Race Recap: Spartan Beast - Utah

Race: Reebok Spartan Beast

Location: Soldier's Hollow, UT

Race Date: Saturday, June 29, 2013

A little late than never...Well, first off, I survived...that's good isn't it? lol! This was a killer race so here we go with the recap...

Day 1 - Travel Day - Thursday, June 27, 2013

Jeff, my race traveling companion, and I left home at about 5:30am while the hubs stayed with the K9s. The drive which was supposed to be 13 hours turned out to be 14 or so hours due to massive construction on the roads that we were traveling. We went up through Albuquerque, Farmington, thru Canyonlands National Park, Provo, Utah and finally to our final destination, Heber City, UT. The town is small and cute but there's not a whole lot to do here. Once we arrived, we unpacked and headed out for dinner since we had arrived at about 8pm. The first place we ended up at stopped taking patrons for seating at 8:30pm...it was 8:31pm. We ended up just going back to the motel (Swiss Alps Inn...nice place, older furniture but great owner and just nice overall. They do have pet friendly rooms (we were in one) and they don't smell and from what I can tell the rooms are all fairly large. We ended up ordering Domino's and then watched some TV and/or played on the  computers before bed.

Day 2 - Free Day - Friday, June 28, 2013

I woke up early and Jeff slept in so since I wasn't able to get my mile in yesterday for my run streak I had to start over and went to the local high school track to get my mile in. Afterwards I decided to drive up to the venue just to check it out. OMG! Was my first thought was, "It's all f*cking hills and mountains!" Here's some exapmles of the area...

Yup, we were knee deep in that sh*t. See the mountain on the left?
Yeah, we climbed the trail to the top.That was a b*tch

We were on mostly single track trails through this area.

Parking area, view 1.

Parking area, view 2.

We ate breakfast at a bakery/deli called Kneaders, great food! We've had breakfast there 2 days and are planning to go back today (Sunday) for more! We then headed up to Salt Lake City and visited Temple Square which houses the first Latter Day Saints buildings and which is the oldest area of the city.

The Temple from the west entrance.

Jeff in front of the Temple from the west entrance.

As much of the Temple that I could get in one shot.
Granite was quarried from 20 miles away by ox and cart
and took 4 days to transport until they built a railroad
which lowered the time to 4 hours.

Selfie in front of the Temple.

Assembly Hall, the oldest building and first building of worship.
Original pews are still being used.

Fountain in front of the Assembly Hall has plate murals
depicting the trek of the original settlers.

After the visit to Temple Square I made my first visit to a Lululemon store...just to say I've been in one!

We then headed to Gateway Center (shopping) to look around to kill some time. Jeff was looking for new mud shoes and I was trying not to spend any money. We then headed to REI where Jeff finally (we won't say how long this took!) found some shoes but they were out of his size so we waited for a friend of his from Clovis who now lives north of SLC who was going to join us for dinner and some impromptu shopping at the REI in Sandy, UT which had the shoes that Jeff was looking for.

We then headed out to Olive Garden, which luckily was pretty much around the corner and had dinner (I still have leftovers that are probably going in the trash). Megan, Jeff's friend, was a pleasant young lady who obviously had a great relationship with Jeff. After dinner we dropped Megan off at her truck at the SLC REI and headed back "home." We tried to turn in early so that we could be ready for the morning.

Race Day - Saturday, June 29, 2013

We were up by 7am and headed back to Kneaders for breakfast. We then headed out to the venue to get everything necessary for the race AKA packet pickup. We got everything together and found the small group of the Weeple Army that we were going to run with (more on that later). I didn't even think to take any pre-race pics of myself and Jeff but I did get some of the 10am heat at the starting line and of some of the Weeples as we waited in the corral for the 10:15 heat.

10am heat at the starting corral, 200 racers at a time.

Flags marking the start.

Bryce carrying the Weeple flag and wearing his GoPro.

Weeple people.

To the rear of the 10:15am heat.

Dave (our illustrious leader) and Bryce.

Weeple chicks.

Weeples preparing for the start.

To the front of the starting corral.

When the race started of course we were going up hill...and you know how much I love hills...NOT! (Yes,  I know I have to train for them for NWM 26.2!) It was this early point that I fell behind and rather than have them wait for me I just let them go and continued on  my own. I was able to do the race at my pace and asked for help from total strangers at obstacles that I needed it. I met several other women close to my age who I walked with for varying amounts of time  plus a young lady who was a tired of the crap we were dealing with and we were going to go through this together...until she got called to the medical tent for an emergency. So I trudged along and met a few other women and some men that I walked and chatted with throughout the race. One inspiring person was a young man named Lemoni (apparently a name from the Book of Mormon) who had lost a leg and had broken a spring so I let him use my phone (yes, I had it sealed in a ziplock bag) so he could contact his wife to meet him with a new part. I believe he had lost his leg in the war, but I'm not positive. The last time that I passed him, he had met his wife and was fixing the piece but also had to do some gerry rigging with athletic tape so that he could continue on. He passed me again and I saw him at the spear throw doing bupees with his prosthetic off...the man was a freakin' BEAST!! So as I continued on through some mud/water obstacles I worried that I should have taken my FitBit Flex off, but it handled the mud/water like a champ and is still working (only water resistant no proof). It was totally submerged several times for several minutes and it's going great today (Sunday). I also had bought a new waterproof, dustproof, shock proof camera that ended up totally covered in a thick layer of mud but is also working like a champ. Needless to say, I was unable to take any pics with it though.

I started the race at 10:15am and finished around 5:30pm, according to Jeff only about 30 minutes after the Weeples finished, if that's true I'm pretty proud of myself! That's a little over 7 hours for a killer race and we had finished a Super in just over 5 hours and that was an 8 mile or so race. I was so tired that I didn't even want to think about taking pics, just wanted to wash all the mud off and get into the pool at the motel! So when we got back to the motel we showered, rinsed out our clothes/shoes some more, sat in the pool and hot tub then went next door to Dairy Keen to have some burgers and a shake (Yummy, thick shakes). We then came back to the room and although we wanted to go to sleep early we ended up finally going to bed at 11pm or so. Ugh.

Day 4 - Travel Day - Sunday, June 30, 2013

Well, I was up at 4:30am so I'm going to have to stock up on some 5 Hour Energy before we leave. Jeff woke up for a few minutes at 5am but is now back asleep. I'm considering another shower or to lay back down in bed. We managed to get on the road around 11am after having been disappointed that Kneaders, our fave breakfast/bakery joint was closed. We ended up eating at a cafe across the street before beginning the 15+ hour drive home. The drive was uneventful other than more frequent stops to stretch, gas up and nature breaks but we did stop to eat 3 times adding on another hour or so to the trip. Note to self...don't have the patty melt at Whataburger, it just didn't sit well with me. We finally made it home at almost 2am exactly. Another Spartan race done. A week of soreness to look forward to!

The Aftermath:
Bruised on every body part except neck and face. Bruises ranged from 10" to variously sized spots. Sore for 5 days after...ran/walked 5K on July 4th and soreness went away the next day.

What I liked about this race...
I finished, it was a bruiser but it can be done by a not so in shape 48 year old female.

What I didn't like about this race...
Hills, steep hills, loose rock...the 100 yard barb wire crawl roll...usually one of my fave obstacles. Didn't like my normal disliked obstacles...traverse wall, monkey bars, rope climb...took burpees for all those.

Would I do this race again?
Yes, just because I am a glutton for punishment and it would give me a reason to eat a Kneaders and have a shake at Dairy Keen.

Recommendations in Heber City, UT (about 10 minutes from Soldier's Hollow venue):
Swiss Alps Inn - Clean, roomy motel w/ pool, hot tub and sauna.
Kneaders Bakery - Great baked goods and breakfasts.
Dairy Keen - Right next door to the Inn, great burgers and shakes.

Race Recap: Bataan Memorial Death March - My 1st Full Marathon

Race Location: White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico

Race Date: Sunday, March 17, 2013

Race day - 2:
Well, the day had finally come. It was time to get ready to head towards my very first full marathon. Admittedly, I hadn't trained anywhere near as much as I should have. I had a case of nerves that I hadn't really felt since my first half marathon or the first time I did Spartan Sprint last month. In late February I had received an injection of confidence and purpose when a Facebook friend told me the story about her great-aunt who was a military nurse taken as a POW after the surrender at Bataan. I decided to dedicate this race to her and the other female military and civilian nurses and healthcare workers taken prisoner after Bataan. However, even with this new sense of purpose I had a recurring sense that I was about to fail at probably the most meaningful race I could have entered to date. I actually considered paying the $50 fee to change to the short route, but I had dedicated 26.2 to the Angels...so 26.2 miles it would be.

My veterans dedication bib and my special dedication bib
for the Angels of Bataan.

The bib I printed to wear during the race dedicating it to the Angels of Bataan.

The husband was on Spring Break from the college and university so the timing couldn't be much better. I had managed to get almost all of my pre-race ritual housecleaning done on Thursday and just had a few things I needed to do plus get my packing done. We finally left at about 12:30pm or so for the roughly 5 hour trip to White Sands Missile Range...an operating Army missile base that you may have seen parts of on Mythbusters. We stopped in Roswell to get the husband a boonie hat for the race as well as something quick to eat. Why is it that I only seem to eat at McDonald's when I travel for races?? Yuck! (And I used to be a huge McD's fan!) After that it was pretty much a straight shot to WSMR. We got to the Community Center on base where they were doing the marchers in processing. You have to go through a series of rooms to get everything done but it wasn't too bad since we arrived for the first day of registration. I think, IMHO, that in the future they should move it to a more open area but this was still workable. We picked up our packets, hubs was doing the 14.2 Honorary March) and looked around at the race merchandise for a bit. I really wish I was paying more attention because if I had seen the "I Survived the Bataan Memorial Death March" decal I would have bought one for sure (just in case).

Race packet swag.

Commemorative timing chip.

Commemorative dog tag...no bling except for those who place.

Certificate of participation.

We headed back to Holloman AFB just about 40 minutes east of WSMR where we were going to be staying for the next two nights. After we got into our room we headed into Alamogordo to eat at Carino's to continue the carb loading that is my habit for the week prior to a race. We got back to the room around 10pm and started getting our race gear together and made plans to make a trip into Las Cruces for breakfast, to buy some tech shorts for the hubs and watch  21 & Over (5th time for me, 2nd time for the hubs).

Race Day -1:

We got out the door and headed for Las Cruces at about 9am and stopped at The Village Inn for breakfast...great timing because the place filled up just after we were seated. We then stopped at Dick's Sporting goods before heading over to the Telshor theater to watch my 2nd favorite movie after Pitch Perfect! LOL! After the trip to Las Cruces we had to run back to the room to pick up some virtual race medals for the team from West Point Military Academy who would be competing in the Military - Heavy Division (full uniform with packs > 35 pounds. After we picked up the medals, we headed back to WSMR to attend the meet and greet for the survivors. The meet and greet was in the Professional Development Center and broken out into several different rooms with a survivor speaking in each one. There were no survivor's names assigned to the rooms so it was kind of a pot shot as to who we'd be hearing from. We ended up in the auditorium where Col. Ben Skardon was scheduled to speak. The man, 94 years old now, had a sense of humor about surviving the March and captivity, along with a deep reverence for his comrades who were no longer living as well as a sly, sparkle in his eye when talking about the Angels of Bataan (whom I had asked about) as well as the nurses who cared for him after liberation from a Japanese POW camp. After his talk I went up to thank him for his time and asked if he knew Lt Thor, the Angel that I was dedicating my race to. Unfortunately, he didn't know her but he saw that I was Filipina and he went on to talk about working with the Philippine Scouts in the region of Cebu where some of my family hails from. I cannot tell you how many times I had tears in my eyes during his talk, nor the amount of laughter that he was able to elicit while talking about such a deep subject. This man would be walking 9 miles of the route the following day with the help of his family.

\

Blurry cell phone shot of Col. Ben Skardon during his talk.
Click here for a video of Col. Skardon talking about his captivity in 2012.

After the presentation we headed over to the Frontier Club for the pasta buffet. I looked around for some of the Team Red, White & Blue members and knew that the West Point cadets would be with them. This is when I presented their medals to them. I spoke for a while with one of the national leaders and took the photo of the West Point-ers. While eating we also met a couple of Marathon Maniacs (I had purposefully planned to wear my Half Fanatics shirt to meet other HFs or MMs) one of whom was an active duty colonel at Wright-Patterson AFB and another girl from San Jose plus her friend who was from San Leandro (both some of my NorCal SF Bay area neighbors). We had a great time just chatting about races, doing Bataan for the first time and encouraging each other...

The four cadets from West Point, there was a last minute addition from
Annapolis Naval Academy to round out the team who is not in the picture.

My new Marathon Maniac running friends on race morning.
Dan-O was competing in the Individual Military Light Division.

More Marathon Maniacs and I. I'm the only true Half Fanatic.
Some of the Maniacs are Double Agents, meaning that they are both
Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs...I'll be one of them by fall.

We were going to watch the movie Forgotten Soldiers which was about the men of the Death March, but we wanted to try to get to bed early since we would have to be heading to the base at 3:30-4am the next morning. Instead we headed back to HAFB at about 7:30pm to finish getting our gear ready and try to get some sleep. I popped a milligram of Xanax hoping for some decent sleep since 26.2 miles was going to be a distance that I'd never done and I wanted to be rested...I'd find out the next morning if it was a good idea or not.



Race Day:
Well, as always on race day the alarm went off too soon...this time at 2:30am. I was a little slow to wake up and by the time I did the hubs was already out of the shower. I had just a slight Xanax hangover which was quickly washed away after a nice, hot shower...yes, I'm one of those people who has to take a shower in the morning to wake up even on race day. Taped up my knees, calves and shins for what I truly expected to be a long and rough day then got dressed. We got everything packed into the car since we would be making...or rather the hubs...the nearly 5 hour drive home right after the race. We checked out of lodging and were on the road for the 30 minute or so drive back to WSMR.

We got there at about 5am and traffic was slow but not painful. We managed to park right across from the staging area and get everything set up. We headed over to the Team Red, White and Blue RV to meet up with some of the members and see if a "before" pic were to be had. Unfortunately there wasn't so we headed across the street to get in line for the call of nature before heading over to the fire truck that was flying the gigantic Stars and Stripes to find the group pic for the Marathon Maniacs and the one lone Half Fanatic (me). By the time we got the pics taken, it was time to get to our separate staging areas for the start. Hubs made his way to the back end of the group where the Honorary (Short Course) marchers were while I took my place among the Civilian - Light marchers.

The temp was in the low 50°'s and the wind was fairly calm. The local high school choir sang The Star Spangled Banner and a bagpipe regiment played after the names of the most recently deceased survivors were announced. Prior to the names of the recently deceased, the survivors in attendance were identified in a roll call with their voices strong over the sound system. The poem written by journalist Frank Hewlett during the war to call attention to the men of Bataan was read:

The Battling Bastards of Bataan emblem
with the Philippine Defense medal.

We're the Battling Bastards of Bataan,

No Mama, No Papa, No Uncle Sam,

No aunts, no uncles, no cousins, no nieces,

No pills, no planes, no artillery pieces,

And nobody gives a damn!

It was after this that the tone of the start focused solely on why this race was happening...to remember those men who suffered through the 80+ mile forced march with little in the way of provisions, medical care and in the worst possible conditions during their days as POWs. This race is to be sure that their courage, bravery in the face of adversity will never be forgotten.

There was a multi-wave start with the Wounded Warriors leading the way. With each different wave a cannon announced their start. There were the survivors at the sides of the start shaking hands with those of us who went towards them. There were 15 total survivors in attendance and I had the opportunity to shake hands with 3 of them as I headed out on the course.

The first part of the course was on the roadways of the base, by mile 3 we were on groomed/bulldozed trails  out past the sports complex. Things were a bit crowded, but the course was flat. I found it necessary to jog past people occasionally to get past slower groups or to simply get away from the dust being kicked up by so many people in one place. The sand as never too bad here and most of the course was fairly well packed.

Around mile 3 or 4...

By water/aid stop #3 we were back on the asphalt. This was also where the two different routes diverged and I headed off the base towards the "hills." We remained on the roadway for a few miles with some slight inclines and then came this view...

Water/Aid stop #3/#9...the point where the two routes split up.
Not too long after I was passed by the 3rd runner headed
back to the finish...his mile 19!

Around mile 9...the hills begin.

At about mile 10 they had set up some misters...to bad the wind was blowing one side of the mist back onto the desert instead of the marchers! By about mile 11 we were back on groomed trail although it was quite a bit sandier than the previous portion of trial...

Back on the trails at around mile 11. The sand isn't too deep, but it's there. 

At this point in the race it became mostly an uphill climb...near constant. Those of you who know me know that I am not a fan of hills, but I persevered often wondering to myself if this climb will ever end. I made it to mile 13 and was elated that I was almost at the halfway point. I also thought that I was at the top of the climb, but WRONG!! There was still more to go...I stopped at the mile 14 water/aid station (and hot dogs, hamburgers, chips station) to empty the sand out of my shoes for the first of many times during the remainder of the race. By mile 15 or 16 I had reached what I think is the pinnacle for the climb...

The Canadians had been here!

Yeah, that's WSMR way down yonder!

I was fooled again into thinking that it was all downhill from here. It was downhill for a bit and then the climb started again. At about mile 16 or 17 they had a clock up and this is my time as of then...

I didn't think that was too bad for hiking the course.

By the time I got back on the asphalt at about mile 18 or 19 I was never so happy to be on solid ground. I had stopped at least 6 times since my first stop to empty the sand from my shoes. My feet were tender from forcing myself to keep going with the sand/pebbles in my shoes and I was tired from all the climbing. Lesson learned from this first experience...next year and thereafter I would wear gaiters or running boots!

I was happy to be back on the asphalt for even just the few miles before we ended up back on a trail. My feet were tender and tingling like pins and needles. About a mile past the #3/#9 water and aid stop where the two courses had split up, we turned across the road and back onto groomed PT/marching trails. The sand in some points was terrible, especially in the region of mile 21 where I'm told that the man made "sand pit" is. The sand did seem slightly deeper here than in other places, but I didn't think it was as bad as people were saying...until I went in nearly ankle deep and got a bunch of sand in my shoe again! I stopped at the mile 22 water/aid station and literally sat there for 10 minutes emptying out my shoes and just long enough for the med techs to come and check that I was okay. I was just dreading putting my shoes back on because since I had rested them there was blood flowing freely again and I knew that as soon as I stood up the pins and needles sensation would start all over again.

I had received a text from the hubs saying that he had finished and to let him know when I got to mile 24 so he could meet me. From that point on all I could think about was my cold post race chocolate milk, teriyaki beef jerky and the ability to take of my shoes and put on my Birkenstocks! I kept moving on listening to my music with a lot of Pitbull and David Guetta in these last few miles. That beat really kept me going and still singing to myself (aloud if no one was around) taking one step at a time. By the time we hit the backside of base housing the wind had whipped up and was probably well into the 20+mph range. A few times I actually had to use my bandana to keep from breathing in the thick dust. Then I saw it...that magic mile 26 marker. There were a bunch of active duty Army women there doing the Military Light Division resting and just getting up to try to keep going. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one moaning and groaning about my tender feet! I took a group pic for them and they returned the favor and took my first pic at mile 26 (hopefully one of many to come).

Hot damn! I'm actually doing this!! Only 0.2 miles to go!

We all pretty much headed out to the finish together. In the last 100 feet or so each of the Army ladies took off in a jog to finish (teams had to finish within 20 seconds of each member) and once they were all there they crossed the line together. I started a strong jog about 75 feet from the finish...I didn't even really look at the time but I think it was about an 8:31 clock time (my MotoACTV had died along the course so I had no real idea of my time). I went straight for the med tent just to get some ice to ice up my calves but you had to go through and get seen and checked out even if all you wanted was ice. Along the way I reassured one of the other Team Red, White & Blue females that I was just wanting to ice my legs and that nothing else was wrong. So because of all the red tape I skipped that and headed ever so slowly back to the car. 

After we got settled we drove by and saw that most of the Team RWB camp was broken down already so we headed back to Holloman AFB so I could go to the gym to take a shower and so that we could stop at Popeye's for dinner. I could've gone to the base on WSMR but they had people sleeping in there for the race so I thought it would be less of a hassle at HAFB. Once at Holloman I had the hubs drive me to the door of the gym and I slowly made my way to the women's locker room. I knew I was going to have a crazy suntan between my compression shorts, KT Tape and compression socks and this is what I ended up with...

I'll never have an even tan this summer unless it's fake!!
Unfortunately, I didn't have any baby oil to loosen the adhesive
so I ended up taking a layer of skin off while removing the tape in the shower...

After I finally finished my shower we headed over to Popeye's to eat only to find out that they close early on Sundays. We ended up at Denny's where I ordered fish and chips but barely at any of it. It may have been the quart and a half of chocolate milk I drank, plus nearly half a liter of Gatorade but this was the first time in many races that I wasn't anywhere near being starving at the end of a run! So odd!

All in all it was a great, inspiring and challenging weekend. This is a race to do for all the right reasons...not necessarily a race to complete for time or a new personal record. This is a race to remember the sacrifice of the men and women of Bataan/Corregidor.

What I liked (loved) about this race?

Everything!! Seriously...the reason and importance of the memorial...to remember those that suffered through the Bataan Death March. I'm honored to have had the chance to meet and/or shake hands with some of them. This race touches me on so many different levels from being a female military veteran, to being a nurse having worked in the Air Force and Veterans Affairs healthcare systems to being a full blooded American born Filipina. The story of the "Angels of Bataan" or "Battling Belles of Bataan" is something that I will not let die and be forgotten! I also thank Col. Skardon for telling me "...the Philippine Scouts/Army doesn't get the recognition it deserves..." in reference to the Death March and WWII. That truly means a lot to me.  Course support is OUTSTANDING even though it's primarily a closed course.

What I did not like about this race?

The only thing really is the in processing...everything else was great! Well...I wouldn't mind the hills not being there but that's what this race is all about...being uncomfortable in a controlled situation unlike the veterans of Bataan.

Will I do this race again?
I will be here annually from now on...possibly at the expense of the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon which has been on my radar since I started racing. It'll be on my calendar for the rest of my racing/running life!! :D

Results:
Not too far off of the middle of the pack...totally happy with that!! :D


BETH HARDY
Gender: 376/668 
Clock Time: 8:29:18 
Chip Time: 8:19:47 
Pace: 19:04 
Bib: 1502

Race Recap: Princess HM Weekend, The Journey Home

OK...so this is really just a post race weekend wrap up. You see, while I was enjoying the heat (and not so much the humidity) of Florida back at home in New Mexico they were getting the blizzard of the century...so far. It wasn't as much as back in late 1992, but still it was the worst snow in decades. While I as at Walt Disney World I was following the weather pattern at home and hoping that I wouldn't have flights cancelled or be snowed in in Albuquerque. It was bad enough that my original flight to Orlando was cancelled but it afforded me the opportunity to meet up with one of my Tink HM sisters and have some fun. I really was not wanting to hear that my flights home were canceled or that I wouldn't be able to drive home once I did finally arrive back in Albuquerque.

HM Race Day +1:  Monday, February 25, 2013 (Post-blizzard Travel Day)
Woke up way too early...just after 12:30am. I guess it was a good thing though because after I finally got up, showered and dressed I took a look at my suitcase and decided that it was too full so I pulled the carry on bag out and started stuffing it with stuff just to free up some space in the suitcase. I got down to the lobby to wait for the Magical Express to come at about 3:40am then realized that I had forgotten my handheld bottle in the room so ran back to get it and stopped in the food court to reheat some breakfast. As I waited for the bus to arrive I was stuffing my face while other people around me were talking about how early it was and that they were hungry. Should I have shared?? lol!

On the approx 30 minute ride to the airport I took the opportunity to check the weather in Albuquerque. They were still expecting more snow and when I checked the Department of Transportation's road closure map my heart sank as I noticed that all my normal roads home were closed due to snow and poor driving conditions. The storm was supposed to have hit the whole state, but the lower middle to southern part of the state were pretty much spared.

At the airport I made my way to the ticket counter to check in both  my suitcase and carry on. The suitcase had to be weighed first...and was 2 pounds overweight. I began pulling out stuff and sticking into the carry on bag and re-weighed the case...still 2 pounds over. I was like what the heck?!? Pulled out more stuff...all my race snacks, first aid/taping kit, clothes, etc...whatever I could stick my arm into the suitcase and not have to flop it all the way open. I finally got the suitcase to 47 pounds and a heavy carry on. Thank goodness I had another lock so that I could just go ahead and check the bag without having to drag it around when I changed planes. That is why I was glad that I woke up early and decided to use my carry on instead of just trying to travel with only one bag total. Thanks again to Southwest Airlines for having a free 2 bag check in policy! :D

The flight from Orlando to Dallas Love Field was pretty routine, with no major issues aside from crying kids...ugh! Once we landed in Dallas I only had a few minutes between planes but was able to check the conditions again...all the roads still blocked. It was then that I decided that in order to get home I'd take the southern route which meant a 6-7 hour drive home instead of the usual ~3.5 hour drive.

The flight from Dallas to Albuquerque is pretty short so I began planning my scheme to get home. I'd head south on I-25 to Socorro and then east on a small highway that would take me through the valleys just north of Ruidoso and into Roswell where I would hop onto State Hwy 70 and head home. Now mind you, I had been up since 12:40am EST and by the time I landed in Albuquerque it was around 12noon MST/2pm EST so a 6-7 hour drive on top of that was gonna make for a very long day.

I finally got to my car at the off airport parking lot around 12:30 and decided that I'd head over to Popeye's for some lunch before I hit the road...yes, Popeye's is a big deal because we don't have one where we live! . Luckily I had filled up the gas before I parked so that was one less thing to worry about. After eating I decided that since I was just up the street from Heart and Soles Sports that I would stop and see if they had the Nike Fly Knit Lunar 1+ shoes that I have been lusting over. Unfortunately  they didn't but that didn't stop me from trying on 4 other pairs of shoes none of which would work with my orthotics so (thankfully) I walked out of the shop without buying anything.

I finally got on the road after checking one last time to make sure that my usual route hadn't opened up...a no, it hadn't. I headed down I-25 to Socorro and turned East onto Highay 380 towards Roswell. I was a little worried because I had been thinking that this road would actually take me into the mountains around Ruidoso where they had apparently gotten some decent snow, but luckily it remained in the valleys through the sleepy towns of Capitan (pit stop for gas)  and Lincoln where Billy the Kid had once been imprisoned. Along the way, just before I hit Capitan I thought I saw the white gypsum sands of White Sands National Monument but I knew that I was too far north for that to be true. What I was seeing is a light blanket of snow in the valley that was extending onto the lower portion of the mountains giving the effect of sand dunes. I would've stopped to take a picture, but I was just on a mission to get home because I was getting really tired and was only about half way through the trip once I hit Lincoln.

I finally hit the junction for State Highway 70 and knew that I was pretty much home free. Another 2-3 hours and I would be driving into my driveway. I have to tell you, I was doing everything I could to stay awake. These particular roads are pretty barren and there's not a whole lot to see once you get out of the mountain valleys...basically just brush, brown and blowing tumbleweeds. This is especially true of the drive between Roswell and home for me.

I finally got home around 8:30 or 9pm. My total trip home from Albuquerque had taken about 7 hours...twice the normal time it takes when I can take my usual route home. I was in my PJs and in bed before the husband could say "Hello!" and I even ignored the K9 pack for the most part because I was so tired. That being said I only got about 6 hours sleep by the time I woke up the next morning. I checked the road conditions again and they were still closed. It wasn't until about 11am that they finally opened most of the Interstate and smaller highways that I would normally drive home from Albuquerque. I was just thankful that I was already home, in my PJs and chilling out in bed instead of having to battle what was sure to be slow traffic as the Interstate opened up.

And that friends, is the end of my travelogue for the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Finally! LOL!

Race Recap: Princess HM Weekend, Race Days

5K Race Day: Saturday, February 23, 2013 @ 6:30am
Half Marathon: Sunday , February 24, 2013 @ 5:45am
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL

HM Race Day - 1/5K Race Day): Saturday, February 23, 2013

Royal Family 5K Course Map

Gear/outfit for the Royal Family 5K.

I knew that this day was going to be a bit of a busy one going in between the 5K, volunteering at the SparkeSkirts booth, taping up a new friend's knee and a Tink HM reunion...all before 3pm. Since we had to be on the bus no later than 5:45am we managed to get up and out the door by about 4:30am if I remember correctly. The shuttle was running about 15 minutes late but we still managed to get on the second bus and made it to the start of the 5K in plenty of time. Once we got our bearings we found our way to our corral and looked for one of our Tink HM friends, Jessica. We finally found her and we all planned to just walk the race since it wasn't being timed.

TinkerBell HM sisters reunited at the Royal Family 5K.

 Corral D start...

As the race finally started and we were on our way at probably close to 7:15 due to our corral placement. We had jogged a little off and on when I looked at my phone and noticed that it was nearly 8am...really, you can't ever go too fast at a Disney race because it's so crowded especially in Epcot where the 5K was run. It dawned on my that if I didn't hurry up I'd be late for my shirt at the expo so we decided to go on and run/walk the rest of the race. I have to say that that run was a bit brutal between the heat and humidity...something I've been without since a vacation at WDW in 2004! I really have no idea of our time, but we finally finished around 8:30 or so. I had texted Leah at the booth to let her know that I was running late (was supposed to be there 8:30) and that I'd get there as soon as possible. Dianne had to pick up her gear bag and I went ahead and caught the first bus I could (about a 20 minute wait) to get back to the resort to shower, change and catch the bus to the expo. Later that day I would finally see Dianne's funny tweet of:

"The Royal 5K finished! The 1st person to complete the 5K came in about 17 minutes. Beth & I hadn't even started the race yet in corral D! LMAO!!"

Fellow Tink HM sister, Sandra, did the 5K in this reception dress...heat, humidity and all!

I got back to the room and immediately took a quick shower and got ready to go work the expo. Leah, the owner of Sparkle Skirts, had come up with an idea to have the volunteers dress up and we were only told to wear a black shirt, black tights or capris and black/neutral shoes. We had no idea of what she had in mind. Because of all my tats (23 total) and the Disney policy of not showing tattoos, I ended up in a long sleeve black shirt and black leggings...talk about hot in 80°F and  high humidity!! OMG!! I got on the shuttle to the expo and arrived just after 9am to a line, literally almost a mile long! I ran up (sweating) to the door and begged to be let in since I was late for my shift...thankfully I didn't get the runaround like I did at the TinkerBell Expo and they let me right in...it may have helped that I was wearing an old SparkleSkirts name tag from the Wine & Dine expo...

The booth was already pretty much hopping with activity. I got my costume (a page) and started to work. I have to say that I really love working the SparkleSkirts booths...I believe in this product so much that I'd literally work for them free full time!! I own about 10 of their SparkleTech skorts and a pair of MuddBuster capris. Love them all!! :D 

The only pic I have in the page costume for the SparkleSkirts booth.
Thanks Mel!

After working until about 1:20pm I headed over to one of the the Laguna Bar at Coronado Springs (the resort where the expo was held due to spring training at ESPN World of Sports) for the Tink HM reunion. It only turned out being Jessica and I but we had some lunch and caught up on things since Tink before heading  in our own directions. I headed back to the expo to meet Laura, a member of the Disney's Princess HM Facebook group, who I was going to tape/show her how to tape her knees with KT Tape. Having gotten that done I headed back to the resort to rest up for a couple of hours before heading back out to Downtown Disney to finally get my fish and chips at Cooke's of Dublin and my brownie hot fudge (Treasure Island) sundae at Ghiradelli.

Fish n Chips (extra filet) at Cooke's of Dublin in Downtown Disney - WDW.
The meal I live for when I go to WDW!

Treasure Island (warm brownie hot fudge) sundae.
The desert I live for whenever I can get to a Ghiradelli  Ice Cream shop!

After dinner I pretty much called it a night and headed back to the resort to get all my gear ready for the half marathon the next morning. I literally was so full that I was waddling like Donald Duck back to the room! lol!

Once I got back to the resort and checked the transportation times I was kind of irked that there was only a one hour window to catch the shuttle between 3 and 4am!! Joy! I headed back to the room and layed out all my gear, got my gear bag ready to go aside from the items that needed refrigeration and taped up my knees. I think I pretty much died at that point and was planning on waking up just before 2am (I'm one of those runners who has to take a pre-race shower just to wake up). 

HM Race Day: Sunday, February 23, 2013

My internal body clock apparently had different ideas and I ended up waking up at around 12:40am so I just played on the internet for a while before finally getting up to shower and get ready for the race. Dianne and I got to the first bus at 3am still half asleep, I think. Since Dianne had purchased entry into the VIP tent I just headed out to see who I could or couldn't find and ended up just chilling behind the water table until it was time to head out to the corrals. Dianne and I had planned to meet up again because we were both in Corral C...or so I thought. Somehow Dianne missed Jessica, who I had met up with, and I as she walked towards the corrals. Jessica and I split up because she was looking for her mom and I went to catch up with Diann. It was then that I realized, after finally looking at my bib, that I was actually in Corral D and not C. At that point I was on my own again...no biggie since I run most of my races solo anyway...and just waited for the start and did some warming up.

Gear and outfit for 2013 Princess HM.

Corral A start at the 2013 Princess HM. Total race of over 26K runners/walkers.
 (Photo courtesy of runDisney)

As each corral was released and given the 5 minute wait in between each corral I finally hit the ground walking around 6:15am or so. As usual at any runDisney half marathon the first 5K was crowded as all get out and should always be approached as a simple warm up...at least in my eyes. I was finally able to set started using the Galloway 30/30 (30 sec run/30 sec walk) interval that I had wanted to try due to my ongoing issues with injuries. As I've said before, I'm not a Disney fanatic or anything...I simply enjoy the Disney races and the chance to hit up the parks so I  don't tend to take pics during the races. I did stop for one pic outside the castle but for the rest of the time I just pretty much kept going. The heat and humidity was brutal for this (now) desert living girl. By the halfway point, if not before I was pouring water on my head and all over my body at each water stop (roughly every 1.5 miles) just to keep cool and comfortable. As long as I was soaking wet I was pretty much comfortable...when I dried out is when the humidity started taking it's toll.  The course itself was fairly nice with the occasional bottle necks like in Sleeping Beauty's castle and certain areas within the parks but for the most part was pretty wide open otherwise. 

2013 Princess HM Course Map

As I hit mile 10 I was going to do the Chicken Dance at the mile marker for "official" induction into the Pacebook Running Club Facebook Group, but as I switched my phone on it died. Oh well, no Chicken Dance for me until Tink HM 2013 I guess! I don't remember the hills/off ramps/overpasses being as dreadful during Wine & Dine HM in November but it may have also been the heat and humidity affecting my thought process as well. I swear between an off ramp and overpass and some gently, low rolling hill after that towards the end of the race I forgot that I was in Florida at sea level  where I shouldn't be feeling quite as worn out as I was. It almost felt like being back at the A2A (Arbuckle to Ardmore) HM in Oklahoma with all the hills!! 

I finally finished at 3:10 and some change...not my best, but also not my worst. I was hoping for under 3 hours but between the heat and humidity I'll take the just finishing factor. All in all I felt pretty good, but when I had to turn off my phone to conserve battery power I lost my interval timer so I think I pushed a bit too much and wore myself out sooner than needed. I had some minor cramping during the race but nothing to write home about. As I crossed the finish line I broke out with my other two medals (Tink, Royal Family 5K) and picked up my PHM and second Coast to Coast medal and took a finish line pic with all four...that I still have yet to order!

Princess HM Medal Haul:  Royal Family 5K medallion,
Coast to Coast 2013 and PHM 5th Anniversary  medals.

After the race I headed back to the resort to shower, change and I had originally planned to head out to the Disney Studios (specifically just to ride Tower of Terror) but I was so tired that I just opted to stay in and do some laundry and just relax and begin packing since I had to catch the Magical Express to the airport at 3:45am! I got everything done and even tossed my tech clothes into the dryer (I usually let them air dry) to be sure they were dry before I packed. I think I turned in pretty early and pretty much died...

What did I like about this race?
It was an okay course and meeting up with friends was probably the best part. Working at the SparkleSkirts booth is always a pleasure as well!

What did I not like about this race?
The Expo was nuts!! Not well organized in my opinion compared to the 2 TinkerBell  and the Wine & Dine HM's expos. Packet pickup was pretty smooth though! Way too many people...26K+ total runners (inluding men, who aren't counted officially). Just too big of a field for some of the bottleneck areas. Just felt like we were being packed in like sardines...

Would I do this race again?
Probably not. Firstly because it's expensive to do 2 Disney races a year on opposite coasts, but also I have no great urge to. My only goal with the runDisney races is to run each race once (except for Tink and any new HMs or fulls that they start) so that I can get a Coast to Coast medal for each different race.