Scranton Half Marathon 2016 Recap

How is it possible that I haven't written this recap yet?! Actually, it's because I literally didn't take any photos since I was too busy running my ass off and PRing! The day started out like most other races: Joe and I got there plenty early and sat in the car for a while because it was a little chilly. He kept asking me how I felt and what my goal was and I kept telling him that I had absolutely no idea how the day was going to go. Deep down, I knew I'd be elated if I could finally run my sub-2, but honestly, no part of me thought that was possible at this point.

The race started on time and we were off! It was a cold morning, but the sun was out so I warmed up pretty quickly. Plus, I went out faster than I normally do for races, so that helped warm me up too. I was a little alarmed when I saw my first two mile times, but it felt pretty good so I decided to just ride it out as long as possible. I didn't have a goal time since my training had been sporadic since the Princess Half, so I would have been okay with sputtering out midway and just taking it easy from there on out. However, that didn't happen...

In some insane twist of fate, I kept running faster and faster until I was at the point where I knew I could sub-2 and knew I'd totally hate myself if I didn't. I mean, an 8:34 mile during a half marathon?! For me!? What the hell was going on?? But it did catch up with me and by mile 9, I was totally and completely done. I hated myself for getting into the position to sub-2. I hated myself for not letting myself give up now that I was in the position to sub-2. I hated my legs, which were nothing more than flaming, painful appendages flailing from my lower body. I hated my lungs, which were consumed with the same fire as my legs. I hated the people in front of me who, for some idiotic reason, I still felt like I had to chase down.

I struggled through the last two miles, like seriously struggled. I was in so much pain. But I knew there would be no living with myself if I didn't follow through now that I had gotten so far, so I soldiered on. I hit mile 13 and saw my husband as I came into the stadium. He had been watching the clock and hoping that I was going to come in under the 2 hour mark, but I don't know if he really expected to see me when I came through. I remember seeing the clock as I rounded the corner of the track and knew it was almost over and that I had done it. I crossed the finish line, got my medal, and had just enough time to find Joe and hug him before I started crying and my legs gave out simultaneously. We walked around for a little while like that, me crying and him supporting me like a giant handsome crutch, while I tried to process what I had just accomplished.

Looking back on it now with some distance, I'm still just as emotional and proud as I was then. I've never, ever pushed myself as hard as I did that day and I'm so damn proud of it. This was a race that is going to stick with me for a very long time and now when I hit a rough spot with training, I can look back on this race and remember what I'm capable of.

Disney Princess Half Marathon 2016 Race Recap

The day had finally come! I woke up not-so-bright, but definitely early to my alarm at 2:30am and got right out of bed. I was tired at first, but as soon as I realized what I was up for, I perked right up! I had all my stuff laid out from the night before, so we got ready pretty quickly and caught a bus shortly after 3am. The wait before heading to the corrals was looooong and cold, so we held on to our sweats until the very last second before gear check closed.

We decided to wait in the super long lines for the bathroom one last time before heading to the corrals. Apparently this was a bad idea, as we wound up having to jog all the way to our corral and made it with probably two minutes to spare before they started releasing the corrals. We both submitted proof of time with runDisney so we would be seeded in better corrals. Joe was placed in C and I was in D, so he dropped back with me so we could run together. This is one huge tip for these races, if you do nothing else, PLEASE submit a proof of time!

Each corral was released with an incantation from the Fairy Godmother and a burst of fireworks and before we knew it, it was our turn! It took a while for us to get into a comfortable pace and our first few miles were super inconsistent due to another bathroom break and attempting to stop for mile marker photos (FYI, they do not turn out well with an iPhone). I had been having IT band issues for two weeks before this race and I was so worried that it was going to flare up again, but I figured I would just start out conservatively and see how things went.

Things were going so much better than expected as we ran through the Magic Kingdom sign and onto the best miles of the race... Miles 4, 5, and 6 bring you into, through, and out of Magic Kingdom and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one of the coolest experiences of my life. Joe knows because I kept turning to him and saying, "This is so cool! This is SOOOO cool!"

Running down Main Street USA is like a dream come true and it's over before you know it. But don't worry, because you still get to cruise around Tomorrowland before making your way through Cinderella Castle and onto Frontierland. And can we just take a second to appreciate how insanely perfect this castle photo is?! I have had maybe two decent race photos in the dozen races I've done in the past three years, so this is some serious Disney magic!

Unfortunately, once you head out of MK, the course gets a little boring. It's mainly highway and it gets super narrow, but we had a lot of fun obnoxiously singing Aladdin songs and (safely!) weaving in and out of slower runners and walkers. I guess my Gu kicked in at this point because I had TONS of energy around miles 7 and 8! Miles 9, 10, and 11 were challenging and I was definitely starting to feel the fatigue in my legs from having not run for two weeks and for touring the parks heavily for two days before the race. I live in PA so I'm not afraid of hills, but I totally was not happy to see those overpasses so close to the end! There was no way I was stopping to walk there though, so we just kept right on running.

It was so bittersweet to see Epcot and know that the end was near. On one hand (foot?), my legs were spent and I wanted nothing more than to stop running. But on the other, I didn't want this experience to end. I had dreamed about running this race for three years and it felt like it was over in the blink of an eye.

We crossed the finish line together, hand in hook, with an official time of 2:24:01. The announcers actually called us in by name as we came to the line, which was just sweet icing on an already perfect cake. A volunteer asked if I wanted to be pixie dusted (uh, yes please!) and we continued on down the pathway to receive our medals. After experiencing the madness that was the Broad Street post-run area, we were both incredibly impressed with how organized this was. We each were also handed a mylar blanket, purple drawstring bag, water, and snack box.

I originally had planned on hanging out a little bit after the race, but it was so crowded and I just really wanted to take a shower, so we hopped on the waiting buses and headed back to All Star Sports. Plus, I was dying to get to Epcot!

We relaxed a little in the room after showering and made our way to Epcot just after 10am. I specifically planned Epcot for the day of the half, knowing full well how much walking it was going to be, because it was also going to be the best for eating (and drinking)! We started out with Via Napoli for lunch and ice cream at Beaches 'n Cream a few hours later. The pizza at Via Napoli was fantastic and the arancini is probably my new favorite appetizer anywhere. We really enjoyed walking to Beaches 'n Cream and exploring the Beach and Yacht Club resorts; we also really enjoyed the No Way José sundae!

After ice cream, I was feeling too sober, so we beelined for Germany where I had the Schofferhofer pink grapefruit beer. I generally don't prefer beer, but this one was perfectly light and fruity with only the slightest "beer" aftertaste. We explored the World Showcase as I enjoyed my beer and eventually made our way back into Future World to check out the Seas and the Land. At some point, we did ride Test Track and Spaceship Earth, but I'm forgetting now where they fit in during the day. Dinner brought us back to World Showcase at La Hacienda de San Angel and what a dinner it was. I've become a margarita freak over the past few years and those margaritas will be hard to top! Joe and I both had shrimp tacos and more chips and salsa than I care to admit, so we were both completely stuffed by the time we got up to leave. We made a stop back at Germany to visit the caramel shop for dessert, which actually wound up being breakfast the new morning (mmmm, caramel s'mores at 8am!), and very slowly made our way out of the park, savoring our last moments of Walt Disney World before embarking on our first cruise the next day. 

People always seem to be looking for information on this race, so if I can leave you with a few tips, they would be:

• Don't underestimate 13.1! Do your training and your body will thank you.
• Submit a proof of time! This gives you a better corral placement and more time for fun and photos on the course.
• Definitely plan on spending time in the parks after the race and wear your medal(s)!! We got so much acknowledgement from cast members and other visitors and it made us feel awesome. Plus, some light walking after the race will help you feel better the next day. I say this as if we did "light walking;" we put a total of 28.6 miles on our legs on Sunday!

In short, if you are thinking of running the Princess Half Marathon (or really any runDisney race), I urge you to DO IT! I know they are expensive, but if you love Disney and love running, it will be worth every penny.

Pre-Disney Princess Half Marathon 2016 Trip Report

I am finally home! We did a Royal Caribbean cruise after the half and I'm so thankful to be back on dry land.  I do NOT think cruising is for me... although I could probably be convinced by the Castaway Cay Challenge to give it another shot. ;) Anywayyyyy... For my own enjoyment (and hopefully yours...) I wanted to do a little recap of our WDW trip! There is a lot to cover, so I'm going to split the pre-half marathon stuff up into this post and then do a separate post for the race itself.

We flew out of PHL into MCO and arrived just short of 1:30pm. We got right on a Magical Express bus to All Star Sports and I received a text message that our room was ready while we were on the bus, so we went straight to the room upon arrival. We dropped our stuff off, got everything situated, and headed out to the lobby to catch a bus to the expo. I had been so worried about the expo before the trip because of all the horror stories of crowds and shoving and greedy, awful people, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. We picked up our bibs first and then headed into the merch area. I wasn't planning on getting the New Balance shoes at this point, so we went straight for the official merchandise. It was a little crowded in there and I didn't see any PHM-specific wine glasses or Tervis tumblers, which I would have liked to have. I did buy an "I did it!" shirt and a car magnet though, then we went and looked around at the rest of the stuff. We ended up being there from 3:30ish to just before 5pm.

We had dinner reservations at Kona Cafe for that night, so we took a bus straight to the Polynesian from the expo and got drinks out on the deck outside of Trader Sam's. After $50 and two drinks, we headed up for our dinner reservation. Seriously, who can resist those awesome souvenir glasses?? My husband got the zombie one and I had the HippopotoMai-Tai.  I originally wanted to get a Lapu Lapu (a whole ton of rum and fruit juice served in a hollowed out pineapple), but there was no way I could drink that too and still function as an adult. For dinner, we had some sushi: the California Luau roll and the Shrimp Tempura roll (INSANE!) and pot stickers. We were both pretty exhausted at this point and it was a little chilly out, so we decided to head back to the resort and get some sleep instead of watching the fireworks from the beach. We took the monorail over to Magic Kingdom and caught a bus from there, easy as pie. I feel like I NEED to stay at the Polynesian the next time we go, but I might have to sell a kidney to be able to afford it. #helpmeimpoor

We did Universal on Friday, which was fun since neither of us had seen the new Harry Potter expansion. Unfortunately, nothing other than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter appeals to us there, so it was kind of a short day. Some butterbeer was enjoyed while we walked around for a few hours and we visited Margaritaville for a margarita on our way out. We got an Uber from Universal to Disney Springs and did some shopping there in the evening before heading back to the resort.

Saturday was our planned Magic Kingdom day, but we ended up going back to the expo right when it opened because my sister-in-law texted me saying that if I went back to get her a pair of the Ariel New Balance sneakers, she would buy me a pair as my birthday/Christmas present this year! There were probably a dozen people ahead of us in line by the time we got there, but it went quickly and we were on our way to Magic Kingdom by 10am.

We did Be Our Guest for lunch and The Plaza for dinner and both were fantastic. I wanted to stay for Wishes, but decided around 7pm that I just wasn't going to make it and that I would thank myself in the morning for the extra sleep. And so we began the trek back to the All Stars for the night...

Broad Street Run 10 Miler 2015 Recap

I can't believe it's almost October and I still haven't written this recap! This was one of my favorite races (injury and all) and I hope I can remember enough to recap it properly. My husband and I decided to run/walk this one together since neither of us were in competition mode and we figured it would be more fun to suffer together.

We got into Philly on Friday and had the WORST time trying to find parking. We drove around for half an hour before I finally told my husband to stop and let me out so I could walk to the expo and get our packets before it closed. I got our stuff with plenty of time to spare thanks to the wonderfully organized expo and I snagged myself a big, comfy sweatshirt as well. After another half an hour, my husband finally texted me that he found a place to park and we met up for margaritas with my friend Jess.

My favorite view !

The race morning was a breeze. We woke up, walked to Broad Street to catch the free train to the start line, and waited for the race to start. The only negative thing I have to say about the race at all was that we waited FOREVER to start and we were no where near the back of the pack. But I suppose with 40,000 runners that's to be expected.

We tried to stick with 1:1 intervals, but it was hard to keep track of my watch beeping when there was so much noise and energy on the course. I had such a blast even though I couldn't run the whole thing. There were people everywhere on the course and so much support, it was insane! Towards the end, the crowds were actually so heavy that they were closing in on the course, which honestly made me hot and claustrophobic. Some fences or better crowd control would have been greatly appreciated.

We wound up finishing together with a time of 2:04:50, which ends up being an average pace of 12:28/mi. All things considered, I was pretty pleased with that. The medals are awesome and we thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the largest 10 miler in the country! Here's hoping we make it through the lottery next year because I would love to actually run this!

Scranton Half Marathon 2015 Recap

On Sunday, I completed the 2nd annual Scranton Half Marathon. After my fairly painful experience at the Hot Chocolate 15k the weekend before, I was slightly nervous about the half. I actually debated dropping out for a brief moment, but we ran the inaugural race last year and it's really important to both Joe and me that we become legacy runners for this awesome local race. Besides, I'm not the type of person to just drop out and not even try. :P

The expo was nice and not overly crowded when we picked our packets up on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, they were sold out of this year's hoodies, but I scored a water bottle and stemless wine glass from last year's race on clearance! I learned my lesson and will be preordering a sweatshirt next year for sure because I'm really bummed that I don't have this year's. A girl can never have too many sweatshirts.

Puts it into perspective, doesn't it?

Race morning started by dragging myself out of bed at 6am, getting dressed, eating some oatmeal, and heading out the door just after 7am. We got to the race by 7:30 and were able to park nice and close in the high school parking lot. We lined up around 8:45 and the race started promptly at 9am. I didn't really have a plan; I did want to use intervals, but the timer app that I downloaded wouldn't work if my phone screen was off so I ditched that right away. I ended up basically running the downhills and walking the uphills, with additional walk breaks whenever I felt I was pushing too hard.

The course was the same as last year and I felt like I enjoyed it more this year because I got an extra hour to take it all in! The weather was also fantastic just like last year. It was 37 and sunny when we started and 55 and sunny when I finished three hours later. Somewhere around mile two or three, I wound up around two women running for Team in Training. They were doing intervals that matched up pretty well to what I was doing, so I creepily followed behind them for a while and I'm so glad I did. Those two women were so uplifting to listen to. They thanked every volunteer, built each other up, and cheered on other runners and walkers. Their positivity really resonated with me and helped change my mood from "ugh this sucks being injured and being in the back" to "I'm so thankful that I can still be out here doing this even if I'm not 100%".

Lackawanna Heritage Trail portion of the race

I ended up following those ladies (not the ones in the photo, I passed them :P) until mile eight when my good knee turned into my bad knee and I had to switch my knee brace over and walk for a while. I decided that I would walk to mile 10 and in the meantime, I took some ibuprofen and a salted caramel Gu. They both kicked in right around the same time and at mile 10, I was ready to go! I knew it wasn't smart, but I ran a lot of the last three miles. I just felt so good and I knew it was because of the pain killers, but I wasn't feeling the snapping in the back of my knee like I usually do and that's not something pain killers can dull, so I figured I was okay to run. I finished with an official time 2:57:36, which is officially my slowest half marathon, but you know what? I'm not mad. I wasn't disappointed when I finished and I haven't felt upset at all in the days following. I'm just happy that I was able to get out there and participate in this great event and enjoy a beautiful day.

The medals feature an electric trolley, part of Scranton's history as the "Electric City." It's fantastically heavy and although I like last year's design better, I'm thrilled with this one too. They also gave out awesome fleece blankets at the finish like last year! The list of reasons why I love this race is far too long. Hopefully I'll be healthy and fast(ish) again for next year!

Hot Chocolate 15k Philadelphia Recap

On Saturday morning, my husband and I completed the Hot Chocolate 15k race in Philadelphia (bum leg and all!). We love going down to Philly to run because we get to stay with my best friend and her boyfriend who we don't get to see nearly enough. I got out of work at noon on Friday, so we drove right down and went to the expo, which was fantastic. We got there around 4pm and there were hardly any lines for bib or goody bag pickup. They had a separate area where you could try on your sweatshirt and switch sizes if needed and every single volunteer we interacted with was so kind and helpful! We walked around for a few minutes, got a few free samples, grabbed some hot chocolate and marshmallows, and decided to head back out.

We stopped at the Reading Terminal Market right before they closed and looked around a bit before heading back to the apartment to make dinner (pasta, obviously!), play Cards Against Humanity, eat candy, and go to bed early. We woke up the next morning planning to leave around 6:40 to get to the start around 7 and it worked out perfectly. We got dropped off a little ways away from the art museum and walked to the starting area, thinking it would be a great warm up but nothing was going to warm us up from that wind! It was around 50 degrees but the wind was killer! We watched the 5k start and then huddled in the merch tent to stay warm until they called us to line up in our corrals.

The 15k started right on time at 8am; Joe started in the first corral and I started in the second. We submitted proof of time to be placed there and I stayed up there to give me a cushion against the time limit since I knew I wouldn't be running the whole thing. I ran the first half mile and then started doing quarter mile walk/run intervals. I made it to mile 5 with that strategy with minimal irritation before my leg started yelling at me. From that point on, I walked and tried not to hate myself for possibly messing my leg up further.

The course itself was nice aside from the wind, which obviously isn't the race director's fault. It didn't seem very hilly to me, although I know there were some hills. They don't seem as bad when you're walking them. ;) I typically don't like out and back courses, but the view of the river and Boathouse Row was a great distraction, plus the Philadelphia Museum of Art makes an awesome finish line area. I wound up with an official finish time of 2:18:34 which winds up being juuuuuuuust under the required average pace of 15:00 min/mile.

The finish line area wasn't crowded at all; I found a volunteer and got my medal (so cute!), grabbed a bottle of water from another volunteer, and made my way over to Joe who waited to get his finisher's mug until I was done. Seriously, I have the best husband ever. The mug had hot chocolate, a banana, and chocolate fondue with a bunch of little things to dip in it. We made our way over to the "Rocky steps" with the thought process being that they would block some of the wind (they really didn't) and enjoyed our mug there. My leg actually felt decent, so we decided to start on the two mile trek back to the apartment in the wind.

I showered, iced my leg, ate a delicious salad from Sweetgreen, and we headed out again because I wanted to go to Lululemon and Whole Foods. Between the race and all the walking around the city we did, my FitBit clocked me at 20.62 miles for the day! Needless to say, I spent the rest of the weekend being totally exhausted and I'm still not even totally caught up today.

Despite not being in proper running condition, I had a great time and would absolutely come back to do this race again when I'm healthy and able to run the whole thing! The organization was great and I can't think of a single thing I could complain about. And can we talk about the perks for a second? The medal is adorable and so detailed and the sweatshirt is so nice! It fits great and I loved that they allowed you to switch sizes at the expo if you needed to. I'll be getting a lot of use out of it! Two thumbs up for the Hot Chocolate series!!

PT Week 3 Update

Well, I'm almost done! I only have one week of physical therapy left. The good news is that I was able to run this week! I did ten minutes on Monday and fifteen yesterday. The hammy still doesn't feel 100%, but it felt better the longer I ran so I'm happy with that progress. I have been wearing a neoprene knee sleeve and it seems like it helps keep me from overextending my leg when I run or walk.

I was instructed to walk the Hot Chocolate 15k tomorrow. I plan on doing that, but if I feel good, I might sneak a couple short run breaks in there too. I'm actually a little worried about keeping up with the time limit (which is a foreign feeling to me thankfully), but I got placed in one of the earlier corrals so I think that I should be okay.

I have a half day at work today and we are leaving for Philly as soon as I get done, so I'm counting down the minutes even more than usual! I can't wait to hang out with my best friend all weekend and eat absurd amounts of chocolate tomorrow! ;) I'll be back sometime next week with a recap of the race!