Recap: Disney Princess Glass Slipper Challenge

The Anticipation

       I signed up for the Glass Slipper Challenge in July of 2014.  The race sold out in under 2 hours.  Luckily, I was able to get in.  I was not as fortunate in the inaugural year.  Then the waiting began (7 months and 1 week but who was counting?).

The Expo

     My friend Ena and I arrived around noon on Friday.  The expo opened on Thursday morning.  We had run the Princess half twice before so this wasn't our first expo.  However, we both joined a Glass Slipper Challenge Facebook group and had seen pictures of some merchandise we wanted to buy.  By the time we arrived most of it was already sold out.   There were no more pretty race jackets, wine glasses, Dooney & Bourke purses, race lanyards, or "I Did It" shirts to be found.  The sad part is that there were pictures posted by other "princesses" of people buying these items in bulk.  They then turned around and listed them on eBay and a few other websites with a big mark up.  Disney should consider limiting the number of items allowed to be purchased per person.   I think you should have to show your bib in order to buy them.  They could then stamp the back of the bib indicating that you already made your purchase.  Alternately, they could have more items available as pre-orders with registration.  Lesson learned.  If we ever decide to do another challenge race, we will arrive on the first day.

The Hotel

     We stayed at the Art of Animation resort on Disney property.  I absolutely loved it.  We were in a Little Mermaid room.  I think this may be my favorite Disney resort now.  The room was nice and spacious.  There were several pools to choose from and enjoy.  I definitely want to stay there again.

                      

Enchanted 10K

     The temperature was in the thirties the morning of the 10K.  It was hard to get warm.  Disney did have some heaters in the staging area where we waited to go to our corrals.  Those were nice if you were able to get close enough to them.  I was glad I packed some leggings and a long sleeve shirt for this race.  When I got to the finish line, it had only warmed up to forty-five degrees.
     One of my favorite things about Disney races (besides the bling, of course) is planning out what to wear.  Frozen was the theme we chose this year.  My daughter made me this cute Olaf shirt.  I love it!



The Half Marathon

     Thankfully, it warmed up quite a bit by the next morning.  We had beautiful Florida weather for the half marathon.  I was in corral I which was about in the middle of all of the corrals.  I got to start by 6am.  This was approximately my 15th half marathon.  However, it was the most challenging one.  I was not able to run it because of my plantar fasciitis and tendinitis.  Both injuries have improved thanks to my wonderful physical therapist and massage therapist.  I didn't want to risk a major set back by attempting to run so I had decided ahead of time that I would walk both races.  I am a fast walker so I was confident that I could keep up a fast enough pace throughout the race to avoid being swept.  I never once saw the balloon ladies.  I did look behind me several times to make sure they were nowhere in sight.  By the time I got to mile marker 4, I was starting to have doubts that I could finish.  I was questioning what in the world I was thinking even attempting this challenge with an injury.  I was getting teary-eyed.  I couldn't run with my friend.  It was just me and my playlist.  As most of you know, running is in great part a mental game.  By mile 6, I had gotten my head in the game and found strength and determination.  The last 3 miles were tough.  There were a lot of overpasses and uneven surfaces.  My hips and legs were on fire.  I could feel that my feet were swollen because my shoes had gotten progressively tighter.  I wasn't about to quit.  I finished in 3 hours and 22 minutes.  I had completed the Glass Slipper Challenge and I was proud of myself.

Have you run the Disney Princess half?  What was your favorite moment?

The Right Shoes

     I have been running for about 6 years now.  All this time I thought I was wearing the "right" shoes.  I thought that the more supportive the shoe was, the better it was for me.  I was WRONG!

     I went to see an orthopedist last week to see if he could help me with my plantar fasciitis so that I can hit the pavement again.  He informed me that I was in the wrong shoes.  I have been running in Brooks Adrenalines every year.  I wear one pair out and replace them with a new one.

     He compared  my shoes to a cast.  When you have to wear a cast, your muscles start to atrophy.  My shoes were like casts for my feet.  To make matters even worse, I had supportive inserts in an already too supportive shoe.   My feet didn't have to do any work in my shoes.  They weren't doing any work.  When I changed to a less supportive shoe (on the advice of a man at the running store), my foot got "angry" because it had to work now.  Therefore, I developed the plantar fasciitis.

     This made perfect sense once he explained it all to me.  Why hadn't anyone told me this before?  I am now supposed to gradually work my way down to much less supportive shoes.  My progression was to first remove the supportive inserts in the Adrenalines for a few weeks.  Then, put those inserts in my Ravennas for a couple of weeks.  Next, remove the inserts from the Ravennas.  The goal is to work my way down to a pair of Pure Cadence shoes that have minimal support.

     In case you are wondering, the orthopedist I saw specializes in running and running injuries.  He gives lectures around the country about both topics.  He is also a runner himself.

     Do you have any running injuries?  Could the wrong shoes be part of your problem also?

Here is a link from the American College of Sports Medicine about selecting running shoes.
https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/running-shoes.pdf

Here is a list of recommended shoes that I received. 

Countdown to the Glass Slipper Challenge

     We are 30 days away from the beginning of the Glass Slipper Challenge.  I am excited and nervous.  I have run the Princess Half twice before but this is different.  Any time there is a challenge involved, it seems more exciting.

     When Disney had the inaugural GSC in 2014, I tried to sign up.  I made the mistake of waiting until I got home from work to try to register.  As you can imagine, it was too late.  I didn't make the same mistake again.  I set an alarm on my phone and asked a friend to come sit in my classroom so that I could get on the computer right at noon.  There were so many people on the website trying to register that it took me a little more than 30 minutes to register.  It sold out in less than 2 hours.  I got my spot though.  I was thrilled to find out that my friend Ena was also able to register.  She was originally going to sign up for just the half marathon but had a change of heart at the last minute.  We ran the other 2 Princess races together.

     We are staying at the Art of Animation resort in a Little Mermaid room.  I have never stayed at this resort before so I am looking forward to checking it out.  I was a big Little Mermaid fan when the movie was first released.  

     I haven't been able to train or run at all for the last 4 weeks due to plantar fasciitis.  That makes me a bit nervous.  I have an appointment with an orthopedist who specializes in running injuries on Monday.  Hopefully, he will tell me I can start running again.  In the meantime, I will continue to stretch, ice, and roll my foot.  

     My friend Ena decided to dress in an Anna costume.  I think costumes make races so much more fun.  I still have to put my Elsa costume together.  I am quickly running out of time.  

Are you participating in any of the races during the Disney Princess weekend?  Will you be wearing a costume?

Virtual Races

     Running is an expensive hobby.  I don't think anyone can argue with me on that point.  There are registration fees, hotel stays, meals, travel expenses, shoes, clothing, massages, foam rollers and other gadgets, etc.  The list could go on and on.  Last year, I discovered virtual races.  They have their pros and cons but they are a great way to run a "race" and cut down on some costs.

     Let's look at the pros.  First, you can run some virtual races throughout the year which may help you reach a goal if you want to run a certain number of races.  I ran 3 virtual half marathons last year which helped me reach my goal of 12 for the year.  Second, the cost is much less than having to travel to an official race.  Finally, you still get the bling!! The medals are actually quite nice.  

     There are always some cons.  Virtual races aren't as much fun as official races.  There aren't swarms of people.   There is no expo to attend.  You don't have a finish line to cross.  No photo ops.  However, you can still run with a friend to make it more fun.  

     The only site I used last year to sign up for virtual races was US Road Running.  Recently, I found a new one called Will Run for Bling and Charity.  There are also many official races that offer a virtual option.  The Jeff Galloway 13.1 is offereing a virtual option.  I will be signing up for a couple of virtuals again this year.  How do you feel about virtual races?  Will you be running any this year?

The Gambler

     I am reminded of the lyrics to the Kenny Rogers song "The Gambler" as I talk about my 13th half marathon of the year.  The song lyrics say:
"You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run" 
     
     I didn't know when to "hold 'em" or "when to run" but I did know when to walk away.  I went into this race with some mild heel pain that had started the weekend before.  It really didn't hurt much throughout the week so I thought it would be okay to get in one more race.  I quickly found out that I was wrong.  I ran the first mile.  The pain started to get worse.  I decided to walk and continued to do so for the next 4 miles.  I like to finish everything I start so it was REALLY hard for me to make the decision to "walk away" and call this race quits.  However, that is exactly what I did.  Well, it was more like I hobbled away.  I was very upset but I know I made the right decision.  
   
     After a visit to my massage therapist and an ortho screening at a local physical therapist, it was determined that I have plantar fasciitis.  It is a common running injury but I had never had it before.  In my case,  it is believed to have been caused by a very tight calf muscle.  My next race isn't until the end of February (Disney Glass Slipper Challenge).  Until then, a lacrosse ball, the cold pool, and other stretching devices will be my best friends.  Have you ever had a running injury?  If so, did you know when to walk away?

The Best of Times and The Worst of Times: A Recap of 2014

     I set a goal for myself to run 12 half marathons in 2014.  If you ask me today why I set that goal, I will tell you that I am honestly not sure.  Every year I try to set a new fitness goal.  I think I just wanted to see if I could do it or not.  I am also addicted to running bling.  Who isn’t?

     My journey began in California in January where my friend Ena and I ran the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland.  That one will always be special for several reasons.  It was my first time visiting California.  I had always dreamed of going to Disneyland.  The dream finally became a reality.  I enjoyed visiting both Disneyland and California Adventure.  I think my favorite ride that we don’t have here in Florida was the Matterhorn.  This race also helped me earn the Disney Coast to Coast medal.  I was very emotional when I got that medal at Disney World after running the Princess Half in February.  This year they had a special pink Coast to Coast medal.  I love pink!

     I live in Gainesville, Florida (home of the Gators) so all of my other races occured in my home state.  Next on my calendar was the First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon.  I got a PR in this one so it was also memorable.  If you haven’t run this one before, I highly recommend it.  It was a great course.  All participants who register for 2015 get a FREE jacket (as if I needed any more temptation).  I love free stuff!  

     The following month brought me to Clearwater for the Iron Girl Half Marathon.  I found the most amazing breakfast place on this trip! If you are ever in Clearwater, Florida for any reason, you HAVE to go to Lenny’s for breakfast.  It was incredible! It reminded me a lot of a place we used to have in Gainesville called Skeeter’s.  They even named an item on the menu after one of Skeeter’s most popular items, the Asher.  Did I mention that they bring you a complimentary danish basket?  Need I say more?  What a great find this was!

     If you live in Florida like I do, you know that nobody has official races in the summertime because of the heat and humidity.  I had to be creative to stay on track.  I found out that US Road Running offers virtual races.  They come complete with a race bib and a medal.  The cost is only $16.99.  They ship the bib and medal out to you right away and you just have to post your results before the deadline given.  Simple! I love it! I did 3 virtual races this year.

     Next up was a race in Gainesville called the Chord Half Marathon.  It was probably my least favorite race of the year but it was for a good cause.  The race supports the Division of Genetics and Metabolism at the University of Florida (my alma mater).  One of the reasons I wasn’t too overly excited about this race is the fact that I had jet lag.  I had just flown in from Spain on a 10 hour flight with many airport delays.  That was my first trip out of the country.  I tried my best to stay hydrated on the flight but it wasn’t easy.  I didn’t get home until after midnight the morning of the race.  I did make a new running friend at this race though.  I love talking to new people and making new friends at races! 

     I continued to run for a cause in October in Jacksonville at the Marine Corp. Half Marathon.  I started this race out wet but luckily it stopped raining before the race actually began.  I cannot say the same for race #9 of the year.  For the first time in six years of running, I did not luck out with Mother Nature.  I went to Disney World again to run the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  This is a night race that begins at 10pm.  Want to guess what time it started to rain? You guessed it.  It started raining right at race time and continued for almost the entire race.  I was wet, cold, and pretty miserable but still had fun stopping for character pictures.

     I drove to Cocoa Beach the weekend after Thanksgiving to run Space Coast for race #10.  This was my first year doing the Space Coast Half.  I will definitely sign up again next year.  It was a nice course along the water.  We saw dolphins playing in the water several times throughout the race.  I was actually on the marathon course not the half marathon course. The half marathon sold out so quickly that a few friends and I had to register for the full and just stop at the halfway point.  This race has a nice medal and if you sign up 3 years in a row, you get a special medal.  There is also a special one for running it 5 years in a row.  I will shoot for 3 years and then decide if I am going for 5 or not.   

       The following weekend I took a trip to St. Augustine for the Run Like a Diva Half.  It was super windy and overcast for this race.  My favorite part was at the finish line where some sexy firefighters handed out the medals and posed for pictures.  Would you run faster if you knew there were hot guys at the finish line?  Apparently, it motivated my friend and I. We got PRs at this race.  

     My last race of the year was one of my virtual races.  I ran it at home alone.  It did bring me another PR and I finished my goal.  I ran 12 half marathons in 2014.  My best time of the year was 2:32:54.  My worst was at the Wine and Dine with a time of 3:13:56.  This year did in fact bring me "the best of times and the worst of times".  What is the greatest number of races that you have completed in a calendar year?  What races are you looking forward to running in 2015?