Tag Archives: race

My RunDisney Paris Weekend Outfits

I may have just got back from my Disney Cruise, but I’m off to Disneyland Paris THIS WEEKEND! I’ll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to be on the first flight to Paris, and I’ll be in the parks Friday-Sunday, but as per usual this trip is not without a race weekend!

I’ll be running both the 10K and half marathon in order to earn myself the Bibbidi Bobbidi Challenge medal, and I’ll also be getting my second Castle to Chateau Challenge medal, and two races means another two outfits to create!

I’ll be the first to admit that the costumes I created for this race weekend were a little bit last minute – in fact, my 10K outfit was something I literally threw together this week – thank goodness for my fabric stash!

So for the 10K I’ll be letting out my inner Star Wars nerd with this outfit inspired by Princess Leia’s Episode IV outfit. I have a good collection of plain coloured tech t-shirts now, so I only needed to make the skirt to go with a plain white top, and then I’ll be attempting some cinnamon roll style buns.

Then for the half marathon, I’ve created an outfit inspired by my favourite Mickey Mouse look: Sorcerer Mickey. I actually made this skirt from fabric I got out of the scrap bin at my local fabric store for just £1, and I’m so happy with how it came out! And while its probably impractical to run in a sorcerer’s hat, I do have this amazing scrunchie that I got from Shanghai Disneyland last year, and I even have a Mickey glove too!

If you’re also running this weekend, or are going to be in the parks, come say hi if you spot me!

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Characters on the Course – RunDisney Tinkerbell Weekend


I might be back from Disneyland, but you’ll all know by now that that never means the Disney posts are over! And of course, yet again, the primary purpose of my trip was another RunDisney race weekend, this time, the Tinkerbell Half Marathon Weekend.

Again, I ran the 10K and the half marathon – the Pixie Dust Challenge – so there were 19.3 miles of running magic for me to share with you! Some of you may be aware of the somewhat dramatic twist that during the 5K there were no characters available on the course, and this is something that I have a very different opinion to most, but I won’t get into that now, instead I’m going to share the characters that were out for us at the 10K and half marathon!


The 10K:

  • Lost Boys – the Lost Boys were hanging out in Toontown as we entered the park just after mile 1
  • Pirates – there were a bunch of face character pirates scattered throughout the course, and they were lots of fun!
  • Captain Hook and Mr Smee – this pair met by the Storybook Canal Boats at about mile 3
  • Pirate Donald – I couldn’t resist stopping for my favourite duck on Main Street
  • Pirate Chip and Dale – the chipmunks were up to trouble in California Adventure
  • Peter and Wendy – this was really just a photo op as they stood a few steps above the pavement, but it was nice to see them out!
  • And pirate Minnie was at the finish line!




The Half Marathon:

  • Iridessa, Silvermist and Rosetta – I can never resist the fairies, and having never met Silvermist before this was one for the character list
  • Pirate chipmunks – Chip and Dale made another mischievous appearance, this time on Main Street
  • Peter and Wendy – during the half, Peter and Wendy were on the railway bridge, so not even a photo op
  • Lost Boys – the most boys were having a ball on King Triton’s Carousel on Paradise Pier
  • Pirates – the pirates were out in force again!
  • Pirate Pluto – this lovable pup was also kitted out for pillaging and plundering on Paradise Pier
  • Tinkerbell and Fawn – well it would be rude if Tink missed her own race, right?
  • Captain Hook and Mr Smee – this dynamic duo made a second appearance, this time in California Adventure

If you caught the Princess Weekend edition of Characters on the Course, you may be noticing there’s considerably less this weekend. This is primarily due to the fact that in WDW, Disney own all the land between the parks, so even when you’re not in the park, they can still put the characters out on the roadsides along the course. However in Disneyland, the majority of the half marathon course is on the streets of Anaheim, so there can’t be any characters along those 8 miles of the course. There were, however, some bands, DJs, and also a whole tonne of super supportive locals making that length of the course magical for us!

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RunDisney 2017 Update!

princess-half

Yesterday the event information for the RunDisney Princess Half Marathon Weekend was released!

While I hadn’t forgotten, what with my trip getting so close now, my stomach actually did a turn when I got a text from my dad while at work to tell me that the event guide was live, and all of a sudden everything became very real and I actually got a little overwhelmed when I got home and it was time to check all the info – especially finding out my bib number, and ultimately my corral.

If you didn’t already know, I’m running the Glass Slipper Challenge, which consists of the 10K on Saturday 25th and the half marathon on Sunday 26th. I’ve run a weekend challenge before, at the Star Wars weekend in Disneyland last year, and I’m excited but also a little nervous to be participating solo this year, having previously raced with my dad.

Despite the slightly over-complicated route to get all the info I needed – downloading my waiver to find my bib number, then finding the corral listings – I let out a huge sigh of relief to discover that I’ll be starting in Corral G, the 2:25-2:36 finishing time. Its exactly where I wanted to be; close enough to the beginning that I’m not waiting forever to get across the start line, but also not surrounded by people running a much faster pace.

I was also really curious to see the course maps. I’ve run the half marathon course at WDW before, and I was sort of pleased to see that its the same route as last year as I know what to expect: start in the Epcot car park, run up to the Magic Kingdom, then back via the road by the golf courses and finish up in Epcot again. I was, to be honest, more interested in the 10K course as its not a distance I’ve done in Florida before, and I’m pretty happy with that too – its similar to the 5K route I ran last year, just with a longer stretch outside the park at the start of the race, and an extra loop around the Boardwalk as part of the World Showcase stretch.

It feels like forever since I last wrote about RunDisney, especially having spent the majority of 2015 blogging my training for last years races, but I’m really very excited to be racing again this year as part of my upcoming trip! As per usual, the best way to follow my adventures will be on Twitter and Instagram, and if possible again this year I’ll also get back onto Periscope for live course updates!

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YearOfFit – 7 Things You Need to do After Finishing a Race

You’ve spent all this time training, and now you’ve run the race, so now what?

Rebel Challenge 2016

1. Walk it off

I know how much its taken for you to cross that finish line, but you need to keep moving. I’m not saying you need to walk miles, but just don’t stop completely once you’re done – otherwise you may not be able to start up again!

2. Stretch!

I also know how much your body is going to want to just sit down and curl up for the rest of the day, but I guarantee as soon as you do, your muscles are gonna start to cool and you’re really going to feel the effects of the distance you’ve just run. Just do a quick 5-10 minutes of stretching once you’re finished, and then maybe a bit more a few hours later. You’ll thank me, honest.

3. Congratulate those around you

I hate runners who don’t join in with the community spirit. You’ve all just completed the same course, so give someone a pat on the back or tell them they did a great job. Its not much, but its a nice gesture and you’ll feel better for it.

4. Take a finishers photo

Grab that medal and strike a pose. It doesn’t matter if you think you look too sweaty or worn out, preserve that proud memory!

5. RE-FUEL

This is totally dependent on your body’s needs, but especially after a long distance, you’re probably going to need to take on some food pretty soon after crossing that finish line. Grab a banana!

6. Collect any sponsorship money

No, not the second you’ve crossed the line, but if you did your race for a charity, try and get your money in as soon as you can after the event; its just good manners, and saves them having to chase you.

7. Feel proud!

It doesn’t matter whether you were first or last to cross the finish line, or whether its your 1st or 50th race, you should always feel incredibly proud of your achievement!

Remember, a 12 minute mile is just as far as a 5 minute mile, so just get out there and enjoy it!

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#YearOfFit – Fun Runs That Really Are Fun!

There are two types of people in this world: those who enjoy running and those who don’t.

SONY DSC

For the latter, the term ‘fun run’ generally seems like the furthest thing from it, but whether its a charity fundraiser, New Years resolution or mid/early-life crisis, most people will probably take part in at least one during their life, and today I’m going to tell you something that might surprise these people: some races really are fun!

Race For Life/Pretty Muddy

These ladies only races for Cancer Research UK are the ideal first race for any new runner. They’re laidback, there are normally a lot of tutus and people dancing, and you don’t even have to run it, so there’s that too!

Colour Runs

There’s a few different runs that do this now – The Color Run, Run or Dye etc – but the aim is pretty simple: show up in white, run around and have paint and coloured powder thrown at you, finish with an awesome party! I was gutted to miss our local Run or Dye last year, but I’m hoping to do the Brighton Color Run in September, and I’m so excited!

RunDisney

Do I really have to explain why these races are so much fun? Firstly, you’re running around the Disney parks. Secondly, there are character meets along the course, as well as a tonne of great entertainment and supporters cheering you on, and lastly, YOU’RE IN DISNEY. As you well know if you’re a regular reader, I have four RunDisney races under my belt already this year, with two more in September, and I’m already buzzing to do more in future years!

Virtual Runs

This is a fairly new and upcoming concept, and some people really don’t understand the point behind them, but I’m obsessed with virtual runs! Virtual races came about to combat the geographical and logistical restrictions of official races; the organisation of large events, participants having to sort travel etc. So how do they work? Just like any other race, you sign up online and pay your entry fee. This may be a charitable donation, it may also cover goodies like medals and t-shirts, all depends on the race. Your race may have a particular day, or a time period for you to complete it over, and all you have to do is complete the distance on that day or during that week or whatever, then submit a proof of run, like MapMyRun stats, photos etc to the organiser, and then you’ll receive your medal/shirt/certificate/whatever through the post. Its the satisfaction of a race without the hassle!

I’ve already completed one this year, and have 6 more coming up this year so far. I’m also thinking about organising one – if anyone would be interested please let me know!

ParkRun

ParkRun is an international organisation that holds weekly races all over the world, but there’s probably one pretty near where you are too! Its totally free to take part, with events run by local volunteers, and its a great way to get into running and join a community. Once registered, you’ll be issued with a personal barcode, which serves as your identification when you complete each race, linking your time to your account. I have two ParkRuns near me; I’m a regular at one and have visited the other once, but they’re both really great and its a real community, plus when you hit milestones (25/50/100 runs complete etc) you get a free t-shirt!

Are there any races you’d love to take part in?

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