I feel like a failure

Nice way to come back from a blogging hiatus, right? Well, unfortunately, this is how I'm feeling right now. I will be posting my race and Disneyland trip recaps soon, there is lots to report on that front and things are finally starting to slow down in my crazy world right now. So those tidbits are forthcoming.

So, now...what is going on?

Well, let me say that this year I had goals that I had set out at the very start of the year. I had made it very clear last year and throughout this year so far that I had the goal to get fit after the pregnancy, to run Dumbo again and to train and complete my first marathon in January 2015.

However, it seems that with every attempt I make to try and accomplish these goals I get more and more road blocks and encounter even more pitfalls.

Disneyland Half Countdown: 7 days!

Wow...how time flies. I swear it feels like it was just two months out from the race just yesterday. Where does the time go? I feel like the weeks have been a blur of worry, anticipation, excitement, concern, focus and lots of hard work. It may not be reflected in the mileage that I've accumulated over the past couple of months, but the proof is in my ability to simply get up and down from a seated position. Not all progress can be easily measured.

I was worried about my training and the ability to get my body healthy by race weekend. Now we are one week out and I still have some concern about my body being able to handle the rigors of this race weekend, but nowhere near the concerns I had even a month ago. I can't even begin to express how happy I am that I decided to go into physical therapy for my hip issues. I am so incredibly thankful for my therapist and the work that we have been doing over the past month. Her attention to my problem areas and exercises I have been doing have literally changed my life. It really is amazing.

The strength and stability I am gaining is giving me confidence to attack the coming race weekend with peace of mind. As I have said before, I am not going into these races expecting to run the whole time or get even get a decent time, let alone a PR! I am going to simply enjoy the experience and run in one of my favorite places on Earth. Oh...and to take home these beauties!! (except for the kids race one, though I love the lanyard!!)

End of Week 16 Dumbo Double Dare Training

Oh geez...week 16 of training done! That means we are in week 17 now and week 18 is the race! GAH!!! That's NEXT WEEK!!! It's almost here! It's almost here!!! Disneyland NEXT WEEK!!! ::jumping up and down, clapping excitedly::

I'm not scared about running the races anymore now. I'm mostly excited. I have been working on my running and my training has been moving along. I can't be mad or down on myself for not being at the point of health I wanted to be for this race because SO MUCH has been going on with my physical therapy. So much change and improvement has been happening that I couldn't POSSIBLY be completely ready for this race weekend. That being said, I will be able to run, have fun and work on recovering better after each race.

So let's get to the training recap!

Tuesday: 30 minute run
Saturday: 9 mile run

End of Week 15 Dumbo Double Dare Training

Holy cow...did I just type week 15? That means I'm currently in week 16 and week 18 ends with the race weekend!!! AH!!! That means I will be in Disneyland in TWO WEEKS!!!! GAH!!!!

Oh man...I need to start packing. Yes, I am one of those people that starts packing way before they leave on the trip. Well...at least I get my list ready and do laundry and get it all organized, so not really packed into the suitcase, but more like have it prepared to throw into the suitcase the night before I leave. Because that's how I roll. I've been fine tuning and tweaking my pack list for the past 4 months (yes, 4 months, I get excited about trips and start to plan!) and I'm still to this day making small adjustments. Take this item off, add a different item on, increase the number of this item, decrease the number of another item. See what I mean, it's hard work being organized. 

Though this post isn't about my packing skillz, this is about training, so why don't we get to it! The scheduled training runs for Week 15 are as follows:

Best Hotel Accommodations - Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend

When planning a Disney racecation, there are certain things that are important to lock down fairly early on. First of all is your registration to the race (they sell out so quick now!), flights/transportation and of course, your accommodations! When thinking of a hotel for a racecation it is all about location, location, location. Oh and price! Whether you are going with your family or sharing a room with your best running friends, it is important to get the most for your dollar. And since you are travelling somewhere to race (and possibly sight see) you really would like to have a hotel that is close to the action without breaking your budget.
Luckily, with the Disneyland races there are many hotel options for you to choose from that fit all price levels. Now with all the options (44 in all between on property and Good Neighbor hotels) it would be tough (and a bit long!) to write a comprehensive list of all the available hotels. So I am going to pick a few options to review and hope that they give you a broad sense of what is available to book on your next racecation to the Disneyland Resort!

It just so happens that the three Good Neighbor hotels I will be talking about happen to be in the Moderate category, however they offer very different experiences and are at different locations around the Disneyland Resort!

Run Disney also provides comprehensive information on shuttles to the resort for race and expo days. They have outlined the hotels and routes that ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) goes in order to get you to the expo as well as the race start and then back to the resorts after you have finished. Please make sure you leave enough time for the transfer in the mornings and prepare for long lines after you finish to be back to your resort.

The first best hotel (and my personal favorite) is Best Western Park Inn and Suites which is located just across Harbor Blvd from the Main Entrance to Disneyland. You literally cross the street and you are walking onto the resort property, it is very close and convenient! The rooms are spacious and nicely appointed. You have your choice between king or two queen beds and each room also comes with a pullout sofa bed! So if you are looking to save some money, you can get a double queen room and be able to sleep 5-6 people! Though there is only one bathroom, so pick your battles!

Speaking of the bathroom, the shower/tub and toilet are separate from the sink area, there is a large closet with mirrors on the sliding doors, a large desk and comfortable chair, large entertainment center with a flat screen TV. There is also a mini fridge and microwave in each room as well as many plugs to charge all your electronic devices. They also offer an impressive complimentary continental breakfast each morning with eggs, bacon, waffles, along with all your standard breakfast items. Please note that it opens at 6am so it will not be open in time for runners to grab something on their way to the start line. (Side note: I would grab an extra banana and bagel and put it in my room for the next mornings breakfast while I walked to the corrals, worked out great!)

They commonly have discounts and we used our AAA membership to get a room for around $90/night during Disneyland Half weekend last year. It was a fantastic rate for a great room in a great location! 

The next hotel is the Anabella Hotel located on Katella Avenue just south of the resort by the California Adventure park. While the hotel is close to the parks, it is quite a walk to get to the entrance of the resort. You would have to take Katella to Harbor and follow that up to the main entrance there, or take Katella to S West Street and enter the resort via Downtown Disney. Either way will be about a 30 minute walk so just be aware! The ART is also available to transfer you to and from the resort.

The rooms are beautifully appointed and provide many rooming options from your standard to concierge level. Options include two queen beds or one king, with full granite bathrooms and free wifi (a must nowadays!) There is a fridge and coffee machine along with a complete entertainment system including a flat screen TV. They have a great restaurant on site, but do not offer a complimentary continental breakfast unless you are a Business First or Concierge level guest. 

The grounds are beautiful and the hotel is quite lovely with so many options (even bunk beds for the kids!). Their prices are a bit more than the Best Western coming in at $121/night for a standard room up to $150-190 a night for concierge or kids suite rooms. This is a great option for those that want to be a bit more removed from the parks and be able to enjoy some peace and quiet. 

The third Good Neighbor hotel is the Howard Johnson located on S Harbor Blvd just west of the Disneyland Resort. This hotel is also serviced by the ART and will be providing transfers for Run Disney for the races and expo. You can walk from the hotel to the Disneyland resort, just realize that it will take some time because you are walking along a busy area and can take approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.

Howard Johnson is a world of its own! Not only do they have warm, spacious rooms, but they also have a pool and water park area (yes, I said water park!) that can rival some stand alone parks that you have to pay to get in to. And this area is complimentary to all guests! So if you have kiddos and want to have a place to come have some fun at outside of the park, this place is perfect!

Their rooms are nicely appointed, spacious and include a fridge, coffee maker (it's a Keurig!), free wi-fi (bonus!), desk area and TV. There are a few bed configurations with two queen beds, or one king, or one queen with bunk beds, a fold out couch, there are so many options. Basically you can fit a family of 4-6 easily in one of these rooms, just again, be aware of the bathroom situation, there is just one! :)
Unfortunately they do not offer a continental breakfast, but do have a restaurant on-site, along with other options on the street. The rates run any where between $175/night and upwards of $220/night. They do have rate sales and offers through out the year that can cut those rates in half sometimes, making it a very economical place to stay!

Lastly but not least, are a couple of on-property options for your magical Run Disney experience. The Disneyland Hotel has done some major room remodels and have provided guests with a room experience not to be missed! Including the headboards pictured below, with a flip of a switch a fiber optic light show appears with some music to add to the magic! The rooms come with two queens or one king and a fold out sofa, floor to ceiling windows with fantastic views of the grounds (and parks!), beautifully appointed bathrooms with hidden Disney touches, a coffee maker, and premium bath amenities.

The Grand Californian is a beautiful homage to the rustic Arts and Crafts period with dark woods and luxurious features strewn throughout the resort, it is tough not to get swept up in the whimsy of this Craftsman style treasure. The rooms are wonderfully appointed with two queens or one king bed with a pull out sofa, flat screen TV's, comfortable seating, a coffee maker and premium bathroom amenities. The views are also hard to beat from anywhere in the hotel!

In addition to these beautiful hotel accommodations both of their pool areas are fantastic places for an afternoon respite from the parks, offering water slides, hot tubs and cabanas, there is a little something for everyone. Neither resort offers a complimentary continental breakfast unless you are on the Concierge level, then there is a special room where there are complimentary snacks, drinks and offerings throughout the day for those guests.

What is wonderfully unique about these resorts is their proximity to the start and finish lines of the races, they are quite literally right outside. The runner area and finish line is staged in the parking lot and street right outside the front of the Disneyland Hotel and only a few minutes walk from the Grand Californian. You can reach the runner area in less than 10 minutes, talk about prime location! That location can come with a hefty price tag though, the Disneyland Hotel rates start around $300/night whereas the Grand Californian rates start at $400/night with Concierge level rates starting at around $650/night. Both hotels provide wonderful memories and amenities (including an exclusive entry way into California Adventure from the Grand Californian) and are a must see even if you don't have the ability to stay there.

There you have it! Some really great choices of places to stay that have many different offerings for any budget and age range. There are so many other places that have rave reviews from other runners, so don't just take my word, ask around and get opinions! With so many choices you will never run out of options for your next Disneyland racecation! 

Disneyland Race Weekend: 5K Race Recap

With all the runDisney buzz yesterday with the announcement of the first ever night meet-up at this years Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend, I got so excited and am currently going through runDisney withdrawls, that I couldn't wait to finish my race recaps.  So, continuing on with my recap of the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend, here is the first race recap, the 5K.

Yes, if you know my blog content leading up to this, I had signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare and was REALLY excited about running the inaugural of the 10K AND the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge! However during the hype of signing up for the DDD, everyone was talking about running the 5K too, think of all the BLING you would rack up. My eyes glittered and my credit card winced, I signed up for the 5K too. The cool think about doing the 5K, well other than the extra neckware, was that my hubby was running the race with me as well! It would be his first 5K in almost two years and his first finisher medallion ever. So this 5K was going to be a special race for us.

The morning started off like any other runDisney race morning...REALLY EARLY! If the races have to be done before the park opens, that means 0:dark-thirty start times! This was our picture before we left the hotel room, bibbed up and ready to go! I was dressed as Alice as there was a very distinct reason why, you'll find out very soon!

Disneyland Weekend Recap: The Expo

I'm so sorry that my recaps are so sporatic! Between work and home life I've been swamped lately. Definitely running into the "there's so much to do and not enough hours to do it" syndrome. So thank you for hanging in with me on these, considering my recaps are almost a month after the races.

Ugh...that makes it sound worse.

So now onto the next big event and the official beginning of the runDisney race weekend: the expo!!! So let me preface this recap by saying I've had only one other experience with a runDisney expo and it was during the Princess Half Marathon this year, which from what I heard from the runDisney faithfuls, one of their worst. You can read my recap of that here. So when I went to Disneyland race weekend I was hopeful that I would encounter a better planned and laid out expo than what I had experienced earlier this year.

Friday morning I met up with Jen of Travel Girl on the Run, Kim of Kim Runs Disney and Beyond and Jen of Hello Fitness...We Meet Again. We decided to grab an early breakfast and get into the expo line early before it opens at 10am, so we figured meeting around 8ish would be good to scope out the line and grab something to eat. Well good thing we had done that because by 8am, there were two lines forming, one for bibs and one for the runDisney merch area of the expo. Both lines had at least 50-100 people each in them.  So we hopped into the merch line, as we knew from experience that the merch area is the one that fills up and items thin out the quickest. So if we really wanted something, we had to get there REALLY early.

Disneyland Weekend Recap: The Warm-up

So I'm finally getting around to my recaps of the Disneyland Race weekend in Anaheim, there is so much to cover that is race related and not race related, you're going to see it ALL! Here we go!

So we (hubby and I) headed for Disneyland a bit earlier to get some time in the parks before the craziness of the race weekend started. We flew out early Thursday morning to Anaheim, literally to Fort Wayne airport. I love that place, it's nice and small, easy to navigate and just a short 15 minute drive to and from Disneyland from there. Easy peasy!

 Us on the plane and with our carry-on only luggage!

"The Jam" Thursday

Hello!!!! Happy Thursday to you! I'm finally back to some normalcy in life this week. I've been in and out of town for the past two weeks, so I am enjoying some quality time with my bed and pillows. Vacations are always fun, but you never know what you are going to get as far as sleeping options when you go to hotels. I've been from a super comfy king size bed, to a super stiff queen sized murphy bed (that was an experience) all in the span of a week. So sleeping in my own bed with my own pillows has been BLISSFUL!!!

Wait...did I just ramble on about beds? Ugh...maybe I'm still a bit sleep deprived. HA!

Regardless, it's good to be back home and having some sort of routine back in my life. It's also good to be back blogging, I know I have taken quite the hiatus and I apologize, I was just having so much fun that time got away from me. BUT! I have tons of pictures and lots to catch you up on, so prepare for the recap craziness that will occur next week, I'm so excited to share about everything!

Now it's time for today's "jam"! This is another song from an artist I had featured on here before. The other song didn't seem to appeal to many people, but was one that I really enjoyed. So imagine my surprise when my sister, who is very worldly with her music, stopped channel surfing one day in the car to listen to this song. It's not something I would have expected her to like and was quickly made aware of how popular this song has gotten, much to my surprise and delight. So without anything further, today's "jam" is:

Momentum Monday: Run Like A Boss

This weekend is the weekend I've been waiting for since I signed up for it in December, it is the Disneyland Half weekend in Anaheim, CA. As I type those words I still can't believe it! This race weekend has been a long time coming and the fact that I know how quickly it will go by makes me want to put the brakes on and slow time for a bit.

I know what is coming this weekend and it will come like a freight train, you just can't stop it. There will be meet-ups and meals with friends, there will be rides and photo hi-jinx, there will be old friends greeting each other with hugs and new friends coming together with open hearts, there will be laughs and happy tears, there will be tons of catching up and cascades of yawns into the late night hours, there will be shopping and costume wearing, and finally there will be running and getting the bling we've all worked so hard for.

This weekend will be one to remember and one we won't soon forget, and I've been so blessed to have so many great people to plan and experience this with, that I can't think about it being here just yet. Today I officially start my packing and I've got the list all made out. I have my schedule made for the weekend with all the "official times" and all the meet-ups I'm doing and a little bit of sleep scheduled in there somewhere.

But all this prep wouldn't be happening if it weren't for one thing: running. All the fun and anticipation is great but it also is because we are gathering to run races together. To push ourselves physically and to have fun in the process. As I get ready for this weekend, physically and mentally, I have to remember that all my training has brought me to this point and I can't prepare myself anymore than I already have, it's race time. So as I mentally get myself in the game, this quote really jumped out at me for today's Momentum Monday.

End of Week 16 Double Dare Training

It's Wednesday and there are officially 7 more days until I leave for Disneyland!!!  WOOHOO!!!  The race is next weekend...yes, I didn't stutter...NEXT weekend! It's so crazy knowing that this race weekend, something that I have been looking forward to since I signed up for it in December, is just around the corner! This time next week I will be putting the final touches on my packing and triple checking my list to make sure I didn't forget a thing!

Looking at these lovelies makes me giddy, knowing that in just a few days all of these could be mine. SO. EXCITED!

End of Week 15 Double Dare Training

Oh boy am I tired! I was up all night monitoring a website until 12:30.

Crazy? Maybe.

Determined? You better believe it!

I bet you're asking why was I up half the night staring at a website? If you are versed at all in the world of runDisney, you would know or have heard about their coveted social media meet-ups. They hold one at each big race weekend in WDW and Disneyland to help promote the brand runDisney and teach health benefits fof running, as well as share some secrets/tips on nutrition, training and gear.

The focus is to have individuals who are active in the social media spheres attend so that they can tweet, Facebook, Instagram and blog about the experience. This coverage helps to get the runDisney name and their ideals out to the masses that are on social media everyday. For the participant, it is a great way to connect directly with the core of the brand and help them promote races that are near and dear to our hearts. I have been very focused on trying to get a place into one of these meet-ups as it would be a great honor to be able to partake in the process and meet some of the fantastic people that make runDisney, well, "run".

So while I am working on recovering from my lack of sleep last night, I can review how my training went this past week! Let's take a look at the schedule!

"The Jam" Thursday

Hello, hello all! I'm in a good mood this morning because I got my run in before work and when I do I seem to have a cheerier disposition in the morning. I'm gonna say it's because of the endorphins that I'm in a good mood and the fact that I shook off some stress.

I'm also in a good mood because I realized that in exactly three weeks from today I will be on a plane heading towards Anaheim to start my whirlwind, magical race weekend in Disneyland. I can't wait! 

Today however is Thursday and time for me to share another "jam" with you, the songs that get my legs pumping and my booty bumping. This performer needs no introduction, she does it all on her own. She's been making hits for years and sometimes you get one stuck in your head and can't get it out...like this one. I'll find myself humming the chorus while I'm doing something and not even realize it. 

So without much ado, I present today's "jam":

End of Week 14 Double Dare Training

Wait...end of week 14? That means there are only 4 more weeks until the big race weekend!?! Holy cow is it coming up soon! It is so exciting! I'm not really concerned about whether I will be able to finish the races or not at this point. My training has been going nice and steady and after every long run I've had, I actually feel like I could keep going without any issue or discomfort. I just stop because I don't want to push too far too soon, but my body has done it before and can most certainly do it again!

Seriously though, I am really, really, REALLY excited for this race weekend! All the chatter and information on get togethers has been growing steadily and it just makes me so excited for the weekend to get here and sad to know that it's only a couple of days of whirlwind fun and excitement, then I'm back to reality and missing my running friends from across the country again. :(

The countdown until we leave for Disneyland started months ago and looking at the countdown now we only have 21 days until we are in the Happiest Place on Earth. I'm so excited, I have this awesome picture as my background on my work monitor.

"The Jam" Thursday

I had a terrible nights sleep last night. Why?

Well, I know when a race is coming soon because I start getting nightmares about it. Yeah...I had one last night. Of course it was about the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend (which is in 28 days, FYI!), but it was about the 5K race specifically. Me and one other female (don't know who it was) were standing in this tented area at the finish line of the 5K cheering people onto the finish and talking with them about the race and praising them for doing a great job. Then we both looked at each other and realized that we hadn't raced yet and the 10K was starting soon and we needed to get to that race too! We ran out onto the course and were the last people out there and all I can remember was running frantically, passing cheering crowds and looking down the long straightaway at the beginning of the course and feeling a huge lump in the pit of my stomach....then I woke up.

Oh boy...if these dreams continue on for the rest of the month, I will have run these races more times than I care to in my head! I hope they go away! But the likelihood of that isn't good. :(  Oh well.

Today is Thursday and that means I get to share another "jam" with you. This one is from a DJ and vocalist collaboration that I really enjoyed. I shared another of their songs many months back and wanted to revisit their work and share another great track. I've shared a couple of songs from this vocalist and I really enjoy what she is doing lately and I think she has really found her musical niche.

Without further ado, I present today's "jam":

End of Week 13 Double Dare Training and Race Info!

It's Wednesday and...wait, it's Wednesday? When did that happen? I mean I don't mind the week going quickly, but that means the race weekend is that much closer! How much closer? 26 days! Holy cow!

Let's talk training!

Tuesday: 30 minute run
Thursday: 30 minute run
Saturday: 4 miles with Magic Mile

Let's start with Tuesday. I've been riding the wave of getting out for my runs on Tuesdays and LOVING it. However when I woke up this past Tuesday, my hips and lower back were quite angry with me. If being laid up for a month and a half with hip and back pain has taught me anything, it's to not push it when there is discomfort or pain for risk of further injury. I am not able to run without my hips and back being in working order and not in pain. So in order to not make the situation worse, I took the day off from running and let my hips and back relax and workout whatever kinks were in there.

End of Week 12 Double Dare Training

Wow...does that say week 12? There are only 19 weeks in the training guide, that means there are only 7 more weeks of training, well technically 6 weeks considering the week after the race is included in the training schedule as well. That means there are 6 weeks until the big race weekend. 6 weeks until I get to run through the castle at Disneyland. 6 weeks until I can hopefully get my Coast to Coast medal to top off an incredible year of running at Disney.

Less than 6 weeks, that's 37 days, until 22.4 miles.

Oh boy...let's get to the training!

End of Week 11 Double Dare Training

I received the best posts on Twitter from some dear friends, "You know what day it is? It's Hump day! Happy Wednesday!" Then that was followed up by "Yay for Hump Day and one day closer to Disneyland!" I couldn't have said to better myself!!!!

Happy Wednesday to everyone and I hope there are some fun plans coming up this weekend for you! We are officially 41 days from the beginning of the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend and 43 days from the half marathon race itself! Wow...it's getting so close! With just over a month left until the Dumbo Double Dare makes it's debut, I'd better get on my training! Here is what the schedule looked like for this week:

Tuesday: 30 minute run
Thursday: 30 minute run
Saturday: 4 miles run

End of Week 10 Double Dare Training

So yesterday was the official opening of registration for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland in January of next year.  All the excitement and chatter on the boards from the people registering and planning for the race, just made me all the more excited about my upcoming race in Disneyland in Aug/Sept that I've just been floating for the past two days.

For anyone that knows me, I'm a huge fan of Disney in general so when I found out last year that there were races at the parks, I was SO HAPPY! I get to combine my love of Disney and love of running, it's a total win-win.