Category: adventure

50 States Half Marathon, adventure, fitness and nutrition

Halloween Half Marathon

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I wrote a post a while back about my cross-country adventure to Disneyland. I loved exploring those parks and wish I had a few more days there. But, it was time to run my September race, the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon.

Unlike several of my friends, I am not really a Halloween person. I did this race because it fit my schedule, I would get a special “Coast to Coast” medal for completing long races at each U.S. Disney in the same calendar year, and because it seemed like fun.

I learned that Disneyland races are different than the Disney World races in Florida for many reasons. The main ones draw from the fact that Disneyland is SO much smaller. In Disney World, you can run a whole marathon and never leave Disney property. For Disneyland, the Half Marathon was more off-property than on.

The walk to the start line was a breeze. No fireworks at the start though, since we were outside of park property and Anaheim has a noise ordinance. It didn’t take us long to run through both Disneyland and California Adventure. I LOVED being able to run through the little (comparatively speaking) castle. They had a lot more “at a distance” photo opportunities with characters, which was fine since Disney is more aggressive with pulling people off the course if they don’t keep pace. I knew I wouldn’t get my challenge medal if I didn’t finish, so I was not going to get swept.

I did stop at a character or two and many of the other photo opps along the way. Inside the parks it is fun and scenic.

Once we hit mile 5, we were outside the parks and it was all Anaheim roads. This mostly felt like other large races, just with lots of runners in costumes. Some fans came out to support and held signs. Local groups helped at water stops. A fun highlight was running through the Angels stadium and having our names announced over the PA system.

One memorable thing was this race happened to be during an exceptionally awful heat wave. We were warned repeatedly about hydration, electrolytes, and so on. This can be hard to do when you’re in the parks! The days leading up were filled with speculation of whether or not the race would be canceled or shortened due to heat. It was a long way to go for that to happen, so I was glad to finish all the miles and finish safely. I will say I was unbelievably hot by the time I crossed the finish and did not stop for the after party. I got my medals and slowly walked all the way back to the hotel and laid in the air conditioning before taking a cold shower and flying home. The race went under black flag conditions shortly after I finished. It was rough. But, I finished safely and managed to make it to the airport and back home.

This was a long trip for a weekend. I would probably do a Disneyland race again but only if it fell on a school break!

adventure

Time Away

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Recently I took some time to myself.

A quick getaway.

A solo trip.

I took a plane. I rode a train. I drove a car. I maneuvered an electric scooter. I used a new camera to snap some scenery pictures. I visited some new areas. I scoped out restaurants. I stayed at 3 different places each with unique accommodations.

My adventure was full of new experiences and memories. I had moments to reflect. I had time to read. I slept well without life’s distractions. It was a peaceful break from the chaos and mundane tasks of everyday life.

My time away made me appreciate what I have now while allowing me to drift into the mindset of what’s next for me. What’s on the horizon. What changes can and/or should I make? Oh how I love the curiosity around each corner of life. My road below was to somewhere? Or was it nowhere? Was it planned? Could it have been an accidental detour? I saw the beauty of the open road that day. Just me and the wide open spaces. This is the perfect vision for me. A blank canvas on earth. Where to explore. What to do. So much adventure just beyond….

Growth always happens whenever you step outside your comfort zone. Home is a comfort zone for many. It is for me. Leaving home opens up your mind and broadens your horizon. Traveling to another country and immersing in the culture is a form of growth. Traveling solo and navigating new areas is growth. Trying a new activity like photography is growth. 

Stepping out for coffee can also foster creativity and growth. Observing others. Maybe interacting with new faces. Meeting a friend to catch up on life while enjoying the warmth of a cup of joe. Visiting a coffee shop in a new area may peak your interest too. Stepping out of your normal. Getting off the hamster wheel of life to try something new: it’s so important!

With each opportunity to grow in front of you, the depth of your growth coincides with your ability to take a chance and embrace what is hidden around the corner. The so called surprises in life. If you are able to dive deep into these growth stages I do believe you will

See rewards for your efforts. If you sit and watch or wait for the perfect time life may just pass you by.

Fortune favors the bold.

Have you been bold lately?

If you wanted to make a bold action today, what would it be?

I live boldly.

I take chances.

I risk the immediate gain for the long term rewards. Life is what you make of it.

Go make your life great!

adventure, fitness and nutrition

My Racecation Era

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Here we are midway through 2024…I’m solidly in my Racecation Era.

One of my goals this year is to run a race 10k or longer each month. These races have to be timed. Why? I have learned that I perform differently when I am wearing a timing chip. I push harder. I challenged myself to take on a chip-timed race every month for 2024 to see what I could accomplish. Six of these races need to be half marathons.

Now that I am not spending time chasing my kids around as much, I have time to run around (literally) chasing my own goals and dreams. With that in mind, I decided to make some of my monthly events Racecations. Yes, I am planning a number of trips centered around specific races. Unusual? Maybe. But why not?

I had a few criteria for choosing events. First, they have to be “back of the pack” friendly. Another way to say this is that they need to have generous time limits. Although I am running often, I am by no means fast, and what’s the point of traveling for a race if you get to the end and the finish line is closed…or if you get pulled from the course before you finish? So I have to read the fine print and see if I can be reasonably assured I will finish in time.

I also wanted races with great crowd support. Even if I travel with people, in most cases I spend a lot of time running by myself. With that in mind, I want some cool things to look at. Neat neighborhoods to pass through. Fans coming out to cheer. In many cases, this means bigger races.

Finally, I admit I want a medal for every race this year. The bigger, the better. Other swag is also great, but a big medal makes me irrationally happy.

I’ve been compiling possible races from facebook groups for slower runners, a great site called Race Raves, and other posts I’ve saved. Then I spend time cross referencing with my calendar. A peek at air fare is also part of the process.

I’ve written so far about the Little Rock Half Marathon, and more recaps are on the way. Am I on the way to joining the 50 States Half Marathon Club? Maybe. In the mean time, I hope you’ll enjoy racecationing with me! Which have you run that are worth the trip?

adventure, travel

Travel Time

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Took a quick trip this month in the RV solo.

Last minute decision to dust off the RV for its first season use. A bold decision. Spontaneous of course. Off I went throwing caution to the wind. A parking lot to some. An adventure to me. An opportunity to change things up a bit. Just a couple hours from home but a viable option for accommodations in a rural area with overpriced hotels with subpar conditions.

Day one with friends. Day two solo. Both provided different experiences but both provided memorable takeaways. I wasn’t nervous about sleeping alone in my RV yet my pals thought it was a bit scary. I got questions about what would I do if somebody knocked on the door at night? Well I wouldn’t answer it. What if somebody was lurking outside? I have cameras. I wasn’t paranoid. I slept great. I had hot coffee and a warm nutritious breakfast in the morning. I loved the peace and quiet of the solo adventure.

A night with friends’ giggles. One packed light and ready to camp like a pro. One packed the entire house not knowing what was needed. Oh the irony of both. Other friends were curious but not bold enough to try out the RV overnight. Too boujee I suppose. Curious minds wanted a tour of my RV setup by day.  In the security of daylight. Some wanted feedback for the pals who spent the night. Confirmation of scary or cool. Curiosity amidst the group of friends added to my cool adventure.

Setting up the site was easy. I felt confident and experienced. A little adjustment was needed for the but I worked it out. I dealt with rain but no wind so that was good. I packed plenty of food and had just what I needed for a few days away.

Sleep was good. Memories were made. Fun was had. A good reminder for me to just take off and enjoy because I can. Next adventure is soon to be loading.

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Year End Chaos

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12 days left in the year. I was thinking of traveling, but didn’t have a firm plan. Then I was thinking of binge watching Netflix rolling into 2024. This was the cozy option. Maybe house projects were best suited for my holiday time… the first two options had me smiling at “what ifs.” The latter was a done deal. The house deep cleaning was scheduled. 7 hours of hard work. The yard project ended up being more than expected. Painting was just painting. Out with trash of the year too. All was getting done.

Then a hiccup of sorts. A quick trip you say? I did want to travel. Oh how the mind of a curious girl works. Let’s go. Not just any travel, rather a whimsical road trip adventure. Buckle up! Where to? 

One brave soul opted to be my travel buddy. One bold and ready to adventure. I did have some no ways too, but I just needed one yes. Eight states to pass through along the way. Approximately 1,500 miles. Maybe 20-24 hours in the car, one way. Yes please! I’m in. Let’s go for it. How much fun will this trip be? Ending 2023 with a bang and starting 2024 with a pop.

Fueled up in the home state of Georgia. BBQ in Nashville, TN. Edley’s might have been the best burnt ends and spicy grits casserole I have ever had. Full belly rolled on into Kentucky as the sun set for rain, rain and more rain. At the end of the night was a cool stop in Metropolis, Illinois. We just had to catch this iconic stop to see what the hype was about.

Early rise to go see the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle. I don’t even like catsup but was fascinated by the idea of making this stop. It was a bottle. It was a landmark. Photo below. 

A quick drive over the river landed us in the heart of St. Louis. Another iconic stop at the Gateway Arch. Cool, crisp air set the tone for a memorable morning at the river front. This seemed like the perfect gateway to the beginning of a midwestern adventure .

Did I mention it was morning? 10am to be exact. St. Louis pizza, you say? Why of course! Next bucket list item is the local delicacy of cracker crust pizza with provel cheese. I wish you could hear the crunch in this post. It wasn’t like a chip but a cracker crunch. A snap. An ooze of gooey cheese. Not too saucy. Not too greasy. A treat to eat. Not too messy for the car. We ate it all. This treat came from Imo’s in downtown, which already had piles of orders at the breakfast hour. 

With a full belly in tow, we headed west again and the next stop had educational value. A quick visit to the Weldon Site. An encapsulated waste site where you could climb to the top of the mound of debris. Fascinating. A little eerie. A questionable stop to some. I loved every minute of it. My little walk on the moon. Stairs to nowhere. Once three towns were swallowed by this mound, then beautified to today’s present state. Google it for a history lesson. 

Headed west again. Destination Kansas. The land of lonely roads and windmills. The darkness of night illuminated by red flashing lights. The beacon of not one two or three but hundreds of windmills along the road. Wide open skies and open land for miles and miles. That’s Kansas. Miles and miles of open spaces, a Wheat Jesus and a giant Van Gogh replica. Just a day in Kansas!

Onward we traveled to the west. Destination Colorado. The day of arrival was unusually warm. 50 degrees in late December after a blizzard just last week. Good timing I suppose. Beautiful blue skies. Amazing mountain backdrops glistening in the distance. A wonderful end to a couple of days trekking across country.

I hope this post inspires you to travel. Take a road trip. Find the hidden gem spots to stop at along the way. Take the slow and scenic route vs. rushing to your destination. Breathe the air. Smell the flowers. Taste the local food. Embrace the journey / experience.