Half Marathon Training Plan for Tink

Well, since I bit the bullet and registered for Tink, I guess I should start training, right? I have some personal motivation for doing this race, but really let's be honest: it's all about the bling! I knew when they released those pretty medals I needed to add them to my collection.

One other big reason, though, is I want to run a faster race to use for proof of time. Of course to do that it would be helpful to train properly. No use crying over spilled milk, right? So here we go, diving into my training plan to get ready for Tink in 7 weeks!

I'm working backwards, aiming for a 10 mile long run on May 6th. I'll be doing my long runs on Saturdays since I teach a HIIT class on Sunday mornings. I'm hoping the weather starts to cooperate a little more. We've had a few nice days after the blizzard last week, so if this keeps up life will be good!

Short runs are important too, so my goal is a Tuesday/Thursday short run. I'll run outside if I can or at the gym if I have to. Luckily Robby adores going to the nursery at the gym, because I'm going to have to rely on that if Bill is on the road. Our town just isn't very conducive to running on the road with a toddler in a stroller.

My schedule is going to be tight. I'm hoping that muscle memory is strong and my body just knows what to do when I lace up those shoes. Guess I won't know, though, until I get out on the road for my first long run this weekend. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it!

A Mother's Day Gift

A few weeks ago my mind just couldn't stop thinking about registering for Tink. A few messages later and here I am buying a bib from my friend Patty at My No Guilt Life. Leave it to another Disney nut to tell you everything you need to hear to make running this race a good idea (okay, not that it honestly took much).

Here we are, a few months from Mother's Day, and I can officially announce that I'll be toeing the line with my fellow moms for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon! I'm super excited to get back on the road and train hard to run faster than I have in a few years. I know, I know, no PRs at Disney races, but I'd really like to get some under 2:30 times again. Between knee surgery and pregnancy, I haven't had a great race in a LONG time. Now that I'm getting back to being fit, I also want to get back to running.

Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog

Time to start planning my training. I'm thinking I'm going to stick with the run/walk/run plan since I've been having some knee pain and I'm just starting out again. I've run great races using intervals, so why not stick with what's been successful before. 

I know my main challenge is going to be running with Robby. He's older now and I have no idea how he'll do running in a stroller. Add to that me working two out of the house jobs and running my online fitness business and the time is ticking away. Maybe a magic running fairy will drop off a treadmill to my house.

I've been really focused on nutrition and fitness, so I'm hoping it pays off on race weekend. Now, I gotta go! It's time to run!

Starting Over, Yet Again...

Did you ever see that episode of Sex and the City where Charlotte buys the self help book "Starting Over, Yet Again"? That's all I could think of yesterday!

Why? It was Monday and I was SO tempted to hit the reset button because my first week on Insanity Max 30 was far less than perfect. I was sick, we had a massive blizzard in New York (which means wine and junk food was consumed), and I just felt like I didn't give it my all. So, I did what I always do: I convinced myself that I would just start over on Monday.

Wait for it...but then I didn't do that!!! I'm realizing the "I'll start over (insert time line)" mindset has been holding me back. Too often I wait for life to be perfect before diving into something to reach my goals. No one is perfect. Life isn't perfect. Who would want it to be? That would be pretty boring! I know other people struggle with this as well. We wait for the stars to align before we jump in, but all we are doing is wasting opportunity. It's time for me to look at each day as a new opportunity to do something good for myself.

So yesterday, I started week 2 of Insanity Max 30. I'm up every morning sweating it out and loving it. I just keep remembering Shaun T saying how he wanted to do a 5k after completing this program himself because he felt he could get back to running a 17 minute race (insert the OMG face here, right?!?!?). If that isn't motivation for a bigger goal, I don't know what is!

Hmmm...I know someone who has a 5k on the calendar in May. No, it's not officially timed, but I have a Garmin so why not shoot to run a fast race. Maybe a fast, short distance is the perfect thing to get me back into the running game. Stay tuned! You never know what might happen!

Flashback Friday: The Disneyland Paris "Soiree Inaugurale"

As runners are making plans for the Disneyland Paris Semi Marathon in September, I can't believe it's  been almost 6 months since we enjoyed our Paris trip.  

Wanting to experience everything, we did attend the Inaugural Party. There were so many social media posts expressing mixed feelings about the event, but we enjoyed it. All things weren't perfect. We too, had frozen pasta that had to be reheated. But, overall, I think DLP did a good job.

The party was at Walt Disney Studios.  We walked around a bit to see what was open and what was going on.

This looks like Mom's 5k costume!

This water feels really hard!

One of the character stops just happened to be a favorite of Robby's, so of course we had to stop.  Yes, there was a little wait in the character lines, but it was worth it.  They did not rush you through and really interacted with everyone.

Robby was so happy to get to say hello to Sully!
 But cried when we had to say goodbye.

Sully heard him and came over to calm him.

Robby asked Sully to join us for the rest of the night,
 but he had to stay to greet his other fans!

Time to stop for some food.  Since we were near the one of two restaurants open, we stopped at the "Restaurant en Coulisses" to see what they had.   It was cafeteria type offerings, but was enough to fill our bellies. (Later in the evening we stopped at the other restaurant, Disney Blockbuster Cafe, but they were just about wiped out.  I read later on social media, people were "stocking up" for the next day.)

We continued on to enjoy some of the open rides.  One of our "musts" was Ratatouille: A Recipe for Adventure since that ride does not exist in the states.  It was great to jump on with no lines.  As we exited, we stopped to check out the "Sculpteur sur Fruits & Legumes" in front of Chez Remy.

Bill even got a monogrammed "apple to go"!

Robby and I hung out together while
Aly and Bill enjoyed a couple of rides.   
After all, why else would you bring a
Fairy Grandmother on a vacation?

The Tower of Terror was one of the rides open for the party with no line.

Robby just chillin' 
waiting for Mom and Dad.

Just before leaving, we saw Donald and Goofy
 and decided to say hello.

There's no doubt Robby's favorite part of the party was the characters!

I know I had a good time, and judging by the smiles on these faces,
 everyone else did too!!

If you're wondering "should I sign up for the opening party?" on your trip to the race in Paris this year, it's definitely a personal choice.  This year food is not included and the price came down a lot (I saw $58. vs last year's $94.).  I'd do it again.   Are you heading to Paris in September?

Week In Review: 3/5/17

It's time to get accountable! If you follow me personally on social media, you know that I had a big smack in the face a few weeks back. I just haven't been keeping up with anything in life, from workouts to eating to even blogging, and that isn't working for me. I need to get back to being healthy and doing the things I love. Yes, writing and sharing with all of you is included in that!

I originally started blogging WAY back (I had a different blog 'Just Keep Swimming') when I took on my first Goofy Challenge. It was a way for me to document and track my progress. It kept me accountable. Fast forward to my first Dopey Challenge and Disney Runs in the Family was created. I wanted a space to share not only my running, but my whole family's journey in running, fitness and Disney. I thought we could help some people along the way with our experiences during runDisney events. We love them, we do a ton of them, and let's face it, they can be overwhelming if you don't know anything about them.

But I digress.

Just as I'm doing in my diet and exercise, I wanted to get back to basics with the blog. Time to get back to my weekly wrap-ups. Maybe you'll get some training ideas. Maybe you'll get some motivation. Or maybe it'll just be for little old me to stay accountable. Regardless, expect some weeks in review posts coming at you!

So--here we go! This is what my workout week looked like:

Sunday: Taught HIIT
Monday: Total Body Cardio Fix (a.m.), Bootcamp Class (p.m.)
Tuesday: Upper Body Fix
Wednesday: Lower Body Fix (a.m.), Taught BodyPump Express & Trigger Point (p.m.)
Thursday: Pilates Fix (a.m.), Taught BodyPump (mid-morning)
Friday: Cardio Fix
Saturday: Dirty 30

Wait...no running? Nope! I'm actually working through the basic 21 Day Fix program first. Then training will start for Tinkerbell weekend. I knew I needed to get into some good, solid habits, and running just isn't possible for that with a baby, no treadmill at home, a husband who travels, and cold NY weather. It's coming, I promise!

My nutrition wasn't too bad either. I've been following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, but the beginning of the week added a few extra treats from Robby's baptism. That's all good, though, because life is about living and I was not going to deprive myself at his party. I didn't go overboard. Oh, and I passed off all the leftover treats to the students at work.

Hope you had a successful week too! I'm planning on another great week ahead!

Flashback Friday: Race Report--2016 Disneyland Half Marathon

Happy Flashback Friday! Remember WAY back to September when there was this little half marathon in Disneyland. Then remember how I never even blogged about it. Well, luckily we have these days like Flashback Friday to give me an excuse to catch up with races long gone (I'm still blaming the baby for my lack of blogging).

This was our 7th time running the Disneyland Half Marathon. We seriously cannot see ourselves ever not running this race! This year, with baby in tow, we had a bit of a different experience, from starting at the last corral to not really training well to worrying about Robby more than worrying about the race.

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, so the start was pretty easy--basically a wake up, roll out of bed, and head to the start. Of course, this year since we were in the last corral, that meant add an extra hour of waiting before actually starting. The last corral was really a mixed bag of runners: some first-timers, some walkers, some like us who just didn't enter a proof of time. Everyone we talked to was super nice and we had some great conversations to pass the time. I would say the biggest drawback of the last corral is the waiting and the later finish. I'm one who likes to get miles ticked off before the sun rises, but on this morning, we were barely starting as the sun was coming up.

The BEST cheer squad ever!

Once we were on our way, the course was very familiar with a few noticeable changes. Mainly, it was significantly less time in the parks. Not mileage-wise, but actual foot time in the parks. I miss running up Main Street (you still run down as you go through the castle). There was lots of backstage and corridor running on Disney property, but I love being in the park itself, so the course changes were a bit disappointing.

One noticeable improvement was the paving of the torturous stretch before you hit Angel's Stadium. Of course, Disney has nothing to do with that, but it was nice to not have rocks and dirt in your shoes...as much. I still ended up needing to take my shoe off after the stadium and shake out some rocks.

Onto our race experience: We had a blast running together! Prior to my knee surgery, I hated running with Bill.  I was a more serious runner (yes, faster, but it wasn't a knock on him, I just trained more). I enjoyed being alone and pounding the pavement. After my surgery, though, I found a new comfort in running with him and making the run more social. We talk, laugh, and enjoy the race. We never even think of putting in earbuds because the miles just tick by with fun conversation. Yes, technically I think we slow each other down, but hey, I'm not shattering any world records here, so who cares?!?!

We ran 1 minute run/30 second walk intervals the entire race. I have definitely found my happy place at a 30 second walk. Anything more than that and I lose momentum and really slow down. We stopped for pics along the way and honestly didn't feel too bad at the finish. Not too shabby for a pair of runners who did less than stellar training. There will be a day when we come back and race this race fast, but that was not in the cards for 2016.

We're all registered for the 2017 race! I can't wait to complete the 5th Dumbo Double Dare, our one and only legacy race. On the course this year, we came up with our costumes for 2017, and they are FUN! I can't wait! Truly originals, so sorry friends, I won't be revealing them until closer to race day.

An American in (Disneyland) Paris

I keep seeing friends registering for this year's Disneyland Paris race weekend, and I can't help but be jealous! Our trip last year to run the 5k and half marathon in Paris was so amazing! I wish we could do it every year, but, yeah...you know, life, bills, work. It all gets in the way of Disney!

I know many of you have never taken the trip to checkout Disneyland Paris, and if you're planning your first visit for September (or even a non-running trip sometime soon) I though it would be good to share some of the things that were different from our Disney Parks here in the states (and there are some big ones that were not so magical, so take notice).

Food was okay, Highchair was awesome!

Food: Maybe the biggest difference is in the food. Or maybe that's just because I really like to eat my way through Disney! When you visit DLP, expect to see a lot of theme park food. Things like sandwiches, burgers, and fries are staples and there aren't many options beyond that, especially in the parks. There are some great restaurants in the Disney Village and in the hotels, but if you spend the whole day in the park you'll have limited options at  quick service venues. That being said, we had such great meals at Walt's in Disneyland and at Chez Remi at the Studios.

Smoking: People in Paris smoke. A lot. All the time. Everywhere. It just permeates the air and you can't get away from it. I'm super sensitive to the smell of smoke, and it got old really quick! There's not much you can do about it, so just be prepared. Yes, Disney has smoking areas and people aren't supposed to smoke just wandering around the park, but that rule was not enforced at all.

Dressing: Yes, we are the geeky family who had matching shirts, and in the U.S. you'd see that all over the place. Here, nope. Even the cast members kept mentioning it to us. If you're the type of person that likes to blend in, matching Disney shirts is probably not the best idea.

Overall Feel: There is a difference. It's noticeable. It just lacks a little of the attention to detail that makes DL and WDW extra special. Some people probably would never even notice it, but I'm that person that will zero in on the piece of trash that stayed on Main Street for 15 minutes. I say that not to be critical, but just as an observation. If you follow some of the Disney buzz, I think this is a main reason Disney as a company is trying to regain control over this park. There is a lesser standard than the American counterparts, and I think Disney wants to bring Paris up to par.

This post is kind of whomp whomp, huh? Not my usual peppy self! All this being said, GO! I have zero regrets, and we've visited Disneyland Paris twice. Not only is it a great Disney park, but you also are in Paris. It's the most amazing city and we love everything from the sites to the food to the people. Don't let any negative Nancy deter you from this amazing experience. I wish we could do it every year!

Are you planning on running the 2017 Disneyland Paris races?