Disney Part 2: #WDWRaceTweetup

Have I told you racecations are an awesome time to meet up with friends both long-time and "just meeting for the first time, but been friends through social media for awhile" friends? Enter the birth of the #wdwracetweetup, which I had the honor to host with my friends Kat (of Katrina Elle) and Linzie (of See Sharp Run)!!

On Thursday, January 9th, after completing the Family Fun Run 5k and getting myself cleaned up, the wife & I made a pit stop at the Magic Kingdom (like folks do)...

... before heading to grab lunch and meet Kat and Linzie at Downtown Disney for the tweet-up. :)

Thanks for sharing this pic with me Linzie!

We had a little time to set up our amazing giveaway prizes before folks arrived. I want to thank our awesome sponsors again:

ENERGYBits

Honeystinger

INKnBURN

Outside PR

Shower Pill wipes

Sparkly Soul

Zensah Compression

The swag was TIGHT!! I knew folks would be climbing over each other to win stuff. :)

As we sat eating and chatting, the rain started to fall. Eek! I got a tad nervous that folks wouldn't show, but I knew Run Disney runners were tougher than that.

As it approached 1, we set up camp near the Carousel. I may or may not have nudged us a little closer to the outside plug I had found the day before so I could charge my dying phone. ;)

Then all of a sudden folks started showing up! YAY!

It was wicked cool to meet folks in person that I had chatted with online for so long. I also met some folks I hadn't known before. That is the great thing about having 3 different bloggers inviting folks to meet-up.

We let Linzie handle the intros and as you can see he did a spectacular job.

It was a great enthusiastic crowd of about 20-25 runners. It was great to chat strategy with other folks that would be tackling the Dopey Challenge. I loved sharing why and how I use my ENERGYBits before and during races to fuel. I may have also shared how Showerpills shared me once or twice or more when I didn't have enough time to shower between a workout and a meeting. :) Plus, I get a great thrill giving away not 1 but 5 Sparkly Soul headbands!

Thank you again to everyone that came out, tweeted, shared, hugged and made some new friends with us! We really appreciated it.

A few folks showed up just as the tweet-up was coming to a close so we stopped at the nearby margarita bar to share an adult beverage with those new friends! :)

After rehydrating? - yeah sure - the wife & I headed over to Hollywood Studios to hit up some rides and meet my parents for dinner at Mama Melrose. Mmmmm carbs! :P

Where shall we meet next? The inaugural Minnie 10k of course!

Dopey Challenge Race 1: Family Fun Run 5k

Share the normal time you wake up for a race? I'll give you a moment to share your answer.

Don't mind me.

A little bit of Monica in my life. A little bit of Erica by my side. MAMBO  Number Fiiiivveee.

So everyone's answers in?

If you guessed 4am then you are spot on for my Family Fun Run 5k wake-up time!

Which you will find over this 4-part series of the Dopey Challenge was "sleeping in."

I was a little worried about getting up on time that I set my phone alarm, my wife's phone alarm AND called in a wake-up call from the hotel. But as soon as my alarm went off, I flew out of bed. I was ready to finally start the Dopey Challenge.

For the 5k, I went simple with the costume: Minnie Mouse.

Thanks to my wife for getting out of bed to snap the pre-race photo!

I'm not gonna lie. It was sort of sad heading to the race alone. To say goodbye to the wife until I returned back.

But I pulled up my Sparkle Athletic skirt and headed out the door.

The buses at Pop Century resort were ready and waiting. The Run Disney team is wicked organized when it comes to transportation for those staying on-site for the races. Now, I made sure to be on one of the first buses out of the resort. Why? Because I had heard horror stories of folks waiting til the last bus and cutting it close to getting to the Start Area. I can't handle that kind of added pressure on a race day so I make sure I am there ready to go for one of the first buses out.

I made it to the Start Area, felt excited checking out everyone's costumes and kept an eye out for any familiar faces. The Run Disney DJ/announcer teams were doing a great job pumping up the crowd and getting people to embarrass themselves doing things like the electric slide at 5am! ;) I've never seen so many Tinkerbells busting a move at the same time.

Being on site so early allowed for ample trips to the port-o-potties ... and there were plenty to hit up. I didn't find many lines, which was great.

The 5k was broken up into 5 corrals and had about 10,000 folks participating - 7,000 of those being Dopey Challengers. I made my way over to Corral A to stretch and try to dance without too many people noticing.

They started moving the Corrals just before 6. Since I was in Corral A, I was part of the first 2,000 to head over. It was great walking past the other 4 corrals and seeing everyone dancing, cheering and high-fiving.

After a couple of announcements from the Run Disney announcers, a Cigna (sponsor) representative and the National Anthem, we were off!

Now, I wore my Garmin to keep my pace under control and to really see how many extra miles I logged running from character to character or port-o-potties stops.

I saw the Mile 1 marker, looked down at my Garmin and saw a 8:20-ish pace. AAAAhhhhhh! I immediately told my body to slow it on down and remember I had 47.6 miles to go after this first mile.

The 5k course went through the EPCOT parking lot and through EPCOT itself.

And offered character stops - which we know I love.

As soon as I noticed Dopey, I had to stop. I would wait as long as I needed to for that picture opportunity. Plus I had no idea if he would be on any of the other race courses.

I knew that I would be running around EPCOT during all 4 races, but it didn't diminish the experience it at all. Every time would be different.

As I headed to the Mile 2 marker, Disney played Frozen's "Let It Go" and I started crying. Yes folks. I was about 1.5 miles into this Dopey Challenge and I was already crying like a baby. I was so excited that the moment was finally here. I was finally tackling a HUGE fitness challenge.

Since it was so early in the morning, it looks as if I was running through the park at night. Thankfully there was enough light in the park itself that I didn't worry about falling.

Plus how could I look down at the ground with such breathtaking sights!! :)

I actually got a little sad as we approached the EPCOT ball because I knew the race was almost over. I was having a blast.

Can you tell?

As soon as it started it was over.

(Note: I never thought I would utter a sentence like that about a 5k - 3.1 mile - run!)

Phase 1 of the Dopey Challenge - the Family Fun Run 5k - was complete in a time of 32:05.

What I love about that time is that I had to look it up to find out what it was. I paid ZERO attention to pace except to make sure I was going steady, not pushing it and enjoying the crap out of the race. :)

Minnie & Mickey :)

As I was waiting in line for this sweet pic...

I FINALLY got to meet Heather (from Through Heather's Looking Glass) IRL (in real life). We have been chatting online for years and were finally in the same place at the same time. :)

Just a couple of Minnies hanging out!

I can say that being in one of the first corrals made taking pictures with characters easier both during the run and in the Finish Area. Many of the folks in my corral weren't stopping either by choice or they were worrying about their finishing time.

Overall, it was a fun run and I would totally do it again.

After snapping some photos and checking out my post-run meal box from Run Disney, it was time for me to board the bus and head back to the hotel. This medal, my wife and I had a date with: Magic Kingdom, the #wdwracetweetup and Hollywood Studios.

Catch ya at the #wdwracetweetup recap!

Disney Part 1: Arrival & Expo

Did you all know I went to Disney? I don't think I brought it up here on the blog at all ... or on Facebook ... or on Twitter ... or in every conversation leading up to January 7th. ;)

January 7th. it was finally the day we had been planning for months. Now just before we were set to depart Boston was hit with some horrible weather and the Midwest was hit with freezing temperatures - both impacting dozens of flights in and out of Boston. I was terrified that our flight might be impacted so I may or may not have the wife & I get to Logan Airport about 3 hours before we needed to be. :P Oops. I just thought if we were there we would be apt to get off the ground. Makes sense, right?

So we decided to set up camp at the Boston Beer Works which was right across from our gate. Oh and it had beer! Win-win!

Thankfully our flight took out on time and without any issue. Yay!

We happily arrived in Florida to ... the temps in the high 30s/low 40s. Say wwhhaaa?? That isn't Florida. I was assured it would be warming up, but in the moment I needed more warmth.

My friend Linzie from See Sharp Run offered to pick me up a case of bottled water from a local convenient store and I jumped at the opportunity. We were both staying at Pop Century Resort so we met up as soon as we checked in and had a glorious airport type/big hug/movie type reunion.

Can't you feel the excitement through the picture? :)

Linzie would also be tackling the Dopey Challenge and would be co-hosting the #wdwracetweetup with me and the amazing Kat from KatrinaElle on the Thursday.

We both flew in that day and were feeling tired so we had another epic hug - after meeting some fellow runners from Canada. Gosh I love meeting new friends - and headed to bed.

Tori and I woke up early on Wednesday, January 8th to get ready for the Expo. The Expo opened at 10am so I wanted to make sure we got there on time so I could buy up all the Dopey Challenge gear I wanted. ;)

So I obviously knew I was running Dopey, being in Florida and attending the Expo should make the Challenge seem real, but it wasn't until I picked up the race bibs did it really sink in.

We would be using the green bib for the 5k and 10k and the grey bib for the Half and Full.

 After securing my bibs, picking up my t-shirts and grabbing all the Dopey Challenge merchandise I could carry :P the wife and I headed over to the part of the Expo with all the booths. AKA where more of my money could be spent! ;)

In an unshocking move, my first booth stop was ... Sparkly Soul! DUH I know.

I HAD to buy a Minnie Mouse Sparkly headband as they were 1) adorable, 2) new and 3) only $10 onsite! :)

After getting my sparkle on, it was time to stalk find my favorite Run Disney Announcer, Carissa from Fit2Flex. I could hear her voice echoing through the Expo (she was hosting it as well) and I knew I could track her down.

Success! And let me tell you after this she was stalking me. :P Every where I turned she was there. She is speedy in that tutu.

I took advantage of the free KT Taping (even though I brought my own) and after some more roaming around we decided it was time to head back to the hotel.

Run Disney had put huge banners of all the races/race medals at the entrance of the Expo so I had to stop and take a picture with Dopey.

As we were waiting for the bus back to the hotel, a lovely Instagram follower Cerissa stopped to say Hi. I love meeting blog readers/social media followers in real life (IRL).

Thanks for stopping Cerissa! :)

Once we got back to the hotel, it was time to take inventory of all the race t-shirts I acquired.

I may never need to buy a t-shirt again.

Since we didn't get a park pass for Wednesday, we decided to head to Downtown Disney to walk around and check out the stores. We did a giant lap around Downtown Disney before my parents came to meet us. They flew down that morning from Boston and were ready for some food.

Oh and I even found a great outdoor plug to charge my dying food. Let me tell you this plug would come in handy in the coming days. ;)

It was great having all four us safely in Disney and ready for a great vacation.

Of course that included trying on tiaras. I clearly need extra Sparkle in my life.

With an early morning the next day for the Family Fun Run 5k (6:15am start), we attempted and were successful at pushing our dinner reservation earlier at Raglan Road Irish Pub. This dinner was a belated birthday dinner for my Mom, who is a New Year's Day baby. Raglan had great food, delicious brown bread, awesome Irish dancing to witness, yummy food and great beer. I couldn't decide which one to try so I went for the sampler flight. :)

After a fun dinner with the family, it was time to head home and prep for the following day.

I slept soundly in preparation for the big day - Day 1 of the Dopey Challenge! :)

Tedy's Team Group Run - 14.7 Miles

Reunited with Tedy's Team and it felt so good! :) I missed the week 4 run because I was in Disney so I was looking forward to seeing everyone again. Now I normally take 2 weeks off from running after a marathon, but with the Boston Marathon less than 100 days away I am taking my training a little differently this time. Plus, my legs actually felt AMAZING when I came back from Disney. I think all that walking around the parks really helped keep my legs fresh!

My teammate Meg picked me up like usual and we headed in to Kenmore Square to Joint Ventures to meet everyone else for the run. I made sure to take my ENERGYBits pre-run since I needed as much power as I could. Now the Weather app said it would be real feel of 18 degrees for the start of the run so I wore my Under Armour to be prepared.

Yeeahhh it was definitely warmer than 18 degrees so the beginning of the run was slightly warmer than I expected.

I was with the group at the Start and had no idea what to expect from my legs. I knew I wouldn't be running with Meg since my pace would definitely be slower than our normal pace and I wasn't sure how far I would be running. The schedule had 4 different options for the day: 10.5, 11.6, 12.8 or 14.7.

I had originally planned on 14, but when I started the legs felt heavy.

Mile 1: 9:09 Mile 2: 9:15 Mile 3: 9:07

My pace was faster than expected and faster for how I felt. I checked in with our coach John at the Mile 3 water stop. He told me to do a very slow 10 miles and take it easy. So I had that in my mind.

And then... just after the water stop I started chatting with a woman Michelle, who was running with Project Hope. We were having a great conversation. We realized we live less than 1 mile from each other and had a lot in common. We were in a great groove of chatting and running. It felt easy and the conversation was definitely distracting me from whatever I was thinking in my head: pace, weight of legs, distance, etc.

Mile 4: 9:44 Mile 5: 9:42

I was paying little to no attention to my Garmin as Michelle and I were running and all of a sudden looked down at the Mile 5 water stop to realize we had hit 5 miles and I felt great. The legs were waking up thanks to the slowed pace. Michelle asked if I would be turning around and I said no. I would go to the 11.6 mark and just turn on to the appropriate street to head back to base.

Mile 6: 9:21

It was around this time or so (I can't remember the exact break out), where we caught up with Dennis (Tedy's Team) and Holly (Team Brigham & Women's) and started getting in a conversation with them as well.

And before I knew it with some "bullying" by the three of them, I decided to do the 14.7 mile loop. Yes we all know it doesn't take much for me to be talked into running more. Plus, I was having a great time with these folks and that is what group long runs are about. Right?

So we soldiered on.

Mile 7: 9:30 Mile 8: 9:48

It is during Mile 7 that you come off Beacon Street, make a right onto Chestnut St then make a right on to Comm Ave. It is here where you start the trek back to Boston. :)

Oh and you encounter Heartbreak Hill.

Now Heartbreak and I haven't seen each other since April 15, 2013. I didn't know if he would welcome me with open arms or with a fight. But, I would conquer him for the first - of many - times in 2014.

Heartbreak Hill isn't a particularly large hill - it is actually a series of rolling hills for probably a good 2 miles. The reason it stinks is the placement of it in the Boston Marathon. You come to Heartbreak around Mile 17 with tired legs ... at least mine were.

But I was happy to meet him again.

Michelle had run Boston in 2013, but was unable to Finish. Dennis and Holly will each be taking Boston on for the first time in 2014. So being able to share with them some of what I experienced on Heartbreak during the 2013 Marathon was fun. Plus it was another distraction.

It was great to be back on the familiarity of the Boston course.

Mile 9: 9:49 Mile 10: 10:03

We had another water stop somewhere along Heartbreak and it was much-needed. A little Powerade, water, a pep talk from coach John and some swedish fish! Yes my favorite thing about marathon training are some swedish fish during a long run. A nice zap of energy and an excuse to eat swedish fish!

With a little extra power we soldiered on!

Mile 11: 9:37 Mile 12: 9:52

Our final water stop was Mile 12.5 near Marathon Sports and it was great to see the smiling face of Margaret. She is an amazing person who is the #1 Tedy's Team supporter. She is out there (wo)manning the water stops and cheering us on.

Mile 13: 9:35

Neither Dennis nor Holly had run more than a half marathon before Saturday so it was exciting that with every step over 13.1 was a PR for them. I love watching folks push themselves to new levels. Awesome to be a part of for sure.

During the final miles back "home" there were a lot of encouraging words being thrown around and some expletives - c'mon they were to motivate. ;) But either way we just kept telling ourselves we were almost there. Just had to keep moving.

That is exactly what I had to do. After finishing Heartbreak my legs had started to feel sore. I think it hit around Mile 11. Had this been a flat 14 I'm sure I would've been fine, but with the added hills I was getting tired.

So I fed off these three people's energy and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Mile 14: 9:24

I was too excited to see the CITGO sign because that meant about 1/2 a mile to go!!

And like that it was over. High-fives all around and hustling inside. As we were out running the weather in Boston turned worse. Rain turned to wet snow turned to hail turned to heavy snow. The temperature dropped as we ran as well. So I was happy just to finally be indoors.

But the run was done.

And I have these folks to thank!

And on this day I matched my socks ... I felt like Wonder Woman!

After the run we had a nice little Tedy's Team get together at UNO's. Unfortunately my salad never came, but it was nice to have a post-run drink with teammates before lunch with the wife.

Until next week's run...

***

Week 5 Workouts:

Sunday, January 12: Disney Marathon

Monday, January 13: Walking Around Disney Parks

Tuesday, January 14: Travel Day Home/REST DAY

Wednesday, January 15: 30 min elliptical and 30 min walking on treadmill

Thursday, January 16: REST DAY

Friday, January 17: REST DAY

Saturday, January 18: 14.7 mile group run

***

Looking To Donate

Are you interested in helping to fight Stroke? Please feel free to click on the link HERE to share a donation. Wondering how much? How about $14.70 in honor of the 14.7 miles I ran Saturday with Tedy's Team?

Dani Dishes 1-20-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about post Dopey Challenge depression, how I combat post-race blues & what's next! :)

Dani Dishes 1-13-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I celebrate being DOPEY!!! There are quite a few tears, but overall my quick thoughts on one AMAZING life-changing experience.

It's FINALLY Dopey Challenge & Disney Time!

It's here! It's here! It's here! It's ...

TUESDAY!!

Ahhh I know. Who else is stoked that it's Tuesday?

Wait wait!

This note is being handed to me as I type ... it more than just Tuesday!

It is time to head to DISNEY!

Wooo!

How could that have slipped my mind? ;)

For those that may have missed why I am going Disney, you can catch up on the background info here.

But simply put - I'm heading to Disney to have a great vacation with my family (my parents and wife) and to OWN the Dopey Challenge!

I can't believe we finally leave for Disney today. We have been planning this trip since April and it is actually happening.

We have a great week planned. That's right we are going from Tuesday, January 7 to Tuesday, January 14, which includes 5 days checking out the Disney parks.

As I started packing yesterday - yay last minute! - I set out each of the race costumes to make sure I wasn't missing anything!

Want to see the costumes? I know they are what people care about. :)

5k - Minnie Mouse

10k - Tinkerbell

Half - Jessie from Toy Story

Full - Snow White

Woo! I love how they all came out. I hope you like them as much as I do. I know the shirts are all a little too big and not all that flattering, but I hate tight clothing when I run so I went comfort over fit.

Oh and yes I will be wearing running sneakers this week! ;)

Thankfully focusing on the costumes distracted me from the nerves about the challenge itself.

Did my training go as well as I wanted it to? No. I hit an injury that has impacted my right foot since September. As a result, I haven't run more than 13 miles in a row since October. BUT, I did take part in the #RWRunStreak, where I ran every day for 35 days totaling 153.1 miles. Having that stamina makes me think my body is ready for the test.

But my goal for the Dopey Challenge is to survive, collect my 6 medals and HAVE FUN!!! :)

Besides the races and the parks, I am wicked excited to host a Disney tweetup with my friends Linzie from See Sharp Run and Kat from Katrina Elle on Thursday, January 9th at 1pm in Downtown Disney.

Be sure to join us if you can. In addition to hanging out with fellow runners, there will also be GIVEAWAYS!! :)

I want to give a big THANK YOU shout out to our sponsors:

ENERGYBits

Honeystinger

INKnBURN

Outside PR

Shower Pill wipes

Sparkly Soul

Zensah Compression

We wouldn't have such amazing prizes without them!

While I will be bringing a laptop with me, I'm not sure I will be blogging about the whole experience until I get home. That being said I will have my new iPhone with me so feel free to catch the journey on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!! :)

Dani Dishes 1-6-14

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I pose the question: "If you were given the chance to redo the hard times in your life - would you?" Check out the video for my answer!

1st Run 5k To Ring In 2014

New Year's Day. What I do on January 1st tends to set the tone for the entire year. Okay okay. If I sleep in on New Year's Day it's not like I'm sleeping in the rest of the year ... or am I?

Maybe I just use the "setting the tone" as an excuse to get myself to sign up for a road race. ;)

Since 2011, I have walked or ran a 5k each New Year's Day. In 2011, I had a herniated disc so my wife and I walked the course. I apparently also perfected the thumbs up as the years have gone on. ;)

In 2013, my first New Year's Day back in Boston I participated in the Lowell's 1st Run 5k (which you can read about here). I loved the bling so much (pictured below) I had to go back for more in 2014!!

And I even recruited some friends and blog readers to take part as well! <<evil grin>> :P

My wife and dad made the trek to Lowell with me - it takes about 35 minutes from our house. The bib and hat pick-up takes place day of so we made sure to allow for a little extra time pre-race.

The line moved smoothly and I had my number and hat in no time. Thankfully the pre-race packet pick-up/area to hide from the cold was in a nice VFW hall in Lowell. Same spot as last year so we knew the lay of the lands.

After running into my friend Robin (darn me for forgetting to snap a pic), I went back to chit chat with my two best supporters and was tapped on my shoulder by Susan. Susan is a blog reader who was walking her first 5k. I was so proud to meet Susan and be a part of her first 5k.

I had my bib secured to the usual spot - on my leg - in no time and it was time to head to the port-o-potties. :)

With over 1,300 runners between the 5k and 10k option, we made our way to the Start corral at about 10:45am. I wanted to get a good spot in the corral.

It hit 11am, the National Anthem played and we were off!

Thanks to the race photographers for grabbing a pic right after the Start.

Since I had run the course the previous year I had a vague recollection of what to expect. I stress vague. So yes I forgot the course started out on a hill. Oops! :P

I wasn't really sure what to expect from my legs since I had run 10 miles the day before and New Year's Day marked the 35th and final day of the Runner's World Run Streak (#RWRunStreak). But, I told myself that I would give my all - as always.

The legs actually felt great. I just decided to let go and have a blast.

Mile 1: 7:39

As the race went on, the scenery and terrain started coming back to me from the previous year.

It was great to see so many runners out starting their year on such a positive note. I just smiled at all the runners around me and thanked the few spectators that braved the cold weather to cheer us on. (It was 13 degrees at the start of the race!)

Just before the half way mark, we start our decent from the incline to the flat shot along the River to the Finish. It was around this time I started asking a woman near me where she got her jacket. Hey it looked cute and functional. The woman had no idea, but told me she would tell me at the Finish since she "wouldn't be able to forget my outfit." I decided to take this as a compliment and a reminder that not everyone likes to chat during races as much as I do. :P

As we hit the flat straight route along the River, the wind picks up and attacks you right in your face. I remembered this from the previous year. I remembered feeling like I was running in place on a treadmill. Thankfully the wind wasn't AS strong as the last year, but it was still packing a punch.

Mile 2: 7:24

I made sure to thank all of the volunteers freezing their booty off to keep traffic at bay, hand us water and keep the tunes going. Unless I am having a hard time breathing, I always make sure to thank all volunteers/police officers! :)

Plus, I had to give a nice pose to the race photog who was positioned just before the turn towards the Finish area.

I tried to pick it up a notch for the final mile and actually felt like I was making up some time...

... until I looked at my watch. ;)

Mile 3: 7:33

I was really shocked when I saw that time. Can I blame the wind? Either way I was happy with the time, but realized I am still learning to "feel" my pace. Something I am working on in 2014.

As I hit Mile 3, a random guy started creeping up my right side and I knew there was NO WAY I was letting him pass me this close to the end. So I kicked in everything I had left and booked it through the final 0.1 miles of the race.

BOOM!

First race of 2014 complete: 23:43.1 (7:39 min/mile) -- 52 out of 869 overall and 4 out of 169 in my division.

Oh and you wanna know who came in third in my division? Yup, my girl Robin! ;)

Within minutes of finishing, I was joined by my Saturday morning running buddies, Nanci and Cristina ... who I had nicely convinced to do the run.

They both did great.

And I KNOW you are wondering how Susan did. She ROCKED it. She experienced a side stitch during the walk, but slowed down the pace and kept moving forward. I am so excited for Susan and again happy to meet her before the race.

I was sad to miss a couple other friends/blog readers at the race, but I know everyone had a blast - which is all that matters.

***

Did you start the New Year with activity?

Tedy's Team Group Run - 12 Miles

You may be double checking your calendar and wondering to yourself: "Hmmm, I thought today was Sunday?" Well you are correct.

Normally Tedy's Team runs take place on Saturday mornings, but with the cold temperatures set to be -5 with wind chill some of my teammates and I decided to postpone the run to Sunday.

Amazing decision!

My teammate Nanci organized a small group of folks from three different Boston Marathon charity teams to meet at the end of the Minuteman Bikeway in Bedford, MA.

The path has been cleared by a dedicated group of volunteers and the weather was a balmy 25 degrees. ;) It felt like a heat wave for recent Boston standards. :P

Shortly after 10am the 8 of us headed out for a fun 12-miler. I really love running a group. It helps pass the time and it is the pick-me-up you need when you are deep into a run and your mind wants to quit!!

I was happy I brought my phone with me so that I could capture a couple in run photos for the post.

I am getting better at remembering to document my runs. It is a wonderful thing to look back at.

Mile 1: 9:25 Mile 2: 9:28 Mile 3: 9:35 Mile 4: 9:27

Just after hitting Mile 4, we took a much-needed pit stop at the local Starbucks. It is located in Lexington Center and right along the path, which was perfect for all of us to either stretch, grab water or take a trip to the bathroom. It is like they knew we would be missing our Tedy's Team water stop. :)

It was great listening to Cristina talk about going from a 14 min/mile runner to a sub 3:40 marathoner. She started running 7 years ago when she came to America and decided to give up smoking. She used running as an outlet and is one amazing inspiration!

Once the group was set, we headed back out on the path. It was nice meeting a couple new people who I hadn't chatted with before. I love getting lost in conversation because it helps the miles pass.

Mile 5: 8:57 Mile 6: 9:03

We had decided on an out-and-back loop so at Mile 6 we hit the turnaround and headed back to our cars. Why yes we talked about how telling ourselves: "Let's run six miles then back to the car" makes the 12 miles seem shorter. Anyone else? Hello mind games to get a long run done. :P

Mile 7: 8:57 Mile 8: 9:07 Mile 9: 9:04

The Minuteman Bike Path offers such gradual inclines that you don't really recognize it is happening until you are on the decline. :P Thankfully most of us knew that going in as many of us have used the Minuteman path for training runs before. But it was a nice surprise for the newbies. ;) I'm sure their legs appreciated it.

The path had a constant flow of runners and bikers, which is such a great motivator. I love waving and giving the "runner's nod" to folks passing by.  And of course I forget I am wearing Superman socks and that is why folks are giving me a second glance as I run by. Yes folks those are capes attached to my socks! Be jealous!

Mile 10: 8:50 Mile 11: 9:02 Mile 12: 9:18

The last three miles were only tough because of my shoulders. Since getting rear-ended due to snow on Thursday, my neck and shoulders have been super sore. I took 3 rest days (Thurs, Fri, Sat) to try to recoup, but the neck/shoulders started to feel heavy by the end of the run. I think it was from holding my arms in the usual 90 degree angles that may have put a little extra pressure on the shoulders. I know I will be okay for next week's Dopey Challenge, but it was something to note.

Additionally, my foot felt pretty strong the whole run until a little nagging soreness came in at the end. I think some of that could be on account of the slipping from the snowy ground. But, it wasn't anything more than I have been dealing with since September. I am still waiting to hear the results on last week's MRI.

As we finished up the final mile, we ended back at the parking lot. The parking lot in Bedford is known as Depot Park and features the Rail Diesel Car 6211 (pictured above), which is a vintage passenger car which formerly ran on the Boston-Bedford rail line.

I really want to thank Meghan and Julia for really great conversation out of the path. It was great to talk about running, weight loss, addicting behaviors and other things. Yeah sometimes convos on runs turn into cheap therapy! :)

But, this week I cannot say "until next week's run" as I leave for Disney on Tuesday. Soooo I will rejoin the Tedy's Team group runs on January 18th...

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Week 3 Workouts:

Sunday, December 29: 10 mile run

Monday, December 30: 4 mile run and 50 min Spin class

Tuesday, December 31: 2 separate 5 mile runs for a total of 10 miles

Wednesday, January 1: 1st Run 5k

Thursday, January 2: REST DAY after getting rear-ended in the snow

Friday, January 3: REST DAY after car accident

Saturday, January 4: REST DAY after car accident

Sunday, January 5: 12 mile group run

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Looking To Donate

Are you interested in helping to fight Stroke? Please feel free to click on the link HERE to share a donation. Wondering how much? How about $12 in honor of the 12 miles I ran today with Tedy's Team?