38 days left...

Where did the time go?  I am not sure but I am definitely not feeling ready enough for the race this year.  Oh well, the goal is to have fun and finish and both are very do-able.  We've had some chilly weather the past week as well as some rain today (and a cold rain at that--38 degrees).  I decided to elliptical 18 miles today instead of running in the chilly rain.  After looking like I had a bathing suit sun burn the other day from the cold I stayed indoors today.
Speaking of cold weather here is what I find most helpful to "battle" the elements.  I wasn't ready for the cold the other day, hence the "sun burn."  Anyways, vaseline.  Must have year round for protecting your lips.  On very cold days you can slather on a small layer to exposed skin to help with windburn.  I am a big fan of baby oil in the winter.  I rub some on my hands and run it through my hair.  The air is so dry out that it helps to keep moisture in your hair.  Lastly (well for today) is layers.  Dress in layers and you should be good in almost any weather.

It's Cross Country Time

I love running in the fall.  There is something amazing about how it makes you feel. You hear the leaves crunching under you feet, their bright vivid colors still clinging to the trees and glowing in the warm sunlight.  

Wearing a long sleeve shirt and leggings with an ear band and mittens you get stay warm while breathing in the crisp, cool air. I love how my cheeks stay pink colored for hours from the chill in the air.  This is the time of year I fall in love with running all over again.

Luke and I went out to the park the other day for a walk to my favorite place...the pines. Our walk took me back to my days running in high school and all the great memories I have because of my choice to run and continue running.  

Luke and I at the park

we found some deer... but no turkeys

Of course this fall afternoon involved a trip to the local farm market for fresh cider and cinnamon sugar donuts. Currently loving pumpkin coffee, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin tea and pumpkin pie among many other pumpkin things.  Fall is here. Embrace it!

New Shoes

I love getting new shoes.  I sit and basically try on every pair in my size and prance around back and forth between two or three pairs until I decide.  I had tried on the Brooks Green Silence a while back and liked them but didn't need shoes at the time.  Here we are a few months later and they are on clearance online.  I ordered them ASAP and then tracked my package from Oregon to NY.  

outside

inside

My shoe preference is just what I like and may not be right for everyone.  I've really found that I enjoy minimal shoe (super light and not a lot going on).  These don't have a lot of logos or stitching, as you can see.  They feel like you are wearing a sock with a hard bottom.

lacing system

I found the lacing system to be different and very cool/functional for a variety of reasons.  You see that gray "bar" across the tongue?  That is all individual eyelets for lacing through so you can get a nice snug fit around the heel for less slippage.  The tongue is attached/part of the shoe on the arch side and not attached on the outer part.  This is nice so you don't have to really worry about it sitting on the top of your foot straight and putting weird pressure on your foot.  Also, the lacing is not "straight" up the foot either.  The lacing is slightly off center.  Pair that with the type of lace and I found I was able to pull the shoe tighter in one area (around my arch) while still leaving it a little more loose around the toe.   Love!

One of my favorite things about new shoes is the smell.  I love how new shoes smell. So those are my new friends.  

Born to Run

I recently finished reading the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  It was about ultra extreme distance runners and this tribe of runners--who are basically barefoot.  There is a lot of science thrown in the book too about barefoot/almost barefoot running that really got me thinking about my own running and how it has changed over the years.  All the people in the book run because they love to and not because they have to (I can relate).  The distance runners are all pretty much top level athletes at ultras here in the states and despite their crazy miles are hardly ever hurt (the way they approach running).  I loved reading the book and my dad even enjoyed reading the book.  It was nice to have read the same book as him so we could talk about the different parts of it.  

My running has evolved from wanting super cushy shoes to wanting cushy shoes but with minimal heel to toe thickness change (think flip-flop instead of wedges).  I've noticed that I really feel more comfy in shoes that are minimal and I ache a little less and feel faster (I bet  I could be faster if I took the time to put in some effort at the track).  If you've got some time and want to know what the barefoot thing is all about I recommend picking up this book.  

Who's running???

This is big news.  I've tried endlessly to get family members to run and they all are like, "no, why would I want to do that?"  Jen did the couch to 5K about 2 years ago and then didn't run again and took up kickboxing.  She did the same 5K this year and despite not really running improved.  She mentioned a color run to me when she was in town and I happened to find one happening over Labor Day weekend--when she is in town.  I immediately called her and proceeded to sign her up.  Attempt to convince mom was, "no, I'll watch though."  Next day I get a text from mom, "sign me up, or I can VOLUNTEER."  She's officially signed up!  :)  Yes, hiking in Crocs counts as training...

Jen

Here is a link to the race site incase you want to partake in this very colorful fun run :)

http://www.graffitime.com/rochester.php

What, not running?

Well, not running a lot.  I spent some time traveling with my mom through Vermont, New Hampshire and a little bit of Maine.  Back country roads (and lots of bear warnings/sightings from locals) meant no running for me.  The one time I did go was on a treadmill at a hotel where the thermostat wasn't working so it was about 75 degrees in the room and hot/humid next to the pool.  We did a little bit of hiking (about an hours worth total for the day) and got to see several little waterfalls and other cool stream type things.

Monday, July 23-Friday, July 27
Monday--no running
Tuesday--3 miles
Wednesday--5 miles
Thursday--4 miles
Friday--elliptical 60 minutes

Favorite Things...

So I've been running a long time now (more than half my life).  Over the years I have favorite shirts, pants, outfits, shoes and such.  Once in a while I'll make sure to let you know the favorites and must haves of my running life.  These are essentials and have been in my must travel with me for years (talking since middle school here folks for two of the following three items).

my must have running items

First essential item for running is a good hair tie.  I cannot stand to have my ponytail sliding down and getting loose.  These Goody Stay Put elastics are amazing and really do stay put.  I loved them the minute I bought them several years ago.  They've gone to "less elastic" showing on them but they are still amazing.  I've run marathons and my ponytail stays put.  Enough said.

best hair ties EVER

Second essential item for running is some good lip balm/ chap stick.  I am a big fan of the Vasoline though.  I can put it on somewhat thick and go for a long run in the winter (think 20 miles) and still have it on when I get home.  I also slather it on my lips before bed to keep from chapping.  But is it messy?  Well, I do use lip gloss or chap stick during the day but for runs nothing beats some good old Vasoline.  It is also great to rub on hands like lotion and then put on a pair of mittens before a long run. Little messy in the mittens but it's good at keeping your hands from getting cracked in the cold winters.

how much water?

Third, and final essential item for today, my Camelback Nalgene water bottle.  I've had water bottles before and didn't really get into using them/carrying them with me.  I love this one though since it is a bite and sip straw.  I've been drinking more water with it and it's easy to travel with.  

it's Friday!

Don't panic but it's Friday the 13th.  My sister is coming/in town (landing about now from her plane).  I've got more Disney race re-caps to write about but I thought I'd let you know what I've been up to with my own training.  If you live in a cave or under a rock you probably haven't noticed the extreme heat lately.  I have and my training has suffered as a result.  Just to keep this interesting and not a list of what I'm doing to train for the Giant Race (1/2 marathon) in San Francisco this September here is a photo of me ready to elliptical.  I usually wear crocs and socks or my toes go numb in sneakers.

elliptical outfit

Here is what this week has looked like:
Sunday:  about 5 miles (in just under 9 minute pace)
Monday: 4 miles (close to 8 min miles)
Tuesday: elliptical for 75 minutes (it was too stinkin' hot out)
Wednesday: 4 miles (about 10 minute miles... it was like 78 degrees out and I don't run if it's over 80)
Thursday:  3 miles (26 minutes--cool in the am but about 90 by afternoon)
Friday: overnight low of 74 means I'll be ellipticalling for about 90 minutes today (yay Netflix movie)


Goal for next week is to start incorporating some stretching since I am horrible at that and not flexible at all.  I'll aim for 5 minutes a day since I think that will be manageable for me.  

That's the End

Now that I was done with my Jungle Cruise duties the only thing left on our agenda was the closing ceremony at the hotel.  We said goodbye to Randy and Jordan.  They gave us a Jungle Cruise pin and a copy of the whole script (not just the few pages we were given to memorize in the weeks before arrival).  The script was about 45 pages with alternate jokes for each scene.  

at the closing ceremony

The closing ceremony was very nice (would you expect anything else?).  We were greeted by our character mascots and had some delicious snacks and desserts.  The cast members and ambassadors that had helped us throughout the event thanked us for being so wonderful and making the event so much fun for them.  We were each given an amazing gift.  It was a photo of Mickey giving us our Cast Member pins after our Disney etiquette training and all of the Dream Job members in front of the castle.  The frame was a golden hue with Mickey's in the scroll design.  

team mascots

We said goodbye to each other and then my family and I headed out to the park.  Disneyland was open until midnight... that means lots of fun for me!  Those that know me are well aware of my last night at Disney/I'm leaving syndrome.  I burst into tears during the fireworks--especially the wish upon a star part.  After that it was all smiles.   

Jungle Cruise Donald Duck

 What do you do when the park is fairly empty after fireworks?   I head to Fantasyland since most of the little kids are gone and the lines are short.  Can you guess what line was really short? 

Dumbo had "no" line.  I was able to walk off and walk right back on again.  After doing this about 5 times the cast member working there told me I didn't have to exit unless there were about 10 people in the line.  Another dream come true... getting to fly with Dumbo over and over again.  I think I rode on every single Dumbo there was.  My mom chatted briefly with the cast member during one of my flights and I was given a Magic Feather to take home.  

It was an amazing experience and I loved every exhausting minute of it.  

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho it's off to work we go....

I left the hotel at 6:30 , but no breakfast for us behind the scenes so I had a bagel in the room.  We were all shuttled over to the park where we did a walk through of our role in the sub opening ceremony before costumes and makeup.  After the whirlwind of costumes and makeup (we only had 2 hours) it was off to the opening ceremony where we walked across stage in a line (we were told to be careful and to wave our right arms so we didn't block our faces) to the tune of Heigh Ho, and then right off stage and backstage again.  Our families were put in a special viewing area with a big screen to watch the live event.  While they waited they were introduced to some new "prototype/test" Disney stuff.  They were describing some 3-D shooting game to me... Guess what?  It's part of Toy Story Mania now.  Very cool. Then my family had some time to explore before our event (other families not as much time).  I'm telling you everything was precisely planned and ran very smoothly.   

screen in the viewing area

on tv

We had about an hour to eat lunch, more boxed lunches but this time at the Inn Between.   We all managed to chat about what we'd experienced so far... the Mansion dream jobs getting to walk the track that morning, Parade Performers dancing all afternoon and the Pirates creating their "characters."  The pirates had a lot of fun, just like us since they really had the opportunity to interact with guests.  One pirate was cursed with being literate and murmured "Finding Nemo... just find the bloody fish already."  Another pirate was cursed with always wanting the 7th guy and a piece of the 8th.  They looked great and after their show they were allowed to ride Pirates of the Caribbean in their costumes. 

My boat leaves in about 30 minutes!

getting ready to board the boat with the crew

Show Time!!!  Well, not for me just yet.  We were each given a 45 minute blocks of time and I was the 4th slot.  We got to sit at Aladdin's Oasis and wait our turns or stand on the dock.  I needed to sit and be away from the busy area.  I was so nervous.   So I sat and waited and stretched.  We were all pretty nervous sitting there waiting.  But we had lots of reassurance that we would do great from the camera crew and our hosts Donna and Rebecca.  I can only imagine how exhausted the crew was from having to be prepared to get us early and help us out all day.  They were amazing and continued to smile through it all. 

Skipper Randy introducing me

Then a Skipper named Jack came back on the way to the bathroom and saw us sitting there nervous.  He gave us some confidence and helped settle some nerves.  "Don't worry about it kids, nobody knows what you are supposed to be saying and you don't have to drive the boat.  You have visual cues in the jungle and once you get out there it will just happen."  Fortunately he was right.

waiting for them to load the boat so we can get the show on the water

Here in the jungle...

looking for a cue/sensor

I don't know how I managed to get through the first boatload of people, probably not that hard other than the fact that I had a media camera in my face and a giant light to soften the shadows.  Round two, it wasn't so bad.  It was the same group of people from the first boatload for the camera.  They were asked if they would be willing to ride the attraction twice, sign some legal document about their image/likeness being used for promotions and given something as a thanks for doing this. There was a nice couple on my boat that had gotten married the day before and were wearing thier bride/groom ears.  They laughed at the jokes and saw me later in the day and told me they loved being on my boat.  Third boat load a piece of cake, even though it was just regular, not specially picked, dock people.  I can't believe it went by so fast.  My official skipper duties had come to an end.  

whew...it's over

wearing the jacket

After we all went they whisked us to the upstairs line area (only used in really busy months) and did wrap up interviews with us before returning to costume and makeup for the last time.  We tried to convince them that we should get to keep the hats but it wasn't going to happen.  I know the pirates wanted parts of their outfits, pieces were actually worn in the movie.  We were brought back to the hotel, where I once again scrubbed my face.  Then I got ready for the Dream Job Closing Ceremony at the hotel.  

with my parents

Dream Job...Day 3-Party

Holy Cow it was awesome.   The media party was a private event and we got to walk down the Dory Blue carpet into the area near the subs. As we stepped onto the carpet each of us was handed a pair of light up dreams come true mouse ears.  There were scuba a go-go girls dancing, characters in their nautical attire and of course, Dory, Nemo and Crush.  

Papa Bear with the Scuba a Go-Go Girls

walking the carpet in style with character...

A band was playing, there were blow ups everywhere making it look like we were underwater.  They had the characters from Nemo hanging around for photos. A big bubble machine helped you feel you really had gone under water. Plexiglass tables with fish swimming in them were scattered around and a huge bar with Mount Wanna Hawk a Loogie behind it (the tank in Nemo).

love the cast member costumes and plexi-tables

Everything was all included and they had some exotic blue and orange drinks.  Lots of giant shrimp, seafood and other foods available to eat plus more awesome desserts.  They had cupcakes with coral and Nemo on them, clear aquariums (gelatin with gummyfish?), and a slushie machine and popcorn machine. 

our drinks (they contained alcohol)

one of the bars

dessert

characters and seafood table

 They had all sorts of nice photo opportunities available.  When we did ride the subs we had to wait about 30 minutes.  That was not bad though because the line the next day was over 8 hours and I believe they had to close the line.  

sub-mobile (like the wiener mobile)

family photo

The dance floor in front of the band had a projection machine above it creating an underwater dance floor.  We also got to go on the subs!  It was quite amazing and really neat.  I can't even begin to describe the ride, we saw the characters from the movie and how it was all done I'm not sure, but it was amazing.   We left the party around 9:20 cause I wanted to catch the fireworks and the party would end at 10 anyways.  They were cancelled cause it was a bit windy.  Oh well, I went on rides til 11ish. 

dance floor (see the scuba girl boots)