Since WDW Marathon weekend opened up sign-ups today, I will spend the next few days going over my recap!

​What a crazy night. I've processed a lot of it and am still happy with my decision. However looking at those medals still makes me slightly sad. 


It was in the forecast to rain so I was monitoring the weather all day. We continued with our regular day and had dinner and I headed home to get ready. I was ready for bed, all set for the next day and getting into bed at 715. No email from rundisney so I decided to get on Facebook and got the news. ugh cancelled! 


My head was spinning and my dad happened to call so I chatted with him as I got redressed because I wasn't going to sleep now! I called Devin to let him know and said I would see him soon. I got coffee and saw the craziness in the lobby of everyone being upset. I headed to Hollywood studios and saw the Star Wars fireworks-boo! I met sisters that were supposed to run but had my same idea as DHS had magic hours. 


The park wasn't busy, I got my tables in wonderland card and we were able to ride toy story mania and tower of terror-totally worth it! 


As we got home, it started raining and thundering and continued through the morning. We slept in until 9am and slowly got ready as the rain calmed down. Heading to Epcot we saw a ton of people that were out running. I didn't regret my decision not to run. Had a great time in Epcot even though it rained-living with the land, Dvc lounge, meeting Anna and Elsa and walking through world showcase. We walked over to Disney Studios and saw even more runners-I loved it! 


We rode a few things, had dinner and headed back to relax and get ready. The temp was steadily dropping and we knew it would be cold. We tested our layers at the hotel and went to sleep. 




Overall I'm happy I did not run. It would have cut into my time with friends and would have really wrecked my recovery for the marathon. Also the weather wasn't in a position where I felt safe until around 9/930. 


However I understand, if it was my first half, first Dopey or first goofy, I would have been out there running. But it wasn't and im signed up for Dopey next year and am excited to tackle that challenge again! ​

Time for some weekly accountability! I will recapping how I have done on the 4 Well Rules over the last week: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Exercise Well and Be Well New Linkup for Monday! I will linking up with MissSippiPiddlin and HoHo Runs to talk about my week recap! Welcome to the 4 well rules that I try to follow as I go through my week! Let's get to it!

​EAT WELL
I made salsa chicken and chili and have been that all week. I need to make lamb and a chicken dish week. I need to do a bit of grocery shopping but get pumped for princess weekend

SLEEP WELL
Sleep has been epic averaging over eight hours of sleep. I think this has been my missing link. I feel amazing and I'm getting so much done. I need to keep this up as it'll make adjusting to a red eye so much easier(and I'm still crossing my fingers for a free upgrade)

EXERCISE WELL
LAST WEEK:
M-rest day/walking around NOLA
T-a legit rest day
W- stretching and rolling
R-3 miles +weights
F- rest day
S- 2 miles (cut short due to rain) + weights +core
S- 7 miles with hill repeats

THIS WEEK:
M-rest day
T-core yoga
W-3 miles
R-
F- 3 miles
S-5 miles (with maybe a magic mile depending on weather)
S-yoga

BE WELL
Guess who has a dissertation defense date! ME! March 8th. I still have some corrections to do (which I'm going to finish tonight) and just wait on final corrections this weekend.
I'm excited for a 3 day weekend and some relaxing fun.
Also I started watched the people vs oj Simpson: American crime story as it's on Netflix. It is so so so good!
And of course this weekend I have to pack for the princess half marathon weekend!

How was your week?

Dining took place here in November 2016 and January 2017

What an amazing restaurant! Nomad lounge is located in Animal Kingdom at what will be the entrance to Pandora when it opens in May 2017. As of now, the restaurant is not crowded but I expect that to change once Pandora opens. I went here in November and then again in January and everything I had and sampled was incredible. 

The restaurant is themed after the travels that were taken when creating Animal Kingdom and boy does it show with the pictures and such around the restaurant. 

My absolute favorite was the bread service-holy cow! It reminds me a lot of the bread service at Sanaa. Here their signature dip was the Pomegranate Olive Oil-just amazing! I also sampled the chicken wings and pork ribs which were also fabulous. 

I tried a few drinks: the mustang coffee reminded me of bulletproof coffee but sweeter. I love the Dalang's delight and also the sangria. 


MENU I TRIED: 

• Asian Barbecue Chicken Wings with Pickled Vegetables
• African-spiced Wagyu Beef Sliders with Vinegared Potatoes
• Pork Ribs: Honey-glazed, Coriander-spiced
• Tiffins Bread Service: Pomegranate Olive Oil, Harissa Yogurt, Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, Zhough Yogurt
• Dalang's Delight: Starr African Rum, Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, Vander Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mountain Berry Tea, Simple Syrup, and Lemon Juice
• Mustang Coffee - Crown Royal, brown sugar, and butter with hot coffee
  
• Sinaloa Sangria - sangria made with Miguel Torres rose wine, Barsol Quebranta Pisco, and fresh fruit
  

Have you been to Nomad lounge yet? 

Another Tuesday, another Tuesday on the Run hosted by our favorites: 
Erika from MCM Mama Runs, Marcia from Marcia's Healthy Slice and Patty from No-Guilt Life.This week's topic is Winter running. 

My running has been less than stellar this winter mostly from exhaustion (dissertation writing is no joke!) but also from the weather. With the late mornings and early nights of the sun, I have to get my runs done in the morning. If I have to be at work early, that can't happen. 

LA has had one of the rainest winters in history (at least 2 days of rain a week if not more). When it used to rain just once in a while, I would go out and run however all of this rain makes traffic and commuting horrible. People are driving insane and I just don't trust them not to hit me while I am running. on top of that, on rainy days, I need to leave for work earlier as the train is a hot mess (rainy umbrellas everywhere) and the traffic to work is bad. 

I have done a few runs in the rain with my raincoat, hat and sunglasses. Even though I am cold and feel like a wet dog when I am done, I know it is good practice for other races. 

So my winter has been just full of rain-blah! but we need it and it looks like if continues, we may be out of our drought soon! 

How has your winter running weather been? 

Better late than never right? 

Time for some weekly accountability! I will recapping how I have done on the 4 Well Rules over the last week: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Exercise Well and Be Well New Linkup for Monday! I will linking up with MissSippiPiddlin and HoHo Runs to talk about my week recap! Welcome to the 4 well rules that I try to follow as I go through my week! Let's get to it!

EAT WELL
I was able to get through the week just on leftovers and buying a few meals the day I left. The food in New Orleans was incredible and of course I had too much gluten (so worth it!) and will most likely be bloated and feel blah for the next 2-3 days. 
I'm actually going to head to the grocery store soon to get some much needed food! 
 
SLEEP WELL
I slept well until I got to Texas but was able to recover in NOLA. I'm feeling great now and am hoping to keep up the 8 hours of sleep until Princess weekend! 


EXERCISE WELL 
LAST WEEK:
M- Yoga and stretching 
T-run 10 
W- quick 30 min run 
R-quick 25 min run with speed intervals 
F-rest day/walking around the NFL Experience 
S-rest day/walking around NOLA 
SU-RnRNOLA half marathon 


THIS WEEK:
M-rest day/walking around NOLA
T-a legit rest day 
W- stretching and rolling
R-3 miles +Run10 +weights 
F- resistance band training 
S- 5 miles 
S- rest day/stretching 


BE WELL
One of the best trips I've ever taken. Surprising my siblings for their bday was so fun, getting to spend a whole day with my brother at the NFL/Super Bowl Experience was great and NOLA is a fantastic city- the people, the food, everything! A recap is coming for sure!
Oh and I sent corrections back for my dissertation! 


How was your week? 

Wine and dine half 
 
It's here! My favorite half marathon and MY 50TH RUNDISNEY RACE! I dressed as Figment as he is one of my favorite characters and the mascot of the food and wine festival. I was up at 4:20 (yay extra hour of sleep), and we were out of the door at 4:50 and got on the bus right away. There was more traffic as the egress for wide world of sports is not as open as Epcot. We went straight to the portos and waited 20 minutes in the shortest line! Eek! After that, we checked our bags and headed to the corrals. I could stretch and relax a bit before the start. Jenny Simpson, the recent 1500 bronze medal winner in Rio was running this race as a training run at a 6:5o pace-haha
I was in corral D and we started about 5:40. Heading out of Wide World of Sports there was not much until after the sign where the Country Bears were waiting! Now came the boring part-there was NOTHING until we reached Animal Kingdom except 2 DJs. My legs were happy again and it was boring and I hated my life haha.
Once we reached Animal Kingdom, it got better!

Rafiki was at the entrance like during the 5k and Baloo was by Rainforest Café. Even better I got to meet Kathryn and her husband Preston in line! We continued through Animal Kingdom (still my favorite park to run through) and ran by Everest which was gorgeous with the sunrise. 

Heading out of AK, there were some more stilt walkers this time from festival of the lion king, Meeko was out backstage which was nice as well. We continued on the path back towards the TTC-basically the middle portion of the Marathon but run backwards. Not far from AK, Chip n Dale were out so I stopped. This is also when I realized it was 7am so I could start making fastpasses for Marathon weekend which I did while in lines for characters. It made the time pass quickly.

We ran a short out and back (which I enjoyed more than I thought I would) we went by the stinky treatment plant and the next character stop was Mike and Sully. They had to take a break which was hilarious to watch them get in their tent haha. I waited about 10 minutes total which was my longest photostop of the day. We then passed the broke down tourists which were entertaining. Before we hit the area where the race track used to be, we got an awesome photo opp-Darkwing Duck and Launchpad!!!

We then joined up with the half course used for the wdw marathon/princess weekend. The clif shot area was in the same spot. We did not get another character until lilo and stitch close to where the Princes are for Princess weekend.
We continued to Epcot up the overpass with the green army men and into Epcot. I stopped for another stilt picture. As we got to the epcot parking lot, we headed backstage where Clarabelle and Horace Horsecollar were out. We then went backstage for one final water stop and then into Epcot! Phineas and Ferb were by Starbucks and vacation Genie was at the turn around at the entrance to World Showcase

Heading towards the finish I had to stop and take a picture with the Epcot ball. Again photopass pictures towards the end are AMAZING. And just like that, I crossed the finish line of my final WDW race of the year and my 50th rundisney race and yes I realized after my numbers were backwards haha

I hung out with the Lizards and celebrated with Jacque with champagne of course (picture above!)

 
MILE SPLITS: 2:28:11--11:23/11:38/12:17/11:23/10:13/10:31/11:07/11:14/11:00/11:16/11:30/11:50/11:36/9:06 (final .14 miles)
OFFICIAL SPLITS: 3:16:43 (15:01 mile pace)
5k: 39:33 (12:44 mile pace)
10k: 1:32:32 (17:04 mile pace)
15k: 2:23:08 (16:18 mile pace)
 
After that, I headed back to shower and get ready and then we headed off to California Grill for an amazing brunch! We then went to MK to get pictures with Mickey and ride a few things. We were fading fast so we went back for a two hour nap. We then had a hell of a time getting to Epcot. Lord-after waiting for 3 buses that were completely full, we took an uber and got there in 10 minutes for less than 10 bucks. There was a crazy line getting into epcot for the after party so we went in with our APs, got our glasses, and then got wristbands during illuminations. Our mistake was we didn’t eat dinner and all of the booths closed from 8:45-9:30! We were starving but waited in line at Puerto Rico and got some yummy food. We went to as many booths as we could and I basically drank at every one haha.
The party was super fun, not long lines for food but crazy lines for all of the characters. We tried to do Frozen but it never dropped below 45 minutes. We were able to wait less than 5 minutes for Soarin which was fantastic!

We stayed until 1am and didn’t get back to the resort until 1:30. I fell asleep on the bus and almost slept on a random guys shoulder-oops haha.
 
Overall, the course left a lot to be desired but the characters were great. I would definitely eat dinner before heading to epcot next time for the after party.
 
What was the last half marathon you ran? Ever go to an after party?

​A new race! Woohoo! I dressed as Lumiere and got up at 3:20, left at 3:45, and had a short wait for the bus. I met up with the Lizards briefly and then headed to my corral to make sure I wasn't shut out like at the dark side 5k. This was the regular 10k course so I knew exactly what to expect. We started right on time (5:30 from Corral A) and off I headed. Within 2 minutes my phone fell out and I knew the idea of wearing my belt backwards would not work. Luckily it did not crack and no one stepped on it.
 
As we passed the first overpass, there was no Elsa like there is during Princess 10k which is fine. The first mile was painful in my shins and I was just hoping it would go away. There were the Penguins from Mary Poppins at the turnaround so I stopped.

As we climbed up the overpass, Flik and Atta were out in the middle so I stopped for a picture. One thing of note-the corrals were 10 minutes apart (I could see and hear each of the corrals fireworks as they went off). There was nothing else to see or take pictures of until we made it into Epcot after the half way point. This is also where my race fell apart. The pain in my shins got worse to the point it hurt to walk! I decided just to take it slow and steady and see what happens. My pace slowed a lot (from a sub-11 to an almost 13) but as I entered Epcot my legs finally felt better. I think it really is the lack of warmup-which I am going to try and figure out before Goofy as I cant do that again (it happened again during the half! Ahh)

I stopped for a picture with the stilt waters and continued into epcot. There is a water stop as soon as we entered Epcot by China. I stopped for a picture with Pinocchio and Gepetto in Germany which was about a 5 minute wait. We continued around world showcase and stopped for vacation genie in Morocco.

My favorite picture of the race happened in France where the Cast Members had out a French flag, a massive bottle of champagne. I was dressed as Lumiere so I had to stop. We continued out of the international gateway and I stopped for Chip and Dale at ESPN Zone!

I said hi to the Lizards and then continued around the Boardwalk and over to Swan/Dolphin and Yacht/Beach Club. Heading back into the park, I stopped for a picture with Sebastian

I had great running photos once we entered the UK and Canada and as we headed towards the finish line where I also got fabulous pictures by Spaceship Earth. 

Finished the race and met up with some Lizards and then got some champagne to celebrate!
MILE SPLITS: 1:11:31--10:45/11:18/12:32/11:23/11:01/11:32/10:02 (final .3)
OFFICIAL RACE TIME: 1:42:01 (16:26 pace) 5k in 43:49 (14:06)

 
After that, headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready while meeting up with everyone. Off we went to Animal Kingdom where I got my musical mug, had my favorite margarita, had my tea, pork grits and had an amazing meal at Nomad lounge (recap coming soon!).

We then went to Disney Springs to check everything out and then went to Epcot for Food and Wine which was insane. It looked like a tailgate and everyone was wasted and it out of control. We still had fun though! After dinner, we went back to the room to get ready and get that extra hour of sleep before the half
 
I still am not a huge fan of this course-the stretch between mile 1.5 and mile 3 is just dark and boring. there has to be something they can add there!
​
What was the last 10k you did? 

Let’s jump into some rundisney recaps!
 
I spent Thursday morning at Universal and then took an uber over to my hotel. It was really humid so I actually showered and changed and felt so much better. I then walked over and took the bus to the Expo. Bib pickup was a breeze and I went to the smaller merchandise area and got everything I wanted (headband and wine carafe) and decided against a jacket and a few other things. I did not even go in the main merchandise area! I went to meet up with Stephanie and met some of her coworkers. We then got an Angry orchard to get the souvenir cup and caught up. I headed out around 4 to take the bus to Beach Club and met up with Marissa in Epcot! We met in France and then went back to visit the new booths in Future World, ride a few things and then went back into Mexico and China. We then walked around world showcase and I eventually got food in Morocco and visited France again. We decided to wait and watch Illuminations in Mexico and then head to the hotel. My plan to leave at 7 was a fail but since I did not need to get up until 4:30, it was so worth it (and Illuminations is our favorite show!!)
 
The 5k is one of my favorite races mainly because of the Christmas theme. The addition of a real medal had me even more excited! I was up late the night before seeing Illuminations because why not? This race starts at 6:30, one of the latest of all. I got up at 4:30 and headed to the bus at 4:55 getting dressed very quickly. I got right on the bus and was at Animal Kingdom by 5:15. I went and met up with the BOGP Lizards and chatted until starting the race. I ended up running with Rick, Jacque and Jaclyn.
We were in corral A and started right on time. We did the nice 1 mile tour of the parking lot which brought back negative flashbacks of the Dark Side Half. Yuck! As we entered Animal Kingdom, Rafiki was by the sign.

Next up, was Baloo by the Rainforest Café sign. We then headed into the park and I got to see the Tree of Life all lit up with the projections-so beautiful!

We took a left at the tree and headed to Africa and stopped for a picture with Timon by Tusker House. We then went back stage for a bit and entered the park by Everest again. We ran by Everest in dusk and took a picture with King Louie next to Nemo.

Next up was Donald Duck in Dinoland with Christmas music playing! We ran backstage for the last mile. We past the Rivers of light floats (that lotus is gorgeous!) and down a service road. At the turnaround Pluto was waiting for us.

After that, it was back down the service road and over to the finish. It was a bit tight so I had to slow down and walk more than I wanted. The finish line came and then we got a group picture.

MILE SPLITS: 32:34--10:45/10:18/11:03/8:22 (last bit)
Total elapsed time-45:21 (there is no official time for the 5ks)
 
After that, I headed back to the hotel to shower and get dressed and head off to a full day at Magic Kingdom. We had a great day at Magic Kingdom that included a fantastic meal at Pecos Bills, and a fun dinner at Jungle Canteen. After dinner, I went to ride Jingle cruise and ended up on a broken boat! We eventually got moving and had a great guide but it made me miss the castle lightning! Boo!

Damian was here (he met up with us at dinner) and we took some pictures while he stayed in the park and I headed back. Walking to the bus, I had a little breakdown. I was stressed and sad as that would be my only time to see the castle lit up (it better still be lit for Marathon weekend!) and I cried walking out. Christmas is my absolute favorite and Christmas in Magic Kingdom is my ultimate favorite so it was a bit overwhelming. I got back to the hotel and eventually fell asleep (I have a bad habit of not sleeping as well the night before the 10k). I fell asleep around 9:30.
 
What was the last 5k you ran? 

Top hits:

• Lamb chop in Australia
• Mojo pork at islands of the Caribbean
• Nitro chocolate dessert
• Mimosa royale in Morocco
• Sparkling kir in france
• Hummus fries-but very filling

 
Disappointments-all of mexico. Barbacoa taco was okay, jalapeno margarita was gross
 
 
 
 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booths and Menus (everything listed I tried)
Africa
·       Buttered Chicken with Micro Cilantro and Naan Bread
·       Berbere-style Beef Tenderloin Tips with Onions, Jalapeños, Tomato and Pap
·       Indaba Chenin Blanc
·       Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Australia
·       ****Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies
·       Yangarra Estate Vineyard Shiraz
·       Bulletin Place Unoaked Chardonnay
·       Château Tanunda Grand Barossa Dry Riesling
Belgium
·       Beer-braised Beef served with Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
·       Stella Artois Hard Cidre
Brazil
·       Pão de Queijo: Brazilian cheese bread
·       Crispy pork belly with black beans and tomato
·       Escondidinho de Carne: Layered Meat Pie with Mashed Yucca Carnaval Moscato Sparkling White Wine, Serra Gaúcha
·       Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça
Brewer’s Collection-None
Canada
·       Canadian cheddar cheese soup served with a pretzel roll Neige Premiere Apple Ice Wine, Québec
·       Fielding Estate Red Conception
THE CHEW Collective 
·       Grilled Beef Skewer with Romaine, Apricots and Feta Cheese
·       Festival Chardonnay, CA
·       Festival Cabernet Sauvignon, CA
China
·       Sichuan Spicy Chicken
·       Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles
·       Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce
·       Mango Bubble Tea with Assam Black Tea and Milk
Chocolate Studio 
·       Liquid Nitro Chocolate Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel
·       Justin Cabernet Sauvignon
·       Rosa Regale Sweet Red Sparkling Wine
Craft Beers
·       Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale, Plant City, FL
Desserts and Champagne
·       Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin “Yellow Label” Brut
·       Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial
Farm Fresh
·       Loaded Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Nueske’s® Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Peppers and Green Onions
·       Two Henrys Elderberry Hard Cider
France
·       Soupe à l’oignon au Gruyère et Cognac: Gruyère and Cognac Onion Soup
·       Boeuf Bourguignon: Cabernet Sauvignon-braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes
·       Crème Brûlée Caramel Chocolat: Caramel and Chocolate Crème Brûlée topped with Caramelized Sugar
·       Chardonnay, Bourgogne Blanc, Mommessin, La Clé Saint-Pierre
·       St-Germain Sparkling Kir: Sparkling Wine and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Germany
·       J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett, Mosel
·       Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Mosel
·       J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling, Mosel
Greece
·       Domaine Skouras Moscofilero ]
Greenhouse Guru hosted by Village Farms 
Food:
·       Duck Confit with Creamy Polenta and Fire-roasted Salsa
·       Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling,
·        
·       Hawai’i
·       Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise
·       Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Pineapple Wine
Hops & Barley
·       ***Smoked Beef Brisket and Pimento Cheese Served on Griddled Garlic Toast
·       La Crema Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
Ireland
·       Irish Cheese Selection Plate: Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Irish Porter Bunratty Meade Honey Wine
Islands of the Caribbean 
·       Mojo Pork with Black Beans, Cilantro Rice, and Pickled Red Onions
·       Jamaican Beef Patty
·       Frozen Mojito
·       Caribbean Sangria
Italy
·       Prosecco, Fantinel Borgo
Japan-None
Mexico
·       Barbacoa Enchilada: Corn Tortilla filled with Beef Barbacoa and covered with Oaxaca Mole
·       Mexican-style Red Sangria
·       Jalapeño Margarita on the Rocks
Morocco
·       Kefta Pocket: Seasoned Ground Beef in a Pita Pocket
·       Spicy Hummus Fries with Cucumber, Tomato, Onions and Tzatziki Sauce
·       Moroccan Sangria
·       **Mimosa Royale: Sparkling Wine and Orange Juice topped with Orange Liqueur –
New Zealand
·       Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney
·       Kim Crawford Pinot Gris
·       Mohua Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Patagonia
·       Beef Empanada
·       Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée
·       Bodega Noemía A Lisa Malbec
Poland
·       Donausonne Blaufränkisch Hungarian Wine
Scotland
·       Traditional Scottish Lamb Stew with Neeps and Tatties
·       Citrus Thistle featuring Hendrick’s Gin
South Korea
Food:
·       Roasted Pork Lettuce Wrap and Kimchi
·       Korean-style BBQ Beef with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi
·       iCing Grapefruit Sparkling Rice Brew
·       Bohae Bokbunjajoo Raspberry Wine
Wine and Dine Studio 
·       Pork Tenderloin with Cannellini Bean Ragoût and Zinfandel Reduction
·       Seared Scallop, Truffled Celery Root Purée, Brussels Sprouts and Wild Mushrooms featuring Melissa’s Produce
·       Artist Palette of Wine and Cheese La Bonne Vie Goat Cheese served with toasted Craisin Bread
·       Karst Cave-aged Cheddar Cheese served with Fig Compote
·       Statesboro Blue Cheese served with Spiced Candied Walnuts
·       Wine Pairings-Conundrum White Blend 25th Anniversary, Kurt Russell’s GoGi “Goldie” Chardonnay and Robert Mondavi Maestro Red Blend
Block & Hans/Intermissions Cafe
·       Festival Chardonnay, CA
·       Festival Cabernet Sauvignon, CA