What I Do When I'm Not Running on a runDisney Weekend

I’ve lived in Southern California most of my life and going to Disneyland was something I grew up with.  I’m always a little surprised when someone tells me, “I’ve never been to Disneyland.”  Because of where I live, I have an annual pass and I try to get there as often as I can.  Some of my visits correspond with runDisney race weekends and I always try to get some of my favorite things in while I’m there.

Everyone’s approach to Disneyland is different and I will admit I am not of those people who needs to “ride all the rides.”  As much as I love the rides, I am equally as happy just walking around enjoying all the little things that Disneyland has to offer.  On my recent runDisney weekend, I experienced a few things I don’t normally for and took some time to do a couple of my favorites.  So whether you’re headed to Disneyland for a day or a week, here’s a few things I would recommend doing.  

Character Breakfast

There are a couple Disneyland hotel properties that offer a character breakfast, one of them being Paradise Pier.  When my friends and I decided to stay there during our race weekend, we decided we wanted to do the character breakfast.  Although it is a bit pricey for breakfast, the experience is fun.  Breakfast is buffet style and includes things such as fresh fruit, the famous Mickey waffles and an omelette bar. (My omelette was delicious!)  As you’re enjoying breakfast, characters walk around interacting with the guests.  We were probably the only table without children, but we still had a blast.  Your visit includes a guaranteed picture with Mickey, which they try to sell you, but they also allow you to take pictures with your own camera.  

“Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” Tour

As part of our girls weekend, we wanted to do something extra special.  After looking at the various tours they offer, we decided to do “Walk In Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” tour and it was amazing!  You take a three hour tour of the park, learning the history of the parks and seeing Walt Disney’s vision.  The tour includes a few rides, lunch and a trip to Walt’s Dream Suite.  We were only allowed one picture in the Dream Suite, but I must say it is beautiful!!!  My favorite part of the tour?  They were able to have ASL interpreters for me, as well as a captioning device for the rides—this made sure I didn’t miss anything on the tour and I was beyond impressed that Disneyland offered this service for its guests. 

All The Snacks!

Disneyland has some great treats and the holiday season is no exception.  Some people go for the churros or Dole Whip, but my favorite treat is their gingerbread Mickey cookies.  No holiday Disney trip is complete without it.  I had the Dole Whip too, but there is something special about the cookie.  California Adventure has a new festival for the holidays and there were some tasty treats there as well.  As much as I love the Disneyland snacks, I do try to keep my meals a little healthy when I’m there and I find there are better options in California Adventure or Downtown Disney.

The Entertainment

Sometimes I just walk around Disneyland and enjoy the sights, which includes the various entertainers.  One this trip, we saw a holiday drum line, the dapper dans and a few bands.  Everyone seems in such a hurry to get to the next ride, but I love stopping to take some time to enjoy it all.  

The Decorations

The Holiday season at Disneyland is my favorite.  There is so much attention to detail from Main Street to the rides, you can’t help but be happy.  But this isn’t just during the holiday season—year round Disneyland is a magical place and the details are always awe inspiring.

The Rides

I mentioned that I don’t need to ride all the rides, but c’mon—you can’t go to Disneyland without riding some of the rides.  I always try to take a break from technology when I am at Disneyland, but I definitely love the Disneyland app which can help you determine your wait times and plan your adventures.  

Have you ever been to Disneyland? What’s your favorite thing to do there?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

RunDinsey Avengers Superhero Half Marathon Recap

After three days in the parks and two races, I was ready for the Avengers Superheroes Half Marathon—not only was I looking forward to all the fun but I was also looking forward to earning my second Infinity Gauntlet Challenge medal.  As I mentioned in my Dr Strange 10K recap, we had decided to mash Disney with Superheroes so I would be running the half marathon as Super Snow White, complete with shield to weild off any bad apples I encountered on the course. (See what I did there…)

Sunday Runday was off to an early start—we headed over the the start line area to meet up with everyone and get a few pre-race pictures before the race started.  Then we were off to our corrals to wait for the race to start.  After the national anthem and other announcements, the runner's were on their way.  The waves seemed to be going rather quickly and before I knew it, it was time for us to start.

Our plan going into Sunday was to have all the fun.  The course for this race was new and I was looking forward to it—this was my fourth runDisney half marathon at Disneyland and every course has been different so far. Shortly after mile one, we came up to the first photo stop and the line was short! What?!  This never happens so we took a quick picture, took a bathroom break and continued on our way.  Then we came up to the next photo stop and again, a short line! 

I’m not sure why all the lines were short, but the longest wait we had for a photo was about seven minutes.  Maybe people took all their pictures at the 5K and 10K—it’s the same characters, but we still wanted all the pictures.  

After mile four, we headed out of the parks and into Anaheim.  If I’m being honest, the most exciting thing in Anaheim is Disneyland, but the crowd support makes this race worth it.  At mile six, we came upon the Sparkle Athletic cheer station, complete with the Sparkle unicorns.  We then continued on and before I knew it, we were entering Angels Stadium.  In the past, the course routed you through the back entrances and you didn’t see the completed stadium.  This course brought you through the front and I saw the Angels helmets that I had never seen before.  

The crowd support near the stadium was awesome.  My favorite part of any runDisney event has been the group dressed in vintage military uniforms, complete with a dance floor and dancers.  I was excited to see them out there again.  Once we left the stadium, a cosplay group cheered us on for about half a mile.  Before I knew it, we were at mile ten with only a 5K left to go.  

I struggled the last three miles.  I don’t know if it was a combination of running two races the days before and spending time in the parks, but my legs were not happy with me.  I was getting cramps in my legs and my feet were screaming at me to stop.  I was grateful to have Stephanie, Toni and John with me to help keep me going.  

Finally we found the finish line! I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so happy to cross a finish line.  After getting our medals, snack boxes and taking a few pictures, we headed to the stage area to meet up with the rest of our friends.  I decided I needed to keep moving, so I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the rest of the day in the parks.  (I think I may have been having some shoe issues during the race because as soon as my shoes came off, my legs felt so much better!)   

After the 10K on Saturday, I was a little concerned about the hydration stops along the course, but they had so many.  The crowd support was awesome and we loved getting shout outs on our Princess Superhero costumes—we even had some people take pictures with us because they loved our shields! The new course? Amazing!  I loved this change and I hope runDisney sticks with it.  

It was another great runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend and I can’t wait until next year!  Maybe I’ll actually watch the movies before then.

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

runDisney Dr. Strange 10K Race Recap

When registration opened for the runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend, my first thought when I saw the theme for the 10K was Dr. Strange was, “Doctor Who?!”  Although this would be my second year running the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge, I’ve never actually seen the Avengers movies and don’t know who the characters are. 

As I mentioned in my Captain America 5K recap, this was a girls weekend with Michelle, Stephanie and Toni.  After discussing costume ideas, we decided to mash Disney and Superheroes—for the 10K we decided to be Superhero Mouseketeers.  Julian would also be joining us and I couldn’t wait to have all the fun.

Like all runDisney races, race morning came early and we headed over to the start line area to meet up with our friends for some pre-race pictures and fun. This year we stayed at a Disney hotel and I loved being that close to the start area!  After meeting up with everyone and taking pictures, we came up with a race plan.  AJ and Ivie were starting in earlier corrals, so they would run ahead to the first photo stop and wait for us. 

 It worked out perfectly—by the time we met up with them in line, we were almost to the front of the line.  As a group, we definitely follow racing etiquette and picture taking etiquette—although it may have looked like we were cutting in line, we take one group picture with one person’s phone.  We have the process down to a science to make it easy on everyone.  After the first photo stop, we were on our way for the rest of the race—I run most races alone so I always have a blast with the groups at runDisney events.  This race did not disappoint.

After all the character stops and all the fun, the race was over.  I was honestly having so much fun, that I didn’t pay that much attention to the course.  I know that I wasn’t struggling to get through the crowds like I was at the 5K and it never felt too congested to me.  

The only change I would make would have been the number of water stations—there were only two and I would have liked one more.  The weather started getting warmer the last couple of miles and one more water station would have been perfect. 

I still don’t know who Dr. Strange is but I had a blast at the Dr. Strange 10K.  And the bling is pretty awesome too! After getting our medals and snack boxes, we made our way to the race stage to meet up  with other friends, have more fun and take more pictures.  After this race, I was definitely looking forward to the next day’s Avengers Superheroes Half Marathon and earning my Infinity Gauntlet Challenge medal.

Have you ever done a multi-day race challenge?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

runDisney Captain America 5K Recap

In 2015, I ran the runDisney Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Challenge.  As part of the weekend events, I went to a We Run Social meet-up and met Michelle, Stephanie and ToniAnn.  We became instant friends and decided we would return for a girls weekend in 2016.  After a year of planning, the weekend was finally here and I was beyond excited.  

A few weeks ago, I obtained a bib to the Captain America 5K as part of the runDisney Avengers Superheroes weekend.  It was a last minute decision and I was excited because it would be my first runDisney 5K.  

After fun  at the expo and spending time in the parks with my friends, I was ready for bed and the early wake-up.  If you have ever run a runDisney race, you know they start at 5:30am and as early as you need to wake-up, I love that an early race means you’re finished early and have plenty of time to enjoy the parks.  

I headed to the start line with Michelle and we met up with Julian.  After catching up and taking some pictures, we headed to our corrals.  I’m not sure if it’s because I registered so late, but I was placed in the last coral.  Frankly, I wasn’t happy about this—I wanted to run with my friends who were in other corrals. (I did go to runner relations at the expo, however they were unable to change my corral placement) 

Pre-Race show- how awesome that they have interpreters?!

We made a plan—I would race to the first photoshop, meet up with them and run with them the rest of the race.  Unfortunately starting in the last corral made it a little hard to race—I’ve never had to weave in between so many people during a run.  I won’t lie—I was frustrated as people abruptly went from running to walking or were in groups 4-5 people wide. I ended up skipping the first photo stop (Hawkeye) and met up with Michelle and Julian at the second stop. We continued on our way, saying hi to other runners we knew, having all the fun and taking all the pictures.

While we were in the photo stop line for Captain America, Stephanie and Toni text us to see if we wanted Starbucks at the finish line.  Yes!  We ran into them just before mile 3 and actually took our coffee then and ran the rest of the race with it.  Yes, we crossed the finish line holding Starbucks and it might be my favorite finish line picture ever! 

I love that 95% of the 5K in run through the parks. Running through Cars Land and the Disneyland castle are my favorite. Like all runDisney races the energy is great—the cast members who are out cheering for us and the volunteers are awesome!  Would I run the 5K again?  Without question, yes!    

Race Shirt and bling!

What’s your favorite finish line picture?

Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

My Top 5 Running Moments of 2015

As my 2015 race season nears it's final race, I've been reflecting back on my year of running.  I am truly blessed for the experiences that 2015 brought me and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2016 has in store.  I've narrowed down my top 5 running moments from the year, in no particular order:

Nike Women's Half Marathon

The Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco is the first lottery type of race I've ever participated in.  I applied and honestly forgot about it, thinking I wouldn't get in my first time.  I was pleasantly surprised when I got the e-mail telling me I was in.  I had never been to San Francisco and had heard great things about this race.  The city was amazing-- I definitely want to go back.  And the course was beautiful-- without doubt the prettiest race course I'd ever run.  Nike recently announced that the race series would not be heading back to San Francisco for 2016 so I am definitely glad I had this experience.  I look forward to seeing which city they go to next.

Rock N Roll San Diego

Rock N Roll San Diego was the first time I enjoyed the entire race experience.  I went to the expo, listened to speakers, shopped, met Meb and did more than just pick up my bib.  I ran the 5K and the Half Marathon during the RNRSD weekend and had a blast at both.  After the 5K, I went to the ProCompressionon meet-up and met some awesome people.  Before the Half Marathon on Sunday, I met Harriette Thompson- the oldest woman to complete a marathon.   If that doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.  San Diego is my city and the crowds did not disappoint.  The crowd support was by far the best of any race I ran in 2015, from the shots to the funny signs, it was awesome.  I enjoyed all my race travels, but like they say, there's no place like home.

My Fastest Mile

This didn't happen during a race-- just a typical training run.  When I run, my goal isn't to be fast.  My goal is to finish and to improve from my last run.  And then this happened.  I was shocked.  Not because it's insanely fast, because let's face it, it isn't.  But for me and how far I've come as a runner, it is fast.  Do I think I can run severals miles at this pace? Not yet.  But seeing what my body is capable of gives me a goal and something to strive for.

RunDisney Avengers Half Marathon Weekend

I signed up for the Avengers Half Marathon Weekend because I wanted to do another RunDisney event (My first was the DIsneyland Half Marathon).  I haven't seen the movies and didn't know what a "Gauntlet Challenge" was, but I was ready to have fun.  And fun I did have.  I went to the We Run Social meet-up on Friday and met some awesome people.  Over the next two days, we would see each other again, running the 10K and Half Marathon.  I ran the Half Marathon with three of my new friends and I can honestly say it's the most fun I'd ever had during a race.  I usually run alone, so running with other people was an experience for me. But it was a blast.  I can't wait to see them all again at our next RunDisney race!

Rock N Roll Chicago

When I signed up for Rock N Roll Chicago, it wasn't just about running for me.  I got an e-mail about the race shortly after my mom had passed away and something in me said I had to sign up.  My grandmother grew up in Chicago, so I heard stories about the city growing up and watched Cubs games with her all the time.  Even though I had never been to Chicago, I felt a connection and I knew that RNRCHI would be a great way to experience it.  I made a vacation out of it, staying a week so that I would have time to explore and see things other than the race part of my trip.  It was amazing.  I fell in love with the city and felt a sense of peace that I hadn't felt since my mom had passed away.  The race experiences were amazing-- from the people to the course.  (Although I could definitely do without the midwest heatwave we had!)  This trip far exceeded my expectations and have me just what I needed in my life at that point.  I will forever be grateful for the experience and everyone that was involved in it.  I can't wait to go back for RNRCHI in 2016.

I hope everyone had a great race year! Until next time, happy running.
Jenn13.1

Avengers Half Marathon Weekend Recap

Last weekend I was excited to head up to Anaheim for my second RunDisney race event.  I had a blast at the Disneyland Half Marathon and I couldn't wait to do it again with the Avengers Half Marathon Weekend.  I have to admit, I've never seen the Avengers movies-- I wasn't really sure what I signed up for, but after googling costume ideas, I was ready to have some fun!

The Expo

The race expo was very similar to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  I was a little disappointed that some of the official RunDisney merchandise had sold out by the time I got there, but overall it was a good experience.  (If anyone had any extra race pins, let me know! :) )  I didn't need anything at the expo, but I still managed to find a few goodies.   They also had an area to make little care packages for our troops overseas-- I loved this.  You completed a post card and filled a bag with some treats and toiletries.  I love when races give back!

Jeff Galloway

Pamela at Sparkly Soul Inc!

When I picked up my packet, I noticed that my corral was further pack than I had anticipated.  I'm pretty sure I had submitted my time verification, but their records indicated that I hadn't. Fortunately I was able to pull up a race time from another event and they changed my corral for me.  

We Run Social Meet-Up

Friday night, there was a We Run Social meet-up at the Starbucks in Downtown Disney hosted by Ivie (@ivieanne), AJ (@a2thej44) and Jen (@pinkcupcakegirl).  All the fun was had and I enjoyed making some new friends!  It's fun when the social media worlds and the real worlds collide.  There was conversation, coffee and treats.  I even won a pair of ProCompression socks. This was definitely a great start to the race weekend.

"Do the Pavey!"

Captain America 10K

Saturday morning I woke up bright and early for the Captain America 10K.  RunDisney had suggested we arrive at 4am to get through security and make it to the corrals in a timely fashion.  Everything pre-race was well organized.  I was the one who wasn't organized-- I was not prepared for how cold it was.  By the time my corral started, I was frozen.  I started running with a group of friends I had met at the meet-up, but eventually separated from the group in an effort to speed up and get myself warm.  It took a few miles before I lost the chill.  It was a hard lesson to learn-- I am weather spoiled in Southern California and don't usually run in temperatures that cold. (And yes, because I am weather spoiled, the 50 degrees was cold for me :)  )

Flat Jenn for the Captain America 10K

The 10K course was the same of the Disneyland 10K course, which I enjoyed.  I loved the areas of the parks we ran through and the crowd support.  I hadn't intended on doing any character stops, but decided that since this was in the inaugural Captain America 10K, I had to take a picture with Captain America.  Overall, the 10K was another fun RunDisney event and I look forward to doing it again next year.  

Avengers Half Marathon

Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early again.  I headed to the pre-race area, better prepared for the cold this day.  (I had a mylar blanket from the 10K)  I met up with the runners I had met at the meet-up again and we made our ways to the corral.  My plan for this race was to stay with the group-- sometimes the fun you have and the people you run with are more important than your race time.  This was going to be one of those races.  

Flat Jenn ready for the Avengers Half Marathon

This course was different than the Disneyland Half Marathon and I'm not honestly sure how I feel about it.  My biggest complaint is that during the parks portion of the run, you don't run through the castle.  How can you have a RunDisney run without the castle?!  There was also a trail portion of the run as we made our was to Angel's Stadium that was too narrow for the number of runners.  If a runner was trying to maintain a steady pace, it would have been really hard to do so at this portion of the run.  

Overall, this was probably the most fun I've had with a race.   I ran with Stephanie, Toni and Michelle-- it was awesome to have running buddies during the races.  I usually run on my own, so this was a great new experience for me.  We stopped for pictures, had great conversations and it was great to see Stephanie cross the finish line with a RunDisney PR and reaching her race goal for 2015.  We're all planning on coming back for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2016.  

Running the 10K and Half Marathon meant you completed the Gauntlet Challenge

Random Weekend Shenanigans 

A weekend of running at Disney meant a weekend of fun at Disney.  I spent Friday and Saturday in the parks, enjoying the holiday decorations and people.  Disneyland is definitely one of my happy places and I love being there.  I also love that they offer interpreting services on the weekend-- on Saturday, I was able to see several shows in ASL.  The interpreters are awesome!  

Until next time, Happy Running!
Jenn13.1