Race Recap: 2018 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon

March 27, 2018 By Lindy 1 Comment

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

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?

Treadmill Running

January 2, 2018 By Lindy 3 Comments

Does the outside temperature influence whether you run indoors or outdoors?

The treadmill and I have become besties since it feels as if we’re living in the North Pole, not Pennsylvania. When it’s too cold outside for me (below 40 – I know, I know…I’m such a wuss), I run indoors, where every mile I run feels like 5. Last long slow run was 6.5 miles on Sunday, and I kid you not, it felt awful, even while watching a movie on Netflix. But running indoors works for me when working 12.5 hour days. Being out of the house for close to 14 hours with the commute, running at 9 pm in my house simply works for me. At least I’m doing the best I can; I’m giving 110%.

Training for the Princess Half has been going okay. Some weeks I am unable to run 4 days/week, so I’m XT with cycling classes on my Peloton bike. My cycling performance has gotten a lot better, and I’m hoping it will help my running performance as well. Yesterday, my IT band was screaming at me, angry, for pushing on the bike so hard for a personal record, but I got it 🙂

Previous PR was 281 two days ago. Today, 307!

I don’t anticipate a personal record on this half marathon, and I’m ready for that since it’s my first run post-injury/recovery. My goal is to finish strong, uninjured, and best of all, have a great time with my friends.

I’m excited about traveling to a warmer climate, although most Floridians right now will disagree since temps this week have dropped into the 30’s. I still don’t have a running costume made as I don’t have an idea of what I want to dress up as. I’ve run as Cinderella, Merida, Remy, Aurora, Minnie, Belle…I’m thinking Steamboat Willie since he’s my favorite, but I am not completely sure. Toss some ideas at me if you have them.

Hope everyone is keeping warm this lovely and frigid January.

Training: runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon

November 8, 2017 By Lindy 4 Comments

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?

Goodbye, Summer. I’ll miss you.

September 21, 2016 By Lindy 1 Comment

Summer has come and gone and while I’m bummed that it’s over, I’m looking forward to autumn. I love fall for its cooler weather, pumpkin-everything, sweaters and boots, as well as the races that I will hopefully be running. I mention ‘hopefully’ because I’ve had my share of injuries, especially with my left hip. Physical therapy exercises, yoga, and Flywheel have helped tremendously in getting me back on the pavement, but the recurring fear of injury always lingers in the back of my mind.

Aside from working, this summer I made a week-long trip to Disney World, spent numerous weekends relaxing and soaking up the sun at the Jersey Shore and went on a few trips to NYC to see a few concerts. Didn’t take out my beloved Schwinn out all summer, so back to the attic it goes until next year.

This season, my focus will be on keeping my mind and body healthy. I’m working full-time, part-time and per-diem. Fortunately for me, the per-diem position doesn’t start until November, but it means I have to cut my Disney’s Wine and Dine trip a few days short. I am also taking six credits at the university doing nursing research. It takes me back to my days studying to become a nurse. I was working full-time and at the college full-time. Looking back, I still don’t know how I managed to pull it together, yet it is a reminder that you can do anything you put your mind, heart, and soul into. I wanted to be an RN so bad.

Training for Lumiere’s Challenge has not been an easy task, that’s for sure. The plan is to take it real easy on the 10K, possibly walking it, and conserving any and all remaining energy to run the half on Sunday. I signed up for Aaptiv (formerly Skyfit), an app for iOS and Android that has multiple workouts, including training plans for races. Last week, I started using it for the half marathon training and I loved it. I ran faster than I had in years! The coach walks you through pace, breathing techniques and alerts you when it’s time to slow down or speed up. The music is fun and upbeat and while the workout was tough, it pushed me to give everything that I had in me. I plan on continuing the Aaptiv half marathon training, including on race day. This is not a sponsored post, btw. I am just really enjoying Aaptiv at the moment.

Goals after Wine and Dine weekend are to pick a late spring/early summer race that I can properly train for. Working again with Coach Kristy is also one of my running goals.

Well, this is a brief update for now. I’m off to do some major homework since I’ll be away in Puerto Rico for two weeks 🙂 I’ll be back soon!

Until next time,

Lindy xo

2015 Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare Challenge

September 15, 2015 By Lindy Leave a Comment

Little over a week ago, I flew out to sunny California to participate in this year’s Dumbo Double Dare Challenge at Disneyland. A few weeks ago I didn’t know I’d still be going – IT Band syndrome and family issues halted both training and planning. I’m really thankful things work themselves out because I truly needed to get away.

My friend Michelle and I arrived on Thursday, but we didn’t get to the Expo until Friday morning. To my surprise, the Expo was not opening until noon. Lines were everywhere! I don’t recall the Expo opening that late during other race weekends, but I could be wrong. You were allowed to line up downstairs at bib pickup though, and because of the heat, they opened at 11:30.

Entrance into Disneyland Half Expo

Bib Pickup was quick and easy and there was someone going up and down the waiting line checking waivers and identifications, expediting the process, which helped tremendously. Picked up Disneyland Park tickets from GET Sports (I’ve used them every time and they’re amazing), and proceeded upstairs to pick up the race packet at the Expo. The Expo was crowded, lines were huge, so I just grabbed some Sport Beans since they didn’t have any Honey Stingers, and a few Sparkly Soul bands and left.

Disneyland 10K – This was my first 10K in Disneyland, and I was excited because everyone I ran into said that the 10K in Disneyland is their favorite course. The ART buses were picking up at my hotel at 3:57 and 4:27 AM on Saturday morning. I always like to get on the earlier buses just in case. Met up with a few friends at the Disneyland Hotel and walked over to the corrals. I was on C.

This 10K wasn’t overly crowded. The morning was a bit chilly, so I kept my sweater on for most of the race.

Here’s a course map of the 10K:

Disneyland 10K course map

The Disneyland® 10K starts on the streets of Anaheim, passing through the Grand Plaza of the Anaheim Convention Center before entering Cars Land at Disney California Adventure® Park. Continue into Disneyland Park, down Main Street, U.S.A. before completing the final stretch of the course through the Downtown Disney® District and arriving at the finish line next to the Disneyland® Hotel. Source: runDisney

I enjoyed this course a lot. I was conserving a lot of energy for Sunday’s Half Marathon, therefore I made it a goal to just go out and enjoy the course and not worry about time. Loved running through both parks, which looked absolutely beautiful at dawn.

Disneyland Half Marathon was held on Sunday, September 6th. I set my alarm for 3:00 since the bus pickup was at 3:45. I was already awake, worried as usual, but there was doubt plaguing my mind that I could run this. I kept thinking about what my coach said, and she was really worried about me running the entire weekend since 1) I was undertrained and my longest run was 8 miles, and 2) I was just coming back from IT Band issues. So, I hit snooze and in my mind, decided I was going to sleep in and not run. But I’m so damn stubborn…

The last time I ran this race was in 2013 when temps soared to the high 90’s that week, which made me dehydrated and ill. I was a bit nervous about that happening again. Thankfully, while it did get warm fairly quick, it was not as bad as it was then.

I was in D this year due to a 2:37 half PR. The corrals were extremely crowded and people were hopping the fence to get in front. I think they should consider spacing the corrals out as they do for Princess. Corrals went from A-G for the Disneyland Half, with anyone who placed under 2:35 in A-C, everyone else from D-G. This was a problem for me because although I am not a super fast runner, I’m not slow either, but I was stuck with slower runners and walkers and during the first few miles, had to walk because I had nowhere to go.

Once the course opened up, I was able to run. It seemed the whole community of Anaheim was out that morning. Loved running through the vintage cars, the dancers and cheerleaders, and although the sun was up and beaming early on, it didn’t get uncomfortably hot. The folks at MousePlanet were so kind to have cold, fresh orange slices, and candy, as well as wet sponges on the course. They were uplifting, and I’m really thankful for that pick-me-up!

Disneyland Half Marathon

Once I could run, I ran 3:1 interval and stopped at every hydration station, always remembering to thank the volunteers and spectators for coming out. When I ran this in 2013, I walked up the hills, and this year, I ran. I’m so happy with the progress I’ve made, and thankful for Coach Kristy who makes the impossible, possible.

At the finish, you got your Disneyland Half Medal and if you were taking part in the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, you were directed to a station where your bib number was looked up and if it matched up with the pic they took at the Expo, you received your Challenge medal.

DDD Finish

Overall, the energy was amazing, and aside from the overly crowded corrals and first few miles, I enjoyed myself and had a wonderful time. Running in Disney is just magical 🙂

runDisney Dumbo Double Dare Challenge Bling

Lindy x

Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon Race Recap

May 19, 2015 By Lindy Leave a Comment

Oh what can I say about this race weekend, other than it was epic. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and was really looking forward to getting away, even just for a weekend.

Once we drove up to Brooklyn and checked in with our Airbnb Host, we headed to Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park for the 2015 Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon Pre-Race Party. Loved that once we exited the subway, there were signs everywhere pointing to the party.

Signs pointing to the pre-race party outside the subway

We had so much fun at the pre-race party! There were people giving away airbnb shoelaces, multiple stations where you could play mini golf, and there was a live band playing. The area was surrounded by food and beer trucks, while security remained high with NYPD (Harbor Unit, I think) looking at the Pier from the boat.

Airbnb Brooklyn Half Pre-Race Party

Check in was fast and there were no lines. Loved that you could see the race shirts before picking them up. I had to size up to a medium but I loved the race shirt. Had my race shirt airbrushed at one of the Airbnb stations with the blog’s name.

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This is the best race expo ever!! Got my race shirt customized 🙂 #AirBnbBKHalf #Runderella

A post shared by Lindy | Runderella (@runderelly) on May 15, 2015 at 3:06pm PDT

The only thing I was disappointed with was the lack of vendors, although most of the essentials were available for purchase. Ate some fabulous quinoa arepas from the Palenque food truck at the pre-race party and carb-loaded with tasty brick oven pizza. Ate the best doughnuts in the planet at Dough Brooklyn. I went there every.single.day and don’t regret it one bit. 🙂

With friends at Pier 2 at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Wave 2!

Race morning and our wonderful Airbnb Host woke up at 5:30 AM to drive us to the Brooklyn Half start line. Such a wonderful and kind gesture! Getting through security was a mess and took about 45 minutes for me to get security clearance. There were porta potties in the corrals, which was great. Wave 1 departed around 7 AM and I still hadn’t gone through security; Wave 2 took off around 7:45.

The course was very crowded and I found myself weaving in and out. Right before entering Prospect Park, it started to rain heavily, which I didn’t really mind since it was warm. What I did not like was getting water in my shoes. That is the most unpleasant feeling. It rained I think for the first 3 miles.

My running coach Kristy suggested that I run by effort, rather than pace, and I felt that was fine. I ran with my Garmin turned on but with the pace hidden, so all I could see was current time and date. Miles 5-6.5 were hilly and boy was I glad to wave those hills goodbye!

On Ocean Parkway headed for Coney Island – Last Hill!!!

After mile 7, the course is rather flat and almost slightly downhill. I was feeling good but wanted to conserve as much energy as possible, so I changed things a bit. I stopped after mile 8 to stretch and decided to run one minute and walk 30 seconds for as long as I could. I kept this going from miles 8-12.

Once I passed mile 12, I sped up and raced from the 20K point until the finish. I loved that once you entered Coney Island, you couldn’t see the boardwalk until you turned left (I believe it was Surf Ave), where the crowds were alive and cheering for runners approaching the finish line.

Airbnb Brooklyn Half Finish Line

I turned the corner and saw the 400 Meters Left sign and the time clock on the finish line and immediately knew it would be a PR for me, and I started to cry. Since I was racing that last mile really hard, I was feeling slightly out of breath and had to hold back from crying further. I checked my finish time and saw that I set a 7-minute PR!!!

I couldn’t have done it without the guidance of my running coach; she was the first person I texted as soon as I crossed the finish line. I was beaming with pride and couldn’t wait to tell her, because we did this together.

Yay for PRs!!!

After the finish, I felt like I had to walk forever. No water in sight, but grabbed an apple and some pretzels to immediately fuel. There must’ve been what felt like a million stairs to get anywhere, and boy does going down stairs hurt!

My friends were waiting for me in front of MCU Park with signs, then we headed out for food, margaritas and to get some sun on the beach.

Now for the finish line party

Photo taken by @dulceraq

Finisher’s Badge

Overall, I enjoyed running through the lovely streets of Brooklyn, meeting wonderful people and setting a new personal record. Thank you for being so good to me, Brooklyn!

Bucks County Half Marathon – 2015

April 23, 2015 By Lindy 2 Comments

It was a great Sunday (4/12/2015) at the 2015 Bucks County Half Marathon. This year’s event was significantly smaller than its previous events, although I’m unsure why as it is a really awesome race and benefits the Autism Cares Foundation.

The weather could not have been more perfect – sunny and 50 at the start. Arrived early with my bagel and coffee, met up with a few Half Fanatics and chatted until start time. Every year, this race keeps getting better! The race director really listens to your comments and suggestions, so fill out that post-race survey!

There was a wave start this year and it really helped with the crowded narrow trails. Each wave had a pacer starting with a 1:40 and so on until 3:00 finishers. What I really didn’t get was that there was a sweeper when the course has no time limit. Anyway, the wave start was simply the best improvement done to this race. Some pacers did not have anyone with them and that’s okay. I stayed behind the 2:45 pacer for a while, although this was a training run for me (no running past a 12-minute mile).

Loved getting those pre-race messages from Coach Kristy – tips on fueling, pace, as well as some good luck vibes.

I set the Garmin on virtual pacer to 12:00 minute mile so it will beep to alarm me when I’m ahead of pace or behind pace. Behind pace would not have been bad, however, I went out too fast on miles 1 and 2 and paid for it at miles 10 and 11. My Garmin does not have a vibrating feature and my music must’ve been too loud to hear the Garmin pacer and realized miles 1 and 2 were 10:46 and 11:38, respectively. By the time I got to mile 10, my pace was 12:30 and I was walking a lot. I felt like I’d gotten hit by a truck – every limb in my body felt heavy and hurt so bad. Lesson learned.

Fueled every 5K with Huma Chia Gel (my new favorite fuel) and hydrated well. I carried my own water, then grabbed Gatorade at the power stations throughout the race, although it was heavily diluted 🙁

The energy at the power stations, especially the one after mile 6 was just awesome. Made it to the finish line in 2:46:35. Not a PR by any means, but then again, I wasn’t going for one. I went out to enjoy the course and have a great time, and that I did have.

Official Finish Time: 2:46:35

Things that changed for 2015:

Wave Start
Pacers
Start/Finish Line moved over so that runners aren’t crossing the finish line on their first loop
Color of your choice tech shirt (pending availability)

I love that the medal changes every year! Look at this beauty 🙂

Bucks County Half Marathon 2015 Finisher’s Medal

I think this race is so underrated. It is a challenging course but by no means difficult. I’d love to know what are your thoughts on this race (if you’ve ever run it) but also what makes you return to run a race over and over again. What do you look for in a race?

Lindy

Disclaimer: Bucks County Half Marathon invited me to participate in the race as blogger media. However, all opinions are strictly my own.

Vacationing in Puerto Rico

April 1, 2015 By Lindy Leave a Comment

I’ve returned from a beautiful week in sunny Puerto Rico, to chilly temps (it actually snowed 3″ the day after I came back, so imagine how mad I was). I’ve been back for 2 weeks now, just slacking on the blogging! I had so much energy and went to bed each night, anxious and excited to go running the next day. I can’t recall a time when I felt that way, and it was truly wonderful to run alongside the ocean, in my hometown. I was emotional the entire time; it is my home and sadly I can’t stay. So along with feeling rejuvenated and happy, I had the best runs in a long time.

Running through Condado Beach

The cool ocean breeze was refreshing! No wonder there were so many runners at all hours of the day, running along the ocean.

Puerto Rico is rich in history, art and culture. Below is a path for walkers and runners to access the San Geronimo Fort, which was built in the 17th Century.

Road from Condado that leads to San Geronimo Fort

Post-run treats included fresh, raw juice from the juice bar across from my hotel as well as good, old piraguas, or snow-cones, which can be found in little carts all across the island.

Piraguas in Old San Juan

So, back to reality, but at least it is April, and warm weather is on its way. I have two runs pending (Hot Chocolate 5K and the Bucks County Half Marathon). I’m excited for both. With the help of my running coach, I have trained for these runs and I have trained on hilly terrain, crucial for the Bucks Half. I have been angry with my calves because they’ve pained me, and in return, I’ve given them a good foam rolling. It hurts like hell, but I can honestly say that during Sunday’s 12-miler, they didn’t really bother me, so yay for painful foam rolling!

More updates on their way, including a race giveaway you won’t want to miss 🙂

Lindy x

Disneyland Paris Half Marathon

February 22, 2015 By Lindy Leave a Comment

It’s Official!

Source: Disneyland Paris

runDisney announced during this morning’s Princess Half Marathon that there will be a half marathon scheduled for September 2016 at Disneyland Paris.

This is exciting news indeed! It’s too early for me to even consider it, but I’d love to go to Paris again! Paris is a gorgeous, charming city full of excitement, and rich in art and history. I’ve visited in 2005 and just had the most amazing time and ate the most amazing food in the world. Seriously, I just crave going back.

Click on the image above to be transferred to Disneyland Paris where you can sign up for their mailing list and receive updates including when registration will open.

Will you be running the Disneyland Paris Half Marathon in 2016?

Running New York

January 28, 2015 By Lindy 2 Comments

New York holds a special place in my heart.

I’m lucky that I’m less than a 90-minute train ride to New York City and can go to that lovely city on a whim. I love the city of lights and excitement, and now I get to spend more time in NY 🙂

I’m running New York!

I wasn’t planning on entering the lottery for the United Airlines NYC Half but when registration closed and I found my friends entered and got in, I immediately regretted the decision to not enter. I’ll still be there, volunteering as a medical professional, which is great. They are in need of volunteers for their upcoming races, so be sure to check it out here.

NYC Half Medical Volunteer

I’m happy to be helping out, but knowing how I felt after not registering for the NYC Half, I decided I wasn’t going to let another opportunity pass me by. I registered for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half, which starts out in Prospect Park and ending in Coney Island at the boardwalk. I can’t wait to run through one of my favorite cities in the world! Hotel is already booked and time from work is scheduled off.

Airbnb Brooklyn Half – May 16, 2015

I’m also registered for the 2015 TCS NYC Marathon lottery. I didn’t get in last year and I hope I get in this year and run through all five NYC boroughs. A few of my running buddies got in through guaranteed entry so I hope I get to join them.

I’m really, really excited! As I learn more details from volunteering at the NYC Half, I’ll share them with you. If you’re running or spectating, stop by and say hi.

Hope to see you in New York!

Lindy x