designed by Diana

Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:34:00 +0000

Another race on the beach for me. This was the half marathon I signed up for that I wanted to PR in. It was nice and flat, and I figured it would be cooler. HA! But it was good to get another race in here.

This is only my second solo half.

But I left my house super early in my last minute costume and I got going. It was pitch black when I got to the beach. The time change still hadn't happened, and the start was 6:30am.

We started in the dark and were off from South Point Park to the edge of the Miami Beach island. It was DARK that first mile. We wound around all of the pier, and then ended up back on Alton Road, and headed to the iconic Ocean Drive on South Beach.

There is the one thing about these beach races, watching the sunrise is amazing.

I was feeling good this part of the race. Steady, even, and I wanted to keep that pace in check, so I had enough for the end of the race. Thankfully the sun being hidden totally helped.

Like I has mentioned before, this was the race, I wanted to get my fast back in. The last few weeks had shown me that this was probably NOT gonna be a PR. The heat and my training weren't up to it. So, the night before, I reframed my goals. My A goal, was the PR. B goal was to be in at 2:45:00 or under. Then my C goal was just to finish and feel ok.

To get in more miles, we ran down and back on Lincoln Road pedestrian mall. It was nice and familiar, since my office is on Lincoln Road. And after the detour, we headed back to the dreaded boardwalk.

It was another out and back course down the boardwalk. I was more attentive to my footing this time, since I knew it was an uneven surface. I was feeling good til about the 10k mark, which was a little before the boardwalk turn around, but then I was struggling to keep going. I don't know if it was the heat, my endurance not being up to it? But that boardwalk was killing me.

By the time the boardwalk was done, it seemed to take forever to get back to the finish. I walked a lot, cause my legs just couldn't keep up with the running. Then I switched my intervals and ran for :30 and walked :45. I kept trying to run each time, but it was hard. Plus, by this point, the sun was in full glory, and though it was not as hot as it was for the 10k, it was still hot. And the people had begun to come out to the sidewalks and places we were running, which was a little frustrating, since most of them had no idea we were in a race. I almost got hit my a non-race pedestrian fooling around on the street. So near the end, and having to basically weave to avoid getting hit by his arm was not fun.

FINALLY, I was reaching the park and the finish, but not before a little hill. I'm sure it was nothing to the people that actually have hills, but it was killer for me. After the hill over the park, we ran back along the water and into South Point Park to the finish.

And thank god it was over. I got my medal and I grabbed some ICE water (very nice touch) and some fruit.

I was so glad to be done. And i was hanging around to see if my results would be printed and posted. After waiting about 5 minutes, I gave up and started heading to my car. I checked my time online later, and I hit goal C with a time of 2:51:03. I was kinda pissed when I saw it, cause I knew that had I not walked so much at the end, I could have reached 2:45:00. But my body was just not having it that day.

I was happy to report that I didn't tape my IT band and it didn't bother me at all. I physically felt pretty good after the race. And all of the people I spoke to before, during, and after the race was so nice. I have to mention this, cause being Miami, it was a nice change.

I think I have decided that the Miami Beach races just aren't for me. I know this is limiting my racing here at home, but me and that boardwalk are just not having it.

Quick handmade Halloween costume - Skeleton shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 20:51:00 +0000

I had a Halloween themed half marathon this past weekend. I wasn't going to wear a costume, cause I had no idea what to make, but then I had an idea. A sugar skill costume would be easy and festive. With not enough time for an Amazon prime order to arrive, I had to make something myself.

Since I had left this to the night before the race, paint was out of the question. I didn't think there would be enough time for it to dry. Fabric is my medium of choice anyways, so fabric it was! And I had a few shirts that were in the goodwill pile that were perfect to use for this purpose.

Here are the supplies you will need:

1 black t-shirt
1 white t-shirt
Thread (optional)

And the following tools:

Pencil
Paper
Scissors
Needle or sewing machine (optional)

I skteched out a rough skeleton ribcage on a piece of paper, I foled it in half and cut our the "bone" parts. Then I opened it up and checked for placement on the black shirt.

I found that it was easier to fold the shirt in half, and then cut out the "bone" parts on the shirt as it was folded in half. This way both sides would be even. I pinned the pattern in place, and then cut the fabric where the holes were. I also cut them a little smaller than what I had on the pattern, since I knew it would stretch out when I put it on.

At this point you can just wear this black shirt over a white shirt. It will give the illusion of the bones peeking through.

But since I was making this a running costume, I decided to sew the white part on the inside of the black shirt, so I wouldn't have to wear a double shirt for my run.

*This part is optional, but makes for a lighter shirt.

Cut a piece of white fabric big enough to cover all the cut out parts of the black shirt. Pin to the wrong side of the black shirt. Stitch around the edge of the cut out design to hold in place.

And you're all done! Add some skull makeup to complete your costume, and maybe even some flowers for the sugar skull look.

This took me a total of about an hour to put together, and the hardest part was drawing out the pattern. There's no reason not to have a Halloween costume, even if you have left it to the last minute.

Happy making and happy Halloween!

BK Beach Run 10k

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 17:00:00 +0000

It's finally race season again! Though with the temperatures and humidity still so high, I'm not sure about getting out there.

This was my first time doing this race, but I figured it would be a nice change of pace. But it was not the change of pace I was looking for.

I got up and headed towards the beach at about 6am. Thankfully, there was no traffic this early. But it being South Beach and all, there were still some stragglers walking back to their hotels after a night out.

I walked over to the start line area, which was right on the beach at about 11th Street.

They had some sand sculptures of Whoppers and Chicken Fries, since the race was sponsored by Burger King.

By this time the sun was rising. The views were amazing. I wanted to get out to the water to take a pic, but I didn't want too much sand in my shoes.

Pretty soon, we were off. The first about 1/4 mile of the race was on the sand. They packed the sand as best as they could, but I was happy to get back onto the pavement.

Then a little before the first mile marker, we started running on the boardwalk. This alternated between pavers and a wooden boardwalk.

I was keeping up a pretty good pace, but tired to slow it down a bit so I could keep going for all 6.2 miles.

We got to the turn off for the 5k, and the 10k kept going along the boardwalk. But let's be serious, it's still summer hot here and the humidity was no joke. We ran all the way past the Foutainbleau Hotel, and then made the turn around to come back.

At this point, it was really hot, but I was trying to keep my pace as best as I could. The water stops after the 5k turn were also only manned by 1 person, and that person was having a hard time keeping up. At one stop, I had to stand and wait for water. This wasn't in my plan.

Then at around mile 4.5, I tripped on a plank on the boardwalk. And that shot my confidence. Thankfully I didn't fall, but it really shook me.

I kept going, then just after mile 5, we ran on the sand again... lack of confidence again. By this time the sun was blaring, and the humidity hadn't let up either. I took more walk breaks than usual, but I was determined to get to the finish.

And I did. But not without some 5k finishers strolling across the finish chute (which was in the sand), while I was trying to sprint to the finish.

Every race isn't the best one. But in the end, this was better than my last 10k. And it's all about getting back into the groove. And praying that it gets cooler around here some time soon.

Unicorn Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 21:08:00 +0000

I still need to catch you up with all of the cakes I've made! And this one was really a masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

It's the UNICORN CAKE!

It was for my friend's little girl's first birthday. This kid is getting spoiled with all of the cakes her mom dreams up for me to make her.

Mom, my fondant expert took care of making the horns and the ears. She used fondant and then colored it with gold food coloring. She made them a few days in advance to give it time to harden.

I got to the baking. The cake was vanilla, but it had to be unicorn-y, so I added color to each layer. This was the first time I was doing this, but you can't go wrong with that Wilton color. It makes the colors vibrant and doesn't water down the batter.

And then I had a bunch of frosting in all the different colors to make the unicorn's mane. The key here is really making it all random, harder than it seems for me, but I got the hang of it.

We assembled the cake when we went to drop it off. It was HEAVY! The bottom layer had the same colors, but was covered in gold sprinkles. I drew on the eyes with a paintbrush and some black food color, and we put in the ears and horn and piped in some more flowers to bring it all together.

And you just can't beat the look of those colors all together in one cake. I love how bright and fun it looks together.

Another cake challenge thrown down, and another cake challenge conquered.

Making ears

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 16:07:00 +0000

I've been on a bit of a crafting kick lately. It feels so good to be making stuff again.

I made some floral mouse ears for Kris and Veronica and me for Food and Wine last year. I decided to try making some again, I know some friends wanted to get some too.

So with my trip up to Epcot Food and Wine approaching, I decided to make some ears for myself and some to share too. made a few designs. And now I just have to decide which ones to wear for my Disney trip this weekend.

I think the Wine & Dine ears will definitely make an appearance.

I might even have to come up with a few new designs to go with my outfits for the weekend...

If you wanna grab your own ears, check out my shop.

Wide leg pants

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 23:33:00 +0000

I've been getting back into my sewing lately, and have been making myself a few things to wear. I saw these kind of wide-leg pants at a boutique I shop at and decided to try making a similar pair.

This post contains affiliate links.

I found a pattern, Simplicity 8605, and got some fabric a JoAnn's. The best part of the pattern was the pockets! Gotta love pockets.

Putting the pants togther went very smoothly, but the hardest part was getting the elastic through the 2 channels. Getting them both to come through at the same time without losing one of the other was one of the most time consuming parts of making these.

My fabric choice didn't make this any easier. It was a little too heavy for this project, but it worked. Between the pockets in the front and the waistband, there was a lot of fabric to deal with.

These are super comfy, kinda like pajama pants, but the fabric made them good to wear to work.

It was great to whip up something that came together so fast. I think I'm gonna have to try my hand at making something else soon.

BDR Orlando Half

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 15:58:00 +0000

Catching up on my race recaps. The Best Damn Race is one of the funnest races out there. It's made by runners for runners, and you can tell.

This race was in early March, it was cool at the start, but then it got warm really quick.

After the fun we had at the 10k last year, and seeing the size of the half medals, Kris and I decided to go for the half this year.

This was the longest race we had run since the full marathon in January. It wasn't the easiest. There was a lot of walking.

But we finished. And that's really what matters.

This race has amazing free perks for the runners: drinks, massages, food. We met up with a bunch of friends and had some drinks. I was too late for the frees massages though.

It was a fun day, and it was good to get out there and get in a race again. And did I mention the bling?

Elmo Birthday Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 15:35:00 +0000

My cousin wanted a cake for her little boy's 1st birthday, and she called me & Mom to make one for him. We did an Elmo theme, cause what little guy doesn't like Elmo.

We baked up the cakes, vanilla, which people seem to just love.

And Mom started making some of the fondant decorations too.

A Sesame Street street sign with the name and a number 1 on the side.

And then an Elmo on the top! We used fondant, sugar sheets, and edible markers to make Elmo come to life.

This was such a great colorful cake to celebrate a little man's 1st birthday!

Tropical Stitch Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 11:30:00 +0000

After seeing my cakes online, one of my friends contacted me to make a birthday cake for her niece. She loves Stitch, and she wanted to incorporate that with a tropical theme.

My friend gave me the idea for some hibiscus flowers on the cake. Mom, my flower expert, had never made these before. But with some practice and some tutorials, she made some pretty cute flowers.

Mom also made some daisies as accent pieces.

And we even added the name on the cake board with a little fondant.

Now you can't tell from outside, but this is a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Amazing how a little food color can fool you. We added the Stitch toy to the top of the cake along with the flowers, and it looked pretty good.

Another cake making challenge was presented to us. And I'd consider this one another cake success!

4th of July 5k 2018

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 16:30:00 +0000

Another year, another 4th of July 5k. It's always a hot race, but it's good to be forced to get in a run on a holiday. And let's be serious, I had to show off my A. Ham shirt.

It was cooler than I expected actually, but the humidity was at 87%, which made it gross and sticky. The first mile was in the park, which was mostly shaded, until the last 1/4 mile. I started with my 5 minute walking warmup, which meant tons of people passed me. But I felt strong and was trying to keep a good pace with my :45/:30 intervals. The second mile was mostly in the sun, on the road circling the park, but it wasn't too bad.

There were water stops about every mile, but I only took from the 3rd one to throw water on my head. I had my own water bottle and was drinking from that. After mile 3 started we were back in the park. I felt a little tired, but kept up my pace. I started passing some of the people that passed me at the start.

Once I turned the corner to the finish line, I pretty much ran the last .1 mile. I really tried to run fast at that point and finish strong. I thought I would be a little faster than I ended up being, but it has been faster than any of my other runs lately. The crazy humidity definitely slowed me down, and sweat was dripping everywhere.

But I grabbed a cup of water (a bottle would have been much appreciated at this point), and got in the beer line. It was great that the beer was from a local brewery. Went to grab some fruit, but it was just bananas and oranges. I was looking forward to a piece of watermelon, like they had last year.

Glad I got out there and got in my run. I even saw some friends out there running too. Next race is the Labor Day 5k. Fingers crossed it's overcast.

Ruffle cake

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 11:30:00 +0000

Gotta catch you up on all of the things I've been doing lately, and I haven't stopped baking!

I love making cakes for my friend's little girl, she scours everywhere for ideas, and then with Mom's help I make them happen. For her daughter's baptism, she wanted a 2 tiered cake with ruffles and roses!

I've decided that when it comes to Sweet Angels Cupcakes (mom & my baking name), Mom is the fondant/flower expert, and I'm all about the piping and buttercream. So mom created a bunch of pink roses from fondant for the top of the cake.

This was a vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream. I piped all of the ruffles on the lower tier. And we added a ribbon to bring the 2 tiers together.

The biggest part of these 2 tier cakes is the assembly, bur we put it together at the restaurant and it looked (and tasted, from what they told me) amazing!

Just love how this cake came out. Even better than I thought it would.

Running Costumes: Rides of the Magic Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0000

I wanted to do something a little different for our costumes for the WDW Marathon. It was gonna be the first marathon for Kris and me, but I didn't want to do anything like the basic Disney characters. I'm in a few Facebook running costume groups, and was getting all sorts of inspired. Now, as always, I wanted to keep these costumes extremely run-able. so I was gonna build off of some basic running tops.

*post contains affilate links

But then what to do... I got inspired as this was the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World marathon, and started to think about my Disney World memories. Now this isn't so much a memory, as an family story turned urban legend, but word has it my favorite thing on my first trip to Disney World was "It's a Small World." I loved it so much, that my 2 year old self was singing the song on repeat and we rode the ferry back to the Ticket & Transportation Center. The other people on the ferry were going nuts listening to my little voice singing the ear worm over and over. With that, it was too easy to decide to make a Small World costume.

I told Kris my idea about ride costumes, and she decided on the Haunted Mansion. She decided on the Haunted Mansion cast member costume. Pretty easy, or so I thought.

Since it would be January when we ran, and there was no telling if it would be cold or hot, we decided on short-sleeve workout shirts. Cause there is no way in hell I was gonna run 26.2 miles in something that wasn't sweat wicking. I looked all over for a striped shirt for Kris, but to no avail. I ordered plain shirts on Amazon in the colors we needed (dark green for Kris, light blue for me).

Then I started on Kris's costume. I got a dark green shirt, and then was gonna paint on the stripes. I found Tulip spray fabric paint, which I figured would be easy to do, and not too stiff. I used masking tape to tape off the stripes, and used freezer paper inside the shirt to prevent bleed through. Then I sprayed, and waited forever for it to dry.

As I was painting, I wasn't sure the color was dark enough. So I was mentally preparing to start over. Once I took off the tape after it was really dry, it did look black, thank God! Then, I taped and painted the back and the fabric for the apron. In total this took one small and 1 large can of the fabric spray paint.

After waiting til the back was dry, I made the lace collar. I didn't make the collar go all the way around, since I still wanted the neck to be able to stretch for her to be able to put the shirt on.

With a scrap of white fabric and some lace I made the headpiece. I also added the bat bow with black felt. I attached this to Kris's visor with some safety pins, and it was good to go.

Now my shirt, initially I wanted to paint the big clock onto my shirt. but that is insane and crazy and I wouldn't have time, so iron-on it was. But I wanted this to be BIG, like covering my whole shirt big. I sized this all out on the computer, and then went to print. Not the easiest to print an image on 6 sheets of paper. I used the poster printing to get this all done.

I first tried on normal paper before attempting the iron-on sheets. A few trials and errors, and it was finally all lined up and ready to print.

First I cut around the design on the sheets closely, so I wouldn't have too much extra iron-on material left on the shirt. Then, I lined up all of the iron-on sheets, and started ironing.

Some pieces required a little more heat. I was also afraid of melting the dry wicking shirt. But thankfully, it all worked out. As I slowly started peeling off the backing, I saw my creation..

I had grand ideas of having the kids from the ride holding hands around the bottom of my skirt, and having all of the goodbyes on the back of my shirt. But between running, the holidays, and life, I just didn't have enough time. I loved the bright colors on the shirt, and figured this got the point across just fine.

The best part of all was that the costumes both made it 26.2 miles! They looked good after the race too. My shirt had some of the iron-on lifting after I got home, so it doesn't seem like it'll make it through another run. But it did the job. And really, as long as I looked cute, that's all that matters.

Walt Disney World FULL Marathon Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 19:00:00 +0000

This post is ridiculously long overdue, but here it is. I am a marathoner.

I left for Orlando on January 5th. I got up there and met Kris at the expo. She had already been, since her Dad was running the 5k on Thursday, but we met up and walked around. The nerves were a bit higher than usual, it felt like that first half marathon.

Most of the vendors were the usuals, so just a stroll around after I got my bib and my shirt, and then I went to the official merch. My amazing bestie had already snagged what I wanted, the "I Did It!"shirt, and a 26.2 magnet. Now I just had to earn them.

I was staying at Pop Century, and was in one of the newly renovated rooms, which was nice. I had company on the trip, since Andy came with me, which was totally a great distraction from only thinking about the race. After the expo Andy and I went to Downtown Disney and has some dinner at Homecoming. OMG that was good.

Also, this was a cold weekend. I had been hoping for a cool race weekend, and looks like the gods listened to me. Friday for the 10k was the coldest morning, and looked like Sunday's marathon would be the warmest, at about 44ish. Not ideal, but I know it would warm up as the day went on.

On Saturday, Andy, Kris, and I we went to the Animal Kingdom to shake out the nerves and ride Pandora, cause we had fast passes. It was so fun. Then a stop at Hollywood Studios for boozy hot chocolate, and meeting Kylo Ren. We met up with Kris's family and our good friend Allyson for some Mexican food for dinner. Cause nothing is better than tacos. Then it was back to the hotel for flat pics and sleep before a ridiculously early wakeup call.

3am came entirely too quickly, but we got dressed and bundled up and got on the bus. As usual, I made our costumes, but made them super running friendly. I decided to go with "It's a Small World," since this was my first favorite Disney ride. Kris picked the Haunted Mansion. I'm always totally more impressed with her costumes than with mine. I think we fully captured the Mansion's cast member costumes. I'll have a separate costume post coming up soon.

Smartly, Kris picked up $2 blankets at Walmart as our throwaway stuff. These became capes around us, and really kept us warm at 3am with the windchill making it 38!

We went to our corrals (corral E) and they started going off soon enough. With the mini-waves it went off pretty fast. The nerves were in full force, and truth be told, I barely remember starting the race. But we were off.

The first few miles were just highway, as we got closer to the Magic Kingdom. At about mile 5, we were about to turn in the front gates. We decided since cameras would surely be in the park, it was time to ditch our lovely blanket capes. Brrr.

And then, boom, we were on Main Street, U.S.A. This is where it hit me. I'm running the marathon. I'm running through the Magic Kingdom (which isn't something you do often at a WDW runDisney race), "A Whole New World" is playing and I legit started tearing up. So glad Photopadd got pics of me running down Main Street.

We ran through Tomorrowland, and then around Fantasyland to run through the castle. And this time we actually rant through it. Also got a pic in front of the castle!

After we ran through Frontierland, we hit the road again and had 7 miles of characters and headed towards the Animal Kingdom. We didn't stop for any characters, since we were concerned for time. But there were plenty around and DJs for entertainment too. I felt good for these miles, since it was still well within normal half marathon range. I guess it was better to get the boring nothing happening miles done with before the second half.

And of course, since it was cold and we hadn't gone before I needed to go. So, we waited in port-a-potty lines and finally went. It was about 25ish minutes taken up on that adventure, but I was good to go after that.

At about the halfway point, we hit Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, we didn't go through Pandora, but got some pics by the Tree of Life.

We passed through Dinoland too and then it was out of the park. the park was just opening up, so there were people walking in as we were running out. Through the parking lot, we grabbed candy from strangers and then started 5 very long highway miles. At about mile 16.5 is when my IT band decided to start hurting. Pissed me off cause it was fine for longer than this on my longer training runs, but it was too late to stop now. I took it a little easier trying to see if running or walking felt better. It was a toss up.

Thankfully, there was tons of course support. Candy from strangers, pretzels, cheering and some great signs. Plus runDisney had some entertainment out here too.

At mile 18, we got into the Wide World of Sports. this was an almost 3 mile trek through the Wide World. We ended on the baseball field, which was pretty cool, but the rest was pretty meh. In the parking lot on the way out, there were tons of people set up cheering, giving out pretzels and candy, and even shots of booze. Gotta love the running community! It was really great to see all of those people there, I didn't know any of them, but by mile 20, yup you needed that extra boost of energy from anyone.

A few more miles, next to a lot of construction going on, and we basically went in and out of Hollywood Studios. Don't blame them since the park is under major construction. The park was fully open, so they had us in a big area, and the park goers roped off in a smaller lane. And seriously, the best part of the race, the cast members had boxes of tissues on the main street as we left the park. With it being so cold, being able to blow my nose was awesome.

Then the long and narrow trek around the Boardwalk to Epcot. We entered the Epcot at the International Gateway. And saw the best sign ever, a Hamil-sign! This totally gave me a boost and I had to text Jenn to show her. At this point, I knew my battery was gonna make it and started getting messages from Jenn and Andy. It was great to get these to keep going and knowing my cheer squad was keeping up with me.

Then we turned to the steep hill towards France. This was the longest distance I've ever run in a race through Epcot. We ran all of the World Showcase except England and Canada. The park was open, but the park people, were roped off to a narrow area. This meant we had plenty of room to run.

The 25th mile marker was the special 25th anniversary photo op. Line was too long, so I just took a pic as I ran by.

We ran through all the countries, and at Germany was Snow White, no line, so Kris stopped and got a pic with her.

Then we ran through Mexico, and I saw a few people holding margaritas for people. But I couldn't stop now. We ran up the main strip of Epcot and down towards Spaceship Earth.

And boom, the 26th mile marker. It was Incredible (see what I did there?). That finish was so close.

Then we were out in the parking lot. The parking lot to finish line was a little longer than usual, seemed like it took so long.

But I crossed that finish line, hands in the air, my bestie next to me, and looked up to see Andy waiting in the stands for me. It was the best finish.

I couldn't believe I had done it. It was all over, I was a MARATHONER!!

I went and got some ice on my knee at medical, and went to the family reunion area to get hugs, congrats and even some champagne, courtesy of Kris's dad.

After we got cleaned up and got back to the hotel, we ended up canceling our lunch reservations. There would just be no time. So I ice bathed, and then Andy and I headed back to Epcot. We walked around, and miraculously, I felt pretty good.

We got some pics. And I forgot to mention, since it was the 25th anniversary of the full marathon, we all got 25th anniversary Mickey ears!

And as we were walking to the World Showcase to find food, found that the 25th Anniversary mile marker was still up. Then it was off to get some food at spice road table and walk around the rest of Epcot. I was shocked at how good I felt. I blame it on my ice bath and the walking around.

I ended the night with a margarita, cause when you just ran 26.2 miles, you can do whatever the hell you want.

The next day, I headed to the parks to get a pic with Mickey and the castle too.

It was such an insane weeekend, but I did it. Some days I still can't believe I did all of that training and then made it 26.2 miles. But I did!

Final weeks of marathon training

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 01:37:00 +0000

Here are the runs from my final weeks of marathon training. Another crazy long run and some short runs in between.

Saturday, December 2nd - 6.1 miles
A 6 miler as a long run was a nice change after 20 miles the week before.

Thursday, December 7th - 2.5 miles
Got in a weekday run.

Sunday, December 10th - 7.06 miles
An afternoon run? It actually cooled off in Miami, so I got in my run at 1:15pm. Can't beat that.

Saturday, December 16th - 22.01 miles
And here it was, the last big run. This was it before the full, after this was taper time. I got out on the road at about 4am, and Andy followed me on a bike.

It was hard. Hard to get moving, hard to get into a groove, but eventually I did. Stopped half way for a pit stop.

The temp outside was good, thankfully, but I was tired of being on my feet. Everything hurt, but mostly my feet. And I was just overall tired. I was walking the last few miles with some IT band pain. I should have gotten in 23-24, but I wanted to be done already.

I got home and Mom made breakfast, which I was so looking forward to, and then I got into my ice bath.

Thursday, December 21st - 2.51 miles
The weather was nice, so I got in a quick run before work!

Sunday, December 31st - 2.62 miles
Tried out the new shoes I got for Christmas. Still too new to use for the full, but did 2.62, the week before attempting 26.2.

6 weeks to go (marathon training, the 20 miler)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 17:00:00 +0000

This is it, the week of Thanksgiving and a 20 miler too. Add in a family wedding to make it all more complicated.

Monday, November 20th - Piyo Sweat
Got in about 20 minutes of this, then had to deal with some stuff at home. But hey, it was something

Tuesday, November 21st - REST

Wednesday, November 22nd - Orangetheory class: Power
Got up early and went to class. I hadn't been in a week, and I was so happy to lift weights again.

Thursday, November 23rd - Turkey Trot 10k
Turkey Trot this year was a HOT one. It was kinda miserable. The water stops also weren't ready as people walked by them. I did have a group of friends that went with me this year, but I was the only one doing the 10k. I was slower than I wanted, but I did it. And today was the start of the Fellow Flowers holiday challenge. 30 minutes of movement every day from Thanksgiving to New Year's.

Friday, November 24th - Piyo Lower
Needed a little stretch for my legs.

Saturday, November 25th - Piyo Upper
Almost didn't get anything in, but it was only Day 3 of the #moveyourass Fellow Flowers holiday challenge, so I had to get something in.

Sunday, November 26th - 20 miles
And here it was. The run I had been dreading since I signed up for the full. The 20 miler. Now to make things all the more complicated, this was on Thanksgiving weekend, and I had a family wedding to attend.

Since I had the wedding brunch at 9am, I did some very bad math, and figured I needed to start my run by 3am. Which meant I attempted to get into bed early on Saturday night. I did the best I could, and fell asleep about 10-10:30. The 2:30 alarm woke me up, but I went back to sleep. When the 3am alarm went off, I really didn't want to, but got up, got dressed, grabbed water and fuel and headed out.

I wore all my brights, and got out there to pound the pavement. It was a little chillier than usual, so I wore my arm sleeves, but they only lasted about a mile before they were too much. I carried electolytes again, but the bottle was leaking, so I turned back and left it at home. I had my handheld bottle with water in it, and since it was a little bigger, it worked for the whole run.

I did my first 5 miles and contemplated calling it quits at 10 miles. I was just tired and really didn't want to be out there. By the time I got to 10 miles, I felt pretty good. But I didn't want to admit that I was still doing ok. I didn't want to jinx myself.

I started the second half of my run still feeling pretty good. I got to the half marathon point, and was happy to still be keeping up with my run/walk intervals. I was heading back towards my house in my last turn around. But at about mile 16.5, my left IT band started hurting. I usually only tape my right, but looks like I'll be taping both now. It slowed me down a bit, and I mostly walked. I was able to still get in some run intervals, which I was happy about. Mostly because I wanted it all to be done already.

I had to do a few extra loops around my house to get in the final 2 miles, but I did it. I got in 20 miles. My IT bands hurt and so did my feet. I got into an ice bath when I got back inside. It sucks, but I'm convinced in its powers of recovery. And after the ice bath and shower, we rushed off to another wedding party. I also got a celebratory burger later that night too. Cause damn, I deserved it.

My phone also survived the 20 miler. I had about 75% left when I was done running. I didn't take any pics, cause I wanted to save my battery. Looks like I can take a few.

There is one more long run left in a few weeks before the race. Then this is done. I'll be sticking to halfs, cause this training is just a bit much.

7 weeks to go?! When did that happen (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 22:15:00 +0000

This week was a little off due to a business trip. But I still tried to get something in.

Monday, November 13th - Run
I got in my Sunday run today. Got out a little late, but did 2.51 miles in about 30 minutes. Wanted to get in more, but I had to finish packing for my trip.

Tuesday, November 14th - Rest
It was travel day. Also had some events later that night.

Wednesday, November 15th - Walk
Attempted to go to the gym, but all of the treadmills were taken. So a walk along the hotel by the beach was perfect.

Thursday, November 16th - Walk
Walk along the beach today too.

Friday, November 17th - Yoga on the beach
A little beach yoga today. Can't beat those views.

Saturday, November 18th - 7 mile run
I got in my long run on Saturday instead of Sunday. Knocked out my 7 miles.

Sunday, November 19th - Rest

Next weekend is insane with Thanksgiving and a 20 miler, along with a family wedding. But I'll get it done. I have to, can't turn back now.

7 tips for a solo run

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Running alone is not scary or crazy to do. As long as you keep a few things in mind, you can totally get out there and run solo.

I've been training alone for years. Thankfully, I've only had a couple of issues, and none of them severe. But here are a few tips to stay safe while getting in your run. Cause, it shouldn't scare you to get out there.

1. Run in a familiar area.

It's best to know where you are and all the little quirks of the area. I feel more confident knowing where I'm going and not having to wonder where the next turn will be. This doesn't mean you can't mix it up a bit, but I prefer to get out there knowing beforehand where I am and will be. Running in a completely new area is best saved for when you have a buddy with you.

2. Tell your person where you will be.

I'm not saying post it on FB, but I always let mom know where I'll be running, especially on super long runs. She's been able to bring me water when needed, and if I need help, she'll be able to come get me. So tell your parents, your spouse, your bestie that lives down the block. Let someone know where you'll be. And approximately when to expect you back.

3. Be aware of your surroundings.

Don't just be in la la land while you're out there. Notice what is going on. The cars around you, the other pedestrians, bicyclists, even debris on the road. This will keep you safe, and also keep you from tripping on something and messing up your knee.

4. Bring your phone.

I won't ever leave home without it. Plus it's my GPS, interval timer, and music. And if you run into any issues, you can call someone or even 911 if needed. Just make sure you have a full charge when you get out there for your run.

5. Wear all the brights.

I always say I look like I'm crazy on my runs. I wear all of the brights, sequins and reflectors. Anything that makes me visible. Remember, make yourself easy to see, cause cars aren't usually looking for people on their feet out there. I leave my black shirts at home on my runs. Those are only for the gym, OTF, or a race.

6. Ignore the honks/comments/leering looks.

You may want to go over and tell the creepy old guy looking you up and down that he is nasty and you could be his granddaughter (which I have done), but it's usually not worth it. Catcallers, creepers, and people honking at you won't care, and are looking for you to get pissed and get a response. Just ignore it, or my preferred action give the finger as you keep running by.

7. Trust your gut.

Sometimes your intuition is telling you something. Listen to your instincts.

Hope these tips will help you get out there for a solo run one of these days. Sometimes just being there with your thoughts is good for your soul as well as your body.

8 weeks to go (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Another week of kinda meh workouts. I was still on vacation at the start of the week, but I need to get back at it.

Monday, November 6th - Disney day (19,615 steps)
First it was a quick stop at Hollywood Studios for some Tower of Terror. Then off to Epcot the whole day to wait for the Boys II Men concert. Tons of walking!

Tuesday, November 7th - Disney day

Wednesday, November 8th - Rest

Thursday, November 9th - 30 minute run
A treadmill run after work. Not my favorite, but I got on and knocked out that 30 minutes, and I was a little faster than usual on the tread.

Friday, November 10th - Rest

Saturday, November 11th - Orangetheory class: Endurance
Of course, I've been out of Orangetheory for a while and it's endurance day. OMG, it was a killer class, but I'm back at it.

Sunday, November 12th - Rest
Gonna get it in tomorrow.

9 weeks to go (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 21:41:00 +0000

The finish of Hell Week and a racecation thrown in for good measure. The end of the week was lots of walking around, but I had so many steps!!

Monday, October 30th - Orangetheory class: Hell Week "The Inclines of Death"
Of course, I get another incline workout. It's like they wanted to give me all the hill training I don't get on the streets.

Tuesday, October 31st - Orangetheory class: Hell Week "Helloween"
Halloween is always one of my fave classes at OTF. I didn't get the trick on the tread (a 1.5 mile run). But on my second card for the rowers I got the 3000m row. Got about 1250m in before time was called. Then on the floor, of course, I got the 31 burpees. But it was my day 5 and I got my shirt!

Wednesday, November 1st - Rest day

Thursday, November 2nd - 30 minute run
Needed to get on the street and shake out my legs before my trip to Orlando. I got in an early 30 minute run. It was perfect.

Friday, November 3rd - Rest/expo day
Still managed over 10,000 steps even with a 4 hour car ride.

Saturday, November 4th - Rock N' Roll Savannah Half Marathon

Good race, but a few more hills and inclines than I would have liked. Full recap coming soon!

Sunday, November 5th - Exploring Savannah (19,469 steps)
Kris and I got up early and explored the city. Covered tons of ground before leaving.

This week was another one that was off from the travel. But I needed the trip. Can't wait to share all of the fun.

10 weeks to go (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 16:46:00 +0000

Hell Week at Orangetheory started this week. I'm a sucker for a free t-shirt, like most of us, so I had to get in my 5 Hell Week workouts to get my shirt.

Monday, October 23rd - Clean Week: Core Function
Hell Week didn't start til Tuesday, so I headed to the gym with the girls at lunchtime, and knocked out this workout. It's becoming one of my faves.

Tuesday, October 24th - Rest day
Wasn't able to make it to OTF today.

Wednesday, October 25th - Orangetheory class: Hell Week "Don't Breathe"
Yup, don't breathe is right. Damn hell week is hard

Thursday, October 26th - Rest day
Might have gone out the previous night, so sleeping in was needed.

Friday, October 27th - Orangetheory class: Hell Week "28 Reps Later"

Saturday, October 28th - Orangetheory class: Hell Week "Thigh Day the 13th"

Sunday, October 29th - Rest day

A few more rest days than I would have liked, but Hell Week does have me sore.

11 weeks to go, a 17 mile run (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 21:00:00 +0000

Big mileage week. And a lot of running this week too. Guess I had to make up for last week.

Monday, October 16th - 5 mile run

I couldn't get in my run last weekend, so I got it in during the dark early morning on Monday. Not the best, not the worst.

Tuesday, October 17th - Clean Week: Core Function

I'm really liking the Clean Week workouts, and this one really gets my obliques.

Wednesday, October 18th - Clean Week: Strength

Got into the gym at lunchtime to knock this one out with one of the girls from work. The connection cut out though, so we winged the last half, but still got in a great workout.

Thursday, October 19th - Fellow Flowers Joy Virtual Run 5k

It was time to get in my virtual run. Jenn and I had signed up for this as soon as it came out. I really connect with the Fellow Flowers girls. So I threw on my yellow flower, the bracelet Jenn gave me and ran with joy, because I get to. It was an easy run. The best I've felt out there in a while. I laughed along with my podcast, and enjoyed just being out there with nothing in the world to bother me. Totally found that joy.

Friday, October 20th - REST

Thinking about getting in a run on Saturday, so instead of hitting up OTF, I decided to call a rest day.

Saturday, October 21st - 17 mile run

Here we go again... the farthest I've ever run in my life. I looked at the weather, and it was gonna be slightly cooler on Saturday, and really I just wanted to get the run over with.

I got up at 5am, got on all of my stuff, got water and electrolytes and headed out. It was dark, but I was gonna do the better lit part of my run first, to take advantage of the street lights. I remembered to take it easy and slow.

I was doing ok, except for the fact that the water bottle I was wearing at my waist with the electrolytes was leaking. I figured maybe I filled it too much, so I drank some to empty out the bottle. Drank some more and I thought it was at a good level, so I put it back in my belt. Well, every time I ran, that bottle squirted out nuun all over the place. This was not working for me at all. So I left the bottle on a wall at about mile 1.5 and picked it up on my way back and dropped it off in my mailbox.

The rest of the first part of the run was good. I tried to keep an even pace, and I had fuel ever 2 miles, which really seemed to work. I've been using skratch labs raspberry chews. They're not overly sweet , and I think the outside has a little salt, which helps. I dropped off my water bottle at home and continued with my run, which was about half over.

I stopped by 7-11 and got water and took a pit stop. This little stop helped and I was ready to start tackling the second half of my run. By now, it was a little sunnier, but it was still pretty overcast til about mile 11. Now, bad planning on my part, but flipping this course meant there was no place to get water during the second half. So, I called my backup, Mom, to bring me some ice water. She met me at about mile 12, and filled me up. This was great, cause I was getting a little tired before my turn around here. I did finally make the turn around, and hit mile 13.

My legs were getting tired, but I had tried to keep up the run intervals as much as I could. I know I can do intervals til 13, so I tried my best to keep at it. Once I hit mile 14, there was a lot of walking. I still tried to do some run intervals, which did feel great. I think it was more mental than anything.

A little after mile 15, I was trying to at least run during my "slow" :30 intervals. This is when I started to feel my IT band. It was only hurting a little and only while I ran, so I only did a few run intervals, mostly to get finished faster.

Finally, I was running (walking) up my street and saw the finish up ahead, and my phone died. About .1 miles before my finish. Note to self. No more IG stories while I run. I need my Runkeeper to be able to keep up.

I got inside, and drank water and got in an ice bath. I think I'm sold on the ice baths. My legs feel good. My feet hurt from being on them for 4 hours, but a pedi later and a little massage helped that too.

Sunday, October 22nd - Yoga class

Since I did my long run on Saturday, I got to sleep in on a Sunday, at least til 7, which is late for me. I went and took a yoga class to get me all stretched out. I was still feeling good after the run, and I wanted to keep that going.

The 17 miler is done! And I feel pretty ok after (kinda shocked about that). Coming up is an easy 6 miler next week, which will be a great rest. Who would have thought 6 miles would be an easy week?!

12 weeks to go (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:38:00 +0000

This week was a mess. Just a hot mess. Rain, power outages, and just plain tired. Too much to do and not enough time.

Monday, October 9th - Clean Week: Core Function

This is the new workout available on Beachbody On Demand, so I had to try it out. It's a good basic workout, but it left my obliques sore

Tuesday, October 10th - REST DAY
Thought this would be my rest day for the week. Finished up some of our costumes for the party instead.

Wednesday, October 11th - Clean Week: Cardio

A little less intense than my normal cardio sessions, but still a good one.

Thursday, October 12th - Clean Week: Strength

My plan was to get in my 30 minute mid-week run and then possibly Clean Week. But when I got outside with all my gear, it started to rain. It was still dark, and I didn't want to risk the rain so I came in and did Strength. I liked this weights workout. It's basic moves, but you can always amp it up with the amount of weight you hold. It was just what I needed.

Friday, October 13th - REST
Didn't sleep since the power went out at 3am. All sorts of stuff started beeping, and I needed to get a light for Grandma. She kept hearing things and calling me, which meant I was up and down in bed. The power finally came back at 6am, but then I needed to shower and get ready to drive to Orlando. But with all of that, I did manage over 13,000 steps. A trip to Epcot helped.

Saturday, October 14th - REST
The night before we got extra party stuff for Miss V's birthday, and baked and setup. We decided to skip the morning workout to continue party prep.

Sunday, October 15th - REST
Since we partied hard, like a 6 year old would, we were beat in the morning and slept in. This meant no run, cause once the sun is up, all hope is lost.

Next week will be better. This is the first time in a long time I have worked out so little. But I think somehow my body may have needed the rest, my mind definitely it. I think the universe just made it happen to give me some rest time.

13 weeks to go (marathon training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 16:00:00 +0000

Last week just felt a little off, not gonna lie. I blame the full moon. But I got in what I could.

Monday, October 2nd - REST DAY
A helluva headache left me sidetracked today. Bleh.

Tuesday, October 3rd - 21 Day Fix: Upper Fix

Head a little better than night, and I know mentally I needed a workout. Arms is what was on the schedule.

Wednesday, October 4th - REST DAY
This one was unintentional, but life got away from me, and I just didn't have time.

Thursday, October 5th - Run 30 minutes

Got in a mid-week run, even with a huge thunderstorm happening. This is when I'm thankful for the treadmill.

Friday, October 6th - 21 Day Fix: Lower Fix

I wanted to skip, but with 2 rest days already, I got in my lower body work.

Saturday, October 7th - Orangetheory class: Strength

Class was a tough one. Lots of inclines on the treadmill. The floor work was a lot of chest and upper body, but I loved it.

Sunday, October 8th - Run 5 miles

Yup, I was out late on Saturday night, and then Sunday morning was just messy. No excuses for me, I got on my treadmill and busted out my 5 miles. At least I had some Netflix to keep me entertained.

Another week in the books. Next week is another super killer long run, but I know I got it. Plus, thankfully I'll have company.

14 weeks to go... Farthest I've ever run

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Thu, 05 Oct 2017 14:57:00 +0000

A little late on this week's post, but here we go. 14 weeks left til go time. I was a little nervous the whole week knowing that I had 15 coming up on Sunday.

Monday, September 25th - 21 Day Fix: Total Body Cardio Fix

Late night workout, it was super sweaty, but I got it done.

Tuesday, September 26th - 21 Day Fix: Upper Fix

Killed arm day before I went to get my vote on.

Wednesday, September 27th - 4.2 mile run

Had to run 4.2 miles for Jenn's 42nd birthday! And did it on my new treadmill.

Thursday, September 28th - REST DAY

Friday, September 29th - 21 Day Fix: Cardio Fix

Early morning cardio to get Friday started right.

Saturday, September 30th - Orangetheory class (power day)

Tried to take it easy on the tread. But once my heart rate got up on the sprint row, it was always up.

Sunday, October 1st - 15 miles

This is the farthest I've ever, ever run. Not gonna lie, I was super apprehensive about this run. I went on Map My Run the night before and plotted out a course around my house. I didn't want to go out to somewhere unfamiliar, since I knew I'd be out there for a while. I also taped up my IT band, and laid out my clothes. I was ready as I could be.

I got up on Sunday morning and headed out before the sun. I intentionally slowed the hell down. I knew I'd need to keep it slower to be able to keep it going that long. I kept telling myself it's just 5 miles (which was great last week) 3 times. I can do this.

I listened to my podcasts which kept me entertained, and just kept chugging along. I started fueling about every 2ish miles, and I got a water refill at about mile 6.5ish. My course was 2 out and backs with my house in the middle. I was done with the first one, and crossed my street to start the 2nd half. It was harder, but I think it was more mental than anything. My legs felt ok, but the sun was out at this point and the humidity was getting to me. I need to bring electrolytes with me next time, I think they will help.

I needed more water, and found a church with an outdoor water fountain, which was a god send. The water was even cold! Somehow, during that stop though, I managed to pause my RunKeeper, so that was off by about 2-3 miles. ARGH. I was so mad. Thankfully I had plotted my course and has my Fitbit running, so I went with the mileage on that.

When I finally got home, I foam rolled my legs. And then... I braved a mini ice bath. There wasn't too much ice, but I think I got the effect anyway. Thankfully the only thing that was sore was my calves, which were sore pre-run. But some compression sleeves made them feel better.

I was kinda impressed of how ok I felt after that 15 miler. Now an easy week this weekend, and then back to the crazy.

15 Weeks Out (Marathon Training)

noreply@blogger.com (Diana B) — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:00:00 +0000

As those numbers up there keep getting smaller, my anxiety keeps getting bigger.

Monday, September 18th - REST DAY
Didn't intend this to be a rest day, but my body needed the sleep.

Tuesday, September 19th - 21 Day Fix: Total Body Cardio Fix & Upper Fix

Jenn and I re-started 21 Day Fix. I had to catch up after my rest day on Monday. I got in Total Body Cardio in the morning, and then Upper Fix at lunch.

Wednesday, September 20th - 21 Day Fix: Lower Fix & Foam Rolling

21 Day Fix left me sore! So I foam rolled before my lower workout. The lower body fix definitely left my legs burning.

Thursday, September 21st - 21 Day Fix: Pilates Fix & 30 minute run

Did my Pilates Fix in the morning, then got in a 30 minute run during lunch. Felt great to get that midday runch session in.

Friday, September 22nd - Rest Day

Saturday, September 23rd - OTF Class

It was endurance day. I feel like whenever I take more than a few days off from OTF, I get stuck in an endurance class. But I did run 1.09 miles in 12 minutes. And did I mention I ran those 12 minutes without stopping?

Sunday, September 24th - 5 miles

This week's Sunday run called for a short one. I got in 5 miles, and it felt good and easy. The streets were a little clearer from debris since last week, and it was slightly cooler too, and by slightly cooler, I mean it wasn't 80 (it was 78), which helped.

And I managed to get negative splits! Always a welcome sign.

Next week is already messing with me. It'll be the longest I've ever run. I have a few of those weeks coming my way, so time to get ready for it.