Alabama A-Day Game... A pics post!

If you follow me on Instagram and/or Twitter then you already know where I spent last Saturday.... Alabama's A-Day Game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Yeah! Besides Walt Disney World, my next favorite place to hang out... Bryant Denney Stadium. Roll Tide!

 My little man and Michael Waltrip's New National Championship Nascar Car he will be driving!

 This Kid. Talking me in to wearing a Mohawk to the game...Okay. ;)

 Could they be any crazier???

 Me and my Justin in front of the stadium. He refuses to smile.
 He tells me that's not  "cool" when it comes to football. :)))

The Crimson Tide taking the field!

Love this pic of my Justin watching his team...so serious!

 Ran into Carson Tinker in front of the stadium...super nice guy!

 A.J. McCarron getting a little camera time. Nothing new about this. LOL.

 My Justin and Saban. 

I can't get enough of this child. Her face!

Justin, Uncle Danny and Gran Gran heading in to the game....My Justin was  SO proud to  have them there!

 Chap and Alyssa...hangout buds!

 Ready for Football Season! Roll Tide!!!

"Save It For The Run"

This was a hard text to get.   

     A little background on this text:

     Holly, my long-time running friend from Boston Mass. sends me this screen shot today of a text convo that we had back in October of 2011. Now Holly and I have been friends for years and have always done our long runs together on Sundays. Standing appointment. Every Sunday morning we meet at 5:30am and run many different distances but always try to be home before 8am. We don't meet during the week, don't even talk during the week because afterall, we run long distances. Trust me, there is not too much out there that we haven't talked about. Our favorite term is "Save it for the run". She probably knows more about me than my husband, some of my very best friends and probably more than my family. It's a fact. When you run and train for marathons with a friend, everything comes out.  I've listened for lots of miles and I've talked for lots of miles. She always says she feels like she needs to pay me after our long runs for her therapy session. lol.

     Rewind to October of 2011. We had been training the whole year before for Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham the previous February and me for Goofy Challenge at Disney the previous January. Talk about issues going on! Her hubby was having serious issues with his job and was looking for another one. Mine had already lost his so I was looking to go back to work. We were letting it all out. The good, the bad and the REALLY bad. The financial problems were out of control. We were both stay-at-home moms now facing husbands losing jobs, having to go back to work (which means our houses were upside down), trying to juggle it all and still holding on to our faith that everything happens for a reason. We knew that. Through it all, we still met every single Sunday morning. We ran in the 100+ Bama Heat, in the freezing cold, in the rain and even on the perfect weather days. We both needed these long run days! Now I'm not just beefing this up for a dramatic blog post. This is really the way it happened. 

     Fast Forward to October 25, 2011. I get this text and my heart sank.I knew it would probably be coming. I thought I was prepared for it.  My buddy was leaving. Gah, I couldn't even hardly eat for days. I was beyond sick about this. But....I was happy for her too because I knew what a relief that would be financially. I was there too so I understood it. But selfishly I. WAS. SICK.  My whole running world as I knew it was just not the same. Needless to say, there was no Disney Marathon weekend in store for me the following January. Financially, I just couldn't swing it and I was still in a bit of long-run depression with my friend gone. Bummed big time.  We were both supposed to run the Inaugural Ruben Studdard Half Marathon that following November. I ran it. She was back in Boston by then. This was just awful in my world! 

     So I really was serious about running Boston (or at least trying to). We had talked about it sooo many times because she and her husband are originally from Boston and she knew everything about it. Her brother  and sister-in-law had either ran it or volunteered every year for the past 20 years! Holly had moved to a suburb about 30 min from Downtown Boston so I knew I had a place to stay, food would be cheap...all I needed was a flight but more importantly, had to qualify! ugh. I ran Mercedes in 4:26 the previous February so I was needing to shave off about 45 min off of my time. Really. Not gonna happen. Holly, on the other hand, ran it in 4:02 so it was totally in her range. I had eventually sworn off that I was not even going to  try to qualify but would maybe run for charity or at least come cheer her on or volunteer.

     She texted every single Sunday morning around 6:30 or 7 (my time) to let me know how far she had run, how fast, if she was on the treadmill (it was COLD as crap in Boston) or outside. She was on the road to BQ. This went on for months.  Her hubby was not liking his job too much and they were really missing Alabama. They absolutely loved raising their children here so she was always texting me feeling a little "homesick". She did send me lots of pics of their trips to the Red Sox games and lots of pics from Adam Sandler filming a movie in her neighborhood. That was pretty cool!  Things were fine with me and I was back to running some longer runs by myself. I've got a ton of runner friends here so I was never really running "alone".  I had ran a few half marathons and was running with different friends on for all different types of runs.  I run alot of runs with my sister too but she doesn't live near me so it's hard to train regularly with her. We usually manage to get all of the Disney runs in together though so all was not lost. :)

     Fast forward to Summer of 2012. I get yet another text from Holly saying "Can you believe it? Joe's company is transferring him back to Bama! I'm coming back home". OMG!! I really couldn't believe it. At this point, I had started training again for Goofy Challenge 2013 that I was all set to run with my sister so this was the best news I could have gotten! I had been worried to death about running it. Not about actually running the race, I knew my sister and I would be fine once we got there but It was the training that I was out of my mind about. I had never ran a really long run by myself before and I had already ran Goofy once before so I knew the amount of training I was about to have to do! I just simply replied back..."Let me know when you are back and I'll meet you at the park the next Sunday @ 5:30am." :)
     And so she did...she was back within two weeks of that text and we met the following Sunday at 5:30am and have been running every Sunday since.  At this point,  she has now squashed the dreams of running Boston because she had moved back to Bama and things were just too chaotic with the move and job transfer for her to keep training. I never even gave it another thought really. Until April 15th, 2013. I, like the rest of the world watched the bombing in horror. SO many emotions running through my head. I had friends there running, friends at the finish line waiting for other friends, friends texting me all day asking if I was there!! In no way, do I want to use the The Boston Marathon bombing experience to promote my blog or make it an "all about me" type of thing. It is not my intention to take anything away from those who ran the Marathon or those who were not able to finish or heaven forbid the ones who were injured or lost their lives. What I do want to take away from this is the reality that for me, The Boston Marathon was really just a flight away...I could have easily been there.  I have no doubt in my mind that if she was still living in Boston, we would have both been there. She would have been aiming for about a 3:30 time and I would have been standing there at that finish line waiting for her. OMG.
     I've known it all along but am reminded every single day in so many little ways.."Everything DOES happen for a reason." I thank God every morning for all of the blessings, family and friends that I have. I'm not a sappy sappy person and don't really like to dwell on the bad things in life but this is just one of those times that I'm truly glad that it was not in God's plans for me to be at THAT Boston Marathon. Clearly, I went through alot of heartache and wished for a year that I would be there. Lesson learned. Patience and Contentment...through good times and bad, happy and sad.  I got this. :)

Me, Holly and Diane (one of my other BFFS) at the KBR 5k in Birmingham, Mercedes Weekend, 2011.

 This pic makes me laugh. I texted this to Holly on a day when I was just having a crappy run. I took this at the park where we meet to run and I thought she would really enjoy all of the geese pooping on the track and  missing her. LOL.

 This was the Instagram pic that I tweeted to RunDisney after Holly and I had ran a 20 mile Goofy Challenge training run. She had just moved back to Bama a few weeks before this!

 Typical early Sunday Morning run!

 Me, Holly and Bomb Diggity in Florence Alabama, Race Without Limits (2nd Half Marathon of the BTC Triple Crown Series)

Me, Holly, Her Kiki and the Big Ruben at Magic City Half  2012. (2nd Annual Ruben Studdard Half Marathon)

 Ran 6 Miles and talked about the Boston Marathon the whole way today. Again, this was one of those things that I couldn't even call her on Monday when it happened....Had to "Save it for the run".

**Update: Holly and I are still meeting every Sunday to get our long runs in..Both of our hubs have jobs and we both work Full-time as well :) We've changed our times from 5:30am to later in the afternoon just to mix it up a bit and try to get a few more hours of shuteye on the weekends. We are taking a few weeks off from the really long runs but still running a minimum of 6 miles now and will pick those long runs up again sometime after June when it's waaaaay too hot to run in the afternoons in Alabama! She is not running Dopey Challenge with me but she has already said she's gonna run all of the long runs to get me trained. :)

**Do you have a BRF??

I'm a Kidz Zone Mom!

Kidz Zone Perfect Mom!

     I'm proud to say that I was chosen as one of 100 Moms to review the Kidz Zone Perfect Protein Bars. They come in 3 flavors, Yellow Cupcake, Caramel Crunch and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. I was very intrigued by these being made for kids, claiming to be healthy, packed full of protein and vitamins and actually taste yummy too?!?! Hmmm...let's put them to the test!

Hanging out at the Middle School Track Meet

     First Stop. Middle School Track Meet. I passed out the protein bars to lots of hungry, hot, sweaty Middle School kids. Some of the kids had already ran their events and some were about to run. All were hungry. Success! The kids all gladly took the protein bars, gobbled them up and were really happy that they had options in flavors. They even liked having the "protein" too. These kids are old enough to think it's cool to eat healthy. :)

Before the 100M Hurdle Event

     Some of the girls were naturally drawn to the Yellow Cupcake flavor but also wanted to try the Caramel Crunch as well. We did a mini "taste test" so that they could pick their favorites!

 These girls were so excited to try the Caramel Crunch!

The Boys gobbled them up!

     As a Mom, I was feeling GREAT about fueling my daughter with the Kidz Zone Perfect Protein bars before her events. She runs hard, runs fast and need lots of protein!

 The Kidz Zone Bars fueled her before the 100M Hurdle Dash.

**Check out the Kidz Zone Perfect Website to print your coupon for $1.00 of any Kidz Zone Perfect Bar Coupon!
**Where do you think I will go next to try out more Kidz Zone Perfect Bars?? Stay tuned!!

Nutritional Information:

Yellow Cupcake

Your kids won’t be able to resist the yellow-cakey goodness, and you won’t be able to resist the nutrition packed into this incredibly delicious snack bar.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 36 g bar^*

Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value**
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 40
Fat, g 4	6
Saturated Fat, g 2.5	13
Trans Fat, g 0
Cholesterol, mg 0	0
Sodium, mg 90	4
Potassium, mg 25	<2
Carbohydrate, g 22	7
Dietary Fiber, g 3	12
Sugars, g 13
Protein, g 5	10
Vitamin A	10
Vitamin C	10
Calcium	10
Iron	15
Vitamin E	10
Thiamin	10
Riboflavin	10
Niacin	10
Vitamin B6	15
Folate	10
Vitamin B12	10
Biotin	10
Pantothenic Acid	10
Phosphorus	10
Magnesium	10
Zinc	15
Selenium	15
Chromium	15
Molybdenum	15
Iodine	15
Vitamin K	10
Manganese	15
Copper	15

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 Calorie diet.

• 5g of protein
• 23 vitamins and minerals
• 3g of fiber^†

^†Contains 4g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information for fat content.

Ingredients

Soy Protein Isolate, Yogurt Flavored Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Milk, Nonfat Yogurt Powder [Cultured Whey Protein, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Yogurt Culture], Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor), Corn Syrup, Soluble Corn Fiber, Yellow Cake Pieces (Wheat Flour, Sugar, Palm Oil, Water, Nonfat Milk, Salt, Natural Flavor), Fructose Syrup (Fructose, Water), Evaporated Cane Syrup, Rice Crisps (Rice Flour, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Salt), Maltodextrin, Chicory Root Fiber. Less than 2% of the Following: High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Phosphate, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Egg White, Calcium Carbonate, Turmeric (Added For Color), Mixed Tocopherols, and Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Beta-Carotene [Vit A], Ascorbic Acid [Vit C], Ferric Orthophosphate [Iron], d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate [Vit E], Niacinamide [Vit B3], Zinc Oxide, Iodine, Copper Gluconate, Chromium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate [Vit B5], Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vit B6 ], Riboflavin [Vit B2], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vit B1], Cyanocobalamin [Vit B12], Folic Acid [Vit B9], Biotin [Vit B7], Vitamin K).

Contains egg, milk, soy and wheat ingredients. Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts.

Please refer to product label for most current ingredient, allergen and nutrition information.

Caramel Crunch

Your kids will flip over the creamy caramel, crunchy pretzels and rich chocolate chips that blend with protein and fiber in this too-good-to-be-good-for-them nutrition bar.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 35 g bar^*

Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value**
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 40
Fat, g 4	6
Saturated Fat, g 2	10
Trans Fat, g 0
Cholesterol, mg 0	0
Sodium, mg 200	8
Potassium, mg 60	2
Carbohydrate, g 21	7
Dietary Fiber, g 3	12
Sugars, g 8
Protein, g 5	10
Vitamin A	10
Vitamin C	10
Calcium	10
Iron	15
Vitamin E	10
Thiamin	10
Riboflavin	10
Niacin	10
Vitamin B6	15
Folate	10
Vitamin B12	10
Biotin	10
Pantothenic Acid	10
Phosphorus	10
Magnesium	10
Zinc	15
Selenium	15
Chromium	15
Molybdenum	15
Iodine	15
Vitamin K	10
Manganese	15
Copper	15

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 Calorie diet.

• 5g of protein
• 23 vitamins and minerals
• 3g of fiber^†

^†Contains 4g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information for fat content.

Ingredients

Brown Rice Syrup, Soy Protein Nuggets (Isolated Soy Protein, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Pretzel (Enriched Wheat Flour [Wheat Starch, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Salt, Vegetable Oil [Corn, Canola, Cottonseed and/or Soybean], Corn Syrup, Sodium Bicarbonate, Yeast), Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Syrup, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter), Rice Crisps (Rice Flour, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Salt), Corn Syrup, Liquid Chicory Root, Peanut Butter (Peanuts), Caramel Layer (Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Fructooligosaccharides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Glycerine, Cocoa Butter, Fructose, Salted Butter [Cream, Salt; May Contain Annatto Color], Sodium Citrate, Salt, Carrageenan, Dextrose, Heavy Cream [Cream, Milk, Cellulose Gel, Milk Solids, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum], Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil), Peanut Butter Flavored Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Sodium Caseinate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor), High Maltose Corn Syrup, Fructooligosaccharides, Soy Protein Isolate. Less than 2% of the Following: Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Magnesium Oxide, Calcium Phosphate, Peanut Butter Chips (Sugar, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Sodium Caseinate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor), Salt, Mixed Tocopherols, and Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Beta-Carotene [Vit A], Ascorbic Acid [Vit C], Ferric Orthophosphate [Iron], d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate [Vit E], Niacinamide [Vit B3], Zinc Oxide, Iodine, Copper Gluconate, Chromium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate [Vit B5], Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vit B6 ], Riboflavin [Vit B2], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vit B1], Cyanocobalamin [Vit B12], Folic Acid [Vit B9], Biotin [Vit B7], Vitamin K).

Contains milk, peanut, soy and wheat ingredients. Manufactured in a facility that processes eggs and tree nuts.

Please refer to product label for most current ingredient, allergen and nutrition information.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

The creamy, smooth peanut butter your kids love and the chocolaty chocolate chips they want pair up with protein and fiber to create one delicious, nutritious bar they’ll ask for again and again.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 35 g bar^*

Amount Per Serving	% Daily Value**
Calories 150
Calories from Fat 50
Fat, g 6	10
Saturated Fat, g 2.5	13
Trans Fat, g 0
Cholesterol, mg <5	<2
Sodium, mg 60	3
Potassium, mg 80	3
Carbohydrate, g 19	7
Dietary Fiber, g 3	12
Sugars, g 8
Protein, g 5	10
Vitamin A	10
Vitamin C	10
Calcium	10
Iron	15
Vitamin E	10
Thiamin	10
Riboflavin	10
Niacin	10
Vitamin B6	15
Folate	10
Vitamin B12	10
Biotin	10
Pantothenic Acid	10
Phosphorus	10
Magnesium	10
Zinc	15
Selenium	15
Chromium	15
Molybdenum	15
Iodine	15
Vitamin K	10
Manganese	15
Copper	15

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 Calorie diet.

• 5g of protein
• 23 vitamins and minerals
• 3g of fiber^†

^†Contains 6g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information for fat content.

Ingredients

Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Soy Protein Isolate, Peanut Butter (Peanuts), Brown Rice Syrup, Corn Syrup, Rolled Oats, Soluble Corn Fiber, Caramel (Polydextrose, Fructose, Water, Butter [Cream, Natural Flavorings], Nonfat Dry Milk Powder, Whole Milk Powder, Whey, Natural Flavors, Salt, Soy Lecithin), Chocolate Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Nonfat Milk Powder, Lactose, Cocoa [Processed With Alkali], Dextrose, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Evaporated Cane Syrup, Butter (Pasteurized Sweet Cream, Salt), Sucrose. Less than 2% of the Following: Maltodextrin, Natural Flavor, Peanuts, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Butter Concentrate, and Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Beta-Carotene [Vit A], Ascorbic Acid [Vit C], Ferric Orthophosphate [Iron], d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate [Vit E], Niacinamide [Vit B3], Zinc Oxide, Iodine, Copper Gluconate, Chromium Chloride, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate [Vit B5], Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vit B6 ], Riboflavin [Vit B2], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vit B1], Cyanocobalamin [Vit B12], Folic Acid [Vit B9], Biotin [Vit B7], Vitamin K).

Contains milk, peanut and soy ingredients. Manufactured in a facility that processes eggs, tree nuts and wheat.

Please refer to product label for most current ingredient, allergen and nutrition information.

I'm Running Dopey Challenge!

Dopey and Snow White at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon!

    It was not a tough decision at all for me to make when it came to registering for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend! I'm choosing to go "Dopey"! By that, I mean I will be running the Disney Family Fun Run 5k on Thursday, The Brand New Walt Disney World 10k on Friday (Minnie Themed), Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday (Donald Themed) and Walt Disney World Full Marathon (Mickey Themed) on Sunday. Combining the Half Marathon and the Full Marathon make up the Goofy Challenge and to run them ALL will complete the Inaugural Dopey Challenge! 48.6 miles of Disney Parks Miles AND I'm going to receive 6 Disney Medals all in one weekend...Major RunDisney Score!!! Can you say EXCITED??

Here is a little info on all of the races:

 Me and My Family running the Happy Haunted Halloween 5k in 2010!

Disney Family Fun Run 5K

Thursday, January 9, 2014
6:15 a.m.

Start/Finish: Epcot®

Take time to run together during Disney's Family Fun Run 5K!

Invite the whole family and enjoy a great run the in the shadow of Disney's spectacular Epcot® Theme Park during Disney's Family Fun Run 5K. You'll make your way through Epcot's® amazing Future World and then on to international World Showcase and a thrilling finish. It's all part of the excitement during Disney's Family Fun Run 5K that's a perfect event for beginners, intermediates, or even racing veterans. Adults, teens, tweens – and everyone in between –is invited to join the family fun!

 

Minnie at the Finish Line of the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon!

Walt Disney World® 10K

Friday, January 10, 2014
5:30 a.m.

Start/Finish: Epcot®

Run in the newest Marathon Weekend event, the 10K!

Join us for the inaugural Walt Disney World® 10K. This 6.2 mile course is the perfect distance for runners of all skill levels. Winding throughout Epcot® and the scenic World Showcase, it is the newest way to be part of the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend.

 Mickey, Donald and Goofy at the 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon!

Walt Disney World® Half Marathon presented by Cigna®

Saturday, January 11, 2014
5:30 a.m.

Start/Finish:Epcot®

Saturday starts with a thrilling 13.1 run through Magic Kingdom® Park and Epcot®

It's Saturday morning and excitement fills the air as you take your place for the start of the Walt Disney World® Half-Marathon presented by Cigna®. This amazing 13.1 mile course is a runner's delight, taking you through the magic, wonder, and sheer charm of Magic Kingdom® Park, then on to Epcot®, home of international World Showcase and Future World. The race concludes with a spectacular finish in the shadow of Spaceship Earth.

You must register for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge or Dopey Challenge to receive the challenge medals upon completion of all races within the pacing requirements.

 Me and Mickey at the 2013 Walt Disney World RunDisney/Disney Parks Blog Meetup!

Walt Disney World® Marathon presented by Cigna®

Sunday, January 12, 2014
5:30 a.m.

Start/Finish: Epcot®

The most magical race on earth!

You're a runner who loves adventure! Your priority in a race is the course. And now you're about to head out on the most magical course on earth during the final race of the weekend -- a 26.2 mile run that'll take you through four Walt Disney World® theme parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports and the Walt Disney World® SPEEDWAY. From the Magic Kingdom® Park, home of Mickey, Minnie and the whole Disney gang and the wild adventure of Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park, to the show biz excitement of Disney's Hollywood Studios, and incredible Epcot®, your Marathon adventure is unlike any other anywhere on earth.

You must register for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge or Dopey Challenge to receive the challenge medals upon completion of all races within the pacing requirements.

 My Finish Line Pics after the 2011 and 2013 Goofy Challenges!

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge

Saturday, January 11 - Sunday, January 12, 2014

Start/Finish: Epcot®

Take on Goofy's Challenge - two days, four parks, 39.3 miles of fun!

There's nothing Goofy about Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge! Its 39.3 miles and two-days of pure fun and Disney magic. Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge combines Saturday's Half Marathon – over 13.1 miles through Disney's Magic Kingdom® Park and Epcot® - with Sunday's full Marathon which covers 26.2 miles through all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks including Epcot®, Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Complete both races within the pacing requirements and you'll earn the coveted Goofy Medal in addition to your Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse finisher medals. Registration for Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge is required to receive the Goofy medal.

 Inaugural Dopey Challenge...Pic Courtesy of RunDisney!

Dopey Challenge

Thursday, January 9 - Sunday, January 12, 2014

Start/Finish: Epcot®

Run 48.6 miles of fun in the Dopey Challenge!

Are you ready for the ultimate endurance challenge? Then take part in four days of fun for a total of 48.6 miles in the all-new Dopey Challenge! Participants will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon, and if you complete all four races within the pacing requirements you will be awarded the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge medal and the brand new Dopey Challenge finisher medal for a total of six pieces of "bling."

You must register for the Dopey Challenge to receive the Goofy Challenge and Dopey Challenge medals upon completion of all four races within the pacing requirements. Registering for these four events individually will not enable you to receive the challenge medals.

**There are also other options to volunteer, run the Kids Races, Pasta in the Park Party, Runner's World Challenge, Race Retreat and Chear Squad over at RunDisney.com!
 Registration opens today at Noon EST. Don't be late!

**Which Race will YOU register for???

The weekend wrap-up!

Trying out my new Sony Fitness Walkmans

    What started out to be a pretty "low-key" weekend ended up being packed full of running and alot of normal stuff for me and the fam! First off, Friday evening...I was SO excited to receive my new Sony Fitness Walkman Wireless Digital Music Player that I was dying to take them out for a run! Big Shout out to Klout for sending these! (Full Review coming soon).

5 Mile run around the park!

     I had originally planned to only get a quick 3 Miles in but on mile 2.5, a friend showed up to the park and we ended up talking a little RunDisney and catching up which led me to getting 5.38 miles in. Fine by me! I needed the miles and was happy to see those calories go! Ha!
     Saturday morning my boy was up bright and early by 6:30AM and FULLY DRESSED for his ballgame which wasn't until 9am! Can you tell he's just a wee bit excited about baseball season?!?!  Off to the game we go. The weather was GORGEOUS and there's better than being at the ballpark on Saturday morning watching my boy play!

 My little Mets Player

     Our  normal catcher was not feeling good this morning so Justin stepped in to catch! Now this made me a little nervous. He's never even practiced being a catcher but boy did he step up! He made a few just really awesome plays and now he's going to be getting alot more catching time. He loved it.

 My boy is catching!

     After the ballgame, we grilled out tons of hamburgers and hotdogs, had some friends over and watched the kiddos run around the backyard for hours. After a long day and many hamburgers and chips later, I needed a good evening run. It was still just too pretty outside. Got a quick 5k in around my neighborhood. I managed to add in a couple of hills that I don't normally run so I wasn't feeling too too bad about all of those hamburgers. :)

 Quick Saturday run!

     I woke  up Sunday morning with a house full of kids that had spent the night and decided they needed a little dose of Disney! Yep. Mickey Waffles before Church!

Mickey Waffles happening!

     The kids gobbled the Mickey Waffles up and off to church we went! For some reason, I'm thinking that my kids might just have the coolest mom ever. Just sayin'. ;)

 The Finished product!

     After church, I headed out to meet a friend for a 5-6 mile run around the park. Two laps around is one mile so that can kind of get a little nutty after a while. Needless to say, we jumped off the track and hit the trails close to here and got 5.75 miles in this afternoon. Again, Have I mentioned how GORGEOUS my weather was this weekend?? It was just one of those days where you MUST be outside.

Where I run...

     Got in from my run and had to hurry back to the ballpark..time for team pics! I'm the "Team Mom" so I had to make sure that we were all there and lined up the right way. We were short one Met so I'll grab another pic after a game. They look so serious in their pic. Cracks me up! Go Mets!

Go Mets!

     Okay. So we get home, hubby was taking a nap. The kids were all outside playing. I'm completely caught up on the laundry. WHATTTTT????? Yes. Major accomplishment here. I can't be still! I'm headed back to the park to get a few more miles in. After all, I hadn't changed clothes from the first run. A quick 3 miles should do the trick!

2nd run of the day!

     Well, I had thought 3 miles would be it but then here comes my friend again! It's like we share the same brain waves and just show up at the same time. I wanted to get 4.25 in now to make it an even 10 miles for the day. I went over just a bit and got in 4.30. So 10.05 Total miles!!! Talk about a GREAT Weekend!
     I hurried home to get a quick shower...the ACMs are on at 7pm! I'm a HUGE Country Music Fan and I knew that Jason Aldean was set to sing 1994 which is one of my absolute favorite songs on his Night Train Album so I needed to be all settled in to watch it!

 All settled in for the ACM Awards

     1994 was just as fabulous as I had thought it would be and I decided to post my "Joe Diffie" pic! I met him in Nashville, super nice guy. I bet he had ZERO idea that he was about to become a phenomenon again in his later career! I loved all of his older stuff but now I'm really glad to have this pic with him!

 The Real Joe Diffie!

     And of course, cutie pie Luke Bryan won ACM Entertainer of the Year so I had to post this pic too! This one is my favorite of me and him. This pic is from the Buckmaster/Duck Commander Booth at the CMAFest in Nashville back when he only had one song out. I knew who he was but he was with all of the Duck Dynasty guys that day and nobody knew who they were at the time! Crazy!! There was a little girl in the next booth over by the name of Taylor Swift who had just come out with a hit song "Tim McGraw" that everyone was swooning over...Double Crazy!!!

 Yay! Luke Bryan! Entertainer of the Year!

     So what was really supposed to be an uneventful weekend at home, turned out to be a jam packed weekend full of fabulousness! We didn't go anywhere, didn't spend a dime but had a GREAT time just being at "Home". Those are my favorite types of weekends!

**How do you like to spend your weekends and will YOU be attending CMAfest this summer??  Leave me a comment and let me know!