Sabbatical

Okay, I don't suck -- it's just been a long time. A really long time!

Here's the thumbnail of what I haven't blogged about: 

1. my son's drivers license 

2. my daughter's college graduation

3. numerous birthdays

4. my first tattoo 

5. (for our) 25th wedding anniversary 

(except we got them on our 27th wedding anniversary)

(are you keeping up??)

6. perimenopause (you're welcome)

7. running and not running

8. starting a podcast

8. Japan (you’re not getting off so lucky on this one — definitely blogworthy)

8. general daily shenanigans

So, what was important enough to bring me out of my blogger sabbatical?

Marco Polo Motel. Nice rooms. 

I STAYED AT THE HOTEL WHERE KURT COBAIN SHOT HEROIN. 

Yeah, that. 

I visited Seattle last summer with my best girl. It was an emotional trip that I won't go into for reasons, but it was also incredibly special.

Pike Place Pig. Who doesn't love alliterations??

When you wait 45 minutes in the sun to get into the
first ever Starbucks, they give you umbrellas. #mybestgirl

Starbs 

My snaps are woefully few and far between anymore.
Snapchat still has the best filters, though.

MoPOP

PREPARE TO DIE. - Inigo Montoya

Hair game strong.

If you haven't been to the Museum of Popular Culture (formerly known as the Experience Music Project), it is incredible. I have visited the museum when it was the EMP, but the exhibits have expanded into, well, popular culture. We didn't have nearly enough time to see everything properly -- their Infinite Worlds of Science fiction installation is fabulous. Your girl LOST HER FUCKING SHIT over the Blade Runner exhibit. Complete with pages from the screenplay and the actual clear raincoat and boots that Zhora wore...before being gunned down by Harrison Ford's Deckard. It was so unexpected and amazing that I may or may not have actually cried a little. 

Do you think I'd be working in a place
like this if I could afford a real snake?

If TV or movie pop culture isn't your thing, the music exhibits at MoPOP are very cool and totally worth the visit. Also, the ratty sweater Kurt Cobain's wore on MTV Unplugged lives there. (See what I did there? FULL CIRCLE, BITCHEZ.) We didn't have enough time to see anything beyond the fantasy and science fiction exhibits. I cannot wait to go back.

I promise not to be a stranger for so long next time. Pinky swear!

#teamsparkle

I’m so behind in my blog posts, you guys. I was honored to be featured on Sparkle Athletic's blog in January. I know. Here it is, mid-March and I’m just now telling you all about it.

If you’re not familiar with Team Sparkle, they are as awesome as they sound. Sparkle Athletic was founded by three friends in 2010. A few years after their company was established, I ran the Warrior Dash with my daughter and a group of friends. We established a team of runners, some of whom were friends of friends. That's the beauty of running: you make connections with people that you might not have met otherwise.

One of those friends was a woman we met at the race with her now-husband then-boyfriend and their dog Frank. I obviously liked Brenna right from the start: anyone who has a dog sidekick named ‘Frank’ that also happens to be a Labrador has to be amazing, right?? Brenna had a bunch of ‘dress up’ stuff for us to wear: glitter skirts, striped sleeves and visors. I asked her where she had gotten the loot, and she casually explained her aunt Kelly owned a company that sold athletic wear.

This certainly wasn’t like any athletic wear I had seen before. I still own the skirt and sleeves Brenna give me that day, and I have worn my black and silver sparkle skirt to races several times over.

Believe it or not, I was actually able to salvage my
#teamsparkle outfit. I have laundry skillz, y'all.

Holy crap, were we ever muddy. Good times! I count my lucky stars we didn’t get hepatitis.

Anyway! It was an incredible honor to be a featured runner on their site. Many thanks to one of my favorite social media runners Carlee McDot for reaching out to me and making this happen.

#runalways

I was thrilled to be a featured on the  #RunAlways Instagram account in January. Like the name implies, it's an account designed to inspire and connect the global running community.

 

A RUNNING STORY ------------------------------------------ I am an addict/alcoholic. Running is a huge part of my recovery and it has turned into a form of meditation; my head is quiet when my body is moving. . I was 35 years old when I began running. It started out of necessity because my son wouldn't stay in childcare at the gym. I ran 3-4 days a week pushing a baby jogger, but it took a full year before it was something I looked forward to doing. . I had heard you could get high from running. At age 38, I decided to run my first full marathon. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I ran my second full marathon on my 40th birthday. . Two weeks afterward, my entire right arm went numb during a run. I thought I was having a stroke or heart attack, until I realized the sensation stopped immediately when I began walking. I was diagnosed with bulging discs in my neck. My doctor said I had to stop running. . Against his advice, I slowly began running again. I made some corrections to my form and gave up road cycling. Three years after my injury, I ran my fastest half marathon and finished the course with a PR of 2:05. My glory was short-lived. During the race I felt a small tug on the back of my leg, but I had so much adrenaline onboard that I was able to shake it off and finish strong. . I tried running a few days later - the tug had become a sharp pain at the top of my right hamstring. I was diagnosed with bursitis. Despite seeing my chiropractor weekly, it took nearly four months of no running for the injury to heal. This coincided with some thyroid issues and I quickly gained 25 pounds. . Over the last 5 years, my relationship with running has changed and so have my expectations. Last November, I ran the same event, only to finish one hour and forty-five minutes slower than my PR. It was enormously humbling. . Running is a fickle thing. Injury has taught me to be resilient, and it is a part of my success as a runner. I always surprise myself when I persevere. - Featured Runner: Brea McInnes @babydoll_brea / California ~ It's not just about inspiring pictures, it's also about inspiring stories. _ Tell us yours: run-culture@run-always

A post shared by Run Always (@run.always) on Jan 23, 2017 at 4:31pm PST

The account is run (no pun intended) by several administrators, one of whom goes by the pseudonym Runnermarx. I discovered his account years ago, and he now has over 6.5K followers. Mark is a lifelong runner with a true passion for the sport. He's a great guy: outgoing, smart and incredibly knowledgeable. And yeah, it doesn't hurt that he starred in a beer commercial that aired during Superbowl halftime. Just sayin'. 

Anyway! It was an honor to be chosen to share my running story. Check it out and let me know what you think. 

Star Wars Half Marathon 2017: The Light Side

I ran the Star Wars half marathon in January for the second year in a row. You might recall the general bedlam of last years race: how I nearly missed the start of the race and my brush with the notorious 'balloon ladies'. I had wanted to run the 10k this year and pick up a third medal for running two consecutive days, but it was completely sold out. I should have purchased the Rebel Challenge packet when the race was first announced, but I was cranky and didn’t pull the trigger when registration opened. Oh well.

This year was more even fun than last year, if that’s even possible. I was in a much better headspace (read: I actually trained for this event) and I even planned an outfit.

Flat Brea 👋🏼 #runDisney #StarWars #halfmarathon #thelightside #BB8 #runalways #runner #Sweatpink #Disneyland

A post shared by Babydoll's Bloggie (@babydoll_brea) on Jan 14, 2017 at 6:50pm PST

The race coincidentally fell the same weekend that I needed to pick Girldoll up from the Long Beach port. It worked out to be a bonus because we got to spend the night at my SIL’s house and visit with my niece and nephew. The kids are always such good sports and came with me to pick up my packet at the Disneyland Hotel. The only hiccup was that I was supposed to pick Girldoll up at 10:30AM, but she wasn’t ready to go until well past noon. This ended up pushing everything back so that we didn't get to until a half hour before it closed. I had hoped to browse longer -- no one does an expo like Disney -- but time was too short.

Part of the problem was getting into Downtown Disney itself. Security was INSANE. In all the times I have been to Disneyland, I have never had to wait in any sort of security line to access the area surrounding the park. It is a sign of the times that security has become a necessity during travel or entering concert venues, but it definitely stole some of the magic visiting the resort. I’m not talking about a quick look inside backpacks, either. We were subjected to a full search of our belongings as well as being required to walk through a metal detector. Bummer, man. The only thing I could attribute the high security to was that Trump had just officially taken office as POTUS, and there were a lot of people in Los Angeles who weren’t happy about it. (You can count me as one of them. No surprise there.)

What has two thumbs and the best nephew ever??
This girl! Johnny and Lego Hulk at Downtown Disney.

This backdrop coordinates nicely with my glasses.
Of course, anything blue does...but whatevs.

By the time we got to the Disneyland Hotel, we had barely enough time to grab my bib number and pick up my race t-shirt. I quickly bought some anti-chafe Glide from an expo vendor and we were on our way. It was probably the least amount of time or money I've ever spent at an expo. Girldoll and I treated the cousins to a late lunch, and then we enjoyed a nice evening with family.

Of course, I took an obligatory Flat Babydoll photo. It was so cute that my niece reminded me to post the photo on social media; she had remembered me talking about the phenomenon of laying out your race day clothes and taking a picture of your race bib and outfit. The stuff kids remember!

Orange is the new black!

I got lots of compliments during the race on my excellent on the BB8 skirt I found on Etsy. Although there are all kinds of things that could go wrong running thirteen miles while wearing a knit beanie, I was totally fine.

The race was so much fun. 90% of the runners were wearing a costume or Star Wars themed embellishment. My personal favorite was a couple who dressed as Leia and Chewie wearing Belle and The Beast costumes. It was so meta! The spectators did not disappoint, either.

I decided I would live stream the half marathon on Facebook while I ran through Disneyland. I started in narrating my way through Tomorrow Land and filmed an epic lightsaber battle among cast members. I also caught some really fun footage of my hand as I high-fived a dozen Disney employees who had lined up along the course. I ran through Fantasyland and shared my favorite ride with Facebook (Storybook Land, in case you were curious) before the pièce de résistance: running through Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

After I crossed the drawbridge, I went to stop recording the video...only to discover I had never started recording in the first place.

Rachel doesn't use that word lightly, either.

I'll be honest: it took me the next mile to shake it off. For whatever reason, I fixated on my disappointment of not getting the video to work and had trouble letting it go. I'm charming that way. 

Right after this photo was taken, the key fob
to my car fell out of my Flipbelt. Someone
literallyran after me with it in their hand.
I mean, can you even imagine?? #bulletdodged

Fortunately, we were hitting the streets of Anaheim and it was time for me to focus and get my game face on. Since the rest of the race is through business and residential areas before finishing at the Downtown Disney parking lots, sections of the race on the streets feel like it starts to drag. That is, until the cosplay spectators start lining the course. It is truly an incredible experience seeing all the elaborate costumes and props.

Red Leader was all smiles and thumbs up.

I kept lapping these guys. I'd stop and mug for
photos along the course and pass them. #redleader

This was one of the most clever
costumes on the course. I love Greedo!

This couple finished the race together. How
her hair stayed perfect after running a half
marathon is one of The Force's mysteries.

Poppa Stormtrooper and Baby Stormtrooper

We had a moment. #BB8

There was something slightly despondent about
this ghetto Death Star. 

Done. Eye on the prize!

In addition to the half marathon next year, I really want to run the 10k for a chance to earn three medals. I know I said the same thing last year...but it's worth putting out to The Force, anyway.  

Star Wars Half Marathon Recap

Last weekend I ran the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland. Needless to say, given my love for all things Disney, running and Star Wars, this was truly a trifecta made in heaven.

Trifecta of awesomeness:
Running, Disney and Star Wars

Originally, I was supposed to run this race with three friends; one friend apparently registered but never received confirmation, and the other two decided that 13 miles isn't half of anything and was just too far to run. [Grammar nerd alert: I just used two, too and to all in the correct context within the same sentence...booyah!] 

A friend of mine since childhood, who is not a runner but shares my deep love of Disneyland, had planned her vacation around this event and we were going to share a hotel room in Anaheim. As we got closer to the holidays, it was apparent that she needed to use her vacation time to visit her aging father. We decided postpone visiting the Magic Kingdom together until the spring.

This left me in a serious quandary about trying to find accommodations three weeks before the race. My sister-in-law lives 20 minutes away from Disneyland, but she wasn't sure if they would be in town that weekend or not. I considered staying with my bestie who lives in Ventura the night before -- so I was at least a little closer to Los Angeles the day of the race -- but it still meant I would have to leave by 3:30am to make the 5:30am start time. It seemed foolish and impractical to drive in the middle of the night. 

This is where I got a little maudlin. None of my plans were panning out, and for a moment I considered scratching the race. 

Mind you, I said, 'for a moment...' Anyone who knows anything about Disney races knows this: they sell out hella quick and they are probably one of the most expensive races on the planet. Plus, if I was undertrained for my last half marathon in November, it paled in comparison to my training for this one: I hadn't run one day since then. 

Uh, oops. 

Running a half marathon untrained?
Arnold don't play.

It is stupid, Arnold. I can only rely on teaching spinning and past running experience for so much, and it's not like those miles stay in the proverbial fitness bank. It is a recipe for injury, and I should know better.

As luck would have it, my sister-in-law called me to say I was welcome to stay with them. I invited my niece and nephew to come with me to pick up my bib and they were completely onboard to check out the expo, which didn't disappoint. 

I had to snapchat this...because obviously.

Future 10k runners at next year's event!

This was probably one of my favorite photos of the
whole weekend: BB8 at the expo...and he was PISSED.

The force is so strong with these two :)
I adore being their aunt!

And of course, the obligatory Flat Babydoll the evening before to post on social media:

I thought I was clever in obscuring my race number
with a mini slot machine. I can't even believe
counterfeiting bibs is a thing. #lamesauce

I set my alarm for 3:30am to eat breakfast and give my body plenty of time to digest my food. I had brought a small tupperware filled with my tried-and-true oatmeal for race day. Believe me, one does not 'change up' the pre-race fuel unless you want to have it repeat on you over thirteen miles, or worse yet...frequent port-a-potty visits. 

Despite a lively discussion involving maps and where to park the night before, I decided to trust the wisdom that is Waze. While I can't say enough about this driving app (real time feedback with incredible graphics and directions), I am slowly learning that there is a difference between being impulsive and spontaneous - neither of which have their place in the predawn hours the morning of a race. Instead of following my brother-in-law's suggestion of how to get to the parking structure -- who patiently looked over the race book and used to work for Disney, for crying out loud -- I decided to enter the name of the parking structure right into Waze. 

Be ye not so stupid.

It steered me behind the structure and right into the employee parking entrance. You know, the one that requires a code to raise the arm to enter the parking lot? I had a small moment of panic that I would miss my race, but it wasn't going to be for lack of trying. I parked in a residential area and a hoofed it in the general vicinity of the Disneyland Hotel. A helpful volunteer at one of the crosswalks explained where I needed to be, 'It's a brisk 15 minute walk from here...' and I was off. This was at 5:35am.

The race officially begins at 5:30am, but because I'm not an elite runner -- we've already established that I hadn't trained for this race -- I was in the last corral. This was my third runDisney event; although I knew it was going to be close, I wasn't completely panicked because it takes a long time to release that many runners in waves. Fashionably late, I rolled in about 3 minutes before they released my corral:

Rolling in right before my corral is released.
It was actually kind of badass.

#represent

Me and Monstro. Storybook Land is my favorite ride in Fantasyland.

Another favorite: Pixar's Rex from Toy Story at California Adventure.

No, really: You da best.

I thought these droids were fixed to the ground, but I was wrong.
When C-3PO saw these two ladies dressed in gold,
he rushed over to them and mugged for a photograph. 

I need this window decal. 

Captain Phasma and Kylo Ren try to sway me to the Dark Side.

1970s Luke Skywalker

I heart R2D2

Best photobomb ever!

This dad carried his son on his shoulders
for at least a third of the race. So awesome!

Anyone who has done one of these races has heard about the notorious 'Balloon Ladies'; the 16-minute mile pacers who ensure the course is closed after four hours. Any runners caught behind them are 'swept' off the course and brought to the finish line. In the typical Disney grandeur, I envisioned princesses walking the course, wearing elaborate hoop skirts made from balloons; gracefully waving to the crowd and tapping on the shoulder of stragglers before being escorted off the course in Cinderella's pumpkin-shaped carriage. 

There goes my imagination getting away from me again.

Prior to the start of the race, I had seen a couple of young 20-something girls standing to the side of the course, each wearing a backpack with a single Mickey Mouse balloon tied to it. I didn't give it another thought, though. And at several points during the race, there were Disney race officials calling out times, 'Four minutes under pace. Keep it up!' 

Imagine my surprise when I dawdled too long mugging for photos along the course and the two young girls I saw at the beginning of the race came up behind my group shouting, 'YOU CAN DO THIS, EVERYONE. DON'T GET CAUGHT BEHIND US!!' I don't know if runners pulled from the course still receive a medal for their effort or not, but I selected this race specifically as my 20th half marathon and I wasn't taking any chances. The last picture I took on the course was, fittingly, of Darth Vader carrying is son on his shoulders. 

Next year, I'm hoping to run the 10k with my niece the day before the half marathon for a chance at earning a third medal. #rebelchallenge

My race review: Despite being my slowest pace ever, this was one of my favorite half marathons. The Star Wars franchise is a little piece of my childhood, and the nostalgia factor alone had me happy from the moment I set foot onto the course. The other two Disney-themed half marathons had long sections in the middle where there was little to see and the miles dragged. I don't know if it was the extraordinary Star Wars fan base or what, but there was always something to see: huge turnouts of costumed Star Wars fanatics passing out Red Vines, and incredible custom-painted cars that had mounted blasters and a R2D2 copilot. There was also a large high school band and cheer squad presence as well, with a half dozen schools represented and encouraging runners and giving high-fives. This was the first race greater than a 10k that I didn't wear my water belt. Although it's my preference to run without something around my waist, I'm always afraid there won't be enough water along the course. The water and aid stations were plentiful, and there were hundreds of volunteers along the course and in the finish area keeping things moving. Good after-race food and electrolyte drinks, too. Great work, Disney!   

Teen Star...And Other Reasons I Dropped Off The Face Of The Planet

Hello Internet! Wassup?

I feel like a terrible blogger and have been horribly remiss about keeping things up to date here, but it's been for good reason.

First off, I've been in FAFSA hell. If anyone has been through the process of applying for college government aid, then you feel my pain. There has to be some kicky acronym for FAFSA that sums up just how much this process sucks. If know you know one or are good at thinking stuff like that up on the fly, I would love to hear yours. 

Anyway! This has been an exciting time for my daughter. She is starting to receive college acceptance letters, and best of all: SHE QUALIFIED FOR THE TEEN STAR FINALS!

My beautiful daughter. She is always a star in my book!

#TeenStar is a vocal competition for junior high and high school students, similar to The Voice or American Idol...except without the drama. Several of her friends qualified last year, so when she asked me if I thought she should audition, I said, "Absolutely!" We both felt like it would be a great experience for her.

The auditions went really well, and she left feeling really excited and confident. That alone was a win. Girldoll said the judges were very positive, and asked her why she waited until the final year she was eligible to audition. One of these judges told her, 'your voice is like butter!' I think because Girldoll decided to just go for it with no expectation on the outcome of her audition, she was confident and relaxed during her audition. The finalists were announced the following night through the Teen Star Facebook page, and receiving texts all in caps -- from both Girldoll and her brother -- that she made the finals was a pretty sweet text to receive.

One of ten finalists, the weeks before the event are going to be a whirlwind. She has already interviewed for a newspaper and been in several local publications with the other performers. They are a great group of vocalists and everyone has been friendly and excited to be a part of such a distinguished group. 

Santa Barbara's Got Talent!

Featured in our local paper

I had worried that it would be high pressure to sign with a talent agent or become an expensive endeavor, but it has been a lot of fun. Teen Star is volunteer run, and there was no cost to enter the competition. They are driven to make it a premier event and give the kids an amazing experience. She got to work one-on-one with a mentor in a state-of-the-art recording studio, honing in her songs and working on stage presence. 

Working with her mentor, Ike Jenkins. Inspiring, kind and professional.

Running through her ballad, Girldoll doesn't
seem to be bothered by the paparrazi...!

The decor at Playback Studio is incredible. In the interest on not posting too many
photos, it's hard to get an appreciation of just how impressive this place is.

A brief interview before Girldoll goes on camera. This will be used during the event
to feature her before she performs live at the Granada.

This one is for me because I couldn't help myself. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Holding one of Playback Recording studio's three Emmys that were, you know,
just out sitting on a coffee table. The poster above is Katy Perry, who recorded
Roar, Dark Horse (my personal favorite), Teenage Dream and California Girls here.

Girldoll has been busy promoting the event through interviews (radio and print), and they will perform at the beautiful Granada Theater on February 21, 2015. The kids get the full treatment with professional hair and makeup, limousine ride, walk the red carpet...the works! 

Kids these days, right?? There is no way I would have had the confidence to perform in front of 1,500 people at her age. It amazes me how accomplished the youth are nowadays. So excited for my beautiful and talented girl!