This vlog is a bit late, about … 6 months late. I wasn’t going to post it originally because as you will see, my race weekend didn’t go as planned. I had a change of heart when I was browsing through some old footage recently and realized that even though I didn’t get the weekend I had planned, I still had a great weekend celebrating with my family.
Flanigan’s Rockin’ Rib Run 10K
This year was the 6th annual Rockin’ Rib Run presented by Runners Depot. This is a race I had heard about, but never registered for because of the price. It’s just a bit more expensive than other local runs in my area.
SPOILER ALERT: It’s worth it!
The reason I participated this year was because of my friend Monica.
She was supposed to run this race with her whole family but someone couldn’t make it, so she asked me to take their place. Free race? I’m there! Lol
Race Price
Adult early registration: $40
Summer registration: $45
Fall registration: $50
Last Chance: $60
Kids: $10
Packet Pick Up
Although I didn’t make it to packet pick up, Monica said her experience was excellent. There was no wait time and they were very organized.
The goodie bag was by far the most exciting bag I have ever received for a race. Not only was it an actual backpack instead of the usual drawstring bag, but it also came loaded; The most impressive item being a $10 Flanigan’s gift card & free drink voucher.
Course
This course was surprisingly enjoyable. There were small hills and water views which made it nicer than a lot of other races with only green fields and roads. The course also had plenty of shade and was wide enough to allow runners to pass one another easily.Post Race
As soon as you cross the finish line, there are volunteers handing out medals and water. The best part of the post race events are the free beer and ribs included with your race entry. The food truck and beer stand were right by the finish line and there was plenty of food to go around.
Medal
GIANT. This is a pretty big medal and goes well with the race. The kids medals were also really nice. I give them a 8/10.
Race Rating
Personally, I would give this race an 8/10. I had an amazing time and I will definitely be participating again in years to come. The only thing missing from this race would be some sort of entertainment throughout the course, but that is something you don’t usually see in smaller local races so it’s not a deal breaker in any way.
Have you participated in this race before? If not, would you? Let me know down below and let me know which races you recommend!
Dopey Training Update 2
I don’t pretend to be a perfect runner, and I want to document my process during my Dopey training as honestly as possible. The truth of the matter is that I fell out of my running groove for a couple of weeks. I went on vacation for two weeks and even though I did intend on running (I packed all of my workout clothes and shoes), I only ran once while I was away.
I have a lot of respect for people who can get out there and do this without any hesitation, but In my case, bad habits die hard. I am not a natural runner by any means, and this doesn’t come easy for me, because of that, I find myself quite literally dragging my feet sometimes.
All of that aside, I finally got back out there yesterday and my run wasn’t a complete fail. I expected to end up walking most of it but surprisingly, I maintained my overall avg pace of 14 m/m. The only thing concerning me at the moment is that I am concentrating more on speed training than distance training.
I’ve been obsessing on getting faster and honestly I think its doing more harm than good. I’m getting extremely fatigued after my runs and they’re feeling more like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) runs that endurance runs. Personally, I don’t do these races to break any records, I just want to make sure I finish them and enjoy them along the way. So I’m going to be tweaking the plan a little…
New training objective:
I’m going to continue following the Jeff Galloway program so that I can base my training runs on the distances they recommended, but I’m no longer focusing on pace. As long as I finish my runs at a 16 m/m pace (the accepted pace for runDisney) I’ll be happy.
I’m not sure how well this will turn out, but running isn’t a “one size fits all” sport. You have to experiment and see what works for you, and that’s what I plan to do.
I’m always open to any advice from fellow runners so PLEASE feel free to share what works for you, or what you think I should try.
2019 Dopey Challenge Training Program With Dates
Dopey Training: 1st Month recap
First month? Easy enough. When I first saw the Dopey training program, I almost talked myself out of doing this race. I’ve done quite a few half marathons already, but I have never stuck to a training program for more than a month or two. It’s not to say that I don’t train for my races, I just end up doing what feels right instead of following a plan.
This time I hope to follow the plan completely through. Dopey is an intimidating challenge and I want to be assured that I am as prepared as possible. I plan to share a monthly recap as I go along, not only to keep me accountable but to highlight and progress on my part.
I am following the Jeff Galloway Dopey Program and so far, the first month has been, dare I say… easy. I’m sure that won’t last though. My body is definitely hurting; it’s been over a year since I ran consistently and it’s going to take time to for my body to adjust.
Monthly Averages
|
TOTAL RUNS |
TOTAL MILES |
AVG PACE |
|
14 |
36.48 |
14’27 |
Notes: The last 5.5-mile long run was by far the hardest. I struggled to maintain my 1:30/30 interval and had to switch to 1/1 interval by mile 3. I’m happy with my finishing time but I’m also extremely anxious about all my future long runs seeing as how challenging this one turned out to be.
Disney with an infant
Here it is, plain and simple…
Can you do Disney with an infant? Definitely.
Should you do Disney with an infant? Probably not.
This past weekend, we took our two month old on a quick trip to Disney World. We were staying at a beach apartment for a week and because we were only an hour and a half away, we thought it would be fun. Please keep in mind that this trip was only a one day, one park trip and we didn’t pack anything the we would need for an overnight stay at a hotel.
The plan
We planned an easy day at Epcot. No major rides, no real schedule to follow, just a “go with the flow” kind of day. Luckily the weather was amazing; cloudy and breezy the entire time we were there. We also planned for a late lunch/early dinner as soon as we fed the baby so that she would sleep while we ate.
What we packed:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Change of clothes
- Formula & bottles
- Hand sanitizer
- Baby carrier
The Reality
Having no schedule made everything 100 times easier. We only went on two rides with the baby: Gran Fiesta Tour and The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Both of these rides were baby friendly but after two attempts of going on with a calm baby and exiting with a fussy baby, we decided to end it there.
(Living with the Land & Spaceship Earth would have been good rides to consider too)
During dinner, our hopes of a full and sleepy baby were completed crushed. We both took turns stepping out to calm the baby so that we wouldn’t disturb others. Once the food was ready, I went outside with the baby while Eman ate and then we swapped.
Simply put; yes it can be done, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s a lot of work and you won’t be able to enjoy much. Disney is expensive, even if you have annual passes. There’s the price of gas/flights, hotel, food, etc.
If you plan on going anyway, here’s a few tips:
- Pay attention to the weather and plan accordingly
- A baby carrier will be your best friend
- Bring a change of clothes for you & baby
- BE FLEXIBLE
See ya’ real soon!
*Check out StorybookErin ! She gave me a lot of tips before my trip & was extremely helpful*
1st Month | Baby Update
Adjusting
So here it is, one month postpartum and my life is almost unrecognizable… in the best way possible. My daughter was born on Jan 31, 2018 at 2:08 pm after a long 14 hours in labor. Everything went smoothly and we stayed the following two days at the hospital.
The first two weeks were exhausting to say the least. Emma would spend all night screaming and all day sleeping. Luckily, somewhere around week 3, her routine started to shift. We now have something that somewhat resembles a schedule and she’s sleeping somewhere around 5 hours a night.
Sleep deprivation was basically all I thought about the first two weeks. I know everyone tells you to sleep whenever the baby is sleeping, but I just couldn’t. My mom came by to help one day and it was the first time I got more than an hour of sleep.
PS: So far I haven’t really dealt with postpartum depression. I did have days where I would cry for absolutely no reason but I believe that was more of a hormonal thing.
Feeding
Breastfeeding is something I knew I wanted to do even before I got pregnant. From the moment I got to the hospital, I made it known that I planned to exclusively breastfeed. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a lot harder than expected.
After my daughter was born, she latched on right away and I was able to breastfeed for a while. About two hours later, the nurse came in and reminded me to try again. My daughter would latch, but wouldn’t stay on longer than 5 minutes. Sometime later, my nurse started to get concerned about my daughters blood sugar levels because we were going on 4 hours without feeding. Because I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy (diet controlled), the doctor was concerned it would affect the baby. Long story short, I ended up supplementing with formula.
Its been a month now and she is mostly on formula, with a couple OZ of breastmilk here and there. I have had a hard time producing milk but I rather get whatever she can. Breastfeeding has been a challenge but I don’t plan on giving up just yet.
Even though I’ve had plenty of experience with children, nothing can truly prepare you for being a mom. Its been hard and testing but it has also been the best month of my life. I cant wait to see what’s to come…
See Ya Soon’
runDisney For Beginners: Choosing a Race
Disney has always offered races at both Disney World and Disneyland but as of late 2017, all Disneyland races have been canceled. At the moment, the only race locations are Disney World, Disneyland Paris and a couple of virtual races. This post is going to be about my experiences with these races which will hopefully help you decide which one you want to participate in.
(I wont be talking about Disneyland Paris because I have yet to participate in that race)
Now when it comes to choosing what race you want to register for, my advice is this: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. runDisney offers a variety of different distances from 5K (3.1 miles) to a Full Marathon (26.2 miles). If you’re new to running, be honest with yourself and choose a race you know you will train for. There’s no worse feeling than paying for a race only to get picked up before finishing it.
I’ve attended all the Disney World races and I have two weekends which are my favorites: Marathon weekend and Princess! The other races are still amazing but here are a few quick notes about every individual weekend and my opinion on them:
Marathon Weekend:
Easily at the top of my list! Marathon weekend is the only race weekend with a full marathon and this usually attracts a bigger crowd. Aside from the regular distances, there are two challenges you can participate in, whereas all the other race weekends only offer one challenge. The two challenges include: the Goofy challenge where you run the half and full marathon, and the Dopey challenge where you run every race. This is also the best race option in terms of weather. It may seem cold for many of us but its usually perfect PR weather.
Princess Half:
The Princess Half Marathon Weekend is another AMAZING race experience. Out of all the races, this one seems to have the most “magic” incorporated in it. The princess theme is everywhere, even from the moment you get to the expo for packet pickup. The weather for this race is usually nice and cool, at least for me, a Floridian lol.
^Entering the expo for Princess in 2016
Star Wars Half:
For all the Vader lovers out there, this is the race for you! The newest race weekend in the lineup is all about the dark side. Although this isn’t one of my favorite races, I have participated in it every year since it started (twice… I’ve ran it twice…) and I hope to be able to go this year as well. The reason I continue to do this race even though its not my favorite, is because I want to be a perfect! A perfect is someone who has ran the race every year since its inauguration. If you’re a big Star Wars fan don’t miss this race! The crowds are usually much smaller and aside from the horrible Florida humidity, the weather is decent.
Wine & Dine Half:
Wine & Dine has a special place in my heart because it was my first half marathon! Out of all the races, I feel like this one usually gets the attention of new runners. I suspect it has something to do with the drinking and eating aspect that’s included in the form of an after party. In previous years, this race has been known as the cursed race, and for good reason. The year I ran this race it rained the ENTIRE time and if I remember correctly, the weather was in the low 40’s/high 30’s. The following year, one of my best friends ran 7.1 miles instead of 13.1 because a storm forced runDisney to modify the course. Here’s the thing, since then, runDisney has changed this race from a night race to a daytime race. I haven’t ran it since but it seems like its finally curse free (for now). For all you non-Floridians, keep in mind that its still pretty warm in November so come prepared!
Virtual Races:
I know, I know, I know… Virtual races are the new big thing! runDisney has added a series of “Virtual Running Shorts” and a new “Star Wars” virtual half. The shorts consist of three 5K’s throughout the summer and The Star Wars half marathon is from Jan- March. As long as you register for these, you can complete them at at your leisure and you’ll receive a medal in the mail. Although i’m not a fan of virtual races, I know plenty of people who sign up for these and use them as training runs. Keep in mind these are still pretty pricey for being races you do on your own time. The “Virtual running shorts” races are $40/race or $142 to complete the entire series, and the Star Wars race is $59 for the half.
SEE YA’
So there you go, thats basically a quick overview of what each race experience has been like for me. If you’ve participated in any of these races and feel like I missed something, feel free to leave a comment!
9 Month Running Break
When I first found out I was pregnant, I just assumed I would be like all those woman who spend their entire pregnancies working out and running… how hard could it be? HARD.
I tried to run during my first trimester and I want to say I got a whopping 2 runs in. The first half of my pregnancy consisted of exhaustion and being extremely uncomfortable. I decided to wait until my second trimester because everyone says your energy goes back to normal. By the time I got into my second trimester my doctor recommended against running and suggested I walk instead.
I’m in the final stretch of my pregnancy with less than 5 weeks to go. All I want to do is get back to training and participating in races. Its really hard to predict how or when I will be able to get back to running, but if all goes well and I recover quickly enough, I hope to be running again as soon as I get the all clear.
As a first time mom I have no idea what to expect. Maybe it wont be as easy to get back out on the track as I’m hoping but luckily I have the help and support of my amazing boyfriend and family. Running has always been an outlet for me and with all the changes coming soon, I cant imagine it’ll be any different.
For any other running moms out there, please feel free to share any advice you have! I’m all ears!
Hello 2018
So here we are, first day of 2018. Last year was a whole lot of everything; good, bad and just overall confusing but this year feels like its going to be different. Obviously there are big changes coming along seeing as I am pregnant and due in early February but I have a feeling thats only the beginning.
This blog is a project I’ve been wanting to start for a while but never got around to doing. With a baby coming along I figured now is as good a time as any to start it. I don’t have anything monumental planned for this blog and I’m not really sure where its headed but if nothing else comes of it, at least it’ll serve me as some kind of memory keeper.
To anyone reading this, I wish you all the best possible year to come! If there is anything in particular you would like to for me to share about just comment below and I’ll do my best to post on those topics.
Goals for 2018
- Have a healthy baby girl
- Finally Graduate
- Register and train for runDisney’s Dopey 2019
- Work on my overall health
- Post on my blog regularly
