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!   

Santa Barbara Veteran's Day Half Marathon

Last Saturday was the Santa Barbara Veterans Day half marathon. Somehow I had in my mind that Veterans Day was late November, although I'm at a loss as to where that notion came from, what with Thanksgiving falling at the end of the month and all. Suffice it to say that the race snuck up on me and I wasn't ready, which is a growing trend that I need to buck. 

Packet pick-up never felt so patriotic!

This was the first time I spent less than $5 at a fitness expo. I picked up two Gu for race day (Espresso Love and a new flavor that involved salted caramel) for $3...only to set them down and forget them at the t-shirt table. Whoops-a-daisy! 

Not only was I untrained for this race, but it was mentally one of the toughest events I've showed up for. From the moment I woke up at 4:40 AM to the moment I stepped onto the course, there was negative dialogue going off in my head:

'I should just go back to bed.' 

'I'm too old.' 

'I hope I don't bump into anyone I know; they'll be shocked at how much weight I've gained.' 

'I should quit running.' 

Yikes! That's just a small taste of the negative self-talk that dogged my entire morning. We frequently talk about taking contrary action in the recovery community. If it were up to my head, I would have stayed home...but I knew I would feel even worse scratching the race for no good reason. Honestly, it was almost a relief to start running. 

The one thing that pulled me out of the hate-spiral was my bracelet. My mom gave me a slender silver bracelet about 7 years ago that I never take off. It has a small stamped sentiment on it, 'I always believe in you.'  It occurred to me that this doesn't mean, 'I always believe in you...except when you're overweight,' or 'I always believe in you...except if you run slower than a 9-minute mile.' Always means ALWAYS. It was the tiny blessing that I needed to get out the door and on with my race.

My game plan for the race was to follow the Galloway half marathon training method: 3 minute intervals of running followed by one minute of walking. This proved to be a good strategy for the first 5 miles...until the wheels fell off, so to speak. I was banking on muscle memory to get me through the first 10k, which was unrealistic. 'My muscles have lost so much muscle memory, there's nothing left to remember.' Ba-dum bum!

A polite and chatty crowd right before our start. There was a man 
that wore a giant foam cowboy hat and looked exactly like Stinky Pete 
from Toy Story. It still kills me that I didn't get a photo of him. 

A quick snapchat to my daughter before
I started running. Emoji are life.

Part of my race ritual is determining what I'm going to wear and what I'm going to bring during my run. The night before the race, I convinced myself it would be a good idea to wear underwear with my running skort. Prior to my weight gain, I was all about #teamcommando. However, since I'm the heaviest I've ever weighed, it's not a so much a matter of whether or not I'll chafe as it is where: neck, underarms, around the elastic band of my sports bra, etc. 

I'm sure you see where this is going. 

Despite being generous around potential trouble spots with Glide, wearing underwear was a bad call. I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say that once things started going south, so to speak, I switched my run/walk ratio from 3:1 to 1:3. It was bad. 

Thank you for saying so! About a dozen of these hand-drawn posters 
appeared after the wretched switchback onto Las Positas Road.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Despite being served a slice of humble pie -- in 2011, I PR'd my half marathon time by running this same event 85 minutes faster than last Saturday's effort -- it was a gorgeous day and a great course. The displays of patriotism reminded me of how fortunate I am to live where I do, and how grateful I am to my dad and all the veterans for their service to our country.

This gentleman saw us off safely and agreed to a selfie.
Thank you for your service, sir!

The man in front of me wore last year's 
race shirt. What an incredible sentiment! 

I dedicated the final mile of my race to three veterans: my father Joe,
my incredible SIL Michele, and my friend Bob Trimble. 

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
The last half mile was stunning and all downhill.

My race review: The organizers changed things up significantly this year by moving the start location onto the university campus. Although I was disappointed not to pick up the Obern trail right at the bird refuge, it was a spectacular course. It was also a nice change of pace, if you'll forgive the pun. Most local races begin and end in the same location, essentially making for an identical course over and over. This new change was well received. Variety is the spice of life, right? 

A month before the event, the organizers did away with the full marathon completely. I'm sure many people who were registered to run 26.2 miles were disappointed by this decision. The race officials offered full marathon participants three options which I thought were fair: a full refund, entry to the half marathon and a refund of the cost difference, or reduced fee for the half marathon in 2016. This race has been called three different names in the 5 times I've run it, and I'm certain putting on a road race is an expensive endeavor. I am sure eliminating the full marathon was a decision the officials did not take lightly. I was pleased with the new route, the volunteers were fantastic and the water/aid stations were plentiful. There was a good afterparty that included food trucks and a beer garden, and the morning concluded with an incredible airshow. I'm grateful to have such a prestigious race in my own backyard.  

A Very Special Running Club

It's been super quiet around here. The summer passed very quickly, like I knew it would...and suddenly we were moving Girldoll out of our house and into her dorms. 

Um, yeah. That. 

Before and after photos of getting
my girl moved into her dorm.

The thing that made it easier is knowing how happy Girldoll is at her school. She is one of the most well-adjusted people I know, and I am thrilled that she is thriving and making new friendships. Her move happened to coincide with the annual closure of the gym where I work. This turned out to be a blessing because I missed her so much, it was hard to concentrate. It was unchartered territory for me and I felt emotionally lost. There were a few instances those first couple of days where I was so distracted, it felt unsafe to be driving. I was a freaking zombie.

The first two weeks Girldoll were gone were some of the hardest days I can remember having in a long time. I had the sensation of being homesick, except that I wasn't the one who moved. I'd get a reprieve a few moments throughout the day when I was focused on a task, but having the feelings rush back with such intensity was almost worse. Time has made things more manageable. We've settled into a new dynamic with just three of us at the house, but it's the little differences - like only bringing out three plates for dinner, that stumped me at first. 

I have been keeping busy with projects at the house, and shuttling Boydoll to school and his various activities. Speaking of which, I was seriously spoiled over the last two years my daughter was driving. Holy crow, all the mileage and time I'm spending in the car these days.

All that driving has me like... 

What does any of this have to do with fitness, or anything remotely close to the name of my post? Well, it doesn't. And therein lies the problem. I have reasons galore for not running - or not exercising much at all, for that matter, apart from teaching my spinning classes. I've slowly gained nearly 30 pounds over the last two years, also for a host of reasons, and it's made running miserable. Something has to give because I am starting to fight my way through teaching my spin classes. 

Do I want to do something about it? Absolutely. What I won't do is tear myself down over the weight gain; it serves no purpose to disparage myself or hate on my body. I know what I need to be doing, and it just needs to get done.

Apparently, my solution to this self-imposed running hiatus was to register for all the races. As if my looming half marathons coming up in November and January weren't enough, I recently have discovered the beauty of virtual races. No costly travel expenses or timing chip to contend with, just lace up your shoes and get out there. Where and how you get your mileage is on your honor. The best part is that you still get a medal! After registering for two virtual charity races and sharing them in a Facebook post, a friend innocently wrote this in the comments: 

If you like Harry Potter 

you should check out the 

Hogwarts running club, 
they have some awesome ones!

In the spirit of full disclosure, if I had to chose between Star Wars and Harry Potter in terms of fandom...the Force would beat out the Ministry of Magic, every time. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was younger and the Harry Potter books had come out when I was in grade school. Regardless, nothing comes close to waiting in a line that wrapped around the theater to see Episode IV, A New Hope with my dad in 1977. Nostalgia wins, every time.  

You guys. I'm so hosed, but in the nicest and most magical way. Not only did I join the Hogwarts Running Club on Facebook -- their motto is, 'Run like you know who is chasing you!' -- I got so caught up in the thrill of these themed races, I ended up taking the Sorting Hat questionnaire to formally determine which house I should join to add my mileage 'points' to. Although the sorting feature is down on J.K. Rowling's Pottermore site, I was able to track down the actual test online. It turns out the Buzzfeed quizzes that you see circulating on Facebook are surprisingly accurate in this case. Well, as accurate as selecting a house at a wizard school from a fantasy novel can be. Both questionnaires sorted me into the same house: Gryffindor. Go...Lions?

This was exactly the same expression
on my face after I was sorted into Gryffindor?!

I'll be running the distance of a full marathon, split over 5 races: three 5k, one five-miler, one 10k...and one 9-and-3/4k, because obviously. I'm running my first virtual race tomorrow: the Hedwig Memorial 5k to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Check out what the medal looks like, y'all:

Avada Kavadra to kids' cancer!

Legal

Dear Beauty,

I'm so behind that I'm not sure where to start. Your 18th birthday has come and gone, and in less than three weeks you are going off to college. 

Hold up. 

It's impossible for me to believe only a year has transpired. Given the whirlwind that was your senior year and all that we packed into 12 months, it felt like we did 5 years worth of living over the course of one year: your first half marathon, your first job, becoming one of ten Teen Star finalists and performing at the Granada Theater, falling in love, a plethora of senior activities culminating up to your prom and graduation...and, I can barely type this without tearing up, the death of Samo. As we approach the first anniversary of Sam's death, I am nearly overcome with awe and pride at how you showed up and prevailed through your grief - despite such a significant loss for any age. You are truly one of my biggest heroes. 

Sweet Samo - Always loved and never forgotten
October 29, 1996 - September 19, 2014

Of all the races I've ever run, this half marathon was the
most meaningful. Photo credit Kaycie Landis

This is a digital painting of your Teen Star
performance created by the incredibly
talented Mirra Tubiolo.

Twue wuv

Your beautiful updo for prom

The heart can only handle so much awesome; your
brother's promotion from junior high was the same day
as your graduation. This also happens to be my favorite photo...ever.

It felt like I had hella more stamina a year ago than I do now. This girl is dog tired, man. I must've been 10 years younger when we were taking college tours last March. Yeah. You remember that one time, you know, when we were casually walking the UCSC campus with Don Cheadle?? #fangirl

Well, howdy. Iron Man has nothing on Don Cheadle.

Speaking of fangirling -- which is not a verb, but I just made it so -- a local writer and acquaintance of mine recently wrote about launching her nearly-adult son onto the unsuspecting world, wondering if she had taught him everything he needed to be a self-sufficient member of society. 

This must be a rite of passage for all parents, because I am fraught with the same dilemma. All the skill-appropriate milestones have been reached: potty training (although I am certain every parent is convinced they'll be sending their son or daughter off to college still wearing pull-ups to bed), learning to ride a bike, using an actual real knife to slice a bagel in half, parallel parking (well, this one is still a work in progress)...the list goes on.

A year ago, we were overwhelmed with college essays and applications. I tried to imagine you on each campus we toured, carrying your backpack and rushing to class. Fast-forward nine months, you have been accepted to 7 of the 10 colleges you applied to. In seventeen short days, you are out on your own and moving off to college. However, all that seems like small potatoes. 

The real question before you leave for college is this: Did I do a good job raising you to be a kind person? A person of integrity and compassion. The type of person who is a more than a good student, but a good friend. The answer to that question is complicated; I've come to realize that those things aren't really up to me. You have been those things all along. 

I was thrilled when you got a job last summer at the YMCA. You are a natural with children and you have an incredible work ethic. My readers may not know that, coincidentally, we happen to work at the same place. It tickles me to no end to see the expression on a coworkers face when they learn that we are related. Easy to get to know, outgoing and friendly...people all comment on how lovely you are. It has been so much fun to see you excel at work (June employee of the month) and go from the newbie to a seasoned veteran in a year's time. 

In March, we will take a trip together to Paris -- a graduation gift from your grandparents. I am thrilled to go to Europe with you and I can't wait to see you conquer your freshman year away at college. 

There are no words to describe this moment.
 You are always in my heart.

Remember to wear sunscreen, study hard and above all...be you. I love you always.

Mom 

Roundup of Random

Thursdays are my Fridays, which means that today is the start of my weekend. On alternate Fridays, I serve lunch at the high school. Yeah, I still help out at my kids' schools, but they tell me they don't mind...and it makes me feel good to volunteer. The teachers and staff are hugely appreciative. 

However, today is my alternate alternate Friday -- and somehow I have no appointments on my calendar. Don't get me wrong, I have TONS of stuff to do after the hustle of Teen Star (recap to come) and house guests.  And, of course, there is always the FASFA deadline looming in a few days. 

In an effort to post more frequently, I decided to write a feature of random stuff from my week. Look for it each Friday, mmmk? It seems fitting to start off my new column with this:

I bought a frog. It just doesn't get more random than that.

Dude isn't down for being handled too much, so I'll share a photo of what their legs look like (photo credit littlefishcompany.com):

Red-legged Frog

One of the most unusual things about this guy (or gal) is that the pupils are vertical. I suppose 'unusual' isn't the right word, it's more like 'classic'; like the eye of any drawing you would see of a reptile. I don't know why that struck me as surprising...but there you go. 

I didn't know their pupils dilated. It was a little unnerving the first time I saw it, even though it makes perfect sense since frogs are nocturnal and shit. Of course, all I could think of was this:

Death by cute: this slays me every time. It is also one
of the best things Antonio Banderas has ever done IMHO

What is unusual is their croak. Mr. Frog sounded off one night and we were all instantly on our feet trying to determine what was making that high-pitched sound. It was shrill and not unlike scratching on glass. What the hell?! Since when did frogs stop going, 'Ribbit! Ribbit!'?? 

******************

My second bit of random was that I did my first-ever meal prep, tiny as it was. I follow many fitness-minded folks like myself on Instagram, and several of them have shared photos of a week's worth of food which are often assembled in a collage with Benjamin Franklin's quote, 'If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.' 

All of that makes me stabby, even if it's true. While I was preparing dry ingredients to make Rebecca's Wild Strawberry Pancakes, I realized it would be easy enough to just keep scooping - so I did! I made three more batches until I ran out of buckwheat flour. All I need to do is add wet ingredients to make yummy pancakes. I'm planning on bringing a few batches with us on vacation, if they're not confiscated as contraband:

Strawberry pancakes? YES.

Somehow my pancakes don't quite look like Rebecca's pancakes: her pancakes are pretty, pink-hued and fluffy. Mine? Not even close. When I cooked them in the pan -- even with TONS of coconut oil, they stuck terribly -- my pancakes may or may not resemble the photo of a certain frog I just posted:

Things were going along fine until shortly after
this photo was taken., and then the wheels fell off.

The finished product wasn't pretty...but I had no problem huffing them down. Here's a my version of Rebecca's recpipe: 

My pancakes: Not the ideal food
photograph...but still hella delicious.

And just for the sake of comparison, here are Rebecca's pancakes:

Rebecca's Wild Strawberry Pancakes with
strawberry protein 'frosting'. (Photo
credit strengthandsunshine.com)

My first few attempts at this recipe have looked nothing like the above photograph...but I am equal to the task. My plan of attack next time is 1) less heat, 2) use canola spray before adding coconut oil, and 3) not to care as much.

Have you tried recipes from the internet before? If so, how did it come out? Also, I am open to name suggestions for Mr. Frog. 

Have a great weekend!

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!