Black Cat 20-Miler - 3/1/14

A balmy 7 degrees as we headed to Salem, Mass on race morning - March 1. Can you see there is a pattern here with the temperatures I've been reporting? Yeah it's cold. And yeah I'm over it.

And please remind me why I decide to run a spring marathon, which means training through a New England winter. ;)

Oh right ... to Fight Stroke one step and one dollar at a time!

So I end my complaining (about the weather) now.

The ride to Salem takes just over 30 minutes so my wife, my dad and I climbed into the car around 7am to head to the race site. I had to get there nice and early to pick up my bib, t-shirt & water bottle.

We thankfully lucked out and found a spot at a meter on the street just around the corner from the Start, which gave us a spot to hide (aka warm up).

The Black Cat 10 & 20 miler is put on by B&S Event Management and they had a TON of volunteers on hand race morning to help registration and pick-up go smoothly.

Can you tell I was going for Boston Marathon colors ? Blue & Gold

After hiding in the car for about 15 minutes and powering up with my ENERGYBits, we headed over to see the lovely folks from Blue Trailer.

I've shared about the Blue Trailer portable lockers before so I was excited to finally test them out. The 20-Miler was their big debut.

Small Lockers

Molly, CEO/Founder, graciously gave me a large locker to store my gear. I had so much extra room in there that I wish I had brought more stuff to store.

My Large Locker = Lucky #6

Once I had my key securely in my pocket, it was time to stretch and get lose for the Start. Blue Trailer was set up right next to the Start so I didn't even have to move.

I was in contact with friends I knew at the run and finally made a connection with the lovely Elizabeth (aka @EJComeau) from Twitter. We have been chatting online for a couple years, but kept missing each other at races and social engagements.

Until this race!

MAGIC!

With an out and back course totaling 10 miles, I knew I would see Elizabeth and my other friends out on the course multiple time. This made me one happy camper.

I knew the race would be more a mental tan physical exercise for me. I have put in those miles before, but on this day I would be solo (meaning no assigned running buddies) and zero Disney character stops! :P

I bid adieu to my dad and wife and started making last-minute adjustments to my gear and outfit. While chatting with my Tedy's Team running mate Lisa, the Start horn went off.

Saayy wwhhaa??

Well, it was Go time.

I knew within the first mile that I was going out too fast too soon.

Mile 1: 8:28

THAT would not fly for a 20-mile run ... and I knew it.

I tried to have a mental conversation with myself and slow it on down. Reel it on it if you will. I KNEW there would be hills coming up and I should be using the first 10 miles to learn what was going on. I mean I would be doing it twice.

Mile 2: 8:44

Mile 2 included the first of two BIG inclines. I cursed it the first time and knew I'd be curing it again 10 miles later.

Mile 3: 9:17

Oh you might be thinking, "Wow Dani, you got it together and slowed it down at Mile 3." NOPE!

Port-o-potty stop.

Exactly.

Since I am lazy with updating my music, I was rocking the same playlist from the Dopey Challenge, which was fine by me. It combines today's hits, musicals (Wicked) and Disney tunes. It was nice to hear those songs again and think about where I was when I heard them last while in Disney.

I was trying to distract myself from worrying too much about pace and time.

I also thought if I worked on taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for the elite athletes at the front, my pace would slow down on its own.

Ummm not so much!

Mile 4: 8:41 Mile 5: 8:48 Mile 6: 8:50

During Mile 6, we headed back down the large hill to head back towards the Start area ... and another hill. Yeah I was too focused on slowing myself down when we first started that I didn't notice the decline. Because you know what goes down must go up (that's what she said) and vice versa.

Mile 7: 8:59

The route took you past the Start Line to do a 2.5 loop that would connect you to the transition area/Finish Line (more on that in a moment).

This loop kicked off with a nice flat stretch before opening up for more rolling hills, including this BAD boy during Mile 9 (and 19).

I kept my focus on catching the guy in the left corner.

Mile 8: 8:30 Mile 9: 9:12 (hello hill)

Once we hit the top of the hill, we had a great water view before running through a neighborhood for a few blocks before hitting the Mile 10 transition/Finish area.

Mile 10: 8:56

Let me explain. The race was a 10 mile and a 20 mile race. Soooo you ran through the inflatable arch with 10-mile racers going to the left and the 20-milers to the right so we could head out for another loop.

Mental mind game my friends. I saw the 10-mile runners getting their medals, water and banana ... I wanted to be them. But, I knew my training called for 20 so out I went.

Now, it was during this time that I noticed some major pain in my toes. I had doubled up on socks and I think it was a poooooor choice. I had a pair of peds and a pair of knee socks. I think that pairing took up too much room in my sneakers causing my toes to squish on top of each other, which resulted in unfortunate rubbing.

There was nothing I could do about it at that point. There weren't any medical tents on the course. I didn't have any bandaids on me. So I just told myself, the faster you run the sooner you can take your shoes off and figure out what was going on.

The pain was taking over my mental game so I focused on my list of which mile was dedicated to which person = my virtual running buddies! :0)

Mile 11: 9:05 Mike 12: 9:06

That damn hill again. I just channeled my Heartbreak Hill mojo and yelled out loud: "You will be my B^*%ch!" (Sorry I don't have the cleanest mouth especially while running)

Mile 13: 8:49 Mile 14: 9:06

We hit a turnaround point before the Mile 14 mark and the volunteers were handing out a special snack for the runners. I was overjoyed as I knew I'd be missing my swedish fish at the Tedy's Team water stops.

Twizzlers!!!!!!!!

It may have taken me the rest of the mile to tweet and post this picture without losing the Twizzler to the ground. Priorities over time/pace. ;)

The Twizzler gave me the boost I needed in the moment. Plus, I was ready to head back towards my cheering squad. :)

As I headed back down the "big hill" that annoyed me around Mile 2, I saw Elizabeth heading up and took it upon myself to grab a creepy stalker-type photo. Made sense, right?

Just after passing Elizabeth, I knew I needed to take a picture of the beautiful nature around me.

Living in the moment, enjoying the blessings of life ... and distracting myself from the pain in my feet!

Mile 15: 9:18

Morale was getting low and I took to social media to try to find a pick-me-up. Plus I was texting my dad and wife that I needed help. The weather was warming up (to a sweltering 20+ degrees). I couldn't handle holding my gloves or hat any longer.

So after updating my Facebook status at Mile 16 (priorities), I called my dad to see if he could meet me before the final loop to take my stuff. They were in the center window shopping so it was a no go. In the moment, it was the last thing I wanted to hear.

Mile 16: 9:03

I was ready to be done. My spirits lifted as I saw we were heading towards the Start area and the start of the final loop.

Mile 17: 8:48

At Mile 17 I tweeted, "17 miles and not one Disney character stop." Yes, I crack myself up. And as I turned to see the Start area, there was my wife. She hustled down to grab my armband, hat and gloves. My savior! ;)

I was ready to push through the final 3 miles - less than a 5k. I could do that.

Mile 18: 8:48 Mike 19: 8:56 (that damn hill again)

I just kept repeating the faster I moved, the faster I'd be done! I was ready for the post-race water, chocolate milk, beer and Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee - in that order.

And before I knew it - there was the final few blocks to the Finish!!!

Mile 20: 8:24

My initial goal for the day was 9 min/mile pace, which would've been a 3 hour finish. My official time was 2:57:59 (8:54 min/mile pace). The miles weren't as consistent as I would've liked, but without the toe pain I think it would've been a different story.

Now, my wife and dad were right at the Finish. Right where I needed them. But there was one problem. I couldn't take a full breath to save my life. :( I was having a really hard time breathing and taking control of my airwaves. It felt like my throat was burning and closing at the same time. I experienced the same thing after the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon in November 2012, but not really since then.

I tried to walk it off. Nope.

I tried to stop and bend over. Nope.

I hobbled inside to see if the warmer air would help. Nope.

I guzzled water. Nope.

I couldn't find any medical personnel so I just tried whatever I could.

After a good 5-10 minutes, I started to gain control over my breathing again. I was an asthmatic as a child through high school. I also know there is sports-induced asthma.

Once my breathing was back to normal, I chugged some more water and was ready for my post-race beer! :)

First, I had to take my obligatory post-race photo with my bling.

Then we grabbed my stuff from Molly and the Blue Trailer crew. It was great to hear how successful their debut went. It is a great company so I can't wait to watch it take off. Look for them at races around New England.

After feeding the parking meter, it was time for a beer at Salem Beer Works. We walked in to a crowd of runners - people after my own heart. I saw a few familiar faces, which is always a cool experience. Yes these are friends I have met thanks to running and the interwebs.

Mmmm Blue Trailer shades ... bling ... beer!!

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Overall, it was a successful race with sweet bling. I love an out-and-back course. Unfortunately, the roads weren't closed to the race so it was a battle verse cars - especially during the second loop. The cops did the best they could, but they weren't at every cross road or intersection. I almost got run over - seriously run over - by three people, including an old lady that apparently needed to get her 24-pack of paper towels home ASAP. They were scary instances, but it is part of the game with races that don't have the means to have the streets closed.

Would I run it again? Sure, the hills were amazing practice for Boston.

A special thanks to B&S Even Management and especially Ashley Stevens for inviting me to run the Black Cat 20-Miler!

Win A Chance To Run The Inaugural Craicfest 5k With Me!

Annddddd the winner IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats Shimmy!!

If you didn't win, but still want to party with me at Craicfest 5k - use code WOMS to receive $8 off your registration!! Sign up HERE.

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Beer. Dancing. Music. Friends. Celebrations.

What could those words possibly be describing? Besides my normal Tuesday night.

(Note: We all know that is a big fat lie! But thanks for laughing along!)

I'm actually talking about two of my favorite events: a Cambridge 5k race AND St. Patrick's Day!

Team Slumbrew at Cambridge 5k's Yulefest 5k 2013

And for the first time ever Cambridge 5k and St. Patrick's Day are teaming up for...

Craicfest 5k on March 16, 2014 at 9:30am! :)

WAHOO!!!!

It IS t-minus five weeks until we don our favorite green apparel.

For those that don't know, Cambridge 5k is a running series here in the Boston area that organizes "unique handcrafted running events that are super-fun!" And I can attest to that. I completed all five in 2013 (four with Team Slumbrew).

The now six-part series is a combination or road and trail races geared for all running levels. Every race is a good time capped off with a giant dance party, while enjoying local craft beers.

Somerville's Own Slumbrew

The Cambridge 5k series is the brain child of one of my favorite race directors, Eddie. He really cares about the participants, the local community, as well as the overall race experience. He is open to thoughts from runners and we all appreciate him for that.

So now that we all know how much I love the Cambridge 5k series and Eddie, it's time to talk about the newest race ... and get to the giveaway!!

The newest addition to the series will be the Craicfest 5k on March 16, 2014 at 9:30am.

The details:

Join us on St. Patrick's Day weekend for a unique 5k road & trail race through DCR Northpoint Park, followed by an amazing party hosted by CambridgeSide Galleria!

Get in the spirit and wear your GREEN! Or even better, run the race in your best Irish-themed outfit and you could win some serious prizes in our costume contest!

Registration includes a great C5K race shirt + free food & beverages at the post-race party featuring an awesome mix of Irish alternative & hip hop hits!

Who can pass up a 5k race, dance off AND post-race party with local craft brews? I KNOW I will be there.

I'll make sure you have a BLAST!

So can do you want to join me ... for free!

***

So here’s how to enter to win your free entry into the inaugural Craicfest 5k:

The giveaway will run from Sunday February 9 (8am ET) through Sunday February 16 (8am ET)!

The winner will be selected and announced on Sunday!

New Orleans: Beer, Bourbon St & Beignets!

What is the heart of New Orleans to me? Why beer and beignets of course! ;)

I headed to New Orleans the first weekend in February for a quick 72 hour to visit to meet a bunch of amazing bloggers, co-host the #RnRTweetup (more here) and participate in the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon (recap here).

But once the run was done early Sunday morning, it was time to put on my tourist hat and see more of the city.

So where was my first stop ... the NOLA Brewery of course!

My friend Dacia (from My Roots To Grow), her boyfriend Erick and I were ready to celebrate my race with some local brews. I get a kick out of trying local craft beers wherever I travel.

Lauren, the bartender, was GREAT! She let us try little samples of the beers before making a decision on which to buy.

Since I couldn't make a decision on one brew off the bat, I went the safe route ... a couple of flights! :)

Every beer I tried was delicious, but my absolute favorites were: Girl Stout Cookie and Irish Channel Stout. The Girl Stout Cookie tasted like a thin mint Girl Scout Cookie ... aka Heaven!!

While we made friends with the other patrons at the NOLA Tap Room, we all enjoyed the Puppy Bowl on the TVs. Why yes we were at the Brewery on Super Bowl Sunday watching the Puppy Bowl and it was AWESOME! We all were cheering on the puppies, voting for MVP and generally having a blast.

Lauren was nice enough to bring us through the Brewery for an impromptu tour.

Yes they had their own Cornhole game with beer on the bags. :)

After seeing this, I want to make my own Plinko Drinko game. Who doesn't love Price Is Right's Plinko???

A jazzy giant beer dispenser/piece of art. :)

How cool are these? They are actually connected to backpacks that people can wear at celebrations, parades, etc.

 After spending a great afternoon with Dacia, Erick and our new friends, it was time for me to head back to the apartment, shower and meet up with the bloggers I had hosted the #RnRTweetup with. :)

They were going to hit up Bourbon Street, while watching the game. Since the game was a blow out and I didn't really care about either team, I focused more on getting to know the girls better. I was meeting them all for the first time in person that weekend after having friendships online for a couple of years.

We even got Sarah from Mom Running on Empty to ride the bull at Bourbon Cowboy. ;)

I didn't know much about Bourbon Street traditions, but apparently getting a Hurricane from Pat O'Brien's.

Having that reminded me why I stick with beer or wine - too sweet for my liking. But tradition is tradition, right? :P

Now this street performer knew how to work a crowd. He was charming, a flirt and had the poses for the camera already decided.

As we wandered back down Bourbon Street to call it a night, I made sure to take in as much people watching as possible. :)

I gave all the girls huge hugs before heading back to the place I was crashing at.

It was easy to fall asleep after such an eventful and cool day. Plus there was more sightseeing on the docket for the following morning.

I slept in until about 8am on the Monday then convinced Kenlie to join me on a trip to the famous Cafe du Monde for beignets.

We took the walk from her apartment so I could see even more of the city and French Quarter minus all the fog that the race had the previous morning.

Jackson Square was completely covered in fog when I passed it no more than 24 hours in advance.

There was a lengthy line at the hot spot, but a worker came out to let us know there were additional seats inside. Kenlie and I jumped on it and were seated less than three minutes later.

This old school spot is cash only, but full of atmosphere and history.

A beignet is "a square of fried dough eaten hot sprinkled with confectioners' sugar" ... aka deliciousness!

The goal - besides enjoying the food - is to see how little powered sugar ends up on your clothes. I forgot about this little detail when I decided to wear a black jacket on our walk.

Success! I made it through all three beignets without getting any powdered sugar on the jacket ... until I stood up! That's right folks. I bent over to pick up my bag, brushed the table and BAM powdered sugar everywhere. #winning ;)

After a decadent breakfast, my host Kenlie took me on a walking tour of the city focusing on Royal St - the art mecca of the city.

It was wicked cool to see paintings and artwork hanging all over the city, while musicians played in the streets. I wish I had taken more pictures, but it was chilly and keeping my hands in my pockets was the wiser choice. :P

After a great walk through the city, Kenlie and I headed back to her place so I could pack up before a goodbye lunch at The Store. I had a delicious and reasonably-priced pulled pork sandwich.

Once I was full, it was time to head to the airport. Big thanks to Kenlie for the ride.

I wish I had more time to explore, but I think I made the most of my 72 hours in New Orleans.

I never met a beer or beignet that I didn't like. I'd call that a successful trip! :)

New Orleans: Arrival, Expo & #RnRTweetup

Did you all know I was excited to head to New Orleans? You may remember this post about it - check it out if you don't.

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I arrived to the airport early since I was heading solo and I am a worrier. Plus I like a pre-flight beer at Boston Beer Works.

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If you don't recall, I was heading down to New Orleans on Jet Blue. Thanks frequent flyer miles. When I rolled up to the Gate, my name was being called over the loudspeaker. Oh man that is never a good sign - is that I said to all the people around me.

BUT IT WAS AWESOME!! It is the 10th anniversary of Jet Blue being in Boston and I was the 10th person to check into my flight so I won...

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... 10,000 Jet Blue Miles and a $10 Dunkin' Donuts gift card.

Aaaaahhhh-may-zing way to kick off the weekend.

The flight itself was uneventful - little napping, little TV, little people watching. The usual.

I arrived in New Orleans and took a cab to my friend's place. I would be staying with Kenlie from All The Weigh for the weekend.

We checked out the amazing view from her rooftop and I had to dip my toes in her pool. I didn't care that it was chilly ... it was warmer than Boston so I had to do it. :P

We headed out to grab dinner at a cute little sushi place before checking out Bourbon Street. It was my first time to New Orleans so it seemed like a "must do." It was definitely a sight to be seen.

After a long day of work, traveling and adult beverages, it was a deep sleep. Plus Kenlie's couch was super comfy.

I sprang out of bed off the couch Saturday because it was finally #RnRTweetup time.

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I was excited to finally meet these lovely bloggers in person.

Kenlie was nice enough to drop me off at the Expo. Little did I know the convention center was MASSIVE. I entered at Hall A and the RnR Expo was at Hall J. I was shockingly running late, which is rare for me.

I made a quick stop at Starbucks to grab a coffee. :( It was no Dunks.

But I hustled down the covention center and made it to the Expo with about 15 minutes to spare.

I headed over to the Stage area. Ahh I would be up there talking and hopefully people would be there enjoying it.

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Oh and our names were even on the poster.

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I was geekin' out!

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There were the ladies! I have been chatting with these ladies online for years and it was finally time to meet them in person.

From left to right: Me (Duh!), Sarah from Mom Running On Empty, Mindy from Road Runner Girl & Abby from Back At Square Zero!!

We all hopped on stage and got the party started!

It was a BLAST! The time flew by and I was happy to see so many familiar faces in the crowd. :)

Here are some amazing shots captured by Ashley from Rock 'n' Roll.

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Not the most flattering photo of me, but I am probably talking about my love of Race Bling! ;)

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What do bloggers do when they get together at a tweet up? This picture sums it up perfectly! :P

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I can't express how awesome it was to meet such amazing women at one time. I was overwhelmed with love and happiness. It was a magical morning.

A big thank you to Rock 'n' Roll for letting Abby, Sarah, Mindy and I have such a once in a lifetime experience. How about we make it more than once in a lifetime? Huh Huh? Tweet me Rock 'n' Roll. ;)

I want to thank some amazing folks for attending the tweet up.

My friend and Team Chocolate Milk teammate Angela from We Beat Fat

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Tanee from From Fat To Fit Chick

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Leah from Glitter On The Go

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And others who I didn't nab a pic with.

Just as the #RnRTweetup ended, my girl Christine (aka Dubyawife) arrived. :) We have hung out at the past two Fitbloggin' conferences and she drove an hour from Baton Rouge, LA to hang out. I was PSYCHED to see her.

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After giving tons of hugs to the girls, Christine and I headed to pick up by bib. 'Cuz ya know I was in New Orleans to run. I forgot. :P

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As soon as I had the swag, we headed to the Got Chocolate Milk booth so I could grab my wristband for the VIP tent (sweet perk), snap a pic with the chocolate mustache and see some teammates.

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Even Christine got in on the fun!

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And then I ran into some of my amazing Team Chocolate Milk running mates.

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Aren't they handsome fellas? :)

After chit chatting with the guys, it was time to head to my second must-see booth at the Expo: Sparkly Soul.

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I was wicked excited to see Pamela. She and her sister run Sparkly Soul and are great great people.

Who here went to the booth and said "Weight Off My Shoulders sent me" and got a free headband. I would love to see you showing off the sparkle. I thank the ladies for giving me that opportunity and the 10% off everyone else received. :)

I love representing good and authentic companies.

Christine and I took a little spin around the Expo before heading out to grab lunch. We ate at Ernst Cafe, where we received a free beer thanks to checking in on Foursquare! Yay social media! :)

After a great time catching up, it was time for Christine to head home and me to head back to Kenlie's for a quick recharge.

I re-bonded with Kenlie's couch before heading out to meet up with my girl Dacia from My Roots To Grow.

Dacia, her boyfriend and I had a great time walking around the city, trying Crescent City brewery, dinner at Gordon Biersch and just catching up. It was a nice relaxing pre-race evening. The pizza at Gordon Biersch was delicious. The crust was just the way I liked it.

We parted ways and I headed back to Kenlie's to get some sleep.

It wasn't until this point that I realized I was in Central Time Zone not the Eastern. Yeah I am not swift on the uptake. :P

But with a 5am wakeup call, I was ready to crash before 9pm ... and I did.

Not before laying out Flat Dani of course.

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And if you didn't realize before, Kenlie's couch was comfy so it was "Hey I should get more ...Zzzzzzzz"

Hello 5am!

Tune in next time to hear how the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon turns out...

4th Annual Local Craft Brewfest

Beer. Local Beer. Drinking In A Courthouse. Free. Well if that doesn't sum up a perfect event for me I don't know what is. ;)

On a whim I retweeted Eventbrite Boston's tweet about winning a free pair of tickets (value $85) to a local brewfest...

...and I won! Woo!

I invited my dad to join me and he happily accepted. I don't think he could pass up spending a night out with me ... or it was the free beer. Either way he was excited.

We scored a free ride from my mom - can we pretend it was a stretch limo? Does that sound better?

We arrived at the Moakley Courthouse, which I hadn't actually been inside before, just after 6:30 (fashionably late) and headed through security. Nothing like going through some medal detectors to set the tone for the night. :P

We received a pamphlet, a golf pencil and a plastic cup at the entrance. The pamphlet listed all of the breweries, distilleries, cider/meads, artisan beverages and local foods that would be at the Fest.

I am not a huge distillery, cider or mead fan so I knew I would be sticking with just the breweries, which was okay with 16 breweries in attendance. I would be a-ok! :) My goal was to have at least one sample from each brewery.

Thankfully I used my Untappd app and the pamphlet to record which beers I tried and whether we liked them or not. I take my beer tasting seriously. ;)

We walked into the main area of the Courthouse/event and it was packed. It was a great crowd in attendance.

Then the big decision had to be made: where to start?????

We headed to the Blue Hills Brewery (Canton, MA) table and sampled the OktoBrau - their Oktoberfest brew.

As we sipped the OktoBrau we headed over to score some of the American Flatbread pizza. I could smell the Tomato Sauce & Three Cheese Pizza and I needed some ASAP. Thankfully they had one coming out of the oven right as we walked over. Thanks perfect timing.

This natural frozen pizza was pretty tasty and I will definitely be looking for it in my grocery store.

As I was enjoying my pizza, I saw some people sporting pretzel necklaces which I thought was genius and I had to have one.

Yelp Boston was giving away the necklaces to anyone that checked into the event on Yelp. So I obviously went ahead and checked in - I was going to do it anyway.

This was a HUGE help and will now be bringing my own pretzel necklace to any future Fests I attend.

Since each brewery brought 2-4 different brews there were plenty of options to choose from, which was great.

Here are some of the other beers I tried:

*Battle Road Brewing Company - 1775 Tavern Ale (Pale Ale) - Ipswich, MA

*Baxter Brewing Co. - Stowaway IPA (West Coast Style India Pale Ale) - Lewiston, ME ... It got an extra :) in my rating system - a high tech system of emoticons.

*Clown Shoes Beer - Genghis Pecan (Porter) - Ipswich, ME ... I am starting to like Porters more and more & the pecan gave it a nice kick.

*Down The Road Brewery - Patchwork Kilt (80 Schilling Scottish Ale) and Protean Torpedo (American Pale Ale) - Newton, MA ... I have never had a Scottish Ale before, but it was rich and deep and I will definitely be trying it again. Plus the two guys working the booth were a riot!

*Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon IPA (Indian Pale Ale) and Winter Warmer (Spiced Ale) - Boston, MA ... Harpoon's IPA is one of my staple IPAs so that was a given to have, but I learned I am not a Spiced Ale type beer drinker. I did not like the spice flavor at all.

*Mayflower Brewing Company - Mayflower Porter (Porter) - Plymouth, MA ... Delicious. I wish I had had time to try their Oatmeal Stout.

*Narragansett Brewing Company - Narragansett Lager (American Style Lager) - Providence, RI ... Light and fresh taste that would be good on a summer afternoon.

*Peak Organic Brewing Company - Winter Session (Winter Wheat Ale) and Pale Ale (American Pale Ale) - Portland, ME ... The Winter Session will be added in to my winter rotation.

*Portico Brewing - Sett Seven (Scottish Ale) - Cambridge, MA ... As I said earlier this was my first sampling of a scottish ale and I enjoyed this one as well. It would be perfect with some nice BBQ. Mmmmm!

*Rapscallion - Porter (Porter) - Sturbridge, MA ... I had no idea Sturbridge had a brewery, but now I can't wait to head out that way (Western Mass) and check out their brewery tour.

*Samuel Adams - Black Lager (Lager) - Boston, MA ... I've never met a Sam Adams brew I didn't like and Black Lager wasn't any different.

We even scored that little Sam Adams tasting glass on the way out! :)

*Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Finestkind IPA (Dry-hopped India Pale Ale) and Old Brown Dog (Brown Ale) - Portsmouth, NH ... I had a great time chatting with the Smuttynose guys about their yearly marathon/half marathon. I would take the drive to NH to run a half or full marathon to enjoy their IPA at the end.

*Watch City Brewing Company - Black Walnut Nut Brown Ale (Ale) - Waltham, MA ... For me, the walnut overpowered the beer and I am not a walnut fan. If I was a walnut eater, it would've been a different experience for sure.

All of the local brewers were a joy to talk to and answered any questions you had. Many offered mailing lists and have tasting rooms on site at their breweries. I am seeing a road trip in my future.

As we made our rounds through the different brewers, we made sure to stop a the local food booths as well. There were actually two Somerville shops there.

*Q's Nuts - 349 Highland Ave - We tried the Sweet and Sassy Almonds and the Rosemary Sea Salted Almonds ... Ohhh they were ah-may-zing!

*Taza Chocolate - 561 Windsor St - I've actually met the founder Alex Whitmore before and he was such a joy to talk to. Taza Chocolate crafts stone ground chocolate from bean to bar and uses many Mexican chocolate traditions. It is a unique taste that you don't find anywhere else in the States (in my opinion).

Overall, it was an amazing event that I was so happy we were able to attend. I tried so many beers that I hadn't heard of before, but will definitely have again.

Make sure you...

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Have you attended a beer fest before? Do you love to drink local?

Boston Triathlon ... aka My First Tri

Ahhh-MAZING!!

Oh did you want more of a recap?

Well then let's do it! :)

I think everyone knows I was a tad wicked nervous for my first triathlon. I mean check out my T-minus 12 hours post for the jist.

I mean Hello look at all the numbers attached to this one race.

So let's get right to it!!

***

5am - Alarm Goes Off

I sprang out of bed. I knew I had laid out all my clothes the night before, but there was still so much to do before we had to leave the house. I let the dogs out so they could take care of business while I hectically got ready and attached the bike to the bike rack (which I thankfully put on the car the night before). Sometimes being slightly OCD can help one out on the morning of the race.

After leaving the house without my Garmin on the morning of the Boston Marathon, I made sure to check that I had that about 17 times before we left the house.

I had my big bag of stuff for the transition and I made sure the wife had her back-up ready with extra clothes, snacks and any other odds and ends we would need that morning.

We met my dad on the porch and...

5:40am - We are out the door

I was told by my Triathlon coaches (and fellow Tedy's Team members) Jackie and Cat to be on site by 6:15am for the 7:45am start time because there is so much more to account for before the race than a regular running race.

Since my dad and wife were getting up so early for me, I made sure we stopped at Dunkins on the way to the race. They deserved and needed the caffeine. :P

In the car I felt oddly calm. This is extremely weird for me before a race, but I was hoping to take it as a good sign. Also I knew as soon as I was on the site of the race, it would be a whole different ballgame.

6:15am-ish - We pull into a parking space

Annddd cue the butterflies. As we pull into a parking space, I start to see the other athletes with their professional bikes and looking like they knew what they were doing. In my head panic. I wanted to turn around and leave. But wait a minute. Not happening. I freakin' worked my butt off to be there too so self pull up your spandex shorts and get out there.

(Timing after this is a blur so time to go general with titles ;))

Pre-Race

The air was crisp, the sun was shining and the water looked calm - one gorgeous Boston morning! We really couldn't ask for better weather conditions.

I headed over to the transition area to get my bike checked and to set up my area. Thankfully I had watched some transition videos on Youtube the day before so I had a better idea of what I was supposed to do. I also took a picture as people suggested so I could go back after the race and see what I would change - if anything.

After racking my bike and getting everything in place, I realized that Ace Wheelworks (where I bought my bike) had tents set up and were putting air in people's tires for free. So I went back in and got my bike. I didn't want any chances of getting a flat just because the tire wasn't filled up enough. Tires perfect and back to the transition area Roxie went.

I stopped a volunteer to ask exactly how the transition would work - where do we enter from the swim, how do we exit, etc. I wasn't taking any chances of doing something incorrectly and getting slapped with a penalty.

Well by this time there was still well over an hour before the race so I went with my dad and the wife to find a location for them to set up camp for awhile. Since Tori was two weeks post-knee surgery, we needed to make sure she could sit as much as possible.

I nibbled slowly on my KIND bar, which was delish (Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt)... Mmmmm!!

I went to hit up the port-a-potty and finally ran into people I knew. Yay! Chelsea and Ally, who I both knew through twitter but had just met on Wednesday in person, were also first-time triathlete folks so it was great to share this experience with them.

Chatting with them and seeing familiar faces calmed my nerves before heading back to see my crew.

The transition area closed at 7:30am so I needed to make sure I got back in there in plenty of time to get my wetsuit, swimcap and goggles for the swim. I also had to pop my ENERGYBits then or I wouldn't have them and that wasn't happening.

Around 7:15ish, I bid farewell to my dad and wife (trying not to cry) and headed into the transition area. I was walking over to my bike when I noticed a familiar face. It was my friend Howley, who I probably hadn't seen in a good 6-7 years. She was there doing the tri relay as friends needed someone to do the bike portion. Again, seeing a familiar face distracted me from the nerves.

I made it back to my bike, grabbed my necessary tools, gave the transition area one more check over and was off to the beach for the pre-race meeting with the officials.

I decided to walk through the water to get to the pre-race meeting. It was starting to get hotter while in the wetsuit and I wanted to see how the water temp felt. It was calming to be in the water. I was ready for the race to start, but we still had a good 40 minutes or so until my wave would set off. I was in the women's 25-34 heat which was Wave 5 of 10.

Thankfully I found Chelsea, Ally, other Zoom Multisport friends and Cat from Tedy's Team on the sand near the start area. It felt good to be near people I knew. Are we sensing a theme here?

Before I knew it, the National Anthem was playing and Wave 1 (Elite Athletes) was getting in position. There would be 2 minutes between Wave 1 and Wave 2 then 6 minutes between the rest of the waves. There were 10 waves in total with novice being the final group.

I thought about putting myself in the novice division, but felt I was a strong enough swimmer to be with my age group.

Swim - 1/2 Mile

Robin had told me to line up near the front of the wave because of my practice swim times, but I ended up being about 1/3 of the way back. I readjusted once I saw the division included the mid-to-late 20s as well. I assumed they would all be faster than me so I wiggled my way back. (Hindsight? Stupid decision)

All of a sudden they were counting down, in my head I just said: "Like Tedy said - it's the party! Have fun!" and we were off.

It is a running start, which means you run from the sand into the water to about your knees/low thighs then start swimming.

As soon as I started swimming, I instantly got kicked in the face. I thought - okay got that out of the way - let's get it. I had remembered Robin saying in the Ironman she swam on the outside to avoid getting kicked so I did try to find myself a little niche in the water to avoid people ... which was challenging.

I felt as if I was swimming in place. I didn't feel like I was making good time. I tried sighting as best I could, but still found myself drifting while swimming.

But, at no point did I feel tired. BONUS!

I am thankful I did a test swim in the water before the race so I had an idea of what to use for guide points.

Before I knew it we were making the final turn (we swam in a trapezoidal pattern) to the shore. I kept reminding myself to swim until my hands swept the bottom of the water THEN get up and start running.

My dad was able to catch me "gracefully" exiting the water. Man those rocks felt like needles under the feet.

Total Time: 16:35 Pace: 1:53/100 yds Overall Place: 175/630 Division: 12/52

***

Transition 1

Time: 1:51.1

This was my first attempt at taking the wetsuit off quickly (should probably practice that more for next time).

I tried to make the switch as methodical as possible. I used my mini towel to wipe off my wet/sandy feet and quickly put on my shoes/sneakers. Yes I raced sans clip medals/bike shoes because I wasn't comfortable enough on the bike yet.

I also made sure to click my bike helmet on as soon as I put it on since you can be penalized for an unclicked helmet.

I actually more my bike/run outfit under my wetsuit so I didn't have to do any wardrobe change. It was actually a great idea because the weather was heating up but the damp singlet kept me cool on the next two legs of the race.

***

Bike

By far this is my weakest part of the race and the one I dreaded the most. The goal for this leg was to not fall off the bike. Do you like how I set big goals for myself. ;)

But seriously after talking to Robin (sensing another theme with this ;)) we decided that my goal was to keep my bike pace around 17-19 mph.

The bike portion was 9 miles, which is short for most sprint tris - but perfectly fine for me.

I merged onto the bike portion (it was a loop which you had to complete twice) so I had to be aware of other bikers completing their second loop.

The bike portion and run portion were on the same road with the runners separated on the right by cones. There are so many rules about passing and not drafting on the bike that I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

I remembered them saying if you were going to pass you had 15 seconds and had to get 3 bike lengths ahead of the person/person being passed had to drop back 3 bike lengths.

I did my best to follow the rules, but really I was just focused on not falling.

I slowed down on the turns as those scare the crap outta me (again fear of falling). But I felt pretty comfortable out on the course since it was nice and flat AND I was able to cheer for some people I knew already on the run portion.

I just kept looking down at my cyclometer to make sure I was staying on point ... and shockingly I was!!! WOO HOO!

I also had to wipe my nose/mouth still from the swim, but I haven't mastered that taking the hands off the handlebars thing yet so I finally wiped my nose as I slowed for a turn. Sexy I know. :P

As I finished up the second loop, I was instructed to go to the right back to the transition area. I realized that my friend Cat was right in front of me.

They even had a line drawn on the ground telling you where to dismount the bike. Score!

I know I would've biked faster with 1) more practice and 2) actual bike shoes/clips - but that is for later events. (foreshadowing?)

Total Time: 28:57 Pace: 18.2 MPH (just what we wanted!!!) Overall Place: 388/630 (can we tell it's my weakest area) Division: 30/52

***

Transition 2

Time: 1:21.2

I followed Cat right into the transition area...

This was a pretty simple transition for me since I didn't have to change shoes like most people. I just made sure to put my race belt, which displayed my bib for the run, on first because you NEEDED it to finish. I popped a couple sport beans, fixed my hair, put on my Sparkly Soul headband, took a hit of Nuun Hydration water I had mixed, put on my running shades (thank goodness I made the last minute decision to bring them) and was off.

***

Run

I started my Garmin late because I had no idea when the run was actually supposed to start. Oops. Thankfully I asked someone once on the course what they had and realized I was about .1 mile off from everyone else. Okay doing that math would also help distract me during the run.

I had been looking forward to the run all day (did I seriously just write that? :P) and felt great to be on the pavement.

There were cones separating the runners and the bikers on the street. The cones seemed to leave a really narrow running area so I ended up passing people on the left and entering the bike area. Thankfully bikers were giving enough room for runners to do this successfully.

It was great having the run be and out and back set up because I was able to high five some friends on the course, while simultaneously cheering for friends doing the bike portion.

Win-win-win! :0)

My goal was to keep a sub 8:15/8:20 pace. I didn't know how the legs would feel for the 4.4-mile run and the weather was getting warmer and warmer so I wanted a realistic pace. (Also how is this my "realistic" pace? How times change!)

My shoes and socks felt damp still from my not-totally-dried feet so it felt a little heavy lifting the feet. Also the timer that goes around your ankle felt like a police ankle bracelet (not like I've ever worn one). I could feel it on my leg, but tried to zone it out.

There are no headphones on this course so I had been training without music for a couple weeks and it paid off. I was really able to zone out on the mileage and focus on taking the whole experience in.

SouthBoston is a beautiful part of the city and it was a perfect day. I had a great time cheering on other runners as we moved along.

There were two water stations on the course so I made sure to drink water at both AND take an additional cup to pour on my head.

At the turnaround point, I started getting sad - the race was going to be over in less than 2 miles. Wow! My firs triathlon would be in the books. I had no idea of my time, but I knew I was having a blast and didn't want it to end.

So I soaked in every step I took.

Around Mile 3, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I saw a lot of people walking and thought I could too. But my inner voice screamed HELL NO! I was not about to start walking.

I was going to give it everything I had on that course then I could walk. So I just kept trucking along. I smiled at other runners, I cheered for people struggling and I freakin' ran. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

There it was - the Mile 4 marker. We had just .4 left.

It was time to give it all I had. I just willed my legs to keep moving forward and to NOT let anyone pass me. I was going to pick people off it I could, but I would hold strong.

Total Time: 36:16 Pace: 8:15 min/mile Overall Place: 255/630 Division: 15/52

***

I'M A TRIATHLETE!

As I approached the Finish Line, the announcer said "Dani Holmes-Kirk from Somerville, MA" and in my head I said "is officially a triathlete!" :)

I couldn't stop smiling.

I swam. I biked. I ran.

Final Stats

It was everything I could've imagined and more.

Could you tell I was a little excited?

I can't even put into words how excited I was crossing that line and picking up my Finisher's Pint Glass. Not a medal, but better than nothing!!

I immediately started thinking about how I would do things different the next time, but quickly banished those thoughts. It was time to relish in the now.

I owe a big thanks to my dad and wife for getting up at 5am and coming to watch me in person. Bigger thanks to my mom who stayed back home to make sure someone was with the pups.

I spotted my favorite sign from the course and the designer let me take a pic.

Please note I am smiling because I love the sign NOT because I did what is written on the sign. :P

I was able to get some water in my pint glass right after receiving it, but then bottled water was nowhere to be found. Are you serious? I grabbed a banana, but looked all around and no water anywhere. Planning FAIL!!

The post-race celebration was sponsored by Michelob Ultra (BOO!) so we decided to head home. I would recommend a local race go with a local brew (Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc) to celebrate rather than a blah beer like Michelob Ultra. I bought Slumbrew so I could have my own party at home. :)

I headed back into the transition area to clean up my stuff. I was really pleased with how I set up my transition area.

I wish I had been able to meet up with more people afterwards - thankfully I did see some ZOOM folks and Tedy's Team folks - but I forgot to take any group photos. Oops!

I really can't thank ZOOM Multisport enough for welcoming me into their group. I thank Robin, Hank, Tara, Darcie, Jackie, Cat, Greg, Lisa and so many others for letting me text or FB you with numerous questions/pictures/thoughts during training and race prep.

So the question remains: will I do this again?

HELL YEAH!!

I'm ready for the next adventure as I go from morbidly obese couch potato to Boston Marathon Finisher to Triathlete to ???

Boston Marathon Weekend Festivities

Just thinking about the next five days is making me tired. But for ALL good reasons.

I mean yes there is the little thing of The actual Boston Marathon taking place on Monday, but there is SOOOO much more happening before then.

***

Let's see what's on the 'ol docket:

Friday

After finishing the work week at 12:15, I will be heading home, getting a good reliable backpack and heading to the Boston Marathon Expo at the Hynes Convention Center. The expo kicks off at 2pm and I think my friend Sarah and I will be there pretty much at the start. ;)

Why you may ask?

Well, I am REALLY hoping I can snag a pair of the exclusive New Balance Boston Marathon sneakers, which are only sold at the Expo. So trying to get there as early as possible will help my chances. *Fingers Crossed*

Aren't they amazing???

(I missed out on the exclusive Run Disney sneakers because we got there too late)

Additionally, I am picking up my bib for the BAA 5k AND the Boston Marathon so lots to get done.

Plus, I have a ton of booths I want to hit up ... the high priority? Meeting the ladies behind the amazing Sparkly Soul headbands. :)

***

Saturday

I had the honor of being invited to a special Runner's World Shakeout Run with Bart Yasso, which takes place Saturday morning at 7:30am. I am wicked excited to be meeting up with so many of my fellow bloggers and some of my running idols.

Around lunchtime, I will me joining some of my local Twitter/Facebook friends for lunch before they head into the Expo (and maybe I go back ;)). I will definitely be seeing Sam from Running and Cupcakes and Colleen from The Fit Bee and hopefully some others!!

As if that wasn't an exciting day already, the wife & I have the Tedy's Team Pasta Dinner that night 6-9 at the Lenox Hotel. If we are still functioning, we will end the night with the Runner's World party, which is located close by. I want to take advantage of as many chances as possible to meet some of my running and blogging idols.

***

Sunday

And on the day before the Marathon, I decided to sign up for the BAA 5k (8am) with my best friend Sarah. Sarah is turning the Big 3-0 on Monday and since I will be busy running ;) I told her we could run the 5k together the day before as a shakeout run for me.

The biggest hurdle? Holding myself back from race pace.

Thankfully I will have Sarah there to reel me in and keep me in check. Since the BIG SHOW is on Monday!

The rest of the day will be spent relaxing at home and making sure everything I need for Monday is laid out in advance.

***

Monday

The Big Show! :)

Nerves will be setting in. Nervousness will be in full effect. Excitement will be seeping from all parts of my body.

I need to be at the Boston Commons by 7am to take the bus to the Start Line.

Once there, we have a place where all Tedy's Team members can hang out - out of the elements - before the Start.

My wave is set to start around 10:40am.

Then it's GAME TIME baby!

After finishing (assuming I do :P), I will meet my family and the rest of the team at the after spot at a nearby hotel.

I can't wait to see everyone after they Finish, especially my family.

***

Tuesday

My treat day!

Hey, I deserve a day off from work after the Marathon so I took one. :)

I am meeting my friend Abby for mani-pedis around 11am then followed by lunch/drinks in Davis Square.

I will then putter around until a 90-minute (yup I went there!) massage at Massage Therapy Works.

Once the wife gets out of work, I hope to meet up with her for dinner and possibly getting my 6th tattoo.

I am looking to get the phrase "One Step At A Time" with "13.1" and "26.2" on either side. I need to check with Painted Bird Tattoo parlor to see if they have time.

***

Now doesn't that sound like one exhausting, amazing and life-changing weekend???

I am smiling, crying and feeling tired all at the same time. :)

But, I feel blessed and can't wait to share all the memories with you all.

Will I see any of you over the next 5 days? Maybe grabbing a beer to celebrate?

EVERY runner should...

If there was ONE piece of advice I could give to fellow runners, it would simply be: volunteer at a road race! It gives a runner a new perspective on what goes in to putting a race on and may change some people's unappreciative attitudes.

---

It was finally my time to officially volunteer at yesterday's Super Sunday 5 race put on by RACE - Run Against Cancer Events.

Last Sunday (January 27), I met up with the Racemenu and RACE crews to help stuff bibs ... which I had never done before.

I liked getting into the rhythm of putting the chip, safety pins and twists ties (for the chips) in the envelopes. Plus, they supplied free pizza ... and I can never say no to free pizza. :)

The bibs were being personalized with each runner's name so we didn't actually have to stuff the bibs themselves that day.

The experience was great and it was cool to get to know the people running the race better.

On Saturday (February 2), I had free time after my 16-mile training run with Tedy's Team for The Boston Marathon so I signed up to help with bib pick-up from 12-4 at the New Balance Store on Boylston St.

It was cool to be the one handing out the bibs, chips and t-shirts to the runners and wishing them a good race. Plus, everyone loves finding out that with their bib they would get 15% off at the New Balance store all weekend long. :)

Keeping a smile on my face was easy during the 4-hour shift as I LOVE seeing other runners excited to race. Some were nervous about the impending snow and cold weather, but most were ready to get after it. Plus, there was free beer at the Finish ... how could that not get you pumped for a 5k or 5-mile run to kick off Superbowl Sunday??

I missed setting up the station, but made sure to stick around and help break down the bib pick-up location. The four of us worked quickly to make sure we got out of the store on time.

Plus, I ended up using my own bib to get 15% off the one New Balance shirt I had my eye on since seeing them at The Falmouth Road Race in August.

Isn't it great?

Then yesterday was Race Day (February 3)! I signed up to both volunteer and run the race ... why not, right? :)

I was told to be at the race by 8am to get my location. I met Kim at 8 and was assigned to set up baggage claim.

I was intrigued by this spot since I rarely use bag check myself and wanted to make sure I set it up the best way I could since there were over 1,500 runners signed up.

Thankfully we had a large space so we were able to set up 8 different rows designated by an orange cone where each row could hold 200 #s/bags if needed (1-200, 201-400, etc). Within each row, there was a second cone denoting the second 100 #s (100, 300, etc) to make the area as organized as possible.

Yes my math mind loved this activity.

By about 9:30, Kim said she needed more help at Registration as those volunteers needed to head to the course itself. So I happily headed to registration to help hand out bibs and t-shirts. It was sprinting back and forth between bib table and t-shirt table so it was a perfect warm-up for the race itself. Plus, I was able to see a couple people I knew pre-race. :)

Finally at about 10:15am, I headed to do my personal prep for the race itself (which started at 10:30am). The port-o-potty lines moved quickly, but thankfully the race director had to tow some cars on the course so the Start was slightly delayed giving me plenty of time to get in position. :)

I had NO idea what to expect from the run since I had done 16.2 the day before, but as soon as the gun went off I booked it ... and felt great.

I somehow had a sub 8 minute/mile pace the entire run, which I didn't expect, but happily accepted.

It was snowing while we ran through Cambridge, which set a lovely scene. ;)

I caught up with my friend George just before Mile Four and helped push him along the final hump/hill.

I just reminded him that "we had 1.08 miles til beer" and that "we eat 1 mile runs for breakfast." :)

Hey! Those things keep me moving too.

I ended up clocking in at 38:34, which was a 7:43 min/mile pace ... WOW!! I really don't know how I did that.

As soon as I finished the run, I headed to the beer tent to grab a celebratory drink (of course!) then headed to find Kim to see where I could help.

I ended up going back to bag check to help with the masses, who just wanted to get home and out of the cold. I tried to move as quickly as my tired legs would take me because I knew how cold the runners were. We ended up having about 6 of us on hand to knock out the long line of people waiting.

Once the bag check was under control, I actually was able to meet up with Tyler from Popchips, who has helped me with some giveaways here on the blog and at my 30th Birthday Charity 5k. It was great to finally put a face with the name. :)

After catching up with Tyler, I realized it was already Noon and time for me to hit the beer tent and pour beers. I have NEVER helped at post-race beer distribution before, but I wanted to make sure to be on my A-game since I DO know how important beer is to runners. ;)

Samuel Adams, Long Trail Brewing, Mayflower Brewing Company and Shipyard Brewing Company  donated bottles of beer, while Bantam Cider provided kegs. I was put on bottles so thankfully a co-volunteer let me borrow his iPhone that had a bottle opener attached to it - yes I need one of those too!

My hands were frozen, but it was necessary to be on the other side of the beer. Many runners can get testy when waiting for free beer - seeing/experiencing what the volunteers go through (frozen hands, delays in beer delivery, running out of cups, etc) makes you appreciate and understand the wait a little more. I am not a person that ever got "bitchy" at a post-race party, but I definitely wouldn't in the future after trying to open beer bottles with frozen hands. :P

Once we ran out of bottles of beer, I headed back to the post-race party tent to find Kim. They needed help breaking down the Finish Line so I headed that way. I wasn't very strong, but helped out however I could.

I did learn how to properly fold the American flag in the triangle pattern.

Following Finish Line breakdown, I headed back to the post-race party tent to help clean up the tables and empty cups that were strewn around as people danced to Bearfight.

As the party started to wind down, I headed out around 1:30 as the wife arrived to give me a lift home. :)

---

Overall it was one AMAZING experience.

I don't think many runners are aware of what truly goes in to putting a road race on.

To get a truly well-rounded understanding, I recommend that EVERY runner volunteers at a local road race at least once in their life.

And please remember to always thank every volunteer and police officer along the course ... they give a lot to be help secure your safety and that you have a kick ass race/party!

Disney - Day 3 - Epcot

Waking up Sunday, January 13, was bittersweet. On the one hand, I was excited that it was 7am rather than 2am, but on the other hand I was wicked jealous of all the people out running the Walt Disney Full Marathon that day.

But, I couldn't dwell on it too long as I had friends to track (Eric, Krissy & Robin to name a few) and a full schedule on the agenda.

First, we headed back to Magic Kingdom to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which we had missed on Day Two because of lengthy wait times.

The wife really wanted to ride the monorail so we actually took the monorail from Magic Kingdom to Epcot. The monorail is such an easy ride. I think if we go back - sorry when we go back for Goofy Challenge 2015 - we will stay at a Disney hotel on the monorail.

What I forgot is the WDW Marathon ended in the parking lot of Epcot so as we headed to the gate there were TONS of runners who had already finished and spectators trying to enter the park to catch their loved ones finishing the race. So security was a bit of a cluster, but thankfully the guards did a good job moving people along as quickly as they could.

Once we entered the Park, we were off to grab a fast pass for Test Track before going on Mission: SPACE. Now let me tell you Mission: SPACE was NOT my cup of tea as I am a claustrophobic type person. So choosing the orange option (intense training) over the green option (mild training) was not smart, but it was what the wife wanted so I went along with it.

(Note: I did proceed to get sick after this ride. Yay me and my weak stomach! :P)

To give my stomach time to settle, we walked around Innoventions, where the wife tested out The Sum Of All Thrills (which went all sorts of directions as you built your own virtual roller coaster). Yup, I sat my butt on the bench while that happened. :)

The Seas With Nemo & Friends was a must-see. It was a great combination of Nemo characters and actual aquarium life.

We then headed over to use our fast pass at Test Track, which wasn't as exciting as I had remembered ... but still enjoyable.

I do have to commend Disney on their job of shuttling fans and spectators through the park without interrupting the runners since the marathon was still going on while we were taking in the sights.

After crossing the marathon path, we claimed our fast pass for Soarin' before grabbing lunch at The Electric Umbrella (mmm chicken tenders)!

Following lunch we went to Spaceship Earth, which was delightful. They took your picture at the beginning of the ride then used it in a little computer game at the end of the ride (determining what your future will look like).

Before Soarin', we managed to squeeze in Journey Into Imagination With Figment (and we were the only people in our entire car), Captain EO (featuring Michael Jackson) and The Circle Of Life.

Soarin' was definitely cool, but being in the bottom row meant some of my view of the large screen showing the scenes of California were blocked by the people in the row above me's feet. Gross! But still a cool ride/experience overall.

Since we had made our way through most of Future World, it was time to head over to the World Showcase and meet up with some friends. My dad met up with us outside Soarin' and headed to Germany to have a beer/brat with us.

In Germany, we were meeting up with Twitter Friends Eric and Krissy ... I LOVE meeting social media friends in person!! They had both ROCKED the WDW Marathon that morning so I couldn't wait to share a celebratory beer with them!

YAY!! It was so great seeing them!

Eric is a fellow Weight Watchers Leader in NJ

 After Krissy and Eric headed out to meet other friends and my dad went back to the hotel to see my mom, the wife & went ahead to finish up our tour of the World Showcase.

Including have a Sam Adams in The American Adventure...

We visited all of the countries before calling it a day to head back to the hotel bar to have some drinks, eat pizza and watch the Patriots playoff game, which was happening at 4:30pm.

How amazing were the skies (no filters) we had as a backdrop for the AWESOME Patriots win, which sent them to the AFC Championship game!

Can you tell I was a little excited? It helped that if they won we would be GOING to the AFC Championship game!!

My parents met us for the game and we headed to the Boardwalk Resort to go to Big River Grille & Brewing Works to celebrate! The food was delicious and the area near the Boardwalk Resort was lovely.

We headed back to the hotel room after this to get some rest before our final day in Disney: Animal Kingdom!

Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k - 8/30/12 - 23:23 (7:33 min/mile)

Time freakin' flies my friends. I cannot even believe we already had the fourth of the five-race "Let's Run, Have Some Fun And Be Fit" Summer Series... The Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k was Thursday night!

My dad and I did this same race series together back in 2005 when I started running, but due to injuries he hasn't been able to run in ages, but for this race he decided to volunteer. Why not, time to see some old running buddies of his ... and we got a free ride out of it. ;)

Well since we actually had to park the car and there is limited limited parking at these races - we cut it CLOSE to getting to the Start Line in time for the run.

Additionally, this is an old school race without timing chips/etc so once the clock starts your time is based off that - no matter what time you actually cross the Start Line.

So I usually try to get as close to the front as I feel comfortable going, but since we got there so late - I was much farther back than usual.

Which led to a TON of bobbing, weaving and running on the grass for the first 1/2 a mile or so. It was also a task running on the grass and avoiding the large divots, dodging the tree branches and not tripping on the tree roots. It was like a mini trail run at the beginning. ;)

But I really didn't mind since I love these races - great fun atmosphere!

As I got myself back up to where I would normally be running and actually seeing many of the familiar faces, I remembered one of the bridges was out - finally after years and years it was deemed unsafe - so we had a slight detour, which actually didn't alter the flow of the run at all.

On my Runkeeper, I was averaging a 7:13 or so pace, which is what I normally shoot for in the Summer Run series so I was excited. I knew it would be altered at the Finish because of the timing they use, but I was happy with how the run was going.

Especially since on Wednesday morning I had to cut a 5 mile run to a 5k, I was glad to be running painfree!

After that the race was pretty much the same as the others. ;)

I tried to really dig deep and push it when I got within 1/2 a mile of the Finish.

I knew the race would be longer than 3.1 miles because of the detour, but I have run the course so many times I still knew when it was time to kick it up a notch. :)

According to the official results - I finished in 23:23 (7:33 min/mile) - I would probably take off at least 30 seconds for the time it took me to get to the Start Line, but either way I am happy ... I came in 164th out of 917 overall and 32nd out of 515 females.

Either way I was stoked to be done :P It was wicked humid.

I got my Harpoon IPA and went to the usual meeting spot to wait for the rest of my crew!

Mmm... beer! :)

My dad (one in red) was actually helping with the beer distribution and "overseeing" the keg issues:

Well, the final run of the series is just 3 days before my birthday and I think my dad will be volunteering again! YAY!! :)