8 weeks down, 2 to go

Week 8 of training is done and put away. On Monday did 4 miles outside. Wednesday I had to run on the treadmill, did 5 miles. It was super cold with the wind chill. Thursday I was able to get back outside to run 4 miles. Yesterday, Saturday, I ran 9 miles outside. The temp was 25 degrees with a wind chill of 5 degrees. The wind was blowing about 20mph out of the SW and the roads were partially covered with snow.

Less than two weeks to go. One more week of tapering and then it's off to run at WDW. The long range forecast shows early morning on Jan 7th will be in the low 40's. That would be about like this year, but we will have to wait and see.

Shortly after I get done with the WDW half I will start training for what I hope will be the first of many full marathons. Squeezed in the training cycle will be a 1/2 marathon in Louisville in April. As I keep saying my goal is to run the Goofy at WDW in 2011 with my friend Gordon from Run to Disney.

Thanks for reading

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all. I hope Santa brought all you asked for. I have a 9 mile taper run tomorrow, but it is currently 22 degrees, snow on the ground and a nasty N/W wind blowing. So we will see in the morning if I run outside or on the treadmill.

The countdown is on, only a couple of weeks until race day at WDW!!!!

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

7 weeks down, 3 to go

I got my 26 miles in for the week. Monday 4 miles outside, Wednesday 6 miles on the treadmill. The temp on Wednesday was 7 degrees with -2 degree wind chill. I love running outside and detest having to run on a treadmill, but it was just too cold to run outside.

Thursday I did 4 miles outside and Saturday I ran 12 miles, my longest run for the training cycle. I ran it outside while it was snowing and the roads were covered with snow. The wind chill was 18 degrees, but I was dressed warm enough and I properly hydrated and took 3 gels during the run. My time was 1:53:29. This next week starts the taper. I would really like to run a sub 2 hour 1/2 at WDW, but I would be happy with a sub 2:15 run. I guess it will depend on how many pictures I stop to take and getting through the masses at the start. Last year I think it took 20 minutes to run the 1st mile, but my buddy and I were in one of the far back corrals.

I also made the decision this past week to run a marathon next year. I am planning to run the Illinois marathon on May 1st. The course is pretty flat and the temps should not be bad at that time of the year. As I have said here before, my goal is to run the Goofy in 2011. Before attempting that, I want a full marathon under my belt, so I'm going to do one. Wish me luck.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

6 weeks down, 4 to go

This week my training plan called for 24 miles. Monday I did 4 miles outside. The temp was 28 degrees and the roads were snow covered. It was a good run, I just had to watch where I was running.

Wednesday I did 5 miles on the treadmill. The wind chill was 3 degrees with wind gusts up to 40mph. This is the first time I have run on a treadmill since last December, and I hate to run inside, but it was just to cold to be outside.

Thursday I ran 4 miles, once again on the treadmill. The high temp for the day was 7 degrees. It was bitter bitter cold.

Saturday I ran 11 miles. I ran outside. The temp when I started was 20 degrees and the wind was not to bad. It took me 1 hour and 40 minutes for the run. I was pretty pleased with the time.

Okay, one hard week of training left then I start tapering. Next week I have 26 miles on the schedule with a 12 miler on Saturday the 19th. I sure hope I can run it outside. I think I would go nuts running that far on the treadmill. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate. I guess I should expect cold weather living in central Illinois, but that don't mean I have to like it. I will update next week. Come on WDW, can't wait....

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

5 Weeks down, 5 to go

In week 5 of my training I ran 21 miles. Monday 3 miles, Wednesday 5 miles, Thursday 3 miles & Saturday, my long run, 10 miles. That was the first time since the Disneyland 1/2 I had run double digit miles in one run.

Once again the weather on Saturday was not to bad. Temp was in the low 30's and the wind was not blowing to strong. I did my run in 1 hour, 31 minutes and 58 seconds. I was right around a 9 minute mile pace. I don't know if I can maintain that pace for an entire 1/2, but I'm sure going to try.

I am having withdrawals. Normally every year we go to the World for 3 or 4 days at Christmas time. This year we are staying home and I am missing it. I have watched a couple of Disney Christmas specials on the tube, but we would rather be there in person. This is one of the reasons am I so looking forward to be being there next month.

I will update next week with week 6 of training. It could be interesting with all of the snow that is forecast for the upcoming week.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

4 weeks down, 6 to go

I have completed 4 weeks of training for the WDW 1/2 in January. I ran a total of 19 miles last week. My long run was 8 miles on Saturday. The weather was perfect for running, and I had a great run. My time was 1 hour & 11 minutes. I was pretty happy with the time. I also did a short 3 mile run on Thanksgiving morning. It was cold and spitting snow while I was running.

This coming week I have 21 miles on the schedule with my long run a 10 miler on Saturday. I usually feel after running 10 miles that I'm ready to run the 1/2. I am looking forward to being in the sunshine in Florida in January. I'll give you an update next week.

Thanks for reading.

Run strong & enjoy the moment.

3 Weeks down, 7 to go

I finished week 3 of my training. The plan I use only called for 16 miles this past week. My long run was 6 miles on Saturday. The 6 miler was a good run, I did it in 53 minutes & the weather cooperated for a change. This coming week I will run 19 miles with the long Saturday run being 8 miles.

I am really starting to get excited about going to WDW in January. I hope to better my finish time from this year. I plan to run the whole distance instead of a walk run race.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who take the time to read this blog.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

2 weeks down 8 to go & Jingle Bell 5K

I have completed the 2nd week of my 1/2 marathon training. This week only called for 15 miles, with the long run being 5 this past Saturday. I did my long run in 45 minutes, which I was pretty pleased with. A 9 minute pace is good for me. I don't know if I can maintain that pace for an entire 1/2 marathon, but I'm going to try and see what happens.



This week calls for a total of 16 miles with a 5 mile run on Saturday. I hope the weather cooperates. Rain is in the forecast for the next 3 days.

Speaking of rain, yesterday was the annual Jingle Bell 5K run. We ran it in pouring rain. My time was 27:25, which I did not think was to bad with the rain. The entire event was very disorganized. This was the 1st year for a new route. The route was not bad, just the host location. Once you finished the race you can eat. Lots of restaurants donate food for this event every year. All finishers had to stand in line in the rain to get there food. There was no place to eat once you got your food, unless you wanted to stand in the rain and eat. We opted to drive home, change into dry clothes and eat. I have run this race many times in all different kinds of weather, which I don't mind considering the time of year, but the rest of the event was pretty bad. I'm sure there will be numerous complaints voiced about it.

I will update you after week 3 of training. Thanks for reading.

Til next time run strong and enjoy the moment.

A Christmas Carol 3D

Over the weekend, my wife & I went to see Christmas Carol 3D. We both enjoyed the movie, but we were not blown away by it. I guess maybe it was because we have seen A Christmas Carol many times in many versions. The 3D effects were outstanding & Jim Carey did a great job playing all of the parts he did.

A Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorite Xmas movies. My two favorite versions of the movie are The Muppet's Christmas Carol & the movie version starring Alastair Sim. I watch both of these 2 every year.

Next 3D Disney movie is Alice in Wonderland set to be released next spring. I look forward to seeing it. The only drawback to 3D movies is the cost to see it. This seems to be a Disney trend right now, making 3D movies.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

One week down, Nine to go

I have completed the 1st week of my training. It was a pretty easy week, I only ran 13 miles, which is what the schedule calls for. Next week 15 miles. Also, next Sunday is our local Jingle Bell 5K. I have run this race for as many years as I can remember. It is a good time for a good cause.

I finally joined D23. I bought the fall issue of the magazine, the one that highlighted the Haunted Mansion, and decided I would pay the membership fee just for the magazine at least for a year. I have thought a lot lately about our trip to Disneyland this past September. I can not wait to go back, but I gotta wait until next September.

Went to our local running store yesterday and got my wife properly fitted for a new pair of running shoes. She has been mixing a lot of walking with some running and she needed a new pair of shoes. While there I bought a new pair of Asics 2140's. I got them for a fantastic price. I will save them and start wearing them after the WDW 1/2 in January. I will post next week and let you all know how the training and the Jingle Bell run went.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

WDW 1/2 10 weeks & counting

Wow, it is finally here. Today I started my training for 2010 WDW 1/2. I was really ready to start my training. I was pretty darn bored with the maintenance running I was doing. Now I have a goal, get ready for the race.

I am going to follow the same training program I used for all 3 of the 1/2 marathons I ran this year. It is a ten week program which tops out with a 12 mile run as the longest one. I am really looking forward to not only running at WDW again, but just being there again. It seems like it has been ages since I was last at the World, and it was only last July.

Today was a 3 mile run which I completed in 27:37 according to my Garmin. That is a little slower than normal, but that's OK. My goal at WDW is 2:20. I know I can do that if I don't stop and take a lot of pictures, but I love taking those pictures. We are staying at Port Orleans French Quarter. I think I can walk to the start line from there instead of having to get up way too early and ride the bus to Epcot and then stand around for hours before the race starts. I hope I made the right call and that one. I will try to post regular updates on my training.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Toy Story 3D

This past weekend we went to visit our daughter & her husband. On Saturday we all went to see Tory Story 1 & 2 in 3D. The 3D rendering was OK but not great. There were obvious times when the 3D popped out at you, but is was nothing spectacular. It was still nice to see both movies again. We are looking forward to next summer when Toy Story 3 comes out.

I did a 5 mile maintenance run this morning. The sun was out, for a change, and it felt really good. Two weeks from today I start my training for 2010 WDW 1/2. I am looking forward to running at WDW again. With the announcement of the new Wine & Dine 1/2 marathon next October, I would love to do that one also. My ultimate goal is to run the Goofy in 2011. I would really like to run it with my buddy Gordon from Run to Disney. That's all for now.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Running at Disneyland Part 3

Day three was an easy day, as it was the day before the race. We went to DCA and rode some rides, watched the Aladdin live show and pretty much took it easy. We ate dinner in Downtown Disney at a bakery which was serving a special pasta meal meal for the race. The lasagna was outstanding. It was off to bed early.

Day four, Race Day. We got up at 4:45 to eat some breakfast. The night before we bought some breakfast items at White Water snacks. I got dressed, ate breakfast and about 5:30 we walked outside. The weather was perfect for running. The sky was overcast and it was not to terribly hot yet. I said good bye to Pam and walked with a crowd of runners to where my start corral was on Disneyland Drive. At 6am straight up the start gun went off. It took me about 12 minutes to get to the start line. Mickey & Minnie we there. Just after the start line, Goofy was waving to us from the monorail which was parked on the track above the drive


We ran down Disneyland drive turned left onto Katella Ave, then left onto Harbor Blvd. We then went into the backstage of DCA. We wound our way through DCA across the esplanade and into Disneyland going directly backstage.

It was neat getting to see what it looks like backstage. We ran through fantasy land, through the Castle, around New Orleans square, pass the Haunted Mansion and left Disneyland through Critter Country. We ran the streets of Anaheim until we got to Angel stadium. Man was that cool getting to run inside there

There was huge crowd of people in the stands cheering us on. We left the stadium and only had about 3 miles left to finish. When we got back to Disney, we ran again backstage at DCA coming out near the front entrance of the Grand Californian. Pam snapped a picture of me as I exited DCA heading for the finish.
We ran down and around the Paradise Hotel and finished the race on a service drive near the Disneyland Hotel.
I ran it in 2:21:08. I got my finishers medal, the castle medal, then got in line to get my C to C medal. I was able to keep the wristband as a souvenir. Next I got my picture taken by the Disney folks and then began looking for Pam in the family reunion area. Once we found each other, we made our way back to the Grand Californian. We both put on clothes we did not care about getting wet and went directly to the Grizzly River ride in DCA. It was really neat that we could get into DCA from the Grand Californian. We rode the ride, went back to the room, I showered then we were off to the park again. We spent most of the rest of the day going between the 2 parks riding rides and shopping. We finished our trip by watching Magical again at Disneyland. We had an 8am flight the next morning home.

We both had great time on this trip. It had been 8 years since our previous visit to Disneyland. A lot had changed and there are many changes in the works at DCA. Before leaving to go to Disneyland I told Pam I only wanted to do this one time. On our flight home I expressed to her that I wanted to do it again next year. The picture below says it all!!!

In just a couple of weeks, I will start my training for the 2010 WDW 1/2 marathon. I can't wait.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Running at Disneyland Part 2

Day 2 continued. We went to the convention center at the Disneyland hotel to pick up my race packet. We were directed to go down to the basement, which required us to go outside, walk along the hotel and walk down a ramp to underneath the building. When we got to the ramp, the line was very very long just to get inside.

Once we finally got inside, we had to find the right station according to my bib number. After I gave them the waiver and signed in I was given my bib and timing "D" tag. Since I was doing the Coast to Coast I had to go to another station, sign in and have the C to C wristband out on. I was given the instruction DO NOT TAKE THIS OFF UNTIL THE RACE IS OVER.

When then went back outside, up the ramp and back into the convention center to get the goody bag. We stood in a long long line which snaked its way through the expo vendors. I got my Disneyland tech shirt and goody bag. In the goody bag was a copy of the premiere issue of the D23 magazine. That was cool. I bought some gel packs, new socks and several 1/2 marathon shirts. By then it was time to get out of there. We took all of the stuff back to our room out on our swimsuits and headed to the pool to relax for awhile. About 5pm we went back to the room changed our clothes and headed to Disneyland for supper. I know I said in my first post about our trip we watched Magical on the first night, but I was wrong, we watched it this night. When we left Disneyland we walked through some of the shops in Downtown Disney and the went back to the room for a good nights rest. More to follow.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time run strong & enjoy the moment.

Running at Disneyland

My wife and I left for Disneyland on Sept 3rd. We flew from Indianapolis to Vegas & then from Vegas to Orange Co. We were met by this guy at the airport.

It was really warm when we arrived. I grabbed our luggage and then we found the Disneyland resort Gray Line express bus and rode it to the Grand Californian hotel. Wow, it was fantastic. We walked into a huge beautiful lobby. It looked just like a lodge right out of the old Pacific Northwest. We got checked in, went to our room, put up the luggage and headed for Disneyland. Of course the first thing I had to do, was get a picture of the castle.

We ate lunch at the Carnation Cafe and then started riding the rides. We did Small World, Matterhorn bobsleds, Space mountain, Mr Toad, Peter Pan, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain & Haunted Mansion. It had been 8 years since we had been to Disneyland, so we did a lot of walking around and taking in the sights. I have to say I really like the intimate setting of Disneyland. We went back to our room and rested. Ate some dinner and then went back to Disneyland for the fireworks. The show is called Magical, and it really is, especially when you get to see Dumbo fly. And of course we got to Tink fly also. After the fireworks we walked the park some, had to get a dole whip, then headed back to the Grand Californian for the night.

Day two, we went to DCA. We headed straight for Toy Story Mania. We had a blast riding it, then went straight to California screaming. That is really a cool coaster. I love the fact that it is outside. You get some pretty cool views of the park on the ride. We also did Soarin, Tower of Terror & went into Blue Sky Cellar. That was really neat. We got to look at the upcoming attractions for DCA. We had lunch, I don't remember where, then walked to the Disneyland Hotel where the race packet pick up and expo where.

More to follow.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

I did it!!!! 2 hours 21 minutes and 8 seconds. I had a fabulous time running. I took lots of pictures on the route, which kept me from a little better finish time, but I had a blast. I told my wife I thought I only wanted to do this one time, to get the Coast to Coast medal, but I really want to go back and compete again next year. I will write a more detailed trip/race report later.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Leaving Today

This afternoon we leave for Disneyland. Staying all night in Indy, flying to Anaheim on Thursday morning. Should have 2 1/2 days to spend in the parks before the race on Sunday the 6th. I am really fired up and ready to run. We come home on Labor day. I will do a race report after we get home.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Disneyland 1/2 marathon

Only a little over a week to the Happiest place on Earth race. My wife and I are really looking forward to going to Disneyland. We have not been there since 2001. We are going out on Thursday and returning home on Monday. We wanted to spend some time at Disneyland & DCA before race day. I am currently tapering for the big run. I am tired of the training and ready to run. I am really looking forward to being able to hang the Coast to Coast medal around my neck once I complete the race.

I have already registered for the 2010 WDW half and I have already got my airfare booked. Still working on the hotel reservation and park tickets. I will give y'all a race report from Disneyland after I get home.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, Run strong & enjoy the moment.

Family trials

Today I am just writing a short post. My family is dealing with a serious medical issue right now. Hence, I have not had time to post part two of our trip to the World. I promise I will get it done. I have been able to squeeze in my training runs. It's the time where I can think and thank God for all that I have and how precious life is.

Part two of our trip report will be coming soon.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong and enjoy the moment.

7 Days at the World Part 1

We left for the World on Monday, June 29. Our day started at 4:30am because we had a 2 hour drive to the airport, where we met my daughter and her husband. The flight to Orlando was uneventful except for the hilarious running commentary from the first officer on our plane. We arrived around 1:30pm and we were at Port Orleans, Riverside by 2:30 courtesy of Disney's magical express. Got checked in, which was easy, as I had done the online check in before we left home. We were hungry so off to the Old Mill food court we went. After eating we went back to the room and our luggage had been delivered. We decided we would spend our first evening at the Magic Kingdom, so off we went.

The crowds were not bad at all. We rode every attraction we wanted to without much wait. We stayed to watch Wishes which was as fantastic as ever. I also got to watch my all time favorite parade Spectromagic. Back to the room for some shut eye.

Tuesday we went to Epcot. We did Soaring, Turtle Talk with Crush, Spaceship Earth & spent a lot of time in one of my favorite stores, Mouse Gear. That store is a Disney geeks delight. We also had to dodge the rain most of the time we were there. We had our ponchos, so we kept doing what we wanted to do. That evening we went to Downtown Disney. Had dinner at the Trex restaurant which was kind of cool, literally, we were seated in what they called the Ice Cave. There were several different themed seating areas representing the Dinosaur age. Dinner was okay. Did some shopping and I got to spend time in my other favorite Disney store, The World of Disney. I could spend hours in this store just looking around. Shopped at some of the other stores, then took the boat ride back to Port Orleans on the Sassagoula river.

Wednesday morning it was off to Hollywood Studios. As soon as we got there we went straight to Toy Story Mania and got a fast pass. We then jumped in the standby line and waited about thirty minutes to ride it. I never gone through the queue and I wanted to see Mr. Potato Head. That was really cool how he interacted with guests in line. We also did Rockin Roller Coaster & Tower of Terror, which is my son in laws favorite ride. We did some shopping, ate lunch at the Back lot Express and used our Toy Story fast passes. We headed back to the resort for some rest and time by the pool. Later, after dinner at the French Quarter food court we went back to Hollywood Studios for the evening. We rode Star Wars, the great movie ride, spent time in Disney Animation where we got to see lots of stuff about the movie UP. We also did The Little Mermaid show and of course two more times on the Tower of Terror before the day was over.

Thursday was Animal Kingdom day. We started the morning with breakfast at Boma in the Animal Kingdom lodge. This is something my wife and I had done several times before and really really enjoyed it, so we wanted the kids to get to do as well. I can not say enough about how good the buffet is. If you leave this one hungry it your own fault. After breakfast we caught the bus to the Animal Kingdom. We got fast passes for Expedition Everest then got in the stand by line and rode it. We then went and watched Finding Nemo the musical. We walked back to Expedition Everest to use our fast passes, but the ride was shutdown due to the weather. We were told they had no idea how long the ride would shut down, so we decided not to wait and walked the trail to see the Bengal tigers and the other animals. Once we had done this, we went back towards the entrance and did some shopping and the n headed back to Port Orleans. Animal Kingdom for us, is only about a half day park. We went to Epcot later that evening so we could watch Illuminations, which we have always enjoyed. Did Test Track after Illuminations then went back to get some shut eye.

More to follow in the next post

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Off to Walt Disney World

Tomorrow morning we head to the World for a week. We know it's going to be hot, but we are prepared. Go to the parks in the morning, hang around the pool or nap in the afternoon and then go back to the parks at night.

We have not decided where to watch the fireworks on the 4th. I read there is going to be a special fireworks show at Hollywood studios, so we may go there on the 4th and watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom on the 3rd. We also have a couple of ADR's for breakfast while we are there. One of them is a character breakfast, something we have not done for years.

I plan to start my training for the Disneyland 1/2 marathon this next week at the World. I am going to get up and do some early morning runs and listen to Disney podcasts while running. I am saving episode 24 of Run to Disney to listen to while running one morning.

I will post a trip report once we are home.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Back to running & My Garmin

I took a week and a half off from running while I was gone on my fishing trip to Canada. I started back on Monday the 1st. I did 15 miles for the week. It was not to bad, actually it felt really good to be running again. I missed my run days. It is such a big part of my life, I get pretty cranky when I don't get my runs in each week.

For my birthday I got a Garmin 305. Wow is it cool. I really like all the features it has and love how it can help/assist with meeting your training goals whatever they may be. I have not installed the training software as of yet. I have read some other blogger & listened to some podcast reviews which have not been very good, so I might not install it.

Only 17 days until our next trip to the World. We are really looking forward to being there, even though it will be hot and muggy. It has been many years since we have been there in summertime. We will take plenty of rest breaks in the afternoon. I don't suspect we will go Commando style like we used to when the kids were young.

Today I am running in the Special Olympics Torch Run & tomorrow morning running a 5K. In a couple of weeks I will start my training for the Disneyland 1/2 in September. Can't wait to get the Coast to Coast medal.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time run strong & enjoy the moment.

Home from Fishing, Back to Running

Got home last Friday from fishing in Canada. Had a great trip. We all brought home our limit. Tomorrow back to running. I last ran on Thursday the 21st. I imagine it won't be easy getting back in the swing. I will let you know as to how it went and how I feel.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Fishing

Tomorrow I head to Canada to fish for a week with my Dad. This is an annual trip taken every year. Dad has been going for over thirty five years. I think this will be my 13th time going with him. There are several other guys who go with us every year. It's a long trip to get there, but well worth it. I get to spend time with Dad and do some great walleye fishing for a week.

I got 15 miles in this week, knowing I won't run for over a week while fishing. I know it's going to stink when I start up again after I get home, but hey I only do this fishing trip once a year. The last week of June I start my training for the Disneyland 1/2 in September. My wife and I are really looking forward to seeing Disneyland again. We were last there in March of 2001 right after California Adventure opened. I'm sure lots has changed since then.

It's only a little over a month until we go to WDW for a week. We are really starting to get excited about it. I have made some breakfast ADR's, one at Boma and the other is a surprise for my daughter & her husband. Can't wait to get there.

I hope your training/ running is going well now that the warm weather has arrived. Again, thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Mary Poppins on Broadway

This past Saturday my wife and I traveled to Chicago to watch the Broadway production of Mary Poppins. In a word it was Fantastic!!!! We arrived early and had some time to spend walking along Michigan Ave. And yes, I went into the Garmin store and looked at the GPS training watches. I have asked for one for my birthday, which is next month.



Okay back to the play. The play began at 2pm. We arrived at the theatre around 1:30pm and had to wait until the doors to the lobby opened. Once we were allowed in, we made our way to our seats. We sat in the balcony about half way up. The stage curtains were made to look like a night time scene of London with homes and buildings lit up. Mary Poppins was printed on the curtains in big bold letters.

The singing, sets and acting were amazing. The actors portraying Mary and Bert were great and had wonderful voices for their singing parts. The transition of moving the sets from the Bank's living room, to the children's bedroom, to the park was very interesting. A few of our favorite scenes were "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" with the entire company (acting out the letters) and "Step in Time" with the sweeps...Bert does some unbelievable stunts. Mary's departure in the finale, while singing "A Spoonful of Sugar", was very uplifting (hint, hint).

It was an enjoyable time for us both.

A big thanks to Mrs. I run because I can for helping compose this post.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

The Lake Run 12K

This past Saturday I ran the annual Lake Run. This race is put on and sponsored by a local running club called the Lake Run club. They have put this race on for the past 29 years. I have run this race probably 6 or 7 times.

The race starts at 9am and there are two versions. There is a 4.37 mile loop, which goes around the inside of the lake and the 12K which goes around the outside of the lake. This lake supplies the drinking water for the city I live in. The past 2 years I have run the 12K. Last year the weather was really nasty. It was raining, very windy & cold. This year the sun was out, very little wind and the temp was not to bad at the start. I ran the 12K this year in 1 hour and 6 minutes which was about two minutes faster than last year.

Once you have completed the race there is music, lots of food to eat and free beer to drink. I think the free beer is what draws all of the runners. I was told there were about 1500 people who entered the race this year. I ran with my buddy Jeff, and we had a good time.

I am not signed up for anymore races until the 1/2 marathon at Disneyland in September. I am going to begin a maintenance running program, running about 15 to 20 miles week. I plan on starting my 1/2 training again for Disneyland the last week of June. The first week of my training should commence while I am at WDW. We are really looking forward to spending a week at the World.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Final Thoughts on the Derby Festival mini marathon

My experience running the derby festival mini marathon was a great one. From the time I was picked up by the shuttle bus until I crossed the finish line I enjoyed every moment. There were plenty of water stops and the on course entertainment was good. There were spectators throughout the course cheering runners on and at the finish line it was fantastic with all the people lining the streets.

The entire event was very well organized. It is obvious they have held this event for many years. I will most definitely sign up and run this race again next year. I have to say a big Thank You to my own personal cheering section at the finish line. I really appreciated their support and encouragement. Thanks to Pam for putting up with my hobby of running. I know sometimes I have to drive her nuts talking about it. She has allowed me to commit a vast amount of time to preparing for the races I run. Thank You Dear, I love you.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Kentuck Derby Festival Mini Marathon Part 2

Once we left the city park the course was flat and heading for Churchill Downs. We entered Churchill Downs at about mile 8. As I was going into the Downs I called Pam, my wife, to tell her where I was. The picture above shows where we went into the Downs. We ran into a tunnel and came out on the infield. Preparations were already underway for the Derby on May 02, 2009. There were huge white tents everywhere. We ran on an asphalt path. I made a pit stop again. The smell of horses was everywhere and there were horses & jockeys running the track. It was cool to actually be running inside Churchill Downs. I stopped and took some pictures, one of which is above of the two famed steeples which you see all the time on television.

We ran through another tunnel and came out under the grandstand and prepared to leave the Downs. Just as we left we passed mile marker 9. I figured at this point I could end up with a pretty good time. It was really warm and I grabbed a bottle of water at the next stop and took my final gel. The course turned north and headed for downtown Louisville.

The split for the mini and the full was at mile 12. Mini runners went to the left. I turned left and again let my wife know where I was on the course. She told me they had found seats in the bleachers at the finish line. At about mile 12 & 1/2 Pam told me I could beat the 2 & 1/2 hour time and I told her I was going to beat 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Both sides of the street were packed with spectators cheering on runners starting just before the mile 13 marker. It was so cool to see all the people. I made a last right turn and could see the finish line. I looked to my right and saw my own cheering section, Pam, Abby & Andy waving and yelling at me. That was really cool. They took some pictures of me, one which is above. I crossed the finish line and thought I DID IT. The time on my watch showed 2:16:06. I was pretty excited to have completed the mini in less than 2:20. I found some more Powerade and food. The bullpen like area for runners was packed and stacked. It took me about 15 minutes to get together with my family. I hugged my wife and daughter and we talked about what running the course was like. We walked back to where they had parked the car and headed to Abby & Andy's home.

Later in the afternoon I checked the Festival website and looked at the official time results. My "chip time" showed I ran the course in exactly 2 hours & 16 minutes. I was really pleased with this time and told Pam I wanted to better that time at the Disneyland 1/2 in September. I had a great time and will most certainly run this race again.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon Part 1

Wow, what a great time I had running the Derby festival mini marathon. My day started at 4:45am. I got up, put on my running clothes, ate some breakfast and waited for my son in law Andy to get up as he was giving me a ride to dowtown Louisville to catch the shuttle bus to the start line. The temperature was 71 degrees. I knew it was going to be a warm day running once the sun came up.

We left the house about 5:30 and headed for Louisville. When we got downtown there were runners everywhere walking towards the shuttle buses. Andy dropped me off and I got in line waiting to board a bus. While in line I talked with a runner from Ohio and from Missouri. The runner from Missouri was running her first 1/2 marathon. The Ohio runner, who is a marathoner was running her first Derby festival marathon. Once we got on the bus, it took about 20 minutes to get to where the race started. When we arrived there were thousands of runners everywhere. There were 12,oo0 runners registered for this event. Music was already playing and I saw four different versions of Elvis walking amongst the runners. We still had a little over and hour to kill before the race started so I fired up my IPod and listened to some music.

The race began at 7:30 for the elite runners. I was placed in corral C, so it was about 7:37 before I crossed the start line. And oh yeah, the sun was coming up and it was getting warmer. The first 2 1/2 miles of the race were really flat and we ran through city neighborhoods. There was one water stop before we entered the city park which was between miles 2 1/2 & 3. The park was hilly. Not big hills, just lots of little ones. I took my first gel pack at mile 3. My plan was to take a gel every 3 miles. When we finished running through the park, we came out on the street where the race started. I made a pit stop and took off running again down the same street I started the race on. At mile 6 I took another gel and there was a water & powerade stop. I grabbed a bottle of water and drank some powerade. The next point of interest for me was Churchill Downs, the famed home of the Kentucky Derby.

More to follow in my next post.

Thanks for reading.

Run strong & enjoy the moment.

Last Training Run

Yesterday I did my last training run, a 3 miler, before the mini marathon Saturday in Louisville. The weather is supposed to be in the lows 80's on race day. I hope its in the high 50's to lows 60's at race time.

I am really looking forward to running the course. There are 12,000 runners starting the race. Putting it in perspective, there were over 17,000 at the Disney World 1/2 marathon in January. I know I will want to get off to a fast start once the crowd thins out some. I also know I have to pace myself so I don't flame out early.

I will have my own cheering section at the finish. My wife, daughter & son in law will be there. Once I complete the race I am going to shut my training down some. I do have a 7 1/2 mile run on Saturday May 2nd. Its a local race that is done every year. After that I am just going to do some maintenance running until I start training for the Disneyland 1/2 in September.

Speaking of Disney World, only about 2 months until we get to spend a week there. Can't wait.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Podcasting

I have become a Podcast listening freak. I listen to many Disney related and many running related podcasts. I also listen to a couple of conservative talk show podcasts. There are just so many great podcasts out there, that you could spend just about every minute of everyday listening to them. I think I drive my beautiful wife crazy talking about what I have listened to. She has told me more than once that I have become a Disney fanatic. Well, I was a Disney fanatic long before I started listening to podcasts, it's just made it worse.

I only have 11 days left til the Louisville 1/2 marathon. My daughter, who lives in the Lousiville area called me over the weekend to tell me the long range forecast calls for 80 degrees on race day. The race starts at 7:30AM, so I'm hoping the temp at the start is in the lows 60's. I am so ready to go do it. My training/tapering quite frankly has become boring. I'm ready to race. I really look forward to sharing my race expirience on this blog once it's over.

I want to give a big Thank You to Gordon at Run to Disney.com for plugging this blog on his web site. Thank You Gordon. Thanks to all of you who have decided to follow this blog I really do appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Baseball is Back

My other favorite sport, baseball, has finally returned. I sure hope this means warmer weather, which we still don't have around here. Still having to run part of the time in winter clothing. I'm so ready to wear shorts & a shirt while running instead of having to dress like an Eskimo.

I did 12 miles this past Saturday. That will be my longest run until I get to Louisville. I am tired of the training, I ready to go run the 1/2. I got the same way when I was training for the Disney 1/2 back in late December. After Louisville, I will take a break then gear it up for the Disneyland 1/2 in September. I am looking forward to seeing Disneyland again. It is neat to walk where Walt walked. I wonder what he would have to say now about Disneyland & WDW. It sure would be fun to talk with him about it.

Thanks for reading.

Til next time, run strong & enjoy the moment.

Several Things

Yesterday I officially registered for the Disneyland 1/2 marathon in September. I am really excited about going to CA and completing this run. I want the Coast to Coast medal. We have been to Disneyland once back in 2001. California Adventure had been open for about month at the time. We loved Disneyland, but we were really not to impressed with California Adventure. I know it is now undergoing a major re-hab. I have read it will be and look more like the golden age of Hollywood when it's done. I hope so because I think that age was a special time in our great country.

This past weekend I took advantage of the buy 4 gete 3 free at WDW. We decided to go at the end of June for a week. We will be there over the 4th of July, which is something I have always wanted to do. I'm not sure the fireworks can get any better than they are now, but I bet they do something special for the 4th. Can't wait to see.

I am still plodding along with my training for the Louisville 1/2 later this month. Last Saturday I did 11 miles and this Saturday will do 12 miles which will be my longest run before the 1/2. I will start to taper after this Saturday. The wind has been absolutely awful here, which makes it tough somedays while running. I am ready for some nice warm weather. After runnning Louisville I am signed up to do a local run called the Lake Run. It is a 7 1/2 mile run around a local lake. This one is lots of fun. Once you get done there have tons of free food and beer. It's well worth the $20.00 dollar entry fee.

Thanks for reading!!!

Til next time, run strong and enjoy the moment.

New Shoes

Today was the first run in the new shoes. They are Asics 2140's. I have been wearing this particular Asics model since the 2040's came out. The shoe provides good stability and support. I ran four miles in them and do not have any issues with my feet, which I know can sometimes happen when wearing new shoes on a run.

Still putting in the miles training for Louisville. Did ten this past Saturday and will do eleven this coming Saturday. The 1/2 is less than five weeks away now. Two weekends ago we were in Louisville and I drove the race route or as much of it as I could. The first five and half are in a city park which looks awfully hilly. I have got to remember to pace myself early on so I don't crash and burn at the end. The race course takes you through historic Churchill Downs. I am really looking forward to seeing it. I plan to take photos of it while running around the track.

We still have not decided on whether or not we are going to WDW this summer. I know we have to make a decision because you only have until March 29 to book the buy 4 get 3 free promo. Guess we need to figure it out this week. Also, still can't decide whether to join D23. It does seem like a lot of money for no more than you get. But hey I'm a Disney fanatic so I will probably join.

Til next time run strong & enjoy the moment

Celebrating a Birthday

Today we travelled to southern Indiana to celebrate my daughters birthday. This is a 4 1/2 hour trip from home. The trip was uneventful and the weather was nice for travelling. Of course I brought my running clothes to run 8 miles either Saturday or Sunday as I continue my training for Louisville .



We spent time this evening talking about our summer vacation. I think we have decided to take advantage of the stay 4 nights get 3 free at WDW this summer. Looks like we might go the last week of June. It's been many years since we have done the World in the summer time as we have become pretty partial to going to at Xmas time.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY Abby!!!!!!!



til next time run strong & enjoy the moment.

D23

Today I ran five miles. The temperature was 36 degrees and the wind was howling out of the west northwest. It was cold but I was dressed for it and the sun was out. I have been out there when it was much colder. I am still putting in the training miles for Louisville. Its only about 6 weeks away.

Yesterday Disney announced the launch of D23 their new online community for Disney fans. After looking at the D23 website I think I will join it for a year. It would be neat to be able to attend the expo in September.

Still trying to decide whether or not to register for the 1/2 at Disneyland in September. Probably will make a decision in the next week.

Til next time, run strong and enjoy the moment.

Struggles

Today I ran three miles and it was a struggle. Nothing felt right. Legs hurt & breathing wasn't right. I guess it was just one of those days. Tomorrow I will run six miles as I continue my training for the Louisville Derby festival 1/2 marathon in April. The weather today was great, 72 degrees and sunny.

I think I'm going to run the 1/2 marathon at Disneyland in September. I really want the Coast to Coast to medal you get for running both at WDW & Disneyland in the same year.

Today we celebrate my granddaughters 2nd birthday. It is hard to believe she is 2 years old. What a joy she brings to our life.

Til next time, run strong and enjoy the moment

Welcome

Welcome to this new blog of mine. I have been a runner for fifteen years and a Disney lover for over thirty. This past December I ran the Disney 1/2 marathon for the first time. I had so much fun, I registered for the 1/2 for 2010. I am currently training for the Derby Festival 1/2 marathon in Louisville in April.

My ultimate goal is to run the Goofy challenge at Disney in 2011. I would go to WDW four or five times a year if I lived closer to it than I do now. I hope with this blog to share my ups and down of running and my fascination and and excitement I have for all things Disney.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to give me feedback.

Thanks!!!!