tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43745753034847661672024-02-07T03:25:44.552-05:00joyous serendipityJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-3026103005949140482017-09-29T23:32:00.002-04:002017-09-29T23:32:53.362-04:00Frugal Fall Decorating<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmy2sd4mbL4H-SqizEa0RwWi1od01WHUEKyWRaUmY4WU_4D6UM5vfDLwG-4oZ0D9s9iGR83xzyjoMz20VQl3Q-TGR3nEE-WmxEz4x6ls1xV8vB0bA4kxRVK3HBfs_vYPyonLHsaNmnGE8/s1600/Fall+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmy2sd4mbL4H-SqizEa0RwWi1od01WHUEKyWRaUmY4WU_4D6UM5vfDLwG-4oZ0D9s9iGR83xzyjoMz20VQl3Q-TGR3nEE-WmxEz4x6ls1xV8vB0bA4kxRVK3HBfs_vYPyonLHsaNmnGE8/s400/Fall+quote.jpg" width="400" /></a>I'm a week late but, HELLO, FALL! Living in Florida makes it doubly hard to really feel the change of the seasons. Today, I woke up to 83 degree weather and a high of 91 degrees. The humidity was so high you would think we were still in the middle of summer. The forecast for the next few days is rain. <br />
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But the calendar says it is fall and I welcome it with open arms. As the quote above states, "autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go". The last few days of this past summer are ones that some of us would like to forget. However, life goes on. I am ready to embrace the promise of cooler weather, pumpkin spiced lattes, apple pies and Kitchen Spice scented candles.<br />
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On today's blog I share how to decorate your home for the fall season on a frugal budget. It is amazing how much you can save by simply using what you already have and simply rearranging things around. The only items I purchased were the mums, pumpkins (fresh and decorative) and gourds.<br />
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<em>Dining Room</em><br />
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For the centerpiece I used a white lantern that I purchased last year from <a href="http://pier1.com/" target="_blank">Pier 1 Imports.</a> I placed it inside a tobacco basket from <a href="http://hobbylobby.com/" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a> that I had used as a wall hanging. I filled it in with a variety of decorative pumpkins and floral from the <a href="https://www.dollartree.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dollar Tree</a>. They had ceramic, burlap-covered, green, white and red pumpkins. However, the white pumpkins are my favorites this year. As you can tell, I have embraced whites for decorations all over the house. I was over the moon when I saw them sold at <a href="http://www.publix.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Publix</a>. They were 2 for $3 so I only have 4 because I wanted to stick to my budget. I used my collection of mason jars to complete the rustic/farmhouse look. To add more color I used some gourds that I bought from <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Walmart</a> and colorful leaves from the Dollar Tree.<br />
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<em>Living Room</em><br />
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Moving to the living room, I only decorated our fireplace and mantel. I did not purchase anything to decorate this room. Score! I used everything that we have and simply rearranged other decorative items.<br />
Notice the green apple on the mantel? It is a crystal apple and was a present by a former student, Chris. He was a sophomore when he was in my Integrated Science class at Eau Gallie High School. Let's just say he made my life difficult for 180 days in 2005. A couple of years later and a few days before his graduation, I got a surprise visit from him with a gift bag on hand. Not only did I get a present but an apology. He apologized for all the things he did in my classroom to disrupt learning and for being disrespectful. It was unexpected but was very much appreciated. <br />
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<em>Front Porch</em><br />
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I am not sure when was the last time I've decorated our porch. Come to think of it, I may not have ever decorated it for the fall. I enjoyed decorating this place today that I may start decorating it annually. I found these beautiful mums and pumpkins at Walmart the other day. They add just the pop of color that is perfect contrast to the house color. Not everyone will have a wine barrel laying around but if you do, it is a perfect decorative piece. It completes the rustic/farmhouse look.<br />
Notice the twigs in the large vase. These are twigs that fell from our trees during Hurricane Irma. Sadly, yard debris from the storm have not been picked up by the city three weeks since the storm passed. I re-purposed the vases and lanterns that we have around the garden to complete the look.<br />
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I hope you find some inspiration from our little farmhouse decor. You don't have to spend a lot to make a space beautiful. Look around your house or the grounds around you for items to use. I find that the fall season is the most forgiving of the seasons to decorate with. It does not take anything fancy to create a the fall look that will meet the Instagram or Facebook test. A potted plant or two and some pumpkins go a long way! All together, I spent $35.99 for our 2017 fall decoration.<br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-44171730459283040512016-11-30T12:26:00.001-05:002017-08-26T17:00:07.499-04:00<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;">Thank you for stopping by. The blog has moved to <a href="https://joyousserendipity.com/">https://joyousserendipity.com</a>! I would love to see you there.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Remember to spread love every day!</span></div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-84195547196318404842015-10-30T23:31:00.000-04:002015-10-31T23:14:13.422-04:00Running Year in Review 2014 - Finally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, hello there. I know it's been a while (a really long while) since I posted. I actually wrote this post before the end of 2014 but never published it. As the title states, this was a recap of our 2014 running season. It's almost the end of 2015 so this recap is a little stale. I hope you would indulge me and read all about our adventures in running of a year ago!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marathon #2 -Walt Disney World Marathon, Orlando, January 2014</td></tr>
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I cannot believe that my second post would be after my last race for 2014! Yes, it's been that kind of year! I couldn't let 2014 pass without writing about what an awesome running year it was for me and my husband. We opened 2014 with a goal of running 14 races in 2014! We lined up the races that were must runs while others were added just to make the number! At the end of the year, we were surprised that we actually ran <b>15 races in 2014</b>! We both ran personal bests in our time, traveled to other Florida cities and fours states! I ran 1 marathon, 8 half marathons, 1 marathon relay, and 5Ks! Ralph got me beat by running an extra 5K and ran 2 marathons! The most fun half marathon we ran was at the RnR Chicago and the longest distance we traveled for a race was the RnR Las Vegas. Locally, we had the best time at the Melbourne Music Half Marathon. Incidentally, this is the race (the 5K) that we started our running adventures almost 3 years ago.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melbourne Music Half Marathon, Melbourne, February</td></tr>
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Along the way, we accomplished smaller goals. After the Melbourne Music Half Marathon in February, we started looking to qualify into the Half Fanatics, a running group! It has several moons to accomplish depending on number of races run! We set our sights on running 3 halfs in 90 days! We qualified after running the Best Damn Race in Orlando and the Lake Minneola Half marathon in Clermont. What do we get from being a Fanatic, you ask? Discounts on some races but mostly being a member of a group who are just as crazy as we are to keep running half marathons!<br />
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First, let me recap our first qualifying half marathon, the Melbourne Music Half marathon. This race was only 2 weeks after our second marathon at the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. In the past, we have run two 5Ks during this race weekend so it was a change for us to run the half this time. The weather was muggy and foggy! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Damn Race Half Marathon, Orlando, March</td></tr>
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The course went over two of our local bridges. If you have read some of my blog posts, you would have found out that I don't particularly like running over these bridges! I hate running over one, much less two! It wasn't easy but I did it. We started off of East Strawbridge, heading north on US 1, west over Eau Gallie Causeway, south on to Riverside Drive in Indialantic and over the Melbourne Causeway to the finish! The best part of the race was the entertainment throughout the course including a grand piano atop the Eau Gallie Causeway!<br />
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The best Damn Race was a fun race and our first personal half marathon best! We even got to ring the PR bell to share our accomplishment! The race started by Lake Eola in Orlando. The course was not too bad except for the first part when we ran on brick pavement. Ralph and I did not particularly like this part.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Minneola Half Marathon, Clermont, April</td></tr>
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That said, the race was well organized and the after race party was awesome! This was the first race we drove to the race on the morning of the event and pick up our race bibs. We thought it would be cutting it close but we had plenty of time to pick up our bibs, sit in the car to wait until the start and even go the bathroom! The drive home was a little bit challenging but we took it slowly and stopped by McDonald's to stretch and grab some food.<br />
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After scouring the races that were driving distances from Melbourne, we decided to run the Lake Minneola Half Marathon in April. Since we were not familiar with the place and the distance from Melbourne, we decide to stay in Orlando for the evening. We also went to pick up our race packets the day before so knew where to go early the next morning. As we drove to the park, we noticed rolling hills! Hills! There can't be any hills in central Florida! Well, there were and we ran over them for 13.1 miles! Not only did we run on hills, the temperature had gotten so warm by the time I reached 10 miles that I just couldn't get myself to run anymore. This was one of my slower races but I finished and became a Half Fanatic!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon, MA</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock N Roll Savannah Half Marathon, GA</td></tr>
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With the summer months in the offing local long distance races are no longer available. We started looking at races outside of Florida. This is when we decided to start working towards our goal of running half marathons in all 50 states in the next 10 years! So we decided on the races we would like to run this year. We chose the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon in Newton, MA, Rock n Roll Chicago, IL, Rock n Roll Cleveland, OH, and Rock n Roll Savannah, GA. Two months before we were to run Rock n Roll Cleveland, OH, they cancelled the race for low participation so we transferred it to Rock n Roll Las Vegas, NV! Ralph and I thoroughly enjoyed our trips to these states and had the best time running! Heartbreak Hill did not get this name for nothing. I thought the Clermont Hills were crazy, running uphill at mile 12 when you have no more energy left is downright brutal!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, NV</td></tr>
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Rock n Roll Chicago was by far the most fun race we've run!<br />
The weather was not too optimal, even quite warm but the energy emanating from everyone who ran it was great! Running through the best sights around downtown was awesome and the entertainment and race support was the best. I'm glad that we ran along commercial streets because you don't need to find a porta potty to relieve yourself! Burger King was welcoming to the runners!<br />
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Savannah had the most optimal weather that Ralph and I ran our fastest half marathon time so far. Race start was about 47 degrees and finished in the 60s! The hotel where we stayed was occupied mostly by runners and volunteers that they opened for breakfast at 4 am! The worst part of the this race was the walk back to the river to catch the ferry to get to our car! We had to be out of the hotel by 12 noon and drive another 5 hours to get home! This was the longest distance that the we have driven to a race! We were both not fans!<br />
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Our last out of state race was the Rock n Roll Las Vegas! Oh what an experience. My cousin's husband picked us up from the airport and headed to the convention center to pick up our bibs. There were hundreds of runners milling around and after we picked up our bibs and shirts, we just followed the path toward the exit. We love Power Bars so we headed to their booth and noticed that there was a line forming. We thought it was for samples that they were handing out but it was instead to meet Meb, the 2014 Boston Marathon winner! I lined up and waited in line for 30 minutes but it was<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RockNRoll Chicago, IL</td></tr>
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worth it to be able to shake hands and get the autograph of a champion in the sport that Ralph and I also do! The race itself was another first for us since it was run at night to take advantage of the lights along the strip! Because it started at sun down, the temperatures got cooler towards the end of the race. Ralph always runs his pace but for this race, he ran my pace. We didn't PR but finished under 3:00 but mostly because we had to hit the porta potty along the way.<br />
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We also ran on a relay team at the Donna Marathon Relay in Jacksonville. As part of Space Coast Pinays and Space Coast Pinoys, Ralph and I ran the 3rd of 5 legs of the marathon course. Four other local runners ran the relay with us and had a great time. This was our first relay and didn't know what to expect. Since we were in the third leg, we didn't have to be at the start early but had to be at our leg start on time. The race started with great weather but while the fifth leg runners were still on course, there was lightning so the course was stopped. We were lucky that our runners were close enough to the finish that they were able to complete the race. The rain was pouring hard that we had to rush and get some food as we were starving and just headed home soon after.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donna Marathon Relay, Jacksonville, </td></tr>
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In between all the half marathons and marathons, we ran 5Ks to round up our year! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73cKl0dNeYwQL3bJ9f8CJTGSNSlaCGM5rYN_ohKoK8deIlfK8G99B1CCdl4HZQapG-0V_XLEG7mllQn7gt5M01oTYifKp328SiQO9lUxbGOrUZR9gSTdu4Xw5z5vdKGxzs4EPFuqPSiSE/s1600/1559291_10204315814799670_5979700811308820895_o(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg73cKl0dNeYwQL3bJ9f8CJTGSNSlaCGM5rYN_ohKoK8deIlfK8G99B1CCdl4HZQapG-0V_XLEG7mllQn7gt5M01oTYifKp328SiQO9lUxbGOrUZR9gSTdu4Xw5z5vdKGxzs4EPFuqPSiSE/s400/1559291_10204315814799670_5979700811308820895_o(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Firecracker 5K, Melbourne, July </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run for the Gecko Luau 5K, Melbourne, May</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run for Pizza 5K, Viera, August</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHZrdF5HHgqGhInmVdgIUOjch5YiShBb9_tmfZ3-SZO3WIVAc47fJ1zZ4fDaXXSHac8IWL0UFqchNMXgFemMkx3Pg84MG3MORo5qU1jBa8FVKTn3pNsJRX8K8p6xeJ9jzhrj3HC0BqqJL/s1600/10645050_10204841856910394_1509812698330715828_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHZrdF5HHgqGhInmVdgIUOjch5YiShBb9_tmfZ3-SZO3WIVAc47fJ1zZ4fDaXXSHac8IWL0UFqchNMXgFemMkx3Pg84MG3MORo5qU1jBa8FVKTn3pNsJRX8K8p6xeJ9jzhrj3HC0BqqJL/s400/10645050_10204841856910394_1509812698330715828_n.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turtle Krawl 5K, Indialantic, September</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florida Tech Homecoming 5K, Melbourne, October</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Our final race for the year was at the Space Coast Marathon and Half Marathon. Last year, we both ran our first marathon at this race! I would like to simply forget the time it took us to finish but we finished. I decided to run the half marathon instead this year and Ralph ran the marathon! We are on track to earn the extra medals in the Big Bang Series. The weather was perfect and the course support was awesome! I started the race with the 2:45 pace group and stayed with them for the first 3-4 miles. At some point, I found myself ahead of the them and felt great. I thought maybe I could make it closer to 2:30. However, I never caught up with that pace group so I knew I would finish in between. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Space Coast Marathon and Half Marathon, Cocoa, November</u></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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2015 is going to be another year packed with races! We open the year with the Melbourne Music Half Marathon on February 1st, and the Michelob Ultra challenge on February 22, and the Sarasota First Light Half Marathon in March. We will also run the Excalibur 10 miler if we are up to it after the Ultra challenge weekend. So here's the challenge, over the course of a weekend, we will run a 15K,a 5K, a Half marathon and an 8K!<br />
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We are still debating which states we want to run in 2015. When we make a decision, I will sure to share them with you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting line!</td></tr>
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I closed my 2013 running year with a marathon and has opened the 2014 running year with another marathon. Yes, hubby and I just finished our second marathon at the Walt Disney World Marathon. You may read about our first one six weeks ago at the Space Coast Marathon <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/12/13-of-13in2013-space-coast-marathon.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The weekend started with us hitting the expo to pick up our bibs and race gear. It was held at the Wide World of Sports. We made it there with 45 minutes to spare! The expo was full of vendors for fitness and running merchandise most of which we have seen before. Since we didn't need anything else, we left soon after getting our race bib and decided to eat an early dinner. <br />
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Our pre marathon dinner was a Thanksgiving sandwich...turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing! We asked for a high carb sandwich and I say this one fits the bill! We got to our hotel room around 7 pm. Since this is our second marathon and fourth long distance run, we were quite efficient with our pre race preps.With a 3 am wake up to get on the bus by 4 am, we methodically laid out our race gear. Learning from my experience at Space Coast, I put KT Tape on both feet and both knees this time. I also put band aid on my left pinky toe! Ralph and I were in bed by 10 pm. Sleep, however, was elusive for another 2 hours! I counted to a hundred 3 times. When that didn't work I started salivating thinking of what I want for lunch after the race. It was going back and forth between dimsum and crispy pata, marinated bangus and sinigang! Eventually, I heard the alarm go off at 3 am and got ready. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My race gear!</td></tr>
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The line was already long when we got to the bus loop. As always, runners come in costumes and some always give us a good laugh! Traffic was already heavy at 4 in the morning! We got to the start zone, checked our gear bag, went potty and walked to our corral. We were in corral N this time, two up from the last corral P. By the time we got there, runners in corral B were already on their way. This was at 5:30 am! It wasn't until 6:35 am that ours was finally on our way.<br />
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The weather at race time was in the upper 50s and forecast to stay in the low 70s with low humidity. It was perfect running weather. However, when we got to mile 1, Ralph says, "it's only mile 1"? I smelled trouble. We kept our normal 1:1 of run:walk interval at what we thought was a comfortable pace of 14 min/mile. We both did not wear compression pants to avoid stopping for potty breaks. However, as soon as we got to Mile 2, I already needed to go and so did a few other runners. It must be nerves because between miles 1 and 3, a lot of runners were already lined up at every porta potty and those who couldn't wait, line up by the bushes. This time, I couldn't wait for the porta potty and when you gotta go, you gotta go. So I shamelessly went behind a giant post while the monorail rolled above. This pit stop would keep me from going again until Mile 17!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Main Street USA, Magic Kingdom, between mile 5 and 6</td></tr>
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The run from the start at EPCOT to Magic Kingdom to the Speedway, and through Animal Kingdom was uneventful. Well, except for a short stop to put band aid on the toe next to my left pinky toe around Mile 5! Trouble started around mile 17 when we were on our way into Wide World of Sports! I had to use the potty again! There were no more posts around and no bushes tall enough to hide from view. Just ahead I spotted a lone porta potty that had no one in line! I slowly walked towards it when, zoom, two runners ran past me and made it there first!! Needless to say, I lost time waiting for my turn. When I got out, I sensed some apprehension in the air among runners. We found out the balloon ladies were closing in. Balloon ladies run at a 16 min/mi pace. Run behind the balloon ladies and you run the risk of getting picked up and brought to the finish line in a bus! We picked up our pace and thought we were way ahead until we got inside Hollywood Studios around mile 22. <br />
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At this time my legs were really tired, the bottom of my feet were screaming for mercy and I was getting hungry. I found out later that Ralph was hurting now, too. His hamstrings were cramping and hips were hurting. We get into the costume building at HS and the runners were walking because the space is tight and dark. Ralph was walking behind me and I was concentrating on not tripping over another runner. Suddenly, "You have 3 minutes to get to the next mile marker and this space is going to slow you down!" says the BALLOON LADY!!! My heart almost jumped out of my chest! They are shoulder to shoulder with us! I started running (more like jogging), weaving through other runners trying to get as far ahead from the balloon ladies as I could. All this time I thought Ralph was running behind me. I look back and he's nowhere in sight! I run back and I see him with a dazed look on his face. I approached him and told him that we had to get going. He didn't seem to be too concerned and I don't even think he heard me. He just stared at me blankly. I grabbed his harm, pulled him, and ran! We ran, well shuffled our feet, from mile 22.5 to 24 on tired and achy feet! At this point the balloon ladies passed us and told us we were safe! Whew! What a close call!<br />
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The last two miles seemed like an eternity. Actually getting to mile 25 seemed like an eternity! We tried to keep our run/walk intervals but it was more like walk, walk, walk/run interval! The adrenaline rush of trying to stay ahead of the balloon ladies was gone and we were hurting even more. However, no matter how tired or in pain you are, seeing the finish line still gives you that one last burst of energy to run to it. Holding hands, we painfully ran and crossed the finish line and finished our second marathon!<br />
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It took 7 hours and 24 minutes to get to the finish line, but we finished! We are marathoners!<br />
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Marathon bling!</div>
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We finished!</div>
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Lessons learned:<br />
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1. Running two marathons within 6 weeks of each other is not a good idea.<br />
2. Running two marathons within 6 weeks of each other without training is worse.<br />
3. Gender equality exists in using the bushes to do No. 1!<br />
4. You might as well put a band aid on all 10 toes! If not one, its the other that will blister!<br />
5. When you see the balloon ladies, run! <br />
6. "No way will I do this again" changes to "Let's do Dopey next year" within 24 hours after you finish a marathon.<br />
7. Walking like you are carrying something heavy between your legs the day after a marathon is getting old.<br />
8. Warning: Lemon Lime flavored Clif Shot will make you gag!<br />
9. Gummy bears and mini chocolate bars at mile 22.5, yeah!<br />
10. Volunteers! They are the heroes on the course! <br />
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Thank you for sharing in my adventures in running. Till the next run!<br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-44329390776119224442013-12-09T23:20:00.001-05:002014-02-01T19:01:03.114-05:00The year that was - in running!Earlier this year, I made it a goal to run 13 races in 2013! I am happy to report that I accomplished my goal! I logged almost 400 miles in two running shoes. I ate more Gu than I care to tell. I ran distances I thought were nowhere near my ability to finish. I also found a few favorite running gear/products. 1) Saucony Ride, a neutral shoe! I ran my first marathon in them and I did not feel the arch pain that has plagued Runs 1-11! 2) KT Tape helped me run knee-pain-free. It has also helped with my plantar fascitis. 3) CWX compression capris are the best out there. It keeps everything from moving around especially the knee joints. However, they are a pain to pull down and up and worse when you run long distances and are tired. 4) Gu gels for long runs...just because 5) Power Beans for short runs 6) mapmyrun for tracking my mileage 7) Thorlo Socks are the best running socks for me, and 8) ProCompression socks are what I use after a race. It works best in recovery. Here are all my races. I wrote race recaps in all but two, so please check them out.<br />
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">February 2 - Melbourne Music Marathon 5K</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">February 24 - </span><a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html" style="color: #809ead; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Disney's Princess Half Marathon</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 17 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/03/race-3-for-2013-berry-patch-5k.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Berry Patch 5K</a> </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 23 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/03/race-4-in-2013-jlsb-re-run-5k.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Re-Run 5K</a><span style="color: red;"> </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 30 - Downtown Melbourne 5K </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 6 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/04/race-6-of-13-race-recap-pirate-plunder.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Pirate Plunder 2 miler</a></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 27 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/04/race-7-of-13-melbourne-art-festival.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Melbourne Art Festival 5K </a></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 11 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/05/8of13-races-in-2013-run-for-gecko.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Run for the Gecko 5K</a> </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 4 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/07/9-of-13-in-2013-firecracker-5k-race.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Firecraker 5K</a> - </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 14 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/09/10-in-2013-turtle-krawl-5k.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Turtle Krawl 5K </a>- </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 5 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/10/disneys-tower-of-terror-10-miler-race.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Disney's Tower of Terror 10 miler</a> - </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 2 - <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/11/12-of-13-in-2013-race-recap-promise-10k.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Let's Get Moving 10K, Wickham Park</a> </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 1 - <a href="http://www.jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/12/13-of-13in2013-space-coast-marathon.html" style="color: #809ead; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Space Coast Marathon</a> </span></li>
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2013 Princess Half Marathon (first half marathon)</div>
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Disney's Tower of Terror 10-miler</div>
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2013 Space Coast Marathon (first full marathon)</div>
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So what's next? Why, run 14 in 2014, of course! Here's my race calendar so far. <br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">January 12 - WDW Marathon, Disney World</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.99715805053711px;">January 26 - 2nd Annual Scrub Jay Duathlon, Titusville</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">February 2 - Melbourne Music Half Marathon, Melbourne</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">February 16 - Daytona Beach Half marathon, Daytona Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">February 23 - 26.2 with Donna Marathon Relay, Jacksonville </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">March 1 - Best Damn Race Half Marathon, Orlando</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">April 26 - Melbourne Art Festival 5K</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">July 4 - Firecracker 5K</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">July 20 - Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon, Chicago, IL</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">September 13 - Turtle Krawl 5K</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">November 8 - Wine and Dine Half Marathon, Disney World</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">November 30 - Space Coast Half Marathon</span></li>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-37559814509860107642013-12-02T23:34:00.000-05:002013-12-03T23:59:39.621-05:00#13 of 13in2013! Space Coast Marathon Race Recap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bling for the series!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;">Goal: Run 13 races in 2013, check!</span> What better race to run to cap my running goal for the year than my first full marathon at the Space Coast Marathon! This was not scheduled to be my first marathon. Back in April, we registered for the WDW Marathon in January 2014. We started training for it in July and as it turned out our training run on November 30 was a 23-mile long run. This happens to fall on the same weekend as the Space Coast Half Marathon/Marathon which we had already registered to run the half. With a momentary lapse in better judgment, my husband and I decided to run 26.2 miles instead of our scheduled 23 miler! We figured since we were running a long run anyway, why not earn a medal doing it. Thus, the Space Coast Marathon became the first marathon that we trained for. What makes this special is that this is the only space-themed race on the planet! This year is also the first race in a series of 5 races in 5 years called The Big Bang Series. Run 3 of 5 races and you earn a Milky Way medal, run all 5 and earn the Intergalactic medal. We intend to run the series and earn all 7 seven medals in the next 4 years!<br />
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It took 22 weeks of training to get us ready for the marathon. Or as ready as we could be with the time that we had. The longest training run we did was 17 miles. This gave us a little bit of apprehension because other runners have suggested that running 20 miles would have been better because we would really know and prepare to feel the "pain" that this distance somehow gives a runner. So, ready of not, we reached the 22nd week of training and race day was just days away. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race shirt with our bibs</td></tr>
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Packets were available for pick up at 10 am on the Monday before race day. I was at the store by 11 am. I suppose I was a tad excited. I really didn't know what I was expecting to find in the race packet but it was nothing really special. It had a white, long sleeved race shirt, a bib with our name printed on it, a clear plastic check-in bag with label, and the official race program. I was told to take as many moon pies and protein bars laid out on a table. I took two of each for Ralph and me. Before leaving the store, I scanned our D-tags to make sure that it read the tag for tracking time.<br />
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We followed the marathon gurus' recommendations to start carb loading days prior to the race. This was not too difficult to accomplish since the race happens to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving! I have never stuffed myself with so much food and not worry that I would gain weight! I savored every bite of pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cakes, salad, that I pushed in my mouth. This was followed by two more days of eating nothing but rice, spaghetti, and bread. We were advised by race organizers that the weather on race day might be warm so we had to hydrate. So hydrate we did. I am not a big water fan but I had to force myself to drink as many ounces a day throughout the week. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Year 1 of the series!</td></tr>
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The day before the race we went to the expo. It was held at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex. We decided to check it out mainly to take pictures for my blog and maybe get some free products. The expo was not the size of Disney races or the Melbourne Music Marathon but we thought it was just big enough. It was packed when we got there but still managed to get a free Publix drawstring back and purchased 26.2 decals for the cars. Of course, we expected to finish the race! With only a handful of vendors, we were in and out of the expo within an hour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My race gear..</td></tr>
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The night before the race, I was very anxious. I laid out all of my race gear. I made sure that I had Body Glide for my recurring pinky toe blister that somehow always appears at mile 6! I cut my toe nails and shampooed my hair to save time in the morning. I packed my ifitness belt with Gu, some Tylenol and Beanno pills, extra plastic bag for my phone if it rains, and extra toilet paper. I filled out one of the water bottles just for emergencies since I knew that there will be water stops throughout the course. You never know when you are parched and the next water stop may not be nearby. I have had problems with plantar fascitis and knee pain before so I taped both feet and right knee to help protect these areas. I should have taped both knees! I suffered for it later. I was done by 9 pm and decided to call it a night. Since I was a bundle of restlessness, anxiety and excitement I didn't fall asleep until two hours later.<br />
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4 am came all too soon! Our friends were picking us up at 5 am so we hurriedly got ready. We each had one toasted cinnamon raisin bagel for breakfast. This usually tides us over for the first 3 miles. We got to Cocoa Village and the half marathoners were already being called to the starting line. Their race was set to blast off at 6:00 and the marathon at 6:30. Half marathoners head south on the course while marathoners head north for the first half and head south to the half marathon course for the second half. After the half marathoners left, marathoners slowly headed to the starting line. <br />
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We took the requisite photo shots while we all still looked fresh and happy! A few minutes later, someone took the mic and sang the National Anthem, then the tv roared the thunderous sound of shuttles blasting off to space and we were off. Ralph and I had decided to walk or jog slowly for the first mile. So choosing a pacer to run with was really not useful for us so we just kept to the back of the pack. We wanted to bank some leg power for later in the race. We had 26.2 miles to the go after all. We started behind a 6 hour pacer, fell behind to the 6:15 pacer, and after a potty break, fell behind the 6:30 pacer. In the end, got passed by the 7 hour pacer after, you guessed it, another potty break! Darn compression shorts/tights! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralph, Lorna and I at Mile 24!</td></tr>
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The first half of the race came and went without much incident except for a trip to the medic tent for my pinky toe blister and two potty breaks! The second half was a different story. Between miles 14 and 23 I had different body parts start to hurt. My untaped left knee started to make it's presence felt followed by my quads screaming from tightness. A few miles later, my biceps started to cramp! Who gets cramps in the arms? I had to run like I was hitting a boxing bag to stretch the muscles! Somewhere between this distance, we had caught up with a friend. With my knees hurting and her calves cramping we decided to do a slow walk/fast walk interval instead of a run/walk interval! We figured this would keep us moving forward. After a while, we just dug deep and kept with our 1/1 run/walk interval. My legs were too tired at this point. In fact, it had been tired since we passed the half way mark! Mile markers were coming by slower and slower it seemed. The relay from the brain to the muscles to run when the beeper goes off was also slowing down. My legs were heavy that I really had to force them to move! When we got to mile 23, we all knew that only we had but a 5K to go and we could hear the music from the finish line. It seemed that we got a second wind. We kept putting one foot in front of the other. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rounding the bend to the finish.</td></tr>
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The final .2 mi is said to be the longest distance in a marathon! This time, it wasn't. At mile 26, a friend met us and told us the end is just around the corner! We could hear the announcer as a runner crosses the finish. We took another turn and we were met by friends cheering us on to the finish! They were taking our pictures and were making a lot of noise. We ran the final few yards with the most fan fare of any race I've ever done! It was so heartwarming to have a lot of friendly faces at the finish. Ralph and I held hands as we crossed the finish line! What an exhilarating moment it was! Our prize, a beautiful medal with a miniature Space Shuttle Columbia on it and a beach towel! The after race party was long done when we finished. They were still serving pancakes and eggs to the finishers but that was about it. They ran out of sausages and oranges but there were still bananas available. There were also still beer and soda. <br />
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I will forever remember my first marathon. I read that only 0.5% of the US population has run and finished a marathon. I am proud that my husband and I are now a part of the "club". This would have been my one and done marathon, if only I didn't already sign up for the WDW Marathon in January 2014. At least, I have one marathon to look back on and learn from so I know that I will finish it as well.<br />
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We are marathoners!</div>
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Lessons learned along the way:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Train, train, train!</li>
<li>A 17-mile training run is enough to get you to the finish.</li>
<li>Whatever you don't put KT tape on will hurt after 15 miles.</li>
<li>You need upper arm strength to take your compression tights off and put them back on. And this strength weakens after mile 8.</li>
<li>If you don't hold on to anything you can hold on to inside the portalet you will fall! </li>
<li>Men have the bushes - enough said!</li>
<li>Your pinky toe may start to blister at mile 6.</li>
<li>You will walk funny the day after the race.</li>
<li>There is no shame in finishing 7 minutes over the race limit. The medal earned by the first place finisher came from the same cut as yours.</li>
<li>Running for 7 hours is too long! </li>
<li>Because 26.2 miles is way, too long!</li>
<li>"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed" - Theodore Roosevelt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Just run!</li>
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Beautiful early morning view at race time!</div>
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Runners getting ready to start.</div>
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Filipino Strong! Representing the Philippines all running the marathon!</div>
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Still smiling and looking fresh at Mile 1</div>
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Rocket garden!<br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-77060327701610780622013-11-02T22:11:00.000-04:002013-11-02T22:11:53.393-04:00#12 of 13 in 2013 Race Recap: Promise 10KI was looking forward to running this race not only because it was my first 10K but also because it was my 12th race for the year!!! With Ralph out of town and none of my friends running it with me, I had to brave it and ran it solo. Reluctantly, I got up when the alarm came on at 6 am this morning. After a quick blueberry bagel and green tea breakfast, I got ready. I arrived at the venue with only 10 minutes before the start time of 7:30. Immediately I could tell that this was going to be a small race. There were probably less than a hundred runners. It also appeared that there were more people wearing the 5K bib than the 10K. We started the run with a prayer instead of the singing of the national anthem. This is a first for a race I've run this year. We then lined up behind the start sign. There was no starting mat unlike all the other races I've run. Again, a first for me.<br />
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My goal was to finish but not finish last. The problem with these small races is that all the other runners are so much faster than I am. I knew I'd be close to the end of the pack. To top it all, this was my first run in two weeks! I knew I would be pretty slow! I set my interval timer to 1/1 and decided I will have to run faster on the run portion and walk faster on the walk portion. I noticed a younger runner with an interval timer and she had it set at a loud beep so I knew she was going for a 1/1 interval as well. In the first two miles, I was behind her by 10 yards or so. I decided that if I didn't pass her soon, she might finish before me and I will end up being the last runner! I scrapped the 1/1 interval and just kept running until I passed her. After mile 3, I never looked back. I could hear the timer go fainter and fainter. I cheered inside because I knew I wouldn't be last! I was the fourth from the last!! After I crossed the finish line, I limped towards the refreshments because I had developed blisters in my left pinky toe. Having had a slice of banana and oranges, I headed back to the car and headed home. I didn't check my time until a few minutes after I arrived home. Well, what do you know? I placed second in my age group! Oh yes, I was second of two runners with about 30 minutes difference in finish time !!!! I told you it was a small race! I went back to the park and claimed my medal! I was so excited to have earned this medal. I may never earn another place medal so I will forever treasure this one!<br />
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<b>My first ever place medal! Placed 2nd in my age group!</b></div>
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This race turned out to be a memorable one. Not only because I earned a place medal but this is also my 12th race in 2013. One race away from accomplishing an incredible personal feat. My next and final race for the year is the Space Coast Marathon on December 1st. I pray that I continue to be healthy between now and then to run my first marathon! <br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-57581666914440808712013-10-16T23:26:00.004-04:002013-10-17T10:01:13.469-04:00Disney's Tower of Terror 10 miler race recap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUZ18VHHrvFloaBu0twcY2bz2gfbNrPfGGmTR-8nAwWCZR-5QmxzOOd9VBKQkWDKZG8wcmTEi7rWeMvj9DHEFIpceihknpxkHmN4tJih7z1b9lelV2yrM67wW4X926d_dtiIYQBmZw9wv/s1600/1391961_10202269976614994_1091649733_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUZ18VHHrvFloaBu0twcY2bz2gfbNrPfGGmTR-8nAwWCZR-5QmxzOOd9VBKQkWDKZG8wcmTEi7rWeMvj9DHEFIpceihknpxkHmN4tJih7z1b9lelV2yrM67wW4X926d_dtiIYQBmZw9wv/s400/1391961_10202269976614994_1091649733_n.jpg" width="400" /></a>"Oh no, I forgot to eat a bagel!" This was the refrain that kept going over and over in my head as we stepped off the bus at Hollywood Studios. We always eat a bagel before we go on our long training runs! As soon as that realization set in, I started to feel hungry and weak! I told Ralph I don't know if I can run if I'm hungry. Of course Ralph wouldn't hear about it so we just moved on along to where the bag check area was. After dropping off our bags, we headed towards the corrals. The pre-race party was in full swing but I couldn't even get myself to enjoy the music because all I could think of was the bag of 6 fresh plain bagels that we left in the hotel room!<br />
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This was our first night race and our second long race since the Princess half marathon in February. Aside from the thoughts of bagels hanging in my head, I was excited to run in it. The weather wasn't too bad; it was definitely humid but not too unbearable. It was actually a bit cooler, dare I say. We were in corral I, the second to the last corral, but it didn't faze us. It was one corral up from the last corral in February. We had about two hours to wait before we run so we just sat down on the ground and took in the sight. We saw runners sitting on the ground, some were taking pictures, others were sleeping, and quite a few were at the pre-race party nearby. <br />
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By 10 pm, we started moving out and headed toward the starting line. Along the way, we sang the national anthem and cheered as every corral ahead of us was called out. The best part about running at Disney is that every corral that goes out gets a nice fireworks display. However, for some reason, our corral didn't get one. We felt like the middle child!<br />
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By the time the gun went off for our corral to start, I had forgotten about the bagels and I had a surge of energy after eating an entire pack of Power Beans. Adrenaline kicked in. As soon as we got out of the gate, we run up the ramp to Osceola Parkway. This was our first time to run up a "hill" in a long time since most of our training runs are on flat roads. It was definitely a challenge. Ralph told me after the race that he started having hip pain at this time. Thank goodness it went away after a mile. They had some fire display in the pond next to the exit and boy was that hot. We then<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off our medals!</td></tr>
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entered Animal Kingdom, made a loop and was out again in no time. When we hit mile marker 4, Ralph and I exclaimed excitedly at how we made it that far quickly. We were making good time but Ralph signaled that he needed to hit the port-a-potty. This was the first time we've ever stopped to go potty in any race. There is more to be said about using these port-a-lets in the dark but that's for another day to tell! I found out later that he used compression shorts and it was pressing on his bladder. After the potty break, on we went towards mile marker 5. A friend of mine who ran this race last year had warned me that this part of the course would be dark and the course turns into gravel. Run Disney must have gotten a lot of complaints about it last year that this year, the gravel road leading into Wild World of Sports was adequately lit. The only problem was the road was narrow so running was not possible without running over other runners. It reminded me of running through Cinderella's castle in the half marathon. It was tight and slow moving! Ralph and I had to slow down our pace at this time. I thought it was going to hurt my legs when we got to this portion of the course but it actually felt fine for me. It was a welcome relief from the hardness of the asphalt! We were in the WWOS area for about two miles. We ran the track and the Atlanta Braves field. Throughout the run, my knees didn't hurt but my right posterior tibialis tendon was making it's discomfort known. I stopped at the medic station around mile 8 and popped a couple pills of Tylenol .<br />
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When we got back to Hollywood Studios' New York sound lot, we felt very excited. We knew that we were close to the finish line. We stopped for a photo op at this time. They say that when you run a half marathon, the final .1 is the longest distance. Well, when you run a 10-miler, the last mile is the longest! It seemed as though we made so many turns before we actually saw the finish line. The volunteers were screaming, "the finish is right around the corner". This was just mean when they knew that around the corner was about 6 more turns!!! Unlike at the Princess Half Marathon, this time Ralph and I crossed the finish line hand in hand! We posed for every cameraman man along the way to the finish. We had so much fun in these last few yards because we knew we were close to the end! We did it again - another fun run and another accomplishment for both of us!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the expo earlier in the day!</span></td></tr>
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We walked towards the volunteers who were handing out the medals and beelined towards the food and drinks tables. The walk to the bag check area felt like a "death" march! My feet were hurting and I could hardly walk anymore. We finally got our bags and I decided to remove my shoes, take off my compression socks and wear my flat slippers. Big mistake! I could hardly walk towards the bus and couldn't walk towards our hotel room. It felt better when I put my shoes back on!<br />
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I iced my knees and legs after we arrived in our hotel room and wore my full compression socks to sleep. We didn't get to bed till 3:00 am! Phew, what a long and tiring day! Although I was in pain after the race, this was still a fun race to have run. The on-course entertainment was great and the volunteers were awesome! This being a night race definitely posed some challenges and was a learning experience. Lessons for the next time? Make sure to take a long nap during the day, have plenty of time to eat a decent dinner and do not forget to eat a bagel on the way out the door! Oh and don't run on a new pair of shoes and insoles!<br />
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This was my 11th race in 2013! I have two more races to go and I will have accomplished my goal of running 13 races in 2013! I never imagined myself to have the will to stay on course to achieve this goal, but I have, and for that I am very happy! Thank you all for cheering me on!<br />
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Next race, Let's Get Moving 10K. This will be my first 10k race!<br />
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Our first time to visit Wide World of Sports</div>
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Inside the expo for packet pick up. </div>
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Our hotel building at Pop Century Resort!</div>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-73523367022839225322013-09-29T22:00:00.000-04:002013-09-29T22:00:31.591-04:00Marathon training updateOn July 2nd Ralph and I started training for what would have been our first marathon at the WDW Marathon weekend in January. About two months ago, Ralph and I decided to change courses and run the 26.2 miles in the Space Coast marathon on December 1st. After the initial fear and the what-was-I-thinking mode, we have gone into full swing in training. Here's a quick recap of training thus far, including training for WDW:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZThZak_rUAV90Zow5cwBfl-GMXCW504rim28QZUc8EQzc773Qe9TzCERC2v5DZ7AHQ4v_C0wDw1Gp5cEnmLj-YRXY_AGd9zbmV1N5RvNPCdnIdop3CWhSZubPIU7e5g0mELzcpAZ7Ynux/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZThZak_rUAV90Zow5cwBfl-GMXCW504rim28QZUc8EQzc773Qe9TzCERC2v5DZ7AHQ4v_C0wDw1Gp5cEnmLj-YRXY_AGd9zbmV1N5RvNPCdnIdop3CWhSZubPIU7e5g0mELzcpAZ7Ynux/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="240" /></a>Training method used: Galloway<br />
Interval used: 1:1 run:walk<br />
Weeks in training: 13<br />
Weeks to go: 9<br />
Total miles run: 112<br />
Longest run: 15 miles<br />
Fastest pace: 12:21 mm<br />
Slowest pace: 15:13 mm<br />
Roadkill seen: 1 squirrel<br />
Rained on: once<br />
Used the bushes to do number 1: 1 (Ralph, by the way)<br />
Longest time without going to the bathroom: 3:48:26 (me)<br />
Injuries: None<br />
Aches and pains: plenty<br />
Blisters: pinky toe (me)<br />
Bleeding nipples: none (thank you, Bandaid)<br />
Favorite fuel during runs: Power Beans and Gu gels<br />
Weird experiences: loss of appetite after a long run<br />
Post run refueling: Silk chocolate milk or protein shake with bananas<br />
Pre run energy favorite: slice of plain bagel<br />
What not to do before a long run: put cheese on your bagel<br />
Worst part of training: 5 am wake ups on Saturdays!<br />
Best part of training: end of any run!<br />
Newly found favorites: full compression socks after a long run!<br />
Amusing event #1: Ralph busting into a dance move during our walk intervals<br />
Amusing event #2: Ralph breaking into a song during long runs!<br />
Best cross training workout: Strong!<br />
Days wasted after long runs: 1<br />
Next run: 10 miles<br />
Biggest fear to date: getting hurt when we run 20 miles in November<br />
Best lesson: Put one foot in front of the other and just do it.<br />
What's next: Why, keep running, of course!<br />
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-64200974770964934442013-09-29T20:50:00.000-04:002013-09-29T20:50:27.762-04:00#10 in 2013 - Turtle Krawl 5K<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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The Turtle Krawl 5K at Nance Park was my 10th race in 2013. This is touted as running for the turtles and how fitting since I still run almost at a turtle's pace! Although I did not PR this year, I shaved off almost 9 minutes from last year's time! That was all I really wanted to achieve on this race and I did. What made this race even more special was that two of my best friends and a fellow teacher ran the race as their first ever 5K! It makes me so happy that I have encouraged my friends to try running. They may not continue on with any more but at least I got them to go out and try!<br />
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There was nothing new about the race; same course, same heat, same awesome t-shirt, and the same overall well organized event. What was different was that there was a record close to 2200 participants this year! The organizers did an excellent job at getting these many runners to the start by providing shuttles so that there was no jockeying for limited parking spaces closer to the venue. The after race food and refreshments was a aplenty that from the looks of it, no came out hungry or thirsty after. They even had coconut water! As for my running what was different was that I didn't feel like I was dying from exhaustion this time around. I also did more running than walking, thus, the faster finish. I can attribute this easily to having run at least 9 races since last year and putting more miles on my running shoes in preparation for my first full marathon in December. This will definitely be an annual race to run for my husband and I in support of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. <br />
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I look forward to running more races with my friends and maybe you may want to run along with us. I also look forward to completing 3 more races to achieve my 13in2013 goal!<br />
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Next race, Disney's Tower of Terror 10 miler on October 5! </div>
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With two of my friends, Nahid and Monica. This was their first 5K ever!</div>
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With my fellow teachers, Natalie and Michelle. This is Michelle's first ever 5K and I am so proud that she came and conquered the race! (<i>Photo courtesy of Natalie Marshall)</i></div>
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A sea of runners, getting ready to run for the turtles! (<i>Photo courtesy of Natalie Marshall)</i></div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-66575282757872597112013-07-28T13:32:00.002-04:002013-07-28T13:32:52.804-04:00Changing courseAs many of you know, Ralph and I have been training for the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 11, 2014. This would have been our first ever marathon. Well, this race will no longer be our first, but our second marathon. We have decided to change our registration to the Space Coast races on December 1st from the half to the full marathon. Have we gone bonkers??? Well, yes we have, it seems. Okay, here's the rationale behind it and it does make sense. Our Jeff Galloway training schedule for the WDW marathon puts us to run 23 miles that weekend. Initially we were going to run the half on December 1st and run the 23 mile training run the following weekend. After careful reconsideration, we decided why not just run the 26.2 miles and be done with the 23 mile training run with a 5K mixed in! No big deal adding 3.2 miles to our training run, ha! Honestly, I have had some major doubts about our being able to run the full this soon. However, I believe that with proper training, we can do it. I am now mentally prepared and looking forward to running and finishing the race. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013 Space Coast Marathon Medal</td></tr>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-90646353270108567312013-07-06T11:27:00.000-04:002013-07-06T12:00:20.647-04:00#9 of 13 in 2013 - Firecracker 5K Race Recap<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runners singing the National Anthem before the race!</td></tr>
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I couldn't have asked for a better morning to run on the 4th of July at the Firecracker 5k. Well, it was all we could ask for for a July morning in Central Florida, that is. The race was scheduled to start at 7 am to avoid the blazing heat of the sun. Even so, the sun was already up but the humidity wasn't so bad yet (at least for me) at race time. It surely got hotter and more humid as soon as the gun went off. <br />
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This was my first 5K for the year with my running buddy, my husband, Ralph. The last time we raced together was at the <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-disneys-princess-half-marathon-done.html" target="_blank">Disney Princess Half Marathon</a> back in February. Princess was also his last race until today. For me, I had been running at least one race a month since the beginning of the year but the last race I ran was the <a href="http://jouyousserendipity.blogspot.com/2013/05/8of13-races-in-2013-run-for-gecko.html" target="_blank">Run for the Gecko 5K</a> on May 11. Just like him, it felt like this was my first race all over again. With my excitement, I beat the alarm clock set at 5:30 by an hour! I waited until Ralph woke up before getting out of bed. For breakfast, I had one fried egg, two hot pandesal (Filipino bread), and a cup of piping hot green tea. Ralph made a bowl of oatmeal with sliced banana. We quickly took a shower, got dressed, spread on some sunscreen, grabbed our water bottles and iphones and we were out the door.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off! <i>Photo courtesy Gloria Abad Suan</i></td></tr>
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Since it was a 4th of July run, the race was held at the Liberty Bell Museum in Melbourne. Parking was at the nearby Melbourne Auditorium which is a good half a mile from the venue. It was a good distance to walk and warm up before the race. After finding our friends and the mandatory photo ops, the race was on. I hit start on the mapmyrun app and Lady Gaga's Telephone on my iphone and I was off. With over 1000 runners, it was a little slow at the start but we spread out in no time. Ralph had gone ahead of me (he always does) because he wanted to beat his last race record. I was in the middle of the pack and was maneuvering my way around the other runners. I hit a good stride in the first mile according to the "lady" on the app. According to "her", I was at a 10:24 min/mi pace at mile 1. However, the official race split put it at 11:32 min/mi! Mmmm, who's more accurate? I guess in the end it doesn't really matter. I still fell behind this pace after mile 1 and continued on to officially finish at 38:59 (12:44 min/mi). Since I can never catch that elusive under 35 PR, I will just shoot for the attainable under 40 every time! Hubby PR'd at 31:45, woohoo!!! Not bad for a 50-year old novice runner!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the finish line! I look like I'm swimming in my sweat!<br />
<i>Photo courtesy of runningzone.smugbug.com</i> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralph crossing the finishing line with a PR!!<br />
<i>Photo courtesy of runningzone.smugbug.com</i></td></tr>
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It was a great run all around. We got American flags, necklaces, and an array of fresh fruits after the race. And as always, a nice cup of fruit smoothie that hits just the right spot especially on a hot race day as today. </div>
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I can't wait to run the 10th of 13 races in 2013 race next month at the I Run for Pizza Football Kickoff 5K! I hope to see you there. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So happy to wave the American flag marking another great race together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With our friends, Lorna and Tony Mazza. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguf0VgCsrTg1SmtCtkh62ZEzQ4TzVwQI9OuPr9XuqHxQ67gUyWpZAIxW4TuPA2NtnYUqfd24EAA5ck-_-N8eiijlim0qvY4WKwkiagSeA5QLlQdqqnNTyPl48kFoNJj0x0jRY2E3Ke-uYD/s1600/Joy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguf0VgCsrTg1SmtCtkh62ZEzQ4TzVwQI9OuPr9XuqHxQ67gUyWpZAIxW4TuPA2NtnYUqfd24EAA5ck-_-N8eiijlim0qvY4WKwkiagSeA5QLlQdqqnNTyPl48kFoNJj0x0jRY2E3Ke-uYD/s400/Joy+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at mid-race. <i>Photo courtesy of runningzone.smugbug.com</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5FELQBBMbIhUWroEflfBMoklm1YYcflUgQZC5DGJp-N5ou5_lQfSXQ0dVb9YnKNW01j4-eemsRVC57D3o5IWKye_6nT9on1___I1CeJkZQUtcVas16tqUs7mEzKOEpG_b0DixCRC8tGK/s1600/ralph2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH5FELQBBMbIhUWroEflfBMoklm1YYcflUgQZC5DGJp-N5ou5_lQfSXQ0dVb9YnKNW01j4-eemsRVC57D3o5IWKye_6nT9on1___I1CeJkZQUtcVas16tqUs7mEzKOEpG_b0DixCRC8tGK/s400/ralph2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ralph at mid race .. <i>Photo courtesy of runningzone.smugbug.com</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAjvlXVZm3HaBvepK3nWNdI5wPdpKAPRnGlbSlPLnlOVncwAQbdEweC2-YHuVen2c_tdw7uh_mYx-5G1Vv6IUaj_ojqQ57JooQpd5rIAKvxNBUtJN8uU0x4ZiiW_mDx4Y3KtLlwouFBlG/s1600/1048153_10201277178793166_1362305880_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAjvlXVZm3HaBvepK3nWNdI5wPdpKAPRnGlbSlPLnlOVncwAQbdEweC2-YHuVen2c_tdw7uh_mYx-5G1Vv6IUaj_ojqQ57JooQpd5rIAKvxNBUtJN8uU0x4ZiiW_mDx4Y3KtLlwouFBlG/s400/1048153_10201277178793166_1362305880_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Eau Gallie High School! <i>Photo courtesy of Natalie Marshall</i></td></tr>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-3431752367909086132013-07-02T10:13:00.001-04:002013-07-03T11:42:31.658-04:00WDW Marathon Training<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbtit13cH0i5RXSWO4TwNGO6SqgbNj4dK_LnrA9t_OZkafeHBNd4wxGD6ZuarWiFSWGXVQjuUWQxaU54BX_N-u6WJ1dEzbKX4EIfVN9kszwE3XdtGPflmkRiyTrNsvL-5tlhcybrWfA6m/s960/Presentation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbtit13cH0i5RXSWO4TwNGO6SqgbNj4dK_LnrA9t_OZkafeHBNd4wxGD6ZuarWiFSWGXVQjuUWQxaU54BX_N-u6WJ1dEzbKX4EIfVN9kszwE3XdtGPflmkRiyTrNsvL-5tlhcybrWfA6m/s400/Presentation1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo courtesy of rundisney.com)</td></tr>
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I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. Life just got in the way and writing took a back seat. My last post was about my taking on the Runner's World Streak challenge. Unfortunately, I had to cut it short due to illness. I hope to try again next year. The biggest change since my last post was the return of my running buddy and husband, Ralph, from a 6 month teaching and research stint in the Philippines. At the same time as his return, the Florida heat and humidity arrived in full force. Call me a wimp, but it is just so hot and humid to run out there. So I have done what a wimp does and signed up for gym membership so that we can be active indoors. The gym that we signed up for has an indoor track that we have used for a couple of runs. We have also taken strength classes (Strong) and cardio exercises such as Zumba, Kickboxing and Metabolic Training. </div>
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Another reason why we signed up for gym membership was to be able to use the facilities to train for a marathon. Back in April, I signed us up to run the WDW full marathon on January 12, 2014. Today is the official start of Jeff Galloway's Training Program for this race. We are not new to Jeff Galloway's training program. We used his training program when we ran the Princess Half Marathon back in February. Personally, I like Jeff Galloway's training because it involves the use of run/walk intervals. In his experience, incorporating walk breaks during long runs avoids injury. I would not have been able to finish the half marathon if I had to run the entire race. So, since Ralph and I have a half marathon under our belt, we decided that the 29-week training for Experienced Runners with a goal to "Finish in the Upright Position" was the best training program for us this time around. The training program includes two maintenance runs of 30 minutes each on Tuesdays and Thursdays with long runs on Saturdays. Long runs slowly ramp up in distance every other weekend with a final long run of 26 miles in Week 25 with a two-week taper before marathon weekend. Jeff Galloway recommends cross training on non-run days so we will hit the gym for weight training, spinning, or Zumba.</div>
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When we ran the Princess Half Marathon, we used a run/walk interval of 45s/30s. For the WDW Marathon, we have decided to train at 2/1 interval which is equivalent to a 12 minute/mile pace. We will probably end up running at 1/1 interval in the first 13.1 miles and ramp it up to the 2/1 interval in the second half. </div>
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Although we are no longer novices to the sport of running, we are quite novices as far as marathon training is concerned. This is one journey that hubby and I are both excited and anxious to be embarking together. I believe that we have it in us to finish the journey and cross the finish line upright. We hope you will join us as we run, run, run to Marathon weekend 6 months from now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zUnGGRe4b48DgVP9xGNs_ZpMVDGmMac_SxW9FV6jwLvb3IxDze5tPxdtk6fDGOW5tXMJmkpFJrB53KU-7XDzhzlIsjp2oK9VAsRET-u2ZcV_Fezn5QA-pDFpjufz0Vu_ckAjMWMit3aK/s1600/DSCN1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zUnGGRe4b48DgVP9xGNs_ZpMVDGmMac_SxW9FV6jwLvb3IxDze5tPxdtk6fDGOW5tXMJmkpFJrB53KU-7XDzhzlIsjp2oK9VAsRET-u2ZcV_Fezn5QA-pDFpjufz0Vu_ckAjMWMit3aK/s400/DSCN1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our training gear! The inside pairs are our running shoes (Brooks Adenaline for Ralph and New Balance 890 v3 for me) and the outside pairs are our cross training shoes (Skechers for me and Nike for Ralph)</div>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-37453354551318697752013-05-27T13:37:00.001-04:002013-05-28T08:44:31.921-04:00Runner's World Summer Run Streak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqRFRKv-epVBWPzYYIOQimLEE-r9bXjBrCr_HU5fhCfgFL_PbLFhh5Ti59M4yLWhh5GFNYFYtw9NlgXx-giqfObzBJeSo3LlUGa0V7yU_aNePHYTva2crfrPfbCDhEab7WaGJR0t268OX/s1600/420240_10151438709716987_875500866_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqRFRKv-epVBWPzYYIOQimLEE-r9bXjBrCr_HU5fhCfgFL_PbLFhh5Ti59M4yLWhh5GFNYFYtw9NlgXx-giqfObzBJeSo3LlUGa0V7yU_aNePHYTva2crfrPfbCDhEab7WaGJR0t268OX/s640/420240_10151438709716987_875500866_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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With the summer heat upon us, we all need motivation to keep running. I joined in the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/runners-world-summer-run-streak-2013?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Training-_-SummerStreak" target="_blank">Runner's World Summer Run Streak</a> to run at least one mile each day starting today, Memorial Day, until Independence Day, July 4th! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9iHiwgKyAQwy2KdbOc1BKigHbXgnkXrfnH677quWZ0olHzOE60GmRxKE74DYT8K2r9_JjQknK6MBzRBmcD81Gf01uaLlVkpOCDV1HAzqWY_1Sy0MpzQ1BEo_oxzNwmsAE6XZFCgfwrIJ/s1600/Melbourne-20130527-00952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9iHiwgKyAQwy2KdbOc1BKigHbXgnkXrfnH677quWZ0olHzOE60GmRxKE74DYT8K2r9_JjQknK6MBzRBmcD81Gf01uaLlVkpOCDV1HAzqWY_1Sy0MpzQ1BEo_oxzNwmsAE6XZFCgfwrIJ/s640/Melbourne-20130527-00952.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Day 1 : 3.30 miles</div>
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I am just coming out of being sick for a week and today was my first run in 7 days. I started a little late in the morning (8:00 am) and got hit by the sun's heat as soon as I stepped out the door. I started slow, walking for the first 10 minutes. I set my interval timer to 2:1 interval and ran. It was great to be running again. I don't know if I can keep up with running this late in the morning, though. I might have to consider waking up early, not, or just run later in the evening. </div>
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Come streaking with me!</div>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-71262036335048127542013-05-12T00:03:00.000-04:002013-05-12T00:03:06.245-04:00#8of13 races in 2013 - Run for the Gecko Hawaiian Luau 5K<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have now ran 8 races in 5 months, 7 of them 5Ks and a half marathon. This is well above the pace to reach my goal of running 13 races in 2013. Today's run was another fun one and the last one in my race calendar until July. To get in on the Hawaiian luau theme, I donned on a grass skirt, leis and a coconut bra. I am really getting the hang of wearing a costume to theme races. It is a lot of fun! The only downside to today's race was the 5:45 am wake up time to get ready for a 7:15 am start. I lazily pulled myself out of bed and got ready. I usually eat an egg, toast and tea before I run a morning race. However, with a very early wake up time, I didn't feel like cooking eggs much less eating any. To get some fuel before the run I took 3 bites of cooked instant oatmeal and walked out the door. I set my Jeff Galloway timer to a 2:00/1:00 run/walk interval (12 min/mi pace). After a little glitch on the timer (wrong button pushed) I was on my way. Having lost time reprogramming my timer, I finished at 38:09. This is 3 minutes over my fastest at 35:43 just last month. I am still running after a finish of under 30 minutes. I know I will get there...in time. For now, I will enjoy the fact that I can run and have been running injury-free.</div>
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Next race: Firecracker 5K, July 4, Melbourne</div>
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Before and after the race. Nice beach towel for all finishers to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Running Zone.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyCRDeCMs9T_QNAmVHRUBfuxQRP8tvsn-nA4p7AxX18-hRuG5hf4eA3qbMOBoMrgygLUmRcGpXyyEt9sC0lIaDaY7dvmiIT6u6S-Q3O45thpx_2T1l40XPzmYnicfGeMYrEgtAl5-FJy_/s1600/964676_10200956122606962_1695406251_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyCRDeCMs9T_QNAmVHRUBfuxQRP8tvsn-nA4p7AxX18-hRuG5hf4eA3qbMOBoMrgygLUmRcGpXyyEt9sC0lIaDaY7dvmiIT6u6S-Q3O45thpx_2T1l40XPzmYnicfGeMYrEgtAl5-FJy_/s640/964676_10200956122606962_1695406251_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Over a thousand runners lined up behind the start line. </center>
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<i>(Photo courtesy of Natalie Marshall)</i></center>
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My fellow teachers who have become running buddies! </center>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-43112716701503315282013-04-29T21:14:00.001-04:002013-05-01T19:54:46.555-04:00Race #7 of 13 - Melbourne Art Festival Flamingo 5K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxD0TuTKIjlW3zgqb-KDI5aZx38GBAzIFafon1FyBp13MfAYNgDsQ0oNjyLacwYaZVabfyhhcJcEzf209tf-cQ9CVo1sFrwPK_G2Y-RgtprUnkPPv-n729hc9isPsMIMRqfAyprC4GAEu/s1600/923446_10201162795136149_1669650461_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxD0TuTKIjlW3zgqb-KDI5aZx38GBAzIFafon1FyBp13MfAYNgDsQ0oNjyLacwYaZVabfyhhcJcEzf209tf-cQ9CVo1sFrwPK_G2Y-RgtprUnkPPv-n729hc9isPsMIMRqfAyprC4GAEu/s400/923446_10201162795136149_1669650461_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am halfway through my goal of running 13 races in 2013. This weekend's run of the Melbourne Art Festival Flamingo 5K was race #7. I ran it with a couple of my fellow Science teachers from our high school. It turned out that teachers from the Math, English and Exceptional Education departments were also represented. <br />
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I can't say that I love this course because it involves running up the Melbourne causeway (bridge) twice! When I first ran this last year, I was just new to running. I remember thinking "why on earth do I do this to myself?" as I ran the first uphill climb up the bridge. I hated it then, I hate it still! I should really add hill training to my run repertoire!<br />
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As with any other run though, it felt great after! It was even better this time because I beat last year's finish by 10 seconds! Yay, me! <span style="text-align: center;">The after race festivities did not disappoint either. There were fresh fruit, pizza, smoothies, bagels with cream cheese, donut holes, and oh yes, ice cold beer!!!</span><br />
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So the race countdown continues. Next on the calendar is the <a href="http://www.runningzone.com/series/news/360" target="_blank">Run for the Gecko Hawaiian Luau 5K</a>. I hope you all can join me!</div>
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Getting ready to run with fellow teachers from my school</div>
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We were all happy it was over!</div>
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First uphill climb! Don't be fooled by the thumbs up! </div>
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(<i>Photo courtesy of Doug Carroll</i>)</div>
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Outbound! </div>
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(<i>Photo courtesy of Michael Tapes, Leslie & John Redrup)</i></div>
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Pizza and beer after the race!</div>
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(<i>Photo courtesy of Michael Tapes, Leslie & John Redrup)</i></div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-73124047695792922262013-04-22T23:04:00.002-04:002013-10-20T23:20:45.546-04:00Reflections on the tragedy in BostonA week ago today, I was glued to the TV watching the network coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. It was all surreal to me. Truth be told, I have never followed any marathon until this past year. You see, I just started running a little over a year ago. Even then, I never really felt that I was a runner. I just ran/walked 5K races. It wasn't until I ran my first half marathon at Disney this past February that I finally called myself a runner. So when I started reading tweets and facebook posts about the Boston Marathon, I began to see it with runner eyes. I felt excited. I started rooting for runners whom I have met virtually. For the first time I felt a connection to the race. I was at work during the run so I got updates online. At first check, I read that Lelisa Desisa Benti from Ethiopia crossed the finish line first in the men's division in 2:10:22 and Rita Jeptoo from Kenya crossed it in the women's division in 2:26:25. They ran 26.2 miles faster than I ran 13.1 miles!!! <br />
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Just before the end of the school day, I decided to check more race results and read instead breaking news of two bombs going off at the race. Just like many others who may have first read or heard of the news, I thought this can't be true. Unfortunately, it was. The initial questions was, who would do such a heinous act? Now we know. In the aftermath, four innocent lives were lost and nearly two hundred more were injured. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost their lives and their families: Richard Martin, Lu Lingzi, Krystle Campbell, and Sean Collier. To those who are still in the hospitals recovering from their injuries, I continue to offer my prayers.<br />
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We now wait for the suspect to speak. Why? This is the question that so many of us want answered. Why did you do this? If the media reports are true, that they may have "hated" America, why? Why do you hate this country so much? This county that gave you the escape from your own country's troubles? Where is your sense of gratitude? I, too, am an immigrant and a naturalized citizen. I love this country as I do my country of birth. How could you do this to innocent people, especially to the runners who have just endured running for hours. They were all defenseless? Why?<br />
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I cannot help but feel so proud that I have become a part of great community of runners, both in person and virtually. The overwhelming response from runners all over this country and overseas was incredible. In the days following the bombings, social media mobilized runners to get to the streets and do what we know best, the glue that brings us all together - run! And we did. I have learned that the soul of a runner cannot be destroyed. It is strong, stubborn, resilient. Nothing, it seems, can and will bring us down. I learned that instead of cowering behind the safety of our houses, we go out and face the enemy head on instead. <br />
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Will I ever make it to Boston to run the marathon? Maybe never. I do know that I will continue to run, until I can't.<br />
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On Tuesday following the bombings, runners were encouraged to wear a race shirt to work. I wore the race shirt for my first half marathon, Disney's Princess Half Marathon.</div>
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Wearing my virtual bib, I ran 2.62 miles in memory of the victims of the bombing.</div>
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Our local running store, The Running Zone, hosted a "Runners for Boston" run/walk event. Over 200 runners/walkers/dogs came to participate. </div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-49301093894914794262013-04-09T18:01:00.001-04:002013-04-09T18:01:12.552-04:00Race #6 of 13 race recap: Pirate Plunder 2-milerFor the first time since I started running, I wore a costume to run a race! I had fun dressing up that it almost made me forget my bib and timing strap! It was a great race because it was a short race! There were close to 1000 runners of all ages. The number of costumed runners were just as numerous. This was also my first afternoon race. The horn sounded at 5:30 pm. It was hot during the run. On top of it all, I ran with my hair down, head covered with a bandana and a pirate's hot on top of it. Before I even reached the first mile marker, I wanted to rip off my bandana to cool my head down. I fought the urge and ran on.<br />
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This was also my fastest run. I have never run a mile in under 11 minutes. I actually thought that I broke 11 minutes for my overall pace, but obviously I didn't do the math correctly. This was definitely a run I will do again next year!<br />
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Had to pose beside a "pirate"</div>
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With my teacher friends</div>
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These two ladies flanking me are great runners! </div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-84404641905696706642013-04-09T17:04:00.001-04:002013-04-09T17:04:49.246-04:00Gone crazy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHWseU6ua6Cgxj0TQknahfZYvurYsvicOb7WlvdAPFmkmxCK4PsoV4dsBUuCY-Qi6dhm01vxz91w30qmOY4UUcGZldJyLgw_lQ7pdULfQvrIzyY43uoCme-lBf0ASTfii5321TEXaDYeR/s1600/740486_587978281228138_1461823045_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHWseU6ua6Cgxj0TQknahfZYvurYsvicOb7WlvdAPFmkmxCK4PsoV4dsBUuCY-Qi6dhm01vxz91w30qmOY4UUcGZldJyLgw_lQ7pdULfQvrIzyY43uoCme-lBf0ASTfii5321TEXaDYeR/s640/740486_587978281228138_1461823045_o.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>
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Well, I've done it! I have gone crazy! I just signed up to run the full marathon at Walt Disney World in January 2014! I don't know how it happened but I originally planned to run the inaugural 10K race on the same weekend. Somehow I clicked on the marathon instead. My heart was beating so fast and my palms were cold after I hit send. The pain I felt after I ran the half marathon this February is still vivid in my memory. I just signed up to double that pain to run twice the distance! </div>
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I will be blogging about my experience during training and the day of the race. I hope you will follow my journey through this craziness!</div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-85558204709999181292013-04-01T23:03:00.000-04:002013-04-02T18:00:34.437-04:00Race #5 of 13 recap: The anatomy of a run and the elusive negative splitsI ran my fifth race for 2013 and my third 5K on this past Saturday. I was very tentative in signing up for this one so I didn't feel that excited feeling I usually get before I run a race. Since I signed up the day before the race, I got a shirt two sizes larger than what I wear. The forecast for the morning was in the 60s. This was great. It had been in the 40s, even in the upper 30s, throughout the week. I set my alarm to 6:00 am and settled in bed. I had the most restless night and when the alarm sounded off, I begrudgingly hit the snooze button; and kept hitting it two more times. I got up and dragged myself out of bed to prepare breakfast. I usually eat a hard boiled egg, toast and hot tea before any morning run. However, I didn't realize that we had run out of eggs! So, I settled for just the toast and tea. I debated whether to take a shower or skip it; I took one. I felt the house was really cold so I knew it was nowhere near 60 degrees outside. It was in fact 48 degrees! Brrr...yes, for me down in Central Florida, this is downright cold! I decided not to wear long running pants nor wear a long sleeve shirt. I know that once the sun comes up it will be hot in no time. I was running late and the event was about 20 minutes away so I hurriedly attached my bib number and my shoe tag and left. <br />
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The race was a fundraiser for The Haven, a shelter for abused and neglected children. It was definitely for a good cause and was reflected by the number of runners who were already at the venue. This race was also different because the men ran at 7:30 am and the women started at 8:15 am. I thought this was very interesting and a first one for me. When I got there, all the men had already gone through the finish line. Since I decided to run at the last minute, I didn't go with anyone I knew. When I got there, I didn't know anyone either. It seemed that those who were there all knew each other! I just stood on one side and waited for the lady in the blow horn to signal "GO". I decided to check out the new headphones that I just unpacked from its case. Big mistake! The earplugs didn't fit my ears and it kept falling off! The price I pay for getting it on clearance and not checking it out before using it in a run!<br />
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The temperature had gone up to about 52 degrees by the time we crossed "Start". I've run in this venue before. At each of the other runs the route always included a run up the bridge. This race didn't. Instead it just looped around Downtown Melbourne twice. Score one for me! I decided that this will be the race that I will probably break 30 minutes! So off I went. A few yards into the run, I realized that I couldn't feel my feet hit the pavement! I started to feel panicky. Maybe that's a good thing so I can actually run faster, I thought. That was the strangest thing ever. I still don't have an explanation to it but eventually I started feeling them again.<br />
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I thought I was doing really well especially when I passed Mile 1 and the clock had my pace at 10:25! I have never run a mile at this pace. Momentarily, I thought, this is great! However, this is where the run unraveled for me. This happens at every 5k race I have ever run. You see, my left (or is it the right) brain tells me "keep going" but the other side, and the more forceful side would say "that's a fast pace, you can slow down now"! And that is exactly the remainder of this story. A few yards after this mile marker, I decided to stop and walk. Not because I was out of breath, nor because my legs were tired, but I just decided to stop and walk! It's like I just hit a wall. A wall running a 5K? Really now, seriously? And when I start walking I lose all momentum. I slow down even more and finishes at a time that I always feel should have been better. I finished at 35:43.<br />
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It is true that running is not just a physical sport, it is mental as well. When I ran my first 5K last year, I could hardly finish a mile without walking. I have now surpassed that hurdle and can run 5Ks nonstop during my practice runs. However, I have not overcome the hold that my brain has over my body's will to keep running in races. Why is it so difficult to win over this?<br />
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Do you have any suggestions on what this runner should do? <br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-14860235422059308292013-03-29T12:03:00.001-04:002013-03-29T12:03:53.884-04:00First Fitness Friday post!<center>
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I am so excited to write a post for any link up, ever! Yay me! I'm moving up on the blog experience! Well, here goes. I live in east central Florida and am off from work for spring break. If you have been following the weather in our neck of the woods, we have had record breaking lows for three mornings in a row. In Melbourne, we even had record low highs in the afternoon last Wednesday! Needless to say, if I were visiting from up north, I would call this weather heaven! However, if you are from around here, this was downright freezing! I visited friends in Orlando in the early part of the week and it was crazy to have to wear a jacket to hang out at Universal City Walk on Tuesday evening. </div>
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The weather would have been perfect for running but I only got to run 8 miles this week so far. However, I walked for miles while I was in Orlando. These are shopping miles, mind you, but they were good miles, nonetheless. I will run a 5K tomorrow to end the week and celebrate Easter.</div>
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Lastly, I still have marathon in my bucket list but I felt like the runner in the picture several days this week. Replace the cupcakes with oatmeal instead!</div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-78607932140787084652013-03-29T11:35:00.000-04:002013-03-29T11:36:11.756-04:00Race #4 in 2013 - JLSB Re-Run 5KI ran my 4th race for 2013 at the 4th Annual Re-Run 5K sponsored by the <a href="http://www.jlsb.net/" target="_blank">Junior League of South Brevard</a> last Saturday. This is the first time that I've run this race and truly enjoyed it. There were runners dressed in 80s garb including colorful tights and poofy hair! It brought me back to my high school days! I couldn't find anything of the 80s in my house so I wore the tank top. Pitiful, I know, but at least I had the colors of the 80s???? Oh well; but there you go...#4 of 13 is in the books! <br />
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With my co-teacher, Natalie Marshall. Yes, that's the New Kids on the Block photo on her shirt. </div>
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I couldn't help but take a picture of the grab bag because I have never had one with sunscreen lotion, pens, mini flashlight and a toothbrush in it!!!</div>
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Don't be fooled by my race number but there were still at least 300 people who ran.</div>
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Placed 5th in my age group but my slowest of the three 5Ks I've run this year. I had no excuse except that I don't like to run bridges!</div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-36145590674576607292013-03-20T20:01:00.003-04:002013-03-20T20:32:21.383-04:00Race #3 for 2013 - Berry Patch 5KFor the second year in a row, I ran the Berry Patch 5K. This year the race fell on my birthday which is also St. Patrick's day! At race start, the temperature was a cool 52 degrees. My younger daughter, Megan, Rita Chavez and her boys, Chase and Carson, and Gloria joined me this year. Since this event coincides with the Annual Strawberry Festival sponsored by the Habitat for Humanity, runners were treated to a plate of strawberry pancakes and sausage after the race with coffee from Dunkin Donuts. <br />
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Just like any other 5K that I've run, I go in never thinking that I am running a race. I'm there just to run. I love the feeling of exhilaration after the run that it doesn't matter what time I finish. Oh, don't get me wrong. For a split second I would think that I should run faster to beat my previous 5k finish times but somehow that never works! I did finish under my time last year by a mere seconds but it is enough for me. I finished at 37:34, a decent 12:06 pace. <br />
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Megan, Chase and Carson earned medals in their respective age groups! Rita and Gloria also finished with good time finishes! I appreciate their running with me to celebrate my birthday. Till next year, ladies, I hope.<br />
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Looking forward to Race #4; the <a href="http://www.jlsb.net/support-jlsb/re-run-5k-2013/" target="_blank">ReRun 5K</a> on Saturday!<br />
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My daughter, Megan, and me before the race. </div>
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And we're off! (Photo courtesy of Reuben Chavez)</div>
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Between miles 1 and 2 (Photo courtesy of Reuben Chave</div>
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At the finish! (Photo courtesy of Reuben Chavez)</div>
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Chase, Carson, and Megan with their medals (Photo courtesy of Reuben Chavez) </div>
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Rita and Gloria came to celebrate my birthday run with me (Photo courtesy of Gloria Abad Suan)<br />
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Photo courtesy of John Redrup (Habitat 5K)</div>
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-34067694202471971762013-03-15T23:12:00.001-04:002013-03-20T19:43:38.572-04:0013 races in 2013<span style="font-size: large;">Still riding on the high of having just run in my first half marathon, I have set a new goal for 2013: <b>run 13 races in 2013</b>! Yes, that's about a race a month. I had already planned on running 10 races to begin with so adding another 3 more was just a matter of choosing which one. Here are the races I have run and have scheduled to run this year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Race #1.</b></span> Melbourne Music Marathon, 5K, February 2, 2013 - <i><span style="color: red;">Time: 00:35:57</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Race #2. </span>Disney's Princess Half Marathon, February 24, 2013 - <i><span style="color: red;">Time: 3:23:55</span></i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Scheduled races:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Berry Patch 5K, March 17 - <i>Completed <span style="color: red;">00:37.34</span></i></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. <!--[endif]--> <span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Re-Run
5K, March 23</span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><!--[endif]--><strike></strike><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">5</span>. <!--[endif]--> Melbourne
Art Festival 5K, April 27<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">6</span>. <!--[endif]--> Run for
the Gecko 5K, May 11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">7</span>. <!--[endif]--> Firecracker
5K, July 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">8</span>. <!--[endif]--> Run for
Pizza Football Kickoff 5K, August 10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">9</span>. <!--[endif]--> Turtle
Krawl 5K, September 14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1<span style="font-size: large;">0</span>. <!--[endif]--> Disney's
Tower of Terror 10-miler, October 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1<span style="font-size: large;">1</span>. <!--[endif]--> Ghostly
Gecko 5K, October 19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1<span style="font-size: large;">2</span>. <!--[endif]--> Space
Coast Half Marathon, December 1</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. TBD </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is my list, for now. Of course, I reserve the right to add or replace a race or two more if I find another one that I might find fun to run!</span><br />
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Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4374575303484766167.post-89467125253098465552013-02-28T22:16:00.001-05:002017-08-31T11:30:44.651-04:002013 Disney's Princess Half Marathon, done!Check out the video at the start of the race <a href="https://youtu.be/15ss6kZU2IQ" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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3:23:55! This is how long it took me to run/walk the 2013 Disney's Princess Half Marathon at Disney World this Sunday! Mickey's outstretched white-gloved left hand welcomed me at the finish line. I didn't exactly feel this at that moment, but looking back now, it was a magical moment. You see, by about mile 11.5, my feet, particularly my heels, were in pain. I had decided to run the final 3.1 miles having just gotten some welcome relief from Biofreeze at mile 11. I then popped two sports beans and weaved my way around the women who were walking. At some point after this, I felt my heels just hurt badly, so much so that I just could not even step on them. I still plugged along trying several different landings on my feet. I tried landing on the lateral, medial and anterior portions of my feet and none really worked. So, as I finally passed mile 13, I decided that there was no way they were going to photograph me walking through the finish line. I ran on the anterior portion of my feet, that is, I tiptoed the final .1 mile to the finish. I gave Mickey a high five and walked towards the volunteers who were giving out the medals.<br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Posed with Snow White at the Expo!</span></div>
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For a few seconds as I was getting my medal, I forgot about my pain. Two other ladies were right behind me and we were all grinning as we accepted these hard earned medals! We took turns taking each other's pictures as the volunteers hung the medals around our necks. The medal is beautiful and has some weight to it. Next, I loosened my shoelaces and bee-lined to the medic area where I could hear, "Tylenol, anyone?". I limped to the table and took two and another volunteer uncapped a water bottle for me. I swallowed those two pills so fast you'd think I was in pain, ha ha! This was the culmination of months of training and I felt tired, hurting, and at the same time accomplished. Up to now, I still smile every time I remember what I just did. I never saw myself being able to run 13.1 miles! The road wasn't easy but it paid off. I can now say I am a half-marathoner!<br />
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Our day began at 2:30 am when the alarm on my phone came on. Ralph and I didn't fall asleep until about 11 pm the night before so we roughly had three and a half hours of sleep. It must have been adrenaline starting to kick in because we both just stood up and started to get ready. We had laid out our clothes and shoes the night before so we were out of the room and on the bus by 3:30 am. This was in fact the Princess Half Marathon so we were amazed at the costumes of the other runners who were heading towards the bus. Ralph and I did not wear any costumes frankly because I didn't have time to prepare for it. As soon as the bus was full, we headed out to Epcot. The bus dropped us off in the parking lot. You would think that it was in the middle of the day in the summer during peak tourist season because there was a sea of people walking towards the music blasting inside Epcot. The atmosphere was electrifying and lively as we headed inside the gates. The line dancing music came on and everybody just started to cheer.<br />
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We all just kept moving towards the music and towards the bag check tents. Photographers dotted the area so everybody was trying to get their photos taken as we maneuvered our way through a 20 foot wide entrance. Finally we found our tents and of course the "T-Z" tent was the farthest away. At the Expo where we picked up our bibs and t-shirts, they also gave us a clear plastic bag. This was the only bag that we were allowed to bring to the race and allowed to drop off. In it we placed extra change of clothes, bars, and our IDs. After we dropped the bags off, we started to walk about half a mile to our corrals. There were DJs playing music on one side and port-a-lets on the other! We finally arrived at Corral H, the final corral. I registered earlier than Ralph so I was actually in Corral F. Since those in later corrals cannot go up, I had to move back so I can stay with him. There is a 7 minute interval between start times for each corral. So, we didn't get the go from Fairy Godmother until 6:24 am, almost an hour after Corral A started!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKcID0EzB-G65rQdX34qsmXWHOThr0ldFqgE53I-M_MKb0r6lAxBEztwpvq0PDhmgqKKflEjAsvWAnMz7yu5xTa3fOqL1sU1zz0PfBGznn3506ic9LmQjSQMBjY4pqdVwDtrIzMJC9rJ4/s1600/DSCN0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKcID0EzB-G65rQdX34qsmXWHOThr0ldFqgE53I-M_MKb0r6lAxBEztwpvq0PDhmgqKKflEjAsvWAnMz7yu5xTa3fOqL1sU1zz0PfBGznn3506ic9LmQjSQMBjY4pqdVwDtrIzMJC9rJ4/s320/DSCN0102.JPG" width="320" /></a>Weather at the start of the race was humid and probably in the high 60s already. We had set our Jeff Galloway timer to a 45 sec run/30 sec walk interval. This was a 14 min/mile pace which is well under the Disney required pace of 16 min/mile. However, we were slowed down by the crowd. A lot of the participants were mostly walkers. A lot of us who ran had to weave around them. All in all, we probably ran an extra mile or two just because we had to run diagonally at times to pass the walkers. It was actually mentally draining trying to find a gap between the walkers. We hit Mile 1 and Ralph and I exclaimed, "We're just at mile 1? Whew, 12.1 miles to go".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ1q87gQwgGY3-w_5zyH3pCcWHubcdMigRP-wzP3WOdO50XUFdJJqMCE3NEla0sXoJ_Ifa7EhL2A_85FR0kB3asqrgwdNI8xac8VdN83gdWNUP7gnwat5EHo3vXzXnCS24VVr4i_cIHA4/s1600/DSCN0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQ1q87gQwgGY3-w_5zyH3pCcWHubcdMigRP-wzP3WOdO50XUFdJJqMCE3NEla0sXoJ_Ifa7EhL2A_85FR0kB3asqrgwdNI8xac8VdN83gdWNUP7gnwat5EHo3vXzXnCS24VVr4i_cIHA4/s320/DSCN0113.JPG" width="320" /></a>At Mile 5, we were inside the Magic Kingdom. The crowd of spectators that lined Main Street U.S.A. was awesome. They were cheering loudly and that kept us energized. Then as we looked up, we saw Cinderella's castle. No matter how old you are, when you see the castle, you become a kid again. And what made it even more special was that we actually went through the castle. With thousands of us trying to get through, there was no running at all! We were packed like sardines walking inch by inch until we got out on the other side. Since I don't mind what my time was at the finish, some were not too happy that we probably lost precious minutes going through the castle. <br />
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At mile 7, Alicia Keys's song "Girl on Fire" was blasting! We were half way there! We have been hydrating with water and Power Aid and popping sports beans to keep the carb levels up. At this point, I still felt no pain in the knees nor cramping in my leg muscles. I was sweating a lot though because there just wasn't any breeze blowing to cool us down. This was great because we never went for a potty break for the entire race! <br />
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Ralph had been trying to run ahead so at mile 8.5, he did. I didn't meet up with him until after the race by the baggage check tents. I didn't mind a bit that he went ahead. I just kept my pace and since I wasn't using my ipod, I enjoyed listening to the stories that the other runners/walkers were telling each other. At around Mile 11, a lot of us were feeling some discomfort. However, you didn't hear complaints. Instead you heard encouraging words - "we can do this", "you're doing great", "we are almost there", "keep going". Even though they were not directed at me, it really helped me keep going. <br />
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At mile 13, we were met by the music of a gospel choir! I have been told that they will be there and boy was it a relief. You know that you only have a few hundred yards to go. However, at this point in the race, any distance more than a foot a way seemed like miles away. What others have said is true, and that is, the last .1 mi is the hardest and seemingly the longest to run!<br />
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Just over a year ago, I ran my first 5K. A few months later after having only run a handful of 5K runs, I decided to run my first half-marathon. I cannot believe that I have actually accomplished this feat. This is the longest time that I have stuck with one sport or any type of physical activity. Now, I have grown to love running. In fact, I look forward to my running days. I have signed up for the Disney Tower of Terror 10 miler in October and the Space Coast Half Marathon in December. You might think I'm crazy, but I am actually looking forward to running in these two events. I feel that this is the only way that I will be motivated to keep on running. Future goal: a full marathon!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our running gear!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYwmQXobksp4bYGCua4DZXnnShmrDDi4j0nMYBZK-74lmggJRD0DWC-fNnD3ngsh8hC09hz-bn0BwEYe-C9kc2UIza3s_WataTe21LBq0VNtF6TR-0zNNe9ncxVSZra0K8858josN25T8/s1600/IMG_3272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYwmQXobksp4bYGCua4DZXnnShmrDDi4j0nMYBZK-74lmggJRD0DWC-fNnD3ngsh8hC09hz-bn0BwEYe-C9kc2UIza3s_WataTe21LBq0VNtF6TR-0zNNe9ncxVSZra0K8858josN25T8/s640/IMG_3272.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKcpRvw7wtOHPno8l78u_On8XHt_48zTlbY3gzgnnnounsR381_nhj__-arcNFWQ28EzOY5sBltxZ5AfRAUczczfTPmVpI05JQcKBqF4-ZYznUAAwdX1P1O3HNYeFilwCoT-fjch5jYNc/s1600/IMG_3273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKcpRvw7wtOHPno8l78u_On8XHt_48zTlbY3gzgnnnounsR381_nhj__-arcNFWQ28EzOY5sBltxZ5AfRAUczczfTPmVpI05JQcKBqF4-ZYznUAAwdX1P1O3HNYeFilwCoT-fjch5jYNc/s640/IMG_3273.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are what I packed inside my iFitness running pouch! The orange flavored sports beans were great. I didn't eat the Shot Bloks during the run but ate them as part of my breakfast.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Before the race!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqy9gOCX3F_K-p9gVl242miIqlmxiRYhYoz3glhL-6xGKCcgxeZyIwHK1utJUFB0zyEA_y1sfEprbhlF1Vp9UYnEbaGx6h0oTMyGpQzEm5t8ZV5PvlmZKc6oYcAZvromGoyjcgNUQ7PN_/s1600/DSCN0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqy9gOCX3F_K-p9gVl242miIqlmxiRYhYoz3glhL-6xGKCcgxeZyIwHK1utJUFB0zyEA_y1sfEprbhlF1Vp9UYnEbaGx6h0oTMyGpQzEm5t8ZV5PvlmZKc6oYcAZvromGoyjcgNUQ7PN_/s640/DSCN0088.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After the race!</span></div>
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<img alt="Joy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLE3h_MOAJogzNVRfTPS9SEVy5Zsx5cP97xPHr4QVV3n86ymam3imk513G2yvt51QcO6Pkj8xXdXh5mSIiMHoczPrDtbvWzZuqpa9x93Mdxll7ndy8bzLlC5pjJ-W6bB6-4k40buq-Mjuv/s1600/joy.png" /></center>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724674588921811314noreply@blogger.com8