Every Mile is a Miracle

[SheHulk]

I'm in a funk. I feel disconnected. I have skipped my last 3 weeks of Sunday Long Runs. I feel like I am ruining my PR goals for my half in September.

Meh.

Ugh sorry. a) you still may surprise yourself in September and b) there will be many, many more races if you don't.

 

[Bree]

I'm in a funk. I feel disconnected. I have skipped my last 3 weeks of Sunday Long Runs. I feel like I am ruining my PR goals for my half in September.

Meh.

Ugh. I’m with Sarah with telling you not to skip your runs! Sometimes it can feel physically impossible to even be able to get dressed and put your running shoes on, but you’ll feel better in the end. Your run may feel sluggish and slow, but it’ll give you a chance to either think about things or maybe just get lost in some music. You live in a beautiful area so get out there and take in a sunrise and enjoy the sights! Turn your watch off and just enjoy running with no goal in mind. I think sometimes we get so caught up in sticking to “the plan” we forget why we started running in the first place. When you get back snuggle with that sweet girl of yours.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

I'll just offer a hug

 

[jennamfeo]

@SarahDisney @SheHulk @Bree @run.minnie.miles -- Thanks friends. Glad I have you all around. <3

 

[KSellers88]

 

[FredtheDuck]

Sending hugs and good vibes your way. Be kind to yourself.

 

[jennamfeo]

Mid-week update of sorts:
- I ran this morning for the first time since Saturday. If you're keeping track, that means I am like way off my training schedule, but not enough that I can't get back. Current status: trying to get back.
- I only ran 2 miles, but that was all I needed to be reminded about how amazing I feel after a run. Very close second to how amazing my bed felt this morning as it held me hostage and wouldn't let me get my full 5 miles in.
- I am headed to the gym during lunch to get 3 more miles in to complete my 5 miles for today.
- I am just shifting all my runs this week one day over so I can still get my scheduled training in.
- We have been kid free all week and have been enjoying happy hour together after work. Tonight I am meeting up with a girlfriend since husband has to work. And tomorrow I am going to the brewery my husband works at for some trivia. Then Friday we head back to Vegas for the weekend.
- Thanks to everyone who has checked in on me. I say this often, but life is hard. I do my best to ride through the lows, but sometimes they get me. This is literally the most committed to running I have ever been. I have been running consistently since November and I should be really proud of that. I shouldn't let days that I feel like I need or want to skip get me down because I am still better now than I was a year ago.

 

[SarahDisney]

Yay for running! Even if you're not 100% on plan, the fact that you're admitting that you're not running instead of just ignoring it means you're committed to the plan and you want to be on plan, and that's awesome.
Just keep doing the best you can. Maybe throw in some other things you love (more swimming?). You'll get back there soon.

Also, you have way more fun than I do and I'm kinda super jealous.

 

[Keels]

Mid-week update of sorts:
- I ran this morning for the first time since Saturday. If you're keeping track, that means I am like way off my training schedule, but not enough that I can't get back. Current status: trying to get back.
- I only ran 2 miles, but that was all I needed to be reminded about how amazing I feel after a run. Very close second to how amazing my bed felt this morning as it held me hostage and wouldn't let me get my full 5 miles in.
- I am headed to the gym during lunch to get 3 more miles in to complete my 5 miles for today.
- I am just shifting all my runs this week one day over so I can still get my scheduled training in.
- We have been kid free all week and have been enjoying happy hour together after work. Tonight I am meeting up with a girlfriend since husband has to work. And tomorrow I am going to the brewery my husband works at for some trivia. Then Friday we head back to Vegas for the weekend.
- Thanks to everyone who has checked in on me. I say this often, but life is hard. I do my best to ride through the lows, but sometimes they get me. This is literally the most committed to running I have ever been. I have been running consistently since November and I should be really proud of that. I shouldn't let days that I feel like I need or want to skip get me down because I am still better now than I was a year ago.

I can send you more pictures of my foot if you want.

 

[jennamfeo]

Looking back on the craziness of the last few weeks, I realize now that I needed to step away from my plan for a bit. Today I am feeling more motivated than ever. I am ready to take on these last weeks of my training head on. I am ready to get back into my running therapy sessions. All is well, even if only in this one single moment.

Upcoming Schedule:
Mon 7/30 - Strength Training
Tues 7/31 - 5 mi @ EB (10:58) + Taco Tuesday!
Wed 8/1 - 1 mi @ WU + 6 x .5 mi @ T Pace (9:04) + 1 mi @ CD
Thurs 8/2 - 5 mi @ EA (11:45)
Fri 8/3 - DISNEYLAND!!!!
Sat 8/4 - 7 mi @ EB (10:58) around Disneyland + then UNIVERSAL!!!
Sun 8/5 - 3 mi @ WU + 5 mi @ HM Tempo (9:24) + 2 mi @ CD along the beach!!

It's finally Disneyland and Universal week!!! Of course, I have slacked on outfit planning so I have nothing Harry Potter themed to wear to Universal and I don't have anything that matches my Rose Gold Ears for Disneyland. But I am really excited to run around the Disneyland property for my Saturday morning run. I might even wear an old Disneyland race shirt and cry a little. And then running along the beach in California on Sunday is going to be so much fun. I might even see if any friends who live in the area want to join me for a few miles.
As for the weekend itself, my mom invited herself to come to Universal with us. Which is fine, but I'm a little salty about it because she has owed me a trip to Universal since I was 10 and made it to State competition for swim team. BUT OKAY MOM I'LL BUY YOUR TICKET. It's probably safe to say I am going to be spending all week planning out our day for Disneyland and Universal. So send me all your tips!

 

[SarahDisney]

I'm so glad you're feeling motivated again! Sometimes all it takes is a few weeks off-plan to remember how much you enjoy running.

Super jealous of your Disneyland and Universal trip! Any chance I can join you too? Unlike your mom, I'll buy my own ticket (I do have a race that I need for my 9+1 on Sunday ... but I can always skip that and do a different race.) I don't have any planning tips since I'm sure you've been there much more recently than I have. But think of me when you're on the former California Screamin', since that used to be my favorite ride.

 

[jennamfeo]

Super jealous of your Disneyland and Universal trip! Any chance I can join you too? Unlike your mom, I'll buy my own ticket (I do have a race that I need for my 9+1 on Sunday ... but I can always skip that and do a different race.) I don't have any planning tips since I'm sure you've been there much more recently than I have. But think of me when you're on the former California Screamin', since that used to be my favorite ride.

You can most definitely join along! Haha. I have only been on California Screamin' once, but I loved it. I am excited to see the changes they did for Incredibles 2, but that the ride itself is going to be the same. I also heard there will be a cookie scent in one tunnel, which sounds awesome.

 

[ZellyB]

I'm trying to get caught back up on my journal reading!!

I think it's good sometimes to step away for a bit especially when you start losing the fun of running. Glad you are feeling better about it again.

The trip sounds great. Hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Looking back on the craziness of the last few weeks, I realize now that I needed to step away from my plan for a bit. Today I am feeling more motivated than ever. I am ready to take on these last weeks of my training head on. I am ready to get back into my running therapy sessions. All is well, even if only in this one single moment.

It's finally Disneyland and Universal week!!! Of course, I have slacked on outfit planning so I have nothing Harry Potter themed to wear to Universal and I don't have anything that matches my Rose Gold Ears for Disneyland. But I am really excited to run around the Disneyland property for my Saturday morning run. I might even wear an old Disneyland race shirt and cry a little. And then running along the beach in California on Sunday is going to be so much fun. I might even see if any friends who live in the area want to join me for a few miles.
As for the weekend itself, my mom invited herself to come to Universal with us. Which is fine, but I'm a little salty about it because she has owed me a trip to Universal since I was 10 and made it to State competition for swim team. BUT OKAY MOM I'LL BUY YOUR TICKET. It's probably safe to say I am going to be spending all week planning out our day for Disneyland and Universal. So send me all your tips!

I'm trying to be better about reading people's training journals. I feel like I learn a lot from others and their willingness to share the tough days. Sometimes, I really don't want to get out there and do it so it helps when I realize I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Yea for Disneyland and Universal. I haven't been to Universal Hollywood in 5 years although I did visit Orlando last year. I bought a shirt for that very day which read "My Patronus is a Wookiee." Sure enough, it got the right reaction from a few people who recognized the mashup. If you haven't, be sure to visit the velociraptor paddock. I think they have that at Hollywood and it's pretty cool and sometimes really funny.

I really love MaxPass. The convenience is tremendous. It's nice to be able to book your next FastPass while in line for an attraction. I also think it recognizes your park hopper so once you activate your ticket, you can book for either park. It's nice to book that fastpass for Radiator Springs Racers in Disneyland. I also believe that MaxPass gives you a little bit shorter window (90 minutes) before your next fastpass reservation opens than regular fastpass (2 hours). If you didn't know, you get all the PhotoPass photos for download, but you should do that within 30 days. For ride photos, you will need to enter the code (letter and numbers on the photo screen) into the app. I like to take a picture of the photo and enter the code a few minutes later instead of trying to stress about it right then and there where it's a more chaotic and crowded.

 

[jennamfeo]

Countdown to Disneyland/Universal Trip: 2 days!

The Plan - Disneyland:
I spent yesterday agonizing over our course of action for the day -- where to start, what FP to grab and when, where to eat. I basically overwhelmed myself to the point that I want to not go. So I stepped back and realized that it's just me, my husband, and Bay and there is no reason to over complicate this trip. We only have one day and we have our list of favorite rides and I know we will be able to ride them all, easy peasy. But, of course, I still had to make a plan soooo....
1. Get to Downtown Disney around 7:30am and grab some Starbucks.
2. Get to park gates at 8:15am, wait for them to let us in.
3. Hopefully get in around 8:30am, go to Tomorrowland and wait. (Grab a FP for something if I can.)
4. At 9am, head over to sign Bay up for Jedi Training.
5. Go ride Peter Pan.
After that it's all go with the flow status. See what's available on FP and what we want to ride. I have picked out some food I want to try that is specific to Pixar Fest, such as the Coco Churros and the Monster Mint Shake. I saw that they have Moana out, so we must definitely meet her. And hopefully we can run into Spiderman, since that is Bay's favorite super hero.

The Plan - Universal Studios:
NO. FREAKING. CLUE.
*pause*
Okay, I'm back after doing some research. One huge pet peeve that I have is when you are research tips for park trips their number one tip is "DoN't Go WhEn It iS bUsY." LIKE OKAY, I get that going during a peak time isn't favorable but sometimes it's the only option. You can go ahead and leave that tip off there, thanks. And then I was reading another guide that was like "Flight of the Hippogriff is a waste of time if you’re over the age of 5." While I appreciate your honestly, this was a completely unnecessary and unhelpful tip. And I am gonna ride it anyway.
So that leaves me at: I found a pretty solid day plan. If I buy tickets through the Universal Website, we can get Early Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We start there. And after that we just go with the flow. The only problem is, we need to leave our hotel at like 6am after possibly hanging out at Disneyland until midnight the night before and I have to run 7 miles before we leave. IT'S GONNA BE FUN.

If you haven't, be sure to visit the velociraptor paddock. I think they have that at Hollywood and it's pretty cool and sometimes really funny.

Thanks for mentioning this!!! Adding this to the list -- my kid loves dinosaurs!


As for the running...
I had a track workout for the first time in a month or so this morning. I should have adjusted for T&D because it was huuuuumid. My shirt didn't last more than half a mile before I took it off. I was hitting my paces a smidge fast for the first 4 intervals, but those last two hurt and were so slow. I think if I were to have adjusted I would have been fine. Oh well.

 

[SarahDisney]

And hopefully we can run into Spiderman, since that is Bay's favorite super hero.

Bay has excellent taste in superheroes.
*pretends to insert picture of the spiderman sticker on her work computer, because she's on her work computer right now, so she can't take a picture of the computer while on the computer*

And then I was reading another guide that was like "Flight of the Hippogriff is a waste of time if you’re over the age of 5." While I appreciate your honestly, this was a completely unnecessary and unhelpful tip. And I am gonna ride it anyway.

Um, I haven't been in California, but I was 24 when I went in Florida and I loved Flight of the Hippogriff. It's no Forbidden Journey, but it's still really cute!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Countdown to Disneyland/Universal Trip: 2 days!

The Plan - Disneyland:
I spent yesterday agonizing over our course of action for the day -- where to start, what FP to grab and when, where to eat. I basically overwhelmed myself to the point that I want to not go. So I stepped back and realized that it's just me, my husband, and Bay and there is no reason to over complicate this trip. We only have one day and we have our list of favorite rides and I know we will be able to ride them all, easy peasy. But, of course, I still had to make a plan soooo....
1. Get to Downtown Disney around 7:30am and grab some Starbucks.
2. Get to park gates at 8:15am, wait for them to let us in.
3. Hopefully get in around 8:30am, go to Tomorrowland and wait. (Grab a FP for something if I can.)
4. At 9am, head over to sign Bay up for Jedi Training.
5. Go ride Peter Pan.
After that it's all go with the flow status. See what's available on FP and what we want to ride. I have picked out some food I want to try that is specific to Pixar Fest, such as the Coco Churros and the Monster Mint Shake. I saw that they have Moana out, so we must definitely meet her. And hopefully we can run into Spiderman, since that is Bay's favorite super hero.

The Plan - Universal Studios:
NO. FREAKING. CLUE.
*pause*
Okay, I'm back after doing some research. One huge pet peeve that I have is when you are research tips for park trips their number one tip is "DoN't Go WhEn It iS bUsY." LIKE OKAY, I get that going during a peak time isn't favorable but sometimes it's the only option. You can go ahead and leave that tip off there, thanks. And then I was reading another guide that was like "Flight of the Hippogriff is a waste of time if you’re over the age of 5." While I appreciate your honestly, this was a completely unnecessary and unhelpful tip. And I am gonna ride it anyway.
So that leaves me at: I found a pretty solid day plan. If I buy tickets through the Universal Website, we can get Early Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We start there. And after that we just go with the flow. The only problem is, we need to leave our hotel at like 6am after possibly hanging out at Disneyland until midnight the night before and I have to run 7 miles before we leave. IT'S GONNA BE FUN.


Thanks for mentioning this!!! Adding this to the list -- my kid loves dinosaurs!


As for the running...
I had a track workout for the first time in a month or so this morning. I should have adjusted for T&D because it was huuuuumid. My shirt didn't last more than half a mile before I took it off. I was hitting my paces a smidge fast for the first 4 intervals, but those last two hurt and were so slow. I think if I were to have adjusted I would have been fine. Oh well.

I have a funny story about Spiderman coming up in my trip report. Well, at least to me it's funny. But it involves two good quotes and me meeting Spiderman, so there you have it.

There is also a special Jedi Training Academy photo package you can purchase if you like. I sort of did. What this really translates to is I bought the photo package because I wanted a Star Wars themed folder for the Disneyland After Dark Star Wars party, but could not actually buy said folder without a person in Jedi Training Academy. This is where my nephew comes in. He likes Star Wars enough to do Jedi Training Academy, but not on the level of me his uncle, who attempts to live Star Wars whenever possible. My nephew believes that Lightning McQueen is real, but has some inaccurate notions about the other characters. He thinks that they are not real. So I bought the package to get the folder and gave my sister the pictures because Chewbacca is real.

I think rope drop is best for Universal. Beyond that I have no good advice since I last visited before Wizarding World came to Hollywood. And verify that the velociraptor encounter is in Hollywood. I think it is, but make sure before getting Bay excited to meet a dinosaur. I met the velociraptor in Orlando.

 

[jennamfeo]

*pretends to insert picture of the spiderman sticker on her work computer, because she's on her work computer right now, so she can't take a picture of the computer while on the computer*

Hahahahaha. *laughing because I like the format of this description and not because you have Spidey on your computer, that's awesome*

Um, I haven't been in California, but I was 24 when I went in Florida and I loved Flight of the Hippogriff. It's no Forbidden Journey, but it's still really cute!

I will probably love it too! I just watched a video of it and while it's short, it still looks like fun! Bay will love it and she is SIX so that guy who said only 5 year olds should ride it is lame.

I have a funny story about Spiderman coming up in my trip report. Well, at least to me it's funny. But it involves two good quotes and me meeting Spiderman, so there you have it.

Can't wait to read it! I have a funny story for me meeting all of the characters during the Avenger's Half because I didn't know who most of them were and I would ask them what their pose meant. Haha. One guy told me I was opening a portal and I said, hopefully to the finish line! Haha. /all the shrugs

There is also a special Jedi Training Academy photo package you can purchase if you like. I sort of did. What this really translates to is I bought the photo package because I wanted a Star Wars themed folder for the Disneyland After Dark Star Wars party, but could not actually buy said folder without a person in Jedi Training Academy. This is where my nephew comes in. He likes Star Wars enough to do Jedi Training Academy, but not on the level of me his uncle, who attempts to live Star Wars whenever possible. My nephew believes that Lightning McQueen is real, but has some inaccurate notions about the other characters. He thinks that they are not real. So I bought the package to get the folder and gave my sister the pictures because Chewbacca is real.

This is good to know! Thanks! Bay is kind of a fan of the Dark Side and I hope that doesn't hinder her being able to do the Jedi Training.

I think rope drop is best for Universal. Beyond that I have no good advice since I last visited before Wizarding World came to Hollywood. And verify that the velociraptor encounter is in Hollywood. I think it is, but make sure before getting Bay excited to meet a dinosaur. I met the velociraptor in Orlando.

I double checked and the Velociraptor also roams around Universal Hollywood! The problem is, Bay had a run in with a T-Rex once and it freaked her out. Hopefully she won't be too scared of the raptor!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Can't wait to read it! I have a funny story for me meeting all of the characters during the Avenger's Half because I didn't know who most of them were and I would ask them what their pose meant. Haha. One guy told me I was opening a portal and I said, hopefully to the finish line! Haha. /all the shrugs

A portal to the finish line, eh? Sounds intriguing. I think the only characters I stopped for during the Avengers Half were Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, Black Widow, and a surprise character to be named later that is my very favorite character stop of all during that race. I also skipped a few characters because I just didn't care enough even if nobody was in the actual line. Honestly, if runDisney returns to the west coast, I will not be surprised if Avengers race weekend either does not return or gets a very different theme. I've never seen such short to non existent character lines for even known characters as I did during Avengers.

I believe the continuing of the virtual Star Wars race and Kessel Run indicates at least a plan to bring Star Wars back to the west coast. The women's race is definitely safe although I could see them doing some sort of Coast to Coast Princess challenge in the same vein as the Kessel Run with a very different medal than just the pink coast to coast. Disneyland Half is also definitely safe.

This is good to know! Thanks! Bay is kind of a fan of the Dark Side and I hope that doesn't hinder her being able to do the Jedi Training.

Well there is the famous video of the little girl who kneeled before Darth Vader when he invited her to join him.

I double checked and the Velociraptor also roams around Universal Hollywood! The problem is, Bay had a run in with a T-Rex once and it freaked her out. Hopefully she won't be too scared of the raptor!

If you want, I can give a very detailed description of what I observed and had happen to me when I did it. I should note thought that such a description could be considered a spoiler and you may not want me to give away the experience.

 

[Blue Caterpillar]

Sorry it's been rough for you, but well done running in AZ at all in the summer! I just hibernate thru it.

My opinion on Peter pan is that if you can't get in line right at rope drop, the wait times jump up to 30 to 45 and seem to stay there for quite awhile. I like to use the morning on the other rides then go to that when stand by lines back up. Max pass is awesome.