60 second recap: the 2020 Walt Disney world Marathon

A more complete post is forthcoming, but for now, a quick recap: the 2020 Walt Disney World Marathon in 60 seconds!

What Comes Next: The Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k

Disclaimer: I received an entry to the 2020 Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15k as a part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I am fresh off of Walt Disney World’s Marathon weekend, but I am already counting down the days to my next race - The Atlanta Hot chocolate 15k!

For those of you that have never heard of the Hot Chocolate race series, they are a series of chocolate themed races that are produced by RAM racing, that take place across the unites states. Other than being known for the delicious chocolatey treats that they serve on course and at the finish line, they are known for having some pretty sweet race swag, usually some sort of jacket.

So far, I have completed 2 hot chocolate 15k events - the 2018 Atlanta event, and the 2019 Brooklyn event. I was so bummed that the event would not be returning to Brooklyn in 2020 that I decided it was time for a return trip to Atlanta! My cousin Jen lives in Atlanta, and I love any excuse to go visit her, and this race was the perfect excuse to get down there.

The race takes place on February 2, 2020, so just a few short weeks to go! The last time I ran through Atlanta the sky opened up and it poured for the whole race. Despite this, I had a great time completing the event with my cousin Jen, and I can’t wait to run through Atlanta again - plus, Jen has promised to take me to a Tiki bar that she found in Atlanta - icing on the cake!

If you are considering running the event this year, click here to read my race recap from 2018 to learn more about the race! If you decide to register, make sure to use the coupon code “BRHCATL20” and you will receive some bonus swag - a running hat!

Comment below if you will be joining me in Atlanta this year!

2020 Dopey Challenge: The Final Countdown

Guys, I am so excited - the time of the 2020 Dopey challenge is finally upon us, and the first week of the year was the last week of training…. and packing.

I started the year off slow, sleeping in a little after a late night. I texted Dad when I woke up, and he agreed to bike along as I ran, even though it was a chilly, windy morning - the real feel was 24 degrees. I layered up and drove over to my parent’s house, and Dad and I headed out. We chatted as we looped around the neighborhood, and soon I needed to switch from a jacket to a vest. We wound up totaling a little more than four miles, and at the end of the run I did something that I usually neglect - a cool down stretch. Something I really need to be more on top of, and I figured that I may as well use the new year as an excuse to be more on top of it.

On the second I headed back to work, and was so busy that the days flew by. On Thursday I was planning to head to the gym after work, even through I was dreading the new years crowds, but my husband’s family made dinner plans, since it was my sister-in-laws last day in New York. Since she is only here for a few weeks of the year, I headed to dinner with everyone, and just snuck in a short body weight strength session before bed.

Friday night I was so exhausted that I was hardly functioning when I got home from work. I felt a little better after dinner, but still didn’t have energy for much. So I organized some clothing and headed to bed early, since I had a race the next morning.

My body decided to wake up before my alarm, and I rolled out of bed around 5:30. I got dressed, and grabbed the race bag that I had packed the night before. The race was the first New York Road Runners event of the year - the Joe Kleinerman 10k, and I was heading into the city with a few friends from the Merrick Bicycles Tri Team to run it. It was rainy outside, but it was more misty than pouring, so I was hopeful that it would stop before we got to central park. I drove to Sami’s house, then met up with her, Tailia, and James, and Sami drove us the rest of the way to the park. Tailia had picked up everyone’s bib earlier in the week, so we just had to drop our bags and hit the porter potties before starting time. This year the NYRR re-did their corral assignments, with each runner being assigned a corral based off their best time in the last 12 months. For me, that meant getting moved back from corral E to F, since my best pace was from 2017 - but it gives me something to work towards this year!

We all loaded into the corrals, as we waited for the race to start. As a result of the rain, I put on way too many layers, that I would wind up shedding throughout the course. I didn’t really have any goals for the race, so I figured I would just see if I could keep up with some of my team mates. When the race started, the course took up us the worst hill in central park: Harlem hill. It is not only steep, but it winds up for so long that it feels like there was no life before the hill before you see the top of it. Once I made it through that hill, the work was not done - after all, the race was a 10k, and that was only the first mile.

I was glad I wore capris with pockets, and stuffed my gloves and headband into a pocket. From harlem hill I headed to the three sisters, and rolled through each one of them. We went all the way from the north end of the park to the south end, running the whole outer loop. The course was packed, and eventually I lost sight of my friends. When mile three rang in at a sub-9-minute mile, I questioned what I was doing - yes, the challenge of this pace felt GOOD. But I also hadn’t run paces this fast since before my injury in August, and I felt like I may be doing something stupid, with marathon weekend less than a week away. So I backed off the pace a bit, and focused on the run one mile at a time. Once we were headed north again we hit Cat hill, and then it wasn’t too far to the finish line. I had indeed lost layers as I ran, and was in the tank top that I had worn as my base layer by the time I crossed the finish line. I spotted Katie and Tailia on the side of the finish, and Sami and James came in right after me - looks like we had been within moments of each other throughout.

I found Carson after the race, and she took a walk back to the car with me. We all headed home, and Sami, Tailia, James and I had breakfast together, chatting and talking about our 2020 goals, and what races we wanted to run in the coming season. I headed home after and worked on marathon weekend costumes for a little bit, and then eventually headed into the city for a second time that day - Jennie had gotten us tickets to see Frozen on broadway, so we made a while girls night out of it, and got dinner in the cities before. It was a great night, and we had so much fun.

Sunday was a sleep in day for sure - the perks of tapering. Once I was up I got started on the day’s projects - packing and costumes. I had a lot of work to do, including finishing sewing three skirts. I had a lot of work to get done, and a long say of sewing ahead of me. Overall the crafting went smoothly, other than the skirt I made for my marathon costume - the material I picked was too silky, and when I tried it on with my running shorts it was super clingy. So off to the craft store I went, with Mom’s company, and I picked out a new material (and bonus, it was on sale!).

By the end of the day I had finished a mask, a headband featuring a tiny hat, three skirts, and two shirts. Phew! The line up for the weekend?

For the 5k Mike, Jude and I will be running as Buzz, Woody, and Zurg.

For the 10K the three of us will be going as Lock, Shock and Barrel, aka “Oogie’s boys” from nightmare before christmas.

For the half, Mike and I will be running as the Mad Hatter and Alice.

Finally, for the full, the last leg of Dopey, Mike and I will be running as Dopey and Snow white.

I am a little nervous about the heat for the full, so I have a raw threads snow white tank top, incase it it just too warm for a shirt that has a cape attached.

With all the costumes ready, I just had to get the rest of my supplies packed up, which I took care of on Monday night. My checked bag was very on-brand for me, and weighted in at 49 lbs, juuuust under the 50 lb limit. Once I was all packed, I just had to wait one more day before heading to Florida.

2020 Dopey Challenge: 7 Days to Dopey

The end of 2019 was a blur, with the week between Christmas and New Years somehow squishing together so tightly that it just felt like one deep breath, flown by like a blur.

After spending Christmas with my family, I headed back to work on the 26th, Bah Humbug. I was officially in the taper zone, so my mileage was decreasing rapidly as race day grew closer. After my Christmas Eve 20-miler, I only needed to get in two more runs that week, an easy 4 miles and a long run of 12 miles on the weekend.

I sadly headed back to work the day after Christmas, and it was a quiet day at the office, as most of my co-workers took the whole week off. I packed my gym bag before work and headed for the treadmill when I was finished for the day to get my miles in. I snagged a treadmill and started moving. The air was felt stagnant at the gym, and it was hot! Of course I had forgotten my water bottle, and my phone refused to stream Netflix, but it was fine. Everything was fine. It was only four miles, four very sweaty miles, and they got done quickly enough. After the gym I dipped into the craft store and bought some supplies to make Dopey costumes! I put a little bit of work in that night, and successfully completed a few masks.

I had a lot of thoughts about cross training, or going to a yoga class this week, but honestly, it just didn’t happen. I enjoyed the low mileage that was scheduled, and just took it easy around the holidays. The next time I headed out for a run was on Saturday, accompanied by Mike and Carson. We let ourselves sleep in a bit, and planned to meet up around 11 am. The three of us headed to the Massapequa preserve, and got on the road together. We headed into the woods and did a three mile loop that took us by lots of doggie friends, and then looped by the car to grab some water. The original plan was just to keep repeating the loop, but Carson needed to pee, so we headed towards the park bathrooms, which were about four miles north on the trail. So off we went, our loop plan turning into an out and back.

The preserve is a little but hilly, and as the miles crept us on us we made a group decision to switch to run/walk intervals. We were much happier campers with this change, and shortly after reached the restrooms. We were a little concerned that the bathrooms would be locked for the season, but thankfully one was open. After business was attended to, Carson took a quick swing break on the near by playground, while Mike and I did a quick loop on the parking lot. The weather was super nice for December, and I was very happy as we entered mile 11 of the run, knowing that the end was in sight as we approached mile 12 - and then Carson threw down the gauntlet and said “We should just run a half today!”

I sighed. I was tired. I half fought Mike and Carson, but they won the battle, and we adjusted our goal to 13.1 miles - our out and back had been a little longer than expected anyway, so we only had to go about a half mile beyond the car, before turning around and entering the true final stretch at last!

It was a sense of accomplishment when we got to the car, and I was relieved that the miles were behind us. When I got home i treated myself to a nice big pasta dinner, and hit up the craft store for more costume supplies. I have a lot of costume work ahead of me in the next week, but my glue gun and I are ready!

On new years eve my Dad and I have a tradition, we head into manhattan, head to a few stores, and then grab lunch before heading home. When I woke up on New Years Eve I almost forgot this was the plan, and found myself scrambling to get ready so I would make the train on time. Of course, as I headed out the door I called Dad and he told me the plan had changed - we were driving. That gave me a little time to dry my hair at least. Once we got into manhattan we wandered around, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, visiting a few historical sites, stopping by a yarn store, and eventually getting lunch at Fraunces Tavern. After a busy day of exploring the city we headed home, and I decided to try to get a few miles in before heading over to Mike’s house to celebrate the new years. I geared up, got outside, stretched, and started moving - I got to the end of the block, and an awful side stitch hit. I took a minute to stop and try to breathe through it. I wanted to run about four miles, but the run just kept going like that - run a few houses, get an awful side stitch, have to walk. It sucked. So instead of four miles, I threw in the towel after a mile. It was a sucky last run of the year, but if I have learned one thing in 2019, it is that there is always a better run ahead of me.

To close out the year, Den and I headed over to Mike and Jude’s house, where we watched the fan fare around the ball drop in NYC, ate lots of yummy food, and enjoyed hanging out with a bunch of friends to ring in 2020.

As sad as I am that the holidays are behind us, I am so excited for marathon weekend to be here!

2020 Dopey Challenge: 13 Days out

An alternative title for this post: What do you mean we will be in Florida two weeks from now!

I have to say, the entire month of December feels like a blur, there has just been so much going on. Dennis and I started the month by moving out of the apartment that we have lived in for the last year and a half, and into his parents basement, which we spent most of November cleaning out and re-painting. We are working on saving up for a house of our own, so this felt like a smart decision for our future. So far it has been going well, and our cats have adapted to their new surroundings already.

My work life has been crazy as well, as I prepare for a new product to launch, and try to see it through a successful engineering run - so stress has been high on all fronts really. Mix in a little marathon training, holiday get togethers that are all over my schedule, out of town family coming in for the holidays, and suddenly I understand how it is the end of December, when I feel like I just ran a turkey trot yesterday. This isn’t a complaint though, all in all I am thankful for all of the good stuff that has been going on!

After we got home from Disney late on Tuesday night, I had to head to work Wednesday morning. I spent Wednesday night unpacking and dealing with a closet that had collapsed while we were out of town, so no run happened that day. But Thursday I made plans with Mike to meet up at the gym after work, so we could run together. This weekend was to be our last Dopey simulation, so I knew that I had a lot of miles ahead of me, all to be squeezed into the holiday chaos. I was, once again, doing things a little out of order. Since a cold front had blown into NY, and I planned on running outside for Friday’s leg of the simulation, I opted to complete the simulation out of sequence – 5 mi, 3 mi, 10 mi, 20 mi was my plan. At least the two longest legs were in order this time!

Back to Thursday – I headed right to planet fitness after work, and Mike and I managed to find treadmills next to each other. We chatted as we ran, and I kept the pace easy. Five miles went by in no time, and I headed home to pack once again – I was headed to Jersey for a wedding on Friday, and an overnight stay was involved.

It was cold out on Long Island when I woke up Friday morning, and it took all of my energy to get myself out of bed, knowing that I had to get in at least a 3-mile run before heading to work. It was a real feel of under 20 degrees, so I had a lot of layers on. I felt really stiff, but did an easy loop around the neighborhood and got my miles in. Then it was off to work for a half day, and then a ride to Jersey that included a lot of traffic to get to the wedding.

I had a lot of fun at the wedding with Den’s family on Friday night. His sisters were even in town from Grenada and California, and it was great to have everyone together for a night. It was a late night, but I somehow managed to get myself out of bed and onto the hotel treadmill the next morning. The plan was for 10 miles, so I brought along my headphones and phone so that I could watch TV while the miles went by. The hotel gym was tiny and warm, so I opened a window and let the cool air flow into the room. I had the gym to myself for the first few miles, until another guest hopped on an elliptical, and was not happy about my open window. She asked if she could close it a little, and then closed it a LOT. I kept running as the room got warmer, but eventually had to apologize as I re-opened the window a few inches, as it was just too warm. I was already in shorts and a tank, so it wasn’t like I had another means of cooling off. I kept trotting through my miles, and was quite pleased with myself when they were complete. I grabbed a quick shower, and then we hopped on the road home. I got to spend Saturday with some of my family, including my cousin Jen and her husband Will, who were in town from Georgia for the holidays. We headed to Barcade and then wandered through Chelsea market, before hanging out at my parent’s house for the night.

Now, for the last and longest long run of dopey training – the 20 miler at the end of back to back running days. My original intent for this run was to get it done on Sunday morning, but I prioritized family over running (gasp, I know!). But I did eventually manage to get it done! Since my job was closed on Christmas eve and I had no hosting responsibilities, for the third year running I headed out to get the miles in then. In 2017 and 2018 I ran 18-milers on Christmas eve, and this year I successfully completed a 20 miler. Unfortunately, it was a solo 20 miler, so it didn’t exactly fly by like some other training runs have. Before the run I applied some KT tape to my injured knee, and I also ran with the band that I have been using lately. I put some fuel outside my front door as I headed out, and first did loops around the house until I made a quick fuel stop at mile 5. Then I headed over the parkway and towards my parent’s house, where I made another fuel stop at mile 10, and may have also stopped to chat with my Dad for a few minutes. 10 down, 10 to go. My knee was feeling good so far. I was losing steam, so I made one more pit stop at my parent’s house before heading home, around mile 14. When I walked in to grab water, my Mom had just gotten back from the deli, so I grabbed a pickle and it really hit the spot. I got back on the road, only 6 miles to go. I had to get a little creative with my path home so that I wouldn’t be tempted to cut the distance short, and with all of my weaving I managed to get all the way up to the 20 mile mark, with no back and fourths in front of the house required. I was exhausted, but the run was done, and my knee felt ok. As I approached the front stoop, I noticed that an addition had been added to my running fuel – a white claw had been left with my water and gel! Had Santa come early???

I spent the rest of Christmas eve and Christmas celebrating the holiday with my husband’s family and my family – I may have even been gifted a few new pieces of running gear.

Now, with only two weeks before the Florida trip, it is time to get working on costumes, and to make sure that everything I need for the dopey challenge gets packed!

Packing for the dopey challenge

You’ve spent the last 6 months training, and now the Walt Disney World marathon weekend is only two weeks away – I’m sure you are thinking the same thing as me, where did the time go?!

In this post I am going to share 10 packing tips for the dopey challenge, and at the end of this post I will link to my favorite RunDisney packing list, created by Joyful Miles.

1. Pack the essentials in your carry on

When I head to Disney for races, I always carry on my running shoes and race day outfits instead of checking them. Most of the gear in my luggage I could replace upon arrival, but when I am taking on a challenge like Dopey, I don’t want to get stuck in new gear on race day.

Other essentials that I bring in my carry on are a few gels and body glide. Most of the time these can be found at the expo, but I prefer to bring a few along just in case.

2. Prepare for any weather

Florida weather in January is unpredictable at best. The last time I ran the dopey challenge in 2017 the forecast for Orlando looked warm when I left New York on Tuesday, but by Saturday the forecast for the marathon had shifted to a real feel of 28 degrees. I was very glad that I had brought along the cold weather gear I had been using in New York, just in case.

I was travelling with a group of 6 other marathon runners, and they were not quite as prepared – we wound up spending hours on Saturday trying to find cold weather gear in Florida, which was not the easiest task.

I always save the heat sheets that are handed out at the end of races, and bring those along as well for race morning. Just make sure to discard them before crossing the start line, or it could impact your timing chip!

3. Bring throw away layers

Odds are it will be a little chilly on race mornings, since for RunDisney events the start times are long before the sun comes up. I tend to go through my closet and do a little clean out before Marathon weekend, since I know that Disney will collect and donate all of the clothing that is discarded at the start line.

If I can’t find clothing that I already own and am willing to part with, I will head to a local thrift store to pick up some extra layers. You will be happy to have them on race morning!

4. Organize your suitcases – pack your outfits for each day in a different container

I will be sharing a room with three other people during marathon weekend, so I know I won’t have a ton of space to unpack. To make my life a little easier, I pack each of my race outfits in their own bag, so I can double check that I have all the gear I need before leaving home. 

Then the night before the race I lay all of the gear out, and don’t have to rummage through my luggage looking for a missing sock.

I have used gallon Ziplock bags in a pinch, but I prefer these packing cubes from amazon. 

5. Pack drawstring backpacks for race mornings

Disney provides clear bags that runners must use to check their bags, but they’re not quite durable enough to carry around in my experience. I always wind up receiving free drawstring bags throughout the year, sometimes at expos or when I make a purchase, so I use these bags to make race morning kits. I pack my breakfast, my gels, my body glide, a bottle of water, and anything else I may need the night before the race, so my brain isn’t required to function on race morning, and I can still have everything I need. The backpack is more comfortable to carry around than the gear check bag, and when it is time to check my stuff, I just dump it from the drawstring and into the clear bag.

Plus, after the race it is much easier to pop the drinks and food they give you into the drawstring, rather than trying to balance it all as you head onto the bus.

6. Pack pre-race and recovery fuel that you know works for you!

For me, this means having the supplies for PB&J or a kind breakfast bar before the race, and Skratch recovery powder that I can mix after the race.

I also make sure to pack a foam roller, for post-race recovery needs.

7. Pack a Hub charger for all of your electronics that use a USB to charge

For me, having all of my cords in one place makes it less likely that I will forget one, and wind up with a dead Garmin all weekend. I use this one from amazon.

My husband always packs a power strip, which can be helpful as well when you’re sharing a room with limited power sources.

8. Bring more than one pair of sneakers

Remember when I said weather in Florida is unpredictable? Just in case it rains during one of the shorter races, always pack a back-up pair of shoes, that way you know you will be comfortable for the marathon! I usually pack three pairs, but I have been called an over-packer.

9. Pack extra race fuel

If I told you I had never dropped my fuel during a race, I would be lying. So, I always make sure I am prepared with a few extra gels. I will even give a few to my family and friends that are spectating the race, just in case I need an extra!

10. Odds and Ends: The little things that will count on race morning

• Hand warmers

• Throwaway ponchos

• Chapstick

• Sunscreen stick

• Hair brush (for post-race)

• Extra hair ties 

• Baby wipes (for a quick refresh after the race)

If you are looking for an all-encompassing “Packing list,” I would recommend this one from Joyful Miles. They have everything you could need on it, and even offer a downloadable PDF. It is my go-to when I am making sure I have everything that I need packed.

You can find their list HERE!

If you are heading on a race-cation soon, what are your must-have items?