Princess Half Marathon- Inaugural Enchanted 10k Recap!!!!

3am Saturday morning came very quickly. We had an early dinner the night before and tried to be in bed by 9:30. We laid our outfits out the night before and got everything ready. I was not sure the bus situation or how long it was going to take to get to the start line so we planned on being at the bus stop by 4 the latest. 

We got ready faster then expected and were out the door by 3:45. Our bus stop was right behind our room so it only took a few minutes to get there. To my surprise there were not many people waiting for the bus.The bus ended up coming very quickly and was not full at all. We got right on and were headed for Epcot. As soon as we got off the bus there were tons of people already there. We flew threw bag check, then we headed over to the corral area. We didn't want  to go right into our corrals yet so we stood around listened to the music the DJ was playing. He was very entertaining and the people around us dancing  were hilarious we loved it! We split a package of sports beans, used the bathrooms and then headed into the corrals. 

We were both in corral A which I was really happy about, it meant we could take our time and stop to take pictures if we wanted to. My plan for this race was to take it slow because I had the half the following day and I was completely unsure of how my knee was going to be feeling . I had been having some SERIOUS knee pain for the past month every time I ran so I was incredibly nervous how it was going to feel during and after these two races. At around 5am they closed the corrals off and then they walked each corral to the start line.

I was so excited to get started I couldn't wait to see what the course was like. My Mom was a bit nervous but so excited as well this was her first runDisney race and she was dying to see know what she was going to see along the course. At 5:30am we were off! We started off great no stopping or shuffling along everyone was moving I was really happy about that! As soon as we turned out onto the main road we spotted Elsa on top of an overpass and there was snow floating in the air. I ran ahead snapped a pictures and we were on our way. The first three miles flew by, after we saw Elsa there weren't many more characters outside of the park. We then headed into the back of Epcot we were both still feeling great. I was pacing my Mom and trying to avoid any knee pain. It did start to ache however. Once we were in Epcot we went down by some of the countries and then headed onto the boardwalk. There were characters along the way I remember seeing Goofy and Jiminy Cricket but we did not stop to take out picture with them. My Mom just wanted to keep going. The boardwalk was one of my favorite parts because it was softer on my knees and a lot brighter then the rest of Epcot. Following that we past the Genie and Lumiere and we were making our way to the finish line! 

The race flew by literally the shortest six miles I have ever run. I was glad that I stayed with my 
Mom, had I decided to go at my own pace I think my knee would have really been bothering me. She felt great at the finish, we were both sweating because it was so humid but it was a nice change from the 20 degree weather back home. 

We went and collected out medals, I got my 10k finishers bracelet for the Glass Slipper Challenge and then we headed over to get our finishers pictures taken. We grabbed our food boxes and headed to the buses to get back to our room and shower. We didn't feel like staying around the finish line very long we wanted to get back so we could spend most of the day in the park and still have time for a mid day nap. 

We went to Hollywood Studios for the rest of the day, riding Rock n Roll a Coaster and Tower of Terror and eating at 50's Prime Time Cafe. We then headed back to the hotel and slept for two hours (oops...We were only suppose to sleep for an hour!) and then headed to Epcot to ride test track and grab some dinner! We both had  a great day and were happy with our race, but I had to get to bed early for my half in the morning! Another 3am wake up for us! 

My overall thoughts on the 10k...I was hoping for a little more entertainment/crowd support. My mom said to me at the end  "I was expecting it to be a bit more entertaining"  and that is how I felt too. I had really talked up the Disneyland Half Marathon and this seemed to be lacking a bit of the magic that I felt in there. I felt the number of cast members out in my previous runDisney race really out number the amount of people out during this one. Ok enough complaining we did have an incredible time during the race. I loved that we ran together and just took it easy instead of going all out. I kept saying we spend too much money on these races to just fly threw and not enjoy them so that is really what we tried to do. I need to be more in the moment instead of always wondering what is going to be next. As for the terrain of the course, it was pretty flat there was one banked on ramp that was not too friendly on the knees but overall I enjoyed the course. There were a few small hills but nothing serious. It was not super easy but not challenging either. Overall we had a BLAST!

QOTD: Do you like hills in a race or would you prefer the whole thing to be totally flat?

In case you missed it here is my recap on the Princess Half Marathon Expo!!

Princess Half Marathon Expo Recap!!!!

I can't believe Princess Half Marathon weekend is over! It seemed like just yesterday I was eagerly awaiting the sign up and then the weekend just flew by and it was amazing!!!!! Before I get into that I wanted to announce the winner of the Ignite Naturals INRefesh Sample......Yvonne! Congratulations you should be receiving that in the mail soon!

If anyone would like to order some of their products use my code IN0820 to get 10% off your order! Their stuff is awesome so I recommend you try it out! You can click the badge on the side of my page or click here to get to their website!

Now moving on to Princess Half Marathon Weekend!!!

My mom and I left Providence for Orlando at 7am on Friday. I had been completely stressing out about the stupid Minnie and Cinderella shoes all week. When they came out with the virtual que for runners I was right on at six on Friday, and of course I got the time slot 9am. My flight was not getting into Orlando until 9:45 figures! I decided just head over there as soon as we got to the expo and if I didn't get the shoes it was not meant to be.

We landed went over to our hotel Port Orleans Riverside checked in and then we were on our way to the expo by noon! The Expo was at ESPN Wide World of Sports which was Huge! I had never been there before and didn't know what to expect. I walked in and headed straight over to the New Balance line. I got right in, they said it didn't matter what time you were suppose to be there as long as your number or hour had already been called you could come at any time but they could not guarantee they would have the shoes that you had requested. I had wanted the Minnie's but they ended up being sold out of my size so I asked to see the Cinderella's and fell in LOVE! I love the pink of the Minnie's but they were such a thick shoe for walking around in. I wasn't going to be running in them so I wanted something that was slimmer. The Cinderella shoes are sparkly and the color is amazing and they are light weight! I was sold as soon as I put them on my feet! I put the satin ribbons in and I was on my way! Beware for anyone that is planning on buying the shoes at the next Disney event they do run small so I ended up going up a size, but get them they are the best!

I met my Mom right after I got my shoes. She had forgotten something in the hotel room and had to go back mid way to the expo. After I found her we headed over to number pick up. That was super easy no line we were in and out in a few minutes. One thing I was a bit confused about was the runDisney booth where number pick up was I didn't know there was another one in the main expo until one of the workers told me. We decided to head up to that one instead because the one at number pick up was pretty much picked over!

We headed over to the main expo area and went to get my moms shirt for the 10k and then into the runDisney booth. I have to say it was also pretty picked over by the time I got there and I was kind of disappointed by the lack of Glass Slipper Challenge merchandise. I wanted there to be more, and the stuff that they had I wasn't crazy about and found that the half marathon and 10k stuff was much cuter! I ended up just buying a car magnet and thought I might find some cute 19.3 stuff around the expo. We walked around making sure to hit almost every booth and enjoy the experience. One addition I loved this year was the runDisney buttons. When we went over to get ours they said they were all out but then someone came over with a few bags full of them so we ended up getting some! I was so happy I love those stupid Disney buttons!

After we did a little shopping we headed over to the ESPN Grill and got some burgers we were starving and we still needed to get KT taped and also wait for my moms time to get her shoes. As soon as we had finished eating we got a text that she could come over to New Balance to get her shoes. She was on the fence about the shoes she didn't think she was going to get them so when we got the text she thought well I guess I will just go try them on she didn't think she was going to buy them. She headed over and I went back to get a sweatshirt I head been eye balling and told her I would be back in a few minutes. I literally was gone for five minutes if that and when I came back she was already in the check out line. I went over and said are you buying them and she said they were just too cute not to. We then headed over to Sparkle Athletics so she could buy some crowns to lace in that I had bought earlier. We then referred to our shoes all weekend as our "Cindy's!" Best purchase all weekend!

 

(The Silver Crowns DO NOT come with the shoes. Many people asked us as we were walking around. They are from Sparkle Athletics, so do not think New Balance forgot to give you something if you bought the Cindy shoes!)
 
Following that we went over to get taped and then we were out of there! We had already spent what seemed like hours shopping around and wanted to get to downtown Disney.  The KT Tape line was long but we met some great girls running and chatted for a while making the line fly by! After that we headed back to the hotel room to change and my Mom needed to get her "Cindy's" on and we were headed to dinner. We took the river boat from our hotel to downtown Disney and ate at Planet Hollywood. We got right in we couldn't believe it! That place always has a line! We ate grabbed some sweets after and then headed back to go to bed. We had had a long day and needed to be ready for an early wake up call in the morning for the Enchated 10K!

 

Overall Thoughts on the Expo: We had a great time we spent a long time there which we didn't do in Disneyland when we were there in the summer. I felt it was very organized and not super crowded. The only time we had to wait was for KT Tape but that was expected. We got everything we wanted as well. The one thing I was disappointed with was the lack of Glass Slipper Challenge stuff as I had mentioned before I just wish that Disney would make a little more of their merchandise so people coming the following days of the expo still had a chance of getting it. Other then that we had a great time and were super excited about all of our purchases!

QOTD: What Shoes would you buy Minnie or Cinderella!?

100 Likes!!! and Ignite Naturals INRefresh Review and Giveaway!!!

First off we hit over 100 likes on facebook! Thank you, thank you, thank you! It means so much you have no idea! This also means time for a giveaway to celebrate!!!

A few weeks ago I was asked to sample Ignite Naturals INRefresh Electrolytes. I was a bit undecided when first asked, I have not been a fan of the taste of these type supplements before so was on the fence. Before agreeing to try it I read up on the company a bit and looked to see what they were all about and what they had to offer in their products. The biggest things that stood out to me as soon as I reached their website were they use REAL FOOD ingredients and they are a 100% plant based product. After reading these two things I was sold but continued to find out a bit more. They have supplements for every aspect of your workout. Before, during and after, supplements to carb load, recovery supplements, energy supplements. You name it they have it and at a decent price in my opinion. Another deciding factor was the interesting flavors they have. Not just your standard grape, cherry, lime they have things like blueberry, dragon fruit lemon lime, and tangerine passion fruit and these are just the flavors for the electrolyte supplement. This company seems to think outside the box so I decided to give it a go!

Once I got my sample in the mail I was dying to try it! I ran seven miles the night it came so it was perfect timing to rehydrate my electrolytes! I first tried the blueberry, kept it simple! They come in pre-measured packets you pour into a water bottle with 8-12 ounces of water. I am going to be honest I was expecting some funny taste like the other I had tried and forced down but was pleasantly surprised when this was delicious! Went down easy didn't leave a weird after taste, in fact thought about trying another flavor but decided to hold back. The next day after my run I tried the tangerine passion fruit and was equally pleased! Still delicious! These also made me feel a lot better after my runs. Sometimes I do longer runs and right before I go to bed I am so thirsty I have to down a few water bottles, this really helped with that feeling. I was very happy. I then tried the passion fruit lemon lime before a workout one day and found I wasn't as thirsty during my run. The passion fruit lemon lime was my least favorite flavor I am not a lemon lime girl however it was still pretty good and still was not forcing myself to drink it!

I am very impressed with this product and this company. I am super excited to try these during the summer. When the warmer weather hits I sometimes don't hydrate enough during the day and cramp up so this will be added to my daily water intake! I am very excited to try their other supplements too, I am sure they will be equally as effective and delicious!

Now for one lucky reader you are going to get to try a sample for yourself!!!!! The contest will end Tuesday 2/25! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: Although I was given a sample of Ignite Naturals INRefresh Electrolytes all opinions are my own .
  

Who Stole My Motivation!!!!

This week I have found myself in a MAJOR rut...I have no motivation to run or do anything for that matter and I am tired...so tired and I don't know why! I went to the dreaded gym on Tuesday ran 2 miles and two 800 yard sprints and decided I didn't want to be on the treadmill anymore. I had planned on running five miles but just didn't have it in me. I was going to go to the gym yesterday and just thought, no I don't want to. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM! I have been in running ruts before but have managed to get myself out there and run even though my body tells me no, but right now I just don't feel like it..... I need help!

Another thing that is seriously not helping me is all of this SNOW! I love snow so much but this year it is killing me. Don't get me wrong I have absolutely enjoyed the once a week snow days we have been having however it is freezing and I want to be able to run outside again! I will say I did run outside last weekend 5.5 miles with my Mom on Saturday and then 10 miles on Sunday and it was so nice, the miles file by! Can that weather come back now please!

So with all my complaining aside does anyone have any suggestions to up my motivation, and not feel like I want to lay down and take a nap as soon as I get up in the morning! I need help! Comment below if you are feeling this way so I don't feel like a major loser who can't get their act together! 

Sincerely,

Whiny, Complaining, Unmotivated, Tired, Annoying Kara

Now a sweet puppy picture to brighten your day a bit!

Five Things Friday!!

I have not done a five things Friday in a while so I decided today is the day! First off the winner of the knuckles lights is Sophie! Congratulations! You will love them so much! I do not have your last name so could you please email me or message me on facebook and I will get those to you ASAP! Also thank you to everyone who commented! I am overwhelmed by the number of you that entered! Now onto my five things! 

1. I was fortunate enough this week to get a number to the Shipyard Old Port Half Marathon in Portland Maine! I am beyond excited about this race. It was recently voted one of the 50 best half marathons in the U.S by the Daily Burn. The route takes you along Portland with views of Casco Bay, sailboats, lobster boats and anything else you would expect to see in a New England Fishing town! Oh and did I mention the Shipyard Brewing Company beer you get at the finish line (those that are 21 and older) So sign up for this race quickly, it will sell out and your don't want to miss out on the opportunity. It takes place July 13th and is bound to be one of the best races you run all summer!

Disclaimer: Although I was provided with a number all opinions are my own

2. There is less then a month until the Glass Slipper Challenge!!!!!!!! Do I need to say anymore I am beyond excited to head to Disney World with my mom. This will be my first race in Disney World and second runDisney race! I can't wait to add three more awesome medals to my collection!

3. I have been having major knee problems! Which brings me back to number 2! I have a race in less then a month two races to be exact so this knee better get in line, fast! I have been doing some major stretching as well as strength training which seems to help but I just want it to feel better because it is a serious pain (pun intended!)

4.I have signed up for the 14 in 2014 challenge. Click the picture on the side of my page under challenges to find out more! This is 14 races in 2014 they can be a mix of races 5k, 10k, Half Marathons whatever I feel like. I have 11 so far that I am planning on doing so now I need to fill in the rest! If you know of any cool races in the New England area comment below!

5. Lastly and I feel bad writing this but I am sick of the snow. Typically I LOVE the snow however this year it is really getting in the way of my running. It forced me to join a gym and I haven't been able to get my long runs in on the weekends because the sidewalks are packed with snow and I am afraid to run on the street. I am ready for spring and I am ready for daylight savings!

QOTD: What races should I sign up for this year!?!?

Knuckle Lights Review and Giveaway!!!!

So running this time if year is very difficult for me. When I get up in the morning it is dark out and when I come home from work it is also dark out. I have used a headlamp for years but felt it never worked the way I wanted it to. I was recently given a pair of knuckle lights and let me tell you these babies are awesome!!! I have heard about them for a while now and was so excited when I was sent a pair!

First off a little bit about knuckle lights....they were developed in 2010 buy a guy named Dan Hopkins. He was training for a half marathon running at night and running with a headlamp just wasn't cutting it. He then decided to wrap his headlamp around his hands and use them as "knuckle lights". He then developed the official knuckle lights and they took off from there!

They come in three colors blue, silver, black, yellow and pink. They are adjustable so can fit over your small hands large hands or if you are wearing gloves or mittens you can adjust them so they will fit over those as well, and they are super comfortable. The lights go on in three settings fully on, slightly dimmer and then flashing. I like to keep them on full power! The button to change the light setting is in between your pointer finger and thumb so easy to change if you want while your running. They also come with batteries which is a major plus! 

So enough about how they look lets talk about how much I love them! These are amazing and so bright! Extra bonus you don't have to wear them around your head and get a head ache half way through your run. I love that these are so incredibly bright! You can see the road so well in front of you to see if there is a pot hole or something in the way or the biggest thing for me right now...ICE. I think because they are lower to the ground everything is brighter. Also cars can see them better because they bounce around when you swing your arms. The last thing I love about them is that if you hear something in front of you off to the side you can point your knuckles in that direction to see if there is anything there instead of moving your head all over the place. This is a major plus for me because every tree or mailbox I see I am paranoid it is a person who is after me or some kind of wild animal (I was chased by a fox for about a half mile one time so I like to know what is going on around me.)

If you run in the dark you must get these! They are amazing I can not say enough about them! Luckily I was provided with an extra pair to give away to one of you! Here is how to enter to win them.....

1. Comment below with a funny night running story

2. Like me on Facebook!

3. Follow me on Twitter!

Winner will be announced on Wednesday January 22nd!

Disclaimer: Although I was given a pair of knuckle lights, these opinions are my own.

Reflecting back on 2013......

What a year this has been.....For the first time in a while I can say without a doubt that I accomplished what I wanted to this year plus some! Top five best parts of 2013 were drum roll please...........

1. Running my first half marathon........ The goal all along for 2013 was to run one and only one half marathon. I smashed that record and ended up running FIVE! For those who knew me prior to running any of these know that I said I would NEVER run even one half let alone five and become addicted! I am beyond excited that I completed all these and have some on the race calendar for 2014!

2. Creating my Blog....I have wanted to write a blog for a long time but always thought I was going to sound dumb or would have nothing to say or no one would read it. Not to mention sometimes my grammar isn't right (English was not my strong subject in school!) However shortly after deciding to run a half marathon I thought I should document my races that way I can go back and remember things from reading my blog that I may have forgotten. Also to inform other on races I have run that they might be interested in. I got over the fact that maybe no one would read it and now it is more then I thought it would be!

3. Moving in with My Boyfriend....now I know generally my blog is all about running and my dogs and not so much my personal life however this was one of my top five in 2013. For those who know me and Luke know it has been a roller coaster ride since day one many ups and downs (mostly ups) but always a blast. We finally made the decision to move in together at the end of the summer, it was a move in the right direction!

4. Getting to do makeup professionally! If you had started reading my blog in the very beginning I did a lot of makeup reviews until running completely took over! However this year I started doing make up for weddings! With help from my friends I made this happen! This is something that I love to do and wish I could do all the time! It is something I hope to continue to do more of in 2014.

5. Adding to my little dog family! You all know I am crazy about my sweet little Bella. But we recently got another boy Chihuahua Cody.  He is as sweet as can be and is so good for Bella! She is still getting used to him but we are taking it one day at a time. I may be a bit obsessed with my dogs but they are just the cutest things and I can't get enough of them!

I also want to thank all of you for reading my blog, it means more to me then you will ever know!

I hope everyone has a great 2014 and this year brings you everything you want and more!