Runderella

Running, Lifestyle & Travel Blog

Cycling Audition

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Some of you may know how much I love indoor cycling. I’ve been cycling for years, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I actually fell in LOVE with it.

I was watching “Work Out New York” on Bravo and was inspired by one of the trainers, Holly Rilinger, master instructor at Flywheel. I quickly signed up for a class, dragged a few of my nurse friends and went to a FLY 45 class (now called Method 45). I had such a rush of endorphins and immediately knew this was something I needed to do. I saw myself sitting where the magic happens – on that stage.

I started to go to Flywheel on a consistent basis, going back and forth between two locations, getting to know the riders, the format, the instructors. It didn’t matter the closest Flywheel was at least 45 minutes away, I was going. I released stress, anger, and mentally detoxified during each class.

My schedule with full-time work, school, and a per-diem job got hectic, and I made the decision to buy a Peloton bike. Riding at home was convenient since and ride at home since I could simply ride whenever my schedule allowed. Still, I longed for the feeling of riding in the studio every now and then.

Someone whom I work with, said to me, “I could always picture you teaching at SoulCycle.” She wasn’t the first person to say to me that they could picture me teaching cycling, but I always doubted myself and didn’t pursue it.

Once this nurse said she could see me teaching SoulCycle, I decided to audition. Here I was doubting myself, and on the other side, there’s someone who barely knows me telling me this?

Just putting it out there, I didn’t try out for SoulCycle or Flywheel, but for a smaller chain cycling studio. Their requirements were to be engaging, fun, and ride to the rhythm. I thought, hey, that I could do! Wrong.

Manager at smaller chain cycling was super nice and my friends had taken her rides before. She said my choice of songs were perfect; my form was great, and she began to videotape me. I started to cycle and she stops the music and says I’m riding slower than 85 rpm. Once I looked down, I was riding at 73 so I was way off! She also didn’t care about torque/cadence/power, which is huge in my books as far as fitness goes. She stopped the audition, gave me constructive criticism and encouraged me to try again, saying that I had rhythm but needed more practice, especially when it came to my form.

I firmly believe every happens for a reason. It isn’t that it’s not meant to be, but perhaps the timing isn’t right. I need to work on my form, work on my confidence, get in better shape (it’s hard as hell to ride, speak and breathe at the same time!) These are things I need to master.

For me, going out and audition is HUGE. I’m not shy by any means (I used to sing in front of an audience) but I’m guilty of feeling self-conscious, and I’m a bit introverted. Once I’m on that stage, whether is cycling, or singing, all the fear and nervousness dissipates, and the stage is mine.

I’m not sad about it, at least I can say I tried.

 

 

Race Recap: 2018 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon

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Disney’s Princess half marathon is a wonderful experience for novice and experienced runners, and those of us in between. It is the perfect girlfriend getaway vacation, filled with the magic of Disney.

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon was the race I first ran back in 2013 and the race which sparked my love for running. A few weeks ago, I went down for the 10th Anniversary of run Disney’s Princess half, but also my 5th running anniversary, where I met up with my best running girlfriends for a weekend of eating, drinking, and running Disney. I booked the hotel rather late, and all that was available was All-Star Movies. While it isn’t my favorite resort, I’ll take staying in the parks rather than outside. It’s so much easier to get around and not have to rent a car or Uber.

Unless there are items I am interested in buying at the expo, I typically avoid going to the expo on day one. The crowds are insane everywhere! Once you arrive at ESPN Wide World of Sports (there are buses running frequently from all Disney World resorts), there are two stops: one is to pick up your bib and race shirt; the other building has the expo merchants. This year, I noticed they had a building dedicated to carrying all runDisney merchandise.

I’ve been extremely busy and had no time to put together a race costume and most likely will not have one for Star Wars, which is a bummer. I looked around at the expo and did see a few items that would work well for a costume but being that I didn’t go on day one to the expo (wasn’t planning on buying a costume), everything in my size was sold out. My friend was coming down a day later, so I asked her to pick up an Eagles hat at the airport, and I quickly threw an outfit together – a dark green Lululemon top and black skirt. Combined with the hat, I decided I would run as an Eagles Princess; fitting since they just won the Super Bowl. Go Eagles!!

I spoke with Jeff Galloway, Olympian and creator of the run-walk-run injury free program and asked for his advice. If you’re ever at the expo, please pay him a visit. He is truly the most genuine and nice person and gives great advice. I explained to him that I’ve had my share of injuries in the past 2 years and that my last run was 6.5 miles on Christmas Eve. His suggestion was to run 15 seconds and walk 30 seconds.

With Olympian Jeff Galloway

Race morning came and my friend and I had some fruit, coffee and some carbs. The resort had free coffee on race morning, which was really nice. Disney suggests runners taking bus transportation to the start line board buses no later than 3:30 AM, and monorail passengers board no later than 4:00 AM. Since my friend missed the expo, we had to stop at runner relations in the morning to pick up her bib, so we boarded the bus at 3:00 AM. The weather was a bit cool, but it was expected to be warmer than usual for February, and warnings were placed everywhere reminding people to hydrate and dress appropriately for the warm temperatures.

Corrals were going off every 5 minutes or so.  Race announcers Carissa and Rudy were great at keeping the crowds entertained and informed when their corral would take off. My corral took off 45 minutes after the elites/A corral. My Gymboss timer set for the run/walk ratios that Jeff Galloway suggested and started run/walk after a quick 5 minute warm up.

I was feeling great and decided to increase the run intervals to 30 seconds (bad idea). I felt my hamstrings start to burn a bit, and before it got worse, I stopped at the first medical tent and rubbed Biofreeze on my hammies. Once that kicked in, I was good, until my right foot started to ache. I’ve never had issues with my feet while running, so this struck me as odd and concerning. I stopped at the second medical tent briefly, sat down and massaged my foot for a minute and was back on my way with no other issues, thank God!

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

I was doing great time-wise. Aside from those two medical tent stops, I stopped to use a real bathroom (wait was over 10 minutes but SO worth it), because let’s face it, no one wants to use a port-a-potty unless deemed necessary. Stopped for a photo op shortly after mile 11, because Jack. Enough said!

Run Like you left the crock pot on -“This is Us”

It sure wasn’t my fastest half time, but it wasn’t my slowest either. I’m extremely proud of myself for finishing despite the fact that I didn’t train for it. I really have not been motivated, and the fact that winter doesn’t seem to want to leave doesn’t help either.

I have two races coming up so I am training for those. They are: Star Wars half and the Broad Street Run, America’s largest 10-miler and one of my favorite races ever. Stay tuned.

 

 

 

P.S. What’s on your race calendar for 2018?

Training: runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon

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Nothing excites me more than going back to where my love for running Disney started: runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon.

2013 run Disney’s Princess Half Marathon

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon was my first half marathon, actually my first race ever, in 2013. This race will always occupy a special place in my heart. For years, thoughts lingered in my mind that I will never be able to run a mile, let alone a half marathon. It took lots of discipline and a few bouts of crying to get this done.  Fearing that people would judge me for being a slow runner, or for taking walking breaks, I trained solely on a treadmill.  Little did I know that using the run/walk method by Jeff Galloway would take this new runner to cross a finish line.

Running changed my life. Through running, I have discovered the limitless potential my mind and body have. In the process, I have formed wonderful friendships that are sure to last a lifetime.

This will be my 15th half marathon. I’ve not run in exactly a year, my last race being Disney’s Wine and Dine Half Marathon in 2016. My body is still in progress, and I’m positive it will make a full recovery, but for now, slow wins the race.

The training plan I’m using is from the My ASICS run app on my iPhone to build up miles/endurance. It starts out really slow, which is what my body needs at the moment.

Monday: Run 1 mile at 15:22 min/mi. – Done.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Run 1 mile at 15:24 min/mi.
Thursday: Run 1 mile at 15:24 min/mi.
Friday: Run 1 mile at 15:24 min/mi.
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run 2 miles at 15:24 min/mi.

I got on the treadmill for that 1 mile run and it felt so long, and it was really hard trying not to go faster. I felt tightness on my hip after that one mile run, not sure if it was from the run itself or the fact that I cycled on my Peloton bike for 45 minutes earlier in the day. Trust me when I tell you that after these injuries, I am freaking nervous to run again but I want it BAD.

Have any of you dealt with running injuries that set you back? Any races you’re currently training for?

Goals for the New Year

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Setting goals for myself for this new year is something that I’ve been thinking a lot these past couple of days. 2013 was an amazing year: the only goal I had was to finish a half-marathon and I went on to completing 4 half marathons, a 10-miler and a full marathon. Not in a million years did I ever come close to thinking I’d get this accomplished, let alone in one year.

This past year taught me so much. I’ve learned that I need to use my foam roller a lot more, that 13.1 miles is my favorite distance race, that I’m in competition with none other than myself, that hydrating properly is not just for the week of a race, but should be accomplished ALL the time.

That being said, my goals for this new year are:

  • Run 1,000 miles in 2014. This is more than double what I ran in 2013 but it’s not impossible. I did slack a lot last year and skipped a lot of my training runs. I’ve run out of excuses! 🙂
  • Try my best and always give 110% effort.
  • Use the foam roller on a frequent basis. Using a foam roller or a massage stick helps to relieve pain, stiffness and reduce muscle knots. I have IT band issues and this helps tremendously! Honestly, using a foam roller hurts like hell, but it really works. Had I done this sooner, I would’ve saved time/expense visiting my chiropractor thrice weekly for sessions!
  • Stay local!. There are so many races that I want to run, but in all honesty, I have had more fun at local races than ones I’ve traveled for, not to mention the expense of traveling for these. After Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, unless I get into the NYC Marathon, I’m staying local. I’m finishing a degree and with tuition expenses that keep skyrocketing and emptying my bank account, it seems to me it is the wisest thing to do. The Philadelphia Tri-State Area has some amazing races and I’m about to discover more of them 🙂
  • Encourage/Inspire others to run. This is actually HUGE for me. I love what running does for my body and my mind. Running allows me to escape the stress of everyday life and it makes me feel free. I love the friendships and the bonds I have formed as a result, and love how the running community comes together to inspire one another. I want people to discover how wonderful running is and that there’s no going “too slow”. You CAN do it!!

Have you set any fitness goals for 2014?

xo, Lindy

Goals for March

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When I started training for the Princess Half Marathon, I was having back aches that would have me feeling pretty much crippled for days. I knew I needed to consistently focus on my form when I ran, making sure that I wasn’t hunching back and focused on keeping my back straight. The more I focused on my form when running, the less my body ached. I needed desperately to work on my core. During the Princess Half Marathon, the thing that ached most were my hips – I’d made sure to correct my posture, taped my knee (thank God for KT Tape, seriously!), but my hips hurt so bad that I was limping all through the Disney Parks. It is possible I may be experiencing from iliotibial (IT) band issues.

Developing a strong core has proven effective not only by increasing running performance, but by decreasing running injuries. My goals for the month of March are to focus on my core and include some Pilates exercises and stretch more.

Goals:

1) Continue running 3x/week, with one long run on a weekend day.
2) On non-running days, incorporate weight training and/or pilates.
3) Pay a visit to a sports medicine specialist (possible IT Band issues?)
4) Drink more water!

Another goal is to update this blog more often 🙂

runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon recap

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On Sunday, February 24th, I took part in the most amazing, most challenging thing I’ve ever had the courage to do: run a half marathon. I say this because I’ve never considered myself a runner.

In middle school I ran track, and I was fast. Once I entered high school I didn’t participate in sports and I quickly fell out of love with running. As I got older, I attempted running again but found it frustrating. I couldn’t run half a kilometer to save my life! This changed last May when I spent a week in Walt Disney World and picked up a Women’s Running magazine at the airport, that’s when I saw an ad for runDisney runs. I was sold! Anything to go back to Disney? Yep.

On Saturday, I carbo loaded at lunch, a meal of spaghetti with marinara sauce and bread at Pizzafari in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I drank more water than I normally drink in a few days. I was feeling both excited and nervous. I kept telling myself, “You can do this!” I wanted to prove myself wrong, but to prove to others-who very much talked behind my back, saying, “She can’t do this.”- that in fact, I could do it.

Laid all my clothes out the night before and set alarm clocks on my iPhone at 15-minute intervals: 2:00, 2:15, 2:30. I wanted to be at the bus stop by 3 am since I had a race retreat and wanted to sit and relax before heading to the corrals.

The bus at the Art of Animation resort was already there and there were no lines. The ride was about 20 minutes with traffic into Epcot. The parking lot had lots of tents: ice tents, medical tents, bag check-in and the race retreat tent. I walked in and helped myself to some pre-race treats. They offered bagels with peanut butter, jam/jelly, muffins and coffee/tea. It was also nice to have a private port-a-potty!

I left around 4:15 and walked outside once the announcement was made that runners needed to make their way to the corrals. A volunteer checked my bib and told me to follow the crowds and the corrals would be there in about 20 minutes. Talk about a nice warmup!

The weather was cool but not cold, and once at the corrals, I placed my sweater on the fence. There were cardboard bins for clothing but I saw runners throwing trash in there!!

A volunteer checked bibs to ensure that you were entering the correct corral, however, I saw people climbing the fence and getting into earlier corrals, which really annoyed me. The corrals were crowded and it was difficult to get back if you needed to use the potty, so I can see how some people used that to their advantage to climb into earlier corrals.

At 5:30, fireworks went off and off went the wheelchair participants, and every 7 minutes after that, a corral was off and running. I was placed in H, which took off at 6:24 AM.

Miles 1-2 seem to pass by quickly and soon I was looking for that 5K mark. I signed myself for runner tracking and about 5 secs after passing the mark, I received a text message. I passed Captain Jack Sparrow and the ship on my left, the villains on my right, but the lines were too long to stop and have a picture taken. As much as I wanted to stop, I couldn’t, I was worried about being in the last corral and being swept. I just had to run.

The field was crowded and there were a lot of walkers. There were walkers to my left, to my right, runners on the left and right, and runners bobbing and weaving through crowds just to get through. A one point, I ran about 1/4 mile on the grass and it hurt my hips, badly. I just couldn’t get by!

The crowd seemed to spread out once we were about to enter Magic Kingdom and it was exciting to see that I made it that far. Made a left turn around Space Mountain and on my left, I saw a band playing drums and it made me smile.

Once entering Magic Kingdom, there were crowds on both sides of the ropes, cheering people on, clapping, holding signs, and I was pumped. Running through Main Street USA and seeing the castle up ahead, and the field became congested. At that point, I couldn’t run anymore, I had to walk, slow. The lines were long and I really wanted a pic with Mickey and Minnie, but again, I worried about timing. Once walking through the crowded Cinderella Castle, photographers were set up to take pictures in front of the castle. I waited about 3 minutes and I was well on my way.

Half Way mark!! Alicia Keys’, “Girl on Fire” played on loud speakers.

I HAD to stop and have my picture taken with Lilo and Stitch….I just love Stitch 🙂 I felt like such a kid when I saw Stitch, I’m like, “Stiiiiiitch!!!!!” 🙂

Outfit: Headband, Cindy Blue Skirt – Sparkle Skirts | Shirt – Raw Threads |

Arm Sleeves – Team Sparkle | Compression Capris – Under Armour |

Sneakers – Nike Lunarglide +3 | Socks – Feetures | Hydration Belt – iFitness

10k mark and my body felt like I hadn’t even run that far! I stopped at every water/Powerade station and had a cup of each. I have issues with dehydration and that was the last thing I needed to worry about.

Mile 10 and I was really starting feeling the heat. The humidity was getting to me and I kept looking for the next water station. My legs felt tired, but it never crossed my mind to slow down and quit when I was so close. On I-4 and the exit sign for Epcot when I noticed it was a hill leading to an overpass. Well, that hill was killer. I ran/walked up that hill and regained strength to get me through the last 2 miles.

Spectators once again cheered on and when I saw the choir on my right, I wanted to cry. I was out of breath, choking on my tears. Seeing that choir meant the end was just around the corner. I couldn’t slow down! I remember saying I my head, “I want this soooo bad!”

Turned a corner and there it was, the finish line. I ran faster from excitement, there were spectators in bleachers cheering on, and arms held high, I crossed that finish line, with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. A lady approached me with a medal, took my pic and walked off feeling like I was walking on clouds. Days later, it all still feels surreal. I did it!!!

I’d like to thank runDisney for giving people an opportunity to make their dreams reality. So many runs are not walker-friendly and it was nice to see runners of all ages and backgrounds get off the couch and attempt a half-marathon.

Thank you to the volunteers who provided us with water, Powerade and fuel to finish this run. The volunteers who cheered us on from the sidelines, you have no idea how much your encouragement helped, at times when my mind wanted to quit.

Thank you to my Mom, who believed in me when no one else in my family did. I love you!

Last but not least, to the Princess Posse. You are all amazing and I could not have done it without you.

I realize this is starting to sound like I won an Academy Award, ha!! (Sorry)

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Princess Half, but first, I’m off to California for Disneyland Half Marathon.

See you at the finish line!

Lindy