Recently my husband and I completed our most challenging race experience running a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon in one weekend. Life has been so crazy that we didn’t have a lot of time to train, but I wasn’t nervous, I knew I was mentally prepared to take on the challenge of 22.4 miles and I had no doubts that we would finish. What I didn’t plan for was sustaining a rather serious injury that has now put me on a long term break from running to fully heal. While I am in recovery, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about all the amazing running adventures I have had since I started training for my very first 5K almost 4 years ago in 2011 and I thought it would be fun to catalog those experiences here.
Fire Hydrant 5K
June 2011
My first 5K!
In the spring of 2011 a co-worker convinced me that I should start training for a 5K! I was highly skeptical that I could ever become a runner, but I always wanted to give it a try so I started doing some walk-run-walk training runs. I had some frustrating things going on in my life at that point and I quickly discovered that going out for a jog, even if it was just around the block, was a great way to funnel my daily frustrations into something positive and it gave me time to be alone with my thoughts. I started reading articles online about how to train and I started to grow stronger and stronger with each run. I slowly started to increase my distance and the length of my running intervals and I finally started to feel like I could take on a 5K. I registered for my very first 5K with my co-worker and she stuck me with the entire distance. She coached me through the tough spots and gave me motivation to keep it up when I started to tire out. I made it to the finish and I felt like I had truly accomplished something great! I decided right then and there that I was a runner and I couldn’t wait for my next race! The Fire Hydrant 5K is an annual fundraiser for the Larimer Humane Society.
To learn more visit their website by clicking here.
To learn more visit their website by clicking here.
FIRECRACKER 5k
July 2011
My Dad’s first 5K
Along the journey to train for my first 5K I convinced my Dad that he should take up running. I thought it would be a great father/daughter bonding activity to run a 5K together! We registered for the FireKracker 5K on the 4th of July for my Dad’s first 5K! He was nervous, but started training and was feeling good on race day! I was a HOT day in July, but we both finished strong and had a great time! The FireKracker 5K is sponsored by the Ft. Collins Running Club and is held each year in City Park on the 4th of July.
To learn more visit their website by clicking here.
To learn more visit their website by clicking here.
CSU Homecoming 5K
October 2011
Mark’s first 5K
After the success of two 5K I decided that as much as I loved running, it would be even better if I had a partner by my side on those long training runs! My husband was content to cheer me on from the sidelines, but very hesitant to become a runner himself. After many, many motivational speeches and research articles on the benefits of running he finally caved and decided to train for a race with me. We decided that the best way to celebrate our first 5K together was by tackling the annual homecoming race at Colorado State University! As a graduate of the college that hosts the race each year I had participated as a walker the previous 2 years, so we thought it would be a fun way to start out to actually run the race together for the first time! We had a blast and enjoyed each others company through each mile!
Thanksgiving Day Run
November 2011
Our first 4 Miler
After successfully completing his first 5K Mark decided that we should register for a 4 Miler on Thanksgiving Day. I had to completely retrain myself for cold weather running, not to mention re-outfit myself with cold weather running gear and 4 miles felt like a long distance by the time we hit the 5K distance! It was a challenge, but we finished strong and we both agreed that it was a great way to turn a holiday focused on over eating into an active, healthy celebration!
The Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day run is Northern Colorado’s largest family 4 Mile event and is held each year on Thanksgiving Day to benefit the Larimer County Food Bank, to learn more and register click here.
The Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day run is Northern Colorado’s largest family 4 Mile event and is held each year on Thanksgiving Day to benefit the Larimer County Food Bank, to learn more and register click here.
Jingle Bell 5k
December 2011
A Birthday Celebration!
For my 25th birthday we decided it would be fun to take a trip to Colorado wine country and while we were at it, we thought it would be fun to tackle a 5K! This was the start to a new kind of racing for us, destination racing! We quickly learned the complications that traveling for a race can present. The night before I started to get nervous about how cold it was going to be and I was worried we did not have enough layers to keep us warm. We had to make an impromptu, late night visit to the nearest department store to find some extra layers, which turned out to be a great investment! We also learned how much diet can affect your race day performance! Wine tasting and a dinner out the day before a race definitely has an impact! Regardless, we had a blast and enjoyed the early morning run in frosty conditions and it got us in the holiday spirit!
New Years Eve Resolution Run
December 2011
Our first night time race!
fter a a year of transforming ourselves into runners we thought there was no better way to celebrate and ring in the new year than with a 5K on New Years Eve! It was our first night time event and it was COLD! In spite of the cold temperatures we ran our FASTEST time ever and it was a great way to celebrate the year we became runners and ring in a whole new year of running adventures!
The resolution run it held each year to benefit the Northern Colorado NPR station, KRFC, for more information and to register click here.
The resolution run it held each year to benefit the Northern Colorado NPR station, KRFC, for more information and to register click here.
Bolder Boulder
May 2012
My first 10K!
We took things easy for our first cold weather running season. My lungs have never done well in cold weather, so it was tough to get out there and run in the cold & snowy weather! But, we snuck in runs as often as we could motivate ourselves! By springtime I was ready for another challenge! My husband was busy studying for his Level 3 CFA exam so I decided that I would train for and tackle my first 10K! I had always heard about the Bolder Boulder and I decided there was no better way to motivate myself to up the distance than by tackling America’s all time best 10K! I registered about a week ahead of the race, after much debating on whether or not I was ready to tackle not only the distance, but my first MAJOR race on my own! The Bolder Boulder has an average of over 50,000 runners each year! I was very nervous to participate in such a large event, but my parents came along to cheer me on. I kept up a strong pace running solid for the first 4 miles. The last 2 miles I did a run/walk/run regimen and finished strong! I was so incredibly proud of the fact that I had completed my first truly long distance race and had survived the crowds and chaos of a nationally known race! It was an inspiring experience and the start to a new chapter in my running adventures!
For for information and to register for the Bolder Boulder click here.
For for information and to register for the Bolder Boulder click here.
Fire Hydrant 5K
June 2012
Second time around!
We decided there was no better way to kick off the summer running season than by tackling the course of my first 5K! Mark was excited to participate this year and we had a blast! It was a great feeling to run the course that I had started my running adventure on and it felt like I had come full circle from the year before! I was stronger, more confident and excited about the miles ahead! We decided that this race would become an annual tradition for our family!
4th of July Run
July 2012
Discovering the benefits of training at altitude!
We made a trip back home to Iowa to celebrate the 4th of July and we were excited to discover that the small town down the road was going to have a 5K race the morning of the 4th! We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate a hot, humid July morning in the midwest than by running a 3.1 mile course that did 3 loops around small town Iowa! We ended up staying up late reminiscing with an old friend the night before leaving us rather tired the next morning! We thought for sure this would be our worst race of all time, but we surprised ourselves when we did our fastest mile time ever! This was when we discovered how much training at altitude works to your advantage! We had a great time and learned that a good sweat and some endorphins work wonders for a hangover!
Urban Assault
July 2012
Not exactly a run, but still a race!
We were having so much fun with our racing adventures that we decided to throw in a different kind of race! Running gave me confidence and helped me to become a stronger person in so many ways! When I was in Jr. High I had a major wipe out on my bike. Ever since then I could never ride a bike in the same way… I used to LOVE riding my bike, but after my accident it totally shook my confidence. Once I started running so many things began to change for me, including my confidence. I started to feel more comfortable in my body and I started to trust my athletic ability. In the spring we bought ourself cruiser bikes because it seemed like a less intimidating way to get back on a bike. We started to bike around town and I even participated in bike-to-work day! I had regained my confidence in riding a bike and we thought there was no better way to celebrate than by participating in the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride! We named our team “The Hungry Danes” in honor of our dog and took on the challenge of the various obstacles around town and the 25 mile trek from checkpoint-to-checkpoint. It was a HOT day in July, but we had a blast and managed to hit all the check points and finish just before the cutoff (25 miles on a cruiser bike is a lot harder than it looks)!
To learn more about the Urban Assault and to register click here.
To learn more about the Urban Assault and to register click here.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver Half Marathon Relay
September 2012
Our first relay experience & our longest distance run!
We made the decision in June that we were ready to take on our first Half Marathon experience. A few years ago I had heard about RunDisney races that took place inside Disneyland and Disney World Parks. We decided that this was our motivation for becoming half marathon distance runners, so we registered for the first leg of the Coast-to-Coast challenge in June of 2012 to participate in our first RunDisney Half Marathon in January. After registering we stepped up our training and decided that tackling a BIG race close to home before Disney would be a good idea. We didn’t feel like we were quite ready to take on a full half marathon, but the Rock ‘n’ Roll in Denver had added the option to relay the Half Marathon. We thought this would be a perfect way to experience the full race day environment and step up our distance running. I decided to run the first leg of the race, since I had already completed a 10K and the distance for the first leg was just over 7 miles. The course was great! It was a total blast to run the streets of Denver and the bands every mile kept the energy up, but I was pretty nervous and getting up super early to drive down before the sun was up was starting to take it’s toll. I was about to start walking when a lady starting chatting with me and we started coaching each other on. She was running her first ever half marathon as a way to get herself back in shape after having her first child. We kept each other going and I ran all the way to the trade off point where I met Mark and sent him on his way to finish out the race. I found my way back to the start line along with the crowd of others and I watched Mark finish the race strong! We couldn’t believe that we had completed our first ever Half Marathon!
The Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll takes place every fall, to learn more and register click here.
The Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll takes place every fall, to learn more and register click here.
CSU Homecoming 5K
October 2012
Second time around!
We decided to keep up our momentum and participate in the CSU Homecoming 5K for a second year! This year was a much different experience as it was cold and rainy, but we still had a great time and set a PR for the course!
Thanksgiving Day Run
November 2012
A new family tradition!
By the time Thanksgiving rolled around we were feeling great! We decided that the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving Day with a healthy activity was our new tradition! My parents were excited to come cheer us on and we were excited to tackle the 4 mile course again now that we had done great distance runs! This time we brought along my nice and nephew and they decided to participate in the kids race. My niece was very nervous and asked her Mom to run along side her, but my nephew was ready to run and took off like a rocket! We all had a great time participating in the race and decided it was definitely a new family tradition!
Tinker bell Half Marathon
January 2013
Our first official HALF MARATHON!
This was the big moment! This was what we had been training for! We were so excited to participate not only in our first official half marathon, but our first Run Disney race! We decided that we would complete our Coast-to-Coast challenge in 2013 completing 2 half marathons, one in Disneyland and one in Disney World. We decided to wear costumes, I had a green glittery tutu and wings and Mark had his Peter Pan hat. The race started at 5:30 AM and we had to be to the course to get in our corral no later than 4 am. We were so nervous that we hardly slept! We got up at 2:30 to start getting ready and decided to head over on the first bus so we could relax and enjoy the pre-race party before lining up to run. The energy was amazing! There was dancing and a DJ and TONS of people! We were definitely one of the first to arrive, but soon the crowds started pouring in and it was time to make our way to the start line! We decided to head in right away so we could be near the front of our corral. It was such an exciting moment and we still couldn’t believe we had actually accomplished our goal or running in a Run Disney race! The course ran through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park and then through the city of Anaheim to end just outside of Disneyland. Our adrenaline was high and we were ready to run! We had a blast, stopping for ample pictures along the way and taking in every minute! One of the highlights of the race for me was the fact that the restrooms inside the park were open, so I didn’t even have to use a porta potty (I must have told my husband how excited I was about this 100 times), although learning how to go to the bathroom in a tutu was a learning experience! We couldn’t believe we had accomplished our first half marathon and we couldn’t wait for our next Run Disney experience!
To learn more and register for a RunDisney race click here.
To learn more and register for a RunDisney race click here.
A Break from Running
May 2013
Becoming a RYT!
After accomplishing our first half marathon we decided it would be healthy to take a little break from running to let our bodies recover. We were both having some pretty bad knee pain and we knew that the best thing to do was take a break and let our bodies heal or we would risk burning ourselves out. I decided to take on a new challenge in the mean time and registered for a 200-hour Yoga teacher training program. For 8 weeks I absorbed myself in my yoga practice, transformed my diet and got to know myself on the deepest level. The amount of personal growth and transformation that occurred in those 8 weeks was exponential and in so many ways it saved me. I have always struggled with low self esteem and anxiety, I had gained almost 30 pounds in the last 5 years and I was eating foods that were making my insides unhappy. I finally took some time to step back and ask myself who I was and started to remove things from my life that were no longer serving me. Becoming a runner had given me the strength to take this journey and now I was truly healing myself from the inside out! This was a major step in my journey to becoming the happiest and healthiest person I had ever been!
Fire Hydrant 5K
June 2013
My Nephews first 5K
In March we registered for our 2nd Half Marathon in Disney World and we were ready to start training again! We thought a fun way to motivate ourselves to get back into running shape would be to invite my nephew to train with us! He was always talking to us about our running and we thought he might like to join in and complete his first 5K at the same race I had completed mine! We all registered and begin to train. I would check in with him each week to see how his training was going. The day of the big race came and he started out strong! We were running with some friends and he decided to keep up with their pace at the beginning. I kept warning him to take it slow, but he was caught up in the energy of the race. After about a mile he started to slow down and was having a hard time breathing. He was starting to panic about how many miles were left and was starting to doubt his ability to finish the race. We kept coaching him through, doing run/walk/run intervals and helping him to breath and work on his running form. We made it to the end and he was so proud of his accomplishment! It was a great moment to be a part of and we were so proud of him for pushing through!
Liberty Run
July 2013
A celebration of fitness!
We started to get our miles up and in July we decided to take a weekend trip to Denver to participate in a 4 Miler on the 4th of July. We started off the weekend with some Yoga on the Rocks at Red Rocks with Michael Franti. It was an amazing experience and a great celebration of our yoga practice together! We spent the night in downtown Denver and got up the next morning ready to tackle our race! We didn’t realize it was a 4 Miler until 3 miles in when we realized it was not in fact a 5K and we were both suffering from a late night in downtown Denver… But we persevered and had a great time on our surprise extra mile!
Adventure Run
July 2013
An adventure with an old friend!
I had read about this series of races that were free to participate in and involved a scavenger hunt each month for prizes. I thought it sounded like a fun adventure so I threw it out to my social network and an old friend from college said she would love to meet up with me and try it out. The concept was you got a map with clues and had 1 hour to run to as many points as you could and earn tickets for prizes. The longer distance locations had larger prizes, and there were a few mystery points and challenges along the way. We had a blast and made it to few different checkpoints earning a handful to tickets. It was definitely an adventure and a very warm July afternoon! It was great to meet up with an old friend and to share our joy of running, especially Disney running! She had completed her Coast-to-Coast challenge the year before! We had a great time catching up and we have continued to be supporters of one another running endeavors and bump in to each other frequently at different race events around the state.
Color Me Rad 5K
August 2013
A celebration of friendship!
To celebrate my friend’s upcoming wedding we thought doing a color run would make for a perfect bachelorette party! I had never done a color run before so I really didn’t know what to expect. We all wore white and had a number for the year we met the bride on our backs, it was a crazy experience and by the end I was covered in a rainbow of colors! I can’t say that is was my favorite race, by the end I felt like I had inhaled an entire chalk board… but it was definitely fun to do with a big group of people!
Mud Brigade Mud Run
September 2013
My first Mud race!
After tackling my first color run, I figured jumping into a pool of mud couldn’t be any worse… A bunch of my co-workers had signed up for a Mud Run and convinced me to join their team. I was extremely nervous the day before. I kept reading about the obstacles online and thinking, “what the world have I gotten myself into?” I did lots of research on what to wear, I got myself some spandex shorts, and a tight fitting, non-cotton top. I decided to wear a spandex material headband as I had heard it was a good way to project mud from getting into your ears. At the last minute I grabbed some old bicycle gloves I had to help with climbing I may have to do. I wanted to wear shoes that were comfortable to run in, but I didn’t mind getting destroyed, so I grabbed my retired shoes from the year before and I was feeling good! My whole family came out to support me and my husband and nephew ran along side every obstacle taking lots of pictures to document the entire thing. I remember arriving at the first obstacles and pausing for a moment, trying to decide how I could maneuver in a way to get the least dirty… and then I decided… Well, I’m here, might as well just dive in! After that first dive into the mud I was all in and had a blast every step of the way. One of my co-workers and I decided we would stick with each other the entire race. It was great to have a partner by my side and we helped each other along the way! I only skipped out on one obstacle after slipping and almost twisting my ankle. I decided it just wasn’t for me! At the end I was covered head to foot in mud, but I had a blast!
CSU Homecoming 5K
October 2013
A family affair!
This time around we decided to bring the whole family and my nephew decided to give another 5K a try. It was a cold, damp morning and slightly icy on the course, but we had a good time making our way around the course. My nephew was still struggling to get down his distance running, by Mile 1 he was struggling to keep it up, but the moment he saw the finish line he started to sprint! He came in strong to the finish and it was another successful race day for the three of us!
Wine and Dine Half Marathon
November 2013
Completing our Coast-to-coast
challenge!
This was the big one! We had been looking forward to this race since we first learned about RunDisney! A race where you run overnight and then get to wine and dine around the world until 3 am? What could be better than that?? We were so excited to see Disney World at Christmas Time and to experience our first International Wine and Food Festival at EPCOT!! We even stayed at the Beach Club resort so we could walk to EPCOT each day and attended Mickey’s Magical Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom. It was hands down the most magical and perfect vacation we had ever taken! We decided that we would run in the 5K in the morning and then head back to our room for an afternoon nap so we would be ready to run overnight and stay out as late as possible to enjoy the wine and food festival after our race. The 5K was a blast and so fun to see all the characters out in the holiday outfits. We were able to take a nice LONG nap and had a simple dinner poolside at our resort. We then got ourselves ready and made our way to the starting line party so we could enjoy the festivities. We decided to wait in life for a few photos before the race, in retrospect, this may not have been the best decision as our legs got pretty tired mid-way into the race. But we didn’t care! We had a blast and stayed until the last minute possible at the after party, savoring lobster tails and wine and all sorts of delicious foods! We headed back to our room for a little nap before another day in the parks to celebrate our Coast-to-Coast victory!
Pelican Lakes Turkey Trot
November 2013
A family tradition!
We decided to try out a different Thanksgiving Day run to get away from the crowds downtown. We thought it would be fun to try out a smaller event and to bring the whole family this time. My nephew wanted to try one more 5K and my niece, who has no interest in running, signed up for the wild turkey challenge! It was a clear, crisp morning and the mountain views were beautiful from the course. The air was cold and my nephew has struggling to keep his breath and his lack of training was becoming obvious. We made it through the race, but he made the decision that long distance running was just not for him. For the Wild Turkey Challenge they laid out easter eggs and the kids had to run around and collect as many as they could without getting caught by the wild turkey. It was a very bizarre blend of Thanksgiving and Easter fun and my niece has a blast! It was a fun way to change things up and continue the tradition of a Thanksgiving Day run!
Grays Peak
July 2014
Our 1st 14er!
In July my husband was celebrating his 30th birthday and a good friend was celebrating her recovery from kicking cancers ass. We decided that there would be no better way to celebrate than by tackling our first 14er! We decided to hike to the summit of Grays Peak at 14,278-feet. All our running had prepared us for the physical task of climbing a mountain and our lungs were well trained from the endurance of long distance running, but it was still tough! We made it to the peak and the feeling of standing on top of the world was truly incredible! We had both come so far in our physical fitness and mental endurance to be able to make that hike and it was an amazing way to celebrate!
Equinox 5 Miler
September 2014
Our first run down the canyon!
We had always contemplating doing the Equinox half marathon, but we’ve always been hesitant about the idea of running downhill for 13.1 miles, but we had some friends convince to sign up for the 5 Miler option and we thought it would be a perfect way to get a taste of the downhill running experience. It was a gorgeous fall morning so we hopped aboard the school bus to make our way up to the start. We had a great time running down the canyon with friends, and finished strong, but after 5 miles my hips and knees had had enough of the downhill curving road!
The Equinox Half Marathon and 5 Milers is run each year on the Autumnal Equinox, to learn more and to resister click here.
The Equinox Half Marathon and 5 Milers is run each year on the Autumnal Equinox, to learn more and to resister click here.
Tower of Terror 10 Miler
October 2014
Another Disney race!
We just couldn’t resist registered for another RunDisney race! We had seen the medals for the Tower of Terror 10 Miler at previous RunDisney events and decided we just had to have one, plus an excuse to return to Disney World during the International Wine and Food Festival and attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party seemed like a no brainer. Oh, and we even made a trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!! I decided to try out KT tape for the first time and had it applied at the race expo, this ended up being an EXCELLENT decision and for the first time my knees were not even a little bit sore when we finished the race! The race itself was a ton of fun, however, I made a BAD food choice at the starting line party and ended up being very ill during the entire 10 mile run (I learned the hard way exactly what the side affects of my Banana allergy are). But, I made the best of it, got over my fear of the porta potty and made it to the finish! We also learned two other valuable lessons on this race… This was the first race we decided not to bring along our camera and just take photos using our phones. Our pictures didn’t turn out very well and both of our phones were almost dead by the finish, so this was a fail. We also did not have enough warm clothes, which seems CRAZY for Orlando in October! We had heard from previous runners to expect miserable weather conditions, the last few years it had been extremley hot and humid, so we were prepared to be warm and sweaty… However, the weather took a strange turn and it ended up being VERY cold for Orlando in October! We were frozen by the end, and being sick wasn’t helping matters! We threw on our long sleeve shirts, made our way to the after party and after some food and water I was feeling much better! I was even able to ride the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror before the park closed for the night! This race taught me a lot! My ability to endure under the most miserable of conditions made me realize how strong running had made me!
Rock ‘n’ Roll 10K
October 2014
Another Rock ‘n’ Roll Adventure!
We had decided in the early fall to register for the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Denver 10K. We LOVED the medals and the t-shirts were much cooler than the half marathon shirts, so we thought, why not! We knew we would be coming off of a 10 mile race, so a 10K would be a breeze, but after my experience in Disney I was really nervous about race day! At this point I hadn’t made the connection between the allergic reaction to the food eaten before our race and my illness, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We decided to go down the night before and spend the evening in Denver so we wouldn’t have to stress about getting up early and driving down for an early start. It worked out great as we got an extra hour and half of sleep and had a short walk around the block to the bus that would take us to the start line. We ended up bumping into our friends in the bus line, so we didn’t even have to worry about finding them at the start line! It ended up being a great race and this time we had invested in some thermal blankets to keep us warm at the start! This was also my first experience using KT tape with my own application and I felt great after the race! We had a great time and made an entire weekend out of it and decided that we definitely need to do the Denver Rock ‘n’ Rolle more often!
Pelican Lakes Turkey Trot
November 2014
A New Thanksgiving tradition!
We couldn’t let the tradition die so we decided for another year the Pelican Lakes Turkey Trot! This year only my mom made it out to cheer us on, but we had a great time, it was a gorgeous clear morning and it was a perfect excuse to invest in a turkey leg hat!
Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend
January 2015
Coming full circle!
When we heard that Disney had acquired the Star Wars franchise the first words out of my mouth were, “I bet they will add a Star Wars Half Marathon!” I anxiously watched the RunDisney webpage and social media sites like a hawk and FINALLY they announced the event! I was so excited and put the registration day on my calendar! When the day came I sat at my computer hitting refresh 1,000 times until the link finally came online to register! I had both my computer and my husband’s computer set to go and was able to register us both for the Inaugural 5K, 10K and Half Marathon! The 10K & Half were a part of the Rebel Challenge, but we figured, why not do the 5K too! The race sold out in just under 2 hours and I was SWEATING by the time I printed all our registration receipts! I couldn’t believe we got a spot! When we told our family and friends they thought we were crazy!! We were going to do a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon all in one weekend? We planned our costumes for months and we caved and finally bought a treadmill so we wouldn’t have the excuse of cold weather to prevent us from training! Then I got a new job… It was my DREAM job and with being in school full time for my masters and teaching certificate on top of a new, and high demanding career I was SWAMPED! We just didn’t have the time or energy to train, but we figured, “Oh well, whats 22.4 miles? We’ve done 16.2 before in a day, whats 6.2 more?” We figured we would be stopping for tons of pictures and we would simply walk and jog the 5K and 10K saving our energy for the Half.
Finally race weekend came and we were so excited! We had planned everything out and our costumes were perfect! The weekend was jam packed! We flew out EARLY Thursday morning and spent the afternoon at the race expo. We had dinner plans for that night and then made our way to the Wookie Welcome Party to celebrate and ride rides until midnight the night before the 5K. We were exhausted, but on cloud 9! We got back to our room and took a 3 hour power nap before we were up and getting ready for the 5K. We decided that we had done the start line party before and had been at the front of our corral for every other Disney race so this time we would show up, line up and run! It worked out really well and we stayed nice and warm and cozy with our thermal blankets! We stopped and took a ton of pictures and enjoyed every mile of the 5K. We decided to keep ourselves awake the rest of the day so we could go to bed NICE and early to be rested for the 10K. We visited some friends in the area and then had a nice dinner in our room and called it a night. The next morning we were ready to take on the 10K! We were going strong and feeling great! We even managed to make it to Darth Vader before they cut off the line! While we were waiting for our picture the race officials came by to warn us the the pacer was 2 minutes out and once she passed us we would have 1 minute to make it .25 miles to the cutoff point. At this point about half of the line bailed and we decided to wait it out! 1 minute later she came by again to warn us that the pacer was now 30 second away and we would have to make the decision on whether or not to wait and risk being cut from the race. At this point all but 3 people bailed from the line and we decided to get our picture and sprint to get in front of the pacer. We got our picture and took off running! We made it in front of the pacer just in time and finished the race! It was a great story to tell! We spend the afternoon visiting more friends and by the afternoon we were spent! We ate some pizza in the room, re-applied our KT tape and called it a night! Mark’s knees were hurting pretty bad and I was having terrible pain down the outsides of my shins.
We didn’t sleep so great that night. We were both feeling pretty sore and nervous about tacking the last 13.1 miles of our adventure. We woke up around 9 PM and watched the fireworks out of window and then before we knew it was time to get up and get ready for the final race! We got dressed, made our way to the start line nice and early so we could be at the front of our corral and started to pump ourselves up! We had decided that we would walk/jog the race as we were both in pretty bad shape at this point. We enjoyed the first few miles, stopping for pictures with the characters in the park and before we knew it that dastardly pacer was upon us! We thought about calling it quits, but we powered through it and kept our pace at the end of the pack. We were suffering pretty bad, my leg was tingling and Mark could no longer bend his knee. By 10 miles we were miserable, but we knew we were too far in to quit now! We powered through the last 3.1 miles, coaching each other on and taking in the experience of being at the end of the race. It reminded us of what an accomplishment it is to finish a race, no matter the distance and we were inspired by those around us pushing to make it to the finish line. We crossed the finish and we were elated to have completed the longest and hardest race of our life! We relished in the glory, received our medals and headed back to the hotel room to relax and pack up our things. We had a fight back home for late that evening so we decided to spend the afternoon at the beach. We were both in pretty bad shape, so we thought that simply sitting on the beach and watching the sunset would be a perfect way to end our vacation, and it really was! It felt like a closing to an amazing chapter in our life! We may not have finished with a PR, but we had accomplished something truly great and we had grown closer than ever in the process! It was the perfect end to a perfect trip!
We made our way to the airport, had a relaxing dinner before boarding the plane and when we landed in Denver around midnight we were exhausted, sore and ready to get home! My ankle had swollen to over twice it’s size on the flight and I was having stabbing pains! I had read about chronic compartment syndrome online and had an inkling that may be what was causing the pain and swelling. The swelling went down and after seeing the doctor the next day he confirmed that I was having symptoms of compartment syndrome and the best remedy was to rest, ice and elevate. After about a week the swelling went away, but soreness is reminding me that it’s not time to start running again just yet. I had never experienced a long term, serious injury from running and I’m not great at taking time to recover, but this injury is teaching me a whole new form of endurance. Sometimes we need a reminder to find balance in life and to take time to heal, reflect and challenge ourselves in new ways. I look forward to the next race and know that in time I will be lacing up my shoes and hitting the road again, but for now I am finding peace in the memories of the many miles in my trail.
Finally race weekend came and we were so excited! We had planned everything out and our costumes were perfect! The weekend was jam packed! We flew out EARLY Thursday morning and spent the afternoon at the race expo. We had dinner plans for that night and then made our way to the Wookie Welcome Party to celebrate and ride rides until midnight the night before the 5K. We were exhausted, but on cloud 9! We got back to our room and took a 3 hour power nap before we were up and getting ready for the 5K. We decided that we had done the start line party before and had been at the front of our corral for every other Disney race so this time we would show up, line up and run! It worked out really well and we stayed nice and warm and cozy with our thermal blankets! We stopped and took a ton of pictures and enjoyed every mile of the 5K. We decided to keep ourselves awake the rest of the day so we could go to bed NICE and early to be rested for the 10K. We visited some friends in the area and then had a nice dinner in our room and called it a night. The next morning we were ready to take on the 10K! We were going strong and feeling great! We even managed to make it to Darth Vader before they cut off the line! While we were waiting for our picture the race officials came by to warn us the the pacer was 2 minutes out and once she passed us we would have 1 minute to make it .25 miles to the cutoff point. At this point about half of the line bailed and we decided to wait it out! 1 minute later she came by again to warn us that the pacer was now 30 second away and we would have to make the decision on whether or not to wait and risk being cut from the race. At this point all but 3 people bailed from the line and we decided to get our picture and sprint to get in front of the pacer. We got our picture and took off running! We made it in front of the pacer just in time and finished the race! It was a great story to tell! We spend the afternoon visiting more friends and by the afternoon we were spent! We ate some pizza in the room, re-applied our KT tape and called it a night! Mark’s knees were hurting pretty bad and I was having terrible pain down the outsides of my shins.
We didn’t sleep so great that night. We were both feeling pretty sore and nervous about tacking the last 13.1 miles of our adventure. We woke up around 9 PM and watched the fireworks out of window and then before we knew it was time to get up and get ready for the final race! We got dressed, made our way to the start line nice and early so we could be at the front of our corral and started to pump ourselves up! We had decided that we would walk/jog the race as we were both in pretty bad shape at this point. We enjoyed the first few miles, stopping for pictures with the characters in the park and before we knew it that dastardly pacer was upon us! We thought about calling it quits, but we powered through it and kept our pace at the end of the pack. We were suffering pretty bad, my leg was tingling and Mark could no longer bend his knee. By 10 miles we were miserable, but we knew we were too far in to quit now! We powered through the last 3.1 miles, coaching each other on and taking in the experience of being at the end of the race. It reminded us of what an accomplishment it is to finish a race, no matter the distance and we were inspired by those around us pushing to make it to the finish line. We crossed the finish and we were elated to have completed the longest and hardest race of our life! We relished in the glory, received our medals and headed back to the hotel room to relax and pack up our things. We had a fight back home for late that evening so we decided to spend the afternoon at the beach. We were both in pretty bad shape, so we thought that simply sitting on the beach and watching the sunset would be a perfect way to end our vacation, and it really was! It felt like a closing to an amazing chapter in our life! We may not have finished with a PR, but we had accomplished something truly great and we had grown closer than ever in the process! It was the perfect end to a perfect trip!
We made our way to the airport, had a relaxing dinner before boarding the plane and when we landed in Denver around midnight we were exhausted, sore and ready to get home! My ankle had swollen to over twice it’s size on the flight and I was having stabbing pains! I had read about chronic compartment syndrome online and had an inkling that may be what was causing the pain and swelling. The swelling went down and after seeing the doctor the next day he confirmed that I was having symptoms of compartment syndrome and the best remedy was to rest, ice and elevate. After about a week the swelling went away, but soreness is reminding me that it’s not time to start running again just yet. I had never experienced a long term, serious injury from running and I’m not great at taking time to recover, but this injury is teaching me a whole new form of endurance. Sometimes we need a reminder to find balance in life and to take time to heal, reflect and challenge ourselves in new ways. I look forward to the next race and know that in time I will be lacing up my shoes and hitting the road again, but for now I am finding peace in the memories of the many miles in my trail.
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