BIG Announcement!

I am running for a great charity – Give Kids the World.     Will you join me through financial support?

GKTW provides week long free vacations to families who have a child with a life-threatening disease like this little princess.

I’ll be running the Glass Slipper Challenge at Walt Disney World – 19.3 miles in 2 days.  A 10k and then a half marathon!

Will join me on my journey and donate a few dollars?    The goal is for $3000.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/StacyBell/disneyprincessweekend2014

Surprise, Surprise!

For anyone out there not is perfect shape – you might get this. 

I have boxes, bags, and stacks of old clothes that I outgrew around my house.  And no,  I don’t mean I got taller.    I even have some of them marked by what weight to get to before they’ll fit.  

Well,  I took the plunge:   I opened one of the boxes.  Actually I cleaned out my dresser,  opened a box, and cleaned out my closet.  

And … drum roll please…. I have a load of laundry of stuff that fits again!!!   Including some of my college soccer gear (granted, those warmups have aloooot of give).   Now there’s a small stack of clothes that are too big sitting on my floor to sell/give/throw (but I might hang on to some of them to use as painting/work stuff).    

I can’t wait to see what the next month of running training does for my body! 

Oh, and plus:  I found a cardigan thing I have been looking for almost 2 years.  😀 

On to Week 8!

12:40 – Fastest Mile yet!   When I started my c25k training I did an 18minute mile.  🙂   Although my second mile was a 13:40… I’m ok with that.  One step at a time.

I tend to pace too quickly at the start of my outdoor runs.   Is that normal for you?

10:00 minute mile here I come!!! 😀

On of my tricks when I’m at a low point on a run is to switch my music to the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes soundtrack.  I imagine getting to watch the show for the first time as a runner.   🙂   Maybe that will help other Disney-loving-wanna-be-racers.

Oh!  An incase you hadn’t heard:   Disney is starting to offer healthy treats in the parks.  If you’re like me, vacationing means eating:  Turkey legs, soda, Dole Whip, Mickey ear bars,  pastries from Main Street, funnel cakes… well, you get the idea. 🙂   now they are opening stations that sell fresh fruit, more healthful beverage options, etc – you can read all about it at the Disney Parks Blog.   Good news for those of us trying to trim down our Minnie Mouse girlish figures. 🙂

Almost time to start 13.1 training!

I can’t believe it but I am now running 25 minutes straight.  Granted my runs are sloooooow but it’s more then I’ve ever done.   I’m actually about to finish week 7 (last run tomorrow) of my c25k training program.

 

I realize I’ve been pretty pathetic on keeping up with posts.  However,  for all the I-don’t-think-I-can-run folks out there:   I didn’t think I could either!   Running has always been a bucket list item for me.   But when I hit week 5 of my C25k (Couch to 5k for newbies) I thought I was a gonner.   I had to run longer then I ever remember running before.

 

Thankfully I had my friends at #Team runDisney.    <— If you haven’t found them you can check out the group on Twitter (@TeamrunDisney) or on Facebook!

They gave me great advice on what to do including slowing my pace.  And now here I am!  A week from running 5k distances!  And honestly,  I’m pretty sure I could tomorrow if I tried (but I’m sticking to my programs… all about the mental game at this point and finishing what I started).

SO, I now feel like I can call myself a runner instead of a runner in training.   🙂   A slow runner, but still doing laps around the me of this time last year! 🙂

Below: After an especially rough run last week.  I was supposed to do 20something minutes without stopping but I stopped twice in the first 10 minutes.  BUUUUT,  THEN I restarted and ran the whole assigned distance.  I had a little Rocky moment at the end of that run. 🙂   AND important lesson learned :  small strides on hills!!! 🙂