Waking Sleeping Beauty

source

Sorry, Disney is on the brain. I normally have this problem when I get back from a vacation there. I spend a few months being completely obsessed, then it dies down. This time, I don't think it will though seeing as I'll be going back in May. Oh Well. Sucks to be you if you're anti-disney.

Anyway, do you like documentaries? I'm such a nerd for them.

Are you a fan of the 2nd round of Disney golden years? They define my childhood.

Then you should really check out, Waking Sleeping Beauty. Netflix sent it to me and I just finished watching it.

My opinion? It was amazing at the amount of things that were documented back then. Most documentaries are a look back (I'm thinking the Pixar Story for one) but this one was told with films from that time. It was really neat to see that part of it. I highly recommend it if you're into that. If history repeats itself again, we only have about 30 more years until the 3rd round of reigning Disney movies take over again. Seriously, Disney, stop trying to make Randy Newman happen. It's not going to happen. He's not the next Howard Ashman. Move on already!

Thanks to Netflix, I already have The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' story, Frank and Ollie and Walt and El Groupo in my Queue along with some old Disney classics I've never gotten around to watching (I know, I know. I'm a bad former cast member!)

Has anyone seen any of these? What did you think?
Thoughts or opinions on recent Disney movies? What's your favorite?

Now that's a coast-to-coast medal.

source

Rachel Booth achieved the epitome of the Coast-to-Coast medal this past weekend by winning the Disney Princess Half marathon after also winning the Disneyland Half Marathon in September.

Even cooler? She's from Louisiana!!

Side note: I love what Disney did with the subtle changes to the Princess logo this year.

#suchatypenerd

I'm really interested to see the special edition medal for next year's 5th anniversary.

I'm so torn on the ever changing medal debate: Should it stay the same every year or change? If one year it's a crappy design, I'd be pissed (especially the year I decide to run it, hence RnR VA Beach) but if I plan on running the race every year I'd be pissed it was always the same. Oh, the curse of being a designer in a runner's world.

Do other runners actually care as much as I do? Yes, I already know the answer but it would be nice to here your opinion anyway.

Progress!

With all the races coming up, I decided to bite the bullet and go get another massage. At the end of it, I didn't really feel that big of a difference. The next day I tried to run a little and the pain was still there. I was super depressed over it and had to cut my workout short. You know it's bad when working out can't make you feel better.

Later, I got my personal massage therapist to take action. At one point (well, in all honesty, many points) I screamed don't hurt my bone! The response was "What Bone?!" I don't know what I was thinking, but the place that hurt so bad wasn't my hip or a bone. It was a knot so tight, I thought it was a bone and I wouldn't roll it because it hurt so bad. Yea. Clearly, this designer paid a lot of attention in Biology. Now that we got that blonde moment out of the way (no offense to my fare haired peeps!), there was more screaming but a looser muscle. Hooray for figuring out the problem!

Once that happened, it felt like the massage was targeting the very painful spot without easing into it, to which I promptly stated "Baby, you need to buy me dinner first". After that, it was a little hard to get and give a massage in the middle of a giggle fit. I'm so funny. Maybe you had to be there, but we entertain ourselves a lot. Anyway, the point was taken and after a few more rub downs, we made serious progress.

Yesterday, I tested out our progress. I walked 6 miles (better than nothing and the time on my feet can totally count towards training) and it only started to tingle after 5ish. I think with more massages and serious foam rolling, we can get this fixed. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself because it's super frustrating to always be injured.

 taken from the Castle.

Crazy this exists in the middle of NYC.

On today's recovery walk, I didn't hurt but I wasn't trying to push. We took a hillier route through CP and stumbled upon the Belvedere Castle (how appropriate!), as seen in the previous post. We used our cool down to stop at Duane Reade to grab groceries for breakfast. As my chef was making me breakfast, I rolled in front of the TV, which IMHO I think is the best place for it. Totally took my mind off the fact I wanted to cry.

Anyone else have beginner running moments? 

In honor of princess weekend

belvedere castle, Central Park

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and I can't wait to see pictures!

To all the princess runners this weekend:

This past January was my first experience with runDisney. I did the 5k, the half marathon and the marathon relay. Yes, a little obsessive, but an amazing experiences nonetheless. Seeing as I spent my first year of racing doing Rock-N-Roll races to acquire the Legendary status (appropriately named "The Year of the Rock-N-Rolls") and NYRR races to acquire automatic entry into the NYCM, I wanted to make 2012 The Year of the Disney. Unfortunately, this did not work out, but no worries! I just have more things to look forward to with the coming years.

Since I'm having Disney withdrawls, I decided to stalk the internets for Tinkerbell race recaps (don't judge. You know you do it, too!). In doing this, there are 2 things I have learned that baffle me: 1. Not many people stopped to take pictures (b/c during my research, I read the lines were long) and those that did are not members of the blogging community. 2. Not many people stopped to take pictures! What?! I don't understand this concept!
(Granted, this was written as a draft right after the race. More blogs popped up with pictures but with the same 5 character stops. . .I don't know if these runners were jipped with the lack of characters out, or if they all just liked the same 5 characters. .either way, the Disney part of my soul was dissappointed)

You just paid $150 to run a race that, without those experiences, is maybe worth $50? That's crazy talk.

I get starting and stopping being painful, that was a big gripe from me about it. And I can understand slower runners being scared to stop bc of the sweepers. Lord knows, as I waited for-ev-er for Jack Sparrow, I kept frantically looking for the balloons. But the slower runners usually have a method as to how to get it done. I sent Fred to get in line for me. A couple behind us who were clearly pros, jumped corrals to get a head start on the sweepers and were able to stand in the lines. For faster runners, it makes no sense not to stop. Since no one else stops, it should be a breeze. What I would give to be a faster runner so I didn't have to deal with redonkulous lines for characters!

I also get not wanting to take pictures with characters you already have pictures with. The year I worked there, it was my mission to get as many pictures with as many characters as possible. To this day, I only like to get pictures with characters I've never taken pictures with (but then again I had blonde hair when I was 19. . so an update is always good). Rare characters are my ultimate favorite. Anyone and Everyone has at least a handful of pictures with the Fab Five and Pooh. . . but do you have a picture with Megara from Hercules or Jane from Tarzan or Beast as a human?! (Seriously. He who dies with the most rare character pics, totally wins in my book!)

Oh well. To each his own and whatnot. . .

But seriously and back to the point of this post: To all the Princess runners this weekend, I'm begging you, for me. . .stop and take pictures with the characters so I can be uber jelly from my apt, mmmkay?

Yes, today may be Mardi Gras

but the only bead I care about is this one!

T-12 days!

Long run partial fail.

I knew yesterday's long run wasn't going to be a great one. My right leg wasn't having it. So, I started out by walking and concentrating on my form (whoah. . .when was the last time I did that?!). Thank you, Chi Walking! Maybe I will finish reading you (as opposed to your brother, Chi Running) and properly apply your teachings whole heartedly and stop getting injured.

I decided I was going to walk the entire 8 miles, working on my form and also being able to get in the mileage without aggravating my hip too much. The day was absolutely gorgeous, too. Win win win, right? Wrong. Around mile 2, my glute wanted to let me know it existed and it wasn't having any of this physical activity either. After many stops for stretching and not being able to reach the pain (it was so high on my glute, it was almost my lower back. . how do you get to that without a foam roller in the middle of Central Park?!), I did something I don't think I've done in a long time: I listened to my body and cut my run short. What?! I know. Crazy thoughts. I decided getting through the miles in pain and possibly hurting myself more was not worth THREE DNFs. Wow, right?! Am I maturing as a runner? Who knows? But I do know I need a massage.

Anyway, moving back to the positive,  as I walked, I actually looked around the park and documented what I saw, which made it easier to forget that it was going to take me forever to finish and then later that I had a huge pain in my ass, literally. Please enjoy my photo documented 4 miles:

 Reminds me of the NOLA water meter love.

 Three trees in various stages of life.

 The Fred Lebow statue

 Statue I had never see before but walked past every time I went to th Bethesda terrace for practice.

Danger: [No] Thin Ice.

I match! 

(on one of the many stops to try and stretch my glute out)

Please ignore the runner's sock tan line. I also have one on my thigh from the Disney's marathon relay which took me 2 days to figure out I had it and why.

I was going to try another long run today, but I think I'm going to do lots of stretching and wait. 

Maybe tomorrow?

It felt like there was tons of racing going on in the blogosphere this weekend. What was your favorite part of your race/ long run?