Monday 8 December 2014

Maningrida Marathon Part 2- The Race

As we live in remote NT, the weather here is quite tropical with temperatures only dropping to about 26 degrees Celsius at night and humidity of anywhere from 85-95%. Because of this we made the decision to start the marathon at 3:00am, with the hope of everyone being finished at 9:00am.

I made sure to lay out everything I would need the night before, and I woke up feeling relaxed and as ready as possible. When I arrived at the start line I packed a spare set of clothes just in case the predicted thunderstorms arrived, as well as some sports drink into the car that would be following us. After a very tough 32km the week before at 4min:1min intervals, I made the decision to drop back to 1:1 intervals with the hope of sustaining that pace for the whole race.

Ready to go at the start line!

We lined up at the start line and with the Rocky song playing in the background, we began the Maningrida Marathon. I dropped behind the group quite quickly because of my intervals but as we were running several loops of an out and back course, I knew I would be seeing everyone again. It was pitch black so I took the first 12k out and back loop just to enjoy my surroundings and be appreciative for the chance to run. As I began my the 16k loop I put on some music to keep myself motivated. The sun still hadn't quite risen, and the temperature was still sitting at around 26 degrees. At about the 17k mark I stopped to refill my Camelbak with cold water, and passed off my headlamp, as it was now light. I was beginning to feel a little flat at the 8k turn around, when I heard a loud siren behind me. Not knowing what it was, I moved to the side of the road and waited. I eventually realised it was the town firetruck and began to panic, wondering why it was here, chasing me with its sirens on. As I turned around, the driver put out over the P.A, 'WELLLCOOOMMME TO THE 2014 MANINGRIDA MARATHON. IF YOU NEED SOME WATER JUST LET ME KNOW, I HAVE 40,000 LITRES' This was just the pick me up I needed, it was genuinely a real laugh out loud moment. I waved to the people in the truck and began my way back for my final loop.

One of my mantras for a mid-run pick me up!

The final loop was to be 14km, and I was starting to feel it. I had managed to snag an icy pole and refill my Camelbak with water at about the 22km mark, and I knew as soon as the watch hit 35.2km it would be time to turn around and finish it off. I had also grabbed a cold towel filled with ice, which was amazing as the temperature was nearing 30 degrees a this point. When I turned around with 7km to go, I was in struggle town. It was hot, I was tired, and I was barely moving at a shuffle. I turned the music up even louder and began to belt out songs at the top of my lungs.

With about 3km to go, I was lucky enough to have one of the support crew come and run alongside me. He told me stories about the other runners and kept me distracted until the finish line was in sight. At that point we had about 500m to go and he told me to run by myself and finish strong. I sprinted (well at least, I tried to) towards the finished line. I was amazed to see a crowd of 10 people waiting for me to finish with a finish banner stretched across the road. As I broke the banner I couldn't believe I had done it! I was led to an ice bath and everyone was congratulating me and hugging me. It was honestly the best feeling ever!

Cooling off in the ice bath

As I sat down in the ice bath, I was surprised to see the two head runners of our running group presenting us with medals, congratulating us on completing the second Maningrida Marathon. I was honestly blown away by the amazing support on the course. Without the support of my #maningridarunners buddies I would have never been able to complete this amazing feat. They were there for me every long run, every 3am, 4am, 5am start. Throughout the whole marathon they were there with ice and cold water and towels and anything else I could have needed. They erected motivational signs all along the course and never once complained when we needed someone to run with us to get us through a tricky mental block.

Celebrating with my fellow marathoners!

I appreciate that people want to run a big marathon for their first, but for me, my first marathon of 3 people was just perfect. I would not trade it for any other race in the world. It was such a special day and I will hold the memories from this close to my heart forever.

What was your first race experience like?

Ash :)

Saturday 6 December 2014

Maningrida Marathon Part 1- How I came to be racing the Maningrida Marathon!

Ok so this one will take a bit of explaining! I hadn't mentioned it because it wasn't an 'official' marathon. As I have mentioned before I live in the bush. I mean, middle of nowhere. My closest city is an 8 hour drive, and the closest marathon would probably be a three day drive or minimum $800 in flights plus the fact as a teacher I can't really get time off aside from school holidays.

Anyway, a couple of years ago my running group created in informal Maningrida Marathon, and this year we decided to revive it. 3 of us ran the whole thing, with other members of the running group joining us for company along the way. We had all been training together, and 5 of the 7 have a marathon coming up over the Christmas holidays, but the other 2 people had been following the training plan along with us. It seemed like a waste to not run a marathon after all the training, so that's when the decision was made to resurrect the Maningrida Marathon. Basically we just 42.2km on the road leading out of town and members of the running group/friends and family act as volunteers with all the marathon essentials. I had wanted to give the full marathon distance a crack before Dopey, so I decided to join in too. So that is the background story of how I came to be running a marathon at about 2 weeks notice.

I had a back to back 16km and 32km last week and I absolutely suffered through it. I felt like I just couldn't go on. So even up to the night before of the marathon I was never 100% I would make it the whole way. I was just going to turn up and give it a crack, and even better, there were no entry fees so there was no stress if I wasn't feeling strong enough to finish. I really didn't want to risk injury but I did want to give myself a chance to build some confidence, and as my Galloway training program has me running a full marathon in two weeks anyway, I decided to switch it around so I could join my running group!

Feeling like death after 32 hot and sweaty kilometres. 


I will be recapping the marathon in the next couple of days!

Cheers,

Ash.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Avengers Half Marathon Race Recap


I was super excited to run this race, and Captain America was ready to go!

Captain America, ready to run!
I decided to take it easy at the parks on Saturday, arriving at about 11am and leaving around 4. I used the rest of the afternoon to go for a swim, have a spa and basically just relax, knowing full well that the 3:30 am wake up call was not going to be pretty. I settled into bed around 8:30 and fell asleep quickly- SUCCESS! Well, not quite. I woke up about an hour later and then after being awake for a few hours, slept on and off until 3:30. I put it down to excitement!

I jumped out of bed and got dressed- I always lay everything out the night before and compare it to previous pictures of 'flat Ashleigh' to check that I haven't forgotten anything. Staying on property at Disneyland meant it was only about a 10minute walk to the race start, which was super convenient. I would definitely recommend looking at staying on property if it is within your budget, at least for race day/pre race night. The start area was pretty calm when I arrived, and to be honest I never noticed it getting as hectic as Wine and Dine. I made my way to my corral with ease at about 4:15, and sat down and waited for the start. Rudy and Carissa, the race MC's kept me entertained until race start.

Flat Ashleigh.

I was in corral F, but corral E and F had a joint start, so even though I was at the front of my corral, I ended up being in the middle of the 2 corrals when we were released. I didn't notice too much congestion, and I settled into an easy pace, running 4:1 Galloway intervals (just like Wine and Dine). The first few miles through the parks were awesome, there was lots of people cheering, lots to keep me distracted and a few character stops. I didn't stop for Captain America, Black Widow or Hawkeye, because as much as I would have loved to- the lines were huge! I mean, I am not running right on 16 min miles so I have some leeway, but with those lines I just didn't feel confident enough to wait for 10-15minutes so early in the race. I ended up stopping for Minnie and Mickey inside Disneyland, as they had a super short line- which was excellent. I also stopped for a photo with the Green Army Men, at the front of Disneyland, with some of the mile markers and at Angel Stadium. In retrospect, I would have had time for one or two character stops, but it was too early in the race to know that at the time.

Race start!

Mickey and Minnie and Captain America!

The next few miles through Anaheim were less eventful. I don't want to say boring, but it didn't compare to Wine and Dine. Maybe it peaked to early, with the first 3 miles being so action packed and then the next 6 being a little lacklustre. There were cheerleaders and school bands out, which was really cool, but these next 6 miles were also where the winds picked up, and I was struggling. I needed all the moral support I could get. I hi fived everyone that was offering, I really needed the pick me up. Mile markers were blown down left, right and centre. Some were missing clocks, some were missing the art and were just empty frames. This wind was brutual. It stung my eyes and when dirt hit my legs it hurt. I was so happy when I saw Angel Stadium in the distance.

Mile 6 marker missing its clock. Sorry for the random guy in the photo!

I found the Green Army Men after missing them at Wine and Dine!

The mile in and around Angel Stadium went too quickly, the energy was awesome and there was lots going on. We then ran through the Clif Shot station where I grabbed a Razz Clif Shot (yummy!), and then there was a stretch of service men and women down the street. I hi fived them too- it was just the mental boost I needed for those last 3 miles. As I ran back I was so excited to make it back to Disney property.

Angel Stadium!

I speeded up as I approached the chute, knowing that my Coast to Coast medal was only about 160 metres away. When I crossed the finish line I was beyond happy. 2 weeks. 2 coasts. 2 halves. 2 races with crazy weather. I recieved my Avengers medal and made my way down the chute to pick up my Coast to Coast medal. It was a super short line, and they just put my bib number in the computer, checked me against my photo from the expo (I presume), and I was on my merry way with my medal in hand.

The family reunion area had been closed due to high winds, so I decided to just make my way back to my room, when my lovely boyfriend spotted me. It was a relief. I was just so mentally drained from the race, it was nice to have someone there to help me out. I got back to my room and showered, and then hit the parks with all 3 medals (Wine and Dine, Avengers and Coast to Coast). It was time to celebrate!

How do you deal with racing in less than ideal conditions?

Ash :)

Monday 17 November 2014

Avengers Expo Recap

We arrived in California on Wednesday night, and the expo was scheduled for Friday/Saturday, so we took a little bit of time to do some research and made sure we knew exactly where we would be heading on Friday morning. After having already got my shoes at Wine and Dine I decided to give the New Balance stall a miss (which meant a sleep in as I didn't have to register for the virtual queue). I had seen some pictures on Facebook of some really cute merchandise- I smashed the half Hulk t shirts and some really brightly coloured jumpers and I was determined to get them. However, I had also heard really bad stories about super hectic Disneyland expos, so we decided to head down to the expo at 9 (one hour earlier than opening) to ensure we wouldn't miss out.

IT WAS CRAZY. I mean it was organised crazy, but it was still crazy. The lines were massive. We jumped in line for the official merchandise and I decided I would head down and pick up my race number later (it's not like it can sell out). By about 9:30 the line started moving, and we managed to make it into the official merchandise by 10:15. I ended up choosing the Hulk I smashed the half tech shirt, an Avengers half jumper, an I did it cotton t shirt, medal pin and I smashed the half drink bottle. I felt like a lot of the merchandise, although very similar to Wine and Dine was a little more expensive, and it was also a lot busier in there so I wasn't really interested in browsing. I basically picked up what I wanted and left. There was lots to choose from though- a big selection of tech shirts, jumpers, jackets, mugs, glasses, tumblers, head bands etc- but I did hear a lot was gone by the end of the first day. I was really happy (and fortunate) to be on holidays and have the freedom to be able arrive at the expo early Friday morning. I really felt for all the runners who couldn't make it till late Friday or Saturday and may have potentially missed out on what they wanted.

My expo haul! I think I have an addiction!

I had a quick look around the expo but most of the vendors were the same as were at Wine and Dine the week before. I picked up another Team Sparkle visor (blue), a SparkleSkirt, some ProCompression socks, Feetures socks, GU gels and stopped off the the Clif stall where they were sampling a few of the their bars and gels. I had a chat to the guys running the stall and they were really helpful and arranged a couple of samples for me for non-Australian products so I can test them and buy them in January if I like them. That pretty much made my day- it's so hard when I see awesome new products that I want to try but they are only avaliable overseas. The guys at Clif gave me a couple of sachets of their electrolyte products, Shot bloks, gels, as well as their Orange Mango recovery drink which I have been dying to try. On my way out of the expo I stopped at a cool Avengers back drop Disney had set up and stopped for a photo with my bib. I really enjoy all the photo opportunities Disney provides both at the parks and with their races.

Awesome Avengers photo!
A huge thanks to the crew at Clif Bar! I can't wait to try everything!

 After exploring the expo, I headed over to packet pick up and there was no line! YAY! I picked up my packet and recieved the best bracelet of my life. Who thought a yellow wristband would mean so much to me. I am still wearing it now. I headed over and got my photo taken for my coast to coast medal and then I was finished. On my way out I had a quick look at the Dooney and Bourke bags, but the line was giant and to be completely honest I am not a huge handbag person anyway. I thought I would leave the Dooney and Bourkes to the true handbag fans.

The awesome, the amazing, the Coast to Coast wristband!

In total we were at the expo for about 3 hours including all the time in lines which wasn't too bad. It was well set out and organised, the only downside being the huge lines, however Disney did a great job managing everyone and the lines moved relatively quickly.

Do you enjoy shopping at expos? What do you normally look for at a race expo?

Ash :)

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Wine and Dine Half Marathon 2014 Race Recap

It has been a long time since I have written a race recap and I think Wine and Dine is a great race to break the drought.

With a forecast of torrential downpours and chilly temps, I will admit I was nervous. Having said that, as soon as I got on the bus, the energy was electric. I jumped on the bus at 7 at Port Orleans French Quarter, and something about a bus full of adults dressed up as Disney characters just makes life all the more magical. When I arrived at the race start (at about 7:20) I lined up for a photo with Chef Mickey- I thought the lines were long when I arrived- but after 30 minutes in line for Mickey, all the lines had doubled in length so I decided to give Minnie, Goofy and Chip and Dale a miss. I hit the porta potties and then found myself a spot on the grass and enjoyed watching all the costumed runners walk past and managed to strike up some conversation with some very friendly fellow runners. Around 9pm I headed to my corral and that's when the rain started. At first it was just a light drizzle but it got progressively heavier as the start drew nearer. I was lucky enough to be given a garbage bag by a very friendly fellow runner (THANK YOU) and before I knew it I was walking up to the start line.

The start line- AMAZING ENERGY


When the fireworks went off I couldn't help but wipe away a tear- actually a few tears. Very joyous tears. I couldn't believe after months of training, years of dreaming and waaaay too much planning, I was in America, running one of my dream races. It was one of the best feelings I have ever had. In fact, I am tearing up a little just thinking about it. I had decided to run 4:1 intervals and stop at whatever photos stops took my fancy. I mean, what is the point in running Disney if you can't enjoy the characters and sights that make Disney special. Personally I felt like there was lots of character stops and sights to keep me interested, although some people did mention that they felt like there were less character stops than past years (potentially due to the rain).

Some of the characters out included: The Country Bears, Fairies, Timone, King Louie, Buzz and Woody, Captain Jack Sparrow, Star Wars Character, Green Army Men and also photo stops at the Osbourne lights, Animal Kingdom tree and an Incredibles back drop- I could be forgetting a couple but these are the ones that stick out in my head.
Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa

Buzz and Woody

Although it was very cold and rainy for the whole race, I had an awesome time. I enjoyed the course. I stopped for photos, I high fived cast members as I ran past, I had fun. SO MUCH FUN! I found the miles to tick past really quickly, as my intervals very comfortable and there was so much happening on course I barely had time to notice how far I had run. I actually distinctly remember feeling sad at the 6 mile mark because I knew it was almost half way over.

The course was well marked, there were heaps of volunteers and cast members out, the medical aid tents were well stocked and lots of water stops. I thought the course was great, as it started at ESPN, went through Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios before finishing in Epcot, so I felt like I had a really good tour around Disney property. 

Mile markers all along the course- of course I had to get a snapshot with Australia!

When I ran through the finish chute the volunteers were amazing. I was wrapped in a space blanket and handed my medal. It was a little crazy but that was to expect with 12,000 odd finishers. I slowly made my way down the finishers chute collecting my food before making my way to Epcot for the finishers party- and more on that to come soon!

The medal was very cool- a spinner with Mickey on one side and Spaceship Earth on the other, although I did hear (and see) a lot of horror stories with broken medals. Mine made it through the night and I did take it to the park on Sunday for photos, but I kept the medal in my pocket and only put in on for photos. I would have been devastated if it had broken, so I decided to play it safe and not wear it around at the parks.

Very happy runner with her medal! (and the support crew)


Did you run Wine and Dine? How did you find it?

Ash :)

Monday 10 November 2014

runDisney Wine and Dine 2014 Expo

The Expo! What can I say? The day started off on a bad note with the New Balance virtual queue website crashing and no one being able to register for the limited edition runDisney New Balance shoes. After that nasty shock, I made the decision to head to the expo early as I was desperate to get my hands on those Cindy shoes! I arrived at approximately 8:15am and the expo opened early at about 9:30. The line moved very quickly and I was lucky enough to get 2 pairs of shoes (Cindy and Goofy) within about 5 minutes of the expo opening.

The Disney merchandise was quite good- I loved the purple Wine and Dine hoodie (although the material has started to go a bit 'bally' already) and I also picked up the grey Wine and Dine tech shirt, plus a couple of pins and a tumbler. I also got one of the I did it shirts, though I thought the colour was a bit ugly (bright/fluoro). I was in the expo quite early and although the merchandise area was a bit crazy, the line to pay moved super fast and I probably was at checkout for less than minute.

The general merchandise at the expo was excellent and I ended up with lots of excellent purchases including: Dr. Kool wraps, KT tape, visors and Bio Freeze.

I then went to packet pick up and I was very lucky as my line my nice and short. I probably waited about 10 minutes, then I headed back over to the merchandise area to pick up my shirt before going home. Some of the other lines were quite a bit longer though and I suspect they may have been waiting longer.

I found the expo to be really well organised and New Balance worked hard to move people through the shoe queue quickly. I didn't wait in line for over 10 minutes for anything and there was a great variety of vendors and lots of interesting products to look at. If I had to pick one negative it would be that the I did it shirt in the women's cut was such an ugly colour- although I am sure there are some people who love it- it just doesn't work for me personally.

Just a few of my expo goodies!


Ash  :)


Thursday 23 October 2014

One week until I leave for the USA and Wine and Dine and Avengers Half!

The countdown is on! Well the countdown has been on since registration, but it is so close now I can practically taste it. Because we are coming over from Australia, we arrive at WDW on the Monday and stay until the Wednesday after Wine and Dine, before travelling across to Disney Land for the Avengers Half. This means 9 more sleeps until we leave for the trip! To say I am excited is a massive understatement.

I haven't raced in a long time, and Wine and Dine is part redemption, part birthday fun and part bucket load of excitement. I have been to WDW once before but only for a day, so going this time with a Premier Passport will give me a lot more freedom to explore the parks. Wine and Dine falls on my birthday so I am hoping to squeeze in a couple of fun birthday activities- and if you see me on course please stop and say hello (and happy birthday!) :) 

I was fortunate enough to have Avengers fall the weekend after Wine and Dine which has allowed me to a) extend my holiday a little b) earn my coast to coast and c) have double as much runDisney fun in one holiday!

I am super excited to see if this round of intense training has paid off, and looking forward to just having fun. I live in remote Australia as a teacher and haven't seen my partner in 15 weeks (as he stayed in Melbourne for his work), so a big part of me is excited for the holiday just because it will be with him. 

Second last hard run before I leave for America! YAYYAYAYA! :) 


Any tips for touring the parks while on a runcation?

Ash :) 

Sunday 19 October 2014

Week 16 of Dopey Challenge and the big scary 17 miler!

Well. 17 miles (27.2 km for us metric peeps). If I had to choose one word to sum it up, it would probably be SOUL-CRUSHING, I am pretty sure if I use a hyphen it only counts as one word.

Maybe not soul crushing, but enough to make me feel like I am not good enough. I am not a natural runner, and after a bad long run, a seed of doubt begins to flower in my head. Not a beautiful flower either, an ugly 'YOU ARE TOO SLOW AND RUBBISH FOR A MARATHON'  flower. That is a bad flower. So I was feeling a bit deflated after my run, but talking to my running group buddies, this is not an uncommon feeling. So I think even though I am allowed to feel a bit disappointed that it didn't go as planned, the important things are to learn some lessons and not make those mistakes again! Here is a bit of break down of the run.

Kilometer 0-13.5 I was feeling awesome. Better than awesome. I was sure I was positively going to dominate this run.

Kilometer 13.5-21 Maybe not awesome, but still feeling pretty damn good. I was feeling strong and happy and glad to be out running.

Kilometer 21-24 Still feeling pretty good, and thinking that this 24 kilometers felt a lot easier than last fortnight's long run of 24 kilometers.

Kilometer 24-27.2 The wheels fell off. I could barely lift my feet. They were aching and I was hot, thirsty and hungry. It didn't matter how much water I drank I was still thirsty and I felt like it was never going to finish. But then it did. So, yay me!

Although it's easy to whinge about about a rubbish run, I am hoping I can take a few things away from this.

1) I need to run earlier. Even though I started at 5am, where I live it is just too hot to still be running after 8, so now I am doing longer runs I might need to start at 4am. Even though 4am is gross.

2) I need to work out my fuelling strategies. Just because 1 packet of chews works in a half marathon, doesn't mean it will carry me over 28km. Take more chews/gels/something to keep me fuelled the whole way.

3) Try wearing compression socks on a long run and see if it helps with the aching feet.

4) Be happy that I completed my long run. Not every long run can be awesome, and if they all were, everyone would do it and there would be no glory in a marathon.

Any tips on how to pick myself back up after a crappy long run?

Ash :)

Monday 6 October 2014

Week 14 of Dopey Training

Back to back no. 2 done! With a 10.5 km run walk on Friday (1:2) and a 24km run walk (1:1) on Saturday, it is fair to say I am starting to see what Dopey is all about. I was lucky enough to be on holidays in Darwin this week, so I had some new scenery to enjoy on my long runs, which definitely made it easier!

Some amazing views from this weeks long run.

I was feeling pretty good in my 24 km, aside from some nasty arch pain in my right foot. Although probably not the smartest idea, I was too stubborn to stop so I just kept pushing through. The past couple of days have been filled with icing, anti inflams and rolling on my beloved spikey ball. I am hoping an additional rest day and my smart recovery strategies will have it feeling strong again in no time. Having said that, I am hoping it is not something more serious because I have trained too hard to quit now!

The run walk method made the km's tick by quickly, and aside from the 89% humidity, I actually really enjoyed my runs. They give me such a feeling of accomplishment and I really enjoy the alone time just to think. I feel like the 10km the previous day didn't have much an influence on how I felt running the 24km, but I didn't feel like I could have run a marathon a day after the 24km. Right now all my training has felt pretty bearable, but I am preparing for a few tough runs in the coming months of training. Seeing numbers like 32, 36 and 42km training runs is really scary.

Do you have any advice for arch pain? How do you cope with injury in a training cycle?

Ash :)

Sunday 21 September 2014

Dopey Training Update- First back to back run weekend!

This past weekend was a momentous one, my FIRST BACK TO BACK training weekend for Dopey. The plan called for 4 miles on Saturday and then the big 13 on Sunday. While slogging away on Sunday, a thought crossed my mind. While looking at my training plan, I always look at the big picture. In that regard, this weekend's past back to back run was nothing. I mean, nothing! I need to double these distances just to get an idea of the epicness that is the Dopey Challenge. But then I had an epiphany!

I almost ran the equivalent to Dumbo Double Dare, or Glass Slipper (runDisney challenge races which involve 10k and half on Saturday and Sunday) this weekend! That is awesome! Just because this weekend's runs were small in the big picture, they are still big achievements. It is pretty easy to get caught up and always look to the next week, and bigger run, but sometimes its fun to stop and enjoy an accomplishment, even if it is just a step to towards the bigger picture.


It was running gear central at my house on Saturday night!
It meant I was up on Sunday at 5:15am, ready to go!

As for my run, the mental game begins now. I have never ran 13 miles for 'training' in my life, normally this past weekend would have been race time. Physically I know I can keep running, but mentally it is really hard to see numbers like 15, 17 and 20 followed by the words miles on a training plan. Swap the miles for km, and sure no problem! And this weekend was also the beginning of more back to back runs, but hey- if I did this weekend, I am sure I can do a few more!

A very happy camper with 13 miles in the books!

How is your training going? Do you have a big race coming up?

Ash :)

Tuesday 16 September 2014

10km PR :)

After some strong and consistent training runs for Dopey (it's amazing how a good goal can motivate you), I found myself thinking about a 10km PR attempt. Where I live, official racing is not an option (8hr drive to the nearest town that would hold a race), so I thought, how about a fake 10km race? Obviously not an official PR, but a nice way to see how my running has come along since I started an official training program, and a program where I have not missed one session since I began.

I needed to beat 1:17:52, which I had run using 2:1 Galloway intervals. Since experimenting with a variety of different run:walk strategies, I have actually found 45sec:30sec to produce some of my speediest runs. I set out with my 45:30 intervals beeping away, and wanted to run a strong and safe 'race'. As I settled into a rhythm, I was feeling good, really good, so I ran the last 750m with no walk breaks. As I ticked over to 10km, I looked down to see a very happy sight. 1:14:23. I know this is no world record pace, but I have been trying to break 1:15:00 for a long time, and to achieve that in a non official 'race' was awesome.

Since beginning (and sticking with) my Dopey training, I have been slowly improving. As a non-runner for most of my life, it has been really satisfying to break out of the 'I can't run/I'm not a real runner' mentality and push myself. Even though I want to continue pushing myself, little achievements like this are what keeps me heading back out 4 times a week.

Without any official races, medals are off the table, but a well timed
online delivery makes for an excellent PR reward! 


My new goal is under 1:10!

When was your last PR?

Ash :)

Saturday 13 September 2014

The best 5km of my life!

This will not seem like a big deal to many runners. But to me, as far as I am concerned, I just placed first in an Olympic 5000m.

Last week I ran 5km WITH NO WALK BREAKS. Sure I have 'run' 5km thousands of times. But I have always taken a walk break, normally around the 3-3.5km mark in a race for a couple of minutes before I pick it up for a strong finish. When just training by myself I normally just stick to my Galloway intervals as that is what I will be using in all of my upcoming RunDisney Races- Wine and Dine Half, Avengers Half, Dopey Challenge and Castaway Cay Challenge.

I decided a couple of weeks ago to get back into running with my run group, they are a bit faster than me, so I normally just tag along at the back or cut a 1-2km off the out back path so I can finish with everyone and have a safer run. During one session, one of the girls offered to run with me, and as we chatted I was feeling pretty strong. We took one 30 second walk break at the turn around point, and I thought to myself, next time I am not taking that break.

The next week I headed out with the group, and with my goal in focus I finished that 5k running the whole way. I know to a lot of people that wouldn't be a big deal, but it is definitely one of the high points of my running career. To do something that for so long I though was impossible was amazing.



How did you feel when you achieved a long term goal?

Ash :)

Thursday 14 August 2014

We have to share the running love!

Okay, just to make this clear I will give you a bit of background. I am not a sleek looking runner with brand name gear and world record pace. I am more of a uncoordinated elephant plodding along, but a very happy and self assured elephant. I honestly couldn't give a two hoots what other people think of me when they see me running my awesome Galloway intervals and stopping to pull out my wedgie. Such is the life of a runner, and in this case a slow and happy runner.

But when you ask about my upcoming races and I tell you about 1/2 marathons on consecutive weekends and my new obsession, the Dopey Challenge, DO NOT ASK ME IF I THINK I WILL FINISH.

Of course I think I will finish! I am blindly optimistic. And barring some horrific injury, I WILL FINISH! I cannot afford to be thinking negatively 5 months out from the event. All I can do is train my little heart out and hope for the best. So when sometimes tells you about their crazy 150 mile ultra, don't ask them 'Do you think you will finish?' because I guarantee you, that they would much rather hear you say '150 miles! You will smash it!'. A little positivity goes a long way people, so hand it out at every opportunity you get!

Generally speaking, I am one happy chappy!


What's the best thing someone has told you before a race?

Ash :)


Saturday 9 August 2014

The wise Garmin knows all.

While on my 7 mile (11.2km) training for RunDisney's Dopey Challenge, I found myself with a lot of time to just think. As I plodded along, I found myself feeling stronger and stronger with each passing kilometer. Now in no way am I complaining about this, but in my experience I am a runner who doesn't really get into the groove of my run until about the 7-8km mark. This is one reason why I really struggle with a 5k, just as I start to feel like I am finding a comfortable rhythm, the race is over. And last year in my maiden half marathon voyage I copped a second half split (10km-end) of 1:11, which is actually 6 minutes faster than my 10km PR. Weird hey?

Anyway, my very wise Garmin obviously records a variety of information, and mostly I am just checking my overall pace/km to check I am still working with RunDisney cut off time (which I am- WAHOOOOO). Today I though I would have a little look at my splits per interval (on a long run I use 1:1 Galloway intervals).
These are the splits from the beginning of my run (warm up, then 1 min run: 1 min walk)

These are the splits from the end of run

As you can see, my run splits improve by over a minute from in the range of 7:14/km-8:13km to a best interval of 6:03/km.

This showed me to two things: 

1) I am not crazy, I didn't just feel like I was running faster, I actually was running faster!

2) If I can find a good warm up that works for me and can get me running those kind of times from the start I will be in much better shape for the Dopey Challenge.

Do you ever look at your GPS data? Have you ever found anything interesting?

Ash :) 

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Less than 3 months until Wine and Dine Half Marathon!

As I write this my excitement levels are rising, because there is officially less than 3 months until the beginning of the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Race Weekend.

Wine and Dine half will be my first official RunDisney race and to say I am looking forward to it is a huuuuge understatement! Ever since I found out about the RunDisney race events I have had an interest, but living in Australia and the thought of taking on a half marathon made it seem like a fantasy. I started running, and by running I mean run/walking (which has worked an absolute treat) and built my way up to half marathon distance. After finishing uni and not securing a full time job straight away, the registration for Wine and Dine seemed too tempting to refuse (and it's on my birthday!). So when it opened I registered, and the week after I registered for Avengers Half and a month later I was registering for Dopey. I definitely caught the RunDisney bug!

The hard training is starting to get going, with a big focus on Dopey training, which will nonetheless prepare me for both of my halves in November. I am seriously so pumped and just waiting to board that plane and be on the way to Disney to make my dreams come true!

What is your dream race?

Ash :)

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Recovery Tips and Tricks

I touched on a few of my recovery tips and tricks a little while back (check out my post here), but thought I would give a bit more detail on my personal recovery strategies. What works for each individual will always be different, but these are a few strategies I rely on.

1) A good cool down- I always try to finish a run with 1/2-1km of gentle walking to bring my heart rate down and help my muscles to relax

2) Stretching- I focus on my hip flexors, calves, glutes and quads as they are all problem areas for me. I find about 3 minutes per stretch works wonderfully.

3) Protein- My personal favourite is Dextro After Sports Recovery Drink, but another tried and tested favourite is chocolate milk! Whatever works for you, but you want to get some proteins and carbs into your body within about 30 minutes of finishing your workout.

4) Depending on the intensity of the session, I will sometimes have an ice bath. It sounds brutal, but it works wonders for me.

5) Compression- I love my 2XU elite compression tights, but I also wear 2XU compression socks

6) Bath with epsom salts- If i am still feeling a little tight the next day, a warm bath with epsom salts really helps.

7) Foam Rolling/Rolling with a spikey ball- I have a spikey ball that I swear by, and often roll the arches or my feet, calves and hip flexors if I still have a little tightness the next day.

What is your recovery magic trick?

Ash :)

Disclaimer: I was not compensation for this post in anyway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Saturday 26 July 2014

First Official Dopey Training Run!

Yesterday I completed my first official Dopey Training Run!

An easy 10km was the start of what I hope will be a focused and ultimately successful training series. I am super nervous so any words of encouragement would be appreciated. It is going to be a tough slog but it will be worth it when I get there!

I have my training plan all printed off and I am ready to get stuck into it. I can be a bit lazy so I am sticking the training plan up next to my bed so every morning when I wake up it will be there staring in my face saying 'RUN LAZY BONES' and hopefully I will be able to say 'Sure thing!' Dopey is going to be my first marathon so some people probably think I have bitten off more than I can chew but life is short so you have to take opportunities when they come up and make the most of them.

28 sweet weeks of Jeff Galloway training goodness!

Say something nice to keep me motivated! Please!

Ash :)

Wednesday 9 July 2014

Stadium Stomp 2014

Well! I know I have been absent for a few weeks and I have no excuses other than I have been enjoying some amazing holiday time with my family. I love running, but I love my family a whole lot more, so being able to relax and spend some real quality time with them has been amazing.

While on holidays though (back home in Melbourne), it wouldn't have been a great holiday unless I snuck in a little race or something somewhere. So, Stadium Stomp 2014 it was! I completed it last year and had a ball, so making the decision to go again was a pretty easy one (see my blog about it here).

I decided to complete the full course just as I had done last year, and turned up and registered on the day (it actually worked out perfectly as my partner had to work that morning anyway), and watched a very cute on field proposal as I waited for my wave to start. I was little nervous, but knowing exactly what to expect, and knowing I had completed it last year made it A LOT easier!

I took it easy at the start knowing what was ahead- a few people commented as we finished level 1 and moved onto level 4 about being half way. Even though it does feel like half way because you have finished 1 of the 2 levels, in terms of stairs- you are only just over 1/4 of the way. It was great knowing what was ahead of me and it really helped me to pace myself so I could complete the challenge but finished with essentially no gas in the tank. I broke it into mental sections (green chairs, brown chairs, blue chairs) and counted how many sets of 'up' stairs until the next colour section of the stadium. Before I knew it I was nearing the end, and I was feeling it. I mean feeling it. My legs were shaking with every step and I was so looking forward to sitting down!

I pushed hard and I finished in under 1.5 hours, and I think it was faster than last year (but not 100% on that one). I was pretty pleased with myself after no specific stair training and just deciding on the day before to complete it.

I would 100% recommend Stadium Stomp to everyone, whether it be the half or full course. It is an awesome day out with a great atmosphere and provides an awesome challenge to people of various fitness levels. A big thumbs up from me Stadium Stomp!

Feeling very accomplished at the end of the day!

Do you often decide to do a race on short notice?

Ash :)

Thursday 19 June 2014

The Beep Test

I have been trying to improve my overall fitness, and although race times and training times are great reflections of how I am going, I wanted something a bit more standardized. A lot can affect the time run in a race such as number of participants, course, weather and probably quite a few other factors I am forgetting.

So the beep test seemed like a good idea. For those of you who don't know, the beep test is basically a run to exhaustion within a specific time frame. 2 cones are placed 20 metres apart. You run backwards and forwards between the cones until you can no longer reach the cone before the next beep (you can download an app to get the beep 'soundtrack'). The time between the beeps gets closer and closer as the levels progress, so it tests endurance as well as ability to pick up speed as the legs get tired. About 1 1/2 months ago I did the beep test with a score of 5.5. Today I managed a score of 7, which was a huge improvement!

I am one happy chappy!

How do you test yourself for improvement?

Ash :)

Sunday 15 June 2014

A serious lack of motivation and a new PR

On a Saturday I ran a shiny new 10k PR. No race, no specific training, no water stations, no sealed road. Just me, my running trail and a hidden bottle of water. It may have only been a PR of 8 seconds, but a PR is a PR. And considering it was on an uneven trail, the most disorganized course of loops and back tracking and the several 'nope this is too hard I am turning back moments', I am stoked with what I achieved.

I have not been doing any specific training, because this has been more of a building period in preparation for Dopey 2015, so I have been trying to fit in at least one long run every week/fortnight, one speed session per week plus a tempo session every week/fortnight. Running a PR is a non race situation- which is unheard of me (I always do better in races. ALWAYS), has given me hope that when I tackle my next 10k I can hope to get a decent PR of more than 8 seconds. Someone once told me when creating a goal for a race you should have 3 goals- one that is achievable- such as I will have good form for the whole race, a goal that you would be happy with- such as running under 1:10 for my next 10k, and then a goal you would be over the moon with- such as running under 1:00 for my next 10k.

I had been in a bit of a funk after a long weekend, break from running and far too much junk food. This new PR has given me new focus and I am ready to get back to training hard and eating clean. So get around me!

A quick hike while on holidays rewarded me with this view.

A little bit on incidental exercise over my long weekend away!

How do you refocus after a break?

Ash :)

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Rest Days

Even though I totally understand why athletes have rest days and ALL the benefits of including a rest day in a training cycle, I can't help but feel so guilty when I plan on having one. I feel like I am letting myself down and being lazy. I don't know why I think this, and it is definitely silly, but I can't help it.

I am a pretty active person, I would say on average I do some exercise 6 days a week, and sometimes I will even do something in the morning and then something again at night. And I understand compared to an elite athlete this is nothing, but it sure has to be more than the couch potatoes sitting at home. So I don't know why I can't turn off that little voice in my head saying 'Get up and do something lazy', even if I am well overdue to have a chill out day.

I am trying to include a few extra rest days in my training cycles because lately I have found myself struggling to get through planned speedwork because of 'dead legs' which I am pretty sure are from either a) my long run or b) weight sessions too close to speed work sessions. I am hoping these extra rest days will recharge me and meaning I can kick some serious butt when racing.

Does anyone else struggle when it comes to your rest day? What tricks do you use to stop feeling guilty?

Ash :)

Saturday 31 May 2014

Long Run Blues

On Saturday morning, I got up early, laced my runners and set off my long run. It wasn't too hot and I was feeling pretty confident about my goal of 18km. The first few kms ticked along and I was thinking about how strong I was feeling. My drink bottle was a pain to carry so as I run a few loops, I hid it in the bushes with the intent of grabbing it on the way (something I would never do in Melbourne, but on the track I run here I have actually never seen anybody else!).

At around the 10km I was feeling a bit fatigued and I made a mental note to drink more water as it was heating up. Then the wheels fell off my wagon. It was hot, I was dehydrated, my shin splints flared up. The last 5km of this run could not have been further from the fun first 10km. I finally understand about hitting the wall. I hit the wall. Actually, I smashed into the wall at about 100km/h and struggled to get going again.

I didn't fuel properly on the run because I didn't have my water with me when I planned to refuel and by the time I got to my water the damage was done. My water was hot, the weather was hot, I was hot. It was a hard run. I could not have been happier when I turned down my street and I knew my punishment was almost over. But hey, 19km done and I am ready to head out again next week for a half marathon training run. Which is both exciting and scary. It's so weird to think my usual goal race distance is now just a training distance. Eeek.

Have you ever had a monstrous training run? How do you regroup?

Ash :)

Thursday 29 May 2014

Where I should be this weekend...Spartan Race

I signed up for the sprint Spartan Race in Victoria a few months ago when I saw it advertised on Scoopon with a few friends. I was both scared and excited. Having completed Warrior Dash without too many major hiccups I was looking forward to a new challenge and proving to myself that I can do it.

Bacon (my partner) and I after Warrior Dash- I promise I am actually wearing pants. 

Then came the news I would be relocating to remote Northern Territory for work. So no Spartan Race for me, and my poor partner (who I had forced to sign up with me) is now stuck going with another friend who also had his girlfriend bail at the last minute.

Right now I am feeling a few emotions, such as guilt, jealously, and relief. I think mostly though, I am disappointed. I was really looking forward to conquering a few of my fears (like anything involving upper body strength) and maybe showing up a few boys. Now I will be lacing up for my long run through the bush, and thinking about where I should be.

Good luck boys- I am sure you will smash it! Do me proud and remember AROOOOOO!

What do you think about obstacle races? Have you ever done one?

Ash :)

Tuesday 27 May 2014

RunDisney Star Wars Challenge

RunDisney have announced ANOTHER new race weekend. The Star Wars race weekend will be over the weekend between 15th-18th of January.

I am a little disappointed as this leaves a very slim window of opportunity for those completing the Castaway Cay Challenge (such as myself) to make it over in time for the Rebel Challenge (10k and half marathon event). I am still very much undecided on whether I will even bother trying to fit the Star Wars races into my schedule, as there will not be much room to allowed for delays on the cruise or with our flights in terms of picking up our race packets. I have emailed RunDisney to inquire if they will have an alternate arrangements for those coming directly from the cruise to Star Wars race weekend in event of delayed flights or cruise disembarkation. I am hoping they might allow a small number of competitors race morning bib pick up if needed, which would definitely help to push me towards the signing up option.

Race weekend includes a 5k, 10k, half marathon, challenge with the 10k and half plus kids races and a Wookie Welcome Party. Registration opens on the 10th June at noon EST. This race weekend has been in the rumour mill for a long time and I have no doubt it will sell out extremely quickly. For more details head over to the RunDisney Website.

Are you thinking about signing up for the Star Wars races? Which one?

Ash :)

Saturday 24 May 2014

I'm in! RunDisney Castaway Cay Challenge!

At 2am on Saturday morning my poor partner sat there waiting to register me for RunDisney's Castaway Cay Challenge- so first of all THANK  YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to him (I do not have internet access at home in the community I am in at the moment, and I didn't feel like staying at work until 2am, so he was forced to very kindly volunteered to register me for CCC).

I got this wonderous email about 15 minutes after registration opened

I was so relieved once I had received my registration confirmation as we had already booked and put a deposit on the cruise. Now don't get me wrong, I still would have fun on the cruise without racing CCC, but that's the icing on the cake that is going to make this one unforgettable holiday!

I understand that for many people a cruise straight after WDW Marathon weekend was impossible, but we have slightly different circumstances. As we are flying over from Australia we were planning a long-ish trip anyway- about 1-2 months, so getting time off work was no problem. We had already thought about doing a cruise, we just hadn't decided which one or how long for. Also, because running all the Disney races isn't an option for me because of all the flying (and cost!), to be able to fit one more race in right on the tail of another seemed perfect. So as far as I was concerned it was meant to be!

Are you registered for CCC? Have you heard about the rumoured Paris Disneyland half marathon?

Ash :)

Thursday 22 May 2014

RunDisney Castaway Cay Challenge Registration Opens

To all those RunDisney Fans, don't forget registration for RunDisney's Castaway Cay Challenge opens at 12pm EST tomorrow. For those fans in Australia like me, that's 2am (EST) Saturday 24/5! I am not looking forward to that wake up call.

You can register via the RunDisney Website!

I am excited to register having booked my cruise last week, fingers crossed I can get in. I will be very interested to see how quickly it sells out- I have no idea what the size of the field is limited to!

Good luck to everyone trying to register, I hope we all get in!

Are you planning on running the Castaway Cay Challenge? What race are you doing at WDW Marathon weekend?

Ash :)

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Unhealthy Comparisons

I hate to admit it, but I am definitely one of those people who love to make unhealthy comparisons. I wish (and I really mean it), that I could be someone who looks at their race results and thinks ‘Awesome, I ran a great race’; instead I  always think ‘Oh man, I am so slow, there were 2739 people faster than me’. This says two things to me- 1) I need to run smaller races, and 2) I need to stop being so negative. It is a bad trait! I am working really hard to find the small wins in my training and celebrate them, even if to someone else it would be a fail.

I know it’s not just me, I see and hear people all the time say things like ‘My half marathon time is rubbish, it’s over 3 hours!’ Excuse me? You just ran a half marathon- you are legendary. I don’t care if it took 4 hours or 1 ½, 21kms is no joke. Once I had a friend say (and I am sure she didn’t mean it this way) ‘I want to run a half marathon but my boyfriend says if I can’t do it in less than 2 hours there is no point in even trying’. This was about a week after my 1st half marathon which I completed in 2:41:57. It broke my heart to think what I had achieved wasn’t important because I didn’t do it fast enough.

When I ran my last triathlon of the season I wiped 10 minutes off my time- which in retrospect is AMAZING. All I thought when I saw the results was that I was still 10-15 minutes off the top ladies in my age group. Thinking like this can’t be healthy. So I want to change my way of thinking and be more positive.
I solemnly swear from this moment on, I will not compare myself to other people, only to myself. I will strive to achieve my best, and not someone else’s. If you can run one minute longer than you could yesterday- you are a champion.

My first half marathon- a win regardless of finishing time!

Do you find yourself making unhealthy comparisons? How do you stay motivated?


Ash J  

Sunday 18 May 2014

Speed Work

In preparation for Wine and Dine Half, Avengers Half and the Dopey Challenge, I have made the decision that my usual haphazard style of training isn't going to be enough, and I need to start a proper training routine. This has meant the introduction of speed work. Yes, the dreaded speed work. Give me a long run any day, I suffer through speed work as I am not naturally very speedy at all.

Last week I decided to start easy and give 4 x 400m with 2 min recovery a crack, and my paces looked something like this

Repeat 1: 5:42 min/km
Repeat 2: 6:23 min/km
Repeat 3: 5:55 min/km
Repeat 4: 5:33 min/km

I realised after my first repeat that I hard probably gone out a little hard and needed to pull back to have some gas in the tank for the other 3 repeats. I completed this workout by myself and as I said before, I really did struggle. I found it hard to push myself and actually run at speed. So last night when I got a text from the local running group (Yep! You heard right- we have a running group here) that they were going to be doing some speedwork (6 x 400m with 1:30 recovery), I jumped at the chance. My paces looked something like this after this morning's group session

Repeat 1: 5:42 min/km
Repeat 2: 5:56 min/km
Repeat 3: 6:10 min/km
Repeat 4: 5:32 min/km
Repeat 5: 5:56 min/km
Repeat 6: 5:48 min/km

I was really impressed that I managed to keep up similar paces (even a little better) with 30 sec shorter recovery and 2 extra repeats. I really felt that running with the group pushed me harder and I actually really enjoyed the workout. Hopefully if I keep these kinds of workouts up I will be able to bring down my pace per km and finally run that sub 30 min 5k.

What do you normally do for your speedwork?

Ash :)

Saturday 17 May 2014

Goals

I am someone who loves to set goals, as they keep me focused and give me something to work towards. I have quite a long list of goals at the moment, varying from very achievable to verging on impossible (not impossible- just VERGING on impossible). Here is my list as it stands now

Running related:

1) A sub 30min 5k/60min 10k/2hr half marathon- this equals roughly 6min/km pace. I have been chasing this goal for a long time and I can get close (33:20 5k) but not quite there. I am hoping to work on this as part of my Dopey training.

2) A marathon- another goal I will conquer at Dopey/part of Dopey Training.

3) Successfully complete Dopey- enough said.

4) Ironman Triathlon before I am 30- Training for Ironman is serious business, but until I can run a marathon it's probably out of my reach. Baby steps for now.

5) Place in my age group- duathlon, triathlon, run, big race, small race- I don't care. I just want to place in my age group once.

6) This is the verging on impossible one. So don't laugh. My secret dream in to represent Australia in sport. I don't mind which sport, just to reach the top level would be amazing. As I said, virtually impossible, but it is great to have something to work towards.

After my 5km PR. One happy chappy!



Non running related;

1) Enjoy life! Sometimes I get so caught up in working, training, studying or whatever I forget to take a step back and enjoy life!

2) Travel- Easy! I love travel but I haven't done much. I would love to check out Europe or go on a long cruise or anything! I am ready for adventure!

3) Find a job I love. I love working as a teacher but there are lots of different schools with different philosophies and it can be quite tricky landing a permanent full time position. Fingers crossed I can achieve this one sooner rather than later!

I love working towards goals and I hoping a strong training season before my RunDisney events can help me cross a few off the list!

What goals do you set for yourself?

Ash :)

Friday 16 May 2014

Musings on a Long Run

Today while on my long run I allowed my mind to wander while my legs ticked over the kms. Quite often on a long run I will think about all sorts of things- upcoming racecations, plans for the next week, what to have for dinner and other various runner musings! 


Today my mind drifted towards my upcoming Disney racecations and the training I will need to do to achieve my goals. At the moment I have been mostly running on feel as I settle into my new running environment. While in Melbourne my long runs were nearing 15-16km, and then I would often complete a shorter tempo run and a speed session as well as easy runs or walks a few times a week. Since moving to the Northern Territory and being slowed down by the heat I have been trying to walk everyday and fit in a long run once a week. 

After several weeks of long runs varying in length from about 9km to 12km, today was the first day I felt like my old self! I set off at about 6:15am ready to run about 10km- at which point it's normally time to head home as it's getting hot. Today, as the sun rose I noticed some unusual clouds in the sky and realised today was a lucky day! It was not getting anywhere near as warm as normal. At that point I decided to run a little longer until I felt it was too hot, and that turned out to be 16kms!! It felt fantastic to be able to run with a light breeze blowing, some shade and not have the sun beating down on me. 


What a view!

Today's run has got me super motivated for my upcoming racecations, and feeling like maybe Dopey won't be as impossible as first thought!

What do you think about on your long runs?

Ash :)

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Run Disney Castaway Cay Challenge

Run Disney has just added a new challenge- The Castaway Cay Challenge! This challenge involves running any event at Marathon Weekend, plus the Castaway Cay 5k event while on the Disney Cruise departing 12th Jan.

A few things struck me as interesting when I had a look at the details provided:

This is a excerpt from the Castaway Cay 5k details: To be eligible for the Castaway Cay Challenge runners must enter their cruise reservation number at the time of registration for a 5K or longer 2015 Walt Disney World® Marathon race event. 

I find that very interesting as at the time of publication all events except for the Goofy Challenge were sold out, meaning many eligible runners will have already registered and be unable to provide those details. 

*UPDATE- I emailed RunDisney and they have said this was oversight and all you need to do is enter your cruise reservation number when registering for the Castaway Challenge*

There is no mention of the price. Judging by the prices of current Run Disney 5k's I would expect it to be around the $60.00.

I wonder if many people will have already booked accommodation/made alternate arrangements for after marathon weekend before this event was advertised. I had planned to spend a few more days at WDW, but I will be talking to my travel agent to see if I can change my plans (maybe?)!

This offer is only with the 4 night cruise, I would have loved to see a 7 night cruise offered as well! 


Personally, I am not sure what I am going to do. The word inaugural is very hard for me to resist, plus the chance to earn a challenge medal almost seals the deal. A few things I am thinking of that I will have to weigh up include:

a) Medal design- I have seen the original Castaway Cay medals and I am not a huge fan! Hopefully now it is an official race they will spice them up a bit. 

b) Holiday logistics- depending on work next year will depend on how long I can take for holidays/when I can take my holidays etc

c) My poor partner! I am dragging him to Wine and Dine, Avengers Half, Dopey Challenge- it is really fair to now drag him on a Disney Cruise so I can do ANOTHER race!


d) We were originally planning on a cruise but didn't really consider Disney as we wanted something a little more 'adult' focused.


But then again, maybe I am a big kid?

Has anyone been on a Disney Cruise? What are they like? Would you recommend one?

Ash :)