Category: runDisney races

#whyirundisney Linda Ambard

April 11, 2014

I had the pleasure of meeting Linda at the starting line of the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon.  She was being profiled by runDisney for the #whyirundisney program.  She is a sweetheart and truly misses the love of her life who lost his life serving for our country.  It is because of men like him why we need to appreciate our freedom.  She will be running the Boston Marathon in a week and I am hoping for the chance to see her again!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPpusqCuuEc&w=560&h=315]

To Dope or Not To Dopey?

March 31, 2014

dopey-challenge-graphicSo as the registration for Dopey arrives quickly upon us, I have to really think hard about this.  I know this is something that I want to do; but I have to believe in myself that I CAN do it.

It is a major commitment not just on race weekend, but all of the long training runs leading up to it.  The longest back to back run I have ever done was the 10K and half marathon races at Dumbo Double Dare and Princess Glass Slipper Challenge.  I have not done a half marathon back to back with a marathon.  When I type that out, I get a little bit of a stomach ache thinking about it.

Training for a marathon doesn’t bother me.  I enjoy it for the most part.  Even when the 20, 23, and 26 mile runs come up on the schedule because I am proud that I have made it that far and the race isn’t too far off.  But to think of adding a training day prior to that for a half marathon is where I get nervous. My friend Gail is obtaining her perfect Goofy this year for the anniversary year of the Goofy Challenge so I hope to run with her and her friends to celebrate her accomplishment which ALWAYS make a race so much fun!

I am planning on using Jeff Galloway as my coach for the Dopey challenge.  Mickey Mile Podcaster Michelle Scriber-MacLean did this last year for the Dopey challenge and she said she did very well because of it.  I also plan on arriving to Disney prior to my family to get 2 of the early races out of the way.  I will also sleep early and rest often when I am there prior to their arrival.

I believe I can do it.  I just have to believe that I can commit to the training also.  My daughter will begin kindergarten next year so I can save up some vacation days for my long training runs and hit the road once she gets on the bus and I’ll be done in time for when both kids get off the bus.  So in that sense, I think the universe is lining up to allow for me to give this a try.

Do you all have recommendations or suggestions for doing Dopey?  Was there anything that you didn’t like about doing Dopey besides the early wake ups?  Did anyone fail at attempting their first Dopey?  I’d like to hear about it.  The good, the bad, the ugly.

Running For Her Life

March 29, 2014

My friend Kim was filmed back in December by Disney for their inspirational stories they are sharing on their site to focus on why you run Disney.

You can read about her story and view the video.  I had the opportunity to run the marathon with her and it was one of my favorite races to date!  The girls who ran together have grown a close friendship and are looking forward to running MANY more races together helping each other through our journeys!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zu8FPZVGKU&w=560&h=315]

Disney Princess Half Marathon Video

February 25, 2014

This past weekend I went to Disney for the Glass Slipper Challenge.  I still have to write up a recap of the whole weekend, but I wanted to share the video that Eddie McCoy, a new running friend, created of the 1/2 marathon we ran on Sunday.  To date, this has been the funnest race I have run so far!

http://vimeo.com/87525101

Disney Marathon Weekend Event #2

February 10, 2014

mandydianapamThe second day of the Marathon weekend was filled with two events for us.  The Inaugural Minnie 10K and the Kids Races.  I was up at 2:00 a.m. to get ready and catch a bus to meet up with Mandy and Diana.  I got there early, met a nice guy named Matt from Alabama on my bus and wandered around the gathering area for a while to try and find everyone.  While there Danielle Nardi spotted me.  So I hung out with her for a few minutes, then went over to Corral A area to wish Kim, her daughter Katherine and Alison good luck on the race.  I found Mandy and Diana and in our Corral and we waited for the race to start.  The race ran through the outside of the parking lot of Epcot for the first 2 miles and then goes through the back of Test Track, through World Showcase and into the Boardwalk and Beach Club area.  You could smell the foods from around the area and we were starving!  It was just 7:30 by the time we finished!

I really enjoyed the 10K course.  We didn’t stop for character pictures, but we did take pictures along the world showcase.  After the race was finished we took pictures outside the Finish area and then I had to rush back and shower, eat and get the kids over to the Kids races.

The Kids races were fun.  The kids were excited to participate but were very anxious to wait for the start of the race.  We got there early enough so that they were in the beginning of the corral.  They had to wait about 15 minutes for the race to start, so I kept them cool with cold water to drink and Kevin waited with them while I scoped out a place at the finish line to get video and photos of them.

When it was time to go, my son took of quick.  My husband Kevin ran with Adrienne.  My son went by so fast I didn’t even see him!  Thankfully I took video so I could find him afterwards.  He came in around 8th place.  I spotted my husband and Adrienne coming along and in the video recap I was able to see her give Mickey a high five on her way by him!

The kid races were a lot of fun and something we will definitely take part of in the future. View a video of Day 2 of our trip including the 10K race and the kid races along with a few other surprises at the end of the day!

kidsmedals

Disney World Marathon weekend video

February 6, 2014

Well I finally started compiling my photos and videos from race weekend and I’d like to share them with you.

View the video of when we revealed the surprise trip to the kids via Face Time and my first day in Florida exploring the expo.

Everyone Has a Story – Peter Chuchro

January 31, 2014

A few weeks ago I had the chance to meet Peter Chuchro at the starting line of the Disney World marathon.  Like Kimberly Markey Torres and Linda Leonard Ambard, Peter was being profiled for the #whyirundisney program.

Peter is a 33 year old who had a stroke when he was 32 years old.  Now, the father of a young baby and husband; he chose running a marathon as a goal after his sudden change in health.

Watch the video about his story!  The human spirit is amazing!  “If you can dream it, you can do it” Walt Disney.

 

Everyone has a story – Alison’s story

January 28, 2014

alisonandkimOn Sunday, January 12, four of us ran together at the WDW Marathon weekend to support our friend Kimberly Markey Torres.  Alison Jackeman Nicklas is one of Kim’s close friends.  This is her story…

    “In 2010 I made a decision to run my first Marathon after having lost 50 pounds. I knew the only way I could do it was by joining some type of running training program and I found out the the Hartford Marathon Foundation had a terrific program. They meet up on Saturday mornings at 6:30 in the Summer and that June they made their first run a short “9 miles.”
    When I arrived I was pretty nervous. So many runners that looked to be experts and here I was, having run as little as possible (although I had already completed 4 half marathons (without training for any!) As I was waiting for the training to begin, I looked over and saw this girl in a Goofy Challenge T-Shirt. It was from that very January and it was the COLDEST WDW Marathon Weekend – and I WAS THERE TOO! I didn’t run the Goofy, but my cousin did and I was so impressed to see that this young girl had done the same.
    I decided to strike up a conversation and we chatted about that crazy January weekend that none of us will ever forget. As the weeks went on, we became more than just training buddies – we became friends. We finished the summer program, connected with another runner (Janice Small) and made a pact that we would go for Goofy together in 2011. It was a crazy thought, but I thought that if Kim could do it, so could i! We have not missed a WDW weekend together since. In fact, we have also done the Disneyland Half together!
    In addition to training and running together, after our first summer running together as trainees, Kim and I became coaches for the Hartford Marathon Foundation and have supported more than 40 people through their very first marathon or their first “coached” training group. Kim and I participated in the RRCA Coaching class together and she has become family to me. She is not only fighting her own fight with breast cancer, she is also supporting my niece, diagnosed the same week, through the same fight. I am looking forward to many more years of training runs and races with her.”

I met Alison for the first time when I met Kim for the first time at the Cheshire Half marathon in April, 2013.  She is just as sweet as Kim.  We saw each other again for the #whyIRunDisney filming in December and we reconnected again in Disney and ran the 26.2 miles together.  She was the leader of the pack.

alisonDuring the race after the Expedition Everest roller coaster ride (which as you can tell here, she really loved!), her toe started to swell up.  As we entered ESPN she was visibly limping so we had to encourage her to slow down and do something about her foot.  Finally at a bathroom break she was able to elevate her foot for a while and it helped reduce the swelling along with drinking some more water.  But she never complained!  She kept leading the pack through the race course to get us to the finish line!  Yet another Dopey finisher.  I admire all you Dopey racers!  I am making a serious decision to decide to do the Dopey race next year.

I am looking forward to running more races with you Alison!  Hoping to run another 26.2 with you at the Providence Marathon on May 4th!

2014 Marathon Weekend Kid Races

January 2, 2014

ImageThis year is going to be a first for my kids for marathon weekend.  My daughter has been interested in my running since she recognized what I had been doing and has asked me several times if she can do a kid race.  I had always known that I wanted her first race to be a Disney race so this year I registered both my son and daughter to run the 200 meter races.

At first when I was considering signing them up, I wasn’t sure if it would conflict with my race schedule.  I am running the 10K on Friday and the full on Sunday.  I learned that the kid races are held every day during the marathon weekend.  That was good news to me.  I am arriving to Orlando on Wednesday, and my family is flying down on Thursday.  So I planned to have them run their races on Friday.  This way I can run the 10K, then meet them over at ESPN for their race and then we can swim or do a park later that day.

The schedule on race day is as follows for Thursday – Saturday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports:

10:00 a.m. New Balance Track and Field opens, warm up begins
10:50 a.m. 100m Dash participants (1-3 years old) meet at green start flags
11:00 a.m. 100m Dash Starts
11:10 a.m. 200m Dash participants (4-6 years old) meet at yellow start flags
11:20 a.m. 200m Dash Starts
11:30 a.m. 400m Dash participants (7-8 years old) meet at blue start flags
11:40 a.m. 400m Dash Starts
12:00 p.m. Diaper Dash Starts
12:15 p.m. Mickey Mile participants (13 & under) meet at white start flags
12:30 p.m. Mickey Mile Start

The races take place at the track in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Image

Each age group will have its own start line,  which will be color-coded for all parents to
easily find. Each participant’s bib number matches the starting flag for their distance.
Parents can run with their children and are encouraged to do so.  If you don’t, you can claim them at the finish line.  Each race bib will include a tear off tag with your child’s race number on it. You remove the tag prior to the race and present it at the finish in order to pick up your child and leave the secure finish area.

Kids will receive a medallion for finishing the race and when you pick up their packets, they will receive a T shirt and a bib number. Kid races are a great introduction for the children to begin running Disney races. Once they are a little older and can run further you can have them join you for the 5K races which are also very fun and full of entertainment!

View more stories about the Marathon weekend events here!

Virtual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Blog Hop Directory

Why do you run? Why do you run Disney?

November 12, 2013

When I was out on a run recently I was thinking about everyone else’s pod casts and blogs and thought to myself, I wonder why everyone else runs. I know that I run because I enjoy the time outside, I have made a lot of new friends at the Disney races, and I feel better knowing that I am doing something that is good for my body.

When people learn that I run one of the first things they say is “I will never run”, or “my knees hurt when I run”. They also say that they are too heavy to run. It’s all just an excuse. I tell them to never say never. Anyone can run. You don’t have to run the whole way. I don’t. I use the Jeff Galloway method of run/walk/run. This has allowed me to run complete a marathon, which I thought would NEVER happen. I always WANTED to run a marathon, but I never really thought it would happen. Now I am training for my second one within a year of my first and I have a list of marathons that I would like to do such as the Marine Corp Marathon, NYC, Chicago and Nike Women’s Half in Washington D.C. to name a few. This coming from a 41 year old wife and mother of 2 children, who only started to run races in 2010!

Why do I run?  I started many years ago on my treadmill in my basement after I was told that I had an autoimmune disease but they doctor’s couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. You can read more about that in my About me page.  But I was determined to go against what my mind was telling me and being sick.  I didn’t want to think that something was wrong and have to deal with taking steroids and immunosuppressants.  So running for me was a coping mechanism.  But I didn’t consider myself a runner back in 2002.  I really started running in 2010 when I started my journey outdoors and invested in real running gear and registered for races.

runDisney-LogoWhy do you run Disney?

I first heard of runDisney from Danielle Nardi www.liverungrow.com. I work with her cousin and she told me Danielle started a blog about running. So of course, I had to check it out because I was a sponge trying to learn as much as I could about running at the time. I never knew that there was so much you could learn about running. I thought you just put on some shorts, sneakers and sunglasses and run. Well, you could do that; but eventually you will chafe, get shin splints and burn out. There’s a whole community and industry related to running. My wallet can attest to that!

Danielle talked about the Wine and Dine half marathon in her blog and it sparked an interest in me.  She also talked about her first marathon and that’s when I was roped in.  It planted the seed for me and during the spring of 2012 I decided to train for a half marathon in CT.  During that training I thought that I may be able to do a full one day. I went with my husband and kids to our Disney trip in May and that’s when I decided to go for it.  I signed up for the full marathon in June along with Sarah McGovern Luka  from Running at Disney.  My training was hard but successful and I had an awesome experience for a first marathon!  I met Mandy Remo and her husband Ken and we have become friends and they welcomed me into their family on my trip to Disney Land this past September.  I remember distinctly on marathon morning that Mandy told me once I do one Disney race I will want to do more!  Boy was she right!

So why do I run Disney?  Why not run Disney?!  Their races are great!  They are so much fun, the entertainment along the course is awesome!  The medals are beautiful!  The costumes are so fun!  The water stops are plentiful, the expo is loaded with great merchandise and guest speakers, and the friendships I have made along the way are incredible!  I have been chatting with Laurel Moffitt who is all the way in Japan, I met Mandy and Kenn Remo from Michigan, Sarah Luka from West Haven, CT, Danielle Nardi and Jennifer Lazzaro from NY and Linda Bachand who is working towards her marathon maniac status!  Oh and Ann Cook and Mickey Wellmon!  I can’t wait to make more friends in my next upcoming races!

DSCN0039 totfinish

What RunDisney race will you be running in 2014?  I am registered for the 10K and full in January, and the Princess half in February so far.  Hope to see you there!

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