Tink Tuesday: Double Digits!

My training for Tink has been sad, to say the least. The last half I ran was the Disneyland Half over Labor Day in September. Since then it's been on and off. I had a handful of 6 mile runs, including a 10k PR in October. But after that.... not so much. The chilly fall weather made me not want to run outside, so I joined my local gym. I've been averaging a few 3-4 mile runs per week with my longest being 7 miles about 2 weeks ago. 

Weekly Recap

Tues: 2 miles

Wed: rest

Thurs: 4 miles

Fri: rest

Sat: rest

Sun: 10 miles

Mon: rest

Christmas Eve, I went for a quick run with my husband. It was the first time in over a month that I had run outside. I think I got so used to running on a treadmill that the moving scenery and wind made me dizzy! 

It's become a tradition for my cousins and I to go on a run together the morning after a holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas). It was an easy 4 miler through my Grandma's scenic neighborhood. 

This Sunday I had my long run. I kept seeing the "Countdown to Tink" number get smaller and smaller  and smaller and with just 18 days until I leave for Disneyland, I knew I needed to get some serious mileage in. My initial plan was for 8 miles, with 10 miles next Sunday. Not ideal for my first double-digit run since September to be only two weeks before the Tink half, but it would have to do. 

The husband went with me and figured we'd only make it 6 miles. Challenge accepted! I knew I wanted to complete at least 8, but I was feeling pretty good. No hip pain! (If you'll recall, my hip has been bothering me lately, even to the point of hurting when I wasn't running. I got a foam roller and started stretching religiously.) 

I got this Gaiam foam roller from Target.

I ended up going 10 miles! I'll adjust my training plan to do 8 miles next week. I feel a lot more prepared to run a half in 3 weeks. :) 

My running app says 10 miles...

But my FitBit says a little over 9.... Hmm... I *may* need to adjust my FitBit settings.

How is your training going? I know there are a lot of WDW Marathon and Tink Half Weekenders out there! 

Holiday recap

I'm finally getting back on track after the whirlwind that is Christmas. It was full of family, gifts, food, and hanging out. All the things I love!

The husband and I spent Christmas Even just the two of us. We made a yummy home cooked meal and exchanged gifts. It was one of the most relaxing Christmas Eve's I've had!

Our tree! 

I gave Dearest some euros for our upcoming trip to Italy. 

Then it was off to Grandma's house for Christmas! We had a super yummy prime rib dinner. Complete with champagne and wine! :) 

One of my little cousins got a TON of legos. Look how cool they are now!

And of course, there was a quick photo-op of Dearest in a graduation cap. He opted not to walk for graduation (too boring). I don't blame him; I didn't walk for my graduation either.

How was your holiday? 

Tinker Bell Official Race Guide

Here are a few highlights from the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend Official Race Guide!

You can find it here. 

I am really loving how beautiful the logo is! Also, some future runDisney race dates. 

Expo and other important times.

Park hours.

Check out the Park Hours/Calendar on the Disney website for other info on shows/parade times. Fantasmic! will be dark the entire weekend, but World of Color is showing Friday-Monday night.

Packet Pick-up information. I'll be making the rounds to all the stations- anyone else running all 3 events? 

5k information. I'll be dressing up for this event. Will you? 

10k & Half start and finish areas. 

Spectator viewing information.

Who's excited??? 

runDisney Registration Dates

Thinking about your next runDisney event? (I know I am!) Here's a quick glimpse into upcoming registration dates.

** Confirmed registration dates. **

Expedition Everest

Event date: May 3rd, 2014

Registration opens: December 17th Noon EST

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

Event date: August 29-31, 2014

Registration: January 28th 2014 Noon EST

** 2013 Events that have passed, but future 2014 registration has not been announced yet. **

Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend

Event date: October 3-4, 2014 

(2013 event registration date: February 12, 2013)

Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

Event date: November 7-8, 2014

(2013 event registration date: March 12, 2013)

** Upcoming 2014 events, but registration is sold out*. Charity spots may still be available. **

WDW Marathon Weekend

Event date: January 8-12, 2014

(2014 event registration opened April 9, 2013)
2015 Event Date: Jan 7-11, 2015

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend

Event date: January 16-19, 2014

(2014 event registration opened July 9, 2013)
2015 Event Date: May 7-10, 2015

Princess Half Marathon Weekend

*5k spots still available (as of 12/24)

Event date: February 20-23, 2014

(2014 event registration opened June 11, 2013)

I'm in for Tinker Bell and Wine & Dine 2014. Still debating the Disneyland Half. Hoping for WDW 2015 to be my first marathon! :)

What are your runDisney plans? 

Tinker Bell Half Corrals & 10k Course Map!

The Tinker Bell Half Corral Assignments have been released! A lot of people, myself included, thought there would be a lot more corrals- following the increase seen for Tower of Terror, Wine & Dine and the WDW Marathon weekends. Maybe they're sticking to fewer corrals for the Disneyland races?

Truthfully, I'm excited! If you remember, I ran a 10k PR specifically so I could submit it for Tink placement. I think I may have just squeaked into Corral A! :) Probably the one and only time. Haha. 

 The 10k course map was also released! It's not the same as the Disneyland 10k course (it ran past the Anaheim Convention Center). 

I do find it interesting that the race starts going north- I'm used to the DL 1/2 which goes south first. It looks great, but I'm disappointed that we won't be running through Downtown Disney and that the last 2 miles are also outside the parks. Thoughts?

Italy Bound!

To celebrate my husband's recent completion of college, we're going to Italy! 

Okay, so it's not just about celebrating his graduation. I've been begging him to go to Italy for a while now. The architecture, the food, the culture, the art, and did I mention the architecture? The photographer in me is drooling with excitement!

I knew we'd have to wait until he was done with school, but I also wanted to go before we had kids. And we're hoping to have kids in the next few years, so... Doesn't leave a huge window of time, huh? His job doesn't start until February- when else would we have such an open window of time for us to take off? So what started as mere mention of an idea (proposed by my husband) has now turned into booked airplane tickets and Air BnB reservations. Yay! :) 

Our Itinerary...

Rome

 Florence

 Venice

We're not leaving until after Tinker Bell weekend (can you believe that it's just a month away?!), but I will definitely be recapping both my Tinker Bell running adventures and my Italy trip. :) 

Tink Tuesday

Where has time gone? If you've found it, please let me know so I can get some of it back! Maybe you're just super on track, but I am just barely hanging onto the roller coaster of life. We're doing secret santa on both sides of the family, so the number of gifts I have to get is ridiculously low, but I seem to still be lagging. And of course, I still have all the hard people (mom, dad, and brother) to shop for. Any ideas? 

A little Christmas cheer for you! My husband and I have been debating getting a cat to keep my company when he moves to Texas next year. I'd probably try to dress the cat like this all the time. Poor guy. ;) 

Onto the running portion of Tink Tuesday. 

Weekly Recap

Tues: 7 miles

Wed: 5 miles

Thurs: rest

Fri: 5 miles

Sat: rest

Sun: rest

Mon: rest

Tues: 2 miles

I was doing pretty well with my running at the beginning of the week. I confess I was more focused on getting mileage in so I could beat my co-worker in our pedometer challenge. I beat until about Friday when I had to stop running. The sudden increase in mileage and lack of stretching really did me in. My hip has been aching; it even hurts when I'm sitting and sleeping. :( So for now, more stretching and less mileage. The good news is I'm confident I can at least finish all my races during Tinker Bell weekend, even if I have to walk them. 

This week has brought about a frenzy of excitement! Today is officially my husband's last day of school. EVER! It still seems pretty surreal, but I'm sure it'll sync in soon. When his engineering dreams were just that, dreams, and even before he started community college back in 2008, I bought him a card. I knew this would be the card I gave him when he graduated. Every few semesters, I'd write a little in it, mainly about certain accomplishments or milestones he had hit in school. Today, after 5.5 years, I finally got to give him the card. Craziness. :) 

How was your week? Can you believe that we're a week away from Christmas? Are you all ready for the holiday? 

A Belated Tink Tuesday

I haven't done one of these in a while! Considering there's less than 6 weeks left until Tinker Bell weekend, I better take advantage of "Tink Tuesday" while I can! Just 37 days until I leave for Disneyland! Yay! 

The weather has changed considerably, more than just the seasons changing. For me, cold is in the 40s. I'd be running in a long sleeve jacket, gloves and a beanie. With this cold stint, the early mornings are in the high 20s. Crazy! Instead of freezing my butt off, I've been taking advantage of the treadmill at the gym. Err, *trying* to take advantage of the gym. 

I'm trying to get into the groove of a schedule, but so far I'm averaging 3 times a week at 3-4 mile distances. Still not the plan I had originally wanted in order to train for the Tink 5k, 10k & half. After I decided I wasn't going to run for time, my motivation has really disappeared. I need to squeeze in a few long runs to really feel prepared (I just did a 7 miler last night). Mostly I'm just excited for the fun girls weekend! While I love my husband dearly, he's only into Disney so much. Sometimes you need a trip with other addicts. ;)

200th Blog Post: Big News and a Little Update

Can you believe it's my 200th blog post? What better way to commemorate it than to let you know of some big changes in my life (and subsequently probably my blog). It's still me, but my content may be a little different.

Life has been hectic to say the least. Sorry I've been a bad blogger, but kudos to you if you noticed. :) 

As you know, my husband is finishing up his undergrad degree in engineering in just about a week. These past couple months have been dedicated to applying to jobs and going in for interviews. There have been a couple good leads that looked promising (one was a famous phone/computer company named after a type of fruit), but he kept getting passed over for people with more experience. It's understandable, but disappointing and worrisome all at the same time. It's been one heck of a roller coaster ride.

Then things started to look up- he got a job offer! It's in technical sales- he essentially meets with different potential/existing clients to sell them his company's products- all having to do with computer chips. His job starts off with an 8 month training program. In Texas. As a reminder, we live in California. :/

Since the program is only 8 months, it's not worth it for me to try to move with him. I could try to transfer with work, but it wouldn't be fair to try and jump back and forth. For that 8 months, we'll be long distance with the hope to meet at least once a month. We're thinking of doing little weekend adventures. Portland, OR and Washington, D.C. are on our list. As well as a place I know you'll recognize...

I'm excited about the job opportunity for him, but I am nervous about being apart. We've lived/been together for over 6 years; it's been a while since either of us have lived alone. We've become so used to having the other person around, so this will definitely be an adjustment- more so for him being in a new place, with a new job and no friends. :/ He's quite the social butterfly, so I'm sure he'll make friends quickly. Thank goodness for Skype and FaceTime. I don't think I would be able to handle it. If you have any tips/advice/words of wisdom, I welcome them. I'm sure I'll be a wreck for at least the first month.

To keep me busy, I've got the gym. I'm challenging myself to be more fit than him by the time he moves back home. Since he'll be in sales, appearance matters a lot, so I know he'll be trying to stay fit as well. 

The job doesn't start until February, so in the meantime, we will be soaking in every moment we have together. We've got some exciting stuff planned before he leaves! 

Thanks for reading and I hope I can get back on track (and stay on track) now! :)

I'm Still Here!

I apologize for my complete absence from the blog-o-sphere. 

Between eating this...

and some of this.... (okay, maybe a lot of this...)

and doing this...

and just a teeny bit of this...

...I have been swamped. 

A lot of stuff has happened in the last week, so bear with me. I promise there will be updates! :) 

Thankful

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, here are a few things I am thankful for...

my husband

family

home

running & my health

beautiful places I have traveled to

What are you thankful for?

Tink Tuesday

There's less than 8 weeks to go until Tinker Bell weekend! We passed the 60 day mark, which also meant making dining reservations for my trip. Can't wait for all the yummy food! Cause really, that's why I run, right? To justify eating whatever I want? ;) 

I signed up for a gym membership last week. The gym used to be more of a spa/gym, so everything is really nice. It's got a heated outdoor pool for laps and a heated indoor pool which is used for therapeutic swimming. But most importantly, there are plenty of treadmills. I tend to be more of a night owl, so I like having the option to run at night without all the worries. 

Weekly Recap
Tues: rest
Wed: rest
Thurs: 2 miles
Fri: rest
Sat: rest
Sun: 5 miles
Mon: 2 miles

I was on vacation most of last week, so I really embraced the laziness. :) I'd forgotten how much running on the treadmill is different than running outside. I naturally have pretty even splits when I run outside, but it was hard to find a happy pace on the treadmill. Anyone else have that problem? 

I suspect this week's running will be similar due to all the Thanksgiving festivities. Thanksgiving meal is hands-down my favorite meal. I used to not be a fan, but now I love it! I especially love that Whole Foods consistently has all the Thanksgiving foods in their hot bar section. When the husband works late, that's my go-to for dinner. Between the traveling and family time, I hope I can get in a few decent runs. 

Do you take a running break during the holidays? How do you stick to your training schedule?

Disneyland Dining Reservations for Tinker Bell Half

Just a reminder- you can now book your Disneyland dining reservations for the Tinker Bell half marathon weekend! Disneyland books 60 days in advance (WDW is 180 days).

I'll be having my celebratory race weekend meal at Carthay Circle in California Adventure. I've eaten here once before and it is delicious! 

I also made a few reservations at my favorite breakfast spot. This is hands down my favorite place to eat breakfast. It's one of the few table service places in Disneyland and the prices are comparable to quick service places. 

Another popular place to eat is the Blue Bayou in Disneyland. The restaurant is actually inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride! Perfect for a romantic dinner or a nice celebratory meal.

Here's the complete list of restaurants inside the parks where you can make dining reservations. Links lead to more info about the restaurants.

Disneyland 
Blue Bayou
Cafe Orleans
Carnation Cafe
Plaza Inn
Big Thunder Ranch BBQ

California Adventure
Carthay Circle
Ariel's Grotto

You can make these reservations online or by calling (714) 781-3463. If it's been a while since you've made a reservation at Disneyland, they now require a credit card to hold the reservation. If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance, you will be charged $10/person. 

Tink Tuesday

Another week already? I am enjoying this week a lot more though since I'm on vacation!!! Yay! :) 

My running has gotten a *bit* better. I ran on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday before work and then my "long" run on Sunday at just 4 miles. I think since I already have it in my mind that I'm not running for time, I'm just not trying anymore. I really need to snap out of that. 

During my long run: the birds (pelicans and seagulls) were going crazy!

I suspect that some of my lack of motivation comes from the fact that I essentially run circles around my house. Okay, it's a one mile loop that I try to run 2-3 times before work. But usually when I pass the house after mile 2, I just stop running. I also don't like running in the dark (call me paranoid, but better safe than sorry), so I don't run at night. So I'm joining my local gym! :) It's been a couple years since I've run on a treadmill, so hopefully I won't trip! Haha.

I may be on vacation this week, but my husband on the other hand has a jam packed week of work, school, networking events and two interviews. I really feel bad for lounging around the house while he's furiously working night and day. :/ 

On a more exciting note, we may be going to Europe! One of the jobs my husband is interviewing for won't start until February, so we might take advantage of the time off. But.... I'm also running Tink in the middle of January. So I may end up taking a 3 week adventure. Running with jet lag anyone? In any case, it reminded me that I need to change my name on my passport. I totally forgot about changing it when we got married. 

Check out my awkward photo- you can smile, but no teeth. Apparently it messes with facial recognition software. Who knew? 

How was your week? Do you train on the treadmill or run outside?