I'm Rockin' n' Rollin' To New Orleans!

I'm Rockin' I'm Rollin'

I'm Runnin'

... to New Orleans!!

WOO!

That's right folks your girl Dani is off to New Orleans for the first time! :)

I am ready to take part in the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon on Sunday (February 2nd).

This trip will be about fun, friends, social media, sparkles, chocolate milk, running and of course beer! ;)

Many folks how I travel so much for races. Here's a couple of things that help me out:

I am flying on the cheap ... $7 cheap to be exact. How you may ask?

I'm free fallin' of course!

Okay not really. I am using the last of our frequent flyer miles to head down South. Jet Blue down and United back. Including taxes the flights cost $7.

We have just two credit cards that we use for all purchases - 1 that racks up Jet Blue points/miles and 1 that logs United points/miles.

BOOM! :)

My lovely friend, Kenlie (author or All The Weigh), is graciously opening her couch to me!! <3 I will pay her in hugs, love, snuggles and a meal or beer or two. :)

Thank you Fitbloggin' for connecting us. Kenlie lives in downtown New Orleans so she is not only close to the action, but in the perfect location for me to walk to and from the RnR Expo and Race. :)

But, Kenlie won't be my only Fitbloggin' friend I will see ... Dacia of Run. Ride. Repeat. and Christine aka Dubyawife!!!

WAHOO!

I am happily heading to New Orleans to run the Half Marathon as a member of Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel! I will once again rock my orange singlet and chug on some sweet low-fat chocolate milk after I #FinishStrong.

As a member of the team, I have the gift of running the race for free. Thank you again Got Chocolate Milk ... and for all of you that helped vote me on to it! :)

Now besides running I am ready to explore the city with my amazing tour guide Kenlie and see what New Orleans has to offer - both food and beer wise! :P

But I will also be spending my Saturday morning at the Rock 'n' Roll Expo, which is being held at New Orleans Morial Convention Center • Hall J.

The Expo opens at 9am on Saturday and I plan to be there with bells on.

Why so early?

Because the amazing Abby from Back At Square Zero and I will be co-hosting the #RNRTWEETUP, which starts at 10am!!

Please join us!! You do not have to be running the race to attend the Expo. It is free and open to the general public.

Abby and I have known each other for a couple years, but strictly online. So what better way to meet for the first time in person than on a stage. Right? It will be AMAZING!!!

We will also be tweeting and meeting with such lovely bloggers as:

Cecilia from Mommies Run. Debi from Girls On The Run 901 Holly from Running & Baking Oh My Mindy from Road Runner Girl Sarah from Mom Running On Empty

* I am hoping to see local Tanee from From Fat To Fit Chick as well.

Sooo if you are in the New Orleans area please come check out the #RNRTWEETUP and the Expo as a whole. I always have a ton of fun at at RnR Expo.

You can take silly pictures in front of a green screen.

RnR Los Angeles 2013

RnR Philadelphia 2013

RnR Providence 2012

(Note: all of the folks in those two photos I met through Twitter!!)

You can also swing by the Got Chocolate Milk booth to make your own video to try and join the Team Refuel crew!!

Or take a picture with a chocolate milk mustache.

Also take in all the vendors. You know I will be stopping by the Sparkly Soul headbands booth. My collection could always use more sparkle. If you meet the ladies of Sparkly Soul, be sure to tell them Weight Off My Shoulders sent you! :)

PLEASE NOTE: The first three people that stop by the Sparkly Soul booth and say: "Weight Off My Shoulders sent me" ... get a FREE headband!!!

And I will DEFINITELY be hitting up the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Jewelry (aka Terry Berry) booth to find my New Orleans bead to update the awesome RnR bracelet my wife got me a couple of years ago. :)

It is an amazing way to keep the RnR memories alive on a daily basis.

So if you are in the New Orleans area, come on down to the Expo Saturday morning, Hollah at me on race morning or grab a beer with me at night. Either way say Hi if you can.

Won't be in town, but have been to New Orleans - offer me some suggestions!

What do I need to see, eat or drink?

Dopey Challenge Race 4: WDW Marathon

"It's just a marathon Dani."

That is what I fell asleep telling myself the night before the fourth and final race in the Dopey Challenge.

When would I ever use the word "just" and "marathon" in the same sentence.

Nerves were running HIGH!

When we last left off in the Dopey Challenge saga...

Is it really a saga? Can it be a telanovela? Or maybe a series on Netflix only? That way you can all binge-read my recaps.

Woah Woah! I am getting off topic and basically making myself think my Dopey Challenge recaps are binge-worthy ... like Arrested Development or Orange Is The New Black.

Okay they are masterpieces. And entertaining. And fraught with amazing photographs. My odd yet humorous thoughts during races.

But I digress.

We left off from the WDW Half Marathon with me falling in to bed just after 8:30pm. To say I was going to bed peacefully would be a complete lie. I was - as previously stated - a nervous wreck over the marathon.

Now going into this marathon I had completed three other full marathons so I know I could complete it. BUT, after the stress reaction and my lack of long runs (nothing longer than 13.1 since The Boston Marathon back in April 2013), I was worried I wouldn't make it.

I had dreams of being swept.

Now, in reality, I knew that wouldn't happen. Even if I had to walk the entire marathon, I had to keep a 16 min/mile pace. Which for a Bostonian isn't that difficult. If there is one thing I can do well, it's walk fast! :) So I kept that in the back of my mind as I slept and when I woke up.

I flew out of bed at 2am. I felt the day before that I didn't get my money's worth in the race retreat so I made sure to wake up earlier before the Marathon (Sunday, January 12) so I could enjoy what I shelled out for.

It seemed I had decided the order of my costumes from easiest to most difficult to get into. Don't ask me why. But I woke up the wife and she helped make sure Snow White looked perfect before heading off to the race.

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marathon

Thank goodness my wife can sew. Right folks?

I had once again laid out everything I needed the night before so I was out the door quickly and hoped the wife would be back to sleep soon.

I think I was the eighth person in line for the bus. Yes I was actually on the first bus out of the hotel. :) I tried my best to squash the nerves and I did that by finding the one and only Linzie from See Sharp Run on the bus and saddle up to him.

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linz

Thanks for the photo Linzie!

Seeing a familiar face was helping. We chatted and hung together until we got to the Start Area.

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photo 3 (18)

As Linzie made some last-minute Dopey Challenge purchases, I headed to the Race Retreat. I grabbed a bagel and pulled a chair up to once again watch Mary Poppins.

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photo 2 (18)

My stomach was not taking well to the bagel. I wondered if it was because it is a plain bagel and I don't really eat those anymore or if it was nerves taking over. Since I was there so early I just ate half before taking one of a zillion trips to Race Retreat's private port-o-potties (score!).

I decided a little later to try another half of a bagel, but with peanut butter this time. It seemed to sit better and I just tried to drink as much water as possible. I knew the humidity would be picking up and I wanted to be as hydrated as possible.

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photo 1 (22)

I was having a tough time connecting with the bloggers and runners I knew running the marathon so I needed something to distract myself. I thought why not make a poster to thank all the supporters I have - aka YOU GUYS! :)

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photo 4 (9)

So thank you again for following this journey and all of the messages I received before, during and after the Challenge.

Before I knew it, they were announcing Corrals A-C to the corrals. I hit the private Race Retreat bathrooms again before heading out. I was alone, which is not my preferred way to hang around a race because I get to in my head, so I was trying to distract myself by looking for people I knew.

And then it happened. Out popped Stephanie from Run for Fun. Stephanie and I met through a mutual friend when she was living in Boston before she relocated back to New Jersey. Gotta love how in a race with over 20,000 runners sometimes you luck into meeting someone you know.

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747078-1002-0003s

Stephanie and I chatted while we meandered over to our corrals. We parted ways as I headed to Corral C and quickly sat my butt down and tried to stay warm. I think they said the temps were in the 40s, which should've been a heatwave for this New Englander, but I was freezing.

I tried to make myself as small as I could, while I listened to others around me talk about their excitement. I was just trying to calm my nerves. I couldn't remember the last time I was as nervous as I was in that moment.

So it was time to have a heart to heart with myself. I reminded myself that "I am stronger than I think I am," "I was trained enough for the event," and "I was there to have a blast." That was it. I was there to have fun.

As Tedy Bruschi had said before. The Start Line is the Finish Line and the race itself is the party ... and I was ready to get my party on!

The Run Disney announcers were doing a great job entertaining the crowd as best they could. It was FINALLY time to send the wheelchairs off. I could tell my stomach was starting the settle. I was ready to just get out there and run.

A went off ... B went off ... and it was time for Corral C.

As we walked to the Start Line

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marathon3

I caught my friend Carissa's eye, a Run Disney announcer, and she gave me a shout out. I looked around as if anyone in my corral knew who I was, but it made me smile and put me at ease. So thanks Carissa! :)

I was checking out the folks around me and caught the Pacer. It said 3:35 on it. I actually laughed out loud. Yes I was placed in my Dopey corral based on my half marathon PR of 1:44, which would make sense that I would end up near a 3:35 marathon pacer. But I know I will never get a time close to that (unless 3:58 is the new 3:35) so I was feeling out of place.

I KNEW I had to focus on running my own race and not get swept up in the speed demons around me. I kept myself tucked to the far left to make sure I stayed out of people's way.

Then it was time for Mickey to count us down! 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... GO!

And there it was. No matter what I was feeling. All I had to focus on in that moment was putting one foot in front of the other.

And locating the first port-o-potty. Hey nerves plus waiting forever in a corral weighs on a girl's bladder.

The marathon starts out just like the half marathon so I knew I had some highway time in front of me. They also use some of the same Disney character stops (bound to happen), but I committed to stopping at duplicates. I mean Hello I am in a different costume.

First stop again was Pirates of the Caribbean.

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747325-1028-0030s

While waiting in line for this beauty, I chatted with a Perfect Marathoner. That means she had taken part in the previous 20 Disney marathons and this marked 21. It was really cool to hear her thoughts on how the race has changed over time. Year One the race had 2,000 runners and didn't include any of the frills (aka characters, etc) that the race does now.

Shortly after that stop we hit the Mile 2 marker, which meant all Dopey Challengers were officially halfway through the Challenge. WOO! It was all downhill after that, right? ;)

I had also decided I would have fun with the race photos ... can you tell?

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747570-1003-0006s

We made our way to Magic Kingdom just like we had the day before, but Cinderella's Castle looked even more electric.

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photo (21)

Plus do you like the Chuck Norris sign photobomb in the bottom left corner.

It was in Magic Kingdom that I had to do some back running and that means I ran past a character and had to double back for the photo.

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747314-1003-0031s
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747166-1004-0038s

We then made the turn to heard towards the Castle. Instead of Donald and Daisy, it was Mickey and Minnie. I assume since the marathon's mascot is Mickey.

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photo (22)

How amazing did the Castle look?

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747153-1005-0015s

I was chatting with women in line and one actually had recognized me from my Jessie costume the day before. :)

And as you emerge from the Castle, the photographers are there to capture your photo and usually get some of my favorite moments from the race.

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747110-1127-0014s
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747786-1037-0013s

Like these!

I took a couple more character photos before we left Magic Kingdom.

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747327-1020-0032s
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747308-1003-0038s
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747158-1007-0006s

After MK, it was back to highway/parking lot running but not before stopping at the Speedway. Friends, we ran on an actual speedway!

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marathon2

The entrance was slightly scary as you went down a sharp decline, which was shockingly followed up a steep incline. Thank you photogs for being at the top of that incline so I had to act like I was owning it.

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757481-1046-0034s

Holy Sweat Marks Batman!

The speedway gave me a chance to see fellow runners outside making their way towards the Magic Kingdom. I love cheering folks on so I was trying to yell and clap them along as best I could.

It was cool to run around the track. It was lined with race cars, as well as old school cars that people had driven in. The folks were even sitting outside them cheering us on. And some were already BBQing. Ohh the food smelled good.

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757484-1038-0042s

We hit the Mile 9 marker while on the Speedway and then made our way to Animal Kingdom. I was wicked excited for the rest of the race since it would all be new to me. We headed down Bear Creek Road and that is when I spotted her. The Evil Queen. I got too giddy for the people around me when I spotted her.

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748126-1007-0049s

I got quite a few compliments from folks around me for the photo. I loved it.

I had been told you hit Animal Kingdom around Mile 13 so I knew we would be on the road for a while. I used this time to check in with myself and strike up conversation with runners around me that would talk. ;) I had a great time chatting with two gentlemen doing their first marathon. They were impressed with how upbeat I was for being so far into the Dopey Challenge. How could I not be upbeat? I was running through freakin' Disney and having a blast.

I will tell you I was stopping at every water station and having water and powerade. I wanted to keep myself as hydrated and energized as possible. Note with that much liquid, I was also visiting ever port-o-potties. Between bathroom breaks and character stops, my legs were feeling great. I was shocked and relieved.

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748133-1013-0001s
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748198-1007-0037s
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748214-1006-0029s

I felt like a giant next to Jiminy Cricket

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748270-1012-0043s

I posed with King Louie just before the halfway mark. As I hit the line for the halfway mark, I got a little sad. I only had 13.1 miles left in this amazing journey.

I was getting the text updates for my splits while I was running and saw that I was projected to finish in 5:06:43 at that moment. I was slightly disappointed. I wanted to love the run and not care about time, but I still wanted to try and finish under 5 hours.

I put the phone back on airplane mode to save battery and to take my focus off the splits.

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747413-1136-0042s

And to apparently pretend that I was flying?

And at that moment I saw the lovely ladies of We Run Disney - Christine and her mom Pam. I was sooo happy to see familiar faces. It was great chatting with them and snap this selfie.

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marathon4

I was also working as PR. Telling everyone around us how they should check out these ladies on social media.

Now I had noticed folks passing me all along the course as I stopped for pics, but it hit me when I saw these ladies. I started in Corral C and they started in Corral G. Now they were both going for PRs so they weren't stopping for photos. Either way it made me realize the folks I started with were probably almost done. Eh! I was having fun.

We bid our goodbyes and I stopped to take more photos on my way out of Animal Kingdom.

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747325-1011-0026s

The Mile 14 marker was just after this photo. Nothing too exciting happened between Mile 14 and 17. We were out on the highway making our way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Apparently without a ton of character stops my pace picked up.

Mile 17-21 included the trip into, around and out of ESPN Wide World of Sports. I can tell you this was the most boring stretch of the marathon. There were no character stops and no real entertainment besides a brief spell running through the Ballpark where the Atlanta Braves spring train.

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747905-1282-0012s

The highlight of this portion of the race was catching back up with the We Run Disney ladies and having Pam pay me one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. :)

I do want to thank Run Disney for having cold rags available here as well. It was wicked necessary.

I made up some serious time here since at Mile 20 I got the notification that my estimated Finish Time 4:53:37. That was a 13 minute jump from the previous prediction.

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marathon5

If you recall, this Frozen Mile Marker design was seen in all 4 race recaps. We love Frozen!

Now at Mile 20 it hit me. I only had 6.2 miles left in this sweet race. With Mile 22 being one of the last stretches of highway we would have. Woo!

The last 4 or so miles of the race went through Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk and finally EPCOT.

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marathon10

Around Mile 23 we were in Hollywood Studios and a volunteer handed me this glorious treat.

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marathon7

Now Special Dark Chocolate is my favorite chocolate in the world. It was a great treat to snack on while I waited to grab a pic with Wreck It Ralph!

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748210-1007-0034s

Now by this time the parks are open to the general public so it was my first experience running through the crowds. Obviously Disney does a great job of patrolling the traffic and making sure the runners stay on course. It was funny running past people that were clearly confused as to what we were doing.

In Hollywood Studios, we got to see some behind-the-scenes stuff like the costume department.

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photo 1 (23)
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photo 2 (19)

I loved it.

Again I know everyone is running their own race, but I was surprised more people weren't stopping to take pics.

We ran past the Hat and towards the exit of the park.

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747563-1240-0041s

The miles were ending and I was getting sad. Post-race depression was sneaking in before the race even ended. I tried to push it aside and continue with the mantra I had used all race long: "Live IN The Mile."

Just before Mile 25 as we headed into EPCOT, I saw him. He was being escorted from an apparent break by a Disney cast member. It was DOPEY!

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747150-1010-0014s

I 100% GEEKED OUT! It was the picture I wanted at the perfect moment. Plus the Cast Member grabbed this shot on my phone.

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me

Right after this photo I entered the World Showcase and hit Mile 25. Oh man, this glorious morning would be over in just over 1 mile. I had to soak in EVERYTHING I could.

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747299-1005-0017s
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747846-1304-0019s

It was cool to see Mulan and Mushu outside Japan.

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748020-1005-0014s

We left the Showcase and headed back towards the Ball. I checked in with my body, which felt great, and decided to kick it into gear and run a little harder.

While in the World Showcase, I was texting with my dad and my wife to find out where in EPCOT they would be. My dad and mom were going to be on my left as I passed the Ball to exit the park and the wife would be at the Finish line.

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747295-1001-0040s

I approached the Ball and there they were. I high-fived both my parents and kept going. I started crying. I was so happy to see them and so excited to finishing this challenge.

There were a ton of photographers coming down the pike and I just hoped I looked as happy as I felt. :P

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757502-1207-0033s

With a high-five to Minnie right before I crossed the Finish Line ... it was over.

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748067-1591-0028s

The floodgates opened and I started the ugliest/happiest cry I have ever shed.

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747869-1206-0033s
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747869-1206-0034s

Glad they caught me stopping my Garmin. :P

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747974-1076-0028s

Just after the Finish Line I turned to my left and in the huge crowd I spotted the wife ... and started crying harder!

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marathon11

The wife captured the moment on her phone.

I had the volunteer drape my marathon medal over me as I headed to pick up the final two medals: the Goofy Challenge and the illustrious Dopey Challenge medal.

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747997-1008-0030s

How beautiful!

My official Finish time was 4:45:57.

I was bawling. A volunteer said "Don't cry. It's over." I responded: "That's why I am crying."

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marathon1

I finally tuned in to my body and it was feeling the 48.6 miles. I was walking slowly, but I kept moving forward. I headed to the Race Retreat tent to grab food. The eggs only had cheese in them and a volunteer offered to locate me some without cheese. I thanked her about 10 times. It was a sweet gesture that I needed.

A different person came over to me. She was worried I was alone. I explained that my wife was outside. But she took a couple photos for me and gave me a big hug. It was exactly what I needed.

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marathon2

I headed over to the Runner's World portion of the Race Retreat tent so I could check in on Caitlin - a RW employee I met in 2013. She rocked Dopey!

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photo (23)

It was finally time to run outside and be reunited with the wife. We waited a couple minutes so I could snap a photo with the lovely We Run Disney ladies before heading back to the bus.

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marathon8

As we headed to the bus, I spotted a champagne tent. Yes after finishing the Dopey I was content with spending $10 for a glass of champagne.

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marathon9

It was delicious!

I hobbled up the steps of the bus and just stared at the medals. I couldn't believe it was over. It hadn't sunk in.

I signed up for this race in April 2013 and now it was over. I was one of a certain number of people who had completed the inaugural Dopey Challenge.

The 4 hours and 45 minutes of the marathon felt like 20 minutes. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Taking the route I did - stopping for every photo - helped me more than I could have expected.

Once back at the hotel, we stopped so I could get some chocolate milk to refuel with AND so that I could put all six medals on at the same time.

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the bling

Ahhh!! The moment I had waited so long for.

After a shower, some social media work and a change, we were off to Magic Kingdom. And yes the six medals came with me.

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mk

We had an amazing afternoon before heading to EPCOT to join my parents for dinner in Germany.

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marathon12

Celebratory beers.

Walking around the parks was the smart move as my legs felt refreshed rather than sore when I turned in to bed that night.

This race was more than a marathon. This Challenge was more than 48.6. This experience was life-changing!! :)

2013: Finish What You Started ... 2014: Consistency

2013 proved to be a year. The End.

YIR

Oh is that not how a "Year In Review" blog happens? Not gonna lie I haven't really done one of these before. :P I guess because big things happened at the end of the two years this little slice of the internet has been around.

2011 - deciding to move back to Boston from Chicago

2012 - Grampa unexpectedly passing away on December 27, 2012.

2013 rounded out without major issue so let's see what kind of review I can put together.

The year was truly defined in April. It gave me the mantra for the reminder of the year: Finish What You Started!

I can't believe how long ago the trip to Disney in January 2013 feels.

disney

disney2

It may have been just 365 days ago, but it seems likes a world away.

Why?

Simply put.

April 15, 2013.

That date will forever be engrained in my mind ... and tattooed on my body.

tat

On that day, I lined up for the Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team in honor of my Stroke Heroes - my grandparents.

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For those that read the blog you know the ordeal and if you are new - 1st Hi! :) and 2nd feel free to read about my Boston Marathon Bombing experience here. I was lucky to cross the Finish Line 1 minute before the explosions happened and for all of my friends/family/teammates to make it out of the area unscathed.

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But that one single event impacted the rest of the year. It never truly leaves you or your memory. Months later it is still hard to walk down Boylston St or to hear folks talk about the events on that day, but it made the city of Boston and the country come together.

It gave me a sense of purpose for the remainder of the year. Simply put: Do things those hurt/killed on that day can't!

So I set out starting in May to live in the moment with friends and family, find new fitness challenges to conquer and earning some amazing accolades.

Friends And Family

Friends, Family and Folks I have met through the interwebs became the backbone of 2013. I needed those faces, those hugs and those interactions to remind me how lucky I was to be living, to be breathing, to be walking.

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One of my BFFs, Lindsey, & I enjoying wine! :)

In June I had the honor to attend Suzi Storm's wedding in update New York. We had not met in person before that day, but had formed just a tight friendship through social media that I happily jumped in a car for about 7 hours to witness the biggest day of her life.

suzi-jun

This amazing meeting led into Fitbloggin. An amazing weekend for bloggers that I attended in 2012 for the first time. After encountering about 8 hours of delays on my way out from Boston to Portland, I finally made it. Fitbloggin has a special place in my heart. You can read why here.

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Fitbloggin occurred at the perfect time. I needed to be surrounded by the love and in a judgment-free zone. Many of the people at that conference were the first to check on me after the Marathon Bombings. The hugs and love experienced that weekend are still felt today.

My other best friend, Sarah, and her family moved to Bar Harbor, Maine (over 5 hour drive from Boston) at the end of May so when her daughter - my Joanna - turned 1 in July. We took the long trek to see them. We spent over 12 hours in the car to spend 12 hours with them ... and it was worth every minute in the car.

joann-july

Wouldn't you agree for that face?

But just a couple weeks after that, we faced a roadblock. My wife, Tori, underwent an ACL replacement the day after her birthday. It put a big hinge on our summer/fall plans, but seeing her have a healthy recovery was worth the sacrifice.

tori

As a result of the surgery, Tori missed out on the adventures I had meeting new friends through racecations in September and October.

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Philadelphia

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Cape Cod

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Providence

brook

Brooklyn

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Los Angeles

I even hosted my first meetup/tweetup in Los Angeles. It was AMAZING to meet so many folks that I had only interacted with before online.

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Check out the pics and recap here.

As I mentioned, the theme of this year was to hold on to the loved ones and it spawned meeting social media friends IRL (in real life) and it was magical. I loved seeing online relationships foster into real friendships.

Oh social media.

Fitness Challenges

In the beginning of 2013, I focused on the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and The Boston Marathon. But I knew I needed to keep signing up for races in order to push myself farther outside of my comfort zone.

During Memorial Day weekend, my friend Kim and I took on a special challenge. We were going to take on two races in one day: The Boston's Run To Remember Half at 7am-ish and the Cambridge 5k Freedom Run 5k at 9:30am.

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And we made it!! Kim experienced a leg injury/cramp during the Half, but I refused to lead her side and she finished like a champ - leading to this amazing embrace being caught at the Finish Line.

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But on that day we did, we conquered 16.2 miles! :)

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Then came the obstacle races. These scare me more than a marathon. I have limited upper body strength so they freak me out. But in 2013, I conquered two obstacle races and even got to do the second with a team of Boston bloggers. :)

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Ruckus

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Urban Raid Boston

In September, I took on the challenge of completing two half marathon in two days in two different states - ZOOMA Cape Cod (9/28) and Rock 'n' ROll Providence (9/29). It was an amazing experience and went smoother than I thought. :)

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Oh and I even dabbled in more intense trail running. Yup, that included one at night - thank you See Sharp Run for being my light - in more ways than one and one in the big mountains of Maine, which reminded me I am injury prone. :P

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Haunted Trails of the Night 10k

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FBC Autumn Trail Race

But the biggest fitness challenge of 2013 - the one I dreamed about for ages - was...

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tackling my first Sprint triathlon!!! It was something I never imagined myself completing, but it was a blast. And yes, I was quickly hooked! Which may have led to one of the 2014 fitness goals. :)

Amazing Accolades

Weight Watchers bestowed a couple amazing honors on me in 2013. In our annual April celebration, I earned the Rookie Leader of the Year award and Diamond Leader status.

ww-april

In October, I was contacted by WeightWatchers.com and told I would be featured on the website as a Success Story. While I can't show any of the photos from the photo shoot yet (it hits the web in March 2014), I can share a couple pics from the trip to NYC itself.

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Great dinner with fellow WW Sucess Stories - over 330 lbs lost in this pic

nyc-nov2

Little trip to Statue of Liberty with the wife

For the second year in a row, I won a spot on Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel. Thank you all again for taking the time to vote! :)

fitblog-june

Out Of The Comfort Zone

This year I made two big leaps outside of my comfort zone.

At Fitbloggin in June, I was asked and accepted a spot in the new Fashion Show that took place during lunch one day. I was nervous, but knew if there was a place to make an attempt at walking in a Fashion Show it would have to be at Fitbloggin.

fitblog-june3

Look I even tried to strike a pose. :P

I even put myself out there with a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2013 ... and you know what? It happened!! :)

1000

What was even cooler? I exceeded it. I ended up setting a 2nd (1,111) and finally a 3rd mileage (1,150) goal for the year.

got coco

It was one of my proudest moments. Seeing my body accomplish such a big goal that seemed so daunting when I set it in January 2013.

But even with injury and sickness, I pushed forward and used that goal guide me!

***

So to say 2013 was eventful is an understatment. It had it's lows, but with the help of friends and family they turned into highs. It was a trying, yet fulfilling year.

What could 2014 possibly bring?

Consistency.

My goal is to be more consistent in life. Have I fully defined that yet? No. It will be a work in progress as 2014 dictates. But I know I let some old emotional eating habits creep in in 2013 and I am ready for those to quietly fade away.

What about fitness wise?

The big goals of 2014 are: The Dopey Challenge January 9-12, The Boston Marathon April 21 and my very first Half Ironman September 7.

Wow! I would've never imagined myself signing up for these five years ago, but now is the time to learn, to love and to push my limits.

Bring it 2014!

Dani Dishes 1-1-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, it's time to let the emotions/thoughts out on the #1000MilesIn2013 goal & completing the #RWRunStreak!! And of course a THANK YOU to you - the viewers!! :)

I Said I'd Do What?

What did I get my big mouth into? Recently I seem to ask myself that question on a now routine basis.

What do I mean?

For me this really relates to my fitness journey. Let's take a look shall we?

August 2012 Feat: I decide I want to run The Boston Marathon in 2013 with a charity team close to my heart: Tedy's Team (which raises $$ and awareness for the fight against Strokes).

Result: I raise over $5,000 for the American Stroke Association, I complete the Boston Marathon in 4:04:08 and my family and I make it safely without being hit by the explosions.

(Note: I will be running the 2014 Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team and I am psyched. You can Donate Here!)

December 2012 Feat: I ponder becoming a certified Spin Instructor, somehow trip over the online sign up site and book a certification class for March 2013.

Result: I nervously drive to Manchester, NH, take an all-day class, take the online test the next day, pass and get my certification!

(Note: I haven't found a way to make this dream a reality yet, but I am still trying!)

March 2013 Feat: I'm surfing Facebook, an ad for the Boston Triathlon (Sprint) catches my eye, I click the link to their website, I continue to click through, my credit card shows up in my hand and I register for my first triathlon for August 2013.

Result: On August 4, 2013, I load up my gear and my spectators, meet friends at the event, step wwwaaayyy out of my comfort zone and enjoy every step of the ride while completing my first Sprint triathlon in 1:24:58.6.

April 2013 Feat: After running the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January 2013, I knew I had wanted to tackle the Goofy Challenge (Half Marathon followed next day by Full Marathon) for its 10th anniversary in 2015. But then a new challenge caught my eye ... the Dopey Challenge. The Dopey Challenge is 4 races in 4 days totaling 48.6 miles (5k, 10k, Half Marathon & Full Marathon). Again my credit card showed up in my hand and I was registered.

Result: Time will tell as this comes to light January 9-12, 2014!!

***

So what else did I say I would do?

Oohhh this next fitness feat started in June 2013 while I was attending Fitbloggin in Portland, Oregon. During a session entitled "Stop Keeping up with the Joneses," we were asked to introduce ourselves.

What I’d love to do as a way to get started, is to have everyone introduce yourself. We’re not a huge group, so just your name and your blog. I’d like you guys to say one weight loss or fitness goal that you’ve seen someone else do that you really wish you could do.

And in that room with my dear friend Sue (aka MrsFatAss) next to me I uttered:

Dani, Weight Off My Shoulders: There’s so many! I’d like to do a half ironman.

Yes thanks to live blogging at the session there is documented proof of what I said. :P

Once the session was over, I turned to Sue and said: "Why did I say that? Now I actually have to do it." Fear. Immediate fear.

But also something deep down in my heart was excited at the possibility. I, Dani, the ex-230 lb wallflower could possibly tackle a Half Ironman.

Now at this time, I hadn't even done one triathlon let alone thinking about a Half Ironman, which is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.2 mile run ... all in a row!

The seed has been planted.

Once the first sprint triathlon was completed, the water was planted on the seed.

After the second sprint triathlon where I somehow placed 3rd in my division, the plant started to grow!

While vying for another Got Chocolate Milk Team Refuel sponsorship, I said how I would use the $500 prize to sign up for my first Half Ironman.

Which brings us to the present - October 2013.

I had a friend as well as one of my Weight Watchers members take part in the Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival in September 2013. The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival is a Sprint Triathlon on the Saturday and a Half Ironman on the Sunday. Some people even take part in both. Say whhaaa?? I know.

They did nothing, but RAVE about the race, the swag, the organization and the scenery. It takes place in Southern Maine in the Fall. Hello? How could that not be beautiful.

Pumpkinman-Conversion-2013-Outlined-1-231x300

On a whim, I reached out to the Pumpkinman social media team about partnering up for my first Half Ironman ...

... and they were all for it! YAY!!

So on Halloween, October 31, I officially registered for the Pumpkinman Half Ironman on September 7, 2014!! Ahhhh!

2013-11-10 11.30.30-1

No going back now, right?

Right.

Especially since I have my official Got Chocolate Milk Team Refuel tri-kit to rock.

trikit

So now it is out there, official and will be my sole focus after finishing the 2014 Boston Marathon. Thankfully I now have a great triathlon training book recommended to me by NYCRunningMama so I will be starting to get a good base during the winter months.

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It's never to early to start training, right?

***

Do you ever get yourself into a crazy commitment by opening your mouth? ;)

LA (Part 3): I rocked it & I rolled it!

Did I really run two 10ks the day before the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon? Yes yes I did.

I woke up Sunday (October 27) morning with the realization that I was actually in LA to run that amazing Half Marathon. Ha!

I had such an amazing time between the Expo/Blogger Meetup and the Haunted Trails of the Night 10k that I couldn't wait for the Half.

***

I bound off the couch before the 5am wakeup call that morning. I was ready to go. I am always worried that if I hit snooze I will sleep through the race so I make sure to keep that little extra pep in my step in those moments. :)

Thankfully I always lay out flat Dani the night before so getting ready was easy. Ray, my teammate, wasn't running, but offered to drive me to my friend Andrea's place so she and I could drive to the race together.

Yay not having to take the Metro by myself.

It was great to catch up more with Andrea (a fellow Weight Watchers Leader) while driving to the race. We are both early birds and like to get to races with time to spare.

Since we left the place she was staying right on time and she found a "secret" parking garage for the race, we were there with plenty of time to spare. It was perfect really.

She ended up parking under the LA Convention Center (where the expo was) so I actually knew where we were. Yay! We exited the Convention Center and a block later we bumped into the Starting Line (on our right)

... and the post-party stage/party area (on our left)!

Talk about convenient.

Before Andrea and I parted ways, we ran into my Got Chocolate Milk #TeamRefuel running mate Jeremy.

Thanks for the pic Jeremy!

It was soooo nice to finally meet Jeremy after interacting together so much on social media!!

I bid Andrea and Jeremy adieu as I headed to find the Rock 'n' Roll VIP tent. I can't thank Got Chocolate Milk enough for the access to the VIP area before the races. Wicked nice to have special bag check and bathrooms.

Thank you to the Farms of Beverly Hills at LA Live for opening a portion of their website to this VIP area. I even got to take a pre-race selfie! Phew! :P

I was even able to charge my phone so I would be able to take it on the course with me.

Before I knew it it was creeping up on 7:30am (Start time) and I headed out to Corral 3. I was searching along the way for friends running, but didn't notice any of them. The course would be two different loops/out-and-backs so I hoped to run into everyone I knew along the way ... literally!

I made it to Corral 3 with minutes to spare.

I love taking in the atmosphere at races especially the pre-race vibes. You see some people that are totally calm, some that are nervous, some that are making last minute adjustments to their playlists and on this day people fixing their costumes. Yes, since this was October 27 many people we rocking some pretty sweet costumes out on the course.

I was too wrapped up in the people watching to realize it was our Corrals turn to hit the pavement.

Before the race started, I knew I wasn't going to PR so my goal was to have as much fun as possible and enjoy the race. Especially since I had run just under 13 miles the day before.

The first few miles felt effortless which made me think I was probably running at a pace slower than race pace. I was sticking with the 1:45 pace group for awhile and thought if I stuck with them great - if not, I'd be okay.

I promptly lost that group in the late Mile 2/early Mile 3 because I started taking pictures. What was I taking pictures of? The LA Coliseum. The. LA. Freakin'. Coliseum.

I was going to take FULL advantage of this experience.

Go ND! :P

Heelloooo fog!!

And there was no way I was making it out of the Coliseum without taking a pic of the Olympic rings.

Soooo freakin' cooooolll!!!

It was the happiest 10 min/mile pace I've ever had. :P

After leaving the Coliseum, I actually noticed Doctor Dribble out on the course. He dribbles two basketballs while running half marathons and marathons. A-freakin-mazing.

Can you tell I was enjoying the run? We weren't even four miles into the race yet and there was so much excitement.

Once we left the coliseum, folks were coming towards us for their loop around the stadium. I peered through the crowd looking for any familiar faces, but unfortunately didn't see any of my peeps. Darn! But there were a ton of amazing costumes out there so I was still entertained.

There was also a Mini-Marathon race going on alongside the half. Folks were running and walking 3.55 miles. It was great seeing those folks costumes, but I was slightly jealous as we passed the six-mile mark and those peeps were heading to the Finish and we had to keep going. ;)

But, I pulled up my big girl shorts and kept putting one foot in front of the other. My legs were feeling pretty good despite all the running and walking I'd done the day before.

There was a slight incline as we headed through the Financial District, which woke my legs up from the night before. You may remember those hills during the trail run - yikes! But, I channeled my Spinning training and powered up. As we approached the hilly bridge at Mile 9/10, we entered a tunnel first with a DJ and lights.

I took pictures and video in the tunnel of the wheelchair races and elite athletes zooming past us, but they came out a blurry mess. I should've stopped to shoot them rather than snap on the go. Next time.

But it was wicked cool to see those speedy guys zooming past and looking as if they hadn't even broken a sweat. The wheelchair athletes as well are such amazing inspirations. I couldn't stop cheering and yelling for all of them. Just one of the reasons I love out-and-back type courses.

The bridge - and it's subsequent incline - seemed to last from about Mile 9 through mid-part of Mile 10.

Can you see how foggy the whole race was?

There was a water station and band stationed at the top of the bridge and it was just what I needed as my legs were starting to feel the hill workout they had done the night before.

I hit Mile 10 and my legs felt like lead. I tried to remind them (and yes I talk to my body parts) and let them know that the inclines were over. As I enjoyed the downhill off the bridge, the friends I know and love started popping up all over the course. I was able to cheer for all the familiar faces I know and love. I threw up high-fives when possible, big arm waves in other instances and air kisses to anyone that wanted them.

My smile got bigger and bigger as I passed familiar faces. Have I mentioned I love the out-and-back course? ;)

Every time I saw a familiar face I got a little pep in my step.

I knew I had less than a 5k to go and I was ready to give it my all, while still trying to take pictures and tweet. Yes I was attempting to tweet and run at the same time.

We re-entered the bridge from before and I was met with a homeless person pushing a shopping cart. He was pushing the cart and trying to race the other runners. It was an enjoyable site for sure.

Sorry for the blurry pic, but again a result of running and snapping at the same time.

As I approached Mile 12, I thought it was the perfect chance to snap an in-race photo to share on Twitter and Facebook.

So on my phone screen this picture didn't look as frightening as it did on the computer. :P Can you tell how excited I was to be running ... and almost done? ;)

Once we passed that 12-Mile Mark, it was a straight shot to the Finish and I was ready. I love seeing the Finish Line in sight and giving everything you have to reach it as quickly as possible. Even if your mind is moving faster than your legs. ;)

See ya Mile 13, I'm Finish Line bound.

And there it was. Half Marathon #14 was in the books. I got my water, my medal and was off to stock up on my low-fat chocolate milk.

How cool is the Finisher's Medal?

If there's one thing RnR knows how to do, it's medals!!

I was proud to post a 1:53:19 - very respectable for me/the conditions. I never thought I would expect myself - even with stops, pictures, etc - to post a sub 2-hour Half. Oh how times change ... and I love it!

And as always, I pay the $20 to get my medal engraved on-site. I would never want to get all the way home to have someone engrave my medal only to mess up my name or time. If they mess up on-site, they have a box of medals to replace it! :0)

After chatting with social media friend/blog reader Curt from TherapyRunner at the medal engravement, it was time to head back to the VIP area and meet up with my Team Refuel running mates. :)

Gotta love a mimosa post-race, right?

I had a great time chatting with running mates post-race, especially Jeremy and Paul.

After soaking up some final minutes of free food, it was time to head out and meet up with my friend Dave for beer, brunch and Patriots football.

I wish the race had less fog, but I guess I should expect that in Cali, right? The race was well organized, had great cheerleaders and spectators along the course and was a blast overall.

***

Have you ever run Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half?

Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn 10k Recap

No. Sleep. Til. Brooklyn!!! What? You really didn't think I would pass up using that as my opener? C'mon now. :P

I was REALLY looking forward to this little trip to NY last weekend (October 11-13) as I have a lot of great Weight Watchers/blogging friends that I was going to meet up with as well.

After leading my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week on Friday (October 11), I hustled home to change, pick up my bags, and head out to the train station. I was annoyed by all the security/waiting when I flew to NY in June that I went with Amtrak this time around.

I got to South Station with plenty of time to spare, bought my second Dunkin Iced Coffee of the day (hey! I was up at 5am! Don't judge) and settled in to wait for the train.

I knew I'd be on the train for a good 4-ish hours so I made sure to get in as many steps as possible before boarding. My train departed at 11am and I was over 6500 steps by then. Yay!

I settled in to a nice window seat. Hello plugs to charge my phone. And got comfy. I did try to get up and walk at least once every hour while on the train, which was easy for me since I drink so much water. :P

It took me awhile to realize that we were in fact behind schedule. Ahh! I was going to be cutting it close enough to packet pick-up. I was landing in Penn Station at 3:15pm and packet pick-up ended at 5pm in Brooklyn. I didn't need a delay to kick this off.

Thankfully I was tweeting with RnR while on the train letting them know about my hold up. I just kept trying to put good juju out into the world that it would all work out.

After arriving 30 min late (curse you Amtrak), my friend Kitty was on hand to meet me and help shuttle me through the public transit system to get to Brooklyn in tact. ;)

AND...

WE MADE IT!!

Yes! We made it with time to spare. Phew!

Ummm Corral 1, how did that happen??

After picking up my bib, we needed to celebrate with a beer of course. Kitty and I met her brother's roommate for dinner and to unload my bag so I could save time storing it in the morning before the race.

I met up with my girl Sheryl (aka Bitchcakes) for a nightcap and to crash on her couch. I am so thankful that Sheryl opened up her apartment to me. I was able to crash on her couch and use a car service to head to the race the next morning. Sheryl lives in Brooklyn so I thought she would be close to the start. Yeah Brooklyn is bigger than I thought.

Thankfully it all worked out and the $22 car ride was totally worth it in the morning to make it to the race safely and on time.

I met up with my Team Refuel teammates - Anthony and Lisa - to chat before the race.

I love racing and meeting all these amazing teammates from around the country!! Plus the VIP tent was crucial, private bag check and private port-o-potties. Thanks Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up.

As we were chatting, I realized we had just 40 or so minutes until Game Time AND I hadn't eaten. Dammit! So I got my KIND Bar out and scarfed it down.

I headed over to the Start Line and set myself up in Corral 1. Feeling out of place is an understatement. I had no idea how I ended up there, but I enjoyed the experience of being so close to the elite athletes.

My stomach was feeling off. Gah! Not a good sign. I shook it off to nerves. No matter the distance I ALWAYS get nervous before a race.

After the National Anthem, the horn sounded and we were off.

Enter more intense stomach cramps. Dammit! I knew it. I ate too close to the race. I try to NEVER eat closer than one hour to Start time and I failed at that. I was hoping I would still be okay, but apparently not.

From the onset, I felt like I was going to throw up. Yup, this was going to be a looong 6.2 miles. Thank goodness it wasn't a Half or a Full.

I just tried to focus on seeing friends and enjoying the scenery than the pain.

But as the race went on the pain got more intense. It was fun to run through Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The bands and fans helped take my mind off the pain until I crossed the 5k mark. I thought to myself how am I going to make it through the last half of this race.

I looked down and my pace was getting slower and slower. Ugh! Well clearly I wasn't PRing that race so the best I could do was focus on finishing.

The race was pretty flat as we can along the outside of the Park. Shortly after the 5k check point, we took a right and headed back into the Park.

As we approached Mile 4, we started going up an incline. Oh that was that hill that Sheryl told me about. The pain increased. It got so bad that at Mile 5, I stopped and tried to make myself throw up. I thought it would help. Well it didn't work so I just started running again and just get to the Finish.

The race ended on a downhill, which was nice so I just tried to pick it up and Finish strong.

I even managed one of the best action shots ever during a race.

I look like I know what I'm doing. :0)

I crossed the Finish Line and almost kissed the ground. I was so happy to be done, but proud of myself for pushing through and finishing. I actually felt zero pain in the rest of my body besides my stomach which I took as a good sign since I had been battling a foot pain the couple weeks prior.

I was pretty impressed with finishing on such a precise time and overall I did well compared to when I started racing. But, in the moment I was upset. I had the right to be. I accepted my thoughts and moved on. Plus, I had chocolate milk to drink!!

AND I even got to take a pic with a celebrity!

Hello Nesquick Bunny! :P

I waited in the very long line to get my medal engraved. It's worth the $20 to me to get it done onsite because if they mess up they have a box of medals right there to fix it. Wouldn't be the case if I got it done at home.

After meeting up with Kitty, who kicked race butt, I headed back to the VIP tent for some post-race food and refreshments. Again, thank you Got Chocolate Milk for the hook up. This was definitely better than the free Michelob Ultra you usually get (which I always pass on).

Yay wine!

Before heading out with Kitty, I was able to FINALLY meet up with a social media friend and inspiration to me, Amy (aka The Awesome Mom) and it was magical. :)

She was as pleasant and sparkly in person as I imagined.

Kitty and I headed out to grab my bag from her brother's place and meet with the rest of the crew for lunch. Now there was some train issues going on in NY due to construction or something. So our trek from Brooklyn to Melanie's hood seemed to take forever. Especially lugging my bags around. We ended up on 2 trains and a shuttle bus, but we finally made it safely to Melanie's.

We cleaned up a little and headed to brunch with other friends I had wanted to see while in town.

This group shed 330+ lbs through Weight Watchers!

I was glad that everyone got along since not everyone knew each other beforehand. :)

We then celebrated with a little pub crawl before turning in early. It had been one long day and I would be spending the next day traveling back to Boston on a not so comfy Bolt Bus.

Overall, it was a quick, but jampacked weekend in NY. It was great running a rare 10k. I wonder how long Rock 'n' Roll will keep this race around before changing it to a Half or Full. It seems inevitable in my opinion since the 10k is so rare these days.

I loved the down and back during the race since I was able to see Janine and her mom racing as well as Amy and my Got Chocolate Milk teammates.

And now I know - no eating less than 1 hour before Game Time. It will just end ugly!

*The More You Know*

Oh and RnR Brooklyn was my third of 4 RnR races on the year. I have RnR LA left on October 27.

***

Have you run Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn? Do you love the 10k distance?

I rocked & rolled through Providence...

Redemption. I was looking to redeem myself at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon.

Why?

Well last year I ran this race and narrowly missed a PR by a minute or so. But I was beat. I lost steam. I didn't know the course. I wasn't ready for the hills. I wasn't ready.

But, 2013 would be different.

I am a stronger now. I am wiser. I know the course.

So I was ready to enjoy the day.

Pressure?

Nope.

Why?

Well, I was going to be running the ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon the day before on the Cape so I knew I wasn't going to PR in Providence.

But, I wanted to come out on the other end feeling STRONG since I felt the complete opposite at the end of last year's run.

On Saturday, September 28 after finishing the ZOOMA Half and grabbing a quick shower at Nancy's, it was time to hit the road ... after a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts of course.

Mmmm caffeine!

The drive from Falmouth to Providence would take about 80 minutes. I cranked up the tunes and set off.

The weather was glorious and I got to Providence early enough to grab lunch before meeting up with my friend Samantha, who I was crashing with that night.

On hear advice, I dined at PJ's Pub which was close to her apartment. Funny thing was I asked them to recommend a local brew and they said: "Harpoon IPA." Sorry miss. That is local to where I live ... not you. I was looking for a RI beer, but they didn't have any on tap. Sam Octoberfest it was to celebrate my race earlier that morning.

After my GPS somehow sent me to the wrong address for Samantha's, I got myself squared away and finally found her place. She met me in the parking lot and we jetted off to the Expo to meet our friend Robin. Yay seeing blogging/Twitter friends turned real-life friends! :)

We picked up our bibs...

... must be a small crowd if this girl - yes me - somehow ended up in Corral 2.

Speaking of small crowds, the expo this year was TINY. It took us no time to do a loop - or rather a couple loops - around the Expo. I wanted to take advantage of the free KT Tape booth, but some girl was getting most of her body covered in KT Tape so I bagged it.

We then headed over to the Got Chocolate Milk booth so I could take a couple pics and meet the other Team Refuel runners.

It was awesome meeting Jill and John - two amazing athletes!

And of course we needed a pic with the chocolate mustaches!

I had missed this at the last RnR Expo so I wasn't missing my chance this time around. :P

Samantha, Robin and I headed back to Samantha's apartment to unwind, watch some youtube videos on her Apple TV and enjoy a couple glasses of wine. My kind of night.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at Chili's since both Samantha and Robin are Gluten-Free so it worked for all of us then called it an early night.

Hey Flat Dani

Why such an early night?

Because the alarm was going off at 4:30am. Again, damn these early race times.

Providence has been known to have massive crowds in the parking garage so our goal was to get there early to secure a spot ... and early we did.

Thankfully Samantha is a local and got us in and parked quickly.

This gave ample time to enjoy my pre-race KIND Bar, have multiple trips to mall bathroom so we didn't have to use port-o-potties, hit up bag check and hide in the warmth of the mall before the start.

Oh hello Finish, we would be seeing you in a few hours after this was taken.

Before I knew it it was time to head to our corrals. I made a last minute port-o-potty stop (damn small bladder) and Samantha and I went to Corral 2. Robin was already settled into Corral 1.

While standing in the Corral, I saw my Tedy's Team runningmate Jackie, who I had actually ran into earlier in the mall as well. Yay seeing familiar faces.

Before the race, the game plan was to run with Samantha, but she was feeling severly undertrained so we were going to play it by ear.

My foot was feeling sore so I had no idea what my body would bring for the run.

The Start was delayed, which was tough in the chilly air, but the announcer tried to keep it light.

It was finally time to begin. Robin and Corral 1 went off and a couple minutes later it was our turn.

From the get go something felt off in my right foot. I had been battling a pain in the ball of my right foot earlier in the week, but this was coming from the arch.

I tried to shake it off and keep running. Samantha and I hung together the first 1.8 miles or so before I needed another port-o-potty stop. I figured it I went around Mile 2 I would be golden the rest of the race. My nerves get to me at the beginning of races.

Hit up the port-o-potty, almost ran over some of the 3-mile racers (oops!) and I was back on the course just in time for the first hill of the day.

But this time I was prepared. I buckled down and pushed up. It was easier this year. The weather helped, but I just felt smarter.

I turned up the music on my X-1 Headphones, which I attach to my visor and tried to zone out.

As we approached Mile 4, I knew the big hill was coming. This is like a hill for what feels like forever, but is really around a Mile. But it just keeps climbing. I remembered it from last year.

After giving myself a fist pump for making it through that mile, the pain increased in my arch.

It actually got so bad that at Mile 5 - the transition point of the Half Marathon Relay - I thought about quitting. I was going to get my first DNF.

Oh hell no I wasn't.

The rest of my body felt AMAZING. I would keep soldiering on. I stopped at Mile 5 to stretch and started running again.

I had a huge debate with myself during the next 2 miles. I started crying. The pain was tough. I knew that if it became unbearable I would stop. I am not risking my Dopey Challenge training for one race or one medal.

As we came down a hill approaching the water, I looked up and saw this sight. I had to stop and take a picture.

The fog was so thick it looked like a horror movie. I expected something to come out at me. It was a cool sight though.

But the pain got worse. I actually took my phone out of my armband, clicked it off airplane mode and texted my wife through the tears. I had no idea why she wasn't responding until I realized it was 8am on a Sunday so she was probably sleeping.

I put my phone away and got back to focusing on putting one foot in front of the other.

As I approached Mile 9, I started feeling better. The foot started loosening up and the pain started to subside. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the tears. Maybe it was working itself out.

But I just focused on enjoying the race.

I hit the Mile 10 marker, I looked across the street (as this was the start of an out and back loop thing) and saw Robin. I totally looked like a fan girl yelling: "ROBIN! ROBIN! GO ROBIN!" She looked fast and strong.

So I pulled from the depths of my energy and gave it all I had. I pushed through and reminded myself I had just a 5k to go! I can do that in myself. (Ummm not really but it worked in the moment)

I kept ticking the miles off with each step. When I hit Mile 12, I realized I was going to get Sub 2 - even with a half the day before and a bum foot. I also knew there was the hill approaching the Finish - it got me last year - but not this.

I pushed even harder once I saw the Mile 12 marker, but made sure to keep a little in the tank for that final hill.

I took the turn towards the Finish, squated down a tad in my stance and pushed. I gave all I had on that final hill.

There was the Finish Line. There was the Capital. There was the Chocolate Milk.

I had done it.

1:54:22.

Hell to the yeah.

With all that - half the day before and a sore foot - I finished just 1 minute and 24 seconds slower than last year. Are you serious? THAT just goes to show how much can change in a year.

Amazing.

Not sure the Chocolate Milk had ever tasted so good. ;)

Jill & I post-race

I chatted with the Got Chocolate Milk folks and headed off to get my medal engraved. I ALWAYS take advantage of the on-site medal engraving at the RnR races because if they mess up they have a whole box of medals right there to fix the mistake - not if I take it home. So it is worth the $20 to me.

Once the medal was set, I headed off to get my bag out of baggage claim and wait at the Letter X for my friends. It was so odd not having my wife there at the Finish and not seeing her out on the course. It took some wind out of my sails for sure.

Robin had OWNED the course and had delayed finding me because she needed a couple more cool-down miles. An inspiration to me on so many levels - she shed 90 lbs with Weight Watchers and completed her first Ironman in July.

Lucky to call her a friend!

Samantha finished. Her main goal. She did a great job too.

We didn't even plan to all be wearing Zensah compression sleeves. :P

It was great to spend the weekend with these two ladies. We had all done the race together last year as well, but staying together the night before made it special.

The Providence race is a great time. It is the right amount of challenge yet scenic enough to get you through it.

As always, the Rock 'n' Roll experience of having the bands along the course give you a bit of energy, the volunteers are always friendly and the spectators are encouraging.

We even hung out to watch the band for a little while. We were right up on the stage. I rarely go to concerts so that was just a cool experience.

Plus there are amazing places to grab a beer/food after the race. We had some misinformation on a couple places websites, but we ended up enjoying a great meal at Bar Louie.

But after a double race weekend it was time to head back home with happy memories in tow.

***

Do you enjoy the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series? Have you ever run in Providence?