Race Challenges and Why I've Decided I Don't Wanna Play

I've done 3 races challenges so far: 2013 Goofy Challenge, 2013 Dumbo Double Dare and 2014 Glass Slipper Challenge. I did not enjoy a single one of these events.

Don't get me wrong, in theory, they sound amazing and fun. The problem is that if those challenges happen to fall on, say, a really hot race weekend, you have not one, but at least two miserable days of racing. Your chances of having crappy race weather is exponentially higher at Disney World than Disneyland, but Disnelyland Half Weekend's weather has been crappy for the last two years, so there you go.

Yesterday, I was feeling all bummed that I chose to only sign up for the half during Star Wars Weekend. I did this on purpose, but suddenly the fact that I was only doing one race that weekend had me all sad. Then I remembered how effing miserable I was during Glass Slipper Challenge and I figured I had made a good choice.

This was after the 10K at GSC. Do I look happy?

I distinctly remember while running both of these races during GSC weekend that I had decided I was so over race challenges. Especially at Disney. You have to get up at 2 something in the morning multiple days in a row and be careful not to be on your feet too much at the parks.

But doing challenges gets you extra medals, shirts and bragging rights. It's gotten to the point where if you choose to participate in just one race, people start slipping into "you only did the half?" type of thinking. Myself included.

I mean, who doesn't want these beauties?

As of right now, I don't have any half marathons on the calendar until Star Wars, and that will be my 20th half. I think I'd really like to get a shiny new PR for my 20th half rather than say I did the challenge. I don't feel particularly proud of the challenge accomplishments because I end up with mediocre performances for two races rather than just doing one and doing it well.

Someone please remind me I wrote this when I'm crying into my Cheerios (gluten free, of course) about only getting one medal and shirt. Remind me how much GSC sucked ass because I could literally see the humidity in the air. And how hard it was to do my first full the day after a half because I wanted to do Goofy.

Abby, Ronda and me after the WDW marathon.

Finishing the full is still one of the coolest things I've ever done. The tears in the picture are more about becoming a marathoner than completing Goofy.

I'm not saying I'll never do another challenge, but for now, I'm done.

 

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Blogging From The Sky

I know it has been awhile since I last blogged. Life has been crazy. Not a good excuse, really, but an excuse none the less.

Right now, I'm 30,000 miles in the air on board a flight from Spokane, WA. Pretty much, I got to spend the weekend in Coeur d'Alene, ID, on a work trip that was like 99% fun.

Just cruising around Lake Coeur d'Alene.

I think part of the reason for not blogging as much is that I haven't been racing a lot. Since I got Louie The Wonder Pony two summers ago, I've really cut down my racing to focus on horse showing and it's really paid off.

Not the best quality picture...

Oh, and I had a seriously brief romance, as well. Maybe I'm just getting old, but at my age, if the guy ain't right, I'm not doing it. Or him. You get the picture. I think 6 weeks (or was it 5?) is my briefest romance, yet. I really tried to make it work out, but I just wasn't into it. Maybe I'm just too used to being on my own. Also, starting a romance while marathon training in the summer is a recipe for disaster. I'm too tired on Saturday nights to stay up late.

I do have the NEW YORK FREAKING MARATHON on the horizon! And that is certainly blog worthy, but I don't know how many times I can blog about running in horrid Arizona heat. I'll get more excited as it gets closer. I want to soak in every single minute of it because I've heard it's the marathon of all marathons.

108* in this picture.

I'm considering downloading audio books for the really long runs. Has anyone else done this? Does it keep you entertained enough to keep going? I've never downloaded an audio book before. I don't even know how to do it, to be honest. iTunes?

 

 

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