Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight #5–Lori

It’s here, guys…it’s really here! Today marks the start of the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend! I’m so excited I can’t stand it! :0)

In lieu of a Fitness Friday, I’m continuing with the Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight – the 5th and final spotlight today is on Lori (who blogs with her sister Stacy) of Once Upon A Run!

Tell us a little bit about yourself….

I’m Lori Hancock, and I blog at www.onceuponarun.net with my sister, Stacy.  We’re from central Kentucky; home of the bluegrass, bourbon, and racehorses.  I’m married to my high school sweetheart (though we went to different high schools), a mom to two sweet children, and a school librarian.  I love dogs—I have three: a westie, a sheltie, and a standard poodle (that loves to run with me).  I also have an addiction to coffee, reading, traveling, and Disney! 

Which Disneyland race are you running?

My husband and I are running the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge together, so we’ll be at the 10k and the half marathon. 

Is this your first runDisney experience? If yes, tell us what you are most looking forward to. If not, tell us about your favorite runDisney moment.

My first runDisney experience was in 2011 when I signed up for the 5k.  My husband had signed himself up for the half marathon since it happened to coincide with our already-planned Disney vacation.  I was just getting back into running and runDisney ignited a spark that grew!  Within 12 months of that 5k, I went on to run 4 local half marathons and then I signed up for the BIG one, the WDW 2013 20th anniversary (FULL) marathon.  I can’t imagine a better first way to experience a full marathon—and it still blows my mind to think that we almost didn’t choose Disney for our first full marathon!  It was actually 3rd on our list, but our first two choices filled up in a matter of hours.  It’s funny how things work out—and because we ran the full marathon, we were more inclined to sign up for the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.  Two races=FOUR medals!

We have so many favorite runDisney memories. Stacy ran 2012 Wine & Dine 5k and half marathon, 2013 Princess half marathon, and the 2013 Tinker Bell half marathon.  While in 2013, I ran the WDW marathon and will be running in the Disneyland 10k/half marathon.  Stacy and I are going to close out 2013 by running the Wine & Dine half marathon together!   With so many runDisney races, it’s hard to pick just one “favorite” moment, but we can say that runDisney races really are magical and are unlike any other you’ll run—which is why we keep going back!

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As always, be sure to follow instagram, twitter, and facebook for the latest and greatest of my San Diego/Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (Dumbo Double Dare) trip!

See ya real soon! :0)

Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight #4–Emily

Up next in the Dumbo Double Dare runner spotlight is Emily!

Tell us a little bit about you....

I am a native Seattleite who recently moved to St. Louis.  I love to travel and learn about new places - one of my life goals is to step foot on all seven continents.  You can often find me taking pictures.  M&M’s just might be my biggest weakness.

Which Disneyland race are you running?

I am running Dumbo - 10K on Saturday and Half on Sunday

Is this your first runDisney experience? If yes, tell us what you are most looking forward to. If not, tell us about your favorite runDisney moment.

While this is not my first runDisney experience, it is my first time to experience the Disneyland Half.  My favorite runDisney moment (so far) would be crossing the finish line at my first Princess Half.  I proved to myself I could do it!

Here’s ways to keep up with Emily during the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend:

Blog: Travel With Emily
Twitter: @em425
Instagram: @emilytravels

Have a great weekend, Emily! Best of luck to you as you tackle Dumbo Double Dare…can’t wait to hear about once you return!

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As always, be sure to follow instagram, twitter, and facebook for the latest and greatest of my San Diego/Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (Dumbo Double Dare) trip!

See ya real soon! :0)

Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight #3–Pam & Christine

Happy Wednesday, y’all! It’s officially “hump day”, and just a few short days to the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend! Eeekkk! Didn’t I just run Goofy’s Challenge like a month ago? Doesn’t feel as if it’s already been 7 months!

In continuing the Disneyland Half/Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight, here’s Pam and Christine of We Run Disney!



Tell us a little bit about you....
We are a mother daughter duo who started running in late 2010 so we could run the Princess Half Marathon.  It was to be our first and last half marathon. Pam continued after the race, but Christine took a break and resumed running just prior to the 2012 Princess Half Marathon.   We are excited to be going to Disneyland.  It will be Christine's first visit to Walt's park!  Pam completed her coast to coast challenge in 2011 with her sister, Alison. 

Which Disneyland race are you running? 
We are running the Dumbo Challenge, which includes a 10k on Saturday and Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday.



Is this your first runDisney experience? If yes, tell us what you are most looking forward to.
Christine:  The finish line of the 2012 Princess Half Marathon.  I quit running for nearly a year but several weeks before the race, I agreed to go with my Mom.  As we crossed the finish line, Mom and I held hands and yelled "We Did It".  It was such an amazing experience after struggling with medical issues after the finish of the 2011 race.

Pam:  Crossing the finish line of the Mickey Marathon in January was a magical moment for me.  I was so happy to complete my first (and only) marathon that I hugged Mickey at the finish line!

Follow along with Pam and Christine as they tackle Dumbo’s Double Dare and experience Disneyland with a runDisney twist!
 
Blog:  We Run Disney
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WeRunDisney
Twitter:  @werundisney

I’m really looking forward to meeting Pam and Christine sometime throughout the weekend! These ladies are both incredibly sweet and encouraging! I hope you both have a fabulous time!
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As always, be sure to follow instagram, twitter, and facebook for the latest and greatest of my San Diego/Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (Dumbo Double Dare) trip!
See ya real soon! :0)

Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight #2–Abby

Happy Tuesday! Today is a super special day – I’m in San Diego, at Sea World, and it’s my birthday! Woohoo! Can’t wait to share my adventures with you once I return home!

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In continuing the week of spotlighting Disneyland Half/Dumbo Double Dare runners, meet #2, Abby!

Tell us a little bit about you....

New Yorker by way of New Orleans! I'm a Graphic Designer and live in Brooklyn with my fiancé and 8yr old Boxer. I started running 3 years ago, inspired by watching my best friend run The Boston Marathon. My first half marathon was the 2011 NYCHalf and I've run 15 half marathons and 2 full marathons since. Being the Disney fan that I am, my goal is to run all of their races. As soon as I get back from California, I will continue my training for The New York City Marathon.

Which Disneyland race are you running?

Dumbo Double Dare Challenge- The Disneyland 10k and The Disneyland Half Marathon. Since I don't see myself ever running Goofy, this is my equivalent!

Is this your first runDisney experience? If yes, tell us what you are most looking forward to.

This is not my first runDisney experience, but it IS my first Disneyland runDisney event. I'm really looking forward to seeing which characters are on the course- I've noticed Disneyland races have a lot of characters I haven't seen. My favorite runDisney moment would have to be getting to meet my favorite villain, Maleficent, after The Tower of Terror 10 Miler; crossing the finish line of the WDW Marathon is a close second ;)

Want to follow along with Abby’s Dumbo/Disneyland adventures? Here’s ways to keep up with all of the fun!

Blog: Abby’s Road To Amazingness 
Twitter: @abby_arta
Instagram: @abby_arta
Pintrest: abbyarta

Yay Abby! I am looking forward to reading all about your experience with the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend once you return home! Have a fabulous race!

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As always, be sure to follow instagram, twitter, and facebook for the latest and greatest of my San Diego/Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (Dumbo Double Dare) trip!

See ya real soon! :0)

Dumbo Double Dare Runner Spotlight #1 - Jen

Guess what, guys?! It’s officially the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Week!! Did you get that? Yeah…well, it is! I could not be more excited!!

In an effort to keep the excitement up all week, I’m bringing to you a Spotlight on a new Disneyland Half Marathon/Dumbo Double Dare Runner each day! At the bottom of their spotlight, you will find information on how to follow along with their adventures throughout the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. Can’t make it for the race? Here’s your perfect opportunity to follow along! :0)

Now, for the first Spotlight, Jen!



Tell us a little bit about you....

I was born and raised in Georgia and have been here all 31 years of my life.  I was always active growing up and, unfortunately, slacked off toward the end of college.  I began long distance running last March after my friend suggested that we run the Disney Princess half marathon.  At first I laughed it off, but as I read more about it from others, I got very excited and decided this would be a great goal to work towards as well as to get back into the groove of working out.  After almost a year of training, the time finally came for our magical trip to Disney World.  This was my first half marathon and will always hold a special place in my heart.  I ran my second half marathon the next month and have three more scheduled for this year.

Which Disneyland race are you running?

I will be running in the inaugural Dumbo Double Dare (along with Karen!)  This will also be my first trip to Disneyland and I'm really looking forward to experiencing where it all started.


Is this your first runDisney experience? If yes, tell us what you are most looking forward to. If not, tell us about your favorite runDisney moment.

Dumbo Double Dare will be my second runDisney experience.  My favorite moment from the Princess half marathon was running with some amazing running friends, and running through Cinderella's castle was a very unique experience that I will never forget.




Want to follow along with all of Jen’s Disneyland fun?

Blog: Hello Fitness, We Meet Again Twitter: @hellofitnessjen
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hellofitnessjen
Instagram: @hellofitnessjen

Thanks for allowing me to spotlight you, Jen! Can’t wait to meet you! Have a fabulous time at the most magical place on earth!!

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As always, be sure to follow instagram, twitter, and facebook for the latest and greatest of my San Diego/Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (Dumbo Double Dare) trip!

See ya real soon! :0)

Birthday Celebration(s)

What? I’m blogging on a Saturday? Get outta here!

I wanted to stop by and share my birthday celebrations with you guys before Monday, since Monday begins a week of spotlighting a few Dumbo Double Dare runners (look for that next week)!

Friday night, my family took me to O’Charley’s for a birthday dinner.

On our way there, I happened to spot a cloud that looked like Dumbo. Am I the only one seeing this? Enlighten me at least.

Love my family!

As the waitress set our plates on the table, mine happened to slide off the tray and…whoops!

Ah well, accidents happen!

After dinner, we had a little yummy froyo followed by gifts!

My husband/parents surprised me with BOTH the Vera Bradley Weekender AND the Laptop Booksack in Tutti Fruitti (I asked for one or the other)! Yay!

This morning, my friends surprised me with a post-run birthday celebration!  (Remember that odd muscle pain I told you about yesterday? It’s gone! Yay!)

How cute are these balloons?

Yummy cupcakes, too!

After our mini-celebration, we had breakfast at Panera Bread which just opened TODAY! It was delicious!

Wanna see what I got? Check out the video below…

I have the best friends a girl could ask for! :0)

How’s your  weekend going? I hope it’s been a fabulous one so far!

Now I’m off to pack! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Fitness Friday–August 23

Aaaah! I can’t believe it….just 1/2 day of work today and I’ll home free until after Labor Day. SoCal, here we come! :0)

Oh, wait…we have to get through the weekend first!

This week was awful in fitness terms! Apparently I pushed myself too hard at the Gleaux Run on Friday night (who does that 2 weeks before a race, anyway?!) and again on Saturday for an 8 mile run. By Sunday (and all of Monday), my legs were incredibly achy. I took Monday and Tuesday off from running because after the achiness wore off, my right quad muscle felt odd – it was really really tight, almost as if I pushed it too hard again, bad news would follow.

Since my legs were not 100% on Wednesday, I made the decision to ice my quad and take Wednesday off as well. Did I like taking that many days off prior to a race? Nope. I think I’m going into taper madness!

On Thursday, I attempted a 3 mile run to test out my legs. I stopped the run at mile 2 because my right quad was somewhat tight again, although not near as tight as it felt on Tuesday (which is a good thing)! So here we go, back to icing again.

When I stopped to stretch during my run, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye…two sweet bunnies were out to play! So cute!

I faithfully foam rolled all week and although I didn’t keep up with my squats/lunges throughout the week (because I didn’t feel right doing them), I started them back up on Thursday night.

Despite my crazy legs (which I’m NOT worried about for Dumbo Double Dare at all), this week held quite a few positives!

For starters, the weather in the mornings/evenings has been amazing! If it would stay like this until Fall, I would be a happy camper!!

 

I’ve enjoyed spending time on my backyard deck watching the sunrise and set this past week!

I also discovered a new favorite – Fit Mixer Amino!

This sample of Fit Mixer Amino was included in a previous month’s Bulu Box and it was in the flavor Fruit Punch. Oh my goodness y’all, this stuff is GOOD! I know what I’m buying when I return home from the trip! :0)

Check back on the blog every day next week for a spotlight on several runners of the Disneyland Half/Dumbo Double Dare. You won’t want to miss following along with them during their time in Disneyland! :0)

Now, off to pack! :0) Have a fabulous weekend! See ya real soon!

Disneyland Half Marathon Costume?

I’ll admit, I struggled on my ideas of what to wear for the Disneyland Half Marathon next weekend. Mind you, I already know exactly what I’m going to wear for the Princess Half Marathon and 10K (Glass Slipper Challenge) next February….but up until a few days ago, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what I was going on wear for the Disneyland Half Marathon. Isn’t that race just a few short days away? Yeah…it is.

Know when inspiration hit?

Inspiration for my Disneyland Half costume hit while watching an episode of Walt Disney’s Disneyland (the old black and white specials that used to play on ABC every Sunday night).

See this Mousketeer? Her name is Karen.

Here’s a #ThrowbackThursday one for you! On our Honeymoon in 2007, I discovered Karen’s Mousketeer costume on display in Hollywood Studios – and I’ve taken a photo in this same location every trip since!

In 2009 while on a trip with my family…

2

2010 during Marathon Weekend (and my first runDisney experience at that!)

After the 2012 Princess Half Marathon

(Apparently I need to broaden my spectrum of clothing. Despite what it looks like, my wardrobe IS full of colors other than blue!)

Her name is Karen…my name is Karen….perfect, right? Even better, I purchased that very same (ok…similar) Mousketeer hat at Disney World in January after Marathon Weekend! How’s that for “Coast to Coast” for you?

 

Enter a Sparkle Skirt for necessary bling…

…and as soon as I receive the top back from my seamstress (aka my mom), the costume will be complete!

So folks, there you have it! If you see a Mousketeer named Karen run by during the Disneyland Half Marathon, say hi! :0)

Have you ever dressed in costume for a race? If you are running the Disneyland Half, are you running in costume?

Giant Flavor In Every Bite!

I’ll admit, if given the choice between a sweet treat or a salty snack, I would choose sweet – hands down, every day.

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoy snack food (ie: popcorn, chips, etc.), so when Green Giant gave the opportunity to review their new line of Veggie Snacks, I was intrigued! Yes, you read that correctly – Green Giant, Veggie Snacks.



We received two flavors to try – Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips in Garden Ranch flavor and (my personal favorite) Multigrain Sweet Potato Chips in BBQ flavor. Sweet (literally)!

I first gave these chips a taste test without my husband around (shhh…don’t tell on me!).



The Garden Ranch Tortilla Chips were loaded with flavor and I absolutely loved them! I saved the Sweet Potato chips for last and I’m so glad I did…they quickly became my favorite of the two! BBQ Sweet Potato? Perfect combination! Why didn’t I think of that?

By the way, did someone mention BBQ?



Since I knew my husband would love these chips (despite his sometimes picky-ness), I decided that BBQ Chicken and Veggie Skewers was the perfect option to combine with these chips for dinner!



I was right…Green Giant chips were a big hit! Consequently, my husband’s favorite was the Garden Ranch Tortilla.

Apart from Garden Ranch Tortilla and Sweet Potato BBQ, Green Giant also offers a Sweet Potato Sea Salt flavor and a Veggie Tortilla Zesty Cheddar flavor. So many delicious sounding options, I think I’ll have to try them all!

Please note: Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips are not a replacement for real vegetables, they are a snack item and should be viewed as such.

What do you think? Green Giant Veggie Snacks – sound like something you would consider trying?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

2013 American Cancer Society Gleaux Run

Friday night, our local chapter of the American Cancer Society held its very first Gleaux Run. Most races in the area only bring out around 300-400 runners, so imagine our surprise when over 800 pre-registered! In total, we had over 1,000 runners on race day…I mean night. It was insane!!

Kelli and I found each other and “got our Gleaux on”…

Getting darker…

We enjoyed “Gleauxing” up the night!

 

Our “Gleaux” wands had had magic powers!

To see all of the fun we had at the Gleaux Run, check out my vlog below. You know you want to…it’s only 3 minutes! How did I pack so much fun into such a short video? You’ll have to watch and see! :0)

Unfortunately, this route was a tad bit longer than the advertised 5K. I pushed hard and gave it my all and by the time I reached the 5K point, I was WORN smack out. I did not PR in this 5K, but I definitely ran better than I expected to!

After I stopped my watch, I started the Run Keeper app on my phone because I wanted to see how long the course really was. In the end it totaled around 3.6-3.7 miles. Thank goodness this was a non-timed fun run for a good cause! :0)

We could not have asked for better weather, either – especially for August! Despite the high humidity (84%…which was low for us lately), the temps were in the 70’s and a cool breeze was in the air.

Guess what? I volunteered as chair for the 2014 Gleaux Run and I recruited Kelli as a committee member! Yay! We are looking forward to an even better event next year and can’t wait to begin planning! Until then, keep “gleauxing up the night”!

Have you participated in a night-time race in the past? If so, which race did you run?