runDisney released its next video for the #whyirundisney program. Matt Swartz lost a lot weight and gained a special relationship with his children. Matt Swartz started to lose weight to survive a hike to Mt. Kilimanjaro with his 17 year old son and found out how much he loved running. While doing so, he began running with his daughters. Their time together connecting was a surprise that their love of running fueled his own love of running. He decided to run the Princess Half marathon because of his daughter Emmalie. When she asked him to run it with her he knew he couldn’t say no to this all (mostly) women’s race. It’s about the connection that he has made and wants to keep with his girls through their running. I had the chance to meet Matt and Emmalie at the corrals for the Princess Half Marathon this year and it was great to meet them and hear their story. I love meeting the people that are being profiled for the #whyirundisney program. Watch the video to hear Matt’s story of why he runs Disney. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak34YyHc5Ak]
As a Sweat Pink Ambassador, I was recently chosen to review Bondi Bands and am hosting a giveaway! First of all, they have awesome designs. I couldn’t wait to try it out today because it was a hot day and I wanted to see if it would keep the sweat out of my eyes and it did! I went out for my run at 6 p.m. and it was still hot out. I didn’t wear my hat since the sun wasn’t going to be as intense. I usually wear a hat or visor to help keep the sun off my face and out of my eyes and also to absorb the sweat.
The Bondi Band was great! No sweat dropped in my eyes at all and the Bondi Band stayed in place and was so lightweight I didn’t even feel it! I loved the colors and the tiara design and I will definitely buy more designs! Just what I need… more stuff! They have awesome designs and sizes. And they don’t just sell headbands, they have armbands, wristbands, sweat towels, neck gators, calf sleeves, and more! If you would like to order from bondibands.com please use the code SWEATPINK to save 10% off of all items except Bargain Bin, Design Your Own, and Custom Items. It is good through June 28th.
If you want to win the Bondi Band I am giving away below please follow the instructions below. Winners will be selected June 7th. (You will navigate to the raffelcopter page with instructions on how to enter).
About Bondi Band: Bondi Bands are great for women, men, girls and boys! Bondi Bands are composed of a unique blend of nylon, lycra, and spandex. The result is a stretchy yet form fitting band that holds up under the toughest hair styles and types.
Charity: We are a simple company with a dedication and belief in our product. Our philosophy is to make a great product at a great price and to build relationships one at a time. And as much as we believe in making a tidy profit we also believe in giving back. Each year we donate 10% of our pretax profits to charity. For 2009 we have chosen the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. It is a major affiliate of Harvard Medical School and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. The origins of DFCI date back to 1947. DFCI employs about 3,000 people. Most importantly, there are more than 150,000 patient visits a year, and it is involved in some 200 clinical trials. It is internationally known for its research and clinical excellence.
We figured if we were going to give away some money, this should be where it goes to.
I was given these items from Bondi bands. The opinions about these products are my own.
I was using David’s DVC Rentals to get prices to stay on property for The Dopey Challenge in January. They have great prices to stay in a studio as you rent DVC points. However, I didn’t realize that when you pay the deposit to get the prices obtained and a quote put together, you then have to book and pay the full price for the reservation with 24 hours. I thought his program is great and I understand the need to square away the reservation right away, but having just got back from vacation, we aren’t ready to pay for another one!
I was researching into the cost of a stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the first part of the challenge, and then a studio at the Boardwalk for the post race vacation with my family. Last week I was trying to book the Floridian after viewing the rooms there and was blown away by the exquisite rooms! But I waited a few days too long and lost my chance to stay there for a few nights.
So here’s my dilemma. I also know that the WorldQuest Orlando Resort is a great place to stay! My friend Amanda stayed there for Tower of Terror last year and I went to see her at her room and the place was gorgeous! She wrote about it in her blog www.disneyeveryday.com. Basically, you get a condo all to yourself. They offer 2 and 3 bedrooms with 2 or 3 bathrooms, the Master bedrooms have king size beds and whirlpool tubs in their large suites (that sells me over right there). Full kitchen, living room, eat in dining room, continental breakfast and also the resort amenities. Like I did last January, I plan on arriving prior to my family, getting groceries and going to bed early for the Dopey challenge races.
So why the dilemma? Because it is “off property”. It’s not the Boardwalk or Animal Kingdom. Will that matter? I need help deciding. I did plan on driving from Animal Kingdom to at least 3 of the races. If my family wants to watch me on marathon Sunday they will need to use the hotel’s transportation to get to Epcot at least.
So what do you think? Will it really make a difference if we stay off property for this big weekend? Help me decide!
So the rumors have been flying around about a runDisney Paris Half Marathon, but nothing has been officially announce yet. Last week a cast member posted a picture holding a pin and wearing a number on his shirt, which implied the race date was set. My friend Amanda wrote about it in her blog www.Disneyeveryday.com. The button he was holding in his hand showed a date of September, 2015. It only leaves us to assume that the race will be September 2015. But I’m not booking any plane tickets until I know something for sure from Disney! I trust Amanda, she is in the know with Disney events.
Now this brings me to my next point. I mentioned to my husband today that there are rumblings with a rumor about a Paris runDisney race. His only remark was “oh boy”. So I can say that there is a chance that I will be able to attend this race. But there are MANY factors to consider when planning an International race. Updating my passport, booking a flight, where do you stay, how long do you stay, how will that race affect the schedule of all the existing runDisney races in the fall? This will also be my first International race. I’m exited about that!
My friend Amanda did a great review of suggestions for places to stay within the area of Disneyland Paris. I hope I do get to attend and it would be even better if I can share a room with my other crazy runDisney friends!
Stay tuned! Details to come (eventually!) As us crazy runDisney freaks wait for the tweets and teasers from runDisney via Twitter and their social media channels.
When we were on vacation there was a soft launch of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I wanted sooo badly to get on that ride with my son and then have my husband ride it with him. Every chance I got, I asked the cast members if we could go on. They said it was opening May 28th, but one person told me that on the day of the Rock Your Disney Side Party there was going to be times where guests could ride it. I was so excited! When we walked by the ride it was SUCH a tease to see it running but we couldn’t go on it. The squeals of the riders was killing me!
I told my son I would try so hard to get us on it. I also tried checking with the concierge desk to see if they could get us a secret fast past – no luck. Then the day of the Rock Your Disney Side Party they were letting guests on. My friend Marc Acosta was on it I think 3 or 4 times that day! Then again, he stayed for the entire 24 hours so he had time to wait in the lines.
The wait time average was 60-90 minutes. At one point it was below 60 minutes but I just didn’t have the time to stand in line that long, and I knew my son would wig out. We did stand in line for Space Mountain when the posting said 45 minutes and the Touring Plans lines app said 35 minutes, but we ended up waiting 70 minutes! He did moan and groan and said he was “oficially bored”and “hated waiting in line”, and “I will never wait in line again”. So I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant if we waited. I also knew it wasn’t fair for my daughter to wait around for us, even if she did go on a few rides while waiting.
Every day we walked by that ride our necks would crane to see as much of the ride that we could see! Now I’ll have to wait until October to ride it; but sadly my family won’t be there for it. I wanted that first time to be an experience all of us could share.
I finally made some purchases towards my triathlon goal. I purchased goggles and a swimming cap to use on my vacation. When I was in the store and looking at all of the selections to choose from, I messaged a few of my friends to find out what to select from. The advice I got was to try them on before you buy to see what fits comfortably. I had a limited time to shop for these items, so I didn’t try anything on. I selected Speedo because I was familiar with that brand.
My intention was to hopefully get in a few laps at the quiet pool in the mornings before everyone gets up. That didn’t happen, but I did get a chance to try out my new gear at one of the pools at night while it wasn’t crowded.
To be honest, I didn’t feel stupid when I put them on and got into the pool. The goggles fit very comfortably. The cap was ok as well. Maybe I will get a black one for when I swim in public so I don’t look as dorky! I did a few practice swims across the pool and back and felt good. Then I kept doing a few more and realized how tiring swimming is! I felt a little concerned that I will need to step up my game over the summer to figure out this whole swimming thing. I had no idea how far we had to swim for the Sprint Tri in September and in my mind I was wondering how long it took the longest swimmer to finish the swim portion of the race. That is the time I am going to have to beat at least so I won’t be the last one out of the water.
I like swimming with my face under water most of the time, but I am going to have to learn to take breaths at every other stroke or else I will get behind in my breathing and will be more tired.
I also have to figure out the kicking. Do you kick a little or a lot? How far is a lap? How far do we have to swim for the race? We have a circular 24 foot pool in our yard, I will spend as much time in it as I can this summer going back and forth, but I think I’ll need to research into the YMCA or the North Haven Rec Center to learn about their lap pool and to invest in a cheap Timex watch to help keep track of my laps.
I had my husband video me while I did a lap so I could review it and see how bad I looked and so I could put it out there for critiquing. So please any feedback would be great!
I had the chance to meet Matt and Emmalie at the corrals for the Princess Half Marathon this year and it was great to meet them and hear their story. I love meeting the people that are being profiled for the #whyirundisney program. Watch the video to hear Matt’s story of why he runs Disney. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak34YyHc5Ak]
