The Start to a Magical Vacation!

We had so much fun on our summer vacation to Walt Disney World and Orlando! We were blessed to have our family, my hubby's parents, and my friend Stephanie and her 3 kids with us! The boys had a blast having other kids there! It was just icing on the cake that it was our best friends!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I love to runDisney! Well...I also just love Disney in general! I think I was more excited about going to Disney World than any of the kids!!!

This is my favorite sign in the world!

I took a ton (TONS) of pictures and hate to leave any of them out. But I know you don't want to see them all so I will pick and choose some of my favorites. But bear with me...because there's still going to be lots of pictures! ;-)

I'm going to write several posts about our vacation...because I have so much to tell you! And there's no way I can include it all in one post! So hopefully you won't get bored hearing about our trip!

We arrived in Orlando Friday afternoon. We own a timeshare and that's where we were staying. It isn't on Disney property but is only about a mile from the entrance to Disney World. We've owned the timeshare for 11 years and it has been the best thing! It forces my workaholic hubby to take a vacation! ;-) The timeshare is a super nice condo in an awesome resort! It can sleep up to 8 people (more if you bring your own air mattress like we did this time). One of my favorite things about our timeshare is that it has a full kitchen. So we can cook our own meals...which is way cheaper than eating at Disney. And I'm also impressed with how clean it always is! Each time we've stayed there it is super clean.

After we got all checked in, bought our Disney tickets, and went to the grocery store, it was time to swim! I think the swimming pool is my boys' favorite part of a vacation! So the first thing we did on vacation...swim!

After some pool time it was getting late. We cooked some dinner, bathed some kids, and tucked them all in with promises to see Mickey the next day!

I used my favorite Disney app on my iPhone to check the crowd forecasts at the parks the next day. If you don't have this app from Undercover Tourist...I highly recommend it! It gave us a crowd forecast that was spot on for each day. We never stood in line for more than 20 minutes for a ride...and that wait time was rare. It also gave us accurate wait times for rides so we would know if we wanted to trek across the park for particular rides at particular times. Love this app!

A screenshot of the crowd forecast. Green is the park that will be less crowded, then yellow, then red. 

Magic Kingdom was in the green for the next day so that was our plan. I couldn't wait to see the new additions to Fantasy Land so far!

I woke up early the next day to get my run in for the run streak. My mother-in-law had talked about running/walking with me during vacation and she did this first day! After that I think she was just too tired from all the walking we did at Disney each day. Running around the resort was great! There were sidewalks to run on. And there were ducks everywhere in the ponds! I enjoyed seeing them each morning during my run!

Getting my mile in each day before anyone else woke up was an awesome start to each day! I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would! After my run....it was Magic Kingdom time!

To be continued....

QOTD: Do you exercise when you're on vacation?

5 Summer Running Must Haves!

As a runner that lives on the Gulf Coast I know all about running in the heat and humidity of summertime! A lot of people stop running outside at this time of year. They will run inside on a treadmill or even stop running altogether until it gets cooler. But not me. I can't stop running...I'd miss it too much! So I've learned to deal with the heat and humidity. Here are a few of my must haves for running in the summer!

• 1. Sunscreen. Sunscreen is very important in the summer! I use a sports sunscreen so it's not as greasy and is water resistant so the sweat doesn't make the sunscreen run in my eyes. I also make sure to apply it on areas where the sun hits the hardest like my shoulders and head. My hair has a natural part and the part gets sunburned very easily so I make sure to use tons of sunscreen there.

• 2. Sunglasses. Protecting your eyes against the sun's harmful rays is important. Although they aren't as flattering, I wear sunglasses that give me a wide range of coverage. I don't want the sun to creep in through the sides. I also make sure they don't slip up and down on my face while I'm running. That's a pain having to keep pushing your sunglasses up while you are running! (My hubby doesn't like these sunglasses on me by the way!)

• 3. Cool Running Clothes. You all know my favorite clothes to run in...running skirts! I wear them year round (I just add tights underneath them in the winter). In the summer they are the perfect bottoms to run in! They are cool and they wick away the sweat! (Use the code roadrunnerskirt for 15% off)! I also run in tanks in the summer. My new favorite tank this summer is this mesh one from Under Armour! It keeps me so cool!

• 4. Sweat Wicking Socks. There's nothing worse than running and feeling like your feet can't breathe. The right socks in the summertime is super important. I need my feet to be able to breathe as well as for the sweat to be wicked away so I don't get blisters. My favorite socks are Swiftwick's Sustain Zeros!

• 5. Hydration Belt or Hand Held Bottle. Hydration is key in the heat and humidity. I make sure to always hydrate well before my runs during the summer. I normally don't wear a hydration belt for runs shorter than 7 miles. But in the summer I wear one if I am running over 4 miles. I've never used a hand held water bottle but several of my friends use it and love it! The key is to make sure you hydrate more in the heat.

And one more running must have....a swimming pool to serve as an ice bath after your run!!! ;-) Ok, so it's not a must have but it is oh so nice!

QOTD: What is one running must have for you in the summer?

The Weekly Chase #26!

Hey everyone! I had an absolutely fabulous vacation! I can't wait to tell you all about it! We got home late Saturday night and reality is starting to sink in. I took over 670 pictures this past week so I have a lot to sort through and determine which ones to share with you...I won't make you look at all 670 I promise! ;-) Here's one of my favorites that I decided to share today!

It's time for the Weekly Chase! I am excited about a new week and getting back into my goals. I didn't abandon all my goals while on vacation but I limited them. I can't wait to get back to it! I hope you will join us this week too!

This month's challenge is called "Move Your Body!" It's summertime and I don't want us to forget about our fitness goals. This month I want you to be specific and make one of your goals a fitness goal. Your goal could be to run 3 times a week, strength or weight train twice a week, go for a walk everyday, or do at least 15 minutes of exercise each day. Whatever you want...just make it all about moving your body!

Here are the goals I had last week while on vacation:

• Goal #1: Run at least one mile every day (challenge goal). YES!!!!! I am so excited that I can say a big fat yes to this one! I wasn't sure how I was going to do running every day while on vacation but I actually looked forward to it every day! It was great starting out the day with a run. And I really enjoyed running somewhere new! I got to see tons of ducks by the ponds on the property I was staying at. Let me tell you...those ducks are NOT afraid of you! They wouldn't share the sidewalk with me at all lol! 

• Goal #2: Stretch and roll every day. Yes! I stretched before and after every run! And I rolled before every run. I should have rolled after but I only did that a few times. 

• Goal #3: Have fun! Definitely! We had so much fun! Everyone stayed hydrated in the heat and all my crew stayed healthy. Unfortunately one of my friend Stephanie's kids got sick one of the days but we didn't let it stop us. We just loaded up her other two kids with us and took them to Epcot so they wouldn't miss out. I hate Stephanie and Mason missed Epcot but luckily he was feeling much better the next day. My mother-in-law hurt her back on Space Mountain the first day but she was a trooper and still rode every ride with us! 

So here are this week's goals!

Goal #1: Run at least one mile every day (challenge goal). I am still streaking! I can't believe there are only 10 days left to the Runner's World Run Streak! It has flown by!

Goal #2: Stretch and roll every day. I really think this is helping me stay injury free during the streak. And...the awesome Zensah compression socks that I won from Karen at Just Me and My Running Shoes were GREAT for traveling to and from Disney! They made my legs feel great! Before we left I had some slight shin pain in my left leg...but after wearing these compression socks during the 8 hour drive the shin pain was completely gone...and hasn't come back! Yay!  

Goal #3: To show the love of Christ at Vacation Bible School. I LOVE teaching at Vacation Bible School every summer! Me and my friend Paige have been teaching together the past two years...and we have been teaching the same group of children. My oldest son Hayden is in my class and it's so awesome to share the experience with him each year. It's going to be a very busy week but it's worth it! Even if just one child gets saved!

Goal #4: Unpack! We are home and it's time to unpack everything from our vacation. I got some of it done yesterday but hope to get the rest done today and tomorrow!

That's it for this week! It's going to be a week of busy and late nights due to VBS. But it will be fun! 

QOTD: What are your goals for this week?

Runner Spotlights #41

I hope everyone has had a great weekend! We got home late last night from our vacation! It feels good to be home! But oh the laundry lol!

It's time for another runner spotlight! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com. I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! :-)

Today I am spotlighting Heather from Operation Determination! I've gotten to know Heather through the Weekly Chase! I'm so glad she links up with us! Plus she is a mom of boys like me! Keep reading to learn more about her!

Name: Heather Wellendorf   

State: Wisconsin

When and why did you start running?

I started running in the Spring of 2010. I had just had my third baby in June 2009 and wanted to lose some weight. My dad quit smoking and started running in December of 2009 and amazed me in how great he was doing. I figured if my 50-something year old dad who had smoked most of my life could do it then I could too! I also had several friends that I was following on Facebook that were running and doing races and it sounded like something that I wanted to do. I had always been a walker so I just started to add spurts of running and built up from there. My husband and I signed up for our first 5k that was going to be in July and used that as motivation to push ourselves. Once we did that first race we were hooked!

What is your favorite race and race distance?

I love doing Half Marathons- It is long enough that it is a challenge and not everyone is willing to go for it but the training doesn’t totally consume me and interrupt my family life.

What is your race day routine?

I start by laying most of my running gear out the night before so I know if I am missing anything. The morning of the race I get up and eat something- usually oatmeal and drink a bottle of water. If I am traveling or staying with friends/family I may just have toast and a banana but I NEED to eat something! I get dressed and then I try to move around to “get things moving” if you know what I mean. :-) I like to head out to the race location early to find parking and get in line for the port-a-potties (sometimes multiple visits) and to give myself time to calm my nerves. I take lots of pictures so I always make sure to get a pre-race photo with whoever I am running with.

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?

I love my Saucony shoes! There are so many awesome running shoes out there and I have tried some of them and they just aren’t the same - I always go back to the comfort of Saucony. I also love my MotoActv watch. I am very type A and like to know my distance and time and like to keep track of all of my numbers so I can look back at them to see my progress.

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?

Not really! I try to make good choices and eat the best that I can. For the most part that happens but there are times that I slip. As a family we are working on moving in the direction of “clean eating”. We have made progress but we have a long way to go.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?

I wish I had known how much support was out there and how satisfying it would be. I have been able to meet and network with so many wonderful people that have health and fitness as a priority in their lives and it helps keep it as a priority in mine as well. I also wish I had known that I could inspire so many people in my life to start making healthy changes just by being an example to them.

What is your fondest running memory?

There are so many it is hard to pick! One of the top would have to be crossing the finish line of my first half marathon with my husband! We ran the whole race together and pushed each other when we needed to and supported each other when it was needed.

Completing and getting a PR in my second half marathon next to my husband ranks right up there too. I would also have to add running my first trail race (a half marathon) with my best friend and finishing beside her since she is much faster than me. I have even had some training runs that rank right up there. It is amazing to look back to when I first started running and it was a huge accomplishment to complete our “5K loop” or our “10K loop” or other various routes that we ran. But then to do a long training run and do all of the loops in one run is amazing to me! It gives me goose-bumps to reflect and realize how far we have come. I never want to forget that feeling because I remember when each of the loops themselves were tough!

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?

This is a tough one! I am very shy and it takes me a while to open up to people. I like to take time to observe and get a feel for others around me before you will see the true me come out. Once that happens and I feel comfortable with you there isn’t much you won’t know about me.

Here are all the different ways you can connect with Heather!

Blog: http://operationdetermination.blogspot.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Heather_Wellend

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.wilkewellendorf

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hwellendorf/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/hwellendorf

Thanks so much for sharing with us Heather!!!

QOTD: What has been the highlight of your weekend so far?

Fitness Friday...Vacation Week!

Our vacation has almost come to an end. We have had an absolute blast and I'm so sad it's over! And it was super emotional having to say goodbye to my friend Stephanie. My heart hurts over it. But we've promised to keep in touch. And when you have a good friend like that...you keep that promise.

Today we are leaving Disney and on our way to a family wedding. It will be great to spend some time with our extended family!

It's Fitness Friday! I can't wait to tell you how my runs went while on vacation!

• Saturday- 1 mile run in 9:22

• Sunday- 1 mile run in 9:27

• Monday- 1 mile run in 9:11

• Tuesday- 1 mile run in 9:07

• Wednesday- 1 mile run in 8:56

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:00 , 1 mile run in 9:08

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00, 1 mile run 

I am so proud of myself for keeping up the run streak while on vacation! It was hard some mornings to be the first one up. But I really enjoyed running in a new place and it was awesome to start my day each morning with a run! The planking didn't happen as much as I had planned but at least I got a few in! I'll make up for it next week! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be prepared for lots of Disney pics and posts next week! ;-)

QOTD: Any big plans this weekend?

Guest Post...Motivation!

So today I am your guest blogger! My name is Molly Ritterbeck and I blog over at Miss Molly (http://www.mollyritterbeck.com) and I am so blessed to be writing as a guest today!

What I am going to talk about today is motivation. What motivates you? Let me tell you about what motivates me!

I am a working mother who has two beautiful daughters and a husband that serves in the military – that is enough stress in itself isn't it? Well let me tell you with the bills that come with kids and life in general and job changes to boot I was getting stressed. My tension headaches, anxiety, and sore shoulders (my stress goes straight to my shoulders) I just didn't know what to do. I was also starting to really lose myself in taking care of everything and everyone else that I was kind of fighting off some depression.  I didn't want to turn to medicine and I knew if I went to a doctor that is what I would get.

My husband told me I needed to get active and change my diet – but I was never going to do something because I was told – I needed to do it for myself. I had friends who went back and forth with new diet fads (meal plans, pills, prescription pills, etc) and I saw how they aged, fought self confidence issues, and more. I didn't want to be like that. Being a gymnast for over 8 years I thought I was still in shape despite not doing anything for a long time….so I decided one day to run a 5K with NO training. Not one of my brightest moments. I paid for that for a couple days after.

As I was sitting in pain one of the days after I was mad. I was mad that I couldn't do it. I was mad that Nick finished in 21 minutes and came back and ran half of it with me again. I didn't need his help to finish. I didn't want his help to finish ever again. I was going to do this.  I started running little by little and building distance. I found friends to do it with me. I joined a running club. People were motivating me who didn't even know me. I was not the best but they didn't care at all. They thought it was awesome to do what I could and so did I. 

I also started to notice the pain in my shoulders was gone, the anxiety was gone, and the headaches were gone. I had energy and could get more accomplished in the day. I was happier and was eating better. I was becoming what I had wanted and it was all because I didn't want to be beaten. My motivation was to not be beaten. 

I only had one moment of doubt and that was when my friends started to notice that I was losing weight and asked about it. Since I do not weigh myself very often at all (the gymnast in me swore I would never worry about a scale again), I had no clue – and I honestly said I didn't think I had lost much so I couldn't tell them. One of my friends stopped and looked at me and said “Well what’s the point if you aren't losing weight?” I stopped in my tracks. Wow – what was the point I thought. The best part is – it only lasted a moment and I was able to say “The point is I feel better, and I now know I can do anything I put my mind to.”

I was mad at my friend for asking such a shallow question, but at the same time I was glad that I could answer her with the right answer and not a shallow one. 

My motivation is myself and my family. It will never be to get to a number on the scale, but maybe to fit in my jeans better. It will never be to be in the “in crowd” and be skinny because lets be real – strong is the new skinny. I will be strong for myself and my family.

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WOW! What awesome words Molly! Thanks so much for guest posting for me! Make sure to visit Molly on her blog! 

QOTD: What motivates YOU?

Guest Post...Tips for Running a runDisney Race!

Today Heather from Through Heather's Looking Glass is taking over my blog! Many of you know Heather through her amazing runDisney experiences! I always love reading her runDisney posts! I've been reading Heather's blog for years and am lucky to have gotten to meet and hang out with her on several occasions since I started blogging! She's such an awesome person!

Heather is also a Disney travel agent!!! She can book your Disney vacation for you as well as your runDisney vacation! As soon as I get back from Disney, Heather is going to book my room for Marathon Weekend in January! Email her at heather@travelwiththemagic.com to get your Disney vacation started!

Enjoy Heather's post on tips for running a runDisney race! Thanks so much Heather for guest posting for me!

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I have gotten a lot of questions from people about runDisney races in general. Tips for getting the most out of the weekend, what to expect, when to go where, special things to note that are different from regular races. Well, I thought it was high time to compile all of my info into a blog post to share with you all!

   

      TIPS FOR RUNDISNEY RACING 

Expo: Try to get to the expo the first day it is open if you are able. Merchandise can run out, especially in popular sizes, after the first day. Not to mention the first day is typically less crowded. For marathon weekend, all the Goofy merchandise was sold out by Friday afternoon, and the expo had a line to even get into the building!

   

Race retreat: I have done the race retreat once, and while it was very nice, I don’t thing it’s “necessary.” When it’s very cold outside it’s nice to have somewhere to go and relax and eat, but it’s definitely not a “must” and you will be ok without it, so don’t fret if you didn't get in before it filled up.

Characters: There are plenty of characters along the course, especially within the parks. Have your phone or camera out and ready to hand to the cast member, and give them any instructions you want to give. They aren't all “great” at photo taking, I had to tell the to tap the screen to focus the picture after getting a few blurry ones. Bummer. There will also be professional photographers on the course and at the character stops, so be sure your bib is visible to the camera when they are taking your photo.

   

Fueling: There are PLENTY of aid stations and I have never brought my own water bottle. There was water and Powerade available about every 1.5 miles. I do bring my own fuel/gel minus one for the half and two for the full (there is one clif shots stop during the half, and two during the full). If you aren't used to taking Clif's products, be sure to bring your own or practice with them before the race.

Hotels: Be sure to stay at a host hotel on property for the least amount of stress come race morning. Not only will you be surrounded by other runners, but it is the only way to have official race and expo transportation, which is important when you don’t have a car! (email heather@travelwiththemagic.com for hotel info and pricing)

 

Transportation: There are buses outside of the host resorts to take you to the expo and the race and back. Typically there are big signs out front of the resorts directing you to race transportation pick up. If you aren't sure be sure to check with the front desk at your hotel. After the race, there are buses near the family reunion area to take you back to your resort, just look for the signs so you know which line to get into. Also, be sure to get to the buses EARLY. There is a LONG walk from the family reunion area to the corrals, and it is a slow walk full of people, so allow yourself even more time than you think you would ever need. Trust me on this one!

Sweepers: You have to keep a 16:00 per mile pace or you will be swept off the course. They have buses at certain cut off points to transport those who cannot maintain pace. Keep in mind Disney doesn't start the timer as far as SWEEPERS go until everyone crosses the start line, so you have a bit of a head start as long as you aren't the last one to start.

Weather: You can’t control the weather, neither can Disney. I have run in Disney in weather in the 20’s and in the upper 70’s. Be prepared when you pack for ALL weather situations, they can quickly change. A garbage bag is a good alternative to a poncho, and remember that if you throw off old sweatshirts, etc. Disney picks them all up and gives them to charity.

   

Finish line/family reunion area: After you cross the finish line and get your medal, Disney will give you water, Powerade, and a little box of snacks. Then you can take photos, get your bag at gear check pickup, and meet your family in the family reunion area. There are big signs with letters on them so plan a meeting spot to meet up with friends and family after you finish the race.

Training: There are training programs on the runDisney website to help you get ready for your big race day!

Gear check: Disney gives you a big clear bag when you get your race shirt, and there is a sticker with numbers on it, you put it on the front of your bag and this makes it your gear check bag (be sure to tie a knot in the top of the bag so your stuff doesn't fall out!) I pack a pack ticket for walking back through EPCOT to our hotel if I feel like it and am staying in the EPCOT resort area, flip flops, a jacket, a towel, and my hotel room key.

Corrals/proof of time: You are put into a corral based on your proof of time from a 10k race or longer. If you have no proof of time, you will be put towards the back. However, if you get a faster time between registration an the race, just bring proof of time to the runner relations booth at the expo/bib pick up, and they will put a sticker with a new corral letter over your old one. The volunteers DO check corrals and have flashlights to read your bib to make sure you are going into the right ones.

    

Bathrooms: There are plenty of port-o-potties at the start, but there will still be lines so arrive early. There are some at the family reunion area but we usually skip these and use the ones right before you get into the corrals, they usually have shorter lines. There are also potties all along the course, but we usually try to wait and use the "real" bathrooms in the parks. There are some you run right by in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, as well as in Frontierland. When running the full we have stopped at the ones at the Ticket and Transportation center as well, and you run right by some in Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Meet up/Tweet Up: You may have seen blog posts about the cool runDisney social media meet ups that are held during race weekends. These meet ups are typically held on Friday morning, very early. If you want to try to get in, keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog and the @runDisney Twitter feed for information on when you need to keep an eye out for registration. The meet up for marathon weekend was full in three minutes!

   

Family fun run/5k: The 5k is typically the day before the half marathon, early in the morning. It is an untimed fun run, but you still get a shirt, bib, and (rubber) medal. There are characters along the course, and it’s a fun relaxing way to get a taste for runDisney racing. The 5k typically doesn’t fill up as fast as the half marathon.

   

Kids races: The littlest runners can take part in runDisney races too! There are kids races at the Wide World of sports (think diaper dash and kids one mile run).

Spectating: Have a plan! Disney has info for spectators on their website. The chEAR squad packages are nice, but not necessary to see someone at the finish. I know a lot of spectators that catch their runners at multiple points during the races, relying on Disney transportation to get them around and the monorail to the finish line.

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I also have some personal tips….

-Have FUN! runDisney races are great for running with friends and family Don’t take yourself too seriously! 

-Take lots of photos! Where else do you get to run through a castle and get character photos in your running gear? Enjoy the cool things you don’t get to do at other races.    

-Be prepared. All right boy scouts, always be prepared for any situation. Don’t forget things like chapstick, tissues, layers to keep warm, sunscreen, and your camera.

-Wear your medal around the park after the race, be proud!

-bring extra safety pins in case there aren't any or enough in your bag

-If you are wearing a costume practice in it beforehand to make sure it doesn't rub or chafe.

-Need packing advice? Check out my “packing for a runDisney race” vlog to make sure you have everything you need!

-Check out the runDisney website and Facebook page, they are always updating them with great info!

QOTD: What is your best runDisney race advice that I have left off?