This isn't fun anymore

That time I went to a runDisney meet-up

Ok runDisney... it's time we had some words. My sense of disappointment in these events has been growing year after year as prices continued to rise and yet no additional offerings were being included. You moved my favorite race from a nighttime spectacular to a morning race, in my opinion, only to garner more money for the weekend. You continue to add races to the calendar, but stack them on top of one another instead of spreading them throughout the year. You don't address the numerous people who come to an expo and hoard up on merchandise only to be posted on eBay and sold at an outrageous mark-up. You did away with the social media events in lieu of inviting only certain social media gurus and keeping those of us who only infrequently blog off "the list." I made a decision to quit you because of these things.

But I came back for marathon weekend this year. I came back because a dear friend wanted to attempt her first marathon, and wanted me to be there with her. I came back because it was my first marathon and I remember those 26.2 miles and the friendships that were made and the change that was made in my life because I became a marathoner that day. Those were 26.2 grueling miles, but they were also 26.2 FUN miles. Fun because I had my peeps with me. Fun because of the on-course entertainment. And fun because as a Disney fanatic, I was getting to experience parts of the park that most people never see. I was the nerd who thought it was uber cool to run through the environmental services area between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and learn about all the green initiatives taking place behind the scenes at the parks.

But you know what? The weekend just wasn't what I had hoped it would be. Sure, runDisney did AN AMAZING job handling the situation on Saturday. The weather was no condition for anyone to be out - from the volunteers who would have showed up around midnight, in the thick of the storm, to the runners and on-course personnel that would be there in the early morning hours while it was still raining and occasionally lightning. And then to offer the opportunity to be compensated for the cancellation - UNHEARD OF! We all signed waivers agreeing that there was no compensation in the event of cancellation due to weather. But instead we were given the option to transfer to a future event, get park tickets (for those only registered for the half), or a gift card in the amount of registration to use in the parks. Things were handled really well on Saturday. I was really impressed with runDisney as I walked out the expo and mentally focused on the marathon ahead on Sunday.

Around late afternoon Saturday we started to get the alerts from runDisney that it was going to be much colder than expected and to plan on layering as much as possible. Looking at the forecast, I was starting to get more worried not about the temperatures but about the wind. In another race setting, those conditions may have warranted a delayed start, but runDisney doesn't have that option because of the logistics of road closings and navigating through the parks after opening. And yet no consideration was made on how the weather could impact pace. And this is where my real beef with the weekend (really just Sunday) lies.

Seeing rare characters during my first half marathon

Sure the website says we're all supposed to train to maintain a 15:00-16:00 pace per mile. But we all know about the balloon ladies. They're supposed to be the LAST people to cross the start line, at the back of the last corral, and maintain that 16mm pace to essentially show where the cut-off line is. As I mentioned, it was COLD Sunday morning, and the winds were around 11mph out of the north. That meant as we were coming down World Dr., we were running into a head wind. And yet our average pace according the runDisney through the first 5 miles was 16:33. A little off the suggested 16:00mm pace, but we still should have been WELL ahead of the balloon ladies at mile 5. And yet at mile 5.5  when we stopped for a restroom break, we were suddenly being told that the balloon ladies had passed us and we were behind pace.

Ok, wait a minute. At 16:33 average for the first 5 miles, we were only 2:30 off pace over finish time. There was no WAY they started only 2:30 minutes behind us!!! But we caught up to them as we were coming out of Magic Kingdom, and managed to stay ahead of them as we passed the second pick up, and turned onto Bear Lake Road. It was here at this point that we heard one of the balloon ladies tell another runner that she was running a 15:40mm pace at that time.

Ok, wait a minute. Aren't they supposed to be maintaining a 16:00mm and pulling up the "rear?" Also, shouldn't they be next to each other, matching each other's steps? What we heard one of them explain (because the other was already ahead of us again) was that if they were ahead of pace at the mile marker, they would wait, and then start going again. And yet, still not paying attention to the 16:00mm pace as they made their way between mile markers...

So on Bear Lake, as we curved around environmental services, the balloon ladies managed to get ahead of us again, still well within sight, and the bicycles were riding around us telling us we needed to pick up the pace. As we passed mile marker 10, we were told we had until the next mile to catch up to the balloon ladies or we would be swept. They were still within sight, and we knew we could catch them before mile 11. (oh yeah, I forgot to mention after we passed the second pick up, one of them mentioned we would have until the half marker before the next sweep point) And yet, as we came up to Western Way, around the 10.5 mile marker, busses pulled into view just as the balloon ladies crossed the street, and we were unceremoniously forced onto the bus.

Everybody castle jump and #holdontoyourmedal

My GPS watch had us at a 16:21mm average pace. Yes, still behind the recommended pace, but we still should have been ahead of the balloon ladies that started at the end of the corral behind us. Our "official" time had us at 16:41 at the 10 mile mark, which still should only put us a little over 5 minutes behind the recommended finish time pace. And with over 25 miles still to go, we should have been able to make that up. Not to mention the number of people I saw with official finish times over 7 hours, and well past the 16:00mm pace - they just happened to get the benefit of starting in an earlier corral...

How was it that the balloon ladies had caught up to us so early, and had passed us?? The math just didn't seem to add up. Reaching out we heard that they had started only 5 minutes behind us according to official times. Ok, wait a minute. How much time is supposed to elapse between corral starts? We started very near the front of our corral, O, which was the second-to-last corral. They should have started at the end of P. Also, are the times between corrals between the end of one and the start of another, or just between the start of each. But still if the corral behind us started 5 minutes after ours started, and they were at the back of the group, how were they still only 5 minutes behind us?

Putting all that aside, we were told we had until mile 11 to catch up to them, and yet at the moment we were picked up - somewhere between 10 and 11 - they were probably only 10-20 seconds ahead of us. A time that definitely could have been made up before the mile marker. And why scoop people up before Animal Kingdom anyway? We were about 100 feet away from clearing the road - a road that is not a main thoroughfare by any means - and entering the backstage areas of Animal Kingdom. The park was already set up to manage park guests and runners, so why not allow us to run through the park, and then do the sweep after if we were still behind pace? It's not as if it would be difficult to do a sweep as runners exited the park.

Cha-Cha finish at 2013 Marathon

The thing is, the whole point in my mind of a Disney race is to have fun! Before I ever attempted my first marathon, I thought the only thing that could ever motivate me to go 26.2 miles was Mickey Mouse. I was inspired to run this marathon after watching contestants on the Biggest Loser compete. Many people attempt their first distance race - whether half marathon or full marathon - here at Walt Disney World. People of all fitness levels come to Disney to achieve goals and to show others that they have what it takes to be a distance racer. Many people come to Disney with the full intention of walking the 26.2 distance. So why be so strict about a 16mm pace? Especially on a day like we had Sunday. And then to hear stories from my friends at Disneyland today doing the Star Wars 5K - a race that isn't even supposed to be timed - being told that the sweep vehicles are coming and it's time to stop standing in line for a beloved character stop. Where's the fun in that?? A lot of us participate in these races for the chance to see rare characters on course and take the time to get our picture with them. We participate in these races to see Disney like most people never see the parks - early in the morning before sunrise or late at night after dark. We revel in the opportunity to go backstage and see the behind the scenes parts of the parks. Back when I signed up for my very first runDisney race - my first half marathon - it was for the fun of participating in a festival weekend and getting to earn my goodies! I loved the chance to see Russell and Dug on course, and finish with Mickey and Minnie at the finish line. For my first marathon, I loved the chance to see Darkwing Duck and cha-cha across the finish line with Minnie! My friends that I finished that marathon with always joked, "we may not have the best time, but we had the BEST time!" We had fun together on that course, despite the pain of 26.2 miles (for some 39.3 miles) and the blistering sun that day.

Castle-jumping to celebrate the fun

But after my experience on Sunday, I can say, it's just not fun anymore. Sure we know that some concessions have to be made especially on the marathon, because of the enormity of conducting a race within the confines of the park. Race starts can't be delayed, and roads have to open at some point to accommodate other guests. But almost every other person we were on that sweep bus with had the same thought - why now? We didn't feel like we were ready to give up, to have that chance to become a marathoner - whether for the first time or the tenth time - taken away from us. We still had more to give to the race.

And to top it all off, we were told we could not receive our Goofy medals because we had not completed the marathon. I know this is a whole other post in and of itself, but my friend was devastated by this whole outcome. Why would we get the marathon medals for not finishing (and the half medals for not even running at all) but have the Goofy medal withheld? Since when did Disney medals become finisher medals - but only in certain instances?

Ok, wait a minute. So, after being told at the cancellation of the half marathon that we had the options listed above, we're suddenly being told that transfer isn't an option any more?! We have tweets from runDisney specifically stating that we could choose to transfer when the decision was made to cancel the half. Granted, we know they didn't have to do anything to compensate us for that. But at the time, they said these were our options, and now that we're following up with them - liked they requested - we're being told no? And a friend who was at the Light Side Challenge this past weekend - the race we'd like to defer to - said there were very few character stops during the race. runDisney just seems to be charging more and more for these events and offering participants fewer and fewer perks. Why am I agreeing to spend $185 on a half marathon when I could use that money for at least 2 races that are a better value for my money? At least when there were rare and even regular character stops on the course, and I got the chance to run through parts of the parks regular guests rarely see, it was worth the extra money.

Nope, I just don't see the fun in it anymore... so maybe if you tell me again my option is gift card or park tickets, I'll simply take the gift card and enjoy Disney some other time. Because I can never be mad at the Mouse... just the people that are taking the magic out of it all.

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Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

I am getting excited for my next upcoming goal race - the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (CUCB) in Washington, DC next month. And after last week's announcement that peak bloom will (finally) happen during race weekend, I am SUPER excited for the explosion of color that is sure to greet us as we cross by the Tidal Basin.

This will be my third time running this race and my goal is to finish in under 90 minutes. A Twitter friend introduced me to Gipis, an app I'm using for my training as it is one of the first I've come across that has an actual 10 mile training plan. As my BRF Jason and I finished up our run yesterday, he commented that my runs have been shorter lately, and that is one of the thing I'm liking about this training plan. I'm running 4 days a week, and some runs are quick 15-20 minute speed sessions. While I haven't finished the race, and therefore am not 100% sure how effective these shorter speed sessions are, I am intrigued to see if they will help power me through the finish in my goal time. I also signed up for the virtual training plan from CUCB training partner New Balance, and while I'm not following that plan, it is quite interesting to see the differences in what is recommended there versus on Gipis. I'll let you know how things turn out come April 12!

Another thing I'm excited about it rocking my Ink n Burn Cherry Blossom again for this race. It was three years ago when I first ran this race that I also ran for the first time in Ink n Burn. I have to thank my #CorralG Captain Linz for introducing me to this amazing company. A "Made in the USA" company, local to Linz in SoCal, this company makes absolutely BEAUTIFUL artwork apparel. My first piece was my Cherry Blossom v-neck which I HAD to have to run my first CUCB in! Last year I rocked my Cherry Blossom skirt for the race (and somehow I didn't get a picture in it!). This year, I'm deciding which combination to rock - it may be back to my cherry blossom v-neck with my new to me Healing Mandala shorts!

Ink n Burn is GREAT for running or for whatever - I am even known to rock some of my great Black Friday sale items to work at least once a week. They make absolutely beautiful apparel, that is comfortable, cool (both literally and figuratively), and eye-catching! Everyone is always asking "where did you get that" when I'm wearing my Ink n Burn. I can't wait to see what comes out next - and remember, this year EVERY design is a LIMITED EDITION print - so if you fall in love with something, better snag it while you can.

Can't wait to check in with you in a few weeks and show you what I wore to ROCK my Cherry Blossom 10 miler PR!

Year of the Sheep (Goat? Ram?)

Happy Chinese New Year! While, officially, Chinese New Year was last week, I read that it's a celebration that goes on for awhile. And since I'm just a plain, old American, my celebration of Chinese New Year is weak at best. However, when I started hearing that it was the Year of the Sheep, something rang a bell. I went on Google to confirm my suspicions - yes, I was born under the Sheep. So I've spent the last week or so thinking about how I can use this as an opportunity to start fresh.

I'm not just talking about your typical "new year's resolutions" gone bad six weeks into the new (calendar) year. I'm talking about a full recreation of what I want with life. If you don't know, a few years ago I lost my job doing what I really loved doing - faith and environment. It's the main reason I didn't want this blog to just focus on my running. That's part of who I am, sure, but it's not all I am. I wasn't sure at the time which direction I wanted to go with my life, but having worked for the local running store in a previous "tough time" I knew I would thoroughly enjoy coming back. And I've had great opportunities for growth over the last year while I've been back in Atlanta and working for them again. But there is a void... there is something missing.

I've been keeping an ear to the ground, listening to what's on the horizon and applying for various jobs, trying to find the right fit. But nothing stuck. I've been frustrated about it, I've been questioning what's this all for, trying to understand the direction I'm meant to go in. But still, I have felt lost over the last 18 months.

(Maybe I shouldn't be sharing all of this... but they know I'm looking because they know the finances of this position, for a person like me, aren't cutting it. But I'm going to keep sharing, because that's what I do.)

I've found THE job. It's exactly the arena I want to be in, in the place I've wanted to be for YEARS. And it gets me to a goal I stated to a friend 15 months ago when I came home. I'm not going to share any more details than that at this point, but I am working with close friends and people I value for support to put together a rocking application package so that I get this job. If you believe in such a thing, I would greatly appreciate prayers that this is where I'm meant to be and that things work out.

But there are also things besides figuring out my work life that I want to start focusing on. For one, I have a goal race coming up in April - Cherry Blossom 10 miler. Yes, 10 miler. For me, this is my FAVORITE distance, because you can really test yourself to push the limits of what you're capable of. My goal for this race is to finish in under 90 minutes. I have a "back-up" race two weeks later, one I've been wanting to do for a long time, the GW Pkwy Classic, another 10 miler where I can shoot for my goal if I don't make it at Cherry Blossom. I am working through a training plan right now - shout out to Gipis for actually offering a 10 mile training plan - with lots of tough speed work aiming to get me a finish time of 1:23 and change. And that's based on my own performance. The only hitch so far is that I got sick last week after DONNA. I HATE being sick, really anytime, but I really hate being sick when it messes with my training. Sure, the weather has been crappy, but I still want to run. So, hopefully whatever this is goes away soon so I can get back to it. I feel like I have a good base to build on, but if I don't get back to it soon...

I also am in the lottery for NYC, and hoping to get picked so I can check off my major for the year. I'm down to that as really my only option as I have made a MAJOR commitment this year -

I AM GOING TO DO MY FIRST HALF IRONMAN!

I am super excited but also REALLY nervous. I am comfortable with the bike and run distances of a half Ironman, but I am really uneasy about the swim. I am a sucky swimmer because for some reason I'm afraid of drowning. I have no idea where it comes from, but the last time I did a tri, I did the breast stroke for my swim because I feel like I can get a better breath that way. I've got a friend who is helping me put together a plan and give me advice on the swim... we'll see if I am able to really commit to freestyle for the race. I wanted to do Augusta because it's a straight, downstream swim, but the cost was a little out of my budget, especially for a first.

The reason this "locks" me in to NYC as my only option for a major this year (besides not getting picked for the Berlin lottery) is that it's the day before Chicago. In Georgia. So, fingers crossed they draw my name next week!

I've got a few other races in mind for the year, but those are my two main goals in the race arena for 2015. The other thing I'm focusing on is another go at Climate Ride! I'm pumped they brought back the northern California ride, so as long as I hit my fundraising goal of $2400 in time, I'll be heading out west in May to ride from the redwood forest, down Pacific Coast Highway, into San Francisco! It’s around 300 miles (depending on if I take the short option of 65 miles or the long option of 100 miles on day 3) over 5 days. It’s guaranteed to be EPIC!

Another thing I really focusing on this “new” year is getting back to a healthier weight. Between taking time off running, living a crazy life in the retail world, and just being plain lazy, my weight has crept up. So the other night I committed to Weight Watchers (again) with the goal of really getting down to my “goal” weight. I’m aiming for 135, which honestly means losing 25 lbs based on where my weight was the other night when I signed up. I haven’t been this heavy in awhile and it is mentally weighing me down. I want to be healthier – so while my goal number is 135, I’ve never paid attention to when I weighed that before, but if I get down to 140 or even 145 and feel healthy, I’ll call it quits. I will say when I went to the doctor last week, he told me when I was there in June, I was 143. I’d like to get down around that number again for sure. And it will make Climate Ride and the Ironman a little easier to not have to carry around so much weight. But more than weight, it’s about eating healthy, which has gone out the window over the last few months, so that’s mainly my focus, less on the scale. I know once I get my eating in check, the scale will reflect that. Which means no more Cheez-It binges – I managed to say no to the SALE at Publix last night – no more eating out multiple times during the week, and no more candy. And I don’t mean no as in never again, I just mean no as in this can no longer be the norm like it’s been for awhile. 

So, that’s my plan for this “new” year. It’s going to be the year of ME! I remember my cousin Allison talking about the time she declared the year of “Me” and amazing things came her way. I’ve had those thoughts almost every year since she told me this, but this time, I can feel it. I’m going to make things happen, because I’m done sitting on my rump waiting for things to come to me. I’m going out there and seizing MY moments!

DONNA recap - day 3

Sunday, February 15: Race Day!!


So, the main reason I came down here had finally arrived, but let me tell you, up to this point I had an amazing time and was so glad I made sure to be in town for EVERY event leading up to the "MAIN" event. When I originally was chosen to be an ambassador, I intended to run the full and get redemption from last year's race. But after my goal race in the fall, I sort of slacked off. Like, only ran 10 miles in ALL of December slacked off. When I realized it, I knew there was NO WAY I was going to be ready to run a full in February. So I mentally set myself up for a fun half, with no real time goals, because my "A" race for the spring is Cherry Blossom.

What worked out really well being the "ambassador slacker" was that I had the distinct honor of driving Dave McGillivray (uh-hem, the Race Director for Boston, if you didn't know) to the airport after the race. I keep getting ahead of myself though...

Race morning always comes early. And I am NOT a super fan of mornings. But we headed down to the start, bundled up for the cold that we THOUGHT was going to chase us all morning. But it ended up being a beautiful day for a run. I enjoyed getting there early and grabbing some Dunkin coffee and munchkins before the race, as well as hanging out with fellow ambassadors, Krissy and Marcia. We got to chat with a few other folks before it was time to get started. Oh wait - one last port-a-potty stop before we line up. Meet you guys over there... except, when I came back I couldn't find them, which was fine because like I said I was the slacker ambassador "just" doing the half (Joanie, as she is affectionately known, Joan Benoit-Samuelson, would KILL me for using that word - 13.1 miles is no joke!) it wasn't as important to line up with everybody.

So, here's something about me you may not know - I wear glasses. I am nearsighted which means I don't need them to read books, but I do need them to drive and see further away. Except I NEVER wear my glasses when running (or riding my bike for that matter - bad, I know). I don't have any "sport" frames, and I sweat SOOOO MUCH they won't stay on. Plus, I have sensitive eyes (yes, like in that commercial), so I have to wear sunglasses even on the most overcast days. So, I'm heading to the front of the pulse start, trying to find the 2:00 hour pace group for the half, except I can't read any of the signs! I made it up near the 4:30 marathon pace team, and the first pulse started taking off, so I was just like, ok, here's where I'm going to be! I was planning on 2:00/0:45 intervals, which means running for 2 minutes and walking for 45 seconds. I had my watch ready to go, and kept to my intervals for the majority of the race, only walking a little extra thorough water stops and when needing to take my fuel (NOT forgetting it this year!).

The first few miles of the race are amazing - got to see Hal Higdon around mile 2.5 and give him a high 5! The people were out in full force cheering and there were so many "pitstops" where people had food and drinks set up in their driveways for the runners. We got to enjoy much of this same atmosphere at this point last year, because the weather didn't turn until later in the day. But these people really know how to turn out! I kept playing leap frog with some of the ambassadors in the 4:30 pace group (shout out to Holly and Elisabeth) and was super pumped when we made it to the beach. It was a beautiful sight and sadly my attempt at a photo without taking my phone off my armband sort of failed. As a half-marathoner, I only spent a mile on the beach and soon enough it was time for the split.

We were off the beach and heading back towards Mayo. Much of this is the same as the marathon course, but of course after a few more miles. I was feeling good, but wasn't trying to push it too hard. I was set on an "easy" run for my training plan, and aiming for a 10:34 average pace.  It was a little breezy on the beach, and I wasn't looking forward to how windy it would be on the bridge to Mayo, but that wasn't going to be for a bit.

But it came up SO fast! After running the full last year, the ramp up to JTB seemed to come quickly after making that turn off the beach. I had all kinds of memories of last year come flooding back - Linzie and I struggling up the ramp and across those last few miles, seeing the course go to black and the buses heading up the ramp from Mayo to go pick up runners behind us. But the sky was blue, the temps were AMAZING, and there was a little wind but it wasn't awful, as I came up to the final push over the bridge. The ZTAs cheering at the top of the bridge were GREAT (we missed them last year... ) and helped really get me over the hump. Oh, and I forgot to mention about this time the elites ran past us like it was nothing they had completed TWICE the distance in the same amount of time it took us to "just" run 13.1. And they made it look so easy clicking off those miles. In fact, when the first elite passed me, I was on a walk break, but when I was back running and the second elite passed, I thought briefly, "let's see if I can match his pace." Uh, NO! Damn they are FAST!

The REAL champions,
Donna and Dr. Edith Perez

Coming down the ramp and making that turn to head to the finish chute, I knew I wanted to push and run the last bit. I did end up taking one brief walk break so I could cross strong, but it was an amazing finish for me. No PR, no major speed, but this race wasn't about that for me. This race wasn't about feet to the pavement - it was about making a real difference in the race to a cure. It was such a great feeling to hit $500 and even see more donations come in once I got down to JAX. I still want to hit that $1000 total raised this year - and being at Mayo, learning about the work our donations are supporting, being around the people of JAX that get it, that see everyday what DONNA does for the community, running that route where Donna herself struggle with her demons of being diagnosed for the third time and deciding to create this amazing race to finish breast cancer - THAT is what this day was about.

So, I crossed the finish line, I grabbed an AMAZING spread from the VIP tent before rushing my pal Dave to the airport - that was super cool, and we had a cool conversation about all things running. And hopefully I'm able to head up to Boston next month and run the prep run with Adam and say "hi" to my cool new friend. But I wanted to get back to the party, to hang out with my super awesome friends, and enjoy more of the amazing atmosphere of what was happening at Mayo. Sadly, I didn't get back in time to watch Krissy (the speedster) or Marcia finish (I admit it, I stopped and showered before I got back - but also, traffic was a little crazy because JTB was closed for the race and they were rerouting people right where I needed/wanted to go), but I did get to see them in the tent and celebrate their amazing races.

I also got so see the girls finish the DONNA 110 - yeah, I missed speedster Dave who finished the marathon in 3:28! What a ROCKSTAR! And chatting with some of the other ambassadors - Krissy, Elisabeth, Dawn, maybe others(??) - we're considering doing the 110 in 2017!

Oh yeah, and I managed an average 10:23 pace. Not bad. Not bad at all. ;)

To help us continue to race #CloserToACure, please consider donating.

Some of the AMAZING DONNA Ambassadors after the race

DONNA recap - Day 2

Saturday, February 14

Forget the fact that it was Valentine's Day. This was THE day for the fun to REALLY get started. Most of my ambassador friends were off to downtown JAX for the 5K. I got a little bit of a reprieve sleeping in before heading over to the start of the DONNA 110. Y'all - that's 110 as in 110 MILES to be run by these amazing runners!


Only 6 people had the GUTS to toe the starting line that fine morning. Three sisters: Kelli Smirnoff, Carrie Neveldine, and Heather Jones-Proctor, as well as  Christian Lisowski, Dave Krupski, and Tim "Salt Shack" Purol. Dave was tapped as the frontrunner, having been the only finisher of the race the previous year (although one other runner would have finished if conditions hadn't gone to black, as she was 3 miles from the finish). I got a chance to chat with Dave before the race started. Here's a bit of what we talked about (paraphrased, as I stupidly forgot to record the conversation):

K: How did you get into running ultras?
D: back in 2009, Boston filled up really quick, so I was looking for something else to do. Ended up registering for the North Face 50 in San Francisco, which I ran in December 2010. Since then I've run 15 races over 100 miles
K: What is your plan for the race today?
D: Average about an 8mm pace for the first 30 miles. Aiming to finish the day between 13 and 14 hours. Hoping to get a full night's sleep before the marathon start tomorrow (at 7:30)
K: What is your fuel plan for an ultra?
D: Easily digested calories, so mainly liquids.
K: What advice would you give to someone considering getting into ultra running?
D: Slowly build up miles in training, just like you do for a marathon. In a race, just keep going - it's not like a marathon where minutes count. You can recover from a bad moment in an ultra.

Dave was so humble and really open to talking about running. But it was getting time to get started on that trek of 110 miles, so he headed over with the other runners to line up for the start. Salt Shack showed up about 2 minutes before the "gun" so he missed out on the pre-race photo op. But my favorite is the nonchalant nature Christian had for the start of the race - check out the video!

I got a chance to see the runners a few times throughout the day up at basecamp, set up by RD Caleb Wilson. This great set up allowed the runners to refuel after each 6.7~ mile loop, use a REAL bathroom (seriously, people, you don't realize how much of a luxury these things are as runners), and get out of the sun, even if only for a few quick moments.  If you really want to know about how the race went from a runner's perspective, check out Dave's recap of the race (a spectacular read in my opinion!). I would have loved to see them all throughout the day, but there was another event I needed to head off and get ready for.

We were invited to dinner at Mayo, for a "state of the research" sort of dinner. My favorite part, as a giant science nerd, was the tour of the labs where Dr. Edith Perez and her team are working on genomics to better understand and treat cancer. And somewhere in that lab, the cure is waiting to be found! I was also really excited to hear about the work they are already doing around other cancers and know that this is cutting edge, leading research being done because of our fundraising support. Every dollar makes a difference and leads to some significant advances. One of the ambassadors joked that he wanted something in the lab named after him for the donations he helped raised - me, I just want to keep supporting this amazing race and this amazing foundation for the work that is being done at Mayo. Yeah, the food was fabulous - scientifically determined to be great pre-race fuel for runners - but the highlight of the day for me was listening to Dr. Perez tell us about the continued research being done and hearing from one of the women who has been supported by the DONNA Foundation as she has undergone treatment for breast cancer. THIS is why we do it! 

It was a great day, but tomorrow was the main event, and it was time to head to bed and get some zzz's before the big day.

Oh yeah - while we were off dining on yummy food and enjoying company of amazing doctors, the DONNA 110 folks were STILL RUNNING! Dave was the first one in, managing to hit his goal of 13:26 for the first ~85 miles, including a stop at Lynch's Irish Pub for a quick (read: 5 min in and out) beer. He had a PR for the 50 mile distance - the man is INCREDIBLE!

On Sunday, I caught some of the finishers after the race... needless to say, they were exhausted, hungry, and ready for a shower!

The reason we all do this craziness - whether a 5K or the monster 110 miles - is to get us #CloserToACure. You can help us #finishbreastcancer - consider making a donation today.

**As I previously mentioned, if I hit $1000 by the March 31 fundraising deadline, I'll sign up for another 13.1 in honor of DONNA (I'll pink out my outfit like I did for the race) and YOU can help me choose the race!

DONNA recap - day 1

I found DONNA HQ

It was some awesome to be an ambassador this year for the race! I had to make sure I made myself available for all the ambassador fun because the Social Media Butterfly had BIG plans for us!

I ended up heading down to Hilton Head/Bluffton on Wednesday to stop in and see my parents. Got in a great little run through the neighborhood Thursday morning before I left for Jacksonville. It was chilly and breezy, but great for a few quick miles. I was keeping an eye on another ambassador's incoming flight so I could pick her up at JAX. Holly had made the trek all the way from Washington state and I wasn't going to let that girl spend too much time at the airport. I scooped her up and we were off.

Hey look what I found at HQ!

 One of the things I love about being an ambassador for this race is getting to know the other ambassadors and their stories of what brought them to DONNA. Holly is a survivor and had the amazing pleasure of going on one of Jeff Galloway's Greece trips, where she met Chris Twiggs, one of the DONNA board members, and the rest, as the say, is history! Holly is so positive and full of light and it was great to spend bits of time with her during the weekend. I agree with Chris Turner that next year we need to all be able to stay in closer proximity so we can hang out more and get to know each other! Holly had a series of flights bringing her cross country, so she was ready for a nap and a shower after I picked her up, so I dropped her off at her hotel and went the DONNA Headquarters to meet up with the Social Media Butterfly herself to see how I could help out.

We headed to an event at a local school before saying goodnight and getting ready for the fun in the morning - what I'm really calling "Day 1" - the Social Shakeout Run!

Must. Have. Coffee!

Marcia scooped me up and we were off early to Lillie's Coffee Bar to get ready for all the runners and CELEBS! Yes, running royalty was on their way to our party. Joan Benoit-Samuelson, Jeff Galloway, Dave McGillivray, Alana Hadley, and of course, Donna herself. It was great to run with Jeff and his wife Barbara for a bit - Barbara even gave me some awesome reading recommendations! It was definitely cool to start the morning, but after a quick 4 miles, it was feeling warmer and we all hesitated to go inside.

I spy Dave McGillivray

But soon enough we were inside the coffee shop enjoying our hot coffee and yummy pastries and some amazing conversation with people. Seriously - this was THE event to be at for the weekend. Little did I know that the DONNA 110 Champion was also in our midst - humble Dave Krupski, who I met briefly since I knew I would be covering that race starting the following day.




We had a great morning to start the festivities, and then Krissy and I were off to the expo to grab our bibs, check out all the fun vendors, and maybe see a glimpse of the Butterfly in action! The expo was full of great vendors, and so well organized. We got in a got our bibs really quick, then had some time to really explore each aisle and see the vendors we wanted to see - did someone say CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN?!?!?! - then we were both SOOOO hungry, that we headed off for some off-site errands and lunch at Pei Wei.

About that time, it was time to start getting ready for our fabulous evening at One Ocean, a sort of cocktail hour affair for the "VIPs" and a chance to really see all the ambassadors (well, most of them anyway... we did have some stragglers. Life gets in the way of fun sometimes on race weekends). This was a super fun evening, and while we had planned to go out for pizza afterwards, most of us were so stuffed from the awesome buffet, and exhausted from the amazingness of the day, we ended up heading home. Needless to say, we had a good time!

I'm still aiming for my total fundraising goal of $1000 - needs to be "in the bank" by March 31. And I've committed to run another 13.1 in honor of DONNA if I meet that goal - you can help me choose! To help us continue to race #CloserToACure, please consider donating.

#GivingTuesday - why I support DONNA

As you know, I'm a 2015 ambassador for the 26.2 with Donna race in Jacksonville Beach, FL.  I was first introduced to this race by my #CorralG sister, Social Media Specialist for the race, Marcia Barton.  She is PASSIONATE about her hometown race, and a fabulous ambassador for the race.  But it was in reading Donna Deegan's book this weekend that I really came to know and love the namesake of the race and get fired up about fundraising again for DONNA.

Through Rose Colored Glasses: A Marathon from Fear to Love is Donna's second book about her third - yes, THIRD - bout with breast cancer.  Donna Deegan was a local news anchor in Jacksonville who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999.  Before being diagnosed a third time in 2007, Donna and her oncologist, Dr. Edith Perez, hatched a plan to create the nation's first marathon solely dedicated to breast cancer.  100% of proceeds go to the cause - 70% to research done at Mayo Clinic under Dr. Perez's brilliant direction, and 30% to supporting local women undergoing treatment.  Donna's second book chronicles her struggle with being diagnosed a third time while planning the inaugural event.  It also shows how she incorporated meditation and alternative medicine to help shift her perspective on cancer and life in general.

Since it's inception, 26.2 with Donna in partnership with the DONNA Foundation has raised over $3.5 million to help finish breast cancer.  I loved how Donna explained the shift in her mindset and in the focus of the race from fighting to finishing.  In her own experiences, she realized that living with the fight mentality made living with cancer grueling.  She also recalls losing a dear friend to cancer, and finally feeling fed up with the fighting mentality.  A few weeks later at a board meeting for the race, Donna proclaimed that it was time to start talking about "finishing breast cancer" - not fighting it.  The idea of being part of an organization that is honestly working to finish breast cancer - donating such a significant portion of proceeds to research with the nation's leading team in the field as well as helping patients live their lives while undergoing treatment - is an honor and a blessing.

As I mentioned in my first post about becoming an ambassador I, like Marcia, like Donna, wholeheartedly believe that Dr. Perez and her team, with the support of the DONNA Foundation and the 26.2 with Donna race, will find a cure and finish breast cancer IN OUR LIFETIME!  And the hopeful part of this for me is that this research will unlock our ability to finish all cancers.  This is a cause I am passionate about too.  And I ask you, on this #GivingTuesday, to consider making a donation and helping us, as a team, #BeTheFinish.



For more information on 26.2 with Donna, visit www.breastcancermarathon.com.  Interested in joining us?  Use my ambassador code, "AmbLove15" for $10 OFF - and don't forget to tell them Katie sent you.
For more information on Dr. Perez and her work at Mayo, check out this bio.

Checking in #Accountability

So, a couple weeks ago I set out some goals for August.  I intended to post weekly with check-ins on where I am, but last week was a Sunday full of work, from 9am to 7pm, at four different job locations, plus working at home in the evening as well.  Needless to say, I didn't get a post up.  But I did try to stick to my #accountability Instagram posts, and getting back to goal.  Here's a check up on the last couple of weeks:

Sunday, August 10
weight: 149.4 lbs
days run this week: 3 days
     2.5 miles on August 6 - done in the morning. tried to make it to speed work, but couldn't get there in time, so just did my own miles. Had to get it in early before I headed down to my parents' after work
     2.5 miles on August 8 - done at my parents, down near Hilton Head.  The weather was sticky and I should have gotten out earlier, but I got it done.
     6 miles on August 9 - done after work. would have liked to have tried to go a little farther, but a storm was rolling in and I made it back just in time.
days strength trained this week: 1 day
     Barre3 on Sunday night (technically last week, but since it was the beginning... I'm counting it)
     I took my stuff with me to my parents to get in a second Barre3 session, but wasn't able to fit it in.  And the weekend was too exhausting to get in another.
days food tracked: 5 days
    I did really good tracking while I was home, but gave up tracking while I was traveling.

I did have to travel this week, which threw some things off.  A very close friend of the family passed away after battling cancer, and my siblings and I drove down to our parents' on Wednesday, went to the service on Thursday, and headed back on Friday.  I tried to fly home for work on Friday, but got stuck at the airport and ended up eating crap (the Savannah airport is SOOO small), and then got picked up by my brother and sister and driving home anyway.  But I tried to get back on track when I got home.

With Sunday being as crazy as it was I didn't do a great job planning for this week...



Sunday, August 17
weight: 149.4 lbs
days run this week: 3 days
     2.5 miles on August 13 - another morning run, another attempt at speed work, but also realizing my hip is still feeling off, didn't want to push it
     4 miles on August 14 - got a chance to run with our Thursday night run group.  took it easy, again because of the hip.
     5.3 miles on August 17 - ran after our company picnic, and it was HOT out.  Thankful to coworkers for slowing down and keeping me safe in the dicey neighborhood of Brookhaven (that's a joke for those of you outside the ATL).  Hip still sore, but definitely getting better. Adjustment in the AM
days strength trained this week: 3 days
     Barre3 40 min workout on Monday at home
     Barre3 in-studio class on Friday (1 hr)
     Barre3 10 min restorative stretch session at home on Sunday
days food tracked: 4 days
     I started the week of well, but slacked in actually putting it into MyFitnessPal over the weekend.  I did post a lot of it on Instagram - does that count?  ;)

It's going to be another crazy week with work, but I'm hoping to stick with it, get better not only with tracking food, but actually eating a more balanced and healthy diet.

**Interesting to note that my weight was the same both weeks, but there was definitely some fluctuations throughout... some up and some down.  At least it looks like I maintained when taken at a week's glance...

Time to Get Going

ok - for real.  I have fallen off my rocker.  I haven't been blogging.  I have hardly been running.  And I've been eating like CRAP lately.  And it shows - this morning when I got on the scale, I saw a number I was NOT happy with.  Now, I know that numbers don't mean everything, but I use the scale to help keep me in check.  (My numbers are mine - I'm not saying they are good or bad for anyone else.  You have to figure that out for yourself.  But I am going to post my numbers for accountability.)  And what I saw told me it's time to get serious.  So that's what I'm doing today.  And I'm writing it all out to keep me accountable - to myself and to you - for what my goals are for the rest of the year.  So here it is.

Sunday, August 3 
weight: 149.9lbs
days run this week: 1
      - Monday, July 28: 4.62mi run at 12:36mm pace.  
days strength trained this week: none
days food tracked: none

So, here's part of it.  I am working - A LOT!  I am getting better at prepping food so I am eating healthy at work, but yesterday, even though I brought my own lunch, I dove into the pizza when it arrived because I completely forgot I had my smoothie in the fridge.  And I had gorged on pizza the night before.  Not a good plan for staying healthy.  I'm traveling some this week, but when I finish up this post, I'm going to go plan out my food for the week.  And prep it.  And maybe post it later... but most importantly, no matter what I eat, I'm tracking this week.  I know tracking is important - it was the weeks I tracked on WW that I had the most success.  So I will be using My Fitness Pal to track my food this week, in conjunction with my Fitbit tracker.  

I FINALLY got my delivery with my new Barre3 6-month membership code, and got signed up on Friday.  And then unfortunately got called into work, and went straight from work to my sister's for game night and didn't get in a workout.  Then I worked yesterday, and was a lazy bum when I got home from work.  So I will be doing a Barre3 workout this afternoon as well.  And my goal is to do a workout 3x a week, mixing it up with length of workout and focus areas.

Two weeks ago, when I got back from two consecutive weekends of traveling, my hip was KILLING me.  It hurt to stand, it hurt to walk, and it DEFINITELY hurt to run.  So I took the week off.  I finally went to the chiropractor - and he defined it as "a flat tire" - my left side was soooo tight I was getting barely any range of motion.  The adjustment helped A LOT.  And he gave me exercises to be working on to help loosen it up and get me back together.  My run this week was tough, even though I am feeling a lot better.  Part of it was probably trying to keep up with my speedy co-workers.  But part of it was the lack of flexibility.  To that end, I also plan to do my yoga more, as well as the exercises, stretching, foam rolling, and icing recommended by my doctor.  As it, daily.  I'll do a brief yoga routine to help loosen up my hip flexors, and try to do at least one full yoga workout each week.

I also need to get back into running.  My big goal for the rest of the year is to run a sub-2:00 half marathon at Space Coast on November 30.  I signed up today for an Active Trainer plan that will start September 8.  Which gives me the next four weeks to build back my base.  I want to run three times a week this month - two easy runs and one longer run on the weekend.  And I need to remind myself with each run that I am getting stronger, that I am working on a goal, and that it doesn't need to be "perfect," it just needs to be done.  

What I'd like to see at the end of August is a report more like this:

Sunday, August 31
weight: 142
days run this week: 3 (at avg 10:30mm pace)
days strength trained this week: 3 (Barre3 workouts)
days food tracked: 5

Yes, I'm giving myself permission NOT to track food every single day of the week.  But habits start somewhere.  I will be at Disneyland on August 31, volunteering for the Half Marathon and cheering on my friend Courtney as she goes Coast-to-Coast.  But I'd still like to have a great four weeks between now and then so that the scale reflects hard work and I can enjoy myself at Flo's V8 Cafe after the race!

I am also planning on blogging AT LEAST once a week, on Sundays, with my update on how the week went, and what my weekly goals will be.  

So there it is - my plan.  Help keep me accountable - check in with me via Facebook and Twitter, post comments and let me know your goals.  And hopefully together, we can be our best selves!

I am the biggest slacker

Life gets in the way sometimes... I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad blogger.

I seriously have no time anymore for anything... been working multiple jobs.  Moved (I know I told you that last time).  Got thrown into chaos.  And have only run a total of less than 50 miles since Boston - including the Boston/BAA 10K that I ran last weekend.  And that has been the hardest thing.

I need to get back to running.  I need to get my life back in order.  I am running the Peachtree Road Race (between Ryan Hall and Meb) on Friday... and as I've said before "it's only 6 miles" so it's not like I feel unpreparred - plus I did the same thing last weekend.

But I have a goal - I want a sub-2 half at Space Coast on November 30.  Along with my other Corral G peeps that are running that race.  I am hoping to pace my original BRF in his first full marathon in October.  And I still want to put that Half Ironman on the calendar.

I need to sit down and do it.  I need to create training plans.  I need to commit to events - sign up for things.  I need to create a nutrition plan for regular health as well as to fuel my insane training.

Oh yeah - and I'm hiking Glacier National Park in August as part of the Climate Ride/Hike this year.  So if you want to help me reach that goal (I need $1000 by July 10), hit me up and know you're helping Interfaith Power & Light and the Climate Ride gang help create momentum in the climate change movement.

Ok - so that's that for now.  I'll get on it - and you're going to keep me accountable!

Time to Get Serious

I really fell off the blogging bandwagon after Boston, didn't I? Life kind of got in the way... here's a quick update, and a promise of doing better!

I got back from Boston and realized that I had two weeks to find out where I was living.  You see, back at Christmas I had moved home with my parents because I had lost my job and wasn't really sure what my next step was.  I'd been looking for work and interviewing across the country for four months, but hadn't found anything.  When I moved home, I got a "for now" job, but continued looking.  I finally was able to start working again for my favorite hometown running store, and went full time in May, but that still won't really be enough to strike out on my own again - at least not right now.

So I found myself needing a roommate situation and fast!  Luckily, a friend and former co-worker had mentioned that I could move in with her if I needed to, so we talked about it, and I was able to move the week before my parents closed on their house.  Oh yeah, that's why I was having to move.  They, in their retirement, were finally downsizing, and moving to SOUTH CAROLINA!!  I'm very excited for them and their new adventure, but it was rough there for a minute dealing with all that chaos.

So I've been in my new place for almost a month, and it's a great location for getting to work.  I haven't had a chance to venture out in my neighborhood for a run, but we've got some great running options near work, and a coworker and I have been out on a couple short runs after work.  But I've lost my regular workout routine.  

And there's where the title of this post comes in - it's time to get serious about working out again.  Part of it is that I don't have anything major to train for.  I am running the BAA 10K in June and the Peachtree Road Race (10K) in July, but my big race (half-marathon) isn't until Space Coast, which is the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  I've talked about doing a Half Ironman this year, but haven't pulled the trigger on signing up, so I don't have the pressure to train for that just yet.  What I need to do is just get in a regular routine of running and doing some sort of strength training.  And finding a plan that fits with my not so regular work schedule.  I'd love to join the gym again, but it doesn't really fit into the budget at this time, so it's a matter of finding ways to workout that I can do at home.  I'm hoping to get back to it, and would love your help getting there!

How do you fit workouts into your schedule?  What sort of strength training routine do you do and is it something that can be done at home?