Is it really a Solo Run? Or are your friends really with you?

I have been slacking on my running due to some stomach issues all week and yes the flood gates from heaven have finally stopped. I was almost ready to start building my own ARC to go to work. 

The past few days have actually been cooling off here in SW. Florida. The humidity has gone down a bit and the sun is finally present with some blue skies! So this morning I decided to spur of the moment get up and go running. 

If I am going to go running by myself I usually go to the gym, I'm a safety nut and I like my music when I run. The two don't go hand in hand, but today I just felt it would be ok with all the other runners/walkers out there. I decided to go down to the water and run by myself and see some scenic views I never really take in. 

Once I got there I remembered Joe R. using "Map my run" and thought I would download it and check it out. I don't have a GPS watch- it's just me and my iPhone! I got it all set and OFF I WENT! 

I started to run on the same path that Kim and I ran during our Jingle Bell 5k. It's much prettier in the day. She always has such great pictures running this route and the views were just like she posts...beautiful today! 

 

I thought of Tracy telling me that sometimes she likes to just run solo and take it all in...today I agreed. I wanted to give her a call just to say hi but she had a thing called work so I passed on it but somehow saw her running infront of me the whole way with that ponytail swaying!

 

As I changed directions I ran under a bridge and thought of Marcia. She always has bridges in the background of her running pictures... today I took one for her and thought about her smile and drive! 

I kept running and took some more pictures on my route. 

 

After running about 3 miles I got to some shady areas that I could run through and cool off. There weren't any stores open yet so I could window browse as I ran through. 

Then I saw it! What? A new candy shop is opening? OMG I so wanted to stop but I didn't... I will have to come back here. Any guesses who I thought of at this point in my run... My candy girl Brandi! I swear after seeing her running outfit as the Candyland game board that is all I can think of when I see sweet shops now!  This one's for you girl!!

Running back my little "coach" Told me I was at 4 miles and under one hour thank God! Somehow I had a flashback of seeing Mr. Matt M's time and distance of like 10 miles in this same ridiculous time and thought to myself "How does he do it? I swear the man is bionic?!" Ok I might have actually said it outloud too. lol.

As I ran thinking about how the heck to improve my time all I could think about was my son telling me "Mom! Pick up legs when you run!" 

Then all I could think of was "Won't I get injured Jeff Galloway?" 

Oh! I don't know just keep running! 

Coming around the homestretch there was no one there, not a soul, and I remembered a picture my friend Christine  took last week on one of her runs. 

Today it was my turn to take a sweaty one of me! I love reading Christine and Pam's running stories. These ladies are lovely! So today here's right back at 'cha girls!  Cheese! 

I don't know who this picture is for but I will say I wish it was open because if it was I would have totally stopped for a rum runner!

 

Well I made it back! I was hoping to run a little more but the sun was getting a little too much for me and at this point I was a sweaty mess. Circling the parking lot a few times I was hoping to hear "coach" say I was at 6 miles but I didn't so I ran through the remaining part of my song and then said "ahhhh! Whatever!" 

It was actually a nice run. Maybe next time it will be cooler. 

Ps story not over...

 I drove home and I have to say I chuckled once I went to shower. You see since my surgery what you don't see under my shirt is about 2-8  full strips of KT Tape holding me together on my stomach area. It is always fun taking it off... The last person I thought of was Ty! Finally after months of not using the tape he tried it... Um, yeah... Without shaving. Ooo! That must have hurt taking it off!  So Ty yes, I also learned that those small little baby hairs on your stomach can hurt like a bitch... sweaty and all! 

So QOTD:

Have you ever went on a solo run and it really wasn't solo because you had the sights and thoughts of your friends with you? 

Run fast ~ Have fun everyone! 

For the Love of #TeamSparkle and first Disneyland race!

I have always seen all those girls running races especially in Disney and thought

 "Hmm, is that sparkly skirty thing really for me?" 

Well, with this year being a special year for me I wanted something cute yest fashionable when I crossed the finish line to get my Coast to Coast medal. I will be earning my C2C (as we all call it) by finishing the runDisney Princess half marathon in Disney World and then flying to the west coast to run in the runDisney Disneyland half marathon. (I actually ran in the Dumbo Double Dare challenge but who's bragging? not me!). 

I started to ponder on some outfit ideas and do some research on some of the skirts my fiends wear. By far Sparkle Athletic (aka #TeamSparkle) won hands down amongst my friends. Kelly who is one of the "Sparkle Girls" and is also on one of my Facebook Group Pages Team #runDisney (the badge is on my sidebar). To meet all of the girls and learn more about their products click here. 

After a hunt for my black Fila tank top and I could finally buy my skirt. Of course which is the best skirt they have according to me? The Minnie inspired skirt! It was perfect. I didn't want anything to see thru and I knew I would wear it over and over again....um to the parks. 

The day I received my skirt and I had a big laugh.When I took it out out the package ti show my husband he said "That's what you are wearing to run in?" I said yes with a eyebrow up and a smart ass grin, but the idea of me being Minnie wasn't the problem. He thought I was running in JUST the skirt for the bottom and replied "Don't you think that's a little too short for running? What if someone comes and lifts your skirt or you have to bend over?" I am sorry but sometimes I have to shake my head and wonder is there anything else this man thinks of?"  Explaining that I had bought shorts under it made it all come together in his twisted head. LOL! 

Jump ahead to August 31,2103. After the Disneyland 10k the girls at Sparkle Athletic where gracious enough to donate one of their visors as a door prize for my Travel Girl on the run meet up/brunch I was having at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Of course with the new arrival of their red and white polka dots visor I had to pick that one! Ms. Erin of For the love of Disney Running  won the lovely visor and later that day personalized it from the "Mouse" himself.

September 1,2013 Today was the day it was all going to to come together. I had waited for this day for months recovering from an unpredicted surgery in May  I was determines to go out there to have fun and look fabulous doing in my Minnie get up! Running through the parks was a blast. I wasn't going for time...I was going for the experience of running my first trip to Disneyland! Stopping along the way with some princesses... running happily through the streets of Anaheim and Angels Stadium...and doing whatever the course alllowed me to take in along the way....I was doing it!

Finishing was a DREAM come true! With my fellow #TeamSparkle sisters Brandi  Girl on the run365 Kim Kim Runs Disney & Beyond Lena Beginners Runner  Jen Hello Fitness - We Meet Again with me Travel Girl on the run at the finish line, there could have been nothing better!

As a side note I have to post the funniest picture of all. These girls (Brandi- Chestire Cat & Lena Alice) were a total hoot to see during the 10k in these outfits... and yes they were in  #TeamSparkle Skirts!!

For more info on Sparkle Athletic #TeamSparkle and how you can win a $25 gift certificate towards anything in their store visit : http://sparkleathletic.com/blogs/spread-the-sparkle-blog-badge-contest/

will be giving away a $25 Sparkle Athletic gift certificate EVERY MONTH to one of our Team Sparkle evangelists.  Will it be you? - See more at: http://sparkleathletic.com/team-sparkle/spread-the-love/#sthash.674FhvxG.dpuf

Visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparkleAthletic
On Twitter:  https://twitter.com/runteamsparkle
On Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/sparkleathletic/
On Instagram: http://instagram.com/SparkleAthletic#

will be giving away a $25 Sparkle Athletic gift certificate EVERY MONTH to one of our Team Sparkle - See more at: http://sparkleathletic.com/team-sparkle/spread-the-love/#sthash.674FhvxG.dpuf

A NEW look for my blog Travel Girl on the run

I have been wanting a new look for the blog and it finally happened, but not on purpose. It was by accident! 

 For the last few weeks I could not change the background of the blog amongst some other things. I tried on two different computers and my iPhone and it wouldn't budge! Well tonight with one click of a button I lost my blog theme, fonts, colors, and some more! I almost died of a heat attack! 

So on that note I got a new new to the blog. I started working on it at 4:30pm and just a few minutes ago I finished it at 1:30am. I had to read. Few tutorials on how to get things to work right but I did it. 

So I want your opinion in the comments below...What do you think? Yes I want pros/cons that's why I am asking :)  

Have you ever had a Virtual running buddy?

It has been raining here in SW Florida for 3 days straight but I don't mean rain... I mean rain! Rain that has flooded half of out towns public streets and neighborhoods. We need to take our boats to work not out cars. 

Anyways, the last few days have not been so good for me with this thing called. Chrohns. Let's just say we have NOT been friends and it's been putting a damper on my eating and working out especially. 

I had all intentions of going to run on Monday but that jut didn't happen between the monsoon going on and my stomach. So yesterday after I ended up getting off of work early I was determined  that no matter what I was going to go. 

On my way home while my husband was driving I scrolled through my Facebook posts and saw this that my friend Jackie posted: 

We responded back and forth and decided it was the perfect push we both needed to get to the gym. To prove we were there we'd take a picture when we for there :)

Throwing my clothes on and heading out the door I went to the gym. Half way there I realized that maybe I should have driven the ARC there and hoped I didn't stall out in some of the areas flooded. 

I made it! This was going to be a quick workout today, due to some mommy schedules, so I decided to get on the ARC and do some leg workouts and get some mileage in too ( what kind of machine is this anyway?) 

As I tried to take a picture for Ms. Jackie the machine asked the question for me.. 

That was kind of funny! Cell phone service stunk and it never went through to her :( 

I was doing really good until this one stinky lady decided to get on to the machine literally next to me. Pew! "Lady! I am the only one on these machines of all 25 of them in a row and you have to get on right next me with that awe full perfume?"  Yes that's exactly what I thought! So I stopped, took a picture of my workout, and went to a treadmill in the middle of no where again. 

Talking back and forth with Jackie was fun. It actually made me smile a few times. 

I was having a great run breaking in my new Saucony Ride 7's and then what do you know the stomach started to act up. I even swigged some Imodium when leaving the house so I wouldn't have a problem and that didn't seem to work today.  After about 3/4 of a mile I was getting horrible cramps. So I ended up doing some walk/ running thinking it would pass buy not today. I could only get in over a mile and I had to stop. Ugh! 

Well thanks to Jackie posting on Facebook I got to the gym and so did she.  Sometimes you need that extra push to get you out there even on your worst day! 

So today I have a question for you.

QOTD: Have you ever ran with someone virtually?  Or has anyone given you that push to keep going when you enacted to stop? Comment below. 

runDisney Wine and Dine mail is here!

So am I the only one who's heart skips a beat when you open up your email and see this from #runDisney?

I was a late comer signing up for this race so I am not sure if this the first email or the second but every email is always magical! 

I had planned to sign up for next years race being it was the 5th anniversary of the Wine and Dine but after running the Dumbo Double Dare I still had the Disney spirit in me ( can you have too much?)  and started look into open spaces that were left through charities. (I will have another post on that story later to come).

Well, I found one and it was a GO! 

 While I was at the expo I never even saw the medal for this years race. Thanks to Linzie from See Sharp Run for posting this picture above of the medal for 2013. I love the new look! 

I am thrilled to be running through 3 different areas for this race. Starting at Wide World of Sports, heading into the Animal Kingdom, and into Hollywood Studios is going to be a blast! But wait! The course doesn't end there. It trails out of Hollywood Studios through the boardwalk area past the Yacht and Beach Club resort into EPCOT and wallah! There will be your finish line. 

Keep an eye out for more emails and news to come as the time gets a little closer. I know I will be axiously awaiting them! 

For now, make sure you open up your igift bag for promotions, deals, and running information from Jeff Galloway an nutritional info from the Diet Diva herself. Don't forget about your free poster from Lasting Commemoratives and a lot more too!

What are you most excited about at this race? The course, the scenery, the finish line party, or something else? 

Comment below we all want to hear :)

Spreading some "Mama Monday Love"

Today is Monday which means the weekend is over and we all have to get back to our crazy schedules. 

Just for some fun today brighten a friends Monday with some love from one mama to another! 

 

If you are reading this it means that you are loved and someone is thinking of you today! 

Spread the love and share this post with another mama! 

If you want to thank them feel free to comment below "Thanks___ for the love!" 

Happy Mama Monday!" 

All roads lead to Saucony Love

If you asked me years ago what brand of running shoes I wore I probably would have had to look down at my sneakers to of answered them. I honestly can tell you that I never wore running sneakers because I didn't run and I didn't know the first thing about the different types. Now I think I could honestly get a job as a running shoe sales woman. 

I had the worst luck trying to find my perfect glass slippers and learned from each expierence. 

In order for you to run a 5k you need to first get yourself a pair of running shoes before you can run. So I went to the outlets and purchased a pair of Nike Frees. It was their first year  out. They had great reviews but after running in them my feet started to burn, my toes were cramped, and my knee started to hurt. 

It think I had to do something about this!

Someone told me about  a runners superstore, going there was like a learning field trip. I was measured for the correct size,  I did a gait analysis, and then "AAAAHH!" The picking of the pair. I went with Mizuno's only because I heard fabulous things from reviews and friends and they were comfy. I ran in them and found out that I did not like them, I went back to the store but I was told I could not return them. So I continued to run in them resulting in a very painful local Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I blew out my knee. Not only was that horrible but I had less than 2 months to my first ever half marathon. I needed a different solution and fast! 

I didn't return to that running store. I wasn't about to buy another pair if $100+  shoes and have them be wrong again. So I went to Dicks Sporting Goods store knowing what I learned and found a few pair of sneakers. 

They were labeled "Saucony" and for about a year I said the name a million  different ways. I bought a pair of black Cohesion's for $34 on sale and I loved them! While I hated the color, black... They were comfortable. In one month from buying them and barely breaking them in I ran my first half marathon in Walt Disney World. 

Until last year I ran in them until someone told me about "mileage" on your running shoes. I started to have problems with my toes flopping and moving around too much in them due to them wearing out. It was time for another pair. 

Again, I tried different shoe brands but all roads led back to Saucony. This time I wanted a lighter shoe and something flashy- I got a bargain at a summer clearance sale of $64. With a little orthotics help. They were great. I ran a few more races in them and thy held up great for the past year! 

Well, jump forward to a few weeks ago. I just came back from running my third half marathon in Disneyland but this time on top of the 13.1 miles I added another 6.2 miles to it to be called the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge. During this race I started to have a little knee pain and my toes were bothering me too. As my feet swelled, the shoes felt smaller. I started to think it was time for some new kicks due the wear inside and out. While they looked like they were in perfect shape, but they were worn. 

After about a week home from Disneyland I took a drive down to my favorite store Fit2Run (www.fit2run.com) in Coconut Point, Estero Florida where I am a ambassador. I had my eye on two different pairs and company styles for a few weeks now and I was determined to get them if they worked. I tried on some alternate styles that I wouldn't even give a chance to.  Then the ones I had wanted. It was a toss up between the new New Balance and the Saucony and guess what? The ones I really wanted won! The Saucony. 

I chose the Saucony Ride 6 and in citron green/yellow. Now these are flashy! 

 

Tonight when I brought them home I embellished them with my new Beecause charm from the DDD expo along with my old GOTR charm, and my Nitebeam laces I bought at an expo. Since my next race will be Wine and Dine Half marathon at Disney on November 9,2013 I figured why not lace up some night time bling! 

It's funny how sometimes you don't see a pattern in front of you. Since I found my Saucony running shoes I have fell in love. I don't know why I just don't go right to the Saucony shelf, because I always say yes to them! 

I have to tell you that I was so excited to wear them when I got them home. I am watching TV and do errands around the house in them until I get to run in them. We have been getting monsoon rains and these new sneaks will not be going out in it! 

Keep an eye out for my review of them... I'm sure they will be great!! 

For more information on Saucony go to: www.saucony.com

For more information on the Saucony Ride 6: click here

A chance to win an entry into the Bocco Lupo 5k

 I am giving away a chance to win an entry into the

 Bocco Luppo Howl at the moon 5k Trail run on October 19,2013

to be held in Englewood, Florida 

(yes it is chip-timed)

 Here's are the details...

• For every $10 that you donate to my charity you can win 10 entries into winning this race. 
• All you have to do is go to the Rafflecopter app below and select "A Min. Donation of $10 to my charity" It will lead you directly to my fundraising page and that's it! 
• Contest ends October 1, 2013 and I will be in contact with you in time to be able to get your free tech shirt still.
• The race is valued at $25 
• The Rafflecopter app will pick the winner. 

For more info on the race go to:
http://www.zoomersrun.com/uploads/Bocca_Lupo_2013_for_Printing.pdf

 https://www.facebook.com/BoccaLupoHowlAtTheMoon5k?filter=3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tower of Terror is a "no run"

So this is the second year that Rundisney will be putting in the Tower of Terror 10 miler. Last year I ran it in its inaugural year, but this I wont have that chance. I didn't get to sign up this year and now I wish I had.  

I LOVE nighttime races and the new distance runDisney offered was awesome ... but when I was done running it I thought it had a few kinks to be ironed out and I decided to pass and now kind of regret it. 

Since I had run the Princess half in February and I was going to Disneyland to earn my Coast to Coast medal at the new inaugural Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, this race took a back burner when runDisney also announced the new Minnie 10k. Not realizing if I did the Tower of Terror 10 miler I could have been a possible legacy runner. 

Living so close to Disney it sometimes has its up and sometimes it downs. You see, being so close it's so easy to just get up and go to the runs. On the other hand, it's so hard to kick yourself for not signing up for one and knowing you're so close to the action! 

So with jealousy I will be watching the tweets, Facebook posts, and texts my friends will be posting on this run. Cheering them on buy at the same time kicking my tush that I didn't sign up again! 

Good luck to all of my #rundisney friends and my local Team Fit2run friends Ken, Melissa, Jill, Louis, and Kimmi!

You will all ROCK this race! 

Keep calm and have a ...

It's Sunday and I'm pretty sure no one is doing what I am doing on a Sunday. While everyone is out running, shopping, and watching football or a movie I am preparing for a colonoscopy Monday morning before the sun comes up and crows... Well what ever they do?!

UG yes! Since it has been 18 weeks since my resectioning surgery/ Chrohn's diagnoses. I must have this test to make sure Humpty Dumpty was put back together again and correctly. 

I am telling you that I am not looking forward to this. Even though I have had one done before, about 8 yrs ago, it's not any more fun the second time around. 

1. 

It's 12:00 noon and here is just one of the bottles I am supposed to drink. After drinking a half of one I started to doctor myself and think "Wait! I am supposed to drink 2 of these? I am only 105 lbs & a Chrohns patient, not the normal 200 lbs grown man who can chug this!" As I am writing this I am already getting gut wrenching pains. Yeah today is really going to suck!

1:00 pm Ok I'm back! So I only drank half of that bottle. I just couldn't do it. It tasted like really really sour lemonade & full of saccharin and sucrose (something a Chrohns person is NOT supposed to have) OMG- ick! GROSS.

2:00 pm Now it's time for the second dose. I keep trying to psych myself out but it's not working. I stuck a straw in the bottle thinking I would drink it fast- nope, that didn't work. This stuff is horrible! 

4:00 pm So this is totally not fair... My family is having ribs and BBQ for dinner. My house smells like the Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World (yes there is always a correlation between something and WDW). Considering I have to be on a liquid diet until tomorrow's test I made my daughter go out and get me some wonton soup from our local Chinese restaurant. The salt was a good change from the sucrose induced drink they gave me to drink. I am getting cranky from all this sugar and no real food. 

I swear I am going to go to a buffet tomorrow! 

I don't think I have to drink any more of that stuff. Ewww! The thought of it makes me shiver. 

So it's 6:40am and I am heading off to the surgery center. I was up all night and my nerves are shot. Wish me luck! 

So I just walked in and did all if the paper work and they told me my appointment isn't until 8:15am. What? Lovely.. More nerves.

Ok it's time to go in. TTYL

So that wasn't the best experience, it wasn't the worst either. 

It was kind of what I expected. As soon as I came in I had to hand over my belongings. I should of left my purse in the car when my husband dropped me off but I didn't. I had to make a itemized list of what was in my purse which was fine buy then I had to count my money in my wallet in front of 2 nurses and have them witness and sign off on the amount I had. Interesting. 

The nurse rushed me through pre-op questions and then handed me a gown to put on. The temperature in this place must have been like 60 degrees. Brrr! 

So then the fun part came. IV time. I always try to tell them to use pediatric needles and let them know where my good veins are. She didn't listen.  I asked the nurse nicely not to put in in my hand, and of course after a bit of an argument and my arm turning colors, while on the other arm the blood pressure cuff was squeezing me like a python ...I gave in and started to tear up. After it was in he brought me a tissue and asked what I was in for and why. After I told her that I was in to do a follow up to a surgery I had she asked "When & What happened? What did you have?" I told her I had a resection after going septic on Mother's Day and she said "OMG do you have Chrohns?" I replied "Yes" and now all of a sudden she became compassionate and told me she was sorry and now she understood why I was acting the way I was. I all of a sudden started to tear up even more. I was having flashbacks of that hospital ordeal. 

I am not a fan of hospitals not procedures. I hate it. 

The anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and again I had to go thru my Schpeel of how I don't wake up easily and even though you think I am awake .. I'm not! Why do they NOT listen to you? They look as if you are crazy? 

Oxygen on, IV's going and off I went into a private room. The room had tons of TV's and nurses. As everyone was walking around one of the nurses came over and started to push the anesthesia into my IV. The last thing I said was "man this stuff burns... And I went out!"

I woke up as scheduled a few minutes later in another room groggy as all hell and of course they were trying to push me out and hurry me out. I started to tear up again because I wanted to yell out "omg chill out!" 

My husband helped me to the car where I immediately asked him to stop for food. I was hungry after not eating for 2 days. 

Next stop... Panera for a Cinnamon Crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese stat! 

I see the doctor in another week to talk about a few biopsies he tool but he told my husband that everything looked good and I was healing nicely! No gaps, no holes, and no detours! (lol)  

I guess Humpty Dumpty was put together again. 

I've caught the #rundisney virus again!

Once again I have caught a virus! 

It's VERY contagious and it can reoccur  many times a year. The worst place to get it is on a runcation! 

This virus is called Rundisneyitis 

Some of the  symptoms can be: 

1- Counting down the days until your next race at Disneyland or Disney World

2- Clearing your weekend schedule because you need time to spend on your themed running costume 

3- Stalking the @rundisney twitter and Facebook page because you didn't get into the meet up! 

4- The need to "Carb Load" atleast once a day so you eat and drink "around the world" 

5- When you plan your days in the parks according to your  "meet up" parties 

6- Standing outside the expo entrance 2 hrs before hand so you could fight someone for a "I did it" shirt 

7- Standing in another line for over 2 hrs to buy that shirt

8- Planning where there are character stops on the course

9- Wearing your medals in the parks because dang it ... You earned that medal!

10- a week after you get home you start looking at the runDisney site hoping that there is a race to sign up for because you're already having withdrawals of Disney and you miss your running friends.

If you think that you may have it too... 

This is the link for more information.

www.rundisney.com 

Until we meet again... Have fun and remember, We'll always have Disney! 

#SweatPink Sisterhood lace giveaway

We all have a community of friends that keep us alive and kicking during a race or a run!

WE RUN

WE LAUGH 

WE FINISH

WE SMILE 

AND THEN CELEBRATE TOGETHER!

What is special about your group? 

This weekend I had the privilege of running the #rundisney Disneyland Half marathon and the Dumbo Double Dare (a 10k and a half marathon)  with some VERY special girls I now can call my sisters in running. We laughed, I think we may have cried, and we finished the race with LOTS and LOTS of smiles. The race was a blast because of these girls. 

I recently became a #SweatPink Ambassador and received a pair of the pink shoelaces pictured below... I'd like to forward these awesome laces to a few other girls that want to Sweat Pink and run faster too!

Celebrating our Dumbo Double Dare =finish

Mon and Daughter starting the 10k

A GREAT group of girls waiting to get into the expo (and Patrick)

Who are your running sisters? 

Below is where you can win a pair for each and every sister in your running group!

(maximum of 6)

 Share the LOVE of running and of course, always...#SweatPink !

www.fitapproach.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway