Jan 30, 2015

Five Kiddo Workouts | Friday Five

Well, this week has been a bit of a wash for weather. After getting a great 8 mile run in Sunday night in 40 degree temperatures (which felt fantastically warm here in the northeast), we got rain, snow, sleet and colder temps all week. It has been less than ideal and less than safe for running outside. It means it's time to turn indoors. Of course, everyone knows the things you can do in the gym, but what about when you're at home, when you have no time to get to the gym or even away from the kids? What's a busy parent to do?  The topic for this week's Friday Five linkup is indoor workouts. I'm going to answer my own questions and help you to stay fit with your kids. This week's topic is


Five Kiddo Workouts

1. Baby Bench Presses

We'll start with the 18 lb press. I make good use of my 6 month old by pressing him up over my head with kisses in between. He gets the giggles, I get a smile and a light workout. For an extra challenge, I can lay on the floor and follow it up with my 3 year old when she asks for "My turn!".

2. Tackle!

This is a favorite game of my 3 year old. It goes like this, you kneel, she walks back, gets a big running start and just runs into you. You catch her and go back to the floor. Doing it without going down too hard gives you a small ab workout. Then of course, you can go straight into a toddler bench press (see above).

3. Horsey

Given the nature of the first two, you can guess this one. It involves playing the role of Sparky (horse to the Disney Junior's Sheriff Callie) with the 3 year old on top. It can involve of course all fours or more of a piggy back horsey ride. The alternate version involves sitting on the couch, where your leg plays the role of Sparky in a leg extension-like exercise.

4. Laundry basket shuffle

Ok, this is hardly a "favorite" but it is a good workout. We live in a townhome with laundry in the basement. That makes for two flights of stairs when doing the laundry. Make it a weekend of backed up laundry and that can be a lot of good steps lugging full baskets up and down. The kids come in when they want to help, or when the 6 month old sits in the basket too (shh... don't tell my wife).

5. Kiddo Back Pack

The last is simple: baby wearing (listing this will make my wife happy). With a variety of carriers and wraps, I can hook on either my 6 month or 3 year old. It makes them easier to carry and free your hands up for other things. My wife's become a baby wearing ninja to get things done, even having them both up at the same time. It can absolutely be a great work out, provided the kiddo stays happy. We've used it plenty out and about and it can make life so much easier, not to mention great for when they fall asleep being much easier on the arms.

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


Some other good reads, pulled from the link up:




Jan 29, 2015

Going to Tri Something New

So, I just took another leap forward in my fitness and running journey. The story is pretty similar to my first half marathon: I knew that I someday wanted to do one, then one day my wife convinced me I should sign up and just do it, then in the course of 24 hours I went from some day to signed up. There is something else that was on that list of "someday I'd like to try it", but saw it as a "maybe next year". Then, I got an email from Katie from Adventures by Katie asking if I'd be interested in a particular event. I looked it up, thought about it, chatted with my wife and before I knew it I again went from someday to signed up.


On May 24th, I will be participating in my first ever triathon.

I will be racing an event put on by an organization I've been mentioned a lot lately, Bristow Tri and Swim. The event is the Salute to the Military Sprint and Youth Triathlon in Warrenton, VA. It looks like a great starter race for me to tackle. It has a 350m swim, a 12.4 mile ride and then a 5K run. I feel like other than the back-to-back-to-back nature of the events, the single part I'll need to concentrate on will be the bike portion, as I haven't used my bike is 2 years or so. I'll also have Katie tackling her first triathlon with me, so it will be easier than going it alone. Much like all the other BRATS events I've participated in, this is a great value as well, individual registration is just $50 right now.

I'm really excited about this. I'll be training for the Rock n Roll DC Half marathon in March, so the extra conditioning in the form of bike riding and swimming will only help. Looking for a good value tri? Thinking of giving a tri a try? Come join Katie and I at this event. It'll be fun with us if nothing else.

Time for these running shoes to have some partners.

Jan 26, 2015

A Dose of Disney Magic | Magical Mickey

Welcome back to another edition of the Magical Mickey 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.

One of the best things about going to the Disney Parks is the magic. One of the best sources of that is from the cast members. The Disney Parks is one of those places where you find people are willing to go the extra mile more than others. I'd like to share a story of one of those occasions. This week I'll be talking about...


A Dose of Disney Magic

In last week's Magical Mickey post, I mentioned making some friends while waiting for the parade during our honeymoon. I mentioned "that story is for another post". That post is now.

While waiting on the platform outside the Main Street U.S.A. station for the Walt Disney World Railroad, we met a nice older man who was a cast member. He had worked for the mouse a long time and worked his way up the ranks. The position he was in then was essentially magic maker. Ok, maybe that wasn't his exact title, but it should have been. He worked in EPCOT in the World Showcase. His job was to make sure things ran smoothly. He was out among the guests, helping if anything was out of place. There was a time when he was working that a small child had dropped their autograph book into the World Showcase lagoon. He called a boat and eventually got the book fished out. Of course, by that time the book was ruined. The child had lost all of the autographs they had built up over their visit from meeting characters. He had an idea however. He told the family to hold on as he went backstage. He called his friend who worked at the school where they teach characters to sign their names. He got him to sign ALL the character names into a new book. His friend drove the book over right away, then he brought the book back out to the family. He told the child that Mickey couldn't fix the book that they had, but felt bad so had all his friends sign this new one for them. I can only imagine the look in that child's eye.

To me, that is Disney magic.

Have you experienced any Disney magic?


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


Jan 23, 2015

Five Things About Me | Friday Five

Happy Friday everyone! It has been a long week. It had a bit of a rough start and middle but has finally started to level out. With that, I'm looking forward to the weekend. Now, if I could just shake all this congestion in my head, I'd be set for business. The topic for this week's Friday Five linkup is ME. Yep, this week I'm talking about me, myself and I. This week's topic is


Five Things About Me

1. I'm a developer

From a post I wrote back when I worked for a startup.
I love programming. That's why I made it my day job. I started coding back in high school, by teaching myself HTML from a PDF document on the tags and coding on my graphing calculators. Yep, I started by programming on a TI-83 and TI-89. From there I went to school for it, got my B.S. and M.S. I code every day for work and even code extra personal projects for fun (though not nearly as much as I'd like). I love developing for the web and mobile the most. Coding is actually a fun and creative process, despite that many people think of it as purely analytical.

2. I'm a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi

This is from the very first moment I met my wife.
In college, I was a refounding father for my chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, the Zeta Alpha chapter. Kappa Kappa Psi is the national honorary band fraternity. It was a huge part of my college time and my life. I served as my chapter president and the district vice president. In fact, at the district convention when I was running for office, I met my future wife, which you can see above. That pictures is from probably about 1 minute after meeting her for the first time. I have lifelong friends, countless memories and a connection to people I've never met. It's hard to explain, but it there's an instant connection to other brothers. As an alumni, I'm not as active as I'd like to be, but I hope to work on that by helping with a local chapter and maybe becoming more active at a district level in some means.

3. I love playing sports

Starting pitcher for the Odd Balls. A good team name follow up to my college team, the Amputated Stumps.
I really enjoy running, but I also love playing sports. In college I coached and played on coed intramural softball and volleyball teams. After moving to Virginia, my wife and I played on a rec league softball team. Nothing serious, just a fun time. Unfortunately, we haven't played since that single year. I hope to try and find a team maybe this spring to play on and get back into it. It's a fun way to stay active that I really enjoy.

4. I love to cook

The ingredients for cheese beer soup. 1st ingredient: bacon, last ingredient: beer.
I've always loved to cook. My first job was working as a dishwasher in a kitchen. Over time I worked my way up to cooking on the line and even covering the kitchen myself during less busy times. I really enjoy trying new recipes, changing them, trying out something new. I love to eat, which pairs well with the love of cooking. I of course try to make conscious decision to use healthier options now when I cook. It's interesting how much you can change a recipe with substitutions to make it healthier, which can create a whole new but still delicious option. I have my favorite dishes to cook but I am always looking for new recipes and dishes to try out.

5. I love video games

She only pretends to play the Xbox right now, but looking forward to when we can play together.
The first video game console I ever owned was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). As a kid though, we always had the console just before the next came out. I got a SNES just before the N64, and so on. It wasn't until I was in high school, saving the money from the afore mentioned job, that I purchased an original Xbox on day one. I also, by chance, ended up purchasing a game I knew nothing about but was a first person shooter. That game is one of my all time favorites: Halo. I may not play games as often as I used to, but I still enjoy them just as much. My entertainment center currently has an Xbox 360 and Xbox One, so I still enjoy my escape into video game realities.

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


Some other good reads, pulled from the link up:



Jan 19, 2015

Perfect Parade Perspective | Magical Mickey

Welcome back to another edition of the Magical Mickey 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.

I have a love for Walt Disney World (in case you somehow haven't guessed). There is so much to see and do there. You could say there is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done. One of the "to see" things are the fantastic parades. My favorites are always the night parades, such as the Main Street Electrical Parade. This week I'll be talking about...

The Perfect Parade Perspective

I want to share my favorite location to watch the evening Disney parade. The parade starts in Town Square, travels down Main Street U.S.A., loops in front of Cinderella Castle, through Liberty Square and finally down Frontierland. This gives you a plethora of options for where to watch the parade, all of them fine. My favorite place is at the beginning of the route.


One of the best vantage points is from the platform outside the Walt Disney World Railroad station for Main Street U.S.A. If you're willing to stake out a spot earlier, you can get right up on the railing. From the elevated spot, you get a great unobstructed view of the whole parade. The view of the parade is great, but it's backed by a view down Main Street U.S.A. to Cinderella Castle. This comes with the added benefit that you can watch the parade and keep your view for the fireworks.


This is the exact plan of action we took on our honeymoon. We had a long 10 day trip, so we had the time to just sit back and relax. We staked out our spot early, before anyone else, enjoyed some snacks and each other's company until the parade. We even made a few friends, but that story is for another post. After the parade we still had perfect seats to watch the nighttime spectacular of the Wishes fireworks. It's a perfect 2-for-1 deal. Not only that, you're right by the exit to get out quick before the masses descend onto the monorail, busses and ferries. So make that a 3-for-1.

You could "hold" your spot with just a person or two for a little while, but like anywhere at crowded times, wait too long and you'll have people who will look to squeeze themselves in uncomfortably close. If you're willing to invest some time in the spot, you can have a prime view for two great entertainment events at the Magic Kingdom.

Where's your favorite place to watch the parades?


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


Jan 16, 2015

Five Things in my Running Bag | Friday Five

Another Friday is here. The week has flown by, being a pretty crazy and busy time at work and home. The topic for this week's Friday Five linkup is gym bags. I haven't really been going to they gym lately, so that bag is fairly empty. That will be changing, as the weather has been "less than hospitable" lately, so it will return to a state more like this past post. Instead, I have a drawstring bag I keep in the closet with a lot of stuff I have for running and race. So instead, this week's topic is


Five Things in my Running Bag

1. BondiBands

This is an item I love for running. I first started using one when I won a BondiBand from a giveaway. It immediately solved a problem that I was at that time searching for a solution. It keeps the sweat out of my eyes without being hot on my head. While it's most beneficial anytime it's warm, I still wear them often in the winter as well.

2. ArmPocket

This item is very important on my runs. I picked this up at the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend expo last year. I was in the market for a new phone armband because my current one did not stay secure on my arm. The ArmPocket does more than just hold my phone; It can hold my phone, ID, credit card, cash key as well as a GU without breaking a sweat. It stays secure on my arm without any issue, is durable, and fits my phone perfectly. It was well worth the investment. If you're frustrated with your current armband, I suggest giving them a look.

3. Nuun Hydration


Nuun is something I drink after every run. Training or race, it doesn't matter. Nuun Active Hydration provides you with a fast-absorbing electrolytes blend to get you rehydrated mixed with great flavor and without any of the unnecessary sugar. I personally prefer the extra boost of Nuun Energy, which is the same electrolytes as Nuun Active Hydration elevated withf caffeine. I also recently started drinking Nuun All Day. The all day variety gives you a mix of vitamins and a great flavor to mix up your day to taste better than just plain water. All 3 are a vital part of my every day and training.

4. Illumination


Safety is of utmost importance when running. With winter upon us, the days are shorter which means if you're running outside, it's more than likely dark out. I prefer to run in the morning, which is definitely dark. That means being seen is important. For the dark, that means light it up. I have an assortment of items in my bag to keep myself lit up and seen. I have to say one of my new favorites is a Christmas gift from this year: LED slap bracelets.

5. RoadID


As I just stated, in case you forgot, safety is of utmost importance when running. Every time I run, day or night, my right wrists is wrapped in my RoadID. It's an item every runner, cyclist or active person should have. You can list emergency numbers, allergies and other important information should the unthinkable happen. I've written a previous post all about why you should already have a RoadID.

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


Some other good reads, pulled from the link up:

Pam and Christine @ We Run Disney

Janelle @ Run With No Regrets

Amy @ Will Run For Ice Cream

Jan 13, 2015

When You Wish Upon a Race: Star Wars Speculation

I want to start this post to say that this post is pure speculation / wishful thinking minus one shred of information. I recently received some word that a runDisney announcement will be happening soon and is not the ill-kept secret of a Disneyland Paris race. That is the one shred of real information in the post. The rest is my wishful thinking that the announcement is about a new race, that the race is in Florida and that the race could be a Star War race in Walt Disney World.


My guess is, if they're going to be announcing a race, it would likely be a replacement to Expedition Everest Challenge, which was recently announced to be in it's final year OR it could be a replacement to Tower or Terror that was left off the 2015 schedule with little in the way of official announcements. So I did some thinking as to what I would want and what would make sense. One of the previous rumors was a Star Wars race in Walt Disney World to replace EEC to coincide Star Wars Weekends in Florida. I recently also stumbled across an old post by April at Run The Great Wide Somewhere where she speculated a Star Wars race still coming to Walt Disney World even after the Disneyland announcement. She has much of the same wishful thinking as me.

runDisney Strikes Back?

So how does it fit in? First, it really could fit either of the two weekends. Both races have the trouble of not being a race that is Coast to Coast eligible. What do I mean by that? I have a previous post on what is the Coast to Coast Challenge, but it boils down to running a half marathon (or longer in the case of the Walt Disney World Marathon) in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the same calendar year. While you don't explicitly pay extra money for this challenge, you do by registering for two race, as well as Disney having the opportunity to have two hotel stays, two sets of park tickets, two sets of merchandise, etc. There is already a standard coast to coast medal and a special pink Coast to Coast medal for running the Princess Half Marathon and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. Adding a Star Wars race in Florida adds not only an extra race that can qualify you to get a Coast to Coast medal but it also opens an opportunity for a Star Wars based Coast to Coast Challenge. Geek Coast to Coast anyone?

Second, both race weekends feature a night race. In the case of Tower of Terror 10 Miler, it was a villain themed race, which was an aspect many people loved about the race. It was one of the things that made the race unique and a point I saw brought up a lot when the non-announcement came out. The potential Star Wars Walt Disney World race could be a Dark Side race which would keep the villain race alive and well. This would also help to differentiate the Star Wars races a little bit between the two coasts, so it wouldn't feel as much like the same race in two places, which in turn gives people reasons to run both races, something I'm sure runDisney loves.

Now, if you were runDisney and you were going to announce a second Star Wars race, and I'm not saying they are, when better to do so than at the inaugural Star Wars race weekend in Disneyland? That falls under the "soon" category for me. That would frankly be the perfect time to generate a TON of hype (not that the announcement alone wouldn't do so).

Remember, not based on fact

So, remember that this post is not based on any facts. It is purely my thoughts and a shred of a new hope for a Star Wars race in Florida.


What do you think about a possible second Star Wars race? Would you want it? What do you think the announcement is about?

Jan 12, 2015

runDisney When You're Not *Running* Disney | Magical Mickey

Welcome back to another edition of the linkup. First, a little mouse house keeping. You may notice I did not say the "Mickey Monday linkup" as my text normally starts. This is due to something that was discovered on Twitter, the hash tag for the linkup name, #MickeyMonday, is very much NSFW any more. When I started the linkup, I was forward thinking enough to check the hashtag first, and it was mostly unused, definitely not used in an inappropriate way. Unfortunately, this is not the case any more, so we will adapt. We'll take the Mickey Monday linkup, sprinkle a little pixie dust on it and give it a new name: the Magical Mickey linkup! Frankly, I liked the alliteration the first time around, so I'm sticking with it. Let me know what you think of the new name or if you have any other names to propose.

So... welcome back to another the first edition of the Magical Mickey 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.

In case you haven't been on social media, or don't follow as many runner and / or Disney friends as I do, this past weekend was Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (#WDWMarathon). This is the premier weekend of the runDisney season. It kicks off the new year with the largest number of runners, most number of races and the only full marathon of the year for runDisney. However, if you were like me, you weren't there running it. Which provides an interesting topic. This week I'll be talking about...


runDisney when you're not running Disney

runDisney is a fantastic and magical thing, in my opinion. It is an experience different than really any other race weekend you'll find, truly unique. However, for most of the people who run it, it's a destination race, a runcation. The fees for the races can be quite high compared to other races, many you have to be ready to register the day of if you want to go, which is many months in advance and then you have the travel cost, hotel maybe park tickets coupled with your time off from work. All of this can add up, though I think the experience is worth it. Granted, I'll also accept any excuse as a reason to go to Disney if I could afford it. With this, it's not always financial possible to run all the runDisney races or maybe even just one a year. I do believe this presents a unique opportunity to experience another side of runDisney... the outside.

I had many friends running this past weekend at Walt Disney World. And I don't just mean online blogger and Twitter friends, but people I know in real life too. That made for a lot of tweets and pictures showing up in my feeds: on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook (to a lesser extent). I loved it and couldn't get enough of it. Seeing pictures of the expo made the memory pop fresh into my mind when I was there and picked up my first runDisney bibs, got my New Balance runDisney shoes and checked out all the vendors. When I saw the early morning race day pictures (after I woke up much later in a nice warm bed) I remember the early morning corrals full of people in the dark waiting for the 5K. Then I remember the long trek to the corrals on Saturday for my first half marathon. And the waiting. I remember running past all the characters, too afraid to stop and running through the parks full of joy and then struggling on some of the back roads just pushing to finish. That side of things was really cool, but I digress.

The cool thing about the weekend is there is so much coverage, through the runDisney blog and Disney Parks blog as well as all the runners on Twitter. They even set out "official" hash tags to try and make stuff easier to follow. For me, other than the memories it brought back, it really just makes you psyched to go run it yourself. Seeing all that there is to see while you run. Seeing the excitement everyone there has and the fun they're having even when it is unusually cold for Florida. I don't know how you could see that and not want to be a part of it. If you know people running, you could set up to track them. You get text or email updates as to their progress on the long races. So many ways to keep connected.

This year, they actually took things a step further for those of us that couldn't be there. This past year, the Disney Parks blog has been live streaming a lot of events, though to various degrees of success (from a viewing and technical standpoint). They extended the live stream to the marathon weekend events. This year you were able to watch live feeds of both the start and finish lines of the half marathon and full marathon. It was a really great idea. As mentioned, I wasn't up early enough to see the start line streams (though I was up before the start happened thanks to having a 6 month old at home that likes to wake up about 4 am). I did however watch some of the finish line streams. The cool part was you were not just given a video feed but you also were able to hear the finish line announcers. It was a good angle, good feed and great coverage. I actually tuned in a good bit to the marathon streams, even seeing 3 people I know cross the finish. Not too bad for being 855 miles away. As with all their live streams, you can watch them back after. So, if you did run, you can now see how you looked when you started and when you finished. How many races offer that?

You can check out the replay videos from the live streams on the Disney Parks blog for the half marathon and the full marathon or I've embedded the full marathon finish line video here below.



Did you run with weekend? Did you follow along at home? What do you think about the new name?


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


Jan 9, 2015

Five Things to Love about Philly | Friday Five

Welcome to the weekend. Welcome to Friday. This weekend is a great weekend to me. It is Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, where I ran my first half marathon last year. However, that is not what this week's Friday Five is about. In this week's Friday Five linkup we're stepping a little away from the world of fitness. We're talking about cities we love. For me, that makes this week's topic is


Five Things to Love about Philly

1. History

Philadelphia is a city full of history. Independence Hall, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge, the home of the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross, William Penn, Benjamin Franklin.. the list goes on and on. There is so much to see and learn. So many famous footsteps to walk in and see what they saw. Go and experience the birth of our country.

2. Passionate Sports Fans

One thing that Philadelphia has is passionate sports fans. We get a bad reputation for being rowdy and unsportmanslike, but we love our teams. We still get flack for booing and throwing snowballs at Santa Claus... yet that happened in 1968! You want an example of how passionate Philly sports fans are? The Sons of Ben is the supporter group for MLS Philadelphia Union. However the SoBs were founded in 2007, a year before the MLS awarded a team to the city of Philadelphia. They helped rally MLS to give an expansion team to the city. They existed 3 years before a team ever played a game in the city. That's passion.

3. Food

Philly is a town with great food. It is also more than cheese steaks. Soft pretzels are a staple. It is the home of hoagies. They're not subs, not heros, they're hoagies. There is something special about them and they're much more than just a sandwich. It is also the home of Chickie and Pete's famous Crab Fries. Or perhaps you prefer a little slice of Italy? That you can find at South 9th Street Curb Market, the oldest and largest outdoor market of its kind.

Of course there are the cheesesteaks... the amazing cheesesteaks. Be sure to try one with the cheese of choice: Cheez Whiz. While you're eating, why not compare and try to find your own personal favorite. Will it be Geno's, Pat's, Tony Luke's or Jim's? Maybe another choice. There's only one way to find out.

4. Rocky Balboa

This one is also a no brainer. You have to include the Italian Stallion. He's the blue collar worker, the underdog that rises up. A personification of the city. And let's not discount those steps. Running up them is no joke.

5. Birthplace of the Fresh Prince

He's saved the world from aliens countless times, saved the wild west and has even been a bad boy down in Miami, but he will always be the Fresh Prince first. How can you hear this and not sing... "In west Philadelphia, born and raised..."


Honorable Mentions

There's so much to love, that I had to give some honorable mentions. Like to shop? How about 400+ store, 3 food court, 20+ restaurant King of Prussia Mall? Want something colorful? How about the Mummers Parade, dating back to the 1800's? Have a sweet tooth? It is the home of the Tastykakes, so good that my family used to trade boxes of Tastykakes with my great uncle in Nebraska for boxes of Omaha steaks. Lastly, this is a running blog, so I have to mention the Philadelphia Marathon, a fantastic way to see the city and a race on my running bucket list.

Even the New York Times recognizes Philadelphia as #3 on it's list of 52 places to Go in 2015 only behind Milan, Italy and Cuba. Yep, third on a list that looks world wide.

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:

Eat, Pray, Run DC

You Signed Up for What?!

Mar on the Run


Some other good reads, pulled from the link up:

Salt @ Run Salt Run

Stacey @ Running Muffin

Sherry @ Stay Fit N Healthy 4 You


Jan 5, 2015

New Balance runDisney 2015 Shoes | 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.

Two years ago, runDisney and New Balance started making official runDisney shoes. They were a huge hit. The first year, they made a Mickey and Minnie design, Last year, they made four designs: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Cinderella. When I ran the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, I was lucky enough to purchase a pair of my favorite character: Goofy. They're at it again this year. This week I'll be talking about...


New Balance runDisney 2015 Shoes

This isn't quite the post I had hoped to right. I had hoped to show you the new shoes as well as talking about how to get them. Unfortunately New Balance has decided to not unveil them until the day before they go on sale. However, I'll still share what is known and update this post when they are unveiled, so be sure to check back. Until then, here is what we know.

<UPDATE>

Here are your new shoes:

Image credit: New Balance http://www.newbalance.com/

They're nice. They are a simpler design, which will likely appeal to those who may not like the "loud" shoes. It is sharp looking shoe. While it is neutral colors, it looks like there are plenty of the same little touches given to past runDisney shoes, including I'm sure several hidden Mickeys. I'm a little underwhelmed by the big "reveal". Last year we had several angles of each shoe, videos, the whole kit and kaboodle. This year, a single shots which doesn't even give a good look at the shoes. The full post can be found on here on the New Balance site.

</end update>

First, New Balance has unveiled this teaser image.

Image credit: New Balance http://www.newbalance.com/

Unfortunately the picture doesn't give much of a "sneak peak". The post involved gives a little more information to go on. The shoe model this year will be the 990v3. The design will be a "retro" design inspired by Steamboat Willie. Unfortunately, there isn't more than that to go on. They tweeted "The anticipation is building" but to me it's more "the frustration" that is building. Mostly because I have friends at the expo and I want to know if I want to see if they can pick me up a pair, haha.

There is also an additional bit of news. Due to the popularity and limited availability, they will also be offering the 2014 shoes.

Image credit: New Balance ;http://www.newbalance.com/

The 2014 models include the 860v4 Sorcerer Mickey and Pink Minnie models as well as the 890v4 Goofy and Cinderella models. The 860 are an option offering more support while the 890 was their neutral offering. While I run with more support, I couldn't turn down a Goofy shoe for wearing at other times. Plus, the coloring was very much my style.

My New Balance runDisney 2014 Goofy shoes

How to get the shoes

Last year, they improved their system to make getting the shoes easier. You registered on site in a virtual queue, so you could shop the expo floor and they would text and email you when your turn was up to get fitted and buy (if you so chose). This year, they're taking it a step further.

Anyone wanting to purchase the shoes can go to NBvirtualqueue.com to sign up. If you're a runner with a bib number, you can sign up on Wednesday, January 7th and Friday January 9th. Anyone else wanting to purchase the shoes can sign up on Thursday January 8th or Saturday January 10th, giving runners first shot at the shoes. The queues open at 6AM and are a first-come first-serve basis. From there, the system will operate the same way. You'll get a text / email letting you know it's your turn, then the magic begins, so to speak. Check out NBvirtualqueue.com for the full details and to sign up.

Do you own any runDisney shoes? Are you interested in special limited edition running shoes? What do you run on?


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


Jan 2, 2015

Five Goals for 2015 | Friday Five

It's time to welcome in a new year. I recently took a look back at 2014. In this week's Friday Five linkup we're looking forward to 2015. This week's topic is


Five Goals for 2015

1. Run more

Number one on the list is to run more. I had a good year racing and have really enjoyed running. When I looked back at my totals, they were not as good as I would have liked. In 2015, I want to run more total miles, largely by running more consistently. That was the reason for the hit to my miles. I wasn't training regularly during the year. This year, I want to turn that around. I want to run more, run regular and run for me.

2. More PRs

This past year was a good year for racing: I finished my first half marathon, then followed that up with a new PR. I also finished the year strong with 2 PRs on my 5K, breaking it in two straight races. This year, I want to keep that ball rolling. First, I want to push my half marathon time down. My goal is to break 3 hours. I feel with some good training I can really accomplish this one. Second, I want to really push the short distance. My goal is to break a 30 minute 5K. This one feels like a bit of a stronger push but I feel with hard work I can drop my time enough to get here.

3. Grow my social media

My last year saw a great push on social media for me. I really grew my Twitter account, from nothing to just under 2,000 followers. I also started a Facebook page for my blog and more recently rebranded my Instagram and Pinterest to match my Twitter. I want to keep growing my Twitter base, but also be more active on and grow the other three. I want all of my accounts to grow, but want to do it the same way I did my Twitter, by being active and interacting with others and the running community.

4. More blogging

One thing I've really enjoyed this past year has been writing here on my blog. I've had a great time writing about a wealth of topics: from Friday Fives like this to race recaps to my Disney Mickey Monday posts. My first goal is to ensure I keep writing regularly like I have the end of the year. This past year I even updated the look of my blog with a new template. One thing that has been sitting in my todo list are some additional pages for the blog. My goal is to create those pages to create a more well rounded blog.

5. Get fit, get healthy

I usually have the goal to lose weight. It also doesn't always happen. This year, I want to lose weight, but my goal is to let that happen while accomplishing my other goals. I'm working hard to eat healthier with WeightWatchers. Pairing that with #1 should help get me on my way with weight loss. I plan to do more than just running to get fit. Getting fit and getting healthy is really my paramount goal, which is why I'm ending my Friday Five here.

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:

Liz @ Loving to Tri

Nicole @ Fitful Focus

Amy @ Run with Perseverance