145 Days Until the Disney Princess Half Marathon

 

I ran my first race this morning in over a year and the first race that I actually trained for in almost two and a half years.  I ran an 8K, which is also the longest distance I have ever raced. 

 

The day did not start with the amazing, euphoric feelings of race day.  The day started with rain.  Hard rain.  Rain that just didn't want to stop.  As I got closer to the Oceanfront, I could see a gorgeous sun peeking through the clouds.  I got a little excited.  But, the rain didn't stop.  I begged it to stop.  I pleaded with it to stop.  It didn't stop.  I found my parking spot (by found, I mean paid $10 for) and laced up my running shoes.  Then I did something that is COMPLETELY out of character for me.  I willingly got out of the car and stood out in the rain -so I could run almost 5 miles on a Saturday morning.  A lot of other fools did the same thing.  Runners are obviously not smart enough to come in out of the rain.

 

The good thing about standing around in the rain (or hiding from it under an awning like I was doing), is that you can make friends.  This morning I met a man named Kyle.  He's new to this running thing too.  I also got to see an old friend from my pre-kids days.  Susan started running 6-7 years ago when we first met.  Now she is lightning fast and has qualified for her 4th (yep, that says 4th!) Boston Marathon.   

 

The 5K was first, so after watching the winner finish in just over 17 minutes, we got to wait a little longer and then finally make our way to the starting line.  Susan made her way to the front of the pack and I found my way to the back. 

 

There is nothing like a starting line. Watching hundreds (or thousands) of heads bobbing up and down in front of you as soon as the gun goes off and knowing that you are part of this wave of people is an amazing feeling. (Fast people probably have never had this feeling. You have to start at the back to see it happen!)

 

The gun went off and we started moving.   I started my timer to try and guess my finish time at the end.  I didn't start my intervals right away.  There were too many people at the start to navigate.   It didn't take long for the crowd to thin out.  After about a half mile, everyone found their happy pace and I started the interval watch. 

 

The run felt good.  It never really stopped raining.  Sometimes the rain slowed down a little and sometimes it was just a drizzle, but it pretty much rained for 4.96 miles.  You know what....I didn't hate it.  It was annoying and I was wet, but I wasn't miserable. 

 

 

My goal for today was to finish in an hour.  My big boys were supposed to play t-ball this morning and if I finished the race in 60 minutes, I could get to their game on time.  My normal goals are to actually finish and to not finish dead last.  I knew that I would finish.  I also knew that I wasn't going to be last.  So, I give myself a time goal.  I finished my last 5 mile run in 1:07, so I knew that it would be close.

 

The race was sort of a circle, but it was only on one road.  Once the leaders made the turns, we could see them running back towards us.  I saw my friend Susan and my new friend Kyle.  They were both way ahead of me.  When I made the turn, I saw that there were a lot of people behind me.  (That was a pretty great feeling.)  Susan finished in about 35 minutes and walked back to run with me for the last quarter mile or so.  It was nice to see her and even nicer that she joined me for the last little bit.  She kept me running when the watched beeped so I finished at a "sprint".  I crossed the finish line with a clock time of just seconds over an hour.  My watch said 59:31.  I am waiting for the official chip times.  I met my goal!  I finished in under an hour and I would have made it to t-ball on time.  (Of course, the game got cancelled because of the weather.) 

 

Today's run was a rockstar kind of run.  I ran in the stupid rain and I posted a pretty decent time.  It makes me really excited about the 10K at the end of October!!

 

Today's stats:

4.97 miles (8K) in 59:31  (11.9 minute mile!)

Mile 1:  11.23

Mile 2:  12.04

Mile 3:  12.14

Mile 4:  12.13

Mile .97:  11.35

 

Average:  11.54

 

 

PS - Thanks to my wonderful husband for holding down the fort and being so supportive of this adventure. 

 



 

 

 

147 Days Left

I didn't want to go today.  I wanted to curl up under my covers and go back to sleep.  I wanted some Sleeping Beauty sleep.  Too bad the magical kisses were wet and sloppy and way too early.  (But, those really are the best kinds of kisses!)  My body is telling me something.  I am not quite sure what it is telling me and I know that I am not listening closely enough.  I've been TIRED for the past few weeks - take an afternoon nap EVERY DAY tired.  I haven't felt like this since I was pregnant with the baby.  Since I am pretty sure I am not expanding our family, there must be something else going on.  My muscles are sore, even with my stretching after the run.  I'm back to having race dreams.  I haven't had those since we moved.  Since I don't know what is wrong with me, I went running.

 

Once I got started, I didn't hate it.  It wasn't easy, but I didn't hate it.  I gave myself the out to turn around early.  I didn't.  I kept going.  My legs started fighting me on the way back.  I wasn't home yet, so I couldn't stop.  I wanted to quit.  I was hoping that someone I know would drive by and offer me a ride home.  Nobody did, so I kept going.  I'm glad I went.  I'm glad I didn't turn around. 

 

Today's Stats:

3.52 miles in 44:48 (12.6 minute miles)

 

Next up:

Neptune Festival 8K at 8:15am on Saturday morning.  I have to run fast enough to finish and get from the Oceanfront to Hickory for a 10:00 t-ball game.

149 Days Left

 I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose.  It's been going around my house.  I guess it's my turn.  I wanted to stay in bed.  It was dark and cool and I felt icky.  I almost did.  Then I remembered that I registered for a race on Saturday morning.  A real, timed race.  (It's the Neptune Festival 8K....an 8K!)  I figured that it would be a bad idea to skip a run on a race week so I got up and I got dressed. 

I decided to stay in the neighborhood in case I wimped out and stopped early.  The first run of the week is a short run.  My goal was 3 laps around my neighborhood (2.6 miles) with the option to stop after 2 if I was miserable.  (I have that option when I stay close to home.  If I run out of the neighborhood, I don't have a choice....I have to get home.  I sort of like that option more.  It takes away the ability to stop.)

Anyway, once I got going, I felt good.  It was cool to almost chilly this morning.  I started in a long sleeved running jacket which I took off after a lap and a half and then dropped in the driveway when I got back there.  My hands were cold for most of the run.  I am going to have to find some gloves.  I finished my 3 laps and a little bit since I started my warm up walk at the bus stop and then walked home with my husband and baby and then walked back to the corner. 

I had a realization this morning.  When I first started this training adventure, my daily runs were just over 2 miles.  I was running about a minute and walking a minute.  It was taking me 30 minute to do those runs.  Now my shortest run of the week is over 2.5 miles   I am running 2 minutes and walking a minute.  My short runs take 30 - 45 minutes.  I have long runs that are really long.  It doesn't always seem like I am making progress.  But, when I look back at where I started, I've come a long way.  It's certainly isn't getting easier, but I am obviously getting better. 

Today's stats:
2.6 miles in 32.25 minutes  (12.4 minute miles)

152 Days Until the Disney Princess Half Marathon

I ran 10K today.  That 2 5Ks.  Before I started training, 5K (3.1 miles) was the furthest that I have every run in my entire life.  It was the furthest that I ever cared to run.  Now, I am on the path to 13.1 miles.  Today, I got just about halfway there.  Today, my run would have gotten me to Cinderella's Castle.  I would have passed 3 water stops and countless character stops.  I would be on the way back.

My runner friend once said that she doesn't hit her stride until about 4 miles.  When I first heard that, I thought that I would never make it to 4 miles to even find my stride.  Let's be honest, I didn't even know she meant by hitting her stride.  I think that I get it now.  Today, when I passed the turnaround that meant I was heading home, things got easier.  I wasn't fighting with my breathing.  I wasn't waiting for my tight hamstrings to loosen up.  I wasn't willing the watch to beep.  I was just running.  It almost (note, I said ALMOST) irritated me when the watch beeped to tell me to walk.  I guess that's my stride.  It's the point where I'm almost back.  I'm not there yet, but the hard stuff is over.  I an just run to the finish.

In other news, I experimented with GU today.  I had a PowerBar one and a GU brand one.  I ate (slurped, sucked, gurgled) the Vanilla PowerBar one before I left my house this morning.  PowerBar brand is pretty thin.  It's like the consistency of Aunt Jemima's syrup.  I washed it down with water and headed out the door.  At about 48 minutes into the run, I tried the Lemon Sumblime flavored GU.  It is thick and sort of grainy.  When I say thick, I mean THICK.  I'm not sure which one I preferred.  I can't say that I liked either one...they were both sort of yucky for a person who has texture problems with food.  It took me 2 whole minutes to get the GU down and then drink water after.  I think that the mid-run shot of energy helped me finish....or, it was all in my head and I just made myself think that it helped. 

I ran the same 5 mile route through the fancy neighborhood that I ran last week.  The only change was that I started my watch at my driveway and ran to the neighborhood instead of driving and parking.  On my 7 mile long run, I'll stop my watch when I get back home.  Today I ran there and did the loop and stopped the watch at the stop sign heading out.  I did my cool down walk on the mile home.  (I passed some yard sales, so it wasn't a complete wasted walk). 

Today's stats:
6.25 miles in 1:21:14 (12.9 minute miles)

And...a 10K counts as a proof of time for corral placement for the Princess Half Marathon.  If I can run my timed 10K a little faster than this run, then I should be able to get moved up from the back of the pack to maybe the middle-ish.  That gives me more time for character stops!!

153 Days Left

So, I found this great blog.  It's called Feet Dominating Pavement.  This girl will be running the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February too.  I only know her in cyberspace.  I like her blog.  Here's why I like it - she's a real person.  She doesn't run super fast, she's not perfect, and she's not preachy.  She's just a regular person trying to get into this running thing and train for a 13.1 mile run....for fun....in Disney World.  Hopefully you will take a peek at her blog and maybe, just maybe, somebody other than my mom, my husband, and my fellow princesses will read mine.

6 mile run tomorrow.  (6.25 actually, and then a mile or so walk home.)  Bring it on 6 miles.  That's just about halfway to 13.1!

154 Days Left

I needed a good run today.  Really, I needed a good run.  Tuesday's run was so frustrating and off kilter that I was ready to conquer today's run and I DID IT!!  I even had a negative split on the out and back.  (I mean, if you call 2 seconds a negative split, which I am going to because the second half of the run was FASTER than the first half.) 

Everything felt good today.  I didn't have to wait for cars to pass or a light to change until the way back.  (I cross roughly 11 streets or on ramps in each direction on this route.)  I made it all the way to the turnaround without stopping for traffic.  Even on the way back, I didn't have too much traffic.  A kind Fire Chief stopped to let me get across the last on ramp crossing on the way back.  There was no traffic after him, so I would have only waited a few seconds, but it was nice to get the wave to keep going.  

I wasn't exactly sure how far I was going to run today.  I knew which direction I was going to go, but I told my wonderful and supportive husband that I would go to end of the street if I was feeling up to it.  Otherwise, I would turn around at the usual spot.  I got to that spot and felt like I needed to keep going.  

Now that my long runs are over 5 miles, I think that I need to figure out a better plan for the week.  I know that I have to get in 2 short runs during the week.  I think that I am going to run between 2 and 3 (depending on the route I take) miles in the first run of the week and between 3 and 4 miles in the second.  That gives me a shorter distance to recover after the weekend long run and adds a little mileage to prepare for the next long.  We'll see how that works out.  There is always a possibility of a bonus run every week, so stay tuned for that.  (I feel like I need a race so I am SERIOUSLY considering going to run a 5K tomorrow night.  How amazing is that...I am just going to wake up tomorrow and decide if I want to go run 3.1 miles for fun later that evening.  Who would have ever thought.....)

Today's Stats:

3.52 miles in 44.56 (12.7 minute miles)

And just because I am so excited about the negative split:

First 1.75 miles - 22.28 minutes

Second 1.75 miles - 22.26 minutes

Yep, that's 2 seconds faster AND I went a little further coming back because I started my time at the bus stop, but ran all the way home!!

156 Days Left

 

 

Man, it was work today.   I woke up excited and ready to go after my 5 miles on Sunday.  I took yesterday off and was looking forward to running today.

 

The stars were not aligned for me this morning.  My good running clothes were in the dirty hamper.  I normally have some tightness in my left hamstring that I can usually run out during the first interval or two.  That tightness decided to stick around today....for the entire run.  Every time my watch beeped to start running again, I felt like I was out of step to get going again.  To top it off, there was traffic that I had to wait for at every single road crossing. 

 

But, I kept at it.  The tightness in my leg did let up a little bit during the last 5 minutes of my run or so.  A kind and sympathetic driver slowed down so I could cross the street at the last crossing.  I came home and did laundry so I can have my favorite clothes for Thursday.  I never fixed the feeling that my timing was off. 

 

My children are crazy today too.  Maybe something in our world is just out of whack.  Thursday will be better.  I will feel better and I will go further and faster.

 

And....if anyone has some good stretches for the muscle that I affectionately refer to as my move your butt muscle, I am open to anything that will loosen it up!

 

Today's stats:

2.8 miles in 37.14 minutes (13.1 minute miles)



158 Days Until the Disney Princess Half Marathon

Today's run was a LONG run.  I never in my life thought that I would run 5 miles.....ever.  I mean, who does that?  Who gets up before the sun on a Sunday morning to go run 5 miles??  Me.  That's who.

Today's run scared me to death.  

I ran for 5 miles.  It took forever to drive the route in the car.  We even did it twice to make sure I knew the route.  It seemed longer the second time than the first.   

I ran in a new neighborhood.  It was the local swanky neighborhood.   It was a big circle so I couldn't get lost, so that's a plus.  But, there were lots of dogs out this morning.  Lots of dogs.  They barked at me.  I didn't know if they were barking to say hello or to tell me to keep my running self away from them.   It took about 35-40 minutes of my run before the rest of the world woke up and started to let their dogs out, but once they did, I got barked at by dogs at 5 different houses.  One of the houses had two HUGE black dogs.  I seriously thought they could be bears for a fraction of a second.  (Not too far fetched.....we live pretty close to the Great Dismal Swamp.)  (In fact, my middle child (the younger of the twins) strongly warned me to stay away from the dead end streets so nothing would jump out and eat me.  I heeded his advice.)    I have never been as thankful for a sign that says INVISIBLE FENCE as I was today.  Thank you rich neighborhood people for taking care of that for me.

I had to pee for the first time during a run.  I was a little concerned that I would have to drop trou in the middle of the rich people's bushes and go.  Luckily, the feeling passed.  I understand now why all of the running magazines and blog suggest bringing a bit of toilet paper on the run with you.   However, I am not quite sure what to do with the used toilet paper.  New goal for the Princess Half Marathon and any and all runs leading up to it - finish and then pee.  Going to have to work on my hydration schedule to accomplish this goal.

So, I finished my run.  And since we all know that I have a tendency to talk to myself while I am running, I congratulated myself when I got back to my car.  I said some rather unladylike things to 5 miles.  (Okay, so I talk to distance too.)  I told myself that I kicked 5 miles' butt.  (Again, I really said something more unladylike, but if I ever make the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, I don't want to be cut because I put something inappropriate on the Internet.)  I did it.  I ran 5 miles.  And next week, when I need to run 6 miles, I am going to rock that too.    

Today's Stats:

5.1 miles in 1:07:25 (67.25 for the calculator).  That's a 13.1 minute mile....for 5 miles

And, my run today got me to Disney's Contemporary Resort on the 2012 course map.  

And, just because this next number makes me happy....

Mileage for the week:  12.77 miles.  That's ALMOST a half marathon this week!!

I ran those 12.77 miles in 153.92 minutes  (roughly 2 1/2 hours) at an average of 12.1 minute miles

160 Days Left

Today's run was a bonus run.  I've already done two runs this week and my long run is scheduled for the weekend.  So, I didn't feel too bad that I shoved this run into a time slot that was 45 minutes long.  In that 45 minutes, I had to warm up, run, cool down, and shower so I was presentable for a meeting.  Today's run was short.  I'm okay with that.

I've been reading discussions about run/walk intervals.  Some of the comments that I have seen say that to increase speed, DECREASE the amount of run time.  Think about that for a minute.  Run less to go faster.  Something about that just doesn't seem right.  You run less to run more.  That seems like hogwash.  You should run more to run more.  But, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I thought about my times.  I've increased my running interval twice.  I've slowed down twice.  Maybe it wasn't the heat or the shoes or the whining or the distance.  Maybe I just wasn't giving myself enough time to recover.  Maybe I needed to go backward to go forward. 

I know this is profound for a Friday morning, but to summarize, I shortened my running interval today.  (With my fancy new watch, I can do that.)  I took 15 seconds off and ran for 2 minutes and walked for 1.  There are lots of variables.  Maybe my time crunch was a factor.  But, I ran later and it was warmer than it has been.  Maybe the shorter distance helped.  Here's what I know.  The one variable that I manipulated was the running interval.  I ran faster.  I ran quite a bit faster.  I could have kept going and I don't think that I would have slowed down all that much.  It could have all been in my head.  We'll see because I am keeping the 2:1 intervals for my 5 mile run this weekend.  (Nope, that doesn't say 5K...that says 5 MILES.)  Maybe that 15 seconds was just slowing me down.

Today's Stats:

1.72 miles (see, told you it was short) in 19.52 (11.34 minute miles.....see told you I was faster....A LOT faster!)

162 Days Left

Today was an important day.  Today I decided that I can really do this half marathon thing. 

I woke up and got dressed in my running clothes.  I fed my kiddos some breakfast and ate a banana for myself.  We walked down to the bus stop and I sent them off to school.  My dear husband (who is home for the next month) took the baby home and I went off on my run.  I thought that I was running a quick and  easy 5K.  (Who would have EVER...in a million and one years...thought that a 5K would be quick and easy for me??)

The run felt good.  I have been accused of whining about the weather.  There was nothing to complain about today.  It was cool (to almost chilly....the kids wore sweatshirts to school today!)  I wasn't sweating.  The running intervals weren't hard.  I got the the first stoplight and had to wait for traffic and the light to change, but that even fell on a walking interval.  I got to the turnaround stoplight and still felt good.  I made it back to the cross streetlight and had to wait again.  I finished strong.  I still wasn't nasty sweaty.  (I was sparkle sweaty....PRINCESS sweaty, if you will.)  My face was pink from a good run, not red and blotchy like usual.  I even enjoyed the time out there.  At the turnaround, I thought that I have this.  I can run 13.1 miles.

Hubby, baby, and dog met me at the end of the run for a cool down walk.  When I got back to them, I checked my watch and got irritated by the time.  It took me 44.15 minutes to run my 3.1 miles.  That's over 14 minutes a mile.  That's slower than my 5K times from before having the baby.  That's the slowest I have run since July.  How can a run that felt so good have been so slow??  My fellow princess, Jen, told me that slow is the new fast.  This is a disappointing slow.

So, I did what anyone else would do.  (No, I didn't lie about the time.)  I rechecked the map.  I know that I didn't get lost.....my plan was to run to the third light and back.  I did that.  When I mapped it on MapMyRun.com, I found out that I did not run 3.11 miles like I thought.  I ran 3.37 miles.  That extra quarter mile brought my time back down to my normal.  If you take out the minute that I had to wait for the light to change so I didn't get hit by a car when I was crossing, it brought the time I was running down a little further.

All in all, a great run.  I felt good and I didn't hate it.  That's more important than the time on the watch.  Today's run also made me think that I can really finish 13.1 miles.  That's more important than the time on the watch too.   Somebody just remind me of this run when I have one that is frustrating.

Today's Stats:
3.37 miles in 44.15 minutes (13.1 minute mile)

164 Days Until the Disney Princess Half Marathon

It's official.  I am slow.  Can't blame it on the heat today.  It was a GORGEOUS morning to run.  Can't blame it on the toe.  I didn't even feel it.  Can't blame it on the outfit.  I went and bought new running capris and a running top which I love and match my new running shoes perfectly.  I am just slow.

I came to terms with it this morning.  It's okay to be slow.  Slow gets you across the finish line.  It just takes a littler longer than fast.  Slow is still moving forward.  Slow is still running.  Slow is just slow.  I finished reading a book this weekend.  (Like a real, no kidding book.....with pages......from the library. It was very retro.  I have decided that I miss real books and I will be frequenting the library.)  It was called Marathoning for Mortals.  This is it right here:

One of the authors said that he spends so much time on the race course because he is enjoying every second of it and he doesn't want to rush though it.  I am going to try and adopt that attitude.  I have 16 minute miles to finish the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  The person that wins the race will probably finish in a little over an hour.  My time will be closer to 3 hours.  I am running a 12-13 minute mile.  That gives me roughly 39 minutes to enjoy the race.  That's my time to stop and take pictures....to stare up in awe at the castle and know that I am about to run through it....to enjoy the scenery and 15,000 of my closest running friends.  

Maybe I'll get faster.....but maybe I will stay at 12 minute miles.  The fact is, I am out there.  I am running.  I am adding miles every week and I am training for a half marathon.  That makes me pretty awesome.  Slow can be awesome too.

Today's stats:

3 neighborhood laps (just in case the toe started to hurt)

2.58 miles in 33.0 minutes (12.8 minute miles)

And, Jen - I didn't complain about the weather.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!  I loved running in the crispness of the morning.  :-)

168 Days Left

 

The good news:  My toe is not broken.  (According to my medical degree and webmd.)

It's purple, but it's less purple than it was last night and it's only purple on the top.  The purple part is about 1/2 in below the nail to the bottom of the nail.   The toe is still straight.  (As straight as a toe can get.  I compared it to the same toe on the other foot and neither one is perfectly straight.)

It's sore, but it's not excruciatingly painful.  I can walk on it (in my flip flops).

It's not swollen.

There are no bones poking through the skin.

So.....with all of that wonderful information, Dr. Me has determined that it is NOT broken.  Continue with rest and ice until a running shoe does not hurt.

With that, I will not be running tomorrow.  I will probably not be running my 5 miles on Sunday.  But Monday better watch out.  I'm going to be making a come back.  I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

Today's Stats:
ICE and rest

169 Days Left

It's only Wednesday and this week has been CRAZY!  My big boys started Kindergarten yesterday.  (Don't worry, I didn't cry.....not a single tear!)  But with that, came the waiting that accompanies the first day (or week really) of school.  I waited for the bus in the morning.   I waited for the bus to bring them back in the afternoon.  (That was a WHOLE lot of waiting....)  In the mean time, I took the baby to his Little Gym class.  After school, we had a doctor's appointment....another place where we did a lot of waiting, and t-ball practice for the big boys.  

Today the baby started school.  I knew that I would be busy with a meeting while he was at school so I wouldn't be able to run.  Instead of sitting around wasting time between the bus and drop off, I took the baby to my mom's and I got in a short run.  It was really short.  I'm not even sure if it counts toward training time or miles.  I would have like to go farther and run longer, but I got some running in and that's better than nothing.

In other news, I slipped getting into the shower after my short little run and I may have broken my toe.  The jury is still out on whether it is broken or sprained or jammed.  It's purple and it hurts....a lot.  But, it's not swollen.  I'm going to try Motrin and ice for a few days and hopefully it's a minor setback instead of a break.  I am planning a run again on Friday and then I have 5 miles on Saturday (or Sunday) so it better heal quickly!

Today's Stats:

1.72 miles in 21.14 minutes  (12.3  minute mile!!!)

172 Days Until the Disney Princess Half Marathon

 

 

This is all that I am going to say about the weather today.  I just keep reminding myself that it will eventually cool off.  While my Newport friends have nice, crisp mornings to run and I am still running on the surface of the sun, this will shift.  When they are having to do 10 mile runs on the treadmill because it is -9 degrees in January and February, I will still be running outside.....and it may only be crisp.

Today's long run was 4 miles.  I was determined to do the run  that I mapped last week.  I put on my brand new road cone orange running shirt and off I went.  I screwed it up again.  I turned too early and then went straight when I should have turned.  When I got home, I thought I had rocked a 4.3 mile run.  With my finish time, I thought I had run a 12.65 minute mile.  Alas, I mapped what I actually ran when I got home.  The missed turn knocked about a half mile off the route, so I only ran 4.1 miles.  (Ha!  ONLY!)   So, instead of a sub-13 minute mile, I am holding steady at 13.3 minute miles.  Still, I did it.  I didn't cheat the running intervals and my toes didn't fall asleep.  (Side note - I passed the turnaround street for my "short" 2 mile runs coming and going.  It seemed easy today when I knew that I still had pretty far to go and then again when I thought of how far I had been.)  

Next week is a 5 mile run.  I am going to try to run somewhere else.  I obviously can't figure out where to turn on this route so I am giving it up for now.  I will keep the straight part on my short runs because it's pretty easy and straight, but the turns have been banned from the long runs.  

Today's Stats:

4.08 miles in 54.40  (13.3 minute mile)

173 Days Left

 

  

To pass the time today, I went to the Expo for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach.

<----- I found this shirt.

It made me smile, so I bought it.  Yep, it's that orange.  It's supposed to keep my safe because people will be able to see me.  Yep, in that bright orange, you won't be able to miss me!  So now I have a princess shirt for training.


There was also one that said "I don't sweat, I sparkle."  It reminded me of Princess Natalie.

I also got a RunDisney reusable bag (well 2 because my children are so cute that the girl gave one to each of them).  That made me happy too.

Long run tomorrow.....4 miles.