Florida, take two!

During the summer of 2016, I decided I HAD to go back to Disney again and wanted the challenge of completing the Glass Slipper Challenge (5k, 10k, half marathon) for Girl Power 2 Cure! Little did I know… I’d be pregnant in February of 2017. I received permission from my OB to go and have fun but to be sure to listen to my body. I had been running throughout pregnancy so far and had had no issues… so onward we went!

Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!

My friend Becky decided to take on the adventure with me, because DISNEY!! Plus we are both HUGE Harry Potter fans and planned to spend a day visiting Harry Potter world. She’s also been a huge asset and support in fundraising for Rett Syndrome and Becky truly has a heart of gold. AND it was going to be her first half marathon! We could think of no better way to celebrate that than at Disney and running for others! Of course we had to get ready to head to the airport at 4 am. Plus every race start at Disney is early… so many early mornings right in a row! But totally worth it.

Our first day in Florida we hit up the expo to grab our goodies. Then we checked into the hotel, rested a bit and headed back to the expo to work the Sparkle Athletic booth! If you don’t know about Sparkle Athletic, these ladies are pretty amazing! The owners (Carrie, Elise and Kelly) are also big in the Rett Syndrome scene and are part of the SoCal Ultra Ragnar team I’ve ran on since 2015.

After the expo we headed back to the hotel, where my Aunt Vanessa had arrived. We settled in and tried to get a little sleep because I had the 5k the next morning!

The only Disney races I’ve completed have been the half marathons in Florida in 2014 and California in 2014, both were for Rett Syndrome. I didn’t stop for any character stops in those races and while I had fun, I knew there was more fun to be had if I stopped for pictures! Also being pregnant, I figured I should focus on having fun versus running hard.

5k start line. Let’s do it!

Just hanging out with Dopey!

Under water creatures!

After the 5k ended (still at zero-dark-thirty), Becky and I got ready to go to Harry Potter World! I won’t bore you with all the pictures, but we did everything we could in our power to see and eat everything there was. We bought wands at Ollivander’s, we went to Florean Fortescue’s ice cream shop, rode the Hogwarts Express, drank pumpkin juice and warm butterbeer and listened to the choir sing with the giant toads. Seriously an amazing day to be had! Back to the hotel for naps!

Saturday morning was going to be another early one for the 10k start time. I had told Allison (also an awesome Ragnar lady and Rett momma!) that I’d run with her during the 10k. She was planning to push her daughter, Emma, through the race! Disney has a rule that once kiddos are 14 they can run the race, but since Emma has Rett Syndrome we were able to get a running jogger approved. Now Allison is FAST. Like… REALLY FAST. Then we found out that she and Emma would be starting before the A corral, and about 2 minutes later the A corral (where I was) would get to go. Two minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but remember when I said Allison was fast? I took off sprinting and it took close to a mile to catch her!

10k start line!

Queen Minnie Mouse!

Allison, Emma, and myself with some circus characters!

Once I caught up with Allison, we had so much fun running together! We stopped at quite a few character stops for pictures, and traded pushing Emma through the race. It was so neat to stop about 10 minutes from the finish line and get Emma out of her jogger so she could walk across the finish line. Emma is a very lucky girl in that she can walk, if she’s already been standing. Once she’s seated she cannot stand up by herself. Emma has been crossing finish lines (many at Disney) for years. I love that the Disney race announcers always highlight Emma (and other Rett girls) crossing the finish lines!

Working at the expo!

After the 10k Becky, Vanessa and I went and worked at the expo for Girl Power 2 Cure. Working with them can be so moving… raising awareness for Rett Syndrome and letting others know just what it is. Most people I talk to about Rett Syndrome have never heard of it (just like me, before I married into my husband’s family) so it’s truly moving to talk to them and have them ask questions, show concern and compassion. We have been able to spread so much awareness which is just amazing!

Sunday morning shows up… final race day! The half marathon! What we’ve all been waiting for! If you’ve never ran a Disney race, prepare yourself for the 3:30 am alarms. If you do a challenge, prepare yourself for this DAILY. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was tired! But we woke up and headed to the start line anyway. Becky and I headed up to our corral and made a game plan to stop at character stops and have as much fun as we could! Her longest training run was 10 miles and I knew she was a little nervous about adding the last three, so we knew we’d do what we needed to do (which turned, for me, to have 3 potty stops and eating cheez-its along the way). The sun, heat and humidity made the last few miles really tough, and unfortunately that’s where all the character stops are DONE. But Becky and I powered through and ran the entire race! I’m so proud of her… she did amazing!

Snow White & Prince Charming.

The castle is beautiful!

Cinderella & Prince Charming.

Coming into the finish line!!

Post finish line smiles. We did it!

After the race finished, Becky and I hung out at our finisher’s tent and cheered in other GP2C team runners as they finished. It’s amazing to see all the flowers and purple race shirts out there on the course, and so many people said hi and that they stopped at our booth at the expo and learned about Rett Syndrome because of us. Even better… they said they were going to share our story and join the team next year. Rett Syndrome, we will defeat you!

Even though I really, truly love running and would run these races no matter what… it’s nice to remember WHY I run a lot of these races. Rett Syndrome affects so many families, including my own. My cousin has Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder that has stolen her ability to walk, talk, use her hands in a functional way and has given her many things to fight against. So when my aunt Vanessa told me about this race back in 2014, I learned all I could about Rett Syndrome and Girl Power 2 Cure. I love running for Martilee and all the other girls with Rett Syndrome and will continue to #untilshecan because I truly believe that someday she will run with me!

To go back to the race report archives, click here.

Nevada

My mom, sister and I decided we needed to get away for a girls weekend to Vegas, baby! And why not add a 5k and half  marathon while there?! I flew into Vegas from Milwaukee and my mom and sister met me at the airport about 20-30 minutes later from KC. 

Ready to Rock N Roll!

We checked into our hotel, hopped onto the tram and headed straight to the expo on day one! My mom and sister hadn't been to a really big race expo yet, so we spent our fair share of time walking around and exploring all the vendors. We tried some "food," had a massage with a BFF and a few new rollers, and played a few games to try to win entries and who knows what else.

We also happened to see a booth with the Army National Guard trying to challenge anyone to pushup, pull-up and plank competitions. If you know me... you know I can't pass up a competition! 

I had to meet or beat 6 pull-ups to win a free t-shirt, so I figured I'd give it my best shot! Immediately after I said yes, I had a huge surge of adrenaline and it felt like my heart rate was sky-rocketing! 

Regardless, I was able to complete 6 full pull-ups and another half a dinky one. They were nice enough to still give me that t-shirt!

After we left the expo we walked up and down the strip to explore a little bit. My sister was the only one of us who had been to Vegas before so she showed us all the necessary sights. There was so much walking already!

Struggling to get that 6th pull-up!

Friday we decided to do a quick run from our hotel to the "Welcome to Vegas" sign. It was such a beautiful, sunny morning too! What a perfect day for a quick run.

"Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!"

We spent the rest of Friday doing some more exploring of the strip, hitting up a few penny slots (literally the only gambling we did!), and checking out the hot tub, spa and sauna in our hotel. That evening we also decided to attend a Cirque du Soleil show. They are some serious athletes. I don't know how they are capable of about 90% of the moves they did! If you haven't seen a show before, I'd highly suggest attending one. It's so neat!

Saturday morning we prepped for the 5k right away. We knew we weren't planning on coming back to our hotel room until after the race that evening. Our sparkly skirts and bright colors matched perfectly well with the rest of the Vegas strip anyway! We took an Uber outside of the strip area and found a neat little running store. After spending some time shopping around we decided to get some pedicures. I know, I know... You're not supposed to get your feet massaged, lotioned, and nails trimmed the day OF a race but we just couldn't help it!

We headed to the 5k start a little early to try to meet up with some friends of my sister. They are in the same running group in Kansas City. The sun was going down so we also decided to have some fun with the big blow up Garmin guitar and the light up "light sabers" they were handing out!

Having a blast!

Get that jump picture in!

The 5k started and our whole point was to just have fun! The course was about a mile out and back, then through a big field with a bunch of blow up arches and lights. Since it was mostly out and back we were able to see everyone's costumes. We definitely weren't the only ones dressed up. We also saw Meb run by! After the race we grabbed some pizza on the way back to our hotel and crashed. We were pooped!

Sunday morning we woke up and just weren't really feeling like walking around much, knowing the half marathon was that evening. We decided to have breakfast, then catch a movie instead of exploring more. The only bad part was what we chose for our pre-race meal... popcorn!

As we left the movie theatre we noticed the temperature really had dropped and the wind picked up. We packed up our post-race bags and headed to the start line area. Kid Rock was playing on the stage behind us, but we didn't feel like staying close to the stage.

I was supposed to line up in a corral closer to the front than my mom and sister, so I headed there. I had heard that Meb would be starting in the third corral (which is where I was supposed to be!) so I searched for him only to hear the announcement that he started with the first corral! Ah!

Once the race started I took off! I wanted to run with the group who ran with Meb for a little bit! I ended up catching him around mile 3 (that sounds so funny... I caught Meb!)

Half marathon ready!

That's pretty much where my race went downhill. We were on the strip at this point (after running to the Vegas sign and back) and the wind had really picked up! Between that, the not-so-great fueling, and walking about 10 miles each day my legs and stomach were already toast. I tried to keep my mind off things by looking around the strip, being entertained by the spectators and listening to the music of the bands on course. 

We turned around and headed back with the wind around 10 miles in and the skies opened up! It was raining and cold... in Vegas! What was going on?! I was struggling mentally and physically and starting the trudge/ walk/ run/ cry to the finish. It was a long last 5k for sure.

My Meb selfie at the finish line! Such a great guy.

But... finish I did! What was neat is that my mom and sister were passing by the finish line about 6 miles into the race as I finished! There were SO many start corrals that they didn't start until about an hour after me, which means they were just starting as the wind and rain began.

Even with having to walk, I finished in 1:46:48 (8:09 pace). Meb had passed me in the last quarter mile, so I saw him at the finish line and was able to catch a quick selfie with him! We had tried during the race but they were all very blurry.

After the race I walked the MILE (it seemed like) long finisher chute, grabbed my clothes and headed into the Bellagio Hotel to change clothes and grab something hot (French onion soup!) to warm up while I waited for my mom and sister to finish. Once they finished we Uber'd back to the hotel... we were so tired! Nevada is done, and onto the next one!

To go back to the race report archives, click here.

California

Just a few short weeks after racing in Missouri, I headed to California to again run as part of Girl Power 2 Cure to raise money for Rett Syndrome. This race was the inaugural Avengers Half Marathon. I had never been to California and flew out a few days before the race to spend some time with a friend, see Disneyland and California Adventures and spend time at the ocean. 

We went to the expo, which can take awhile as the Disney expos are HUGE! We spent our fair share of time walking around to see all the vendors, but made sure not to try any new drinks, gels or chews. Nothing new the week of the race! 

We ended up going to Disneyland and California Adventures the ENTIRE day on Friday. I grew up a huge Disney fan, so I wanted to get in as much Disney time as we could! Luckily we had all day Saturday to recover from all the walking, rides, food, and fun that was had Friday.

Saturday we went to the beach and just relaxed. The temperature was perfect for me, but not great swimming weather. Luckily we were pretty pooped and just laying in the sand was what we needed to do before heading back to our hotel for a nice pre-race dinner with Girl Power 2 Cure.

Pointing out my cousin Martilee, who has Rett Syndrome, at the GP2C team dinner.

Running as part of a charity is an amazing experience. It really helps to run for something OTHER than just a PR (not saying that that's not plenty of run either!) It was great to meet the other runners that were part of Team GP2C and see the girls we were running for. All these little ones have Rett Syndrome and fight against it daily, so to run 13.1 miles for them seems like nothing!

Always have to get a picture of the castle!

Race morning dawned dark, warm and WINDY. The race announcers told us that there was a solid chance the Santa Ana winds would be coming through during the race and they were not wrong! 

Race ready! Let's go!

The Avengers course took us through Disneyland in the first few miles, so it was neat to see the park at "night" all lit up. All the characters were out on course, especially the super heroes! They came out in full force for photo ops.

Once we were through the park we hit the roads to head towards the Angel's Baseball Stadium in Anaheim. That's right when the winds kicked up and MAN were the winds strong! I ended up having to pull my cape to the front and holding it in my hand to keep it from whipping around everywhere.

We were able to run one lap inside Angel Stadium which was pretty cool, however there weren't really any crowds inside. After exiting the stadium we had a long stretch on a paved trail next to a giant ditch. I thought the wind was strong before... but now it was wind throwing sand right in our face!

Holding up both the Avengers Half Marathon and Coast to Coast medals!

We made a few more turns and were so close to the finish! 

I was surprised to see that I was coming into the finish close to a PR on my watch, especially with the winds! Once I saw that I decided to really kick it in to try to get that new record.

I was able to! I just barely snuck under 1:45 with a time of 1:44:54 (8:00 flat pace). I ended up taking 7th in my age group and was the 29th woman overall.

This race also completed the Coast to Coast challenge, awarding me with a second medal. The CTC challenge is completed when you run a Disney race both in Florida and California in one calendar year.

Allison and me at the finish.

After completing the race I headed back to the Girl Power 2 Cure tent to wait for more team members to finish. Due to the wind they actually made us leave the finish area! Some of the team tents and the grand stand were blowing away! Even then, I hung out with one of the amazing Rett mom's, Allison. She's speedy! 

Running for Rett Syndrome has really changed my life. I've met so many amazing people and found even more reason to keep running. We will run until she can!

To go back to the race report archives, click here.