Week 9 + 10: "Pack My Suitcase?!"

The time has come to begin packing for the half...

I have some experience with the Disney races because of Allie's full marathon last year so I know how the general routine goes. I arrive in Orlando on Friday mid-afternoon. We will do packet pickup on Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. We kinda wandered around aimlessly last year and now I know exactly where to go. I'd also like to spend some time looking at the overpriced Disney merch because why not?!

Last week, I called the hotel where we're staying and they answered all my questions: where can I get breakfast before the race and what are our race day transportation options? 

Luckily, there is a 24 hour casual dining area where I can grab pre-race fuel: a banana and a bagel with PB the morning of the race! And there are buses that run from the hotel to the race starting at 3 AM. Hundred bucks says I'll be wide awake around that time waiting for my alarm to go off.

"Oh, I'm stressed."

In addition to packing for a Naples trip (which I'm a pro at by now), I have to take into consideration all the little details pre-, during, and post-race!

• socks - regular and compression (2 pairs, one for race and one for recovery)
• pajamas
• running costume... I mean, outfit
• Saturday's park outfit
• post-race fresh clothes
• snacks/fuel
• headphones (2) and armband
• shoes - race shoes (and inserts), converse
• water bottle 
• pre-race sweatshirt to donate (Disney donates any clothes taken off before or during the race)
• drawstring bag
• laundry bags

Little does my dad know, he's been training for this day his whole life... he's been carrying all our bags for decades! Now this is his chance to shine as the World's Greatest Bag Holder.

I'm bringing a drawstring bag that will contain:

• dry shampoo
• lip balm
• Luna Bar
• comb and extra hair ties
• deodorant
• baby wipes
• face wipes
• band aids
• lotion
• rollerball perfume
• fresh clothes
• converse

Weeks 9 and 10 have been my toughest yet... and not because of the running. I've had strep and a minor case of the flu aaaaand now I'm on day 3 of a migraine. I'm writing this blog post with my eyes closed... impressive, huh? Essentially, I'm in rough shape. But whatever, I'm going to focus on how far I have come, not the aches and pains. My sister reassured me that she was sick right before her Disney race and everything turned out just fine. 

I'm getting really excited just to soak in this whole experience and enjoy every mile. I consider myself really lucky that my faaavorite aunt and uncle and cousins will be there to cheer us on in the race. It's going to be a truly memorable weekend!

Week 8: Need For Speed

I'm not gonna lie, I have been kicking some serious training booty this week and it's only Monday! I started Week 8 off with a SNOW DAY! It was the perfect opportunity for me to catch up on some lost mileage due to a hectic work schedule. With just a few weeks left of training, I've become very strategic in how and when I want to run. I want to make sure that I get my mileage in, whilst working on speed, AND not burning out/tapering at just the right time. 

The weather has been the biggest factor for me lately. Obviously with the subzero temperatures and the feet on feet on feet of snow we just got, I was unable to run outside the last two days.

On Sunday, instead of working on distance, I did a little over 4 miles working on speed. It was the fastest I had run 4 miles ever! I wrapped up my workout with a couple of yoga sequences for easy cross-training. The weather next Sunday will be 30 and partly cloudy according to the forecast - perfect for my last long run! 

I took advantage of this lovely day off by getting back on the treadmill. I didn't sleep well all weekend so I was going to take it easy this morning and shoot for a quick 3 miles. Welp... mile 3 came and went and I thought I'll just got for 5 miles... then a 10k (which I PRed woop woop!) 

Finally, I decided to call it quits at 8.6 miles. Every mile that went by was faster than I had ever gone before. My usual pace felt painfully slow and I definitely needed a boost. I felt great getting off the treadmill knowing I almost tripled my distance goal for the day. The only reason I stopped was because my mom told me there would be homemade guacamole in the kitchen waiting for me. A girl's gotta eat!

I spent the rest of the greatest Monday ever watching movies ("Boyhood" and "Chef"... both incredible, by the way), reading, and helping my dad shovel the driveway. 

My goal is to finish one or two short and speedy runs before the weekend!

P.S. I tried my race outfit on for my parents yesterday - I'm really getting into the Disney spirit!