Favorite Little Princess

I am now seeing why the number of weeks for training should be  appropriate  to the distance one is training for. Not a big deal, since I would be running regardless, but I have noticed my desire to complete my long runs has dwindled. Some of that could be due to weather. We seem to either have extreme heat and humidity or dangerous storms. The days are getting shorter which mean that I have less time in the evenings to run after I finish shuffling kids around to their school related activities.  A little over a week ago, I became a little disheartened when I discovered that there won't be any public viewing areas. This means that unless my family purchases tickets ($42-$52) for the after party, they cannot see me run at any time during the race. My parents were planning on coming down from Georgia, but with that news they cancelled. So, it looks like I'm on my own. The good news is that I got a really good deal on the hotel and it includes a round of Disney Mini...

It's officially summer, but I think the weather showed up to that party a bit early. Every day it just keeps getting hotter and our traditional afternoon shower pattern has arrived. We need the rain, but it can get heavy and be accompanied by lightening. Plus the humidity only increases when the rain hits the hot pavement.  I am now in week 12 of training for the  runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler .  I have successfully completed two 5.5 mile runs. Actually, the last one was pretty good. I used the roller before the run, got out 30 minutes earlier (to beat the heat) and felt really good. I wish I could say the same about my 2 mile run earlier this week. Not what I would have expected, but the weather really plays a crucial role in my running. More good news this week. I finally have my thyroid levels under control and I also have brought my cholesterol levels into normal status WITHOUT medication. I was warned that my thyroid disorder coul...

The days are longer and the sun just keeps getting hotter. Luckily, we have had a few days of rain which we desperately need. Even with the increased heat and humidity the training must go on as I am now in week 11 of training for the  runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler . A dear friend of mine gave me this little running buddy to keep me going.  It's perfect for my weekend runs which are now up to 5 miles. I just noticed that I'm up to running 10 miles a week. No wonder I'm always hungry. This is the last week of the 5 mile run and then I increase to 5.5 miles.  The small increases are still working for me as well as the run/walk method, especially in the heat.  Next week is my last week running with K1 before she heads to Grandma's for the summer. I'm hoping she will keep up with her running, but I know it's hard not to have a running buddy. I still will have hubby to run with, but K1 runs at my pace which keeps me ...

I survived two weeks of running 4.5 miles. This weekend I will move up to five miles and be half-way to my ten mile goal. I'm getting into new territory now. In the past, I stopped running during the summer because of the heat. However, it's too hard for me to start back up so I am going to have to find a way to deal with it. I now carry a small bottle of water with me which I sip on during my walk breaks. It helps, but I'm finding that toward the end of my run I am really drained. My guess is that I'm running out of fuel and will need to start planning for that as my miles increase. I'm sure I'm sabotaging myself by not controlling my pace better. The walk breaks make me feel like I can run faster, so I do. However, by the end of my run I'm starting to have a hard time breathing. Some of this is from my asthma and some is due to the hot, muggy weather. All this extra running is making me hungry all the time, so I've really had to watch what I eat. ...

Just when I start thinking that I can actually do this race, something happens that reminds me how terrified I am of this. First, runDisney posted the map of the race on Facebook. You should have seen my jaw drop to the floor. Then, for Mother's Day, the fam and I went Animal Kingdom for the day. As we were riding Expedition Everest for the third time, I looked out past the property and saw the Tower of Terror in the distance. The very, very, far distance. Why does driving in a car make 10 miles seem like such a short way?           I am now in week 7 of training for the  runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler . There are still 19 weeks left to get ready, but with the summer heat upon us I am really getting nervous. Do you think they would let me do this as a relay race? Probably not, but you had better believe that I'm thinking of it!    I'm stepping up to 4.5 miles this weekend. Almost half-way there! The...

The summer in Florida is already in full swing. Somehow the state misunderstood the whole "Spring Forward" thing and decided to "spring" ahead to summer instead of just increasing the hour on the clock. Alas, the training must go on as I am now in week 6 of training for the  runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler . What this does mean, however, is that now I need to be more careful about monitoring my heart rate, keeping hydrated, and remembering to wear sunscreen. Read more about summer hydration here . Even though I didn't post last week about my progress, I really was still training. I'm actually very impressed that between the crafting, weather, and other work duties that I was able to keep up with it.  I'm now up to 4 miles on my weekend long run. During the week I still try to get 2.5 miles in, but since I run in the evenings  that isn't always possible with the heat. Typically, I still get 2 miles in, so I'm good...

It's hard to believe that I'm already four weeks into training for the  runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler .  I had a really good week.  The weather was perfect for running.  The Tampa area experienced a little cold front which brought in cooler temps and lower humidity.  Plus allergies were better. I don't think I really ran 4.17 miles; my GPS was off a bit.  I think it was closer to 4 miles.  Either way, I met my goals for the week, so I'm super happy.  One more week of 3.5 miles for the long run and then I go up to 4 miles for "real".   One thing I have noticed is my increased appetite. It seems like I'm hungry all the time.  I'm hoping that running more is kicking my metabolism in gear since it is all but dead from my radioactive iodine treatment on my thyroid.   No races scheduled at this time.  There are quite a few coming up in the fall that I want to do, but the weather here in the s...

Yes, it is week 3 of my   runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler   training. Things are moving right along. I ran three days this week for a total of 7.65 miles, just shy of my 8 mile goal. It was pretty warm  (89 degrees)  Tuesday when I ran, so I decided to cut it a little short. I'm still pleased with my progress. This coming week I'm set up to run two days of 2.5 miles each and one day of 3.5 miles. I think I'm up for it. Now for the good stuff. This past Saturday was our LEGOLAND 5k race. Can I just tell you, this was the best 5k race we have ever done. We had gone to Cypress Gardens before it was turned into LEGOLAND, so we were really excited to go through the park.     It was the first time that I went over 40 minutes on a 5k (41.something) but I've never finished a race feeling so good before. We must have stopped half a dozen times to snap a picture.   K2 found this guy sleeping on the job just inside the gate of the cas...

So it's week two of my training for the   runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler . It's been a good week because I now think I can do this. Next week I probably won't be saying that. I'm still full of questions, fears, and anxiety, but it's more controllable this week.   I was only able to run two days since last Thursday's post . Last week I ran for a total of 7.31 miles in three days. This week I ran two days for 6.81 miles. Sometimes life just gets messy busy. I'll do better this week. Saturday, the "fam" and I are going to the Orlando area to run the Winterhaven Citrus Classic 5k  at Legoland . We are excited to run through the park and check out all the Lego decor. Fun, huh? After searching lots of training plans, I think I finally came up with one for me - with some moderation. I actually have 26 weeks to train and most programs are for 13 weeks. I'm ok with this. The extra time is just what I need. I still may adjust as I ...

It's been one week since I signed up for the runDisney   Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler .  I'm still not sure if I really have my head wrapped around this one, but I did start training - sort of.  I've been looking into training apps since I think they really helped me prepare for a 5k when I first started running.  Trouble is, I'm cheap frugal.  I have no problem paying for an app, but I like to be able to try it out first.   Of course, nothing is made for 10 miles, so I've been looking at the half-marathon apps.  Nothing has impressed me so far.  I did download the Map My Run training app .  The problem is that this app doesn't allow you to make any input, such as miles or custom training.  It's fine for tracking, but not really for training.  I guess I'll keep looking. So what have I done?  Well, I have increased my distance.  The week before last I ran a total of 3 days for 5.80 miles. Last week I ran the...

Let me just start by saying this was the HOTTEST 5k I have ever participated in.  Isn't it still winter?  At almost 90 degress, it sure felt like summer. Heat aside, we had a blast. Along with 13,783 people.  Yes, you read that right.  It was a HUGE turnout.  Look at all those people!  Those were just the ones in front of us.  We couldn't even see the start line.  While waiting for the race to start, we kept ourselves busy posing for pictures. Ok, so it was my second slowest time ever, but that's ok.  We stopped for beads, we stopped for water, we stopped for walkers, and then we stopped to play in the sprinklers - yes, I was running with the little one.  Sometimes time isn't everything and nothing can replace the time I have with my girls. After we nearly passed out from heat exhaustion, we were given smoothies, water, fruit, and beer for the grownups.   We went inside to find our names on the big wall of participants - it...

Many of you have asked me how I got started with running.  Well, let me tell you!  This was no easy task.  My motto used to be "No one should run unless they are being chased."  Seriously.  Not only could I NOT run, I had always been told I would not ever be ABLE to run.  I have what's called physical activity induced asthma.  How is this different?  It means that any type of physical exertion can cause an asthma attack.  Lucky me!  I found this out when I was on the swim team as a child and pretty much sat everything out from there. Currently, I work with a young woman who has truly inspired me to run and she also has asthma (although not the same kind).  You can check out her blog here .  But it wasn't until October of 2010, when another co-worker started running and my thyroid was at an all time low, that I finally said, "get off your butt and go try it!"  And I did, along with my 14-year-old daughter.  And every ...