it felt much better.  Yes, I'm taking notes for the next race.

The course was a little different running through Disneyland. It felt like we had less park time and in less fun places than in previous years.  I usually don't stop often for the bathrooms, but clearly this time around was different--I also noticed the lack of passing by park bathrooms!  I was looking forward to taking advantage of the real bathrooms, but it was mostly port-o-potties on this course!

Once we left the parks, it started to get light out.  I'm usually through at least half of the course or more before the sun comes up. This was strange, and I was getting nervous about the heat.  We made sure to stop at every water station and hydrate (of course, this added to the tour de port-o-potties).  It was kind of fun to just take in the sights and sounds.  This being our 6th year running we knew what to expect: classic cars, mariachi bands and dancers, tons of cheerleaders, and of course the huge crowd at the stadium.


A few random course notes: You'll hear people complain about the dirt path right before the stadium. It stinks! This time around we actually saw a person fall right off the side ledge.  Listen up runners--be careful--it's a short distance so just slow it down!  The back of the pack is fun, but PACKED.  I'm not super fast, but at Disney races I'm usually in corral A or B, and keep that pace.  This was definitely a different experience, but it was fun.  We found ourselves running really slow because we were surrounded by runners with a slower pace.  It's kind of a funny phenomenon. You just end up going with the flow, and it was okay with us!

We finished in about 3:30 I think--I haven't even bothered to look.  Total stop time, according to my Garmin was 17+ minutes.  That's a LOT of potty breaks! This was one of the most fun times I've had at the race though. No pressure, lots of great conversation with my hubs, and no soreness/limited tiredness at the end.  Of course, I already have my plan set to come back with a vengeance in 2016! I'm going back to chasing PRs in 2016!!!!  Guess it's a hard habit to break!!!

What did you think of the 2015 Disneyland Half? Did you notice a difference in the course, or was I crazy?