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Archive | March 12, 2010

Five Question Friday

12 Mar

1. How much time do you spend on the computer a day?
I work on a computer all day at work, and then I spend a few hours on the computer at night when I get home.. so in a word or two… “a lot”
2. Will you pay for your children’s college or raise them to pay for their own way?
I think I’ll agree to pay for their tuition to go to an in-state school. If the choose to go to school out-of-state, they can make up the difference.

3. Have you ever been in a car accident?
Just one. when I was about 16 or 17, I was a passenger in my friend Staci’s car, and she ran right in the back of a stopped car. No injuries. I still love you, Staci.
4. What is your favorite book?
“The Lovely Bones”
5. Do you make your bed everyday?
Actually, I do! I made it a goal on my 101 in 1001 list to make my bed every day for 30 days, and it’s become a habit now.

Pros and Cons of the Race

12 Mar

While I absolutely loved running my very first half-marathon, there were some positives and negatives about it, and I shall share with you :)

Let’s start with the not-so-good:

  • Because we had to stand in our corrals for over an hour (at least this was the case for my Corral) with hardly any room to stretch, my muscles never got warmed up and loose, which landed me with stiff hips and an inability to run the last few miles.
  • My pregnant friend who came to support me had to leave early because of a very painful cramp in her side. When my mom asked a volunteer if someone could help my friend, they said the medical tents were for “runners only”. Gee, thanks. She had to leave and go back to the resort right after the start of the race. She didn’t get to see me run at all, and she drove 3 hours to come support me.
  • I never once got a single email from Disney regarding anything about the race. I had to learn everything from friends on Facebook, message boards, and blogs.
  • We hardly got any “goodies” in our ugly purple mesh bags. I’ve seen some awesome swag from other marathons.
  • After you leave the Magic Kingdom, it’s a really boring course.
  • The Storybook program outlined some simple etiquette rules like being courteous when trying to move around someone. I politely said “excuse me” to several people only to get evil looks back.
  • My medal is already falling apart.
  • It seemed to me that the ChEAR Squad thing was a little unnecessary since anyone could stand by the castle and the finish line. Why pay more?

The good things:

  • The official race photos were available online very quickly.
  • The registration fees went to a good cause (not sure what percentage though)
  • Check-in at expo was well organized and smooth
  • They let spectators in to the parks before the parks opened to cheer us on.
  • Disney had volunteers lined up to cheer us on at different spots throughout the course. It was awesome and motivating to have people (even strangers) cheer  you on!
  • Even though I didn’t stop and take pictures of the characters, that was a cool added benefit
  • It was at a great time of year.. we got to see Epcot’s Flower &  Garden Festival
  • I got a lot of “congratulations” from cast members and characters as I was walking around the parks with my medal on after the race.
  • It was a good first half-marathon for me because it wasn’t too serious of a run.. there were tutus and a 16-minute/mile pace requirement. It’s gotten me prepared for more serious races, like next weekend’s NYC Half.
  • I got to race in Disney World!!!