10/16/16

Inaugural Disney Paris Half Marathon

0b03e9ed-8c5d-4b1f-aa5d-942c177030b0
Last year this time, The FireMarshall asked what I wanted for my 50th Birthday. Epic Party – Epic Trip. I planned the party – it was EPIC and the trip was for me and a friend to go to Paris for the Inaugural Disney Paris Half Marathon. Not to be outdone, I also had to participate in the first Chateaux to Castle Challenge (which meant I had to do a Disney Half Marathon in the states before Paris – I did the Star Wars Half Marathon).

We had a Grand Epic Time.
IMG_0147
Disney Paris, in its entirety, including the two parks, Disney Village (their version of Downtown Disney) and the hotels immediately surrounding the parks could probably all fit inside of Magic Kingdom. Despite the size, the parks were packed and the lines just as long for the rides – of which we rode none. Just walking through the park taking pictures, seeing the characters, pin trading (or, in our case, buying) and people watching was just fine.

The only disappointment was that they ran out of the unique race pins by 10am of the second day the Expo/Packet pickup which meant they either didn’t have enough for each participant or they let people buy several of them before allowing registered racers the opportunity to get. Now they are on sale on Ebay for $650. No sir! Although I know someone will pay that. HUMPH. There were a few glitches that were probably only noticeable to regular runDisney participants – small expo with not enough gear/variety, not enough big screens in corral to see what is happening at start and poor sound system and not enough porta-potties near the corrals. Otherwise, both the 5k and Half Marathon were fun & scenic. Lot of photo ops!
IMG_0103
The Inaugural Race Party was nice, but they were not prepared for the number of people that paid for it as evidenced by the long lines and long wait to get food. The Wild West Buffalo Bill Show – I was pleasantly surprised by my amusement. The show was actually pretty good and entertaining. We were on the Green Team and our Cowboy sucked.
IMG_1970
IMG_0223  IMG_0221
 IMG_0209     IMG_1971
After the Half Marathon on Sunday, we hobbled back to the hotel lodge and enjoyed cocktails in the lobby bar as we planned our transportation into Paris for the rest of our adventure. Grown Women Gone Wild – Paris Edition will have to wait for another post.

Suffice it to say, we came, we ran, ran some more and had the time of our lives.
8fe1cb33-6bc2-4fc3-b085-50a2de45eb65  ee7db4d1-2da1-404c-9e9a-0ad0bb2d990b
Of course, I put a little video together from the two races. Enjoy!

10/2/16

Race Report - Patriots Half 72.3

Pool

I’m not fast, I often finish waaaay back of the pack…but I LOVE it. I learn so much about myself on the journey to complete these long course races, but this time the lesson came from The FireMarshall….

 

Sometimes Finishing is Winning!

 

My 70.3 last year (Watermans) was cancelled due to the hurricane but I was given a voucher to sign up for another race in 2016 in the Virginia-Maryland Triathlon Series. I signed up for Patriots which turned out to be a 72.3 due to having to go around the county fair in the area.

 

If I compared myself to my ultra fast fellow triathletes all the time, I’d give up the sport from sheer shame and demoralization. What I compare myself to is MYSELF and strive to get better, faster, more proficient while MAINTAINING MY JOY!

 

While this race still took WAAAAYYY longer that I wanted and the goal I set for myself, it was a PR for my 70.3’s and I took 2nd place Athena’s. The heat was brutal and 19 people didn’t go out on the run.

 

Sometimes Finishing is Winning.

 

Swim – 1:00:52

IMG_6377

This was the slowest 1.2 miles I have ever done even though I felt like I was swimming consistent and “fast”. The water was 81 degrees and NOT wetsuit legal. There was supposed to be a current going out, but I didn’t feel it and the tide started going out by time I got to the turn around – the only thing I noticed is that I was having to course correct a lot. I was pretty pissed when I got out the water and saw the clock. There was a very long walk back to transition from the swim, so I had plenty of time to get my attitude straight.

Control what you can control and move on!

 

Bike – 4:08:06

PAH_B2747

BEST 70.3 BIKE TIME EVER!!! Knocking 15 min of my last two 70.3’s, maintaining a consistent 15-16mph pace. WINNING!!!

 

I was feeling pretty good on the bike. I was able to stay hydrated, I used Perpetum in my camelback and had froze two bottles for my cages (Vitamin Water & Water). I took additional water & gatorade at the aid stations. Yet when I got back to transition, I’m standing there and the heat hit my like a ton of bricks. I poured water over me, pulled my cooling towel out of the ice bag I had it in, dawdled, took a nap, blah blah, blah and trudged out of transition. The FireMarshall was right there with his live coverage so when he said, “this is not the time to be walking” I refrained from cussing his ass out since I knew he was taping.

 

Let the death march begin…

 

Run – 3:18:19 – all I have to say is that it was 8min and 30 min faster than my last to 70.3 runs. Still BRUTAL.

IMG_9999

Yet I got it done. My girl, Lynne, who I raced with finished before me and was AWESOME – she had my 2 beers and pizza ready for me at the finish. LOVE HER!!

 

I plopped down in the ice pool and melted all the ice in the pool, my body was so hot. Once I was cooled down, those beers were the elixir of life.

 

I didn’t find out until the next day that I had placed second in Athena and went back to claim my prize…

2ndplace

I know I said I was going to take some time off from 70.3+. I’m going to think about it over the winter. I need to decide where I want to go from here. Whatever it is – FUN & JOY is the name of the game.

Sometimes Finishing is Winning!