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With the start of the runDisney races just a week away from today I will be sharing with you stories from Cigna, runDisney’s presenting sponsor of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. This year is the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon! My first runDisney race was the Walt Disney World Marathon 5 years ago, during it’s 20th anniversary. I am so excited for the 25th anniversary and looking forward to completing my 4th Dopey Challenge.
Cigna, the presenting sponsor of the race weekend, held a contest for its employees. Cigna employs over 39,000 people and they offered a contest for the employees to share their stories to win a race entry. Each employee submitted a video to share why they wanted to be chosen for a race. As a health benefits company, Cigna is committed to supporting their runners through every step of their race journey. Preventative care check ups are also am important step when beginning a new sport. It’s best to get the go ahead from your doctor to make sure you don’t have any underlying issues that may hinder your experience or affect your health in the long term.
The first story I will share is about Amanda Slayton. She lives in Carbondale, PA and works in Claim Operations as a Customer Satisfaction Supervisor
When Amanda Slayton was 12 years old, her neighbor and carpool ride joined the junior varsity cross country team. Since Amanda depended on her friend for rides home from school, she decided to join the team too. Little did she know that carpool necessity would lead to a lifelong passion for long-distance running. At Penn State, Amanda continued to run with the team.
Lilke me, Amanda is now married with two children, and says, “Running is part of my everyday living- I run because I love it, especially now that Fall weather is here and I need a long distance run to enjoy outdoors. I have a 1-year old and an almost-4-year old, so if I want to relieve stress, running is my only ‘me time.’” Amanda hopes to inspire her kids with her passion for running. “As you can see in my video, my older son loves to run around and pretend to be Mommy and put on my medals.”
She’s worked at Cigna for four years handling escalated customer claims, and is grateful for all the perks and incentives the company offers to encourage wellness. She credits working with Cigna trainer Libby Aneskewich in the Scranton office for helping her get ready for her first full marathon in Orlando. An employee team of running enthusiasts are training together during the countdown to Disney. This will be Amanda’s first full marathon, after completing her first half-marathon in Scranton in April.
Her advice for newbie runners: “Run for your own enjoyment. Start at your own pace and build from there- it’s important to run relaxed and feel it for yourself. I would consult with a PCP to make sure your body is up to par before doing any strenuous exercise. Runners World magazine and other resources also have great tips on how to go from the couch to a 5k. My favorite running quote is from Steve Prefontaine: ‘If you give anything less than your best is to sacrifice a gift.’”
I recently increased my training mileage for the Dopey Challenge coming up the first week in January. While I won’t have time to get in a 20 miles training run before the races, I do hopefully still have some miles on my legs from the NYC marathon that will count towards the long runs. It would be ideal to get in 20; but 16 was the most that I could fit into my schedule. Having done the Dopey Challenge three years in a row already, I feel comfortable that I will finish the races with no issues.
In the past two weeks I was able to do a 10K long run, a 10 miler, and a 16 miler long run. Sprinkled in between those long runs I averaged 3-4 mile runs in warm, cold and snowy weather.
Here are the stats of the runs:
Breakfast was oatmeal
2 cups of caffeinated tea
I began the run at 9:50 a.m. and finished at 12:00 p.m.
When I started it was 25 degrees and windy. I was considering skipping the run but wanted to get the miles in.
Nothing. I had breakfast just before my run so I didn’t feel I needed to bring anything.
C9 fleece lined long tights with a skirt over it, Hartford marathon long sleeve shirt, Achilles short sleeve shirt, warmer running jacket, ear warmers, hat, gloves.
I maintained my 30/30 for almost the entire run. At mile 9 I found an injured bird and walked up our street with it and gave it to my husband to put in a safe place. Then I had to walk the remainder of that last mile in my driveway. That killed my overall pace.
Breakfast was 1 packet of oatmeal
1 cup of caffeinated tea
I began the run at 10:00 a.m. and finished at 2:00 p.m.
When I started it was 33 degrees and breezy. I was halfway up my street when I turned around and went back into the house to get a running skirt to cover my bottom and my legs and my buff to use for my face when the wind picked up. I didn’t think it was that cold out; but I am glad I added those items to my wardrobe.
Pretzel fish and a bottle of water. I took in the pretzels and some water around miles 6 and 10.
Target fleece lined long tights with a skirt over it, Hartford marathon long sleeve shirt, warmer running jacket, NYC fleece hat, gloves. I wore one of the yoga bras I use, but it wasn’t a proper fit and cause a little chaffing.
I maintained my 30/30 for almost the entire run except for the large hill at mile 8. At mile 13 I was struggling to keep up my running page. I believe this is because I just ran a 10 miles a week prior and increased the mileage greatly from 10 to 16 in a week’s time. When increasing my mileage I prefer to do it in 3 miles chunks every 2 weeks per the Jeff Galloway training method. However, I was under the gun with time prior to this race so I needed to get the miles under my feet, which meant I had to do more walking than running after mile 13. However, I am ok with that, I still got the miles in. This just means that I will feel more fatigued the last 10 miles of the marathon on race day. Mile 15/16 ended in my driveway so I had to walk out the rest of the distance there which slows my pace down.
I heated up some leftover fish, rice and broccoli, had a chocolate milk for my recovery meal. After a shower I resumed my normal activities of the day. I didn’t feel any pain, just the typical soreness. I’m happy that my hip is loosening up and not causing issues after the longer and shorter runs.
Now that my longest run is done, I am focusing on this time to rest up my legs for the races. I will limit my runs to 3-4 miles. I did find this to be very successful with my NYC marathon. I had rested my legs well during that taper and felt really good on race day. With just about a week until the races I really must hold back on my runs. I will use this time and focus on my pre-race nutrition, race costumes, packing, and a little strength training.
I’m looking forward to running with Team Shenanigans and all the fun we will have out on the course. As the race draws near you may want to estimate your finish time based on your training runs. Although, when running with a group like Team Shenanigans, we plan on having as much fun on the course as possible. A PR is not expected for this race, unless you are planning for your slowest marathon ever! Running with the group is always my favorite. It helps take away the pain, or at least distract you from the pain and the miles left to finish. You may also make a new friend along the way!
**A special thanks to Le-Vel for sponsoring this post. All verbiage, images, and opinions in my Thrive W review are my own.
Recently I was contacted by Le-Vel to try their products and do a blog post about it. I needed to know more about their products so they sent me their product information and the ingredients. Being very cautious about what I eat and any chemicals that may cause me migraines I wanted to be sure that the ingredients in the product didn’t contain aspartame or artificial sweeteners. After reviewing the product information and researching into it very carefully, I agreed to give it a try.
I was pleasantly surprised at what I experienced while using Le-Vel. I had been feeling extremely sluggish these past few months. It was most noticeable when the season changed. In fact, while training for the NYC marathon I was concerned that I wasn’t going to have the energy to maintain the training I needed. I did successfully complete the marathon and was on a high for a few days afterwards; but then life got busy again and the high wore off and I was feeling the drag in my step again. I had been sitting on this email to try the Le-Vel products and decided to finally go for it. I figured what did I have to lose, I only had energy to gain! Maybe a little extra, but in the end that would be ok!
After reading the directions carefully, I started the program on a Tuesday morning. I woke up, and took one of the Le-Vel Thrive capsules with an 8 oz bottle of water. It is important to take the capsule on an empty stomach to allow your body to absorb all of the nutrients. I usually have a cup of tea in the morning, either green tea or black tea. But I felt good that I was already consuming 8 ounces of water at the start of my day.
While I got myself and the kids ready for school, it allowed me time for the capsules to work and 40 minutes later I made my vanilla flavored shake. I used 8 ounces of almond milk with a little ice in a blender with the Thrive Lifestyle Mix. It was a very delicious, nutrient-dense shake. I chose to use this shake as a meal replacement that day to see if it would be enough to satiate me through lunch.
After my shake, I put the Thrive DFT (Derma Fusion Technology) patch on a lean muscle. I placed it on my bicep. It is advised to put it on a different area of your body each day. Wearing the patch allows the Lifestyle blend to infuse through your skin.
When I first started to use these products I was nervous that I would get a headache or feel very jittery. But I felt fine. I did notice that my energy level was a little higher, even without having had my tea in the morning. While having a busy day, I didn’t feel fatigued in the afternoon. I was able to sustain my level of energy throughout the day and I didn’t have any difficulty falling asleep or sleeping while using the product.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to try this product by Le-Vel. I felt an increase in my mental clarity and focus, as well as my energy levels.
I can’t wait for Star Wars The Last Jedi to come out in theaters in less than two weeks! My family and I purchased tickets the day they were available. We can’t wait to go see it!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi FINALLY hits theaters December 15th. Episode VIII is highly anticipated as fans want to know answers to many questions. Who are Rey’s parents, what has Luke been up to, and so much more. Will we find the answers? We hope so! To help celebrate this release, The Hopping Bloggers have come together to bring our readers a fantastic Star Wars giveaway worth over $300!
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Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.
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Plants have been providing safe and effective health solutions to families through the ages. In 3500 B.C. Egyptians used plant extracts for health, cosmetic, and religious purposes. Hippocrates, the father of modern health, used plants with his patients. You all must know that Frankincense and myrrh were given to the Christ child. In 1943, Jean Valnet used oils on solders.
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