Jul 27, 2015

More Food, More Wine | #Magical Mickey

I wanted to share with you some news about an upcoming Disney event that I am very excited about this year. Why is that? Because I will be attending it this year. This week's post is about the 20th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival


More Food, More Wine

All year round, Epcot is a fantastic park to get food and drinks from around the world, while experiencing a glimpse of their country and culture through the World Showcase. However, once a year, the savory foods and delicious drinks come from so many more countries. Every year in the fall, this year from September 25th to November 16th, you can enjoy the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. For someone like me, it's a foodie paradise, with a beer and wine for every dish.

This fall, on my Disney trip, I will get to experience the festival first hand for the first time. That's enough for me to be excited. Recently, there was some news announced by the Disney Parks blog that only added to the enthusiasm. As part of it being the 20th year for the festival, it will feature  30 global marketplaces. This year, it will stretch beyond the World Showcase and into Future World for the first time by adding 4 new food and beverage marketplaces. There will even be a cheese studio, and I enjoy a good cheese platter. It's why at many Disney dining options, I have no problem finding an appetizer, because many have some fine cheese plates.


Of course, if you're considering this festival and you run, I must suggest the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. This year is already sold out, but you may still be able to find a charity with open spot. Key word is may, because I haven't checked or anything, but that's always your only option after it sells out. The Wine & Dine Half is an evening race, that while last year was more than a little wet, it features an awesome finish line party with all that great food and wine, select attractions, characters and entertainment until 4 a.m.!

If you want to know more about the festival, check out the main Disney Parks site. You can find out about the marketplaces, tasting events, dining packages, and even celebrity chefs. If you get hungry enough, you can even book your trip.


I'll add more posts about the festival as it gets closer, and you'll be sure to be flooded with pictures when I actually attend, so we will revisit this tasty subject. Until then, have a nice week!

Have you ever attended the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Do you love food and wine like me?


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.


Jul 24, 2015

Drinks of Summer | #FridayFive

I'm a little late to the Friday Five linkup this week, but that's ok. I was a little under the weather last night, so it was a no anything sort of night. This week's topic is perfect if you're a little thirsty. This week we're looking at our favorite summer drinks. This one was easy think of items, so let's get down to it and have a drink!


Drinks of Summer

1. Nuun

I use this year round when I'm running to hydrate, but it's great for the summer. In the summer, it's hot, it's humid, and you're out places. When we're going to be out and about, such as at the park, into the city, or of the million and one other activities we do, I always grab a tube to come with me, just in case. Better to be safe than dehydrated.


2. Captain and Coke

Oh captain, my captain. This is one of my all time go to adult beverages. Simple but delicious. In college, we also discovered a tasty variation known as Blackbeard, where you add in some root beer schnapps. Yes, root beer schnapps is a thing. I won't even mention the amount of Captain we went through in college, but I will date myself by quoting the Ignition remix lyrics "It's the freakin' weekend baby..."

3. Ice cold beer

Similar to number 2, sometimes when it's hot out, an ice cold beer just hits the spot. Not always, but often. After a long day at the beach, you're back at the hotel, the kids are in bed, there's nothing like a beer on the balcony overlooking the waves with the gentle sea breeze. Of course, there's always the 3b option of a beer shake, such as the deliciously pictured Irish Beer Shake from Red Robin.

4. Slushies

Slushies, ICEE, frozen Coke, whatever you want to call them. I just love all the frozens on a hot summer afternoon. A group of developers I used to work with would occassionally take a walk on a summer Friday afternoon to a nearby 7-Eleven for a "we worked hard" treat. I was thinking more about the bright colored and soda versions you get at a Sheetz or 7-Eleven for .99 a gallon, but I'm willing to include others, such as Frappuccinos (which I also love) or the frozen tropical drinks like the strawberry daiquiri and pina colada.

5. Arnold Palmer

I was going to put ice tea at number 5 to finish the list strong, because who doesn't love a cold glass of fresh brewed ice tea. But then I thought, why not go with my favorite way to drink ice tea: with some lemonade. And if you're feeling adventurous, why but combine number 4 and number 5 and go with a Dunkin Donuts Arnold Palmer Coolatta. You'll thank me later. Unless you hate lemonade and / or ice tea. Then don't get it.

What's your favorite drink of summer?



Linking Up


Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: Courtney, Cynthia 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



Jul 19, 2015

Plantronics BackBeat FIT Review | BibRavePro

Disclaimer: I received the Plantronics Backbeat FIT headphones to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador, tell them I sent you), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I love music. I mean that in a general sense. I just always have. I love to play it and I love to listen to it. It should be no surprise that I love listening to music as I run. I actually went for a long while without music, but found that I missed it. Music helps relax me much in the same way that running does, so they really work in tandem. This made this next product so much sweeter to test out as a BibRavePro. This is my experience with


Plantronics BackBeat FIT Bluetooth Headphones

Since I love music and running with music, I've been thinking of investing in a pair of bluetooth headphones for a while. Every time I'd go to an expo, I'd check out the different options. When I'd be at Best Buy, I would browse the section of headphones, but I could never settle in on a pair. The problem is I could try them on, hear how they sound, and feel how they feel on my ears, but until I get running, I'd have no way of knowing if things would annoy me. I'd look at pairs, and not really want any that were the harder plastic with some larger weight on the back. Sure, they feel fine, but would they weigh down after a couple hours? I was also unsure if I cord hanging down in the back would annoy me as much as the front. Then there is the battery life concern and they absolutely need waterproofing. As I said, I've fully considered this and was ready to invest in a pair. I don't mind paying money for something good that will get a lot of use, but I always want to be sure it's worth the money. Enter the fortunate case of BibRavePro having headphones to review and the Plantronics BackBeat FIT.

How do they look?

Let's start with the little things and build to the important sound factor. First, opening the box, they just look good. That's not really the deciding factor, but it's important. The pair I received was black with a neon green. The headphones go up and over the ear then around the back. They have a rubbery feel to them with an IP57 rating for waterproofing, thanks to a "P2i nano-coating is applied during the manufacturing process, resulting in invisible liquid repellent properties". As a safety feature, the even have a reflective finish. Every little bit helps.

They also come with a reversible carrying case. Why reversible? Well, one side was black and the other became a bright matching green armband. While I already have an armband for my phone that I love, I like the idea of this design and took it out for a run. It had some good no slip grip and stayed in place, but I did feel a little sweatier in that it didn't quite breathe as well as my current brand. However, you didn't but the headphones for the armband, and it worked quite well. I did have one issue however concerning the armband when I started my run. I put my phone in and went out running only to have the sound break up a lot unless I turned it forward on the band. This felt odd for bluetooth that can go 33 feet. I took my phone out and flipped it upside down, and magically, no more problem. I'm guessing maybe my key that I put in the inside pocket of the armband played a factor. After that, the sound quality was fantastic. Chalk one up to the oddities of technology.

A photo posted by John Wickee (@rgrdisney) on

How do they feel?

One of the more important factors are how they feel in your ears and on your head. If I'm going to spend several hours running for a half marathon or full marathon, they need the battery life, sure, but if they hurt your ears, it doesn't matter how long they last. These feel nice and light on my ears. They have a really comfortable fit. They only have one set of eartips, but the size was not problem for me. They even allow for a 20 degree of adjustment to make sure the angle in comfortable. They were even comfortable my sore ears. "Sore ears?" you ask. "How does that happen?" Well, at home I have a 1 year old who likes to tug on your ears when he gets tired as if he rips one off it means no bed time. You'd be surprised how much your ears can just hurt. And he's sneaky too about getting ahold of them, but I digress. Despite all of this, they felt good in my ears. As mentioned, one of my worries is whether a cord around the back would bother me. I found with these, on my run, I didn't even notice it was there until I actively thought about it. With the rubbery finish, it gives them a little structure, so it's not like a lose cord hanging down. It doesn't bounce around or even reach my neck unless I'm looking up. All around, the stayed in place great.

A photo posted by John Wickee (@rgrdisney) on


How do they sound?

Now the meat and potatoes of this review dish. How do they sound? In short, superb. They have a really solid sound to them. They can output some good volume, so I had no problem hearing my music running down the side of a busier road but they also include a really nice safety feature. The design of the eartip allows for some outside noise to get it, meaning you're more aware of your surroundings and safer. It's not too much to take away from the music though. It's a good balance in the design. The headphone sound isn't just "good while on a run" good. I'm listening to some Spamalot on them as I write this, and the sound is still great.

The controls are pretty simplified, two large buttons (play/pause and call) on each ear and two small buttons on the top of each side (volume and power). The simplified scheme works well and is easy to control on the run. I use two things usually on a run, either RockMyRun or my own library in Google Play Music. Using RockMyRun doesn't really require controls, so I used my own library. It was easy to play, pause and skip around my music.

The Takeaway

So what's the final takeaway? These are outstanding headphones. Look at my list of worries: comfortable, check. waterproof, check. battery life, check. sound, check. I was looking for a while for a pair to invest in. This pair would be the pair I would buy. That's a biggest vote of confidence I can give.

One additional factor for you in my takeaway. On two runs of the same route, my run with the new headphones was 40 seconds per mile faster than with my old wired ones. Coincidence? I'll let you decide.

#bibchat

Like the sound of these headphones? Want a pair for yourself? Well, on this week's #bibchat, we'll be giving away not 1, not 2, but 3 pairs! Come by on Tuesday July 21st at 9pm EST to join in the chat and have a chance to win. I can't guarantee you'll win, but I can guarantee you won't if you don't show up. Plus, you can interact with me and inevitably talk food, no matter what the topic.

#BibRavePro

Do you love #bibchat? Do you review races on BibRave.com? Want great perks like this? Then check out the application for becoming a BibRavePro. And when you're filling it out, tell them I sent you.

Jul 17, 2015

Favorite First Swags | #FridayFive

Happy Friday everyone. It's been a long week, so I'm so glad it's Friday. On the plus side, I have gotten all my training runs in for the Runner's World Hat Trick, so that's something. Speaking of races, this week's Friday Five linkup topic is Favorite Race Swag. Now, I still consider myself early in my running career. I haven't done that many races and with those races, I haven't gotten too many unique swag items. Usually it amounts to a shirt and a medal at most. So instead, I decided to turn it a little. But let's face it, the pictures matter most, so I'll stop talking.


Favorite First Swags

1. First Race - Rockstar 8K

My first ever race, with a very nice shirt. [Recap]

2. First Half Marathon - Walt Disney World Half Marathon

As I always say, hard to go wrong with Disney. [Recap]

3. First Challenge Medal - BRATS Holiday Series

Three fun 5Ks [Recap, Recap]

4. First Triathlon - Salute to the Military Tri

First tri, and I will tri again.

5. First #RunRideHydrate

Ok, I didn't know what to call this, but it was the inaugural and it is my MOST comfortable shirt.

Do any of your firsts have cool swag? Do you wear your free race shirts ever or do they sit in a drawer?



Linking Up


Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: Courtney, Cynthia 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




Jul 13, 2015

Star Wars at SDCC | #MagicalMickey

This past week was the geek-fest known as San Diego Comic Con. It is a time when you'll see lots of information flowing about anything geeky. TV shows, movies, comics, web... they're all there. Many save some big announcements, they'll have Q&A sessions, panels and plenty of exclusive merchandise. One very geeky, and Disney related thing I'm excited for is set to release December 18, 2015, so you know they're going to be represented at SDCC. That's right, I'm talking Star Wars: The Force Awakens.


Star Wars at SDCC

I thought now would be a good time to share with you some of the happenings and going ons (there's a phrase) around the new Star Wars film from SDCC, in case you missed it. But first, let's rewatch that trailer.


Ok, now we can move on. First, one of the biggest surprises was the appearance of the legendary Harrison Ford at the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel. It was his first public appearance since that thing involving the plane and the golf course you may have heard about. And don't worry, he started with "I'm fine. I walked here."

photo from StarWars.com
Of course, Han Solo wasn't the only cast member on the panel. It also included the three new stars: John Boyega "Finn", Daisy Ridley "Rey", and Oscar Isaac "Poe Dameron". A lot happened in the panel, so I won't go into the full details. Instead I'll share a link and then move onto something I really loved from the panel.

They released some additional footage. It wasn't another trailer, but some behind-the-scenes footage. What I love most about this footage is the demonstration of practical effects. To me, this is what made the original films so fantastic. Using the physical models or developing the full costumes first, and then adding the special effects after makes for such a better experience, in my opinion. I love the advancements of CGI, but it can't compare to that real texture to me. Seeing this footage only builds that excitement.



Are you excited of the next movie? Do you plan to go opening night?


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.



Jul 6, 2015

Castle to Château Coast Race Challenge | #MagicalMickey

I wrote recently about the upcoming inaugural runDisney Race at Disneyland Paris. Recently, I noticed something that quietly came to light about the race. I was surprised there wasn't a bigger announcement about it to reinvigorate some interest, though I wasn't surprised by what I saw.


Castle to Château Coast Race Challenge

runDisney loves the Challenge medals. And frankly, many of us that run runDisney races love them too. We already have the Coast to Coast Challenge, for running in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Well now, we have another coast, if you will, so we need another medal of course. Enter the Castle to Château Coast Race Challenge.

This little tidbit is tucked away in the FAQ under About the races.
Q. What is the runDisney Castle to Château Coast Race Challenge?

A. If you complete a half marathon distance at Disneyland® Paris and at the Disneyland® Resort in California or a half marathon or marathon at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, in the same calendar year, then you will receive an additional medal commemorating your achievement.

Will you be running the Castle to Château Coast Race Challenge?


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


Jul 3, 2015

The 3rd of July | #FridayFive

I know this week's topic is 4th of July, but I'd like to deviate from that a little bit. Why is that? Well, because today is not the fourth but the third of July, which is in fact a very important day. Five years ago today, I was the luckiest man, and got to marry my beautiful wife. Sappy sentence aside, I'd like to look at that instead. So here is the not 4th of July.


The 4th 3rd of July

1. The Wedding

We had a beautiful wedding ceremony at the church where my wife grew up in New Jersey. It is a great church, which had plenty of room for both of our large families and friends. There is an absolutely amazing organ as well (sorry, my music geek is showing) and well as some pretty stained glass in the back. There was nothing like seeing her walk down that aisle to me.

2. The Party

After the wedding of course comes the party, and we had quite a party. We had a cocktail hour with appetizers (that were fantastic), followed by dinner, and of course, an open bar. The food was great, the music pumping, people dancing, and only one fire. It was such an amazing time with everyone. We would actually keep hearing at weddings after this with our group of friends house great ours was, so that's always a good sign.

3. The Honeymoon

My wife and I want to travel so many places around the world together. We both love to travel and have many of the same locations on our travel lists. However, for the honeymoon, there was no real discussion needed for where we were going. Actually, it pretty much went like "We're going there for the honeymoon, right? Yeah? Good." That's right, we went to Walt Disney World. It doesn't matter how many times we've both been there before, it was the only choice. We flew down on the 4th, checked into our room at the Polynesian Resort, with of course the theme park view, and ordered in room service to enjoy the view, the spectacular fourth of July fireworks (which you can incidentally watch live stream of Saturday at 9pm, FYI), and each other's company. Of course the next day, we put on our wedding Mickey ears and hit the parks hard! You get treated so very extra special in the parks in your honeymoon that I can't help but recommend it, if your considering it. We had amazing meals, memorable magic, and a trip to never be forgotten or matched.

4. The Kids

Fast forward through the next five years and you'll find the births of two of the most precious little people to me, my daughter and son. My wife and I have made so many memories over there past five years, but we also made to amazing children. They're smart, inquisitive, and maybe a little mischievous, but I wouldn't trade then for anything. They are my world.

5. The Next 50 Years

I look forward to all the things to still come. There is so much we'll do, so much we'll experience, that I'll just need to always do my best to take it all in. They'll be so many more ups, and I'm sure some downs, but every moment with my wife is a previous one. They all matter. That's why I look forward to the next 50 years (and bring) together.

To quote (and add to) Buzz Lightyear, "to infinity, and beyond" (with you!)



Linking Up


Check here for some links out to others sharing, staring with our three lovely hosts: Courtney, Cynthia 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






Jul 1, 2015

New Run / Walk Strategy - Jeff Galloway Training and Motivation Tips

I am one of the biggest supports for Jeff Galloway's Run Walk Run Method. It's how I run, it's how I completed my first half marathon and it's how I'll complete all my future ones. I'll gladly sit down and talk to anyone about it any time. This week's tips are about just that; Jeff is introducing a new run / walk strategy. Well, it may be new to some, but it is actually the walk break I myself use.


The 30-second Walk Break

By Olympian Jeff Galloway

Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk/Run method was revolutionary for three reasons:
  1. Run/Walk/Runners felt better throughout the long run.
  2. Run/Walk/Runners recovered faster and got injured less often.
  3. Run/Walk/Runners went faster with the breaks than without.

Since his introduction of walk breaks in 1974, Jeff he has received feedback from hundreds of thousands of runners, allowing him to fine tune Run/Walk/Run to keep people feeling better, staying healthy, and running faster.

The greatest benefit of the walk break comes in the first 30 sec.

Our heart rates come down, the running muscles relax, we catch our breaths, and the fatigue melts away.

After 30 seconds of walking, we tend to slow down.

Here is a typical example of what happens with a 1-minute walk break:

A run/walk/runner averaging 10-minute pace in a marathon using 3 min/1min might walk at a 15-minute mile pace for the first part of the race.
As fatigue sets in, that walk gets slower, and by halfway, the runner may be walking at 18 min/mi.

This means faster running is needed to stay on pace, which creates more fatigue at the end of each running segment, so the walk will get slower, and so goes the downward spiral at the end of the race.

Avoiding the Slow-down

Compared to running constantly, the 1-minute walk break still results in runners feeling better, staying healthier, and going faster, but it can get even better! Limiting walk breaks to 30 seconds, or in some cases even less, while cutting the run time accordingly, gives all the same benefits, with even less fatigue and even faster times.

The Bottom Line

If you are in already using a 30-second walk break or less, you don't need to adjust. If you are using an interval that takes a 1-minute walk break, keep the same ratio but cut your walk and run times in half. For example, a 1-minute/1-minute interval now becomes a 30-sec./30-sec. interval. It's that simple.



Olympian Jeff Galloway has coached over a million runners to their goals through his clinics, wonderful retreats, training programs, books and e-coaching.  Sign up for his free newsletter at www.JeffGalloway.com.

Do you use run / walk? What interval do you use?



America’s Best Places to Run enhances the running experience by offering access to very special running routes. This book gives a preview of the scenery with directions to the start and special instructions to enjoy the area.  In addition to the more than fifty trails and half dozen race venues reviewed in this book it also  includes tips on training for trail running, dealing with elevation, running uphill and downhill, terrain issues, endurance, and time.