Dec 31, 2014

The Thing to Do: A Year in Review: 2014

It's the end of December. It seems like the thing to do is a "year in review" post. This has actually been a big year for myself running and for my running related blog (that you just so happen to be reading). So, while it may be "the thing to do", I'm enjoying taking a look back at my running year. So, let's break it down like an enzyme.


Running

This was a big race year for me. I ran a total of 10 races year. That included a huge step for me: my first half marathon ever, in the form of the Walt Disney World Half Marathon (recap and review). Man, I love runDisney. Just sayin'. 

That was not all. I also topped it with a new PR by 17 and a half minutes at the inaugural Loudoun Half Marathon (recap and review). Another highlight was the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, for it's awesome course (recap and review) and for proving to me that I am stronger than I think.

The running season ended strong for me. I signed up for the BRATS Holiday 5K Series, consisting of three 5K races that earn you a special medal at the end. This meant a run in November, a run in December, and lastly a run in January. The past two races, the Chris Yung Memorial Turkey Trot (recap and review) and the Santa's Workshop 5K (recap and review) have resulted in new PRs at the 5K distance.



While it has been a great year for my racing, my distance and dedication to training has declined. I had less miles that last year, largely accounted for training really hard in the summer leading up to my first half marathon in January then not training so hard this year. I had a couple of good months, but I also had my first blank month. Not something I'm proud of, but I acknowledge it happened and want to move forward stronger. A partial contributor to this is a new little cutie named Timothy, that has sucked up a lot of my sleeping hours in the almost half year he's been here, making energy and motivation a little lower. Not that I'd trade him for anything.

I look to rebound next year in my running, training, and all around fitness.

Blog

This year has been a great year for my blog and social media. I started my blog in March 2013. In April 2014, after a little over a year in, I decided to try and step up my blogging game. I purchased my own domain name to match my blog title, www.rungeekrundisney.com, which I used to set up my own email account for free through Zoho (check it out if you have a domain and want to use it for email). I started my own dedicated Twitter account for the blog and all things running and Disney, @rgrdisney (follow if you're not, please and thank you). I grew that account to pass 1,000 followers (hard for me to grasp) and I'm now on the edge of 2,000. My blog also got a new face, giving it an all new look and feel all its own.

With my social, I took the step into the world of a Facebook page. While the growth there hasn't equaled that of Twitter, it's quietly growing into it's own. I rebranded my other social medias to match that of Twitter more recently on Instagram and Pinterest. I'm less active there, but looking to grow.

I also did one last thing on my blog that I'm rather fond of: I started my own link up. I created the Mickey Monday linkup, that I host with Adventures by Katie, for everything Disney. I've really enjoyed writing those posts every Monday. It's really helped me in my writing and content of my blog. I felt like I've started to come into my own with my blog and writing. While it was started to help keep me in check, I've enjoyed my time as a blogger and am quite proud of what it's become.

Ambassadorships

At the end of this year (read: very recently) I was selected for not one but TWO ambassador programs. First, I was selected to be a BibRave Pro. This is the ambassador program for BibRave.com and their weekly Twitter chat: #bibchat. BibRave is a great site for finding and reviewing races. I review every race I run and use it to check out races I'm considering registration. It's a really great group of people at BibRave. Some of the other ambassadors I was actually already friends with (digitally of course) so it's been a lot of fun already. I really look forward to the opportunities I'll have this year with the program: reviewing races, gear and just interacting with the rest of the crew.


Second, I was selected to run for Team Nuun. Nuun hydration is a fantastic product I discovered this past year for staying hydrated. It's got all the good things you need like electrolytes and some vitamins with great flavor without the extra sugar and waste of other drinks. It also goes down light like water, not sitting as heavy in the stomach (in my humble opinion). I was selected to be a part of their team and run under the Nuun name, something I'm very excited about.

Going Forward

As I go forward into 2015, there's a lot of excitement on the horizon: more races, new races, new challenges. I can't wait for it to start, and luckily I don't have long to wait either.


Dec 29, 2014

WDW Marathon Weekend Expo | Know Before You Go | Mickey Monday

Welcome back to another edition of the Mickey Monday linkup: the linkup centering around a love for Disney, sharing that love and connecting with others. I hope you find this linkup as a great place to turn to for Disney content each week and help all the bloggers participating out by helping readers find that great mouse-eared content. I'm co-hosting with Katie from Adventures by Katie, so of course check her blog out.

Christmas is past. The new year is almost here. That can mean only one thing: Walt Disney World Marathon weekend is almost here! Now, unfortunately I will not be running there this year. I wish I was, but it just doesn't always work out the way we would like. I am however still excited for it. Last year, this was the site of my first half marathon. That race was also the whole reason I started running and helped me catch the bug. For that reason, this weekend will always hold a special place for me. I've written several posts before on Walt Disney World Marathon weekend, including recaps of my 5K and half marathon. This week, I thought I'd take time to write about something I didn't get around to dedicating a post to like I had wanted to last year. This week I'll be talking about...


WDW Marathon Weekend Expo

While I've only done a handful of races that had any sort of expo, nothing has come close to the expo for marathon weekend in Walt Disney World. From what I've read from everyone else, most haven't either. The expo takes place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. This gives plenty of room in great facilities for the expo. They're also able to section things out to make things simpler.

Be sure to check the runDisney page and the guide for the latest and most up to date information. However, as of writing this, here are the hours for the expo:
  • 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 
  • 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2015
  • 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2015
  • 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2015

First, I'll start with packet pickup. Packet pickup is held off in it's own building, separate from the main expo product area. This is nice by keeping the traffic separate. You can save yourself some time by being sure to have your waiver already printed off, signed, and ready to go. If you do forget to print it or leave it in your room, don't fret. They have areas for you to print them off, but just know that they could potential get backed up and cause more of a delay for you. Also, don't forget your photo ID. Each race has their own delegated areas for packet pickup. If you're running a challenge, you'll have your own area as well. If you decided to run multiple races but not as part of a challenge, you'll need to make several stop. When I ran, I did the 5K and the half marathon, which meant two pickups. We were there first thing opening day and had no problem and no waiting. There you'll get your bib. If you ordered additional items, such as a necklace, coat or other preorder items, you'll get a slip to pick them up elsewhere. You'll also need to pick up your race shirts in another area. When you pick up your shirts, if you find that the size isn't quite right they have a shirt swap area. You can take your shirt there, and swap it for another size, if they have it available. This actually worked really great. I had ordered XL but the tech shirt seems like it would be too tight to wear and feel comfortable, so I was able to swap it for a 2XL.

In the same building, there was a runDisney merchandise booth. This had 80% of the available stuff. If you plan to buy runDisney gear, I suggest checking this out first. It was less crazy than the main expo area runDisney section. The only difference was in the main expo area, they offered some addition shirts and coats they didn't have in the first area. It was definitely less hectic to get a majority of the gear however. Also, as a tip, if something is out, check to see if there is more. I know we were there first day and early, but you'd see things (especially magnets) sold out. If you waited a few minutes, someone would come back and restock, though in the case of the magnets, they flew off the hooks. Don't be afraid to ask if there are more as well for something you want.

Look at all those glorious running related goodies.

Next you have the main expo area. The grandaddy of shopping and samples. The important thing to know before you go here is plan ahead. If you have limited time or plan to spend as much time needed, you can still benefit from looking ahead. There are so many vendors it's good to note what ones you want to see. Even if you plan to walk the whole floor, it's still good to know where are the vendors you want to see. You can do this by looking at the official event guide that you should receive via email or can get directly from the runDisney page. For me, I had planned to see a couple of things. One the vendors I wanted to see was ArmPocket, where I bought my arm band for my phone that I LOVE. It's fantastic, stays in place, and can hold a lot more than my phone: a car or house key, ID, credit card, cash and a gel without even getting stuffed. There were great samples from a lot of companies such as CLIF bars and my wife even got a free taping from KT Tape which ended up being huge for her knee with all the walking in the parks. You can also have a chance to see all the other runDisney medals as well as great speakers. They'll talk everything from running strategies to motivation to bra science 101. You can even catch Sean Astin on a panel several times throughout the expo. You even might just catch Jeff Galloway and get a chance to chat with him on the showroom floor. I just missed him last year which I would have loved to meet him.

There will also be new runDisney shoes from New Balance that aren't officially revealed yet. You'll need to get yourself in a virtual queue. Last year we arrived early to get in the queue, about an hour early and still about 150 people back in line. The nice thing was you entered your contact information and got a message when it was time to try on the shoes, saving you from the actual line for shoes. The shoes were very much worth it though. Who doesn't love leaving an expo with new shoes? Make them runDisney shoes and it's just icing on the cake. You'll actually be able to get the 2014 models (including the beauty below) in addition to the new 2015 models and designs.

New Balance runDisney 2014 Goofy model

Another little item is great photo opportunities. You can snag a selfie with the runDisney medals I mentioned previously or one of the many speakers. There are also many backdrops that make for great pictures inside and out. You find ones with the various race logos, corral assignments and race maps. Outside provides additional banners, perfect for the race weekend photo ops.

I would be running that course just a few days later to complete my first half marathon.

Ready to earn that medal behind us.

Have you attended Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend? What was the biggest expo you've gone to?


Onto the Linkup

Here are the guidelines:

The post just needs to be about anything Disney related. There have been posts on runDisney, on the parks and even on the Moms Panel, so just give it some Disney and count it.

New posts are fantastic, but for now, if you have a great old post you want to share, drop it on in.

Try to visit as many of the posts that you can as time allows. The point of this is to share and support each other.

If you're going to be a regular, please link back to the host posts. It's just good etiquette and frankly, that's how others will get to your fellow Disney lovers content. Without that link back, they can't find the linkup and therefore the other blogs. Help me help you.

You also have the option to add the linkup code to your post if you'd like. It is not required, just another option. If not, please follow the above link back guideline. Get the InLinkz code


Dec 25, 2014

Dec 23, 2014

Santa's Workshop 5K Recap and Review

I recently ran the second leg of the BRATS Holiday 5K series, a set of three races that earn you a special medal for completing all three. I previously posted my review of the Chris Yung Memorial Turkey Trot, a race with I really enjoyed. This next BRATS race didn't disappoint either.


Toys and Running

This race, put on by Bristow Tri and Swim, benefitted USMC Toys for Tots program. While the race was a bargain price to begin with ($25) you could save an extra $5 by bringing a toy. Sure, you'd spend more than that on the toy, but it isn't really about the money, is it? It's about toys for boys and girls who otherwise may not get one. That's something always worth giving towards.

I went with a semi costume for the race. Not as complete as my snowman costume for the Christmas Town Dash 8K the week before, but I went with my Grinch face shirt over some long sleeve Under Armor and some Christmas ProCompression socks.

Parking at the race was a cinch. It was held at the Northern Virginia Community College campus in Manassas. This meant plenty of parking and it was located right of of I-66 which means easy access. I did race day pickup, which was simple, as always at a BRATS event. There was a table set up right near the start / finish line. As it has been with every BRATS race I've done, there was a table with one person that would look up your name, another grabbed your bib and a third your shirt. The swag was limited to the shirt, but it was a nice Santa themed tech shirt. Yes, a technical shirt for a $25 5K. Hard value to beat.

It was a little chilly first thing that morning, so after picking up my bib and shirt, I went back to my car to sit for a little (I had arrived plenty early as I always try to). I turned on the heat and some Christmas music to get me ready to go and in the spirit. So, I'm jamming out to Straight No Chaser, drumming along on my steering wheel when I make eye contact with someone walking back to their car, who then adverts her eyes. I notice a Mickey Santa hat on, and then thought "they look kinda familiar". I wonder to myself for a while, and then think that maybe it's Katie from Adventures By Katie. I may host a linkup with her, but I have never met her in person before. I decide to message her on Facebook as I get a notification... from her... asking me if I'm there. Welp, yeah, that was me. I was "that guy" in the car. On the positive side, I met my first person from the blogging and Twitter running world. We chatted for a bit, talked pace and run walk intervals and she decided to run with me. It turned out nice to have someone to run with for the race. Gotta love the running and blogging community.


The weather started a little chilly. As the race went on, it warmed up quite a bit, feeling almost spring like at the end. The field was pretty small, just 144 people, which felt especially small compared to the previous BRATS race that had just under 700 total. The course wasn't difficult, some slight hills but they were long and nothing too steep. It was an out and back course near the battlefield and I-66. A portion of it ran past some office buildings and businesses, which was less scenic. The turn around had the battlefield on the one side (nice) and the interstate on the other (less nice). The race was structured similar to the Turkey Trot they ran, where there was "one" water stop, but since it was an out and back, you could hit it twice. In the end, the race went by quickly, which I'll fully attribute to having someone to talk to.

Official time: 36:59.38

While my time didn't seem to keep as fast as I had hoped for pace wise on our tracking (Katie's Garmin and my phone), the official chip time was under my goal (12 min / mile) and another PR for 5K for the second race in a row. Hopefully, I can do the same in the last leg of the series in January. Post race, I grabbed my water bottle, free banana and a granola bar and chowed down quickly. I snapped a Nuun in half to drop into the bottle, because that's just how I roll.

Race Review

I enjoyed the race. Great value. Small field.

Race grade: B+

Check out my review on BibRave

Final Take Away

Was the race fun?
Yes.

Did I get my money's worth?
And then some.

Would I do it again?
Yes, definitely if there is the Holiday Series again.

Have you ever met someone at a race you had only known digitally before?


BibRave

Do you use BibRave.com? BibRave is a great site to find and review races. See real reviews by real runners like you. Go now and create a profile. Check out reviews for races near you. Better yet, why not review the last race you ran? While you're there, follow me. I'm a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and all the thoughts and opinions on my races are my own. I want you to find the right races for you, so I share what I've done and read the reviews of others on BibRave. Join the community now!


Dec 22, 2014

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party | Xmas@WDW | Mickey Monday

Welcome back to another edition of the Mickey Monday linkup: the linkup centering around a love for Disney, sharing that love and connecting with others. I hope this linkup will become a great place to turn to for Disney content each week and help all the bloggers participating out by helping readers find that great mouse-eared content. I'm co-hosting with Katie from Adventures by Katie, so of course check her blog out.

Christmas is just about here. I'd say it snuck up on us, but it more accurately sprinted up on us. First, we talked about the gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa followed by The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As it is almost Christmas, this had to be the next thing to do for Christmas at Disney. This week I'll be talking about...


Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

As far as I'm concerned, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a must do. Yes, it requires a separate ticket for the party from the park, but I feel the experience is very much worth it. It is an experience you just won't get in the park without attending the party. First, and one of my favorite things, is that you're greeted by magic snow on Main Street USA falling from the sky. Not exactly something that's commonplace in Florida. It's something simple, but when combined with the night time atmosphere and the decorations, it's pure magic. Add in the castle lit up with it's lights, and it's an image right out of a Christmas fairy tale book.

That'd be the magic snow.

Additionally, there is a lot of live entertainment options you won't get any other time. First is the castle lighting ceremony. Previously, the Fairy Godmother would decorate the castle for Cinderella as a gift. This year, the decorating honors goes to Elsa (a show they live streamed one evening that had unfortunate technical issues). In the end, either way you see Cinderella Castle looking absolutely beautiful at the end.

I told you it was pretty. Don't doubt me next time.

The next entertainment option is the special holiday parade offered only at the Christmas party. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is a special parade, worth seeing. We staked out a good spot to watch the parade on main street and were not disappointed. Of course you need to follow it up with special Holiday Wishes fireworks display. There are additional entertainment options going on around the rest of the park. This includes special meet and greets (like Phineas and Ferb in the best scarves) or a dance party in Tomorrowland (where on our trip, I found my main man, Santa Goofy.

Where's Perry?

Goofy had some SERIOUS moves.

Need something to keep you warm with and pass the time while waiting for the parade or fireworks? Why not indulge in the free cookies and hot chocolate available throughout the park? Yes, that is a thing. And yes, that is delicious.

I had a magical time and would highly recommend it. I will absolutely be doing it again as well. In fact, I happen to be wearing my Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party shirt as I write this.

Wouldn't you like to be here?

Hope you enjoyed a glimpse at the party. It is just that, a glimpse. Really worth experiencing all to yourself.

Have you attended Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party? How about having your own Very Merry Party?


Onto the Linkup

Here are the guidelines:

The post just needs to be about anything Disney related. There have been posts on runDisney, on the parks and even on the Moms Panel, so just give it some Disney and count it.

New posts are fantastic, but for now, if you have a great old post you want to share, drop it on in.

Try to visit as many of the posts that you can as time allows. The point of this is to share and support each other.

If you're going to be a regular, please link back to the host posts. It's just good etiquette and frankly, that's how others will get to your fellow Disney lovers content. Without that link back, they can't find the linkup and therefore the other blogs. Help me help you.

You also have the option to add the linkup code to your post if you'd like. It is not required, just another option. If not, please follow the above link back guideline. Get the InLinkz code

Have fun. Be a kid. Enjoy.


Dec 21, 2014

Christmas Town Dash 8K Recap and Review

Last year I signed up to run the Christmas Town Dash 8K at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Due to some unfortunate weather, the race was postponed a week, which meant no race for me. Luckily, I was able to defer to this year and recently got my chance to run.


Jingle Jangle Run!

I was really looking forward to this race. The race runs through Busch Gardens during their Christmas Town (hence the name + Dash) which is when they decorate their park for Christmas. Packet pickup was a breeze. There was no race day pickup, but we were in town for the weekend so we had no problem picking it up the day before. Pickup was located at a Dick's Sporting Good, which was easy, since it was the same as the year before. The swag was pretty good. You got a great long sleeve tech shirt (blue this year) as well as 50% off an admission ticket to Busch Gardens for 2014 and 2015. Oh, can't forget, a free Chic-fil-a sandwich as well. We also received a virtual grab bag, but it didn't include much in the way of deals.

This was a race weekend that the whole family took part in. While I was running the 8K with my sister, my wife and daughter were running the Chic-fil-a Running of the Cows Fun Run. This was originally going to be my daughter's first race, but due to the weather, her first race was this past July. However the fun part was both my wife and daughter could register for the fun run, which included their own personalized bib and a medal at the end.

Look at that speed!

The weather was a little chilly. It wouldn't have been as bad if it wasn't for the wind. As the race would go on, it warmed up but was pretty chilly pre-race and for the early portion. Luckily, my costume as Frosty included snowman looking mittens, which kept my hands warm. I was worried the course might be a little difficult, as I know Busch Gardens can be a little hilly. Overall, the elevation wasn't bad. There was a long hill at the beginning and some smaller ones elsewhere but most was just winding back and forth. The portion though the park was nice to see the decorations. While the race was during the day, I had still hoped that the lights would be on. Alas, they weren't. That was a little bit of a let down, but the non-light based decoration did not. I really enjoyed seeing the decorations. The "worst" of the course were the parking lot sections. Not because they were overly bad, but because there were a lot of loop backs, which to me always feels like "Hey, I know you're running forward now, but you'll be back." I was running the race with my sister, so we weren't running for time. We were running for enjoyment and paused to take a lot of pictures, as you will now see.

Enter the Christmas!

If Santa only knew what was coming...

A nice large tree.

Could not resist the speech bubble.


The green and gold was pretty.

Official time: 1:10:41

After finishing the race, there were Marines in dress uniforms to present our medals. The nice touch to the medal, being Christmas themed, it was also an ornament. This feels oddly appropriate to me as well, because for the longest time my daughter called my medals from the Disney Half ornaments.


Race Review

I enjoyed the race. The cost wasn't bad and included a great shirt.

Race grade: B

Check out my review on BibRave

Final Take Away

Was the race fun?
Yes.

Did I like the displays?
Yes, but wish the lights were on.

Would I do it again?
Not next year but in the future, yes.


Have you run any Christmas themed races?

Dec 19, 2014

Five Christmas Traditions | Friday Five

Christmas is almost here. Not really prepared yet, but it's always that way I haven't quite checked all of my list, definitely not twice yet. Maybe time for holiday hyperdrive. In this week's Friday Five linkup we look at tradition. In the words of Heinz Doofenshmirtz "It's tradition. I'm traditional". This week's topic is


Five Christmas Traditions

1. Christmas Music and Movies (until a normal person's ears and eyes bleed)

I love Christmas music and Christmas movies. So does my wife. We also are both on the "not until Thanksgiving" train, so once it's here, we make the most of it. That includes some weekend binge watching, background carols playing and many evenings of White Christmas on Netflix before bed. A mere mortal may not be able to handle it, but with a little extra Yuletide, we thrive. While it will die down some after Christmas, it's allowed to continue until Twelfth Night, so we'll squeeze in some favorites before the hiatus until next year. I'll listen to the music straight up until the cutoff. Now, if I could only convince my wife that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. It's a classic!

2. Williamsburg

The next tradition I covered just last week, but if you're talking traditions, it needs to be here: Williamsburg. This at the forefront includes Grand Illuminations at Colonial Williamsburg. It includes the traditional decorations on the colonial houses, the candle lighting in all the windows and a fireworks display Sunday night. This also includes purchasing a cup to get us the unlimited cider I've mentioned several times before. However, Williamsburg also mean a giant Yankee Candle Factory store, that is actually really cool with some of the theming and such that they do. This past year it also included the Christmastown Dash 8K for me and the Running of the Chic-fil-a Cows fun run for my wife and daughter. The race was fun, but may hold off in the future until my daughter can run the 8K if she wants.

3. Christmas Jammies

No, I'm not talking about the YouTube video or it's follow up this year (though they are fantastic. I'm talking about a tradition we've started doing that we've adopted from a friend of my wife. Every Christmas Eve, after midnight mass, there is a present under the tree that Santa dropped off early that includes new pajamas for everyone (Christmas theming optional). Then, everyone gets a little bit of Christmas magic early and some comfy new jammies for bed.

Fine... here's the video.

4. Homemade Pierogis

Of course there is traditional food on this list. This one is pulled from my wife's family, but fits well into my Polish background as well (the old ladies at my grandmother's church used to site around and make them, Polish equivalent of quilting I guess). For the uninitiated, at the most basic level, pierogis are dough with potato and cheese inside. Every year, on Christmas Eve, we make our own pierogis from scratch. This is a recipe my wife learned from her great grandmother, so it's a tried and true method. They come out so good and we even like to mix it up a little, such as adding bacon.

5. Pajama and Hot Chocolate Party

Ok, so this one isn't a tradition, yet. This past year, we had a pajama party for my daughter and her two best friends. We had pizza, hot chocolate, cookies and a Christmas movie. The parents all enjoyed in these as well. It was a really great time and have a feeling it will be a tradition for these girls, though will likely morph into a sleep over as well as they all get older. We had a blast, though Bailey's is needed for the adult hot chocolate next year.

More Exciting News

Last week, I added on some exciting news. This week, I have even MORE exciting news to share.

Linking Up

Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: CourtneyCynthia and Mar. Check their posts (Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What?! and Mar on the Run to see the full set of links). I will add some others, usually randomly, as I read them to share the love. Go visit and keep reading!


Our hosts:

Mar on the Run

Eat, Pray, Run DC

You Signed Up for What?!


Some other good reads, pulled from the link up:


Team Nuun

This lead up to Christmas has been full of great news and gifts. I have some additional exciting news to share with all of you. I've been selected to be a member of Team Nuun.


What is Team Nuun?

One of my favorite products that you'll always see me posting and tweeting about is Nuun Hydration. It's a product I never go without. I like it so much, it was one of my items for my 1K Giveaway, where I gave away some of my favorite things. Nuun Hydration is small tablets that you drop into water and it not only gives it flavor, but adds in just what your body needs to rehydrate: a fast-absorbing electrolyte blend. They do so without adding any sugar, high-fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. That makes for a great hydration solution, without feeling heavy. Light like water, but tastier and more beneficial. It's more than water. I always have it ready for after a workout, run, race and even a tube on my desk at work.

Nuun has their own ambassador program, to promote and support Nuun. In addition, they have a "competitive athletic team" called Team Nuun. I've been selected to be a member of that team. How cool is that? I was actually selected for a team! When I applied to be an ambassador, I had hoped to get to represent a product I love. I already share my love of the product through #nuunlove and just through sharing what it is. I never thought I'd be selected to be a part of a team like this. I'm so excited.

So this means, really, you'll be seeing more of the same. I already love this product and share that love, so you'll continue to see that. I'll be sporting their swag and product at races now, but I already always have it on hand for after the race anyway. What it will mean for you is I'll be on the inside track to find out what's new and I'll be passing that onto you. I'm sure it will even include some giveaways as we go along to spread the #nuunlove. I'm sure there will be more to it as well. I'm currently diving down in deep and getting to know the members of my team and the program so I can share with all of you.

This is really shaping up to be an exciting year and I'm looking to make the most out of it.

Dec 15, 2014

Expedition Everest Challenge On Sale Tomorrow | Mickey Monday

Bonus Mickey Monday post because it's that time again. Yes, it's time to register for runDisney. Next on the runDisney sale schedule: Expedition Everest Challenge in Walt Disney World. This is one of the more unique races held each year. It's a 5K obstacle adventure plus scavenger hunt. The race is held at night where you take on a 5K course with (simple) obstacles such as tires and hay bales. After the completion of the 5K, you must solve some riddles in a scavenger hunt style challenge to finally earn your truly unique compass medal.


That enough makes it worth trying out once. You won't find other races like it (or not that I've seen at least). However, you won't seen any like it at all after this year. After the many rumors that the race was going to be dropped last year, the word is official that this is the final year for the Expedition Everest Challenge. This is a real bummer because there's no way I'll be able to make the trip this year, and I had really hoped to earn it some day. Maybe it will be replaced with something equally special the following year. Maybe something geeky for the east cost to balance Avengers and Star Wars in California. Only time will tell. In the past, there has also been a "family" race during the day and a second race at night. This year it looks like there is only the night race, so take that into consideration.

Registration opens tomorrow, Tuesday December 16 at 12 noon. This race traditionally doesn't sell out as fast as other runDisney events, but whole knows what effect the "final" status and single race will play on registration.

Who's registering?


Bonus Linkup




Image credit: runDisney (email) and runDisney.com

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights | Xmas@WDW | Mickey Monday

Welcome back to another edition of the Mickey Monday linkup: the linkup centering around a love for Disney, sharing that love and connecting with others. I hope this linkup will become a great place to turn to for Disney content each week and help all the bloggers participating out by helping readers find that great mouse-eared content. I'm co-hosting with Katie from Adventures by Katie, so of course check her blog out.

After my "oops week" last week, I'll be continuing my look at Christmas in Walt Disney World. Last time I went off the main path by looking at the gingerbread house at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. This week, I'll be looking at a "spectacle" that's a little larger. This week I'll be talking about...


The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

In a recent Friday Five, I mentioned my love of Christmas lights. The largest display I have ever seen is easily those found at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The official page describes it as a "holiday extravaganza will thrill you with dazzling displays, delightful music and sheer magical magnitude!" That's not just marketing speak, it's true to what you see. The display actually began as a single family's display at their home in Arkansas. Every year, the display grew and grew until in 1995 Walt Disney World offered to become the permanent home to the exhibition. It's an absolute site to be seen, a magical display put to music unlike any other. It really can't describe it with mere words. So instead, here are some pictures to admire.

Mickey and Santa, pals in the magic.

Angels we have heard on high...

Shiny

The lights are all around you.

All around and everywhere.

Even that imagineer touch of hidden mickeys.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. If you did, go see it in person. These pictures don't do it justice.

Do you enjoy Christmas lights? Have you ever seen the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights?


Onto the Linkup

Here are the guidelines:

The post just needs to be about anything Disney related. There have been posts on runDisney, on the parks and even on the Moms Panel, so just give it some Disney and count it.

New posts are fantastic, but for now, if you have a great old post you want to share, drop it on in.

Try to visit as many of the posts that you can as time allows. The point of this is to share and support each other.

If you're going to be a regular, please link back to the host posts. It's just good etiquette and frankly, that's how others will get to your fellow Disney lovers content. Without that link back, they can't find the linkup and therefore the other blogs. Help me help you.

You also have the option to add the linkup code to your post if you'd like. It is not required, just another option. If not, please follow the above link back guideline. Get the InLinkz code

Have fun. Be a kid. Enjoy.


Dec 14, 2014

FruitBreak VoxBox Review

I recently received a product to try out on my taste buds. I receive a Buddy Fruits FruitBreak from Influenster. The product I received was a fruit pouch, much like the ones my daughter used to always enjoy, only this one is geared towards more than just children. The packets are 100% fruits, so they're very healthy. They're package up as an easy grab-and-go pouch: easy to store, easy to grab, easy to eat. My "squeezie" consisted of blended superfruit with raspberry and cranberry.

How did it taste?

Myself, my wife and my daughter all tried out the pouch. We all thought it tasted pretty good. My wife found the texture to be "different". The first time I had a pouch like this, the texture weirded me out a little. This time, it didn't bother me as much. The flavor was pretty good, but a little tart. It wouldn't be bad as a once and a while snack. To eat pouches often, I think I would need a different flavor. I do have to say the best demonstration on how it was can be shown by the empty scrunched packet at the end.

Final thought

In the end, I enjoyed the pouch. It would be and easy and convenient snack, stores longer than whole fresh fruit and a healthy fuel. I can recommend giving them a try and will consider trying out some of the other flavors as well.

Disclaimer: I was provided the FruitBreak for free to try and review from Influenster, but received no compensation for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, just like they always are.

Dec 12, 2014

Five Favorite Winter Activities | Friday Five

How quickly it became December. Even December is flying by. We're running head on into winter. In this week's Friday Five linkup we look at what to do in winter. This week's topic is

Five Favorite Winter Actvities

Five Favorite Winter Activities

1. Christmas Lights

I love Christmas lights: the colors, the glow, the site to see. I think they're beautiful. Ever since I was little, we always had a lot of lights on your house. My dad used the large old school C9 bulbs. He used to scour yard sales to find more. We also had the large plastic blow molds. A lot of them: a full manger scene, a parade worth of Disney characters, toy solders, candies, our own winter wonderland. As I grew older, I got to help more and more. As time went on, I even helped get the lights on the house to music. Not the overly complex ones you see on YouTube (you'd be surprised the amount of money that would take to do), but not a slouch either. I love seeing any and all lights I can. We just saw Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark and will go to the ZooLights at the National Zoo this weekend. If we're talking lights, we also can't forget to mention The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I even enjoy see lights down the street.

2. Grand Illuminations

Second is a celebration that has become a family tradition for my wife and I. Grand Illuminations at Colonial Williamsburg is held the first weekend in December every year. It includes the traditional decorations on the colonial houses, the candle lighting in all the windows and a fireworks display Sunday night. While you'd think their fireworks there may not be that spectacular, you'd be wrong. They are a really great display, done at three locations simultaneously. This also includes purchasing a cup to get us the unlimited cider I've mentioned several times before.

3. Stick to Your Ribs Foods

In a previous Friday Five I talked about "stick to your ribs, warm your innards to the bone" foods. I love those. Stews, soups, chili, anything in a crock pot. It may not be the best for you, but it tastes fantastic and is perfect for a winter's night.

4. Playing in the Snow

I've always enjoyed playing in the snow as long as I can remember. My daughter would always get excited to see snow, but last year was the first year my daughter seemed to really enjoy being out in that cold white stuff. After rolling around in the leaves with her playing this fall, I can't wait to do the same when it snows this winter. Bring on the cold white stuff!

5. Giving a Yeti a Shower

This isn't a literal item. I pulled this from the Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation episode. This is because I'm a sucker for Christmas movie and Christmas TV specials. Some of my favorites are the Home Improvement Christmas episodes, which also relates back to #1. We haven't broken out the DVDs to watch them yet, but intend to before the season is done. My favorite movies have to be White Christmas and the original Miracle on 34th Street (in black and white). My daughters favorite, along the same path as her Halloween choice, is Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas.

Honorable Mention: Exciting News

I also got some exciting news yesterday, which could therefore be a "winter activity". Read more about it on my last post.

Linking Up

Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: CourtneyCynthia and Mar. Check their posts (Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What?! and Mar on the Run to see the full set of links). I will add some others, usually randomly, as I read them to share the love. Go visit and keep reading!


Our hosts:

Mar on the Run

Eat, Pray, Run DC

You Signed Up for What?!



Dec 11, 2014

BibRave Pro Ambassador

I've already made the announcement on Twitter, essentially as soon as I got the email, but I wanted to formally share some exciting news:

I've been selected as a #BibRavePro!

What is BibRave?

What, you may ask, is BibRave Pro? Or BibRave for that matter. This is actually post I've had in notes form for a while waiting to be fully written (that may lend you a hint as to why I'm so excited to be selected). BibRave is a fantastic website, which they simply put it on the homepage as "Find & Review Races". It really is more than just a site to review races. BibRave is a fantastic site that feeds of the awesomeness that is the running community. It’s about sharing your experience so that others can find the best race experience to match their needs. You can discover new races and see how much of a challenge the course is, how well it’s run and if you like swag, how high quality it is. You get more information than you’ll ever find on the race page, direct from runners like you. You can check out all my reviews from my BibRave profile. And while you're there, why not create a profile for yourself and start reviewing races?

BibRave also runs #bibchat, a weekly Twitter chat on Tuesdays discussing a variety of running and race related topic. It's a great way to connect with other runners every week and have some great conversations. I've met several other runners that I talk to fairly regularly through #bibchat. The weekly chat also comes with the added benefit of the chance to win some great swag and products. Who doesn't like that?

What does BibRave Pro mean?

BibRave Pro is BibRave's ambassador program. I'll get the opportunity to work with and run some great races. I'll also help promote BibRave, which I frankly already do. I may even get some race entries and discounts to pass onto you. What it really means is some more great content for you. I plan to make the most of this opportunity and can't wait for what this year has to come.

Dec 8, 2014

Oops | Mickey Monday

Well, sorry about that. I did some traveling this weekend for a long weekend. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen some bits from the race I ran. While I was still going to be away, I had planned on still having Mickey Monday. However, Monday came without me realizing it was in fact Monday, and I never got my post out. That will teach me to not pre-write and schedule. One thing you can learn about me, I can have a bad memory sometimes. For any of you that came looking for Mickey Monday, I apologize.

Mickey Monday will return next week, same mouse time, same mouse channel.

In the mean time, I'm still going to add a link up for anyone who wrote posts this week. You can add it to your post as well if you like. If you do add your Disney related post, I'll be sure to give it some promotion for forgetting this week. Get the InLinkz code

Have fun. Be a kid. Enjoy.


Dec 5, 2014

Five Favorite Running Stocking Stuffers | Friday Five

It's early December. That means Christmas is coming but also mean it's time for St. Nicholas day. You may not be overly familiar with this one, but it is one we've always celebrated in my family. It's a very orthodox / European sort of thing. We actually would go see St. Nicholas at my grandmother's, not Santa Clause. If you need some education on St. Nicholas, there's a good VeggieTales on the subject that I watched on Netflix with my daughter the other night. In this week's Friday Five linkup the topic Friday Favorites. The basics of St. Nicholas day is he is a gift giver (the basis for Santa Claus) and children would leave hay and carrots in their shoes as a gift to his horse, and he would leave a present. In our family, it boils down to your stocking being filled. St. Nicholas Day is tomorrow, so this was a very long introduction to get to my topic this week. This week's topic is


Five Favorite Running Stocking Stuffers

1. BondiBand

First on the list is one of my favorite items that I wear each run, a BondiBand headband. It works great to keep the sweat out of my eyes and off my face without getting hot where it is trapping heat. It worked fantastic for me all summer. They come in a ton of colors and even with designs, to fit whatever outfit you have for that day or race. They also offer a ton of other products on their site including sweat wicking hats perfect for the winter running (including ones made for pony tails and pig tails), arm sleeves, neck gators and even stuff for the little ones.

2. Nuun

Second is something I drink after every run, Nuun hydration. It's important to always hydrate, even on cold runs. I prefer to hydrate with more than just water, but things like certain alligator named sports drinks are too heavy and contain extra stuff I don't necessarily need. Enter Nuun, a simple tablet you drop in your water to add flavor, electrolytes and vitamins. If you're like me and like that extra boost, they have a version with caffeine, Nuun Energy. They even offer an All Day blend made for giving you something tasty and healthy to get through the work day.

3. Race Day Energy of Choice

Next throw in their race day energy of choice. I enjoy a Clif Bar pre race and for my long races, GU Gels during. I also don't use them regularly, but ENERGYbits are FANTASTIC as well. The smell isn't great, but their output is. I love being #poweredbybits. There are plenty of options and everyone has their own preferences, so find out what they like and throw it in there.

4. ProCompression

I love compression. My personal brand of choice is ProCompression. I love their sleeves and own several pairs. Their socks look fantastic and they even come in several lengths, including shorter ones that don't offer calf compression, if that isn't your thing. So why not stuff the stockings WITH stockings?

5. Gift Certificate to your Local Running Store

Lastly, when it won't quite fit in a stocking, make it a gift card. This way, they can pick out exactly what they want. In addition, get one for your local running store (my local shout out is for Potomac River Running). They'll generally offer all of the above, as well as safety gear, clothes and shoes.




And finally, for your Friday enjoyment, I'll leave you with the full version of the above. Oh my gawd, shoes! (NSFW language. Use your headphones, people)


Linking Up

Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: CourtneyCynthia and Mar. Check their posts (Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up for What?! and Mar on the Run to see the full set of links). I will add some others, usually randomly, as I read them to share the love. Go visit and keep reading!


Our hosts:

You Signed Up for What?!

Mar on the Run

Eat, Pray, Run DC