runDisney costume: Princess Rapunzel (Tangled)

Sings, "I have a dream! I have a dream!" I just want to see the floating lanterns gleam run a half-marathon in the happiest place on earth.  That is OUR dream. As far as the modern princesses go, I would say Rapunzel is definitely an awesome choice for race day, and I love, love, love some of the the items I found for her costume.

So here is our take on Rapunzel for Race Day:

1. I love this sparkle skirt that screams Tangled. Find it here.

2. Oh my gosh you can attach this hair to your pony tail! Giving your hair the length you need! Find it here.

3. This cute and simple t-shirt is perfect. Find it here. 

4. I love this Rapunzel Paracord Bracelet. Find it here.

5. I love this necklace with the sunburst. Find it here.

6. These Purple Running Shoes would complete the outfit. Find these here.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm the lost princess,

Brittany

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TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is the day we start our official half marathon training! I can't wait to get out on the track and blow it out of the water! We got this!!!!!!

See you on the trail,

Jana

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J's Top 10 Disney Want To Do's!

B and I have been actively texting and Facebook-ing, and messaging and every other type of communicating daily about our upcoming trip! Hard to believe we are less than 5 months we will be running our first half marathon! B posted a great post about her Top 10 and I thought it sounded like too much fun to pass up. So without further adieu, here is J's Top 10!

1. Prince Eric's Castle

As a kid, there was no better movie than The Little Mermaid. I probably watched that movie a million times. I watched it so much that my parents actually had to buy a second VHS because I had worn our first copy out. I can remember singing every single song and coming up with dance moves. I can still quote it word for word and I'm 28years old. Surprisingly I also catch something new every time I watch it.  When I heard they had redone Fantasy Land in Disney, I about did a happy dance when I saw that they had added Prince Eric's Castle. Prior to this, there wasn't much about Ariel around in Disney other than her live show. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting to explore the castle and see if it meets what I've always imagined, as well as posing with Eric's Statue and the ship Eric took out to sea.

2. Finding and Eating the Cone of Macaroni and Cheese

 

After seeing this on a Disney Food Blog, I knew I just had to try it! What's better than Bacon and Macaroni in a giant crescent roll? As far as I'm concerned, there isn't much. On the day we go to Hollywood Studios, I WILL find and share this with my fellow road trippers! :)

3. Be Our Guest

 

As a kid, I ALWAYS wanted to try the "Grey Stuff" that they sang about during Belle's very exciting dinner at the Beast's castle. Now I get the opportunity! B managed to land us 4 reservations to a 7pm dinner time at the "impossible to get in" Be Our Guest restaurant that recently opened in Disney! We have already scoured the menu and have started deciding who is ordering what appetizer, main course, and dessert, as well as who will be drinking what signature cocktail. We have every intention to share and make the most of our dining experience. :)





 

 

4. Dining with the Princesses in Norway in Epcot

 

 

I absolutely LOVE B for getting us reservations to dine with the Disney Princesses in Epcot for my birthday! We may be the only adults there without kids, but I don't care. I'm hoping to meet Ariel and Snow White seeing as how those are the two I'm debating on being for the actual race. As a kid, I always dreamed of meeting them all and having breakfast with them. Now as an adult, I actually get to. :D When I have kids one day, I'd love to take them to experience this as well.

 

5. Wearing my "Happy Birthday" pin for the entire week

 

A lot of people don't know this, but if it is your birthday and you wear a "Happy Birthday" pin in the parks, sometimes special "Magic" can happen. It might be a free dessert, or a drink, or maybe a fast pass onto a ride that you want to go on. It might even be a surprise in your hotel room, etc. I'll be turning 29 while we are on our trip and I cannot even express the excitement I am feeling. I'm curious to see what kind of magic I get to experience while I'm there! :)

6. Getting a Massage at a Disney Spa

 

After our half marathon is finished, B and I felt we should splurge and get ourselves a good massage and pedi after finishing our race. What would be better for sore muscles than an amazing massage and foot rub? I'm sincerely looking forward to this almost as much as the actual race. I've never had a massage before, so it should be fun!

7. Meeting Elsa and Anna

 









B and I decided a few weeks ago that we would use one of our Fast Passes in order to meet Elsa and Anna. It just seems fitting that we would be two best friends, one blonde and one brunette, wanting to meet a blonde and brunette. We have decided that we are going to dress up as each one for our visit to meet them. I'm positive it will make for a few fun pictures! :)

8. Exploring the Disney Expo

 

From what I've read, there are several things going on at the Expo before the big race. Most people go in, get their packets, and leave. But from what I've seen, you will miss out on lots of neat "race only" items. I'm going to put a little money in my pocket and try and explore a bit. I REALLY want to see the Disney Princess New Balances that they will have for sale. Even though I probably can't afford them, it would still be neat to see them in person.

9. Getting to watch the fireworks in Magic Kingdom

 

There are few things as amazing as watching the fireworks in Disney. I've had the opportunity to see them twice and each time was just as amazing as the last. Nobody but me has been to Disney World before, so I'm excited to share this one thing with them! It's probably one of my favorite parts of the entire trip!

10. Spending quality time with my sweetheart and best friends

 

Lastly, there is no better way to spend a trip in Disney than with people you love and care about! B and I have been friends for 10 years. This is our first "BIG" trip we have taken together. Austin and I have been together for 8 years and this is our first "BIG" trip as well. I've known Adam for little over 6 years and I'm excited he's coming too! I know this trip will bring lots of memories and new experiences for all of us. I'm looking forward to sharing all of these firsts with them and making memories that will last a life time. I'm really blessed to be surrounded by amazing people! :)

 

Off to Neverland,

J





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A 2 miler after 10 Days of No Milers

Guys, I have had a rough week and a half. Last Friday, I ended up in the E.R. for reasons that would totally be TMI, so I won't share. But let us say it was awful. I spent the whole week feeling like crap (so very weak and so very dizzy). Running was out of the question.

I started to feel a bit better a few days ago. So I knew it was time to get in a run this weekend. I ran some errands today and then took a nap. Once I woke up from the nap, I knew I could put off my run no longer. I usually don't put off runs, I usually like to knock them out as soon as possible. But being that it had been so long since I went for a run, I felt nervous.

I'm not sure why. A part of me worries I will lose the fitness I've built up I guess. I always think I won't be able to run at all if I take a break. I just can't help myself. I'm so proud of how far I've come, that going backwards would devastate me.

I will not tell a lie, I felt a little clumsy on tonight's run. My time was also a little slower (by about 20-30 seconds) per mile than it usually is. But I'm not worried about my speed tonight. I completed my 30 minute run and that is all that matters to me.

I'm so happy to have this first run after illness behind me. The official Princess Half Marathon training starts on Tuesday (I'm so pumped). I would have hated to start my training with the fears that I had tonight. Now I can got into it with confidences.

Be on the lookout for training updates from Jana and me as our training kicks off!

Brittany

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Five Months

  (Except a Half Marathon)

This picture reminds me so much of Jana and myself. I don't know who would be who though, we probably are always alternating between the blind optimism of Buzz and the pure terror of Woody.

Today is officially 5 months till race day. That is just so close, I can't believe it. 5 months to whip ourselves into tip top shape. 5 months to run farther than ever before. I have never gone more than 4 miles in my running career, and I can't imagine running 13.1. But then again, I could have never imagined being able to run a 5k either, and now I have run several. So I'm sure in a few months, I will be able to check half marathon off my bucket list.

Sometimes I am overcome with fear about this race. Fear that I will get swept by the balloon ladies, fear that I won't be able to finish, and fear that I will never be that runner that I really want to be. But I know all this fear will just make the accomplishment so much sweeter.

For the most part, I believe in myself, and I believe in us. I just know we are going to have the best RACE-CATION ever. I can't wait till September 30th, so we can start the official training. And I can't wait to continue to countdown the months, weeks, and days till race day.

I just know this event will be epic for the both of us.

Brittany

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runDisney costume ideas: Pocahontas

In the words of Princess Pocahontas herself, I learned things I never knew, I never knew when curating this run Disney outfit. Like how the heck to spell Pocahontas, that took me a billion google searches before I finally remembered how to spell it right the first time. You learn something new everyday I suppose.

We've been trying to do a mixture of uber popular Disney characters and less popular characters in these outfit posts. And while I see a million Belles, Annas, & Elsas, I haven't run across too many Pocahontas running outfits, so I thought I would do one. I hope you like it!

1. I am head over heels for this "Run like your Running the Hidden Pine Trails of the Forest," T-shirt. Find it HERE.

2. This skirt makes a perfect running skirt. Find it HERE.

3. These necklace and earrings are a great replica of the ones Pocahontas wears! Find it HERE.

4. I think this headband would add a great princess touch to the running ensemble. Find it HERE.

5. What a pretty phone case to show off while you take pictures on race day. Find this one HERE. 

6. I found the cutest Pocahontas shoes while I was working on this post, but they were so unsuitable to run in. But I think these sneakers would do. Find it HERE.

Off to Paint with All the Colors of the Wind,

Brittany 

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runDisney Costume Ideas: Dumbo the Flying Elephant

I'm currently reading The Animated Man, which is a biography of Walt Disney. I've just now gotten to the point in the book where they are talking about the making of Dumbo! I actually just recently bought the bluray of Dumbo, but I haven't watched it yet. And I don't even remember the last time I did watch it! But just reading about the making of Dumbo got me so excited to watch it, and I wanted to put together a little Dumbo costume. How cute would it be to dress as Dumbo? Especially for someone doing the Dumbo Double Dare, which is one of my future goals:

So here is my take on that loveable elephant:

1. This cute little shirt would be adorable for the race. You can also customize it in many different ways. Find it HERE.

2. Many Disney runners like to take props with them for when they pose with characters. Wouldn't it be fun to carry a little Dumbo. Find it HERE.

3. I love this little hat. I think it is perfect for the circus theme that is in the movie. Find it HERE.

4. I love, love this sparkle skirt. So incredibly perfect. Find it HERE.

5. Of course, you need a coordinating pair of running shoes. Find these HERE.

Off to the Circus,

Brittany

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Gone For Too Long...

I know....I know. Go ahead and berate me. I've not kept my end of the bargain and I have neglected to post for almost 3 full weeks. If it weren't for Brit reminding me that I have obligations to keep up with I probably wouldn't be typing this one now.

My work schedule has been absolutely crazy. Add a new curriculum, a building full of new people, and helicopter parents, you have the makings of an insane person! LOL! On top of everything else, I had a stress fracture I have been having to let heal. Needless to say, my running has taken a hit.

Our official training starts at the end of this month, so I know by then my foot will be 100% healed. I'm so ready to get started! B and I are REALLY looking forward to getting ready for this race.

Anyway, I'm going to keep it short and sweet. I'll be back later this weekend with a post of my Top 10 Disney "Want to Do's". Keep an eye out!

Enjoy your weekend,
J

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runDisney Costume Ideas: Russell from Up!

It has been a little bit since we posted some Disney running costume ideas. So today I'm coming at you with the simple but charming Russell from Up! One of my favorite movies! I think this costume would be excellent because it has a lot of wardrobe basics that you might already have in your closet.

1. The most important part of the ensemble is the sash! This sash even includes a grade soda pin and wilderness explorer badge. Find it here!

2. If you don't have a yellow ball cap you can get one here. 

3. Find a yellow polo top here.

4. A nice orange neck scarf will certainly make you look more like Russell. Find it here.

5. These comfortable looking khaki shorts can be found here.

Adventure is out there,

Brittany

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Pre-Dawn Run

I am never ever ever able to get up early for my Tuesday and Thursday runs, even though I always go to bed with the best of intentions the night before. I even try to get to bed early for that very reason!

I set three alarms; one for 5:30am (so I could hit snooze 1x or 2x), another for 5:45 a.m. (the time I needed to get up to run), and one for 6:30 a.m. (the time I get up for work). I was fully expecting that the only alarm I would heed was the 6:30 one!

I slept kind of fitfully last night, waking up at 12:30, 1:30,  and 2:30. Finally, I woke up at 4:30am, and I was unable to fall back to sleep. So I decided to get up and knock out my run. I took a few moments to decided whether I wanted to run outside or on the treadmill. But since I find the treadmill particularly hard in the morning (maybe because I'm not already pre-warmed up from walking around all day?), I decided to hit the neighborhood.

Man oh man, I'm loving this Fall weather. When I stepped outside it was soo cool and lovely, perfect for a jog.  It was also pitch dark, and it was beautiful with the stars & moons overhead. I set up the podcasts I wanted to listen to, did some walking & high knees for a warm-up, and then I took off.

During my last 5k, I minimized my running app and paid no attention to my time, speed or distance till the end of the race. I really liked doing that because when I  pay attention to my app, it all goes by so slowly, and sometimes I get discouraged if I'm not going the speed I think I should be going, or I feel overwhelmed by how much longer I have to go.  I decided to do this morning's run without looking at the stats just to see if I could estimate speed and such by paying attention to how hard I was pushing it.

I was so happy when my app told me I had completed a mile in 13:20 (my personal record is 13:18). My second mile was 13:38. I was so proud because that is the first time I've done 2 miles with both being under 14 minutes!  Woot, woot!

I do wish I could start getting negative splits (reducing time every mile instead of adding it), but I think I just hit it so hard when I was start, that it it natural that I slow down a bit. As I start upping my mileage, I may work toward getting negative splits! 

Sometimes I get so anxious to be faster or better, not realizing how I have improved. I was looking at my stats from past work-outs, and I found out that the first mile I ever ran a few months ago was 17:30! That is a 4 minute difference. So I have nothing to worry about truly. 

Unfortunately, when I stopped running, I ended up not feeling so hot. A lot of awful cramps, so I'm taking a sick day. I don't think it has to do with the run but I really don't know what is going on. It is so random.

Oh well, I'm sure I will feel better tomorrow, and I will have a lot of pre-dawn runs in my future!

Brittany

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The Weekend Report

We have had a wonderfully simple & just perfect weekend for us, so I just wanted to do a little bit of a recap.

Before Adam and I met in person, we were just teens chatting on social media. During one of these chats, I promised Adam I would cook him spaghetti. I'm pretty sure I was just talking out of my butt because I did not know how to make spaghetti at the time. But when we finally met, I made him spaghetti. He loved it, and I used to make us spaghetti almost every Friday night. But since weight loss surgery, I haven't made it much at all because I really don't eat pasta. But this Friday, I decided to cook him some spaghetti just for him as a treat.I got to use our new stove for the first time and he got his favorite meal. That's a real win-win.

After dinner, I watched a movie I had been excited about for a while, As Dreamers Do. It is all about the early life of Walt Disney. It was a little bit of a cheesy movie, probably a little bit too simplistic. But I liked the movie regardless. No different than a lifetime movie or a hallmark movie, and I always stick those out to the bitter end (like the Brittany Murphy Story, so awful!). I enjoyed sticking this one out though.

I signed up for a local 5k on a whim last week. I always wonder why I do this to myself because setting an alarm for 6:30 on a Saturday is so not cool! But I'm always glad I did. It was uber cold on Saturday morning, feeling so much like Fall! Although I was cold pre-race, I knew I would warm up once the race started. This was a smallish race (maybe 70-100). I was nervous as always, worrying my legs would fail me. But they didn't! I finished the race in 44:20! That is 3 whole minutes off my last 5k time!  And can I say that run has me so excited for Fall weather running? Bring it on!

 

Adam did some yard work around the house on Saturday. I love watching my husband do manly, man things (not that women can't do them too, but I'd just rather not).

 

(BTW, I'm lovin' my fuzzy hair, and Carlee our weekend house guest resting on my lap in this picture). Adam recently remembered that he has an Atari (how he forgot this I will never know). So we went to the Athens-Limestone Flea Market to browse some classic video games. He bought a whole bunch of Atari games. He also picked up his favorite Nintendo game, Duck tales, and my favorite childhood game, M.C. Kids. It is a game that was basically made to advertize McDonalds (yes that McDonalds), but it is so fun and surprisingly difficult. We had fun messing around on those for a bit. 

Of course, no fall weekend would be complete without a little Packer's football. This was our first public outing in our cheeseheads this year, and we checked out a new sports bar that we liked a lot! We got a rough start, and the gamed looked awful during the first half, but we pulled off the win anyway! So that's a good game day!

By the way, this is the face you make after celebrating two Randall Cobb touchdowns, just to be reminded your opponent in your Fantasy league is playing Randall Cobb. The cheesehead of shame!

Brittany

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How I Am Planning Our Disney Trip

We are a little under 6 months away from the Princess Half Marathon and our Disney world vacation now, and I am so stupid happy about it all. Jana and I text back and forth non-stop about all the little things we are looking forward to doing. I really think this trip is going to be epic.

One of my favorite things about traveling is planning the "perfect" trip. There is soooo much information out there about Disney world that I am really enjoying sorting through. I thought I would share a little bit about my trip planning process here. Maybe it will only be fun for me and not fun for y'all at all! But it is our blog, so I can do what I want! So there (just kidding).

1. Reading a Guidebook

My first step in planning a major trip is buying a guide book from an actual book store! Yes, it might be a little old fashioned in the internet and digital age, but there is nothing like having that book in my hands. This book is 700+ pages long, and other than skipping a section here and there on parks we are not going to, I read the whole thing. 

2. Podcasts! Podcasts! Podcasts!

There are so many Disney loving podcasters out there that I am listening to weekly. My favorite is definitely WDW Happy Place (a married couple who talk all things Disney, they even mentioned me on their 9-2-14 podcast), Capturing Magic (about documenting your trip), and Disney Dream Girls (to hear about all their Disney Shenanigans from two seriously funny British ladies). 

3. TouringPlans.com 

I actually learned about touring plans from my guidebook. Basically, touringplans is team who have scientifically studied the crowds and line formations at the Disney and Universal parks. For a small fee, you can plug in everything you want to do in each park, plus your reservations and fast passes, and it makes a schedule for you that will minimize waiting and walking time. I can't wait to try it, so many people speak so highly of it!

4. WDW Tools

One of the main things we want to do at Disney is eat at the newish Be Our Guest restaurant. But the reservations are super hard to get! So even though I got up at 4:45 a.m., 180 days in advanced of when we will be eating at the restaurant, as you are supposed to, the reservations for 4 were all gone. I was so devastated! But somewhere I heard about WDW tools. WDW tools is a website that watches for reservations for you (for ten dollars), and it texts you as soon as one becomes available, so you can snag it! With the help of this feature, I was able to snag the reservation for 4!! I'm so excited. This site is soooo good. It has actually found 4 reservations for me this week at Be Our Guest (although I only used one). I highly, highly recommend trying it if you are struggling to get a reservation.

5. Tripadvisor

I use tripadvisor for planning all my trips, even small weekend ones. I have been using it this trip to look at reviews for restaurants to see where we want to eat.  Not only can you read reviews, you can look at pictures of the restaurant. Although after looking at some pictures of Be Our Guest, I had to stop, because not only was I getting too excited, I didn't want to ruin it for myself!

If you have any trip planning advice, I am so open to suggestions!

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A Lunch Time Run

I find it so difficult to get up 45 minutes early just so I can go for a run before work. I can literally only think of a handful of times that I have manged to drag my butt out of bed to work out.  I usually just decide to cancel the workout and rely on the 2nd alarm I set just in case I stay in bed. I am super proud of myself when I do get up however, and those runs give me so much energy throughout the day.

This morning I attempted to get up early yet again.  I failed miserably. This was unfortunate, because I needed to get home after work at a decent time to catch the Packer's game (ugh that loss was so heartbreaking). But I took my clothes to work anyway, determined to get off work on time, so I could get my run in before heading home for the game.

This was an usual weather day for Alabama though. Lately, it has been nothing but hot, hot, hot! But today was in the low 80's and overcast. Just perfect. Since I had my work-out clothes with me already, I decided to go for a lunch time run instead. I was worried about sweating during my work-out, only to have to get back to work to finish out the afternoon. But I decided to do it anyway.

I got to the local trail a little after 11, did my warm-up, and started running. The trail was so empty! I usually have to pass many people or am being continuously passed by others (which tends to make me nervous). But I only saw one person in the park during the whole run! It was lovely.

I did two miles total. My first split was 13:18 (fastest mile ever) and then my second was 14:15. My current goal is to get all my miles under 14:00 minutes. Right now, I'm just running 2-3 miles until my training for the Princess starts officially.

It is funny. I always assume a run will drain me for the rest of the day but it is the total opposite. It gives me such an energy boost that doesn't wear off till bedtime! I was able to power through the rest of my busy afternoon. Plus, it is nice to know you already have your work out done, and you won't have to squeeze it in later.

I love what running is doing for me lately. It is making me happier and healthier. And I'm hoping to get in some lunchtime runs in the future! I get ancy now if I go too long without running, my body starts craving all those endorphins. Man, I'm becoming so obnoxious lately with my, "I love to work out!" mantra! Just like the people I used to hate!

Over and Out,

Brittany

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