Soaring Through Belle Isle - Again?

So I loved the race route so much last weekend for the Detroit Women's Half Marathon that I decided to run it again for my Jost Running Soaring Virtual 10K that I signed up to complete this week.  You know, when talking about virtual races, people always speak to "where," but what about "when?"  Today, I completed my 10K in my living room, during my lunch break...LOL, not only did I not need to travel, but I didn't have to take any extra time out of my day to do it!  I really wanted to get outside this morning, but it didn't happen...but it didn't affect me in getting my miles accomplished!!  Here is a recap:

Jost Running puts so much effort into giving you an amazing experience when you run their virtual races:

Here is my personalized bib that they created just for me - 

This is the map of my run from my iFit account.  If you have a treadmill, and you don't know what iFit is, you are totally missing out!  I can run anywhere in the world on my treadmill and it mocks the course - and the elevation:

  
And here are my results:

I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I think I am losing both of my second toenails.  they are a pretty shade of purple, and the tops hurt a little...so I definitely deserve this:

It is a little smaller than the one I will receive from my half marathon, but I like the colors and the detail.  Jost Running gives out some super cool medals!  

Oh, and did I mention that they will actually post your results on their web site like a real race?  Most virtuals don't do that.  I really like that.  It keeps you committed to pushing yourself just a little harder.

All-in-all I am really proud of my miles this week coming off a half marathon.  I ran 6 on Tuesday, 6.4 today, and I will round out my week with 11 on Sunday.  It has been a great week.

If you want to know more about Jost Running...and believe me, you want to get into the action for their Octoberfest virtuals...head on over to www.JostRunning.com.

Happy Running!

Soaring on Belle Isle

This week, I decided to run my Jost Running Soaring Virtual Race in conjunction with the Detroit Women's Half Marathon.  All I have to say is what a great idea!  I love the fact that I am able to run my virtual races anywhere I want and help support some great charities...all the while running with friends in different cities.  It gives me the flexibility to be close to home or clear across the country if I so choose!  Here is a recap of my races:

Here is my awesome bib for Soaring Virtual

The race route was great.  If you have never ran Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, I highly recommend it.  It is a 982 acre park in the Detroit River between the US and Canada.  It is the largest city-owned island park in the US.  It is home to the Belle Isle Conservatory and the Detroit Yacht Club among other things.  This was the first time running this area.  There were so many things to keep the eyes busy.  I hardly listened to my music...for 13.1 miles!  This was the course map:

Here are some great views while we ran around the island:

The Belle Tower

The Conservatory

View of the bridge and downtown Detroit from the island

Poor Erica was suffering from allergies the whole entire time, but she pushed through it; finishing solid!  And I enjoyed catching up with her since we haven't gotten a chance since I moved to AZ!  Here is Erica and me making it to the finish line:

Finished smiling!

Go Red for Women was chosen as the charity partner of The Detroit Women's Half Marathon.  My other girlfriend that ran the race was chosen as a Heart Hero for the race - this is her story.  This is her (gray tank), me, and another friend Kim post race:

 Still smiling!!

I also want to give a HUGE shout out to my very close girlfriend who ran her FIRST 5K ever!!  Julia, I am so VERY PROUD of you.  You have chosen to lead a healthier life for yourself and your young daughter Sarah (my God Daughter), and have persevered through some hard training days and achy muscles.  I know that this race was just the start for you!  I believe running the half with me next year is a very attainable goal for you...you can do it, and I will be there for you every step of the way!!

Me and her before the race

Crossing the finish line!  :-)

What a great race day!  And I earned both of these beautiful medals:

TOTALLY worth getting up early to run in the brisk Fall air of Michigan!  I'll be back next year...you can count on it!

Disneyland Recap and Other Musings

I think I am still on runner's high from Disneyland Dumbo Dare.  It was such an amazing weekend.  Here is a quick recap...

We got down to Anaheim on Thursday night.  Picking the girls up from the airport was just craziness!!!  But got them safely and headed back to our hotel, Doubletree by Hilton (of course! LOL) for a nice quiet evening on our pillows.  We all knew that Friday was going to be the start of the chaos.

We never in a million, gazillion years expected the expo to be as bad as it was.  It was just a mess when we headed down there at 10 AM when it opened.  It took us the entire day to make it through; until 2 PM just to get our race bag...yeah, no joke!  It was very obvious that race organizers had not planned for the rush of Dumbo entrants needing to come and get their bibs on Friday, and it was so disorganized.  But we had a really good time making our way through all the lines and taking lots of pictures.  And while us girls dealt with expo shenanigans,  Matt and the kids enjoyed a day at the beach.  We all met back up in the evening and had a great dinner together at CPK.  :-)

So although Friday was a little crazy...okay, A LOT crazy...Saturday was AWESOME!!!  The kids and Matt ran the 5K and Kristin and I ran the 10K:

My awesome family of runners!

Really REALLY proud of my kids on their first Disney race

Kristin and I after a great run

Completely unplanned, I PR'ed on Saturday (1:01:47).  It was a pretty good morning. This smile at mile 6 says it all:

 Then it was off to the park:

We had a really really good time.  I knew that my time wouldn't be the greatest on Sunday, but I was out to have a good time, and a good time we had!

So Sunday the three amigos - Kristin, Danielle and me - headed out the door at 4 AM ready to take on another great half:

Before

After

I couldn't have asked for a better couple of days at my favorite place on earth with my wonderful family and two ladies that love running as much as I do.  <3

Me and all my weekend bling - 4 medals!

A few people have asked about our outfits, so here is the rundown:

Saturday's 10K outfit - We wanted to pay tribute to Boston, so Kristin and I chose to wear our Run for Boston shirts made by Moms Run This Town and our matching bondibands.  The shorts we totally lucked out on and found them at Target for $3.  they matched perfect!!

Sunday's Half outfit - This was much more planned.  The New Balance tech shirts were designed and made for us by Kristin's friend from Anymile Clothing, Lululemon Pace Setter skirt,  and matching Sweaty Band and Fellow Flowers "Friends" bloom.  I loved our outfits...can't take much credit for it.  Kristin was the "brains" behind this!!  :-)

Sunday after the race Matt took the family back down to Huntington beach and while I napped, the kids rode the waves.  It was just an amazing Labor Day weekend!!!

So other updates...hmmmm.

My virtual races are going really well.  I do not have one medal hanging on my wall that I haven't earned (posted to race web site or FB page), and all race directors have been good on their word and I have received everything I have paid for.  Thus far, Jost Running medals are my favorite.  They are really nicely made and HUGE!!!  Check them out:

Do you see how large the circular one is in my hand?!  What I really like most, though, is the fact that you really get what you pay for.  There have been a few races that the medals changed in design after you paid, and sometimes it wasn't as good once you receive.  There is nothing worse than paying for something you don't want to hang up, right?  You don't have to worry about that with Jost.  And - the best part - they really have a results page and you ARE competing against those that ran the race.  I LOVE that!

Okay, I think I will leave everyone with my new friends:

My new running shoes - Asics Nimbus 15!  I am IN LOVE!!  I put almost 6 miles on them tonight and they did their job.  These will help me get to my ultimate goal - WDW Marathon on January 12th.  Training is going really good.  The weather was nice enough to allow me to run outside this evening.  It was 82 and gorgeous!!

Feeling blessed...life is good.

Are You Ready for Disneyland?

Only a week and a half until our fun-filled Disneyland weekend!  I can hardly contain myself!!  If you have never done a Disney race before, I HIGHLY recommend it.  It is an experience that keeps you coming back for more.  I continue to say, "Okay, this is the last one,"  and it is NEVER the last one!

If this is your first Disney race, it can be a little intimidating.  There is a LOT going on in and around the park.  After three races with Disney, both in California and Florida, these are some things that I think you should consider:

Be Prepared BEFORE You Leave - I know that this may seem counter-intuitive, but I can't tell you how many unprepared people I see running around like crazy people at Disney.  Remember, there are 17,000 people that have registered for the half marathon alone!  So...

• Review the official race program that is always available a few weeks before the event - under Runner Info, Official Race Program.  For Disneyland Half it is here:  http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/pdf/disneyland-half/2013/DLHM13_Program.pdf.  I ALWAYS read this program cover to cover to ensure I know what is going on for the entire weekend.  There is so much they plan for during these special race weekends, you truly don't want to miss out on a thing!
• Have a good idea of what you are going to do and when:  packet pick-up; peruse through the expo; hit up Disney to enjoy the rides/eat some food; sit by the pool and get those feet rested up before the big day ("days" for us participating in Dumbo Double Dare)...whatever it is that you are going to do to enjoy your race weekend, have a plan.  Especially if there is a group of you!!  Even with just my husband and I, we have a plan before we leave because that ensures both of us have some sort of idea of expectations (and no one - ahem, my husband - is surprised and/or angry if I want to spend 3 hours at the expo!  LOL).
• Don't forget that there are specific times for packet pick-up and the expo.  That is why reviewing the official race program and reading your runDisney emails before the weekend is important.
• For those of you looking for Disney specific memorabilia - Get to the expo as early as you can. I can't tell you how many women have missed out on a specific shirt or jacket because of the limited quantities and how many people are there to buy. My group plans to get there when it opens...we have been burned before!!

Don't miss out on the Expo, trust me!!

• Make sure if you are flying you have all travel documents ready and available somewhere for quick retrieval.  This would include, but not limited to, your transportation ticket for the bus that will take YOU to and from the airport AND your transportation tag for your LUGGAGE.  You should have received all of this information weeks prior to the race.  If you don't have it, get on the phone with runDisney.  There is nothing worse than showing up at your hotel for a race weekend and not having anything to race with!!  
• Have hotel information including your confirmations handy.  This is somewhat important.  First off, you want to ensure you know where they should be taking you on the transportation shuttle or you need to know if you will be driving because of road congestion.  Secondly, the lobbies of the hotels can be a little hairy during race weekend.  If you are prepared during check-in, things go much more smooth.
• If you are staying off-property, make sure you know what your driving and/or parking plan is.  For Disneyland, we are staying off-property and have chosen a hotel close by so that we can walk.  As mentioned, congestion is an obstacle on certain days; you don't want to miss something - like your race - because you are stuck in traffic. 
• Did you purchase something besides your registration, like a commemorative pin or necklace?  Ensure you confirm and have a receipt because you will want back-up if they do not have record at packet pick-up.  Those babies are expensive; don't leave packet pick-up without them!
• Did you pre-order Disneyland park tickets, or maybe the special Disney events like for Halloween or Christmas?  Don't leave home without them, they are non-transferable.
• Have your waivers printed and signed before you leave the house to catch that plane or hop in the car.  Just one less thing you have to worry about once you get to the expo.  The less time you spend at packet pick-up, the more time you can spend at the expo.  :-)
• What is your eating plan?  Did you make reservations for those hard-to-get-seated restaurants?  There are restaurants that you have to book MONTHS in advance, so you may have missed those, but there are SO MANY at Downtown Disney and the surrounding areas that are great.  Whichever way you have chosen to go, don't wait until you are hungry to figure out where you are going...you may have to wait, and those waits may be long!
• Lastly, but surely not least - review your luggage before you leave.  My very first Disney race back in 2011, I forgot my iPod.  I was running around the expo buying earbugs and trying to transfer music onto my phone in a total state of panic.  Most everything that you forget can be purchased at the expo - even shoes - but if you are on a tight budget, this is the last place you want to buy expensive, forgotten items.  Plus, you have saved all your hard-earned cash on things you want, not need!  (I did get across to you how AWESOME the expo is, right?  :-) )   

BTW - All of the documents that I mention above are kept with me in an organized envelope (I usually use plastic file folder because it is durable) while I travel; kept in chronological order of when I am going to need it.  This has really proved successful, especially during my past destination races...but I am a little bit of a neat freak!  

Stick with Your Plan - It is so easy to get to Disney and just go crazy.  But I recommend that you attempt to stick with your plan.  If you can't stick with your original plan, then I suggest you regroup and come up with a better plan now that you are there and see what it is all about.  Trust me, you  WILL miss out if you don't have a plan.  Disney is so very good at giving you so many options.  You will want to take in as much as you can...I mean, you paid a lot of money for this weekend, right?

Enjoy Yourself - I think the reason I am so big on planning for Disney is because once I am there I want every moment to count.  You only have so much time, and once you are there the weekend goes by so quickly!  Disney is such a magical place, and they make their races ones that won't soon be forgotten.  You only get to live this weekend, this race, once...make it a race to remember!!!  

Well, I hope this has provided some of you that are new to Disney races some insight.  And honestly, many of these items can be used as a great guideline for any destination race; it doesn't have to be Disney!  If you have any questions, hit me up here or on FaceBook!

HAPPY RUNNING!!!!