Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How all this running got started

Drinking = Goofy





On April 25th 2009, Annette and I were drinking around the world at Epcot to celebrate our birthdays (mine on the 24th and hers on the 26th).  Running starting with drinking, this should be good…
She told me about a 5K/obstacle course event called Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom her husband, Brian, had signed up for.  Honestly with the words “obstacle course” I totally tuned her out.  Army crawl and rope climb… no thanks.  Then she started telling me about another race – the Tower of Terror 5K at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Now this sounded a bit more interesting.  “Let’s sign up”, I said, “we have 6 months to get ready for this we can do it”.  Registration for the race opened up the next day and I was introduced to a fun new website called Active.com.





Who knew we would really start training
to be Princesses





For the next 6 months Annette diligently prepared for the race and I ran maybe once a week.  I am definitely a procrastinator and this new sporting adventure proved to be no different.
October 23rd was the day of the race and I was only moderately prepared.  I had also just spent the previous two weeks in Europe for work and I was sick. 
The race was at night, a 10pm start, and that morning I decided not to go.  I spent the day feeling bad for myself and thinking about the finisher’s medal I was giving up.  I am obsessed with medals, ask anyone.  I think it is because my high school cheer squad never was good enough to win one, and it was always something I wanted. 
Anyways, the lure of the medal got me off my butt and at 4pm I was in my car driving the 4 hours from Miami to Orlando.  Annette obviously thought I was crazy, which I was, but nonetheless I made it to my very first race.  My gear check bag was full of tissues, cough medicine and Nyquil, but I had made it to the start line!  My first 5k was a run/walk odyssey through Hollywood Studios which took me 42 minutes to complete.  Oh well, at least I got my medal :)
My very first running medal!

Over the next few months I actually started running… consistently.  I got help from the Couch to 5k app on my iTouch (which worked GREAT for me) and by February of last year I was able to complete a 5k running the whole time.  The race was the Publix Gasparilla 5k in Tampa.  It was rainy and really cold that morning but it was a great race.  The course was along beautiful Bayshore Blvd, there was a fun finisher’s medal and free beer at the post race party.  If there is anything I love more than a cool medal it is free beer after a race.  They say beer helps you replace your electrolytes… ok sure, it was only 3.1 miles, but I’ll live by that rule.
Cheers!
Beer = electrolytes

5 comments:

  1. Your first medal looks alot better than mine. Oh well keep up the good work.
    Go Girl Go!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your first medal was better then mine too!

    Aww, MHS Cheer - you should have gone to CHS!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Isn't funny how this running thing began!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. In all the races I have run there has never been a medal. Can't wait to get the first one this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amy and I are excited to start collecting t-shirts! I can't believe our first race is in 3 days and I am SO under prepared but hell, I gotta start somewhere! You are my inspiration Princess!

    ReplyDelete