Star Wars Dark Side Challenge

In April I'll be running the Star Wars Dark Side Challenge in Disney World. This weekend will consist of a 5k, 10k, and a half marathon over 3 days. Disney has the Star Wars Light Side Challenge in Disneyland. As much fun as the Light Side Challenge sounds, we all know the Dark Side is much better!

©Disney

The medals show are the Kids Races, the 5k, the 10k, Dark Side Challenge, Half Marathon, and the Kessel Run Challenge. You get the Kessel Run Challenge medal if you participated in the Light Side Challenge in January. 

The medals are pretty awesome. I'm excited to participate in this weekend.

I'm also excited to participate because I'm running the 5k for the Catch a Lift Fund.

This fund helps veterans be able to have access to gym memberships or home gym equipment. With the help of others and the physical and mental health benefits from working out, the veterans can get healthier without the use of multiple medications. You can help by clicking this link. 

Bill Rogers Jingle Bell 5k Run Recap

Today I participated in my final run of 2016, the Jingle Bell 5k. This was my first time doing this run. I had a friend running who I hadn't seen for a little while. The weather was good for running. It did rain, but mostly after I finished which was awesome. Plus being 50° in December was perfect.

Distance:
5k

Start Time:
11 am

Cost:
$37

Organization:
Prior to the race date there was email communication to help with seeing where parking was available, the course, and what bars were part of the post-race party. I got my bib morning of the race. I found street parking fairly easily and had a short walk to the start/finish area and the bib pickup location. Bib pickup was in the Somerville Senior Center. The line was outside the building, but moved very quickly. (The line could be due to people exiting from the same door.) Once upstairs you picked up your bibs and shirts. The bibs were separated alphabetically. There was a person telling everyone that they were alphabetical, but you could not see what box you were in front of until you were up to it. After you picked up your bib you got your shirt. After finishing the race there was no clear direction on where to get your medal or water. I felt I had a longer walk than necessary to get my medal. There was a teenage boy handing out water, but everyone was grabbing their own medal. This could have been organized better.

Course:

I loved that this was a closed course. Each mile had someone holding up a sign showing each mile. There was one water stop along the course after mile 1. There was plenty of course support along the entire route. Even people standing in line for breakfast were waving and cheering people on. 

Swag:

 T-shirt, finisher medal, jingle bell*, post race party
*I did not get a jingle bell. I would guess that they ran out prior to ending packet pickup.

Would I recommend this race?
I would do this run again next year. Overall everything went smoothly. There were families who ran, people dressed up in Christmas leggings, ugly sweaters, Santa hats, and more! (There was one group dressed up as Santa and reindeer and another group who were playing guitar and a drum singing Christmas carols.

The Ugly Sweater Run Recap

Yesterday I participated in The Ugly Sweater Run.

This run is put on in multiple cities in the month of December:

Seattle, WA

Hartford, CT

Atlanta, GA

Cleveland, OH

Dallas, TX

Chicago, IL

Boston, MA

Denver, CO

Philadelphia, PA

Baltimore, MD

Washington, DC

I attended the Boston, MA edition held at Suffolk Downs. The weather was really cold, but that is no one's fault. Everyone was in good spirits at the run, which was great. This year the run was put on by Kahlúa. So if you were over 21 you could get a free a Kahlúa drink. This was an all-ages event and a lot of people brought their children and even some dogs.

Distance:
5k

Start Time:
8:30 AM
There was a wave start so that everyone could get their bibs and get to the start line. This also allowed for there not to be too many people out on the course at the same time.

Price:
$35
*There were discounts available for this race from the event holders, as well as on Groupon.

Organization:
The organization of the race overall was good. There was bib pickup the night before the race at Suffolk Downs. If you could not make it the night before, there was bib pickup the morning of the race. They had the bib pickup outside (even though there was more than enough room inside). We all got into a line that seemed like it was the right one. After 30+ minutes we were told we could be in any line. It took almost an hour to get our bib and we actually missed the 8:30 start time. (Good thing there was multiple waves!) Besides the bib pickup everything else went smoothly. After you finished the race, it wasn't exactly clear where to get your medal. Everything else went really smoothly.

Course:

The course began in a parking lot and then went around before entering the old horse race track. The course was easy to follow and was marked perfectly. The miles were marked, but I only saw Mile 1. So I could have missed them There were 2 water stops along the course. 

Swag:

Every registered runner got a knit hat and a medal. If you were under 21 your medal had a blue ribbon without the Kahlúa logo on it. I thought this was a great idea. After the run there was an after party where you could had tons of photo ops, could purchase some food, and redeem your free Kalhúa drink or hot chocolate.

Would I recommend this race?

I would recommend this race. This is a fun run to get into the holiday spirit with friends and family. Everyone was really nice and had some great Ugly Sweaters on. Even though we were cold we had a blast. Check out this race to see if they'll be running in near you!

Hanover Turkey Trot Recap

Thanksgiving is a time to spend eating and watching football and hanging out with family and friends.

Thanksgiving for me has involved running, seeing a movie, and eating. So this year I did just that!

I got up early and heading a little less than 2 miles from my house to participate in the Hanover Turkey Trot with Carrick. We ran. My knee hurt. We walked. We finished. Then we headed to Dunkin Donuts.

After I showered I went and saw Fantastic Beasts and How to Find Them for the second time. I LOVE this movie. The movie stands apart from Harry Potter without completely abandoning what we know all ready. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

This is a niffler. He's my favorite.

After the movie I went to my sister's house for a turkey dinner. I've always wondered why they call it dinner when you eat at like 2 pm.

Let's recap the run though.

Distance:
5k

Start Time:
7:30 am

Price:
$25
$15 for 13 and younger

Organization:
Registering for the event was really easy and smooth. You sign up through RaceWire so you're races will save all together if you sign up for an account. You can pick up your bib the Tuesday before the race at the high school if you want to or you can pick it up at the race on Thursday morning. This makes for a smooth process. I choose to pick up the bibs on Tuesday night on my way home. Parking is really easy on Thursday morning as you can park at the start or the finish. The race is early enough that a lot of people are not out driving around, but they do have cops to keep traffic down on the roads as needed. Each mile is clearly marked and whenever there are turns they are marked with orange arrows.

Course:

The course starts on the street outside of Hanover Middle School and ends at Hanover High School. As you can see there is not much elevation change which is nice. The course spends over a mile in a neighborhood. Some of the neighbors will come out and cheer on the runners. It's a good course that I could see myself running on any given day. There are no water stops along the course, but water and hot chocolate at the end of the run.

Swag:

If you register before a certain date you will receive a long-sleeve shirt with the race logo on it. (This year was November 9th.) I signed up a couple days after this deadline so I did not receive a shirt. Sometimes they do have extra shirts, but this year they all sold out. A great perk is that the race is chip timed. The only downside of this is that there is no starting line you cross over to activate the chip. 

Would I recommend this race?

I think doing a run on Thanksgiving is a great way to spend time with family and friends. The runs are early enough to get done with before needing to get out to visit your loved ones. I think everyone will have a different a race they like to do. I do enjoy the Hanover Turkey Trot. It's nice to see how many families come out to do the races together. I would say if you live in Hanover or a surrounding town that does not host a turkey trot, this is a great run to do.

Mickey's Holiday 5k Recap

The first race of the weekend was Mickey's Holiday 5k! This race was throughout the Animal Kingdom park. The race was great and it was fun to run through a park that you normally don't get to unless you're running the marathon.

There were a lot of photo ops before and after the race. We took them before the race to help pass the time.

Distance:
5k

Start Time:
6:30 AM

Price:
$70

Organization:
As always, the organization was perfect. We drove to the start with little hassle and had plenty of time to get to the starting area. There was water and coffee if you wanted it.

Course:

The course started and ended in the Animal Kingdom parking lot. You spent a lot of time in the park which was great. 

Starting line!

When you got inside the park they had the Tree of Life Comes Alive playing. I have not gotten a chance to see this any other time and it was cool to take it in.

Tree of Life Comes Alive!

Expedition Everest.

Finish line!

Swag;
Every participant got a cotton t-shirt with the race logo on it. Participants also receive a medal.

Would I recommend this race?
This is a great race for everyone. You see a lot of families running together. There's so many great opportunities to take in parts of Disney that you normal can at these events. If you're a Disney fan these are great runs.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Expo

A couple weeks ago I was in Disney for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend! After a couple days of non-race adventures, the first one occurs: THE EXPO! My cousin was also running her first 5k and half marathon, so we got there a little bit early. We started with getting our bibs. I ended up hitting up the race merch in the Field House. I was able to score a stemless wineglass and a wine bottle ornament with very little people.

After that we headed to the Jostens Center to get our shirts and look at the rest of the race merch. I ended up getting the race pins and an "I Did It!" shirt. Someone online had pointed out that when Disney released photos of the merch that inaugural was spelled wrong on a few items. Those items were not available to purchase at the Expo. (This was a big oversight that got a lot of attention. Especially because a lot of this merch was pre-ordered.) After scoring the rest of our goods, we headed to look at the rest of the expo.

Jeff Galloway

I took the time to meet Jeff Galloway, score a couple samples, and find my pacer for the half. (He has really large teeth!)

My pacer for the half!

On the way back to the car we took photos in front of the medal banners. On the 5k medal, Mickey and Minnie are sledding so I had some fun with that photo.

After the expo we were ready to take on a weekend full of running!

Cause 4 Paws 5k Recap

This is my 5th year running the Cause 4 Paws 5k.

This run benefits the Quincy Animal Shelter, which is a no kill shelter for dogs and cats. This was my first 5k and run after I ran the Disney World 5k in 2010. So this run holds a special place in my heart. I love animals, so I enjoy seeing everyone's dogs. They hold a doggie costume contest which is always fun! I was excited to learn that they have updated to chip-timed results this year.

Distance:
5k run
1 mile dog walk

Start Time:
10 AM

Price:
Run-$40
Walk-$30
Under 12-$20
*Upgrade packages available.
**Proceeds go to the Quincy Animal Shelter

Organization:
This year the run felt more disorganized from previous years. In the past there was clear direction for people who were pre-registered and people who needed to register at the event. This year the tables were pushed together, but there were no direction to what line meant what. The volunteers did not seem to know what line meant what which led to more confusion. I had one women tell me and another girl that we needed to change lines after waiting in one for a while. Another volunteer did grab our bibs for us which was very nice. It seemed like there were more vendors there this year than in previous years. There were a lot of raffles that you could put tickets in. Once we started the run everything else moved smoothly. I did not see any mile markers along the route, but there were volunteers and police to direct you in the appropriate direction.

Course:
The run begins and ends at Squantum Point Park in Marina Bay. You then leave Marina Bay and head into Quincy before doing a loop back around towards Marina Bay. You end in the same parking lot that you started in.

Views of Boston from after mile 2

Swag:
This year there was no swag for anyone who did not purchase an upgrade package for the run. If you did purchase the upgrade package you received a t-shirt, raffle tickets, and a few other items that I forget about. I did get to take home some treats for Thor that were available from some vendors. There were a lot of treats after the run for the runners. My favorite were the cupcakes from Dawn's Baked Goods!

Dog themed cupcakes! I had the "poop in grass" chocolate cupcake.

Would I recommend this race?
I would recommend this race. This year had some downfalls from previous years, but I know that my money is going to a great cause. If you are an animal lover you will enjoy the run. They bring dogs that need to be adopted and this year they brought some cats that also need to be adopted. I did give feedback when it was requested about this years run so I expect some changes next year.

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend

Like all runDisney events, the beginning of the weekend begins with the expo. The expo is where you pick up your bib and race shirts. You can also get any other merchandise you're looking for. From clothing, to shoes, to fuel, to tutus; you can find it at the expo! The runDisney booth at the expo is always the craziest booth. This time around, they filed everyone into a area and only let a certain amount of people into the booth at a time. This was wonderful. I never felt congested or overwhelmed like I have in the past. I got a few items here and then explored the rest of the expo.

The next morning was the Neverland 5k. The 5k started in front of the castle. There were no corrals for the 5k. Instead, as people entered the park and got closer to the castle they just stopped where the crowd of people were. I think I was in "Corral B". There was no official start line that I could see as well. I found this strange, but after the congestion in the beginning the course was great. The course went through Disneyland and out through a backstage area into California Adventure. After going through California Adventure, we exited through a backstage door and finished in Downtown Disney.  I wore the same leggings and tank I wore during the Princess 5k. I figured the mermaid look would work in Neverland as well.  

Saturday morning was the Tinker Bell 10k. This was the first race in the Pixie Dust Challenge. When I opened the hotel room door I found it raining. Luckily the ran stopped once I was I got to the parking garage and held off the entire day. The 10k started on the tram road underneath Downtown Disney. After going through some backstage areas we entered Disneyland. This race had a lot more time in Disneyland which was awesome. 

Running through the castle never gets old!

We left out the front gate and headed out to California Adventure. The finish was in the same spot as the 5k I wore a bright green tee and headband in honor of Tinker Bell. I really enjoyed this race. I was excited to spend the rest of the day in the park and get ready to run the half the next morning.

On Sunday morning, I got up early once again to run the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. I have only done the Disneyland Half Marathon and that course wasn't the most thrilling. I had heard much better things about the Tink course so I had my hopes up. We went through the same areas in the parks, but we did have to go out into the Anaheim streets. I saw much better areas of Anaheim and wished I had known about them before this moment. 

Everyone loves running through Cars Land!

 

One of my favorite parts of the streets of Anaheim was the Red Hat Society. There were so many of these ladies out and they were cheering for everyone. It was a really special moment that I could never put into words.

Once I finished the half, I hit up the photo area.

I was able to get the pink Coast to Coast medal during this run. When you do the Princess Half and the Tinker Bell half, you get a pink medal. The blue one is given for doing any half/full marathon in Disney World and then a half marathon in California. I was surprised to get both Coast to Coast bracelets at the Expo. I then heard that you could turn down the blue Coast to Coast to get it at a later race. It was nice to have all of the medals though. 

I am so happy that runDisney uses Disney Photopass now as well. The photos are so much better and you have the ability to know when a photographer is coming up (they have tents and balloons so you can see them). If you have a Photopass for your trip the photos can be linked into your account. No more spending more money to buy a package or even just one photo! 

Next up with runDisney: the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend

This post is a little late...okay a lot late. Sorry about that.

I decided after running Dopey last year that I would skip Marathon Weekend and head down to the Princess Half Marathon Weekend in Disney World in 2016. I must say I was really jealous of all the posts during Marathon Weekend, but Princess wasn't that far away.

We arrived in Disney World on Wednesday. This trip we stayed at Coronado Springs. I loved this hotel. It had a more adult feel and less of a Disney one, but the food was amazing there. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

On Thursday Nate and I headed over to the Expo. I had to get my Glass Slipper Challenge and my 5k bib so I took a little bit longer than Nate just grabbing his 5k bib. I grabbed a couple items that I wanted and headed over to the rest of the Expo. It was a nightmare! To get into the Jostens Center there was a long line. That is fine except that there was 4 different lines going into one. The staff sent people to a line and then other people were yelling at people that they were cutting. I heard stories of fights breaking out. I had gotten a spot to the get a pair of the Ariel New Balance sneakers and decided to not go back based off of the craziness I had endured already.

That night we went to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. I had never been and had only heard great things about it. It was good and I would go back again.

I was ready for bed by the time the show ended. The alarm was set early for the next few days.

On Friday Nate and I headed out for the 5k. This was Nate's first run in Disney and I was happy to share this experience with him. 

These costumes were the coolest!

After the 5k we headed over to Animal Kingdom and had dinner at Be Our Guest. We didn't stay out too late, I had another run in the morning!

Saturday morning I was up again. The alarm is always going off far too soon on these race weekends. Am I right!?! Today was only a 10k right? And we had 'Ohana for breakfast afterwards. I think I was running for the food at this point. The race was the same course as during Marathon Weekend. I knew it wasn't great, but I got through it. 

After breakfast, we went back to the Expo. I guess I just wanted to look at the shoes again. Nate went back to the room to put down our stuff and I headed over to Epcot where Patti LaBelle was doing a book signing. I was told I wasn't guaranteed to get in, but I did! And they made her mac and cheese recipe for us all to try. And it was good!

Sunday was another running morning. I think I've seen more of Disney in the pitch black than in the daylight! I've done this course enough for me to know how it goes. Leave the Epcot parking lot, head to Magic Kingdom, and then back to Epcot to finish. I can't remember much that made me beyond excited. I don't have a lot of pictures during the races. Honestly there were very little princesses out for pictures. The lines for pictures were crazy long. I read a lot of people were disappointed with the lack of entertainment along the course.

Bling.

 I was excited to go to the California Grill for dinner to celebrate after all this running.

I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone. We had the dining plan, but I would pay for a meal here again. There is a dress code for the restaurant, but it didn't seem like they were that strict on upholding it.

We had some time to hang out without running before we needed to get on a plane home. We made sure to go back to Animal Kingdom. Zootopia was about to come out so I got my picture with this guy.

Soon enough I was home to get back to work and begin my journey to California for the next 2 1/2 months.