And They're Off!

The race is on! The Inaugural Pink Elephants on Parade Virtual 5K race weekend officially begins today and goes through Monday, April 22nd. Of course that's just a time frame in place for registration and to get medals out after - we have already had a few eager beavers complete their mileage already! Grats to them! These beauties will be on their way to you very soon...

As for me, I'll be running at 9AM on Saturday, April 20th with some local friends through a nearby park before celebrating with circus themed goodies and Dumbo's bathwater refreshments (pink champagne and lemonade - yum!). I hope you have a fun time on your run as well. I would love it if you posted any pre/post/during photos on the Facebook Event Page! It'd be a great way to encourage the other 73 folks running with you. :) That's right - we have a total of 74 participants! So exciting.

While Pink Elephants on Parade already has a larger purpose - raising funds for Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for cancer research and patient services - it's impossible to have a run this week without thinking of Boston. It's hard to fathom such senseless violence against so many innocent people, but the fact that this was a joyful crowd at a celebratory event makes it even more heart-wrenching. The running community has been understandably rife with emotions, but mainly we wish there was something more that we could do in response to this tragedy. Which is so similar to the feelings behind TNT as well.

An amazing article written by Laura Williams on Girls Gone Sporty breaks down 6 ways (and reasons) we should commemorate Boston. There are plenty of runs out there now in honor of Boston and many folks are also dedicating their regular runs to Boston. So I hope all us Pink Elephants can do the same - keep the families and friends of the runners of the Boston Marathon and the emergency responders and the people of Boston in general in mind during your mileage this week. While the victims heal and law enforcement continues their investigation, we can do our own small part to stand up against terrorism by not allowing it to change us negatively. My favorite quote from Laura's article is "The ultimate act of defiance in the face of fear is to keep on keeping on."

So keep on, Pink Elephants! And thank you so much for your participation in this 5K!

Pink Elephants on Parade Virtual 5K

One of the fundraising events I am most excited about for Team in Training is easily the Pink Elephants on Parade Virtual 5K! I had never even heard about Virtual 5K's before and now I think I might be hooked.

A Virtual 5K basically means that anyone and everyone can join in - on their own time and their own terms. You can run or walk the event whenever and wherever is convenient for you during the time frame of the race. Most organizers tend to give a long weekend window of four days, but I have also seen an event span over a week or even a month. As completion time's cannot be recorded officially, most folks don't even tend to request them, while others will have participants email or submit a form with the information for a fun finisher's certificate. But the best part, as with all races, is the bling! 

And my race will be no different. While the point is for the majority of the registration donations to go toward my fundraising goal, I am still working very hard to make sure everyone has a great experience with this race. I am giddy about getting some spectacularly sparkly pink medals made and putting together my finisher packages. 

Because a major factor in a Virtual 5K's success race is theme. Sure, runners love bling, but it helps if they care about what is on the bling. I was wracking my brain for a good theme that could tie into Disney's Dumbo since I'm training for Disneyland's Dumbo Double Dare. At first I really wanted to do something with Timothy Q. Mouse. That mouse is adorable and most Disney fans already love one famous mouse - I figured he could be a hit! But then, while searching through Dumbo screen caps, inspiration struck - Pink Elephants on Parade! Those crazy elephants from Dumbo's drunken clown juice hallucination. 

But, I don't know about you - those things are the stuff of nightmares in my opinion. I don't know if this was some kind of public service announcement by Disney against drinking or what, but these guys are frightening! A huge part of my excitement regarding all this has been the fabulous original artwork created by my amazing and talented friend Lahela Schoessler to overcome this issue. She is a wonderful artist and animator and with her love of Disney she came up with the perfect compromise - the psychedelic power of Dumbo's pink elephants with the cuteness factor of Winnie the Pooh's Heffalumps! Yeah, yeah; ya see it now? GENIUS.

So here I will house my Race FAQ for anyone interested in signing up or that has already signed up and might have some questions! 

2013 WDW Marathon Race Report

This post has been over two months in the making. Which seems fitting since I disappeared from this blog two months before the marathon! I have no legitimate excuse beyond what I referred to in my cavegirl post - I wasn't feeling very cavegirly. I was feeling a bit like a failure. I was consuming Thanksgiving grains and Christmas dairy. In copious festive amounts. I was running! And I did not miss any major long runs, but I wasn't very consistent with my weekly practices. Anyway, that is neither here nor there - I was not there, but now I'm here. ;) So on with the belated race report!

New Balance Wall o' Names at the Expo

Team in Training

Okay, I am reusing a post from my fundraising blog to announce here that I am running the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge in Disneyland this August with Team in Training on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! :)

It's no secret that I got into running for two very distinct purposes. Thanks to a Team in Training flyer that found its way into my mailbox in 2006 and the fact my friend Laura had been doing a charity run around that time, I made it out to a TNT info meeting. I was certainly touched by all of the stories of heartbreak and hope shared at that event, but I cannot deny the fact that The Mouse had a hand in me taking the plunge.

I worked in Walt Disney World's Fantasyland as a Disney College Program Intern from 2001-2002, right before I met my husband. And well before then I had been an avid Disneyphile. My parents raised me on Disney - the Disney Channel, Disney movies, Disney princesses. They took me and my sister to WDW when I was 5. I went to Disney in high school with my school orchestra, which I think played a huge part in me pursuing the College Program. I spent my entire 8 month internship either working or playing in the parks. After I left, I pined for it. I even managed to visit Tokyo Disneyland (twice) while studying abroad in Japan. And instead of having Michael visit me in Asia, we actually took our first vacation together down to Orlando upon my return. By this point, I was basically pumping the Disney Kool-Aid instead of blood. 

So it’s no surprise I managed to talk myself into my first marathon when I knew I was running for Disney gold on top of cancer research. I raised $3000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and met some incredible people. My angels and mentors and coaches and teammates made the entire event epic. I tackled that first 2007 Marathon and followed it up with a double feature – the Goofy Challenge – in 2008. My brother Gregg (not to be outdone by his little, non-athletic sister) insisted this was a great idea. This challenge is a half-marathon on Saturday, followed by a full marathon on Sunday. It was easily one of the hardest things I’ve done, especially considering that Michael and I had just moved to Austin when we decided to do this. I was struggling to find a job and make a home in a new town. Training alone was extremely tough, but we made it work and it was a great accomplishment. One followed shortly after with the inaugural Expedition Everest 5K Scavenger Hunt and Obstacle Course later that year, where Michael proposed.

We took a break from Disney after this to focus on wedding planning and work. But then another inaugural race was announced – the Tinkerbell Half at Disneyland in 2012. And my friend Kimlee offered to join! It was too good to turn down. A chance to finally see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and another inaugural race. I’m pretty sure I promised that would be it for a while, when my brother pointed out that the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon would be our 5th anniversary since the Goofy and the 20th anniversary of the race itself. He’s very convincing. But not too convincing. At first I insisted on only running the Half. But then the Full’s medal was revealed and I knew I was done for. No more Goofy’s for me, but I was going to go for one more Full.

After that, I definitely promised that would be it for a while. And I’m pretty sure I meant it. But then the murmurings I’d been hearing about this Dumbo Double Dare Challenge started to pique my interest. Wait, this was an Inaugural 10K? The day before the Disneyland Half, a race I still hadn’t done yet? Doing both would get me 3 medals, like Goofy? Doing it the same year I’d done the WDW Marathon would get me the Coast to Coast medal? How had I missed all of this important information??

The race understandably sold out in mere hours. I actually talked myself into signing up days after I unknowingly couldn’t even sign up anymore. But like a child who’s been told they can’t have something, now it was all I wanted. So I reached out to my local Team in Training Chapter, remembering my amazing experience the first time around. At first I was placed on a waiting list and I was resigning myself to the idea this was just not meant to be. But then I got a heart stopping email that there were 6 Flex slots opening up for registration. I was out at lunch when I got it and raced back to the office to fill out the form, scan it, and email it in within the hour. And later that night I got the good news that I had a spot!

I find it so fitting that the Double Dare is the race that has finally motivated me into working with Team in Training again. I had let fear of fundraising and putting myself out there hold me back for far too long. Looking back, I can only imagine how much easier and more meaningful my training would have been for my other Disney races if I had stayed a member of the Team. Seeing the Purple People on the race course always made me nostalgic for my NC Chapter and I am proud to be working as a member of the Flex Team within my new Austin Chapter. It took far too long to get there, but the wait did allow for some positives – my friend Tatjana trained with them for years and has proven an excellent introduction to the group and I am more comfortable and confident within my new home city to really tackle the training routes and strive for some awesome fundraising goals.

It just feels so nice to finally be working toward the two factors that got me into running in the first place again. I’m just saying, Disney plus TNT is going to equal some explosive magic. ;D Oh yeah, I went there. :P So remember, spread the word! Any and all donations are so greatly appreciated.

If you are interested in taking part in any of my fundraising events, here's a breakdown of what all I have coming up. A lot of it is here in Austin, TX - but there are a few virtual events, including a 5K!

March 19th - March Madness bracket contest begins

10 for a chance at $100 Amazon gift card

March 21st - Water 2 Wine wine tasting

$20 for wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres

March 30th - Poker Tournament

$20 buy in for a chance at prizes for top 3

March 31st - Snap Kitchen raffle

$5 for chance at $100 giftcard

April 20th - Virtual 5K Pink Elephants on Parade

$20 for personalized bib and swag bag with medal and certificate (register by April 15th)

Hope you can join in!

The Anatomy of a Cavegirl

Okay, it's time to come back to my blog with my tail between my legs. I have to admit that ever since the holidays hit, I have had a very hard time blogging on RCR. We fell off the Paleo wagon - hard. And I am coming to terms with the fact that I'm not actually that much of a "cavegirl".

But my sweet fella hasn't let me give up that easily. He insists that it's honestly up to me to decide what a cavegirl is and isn't. So, let's do some research.

When I type "cavegirl" in Google, I get the following results on the first page:

• Cavegirl movie: A 1985 film classified as a romantic comedy, where some bumbling college kid finds a magic portal to the stone age - and the beautiful Eba. It is apparently extremely absurd and the only redeemable quality, depending on your personal opinion, would be the gratuitous nudity.
• Cavegirl show: A British TV series that follows the adventures of a teenage cavegirl - set in prehistoric times, but with modern references. Cavegirl is described as a pretty, feisty individual and a bit of a tomboy. Many of the storylines involve her becoming more mature
• The Cave Girl book: An Edgar Rice Burroughs lost world novel published in 1913. The male protagonist finds himself shipwrecked on a paleolithic island. The title character Nadara teaches him the language, how to swim, how to fish, and basic woodcraft, as he begins to realize that his book smarts can only get him so far. (However, it conveniently turns out she's actually modern day royalty whose marooned mother died after giving birth to her on the island.)
• Cavegirl Cafe: Grass fed, Gluten free, Paleo fun! And Coffee, too! An online cafe where our you can get artisanal, sustainably sourced coffee, and greeting cards that express your love for the primal lifestyle. With a background in economics, athletic coaching, agriculture and bodywork, the co-owners are committed to creating quality products with a sassy flair.
• The Cavegirl Dish: A national span blog (just California and New York) of paleo eating adventures and experiments by two cavegirl friends, Jenn and Tiffany.
• Cavegirl in the Kitchen: Personal blog of Jocelyn Rylee; Owner/Trainer/Coach CrossFit BRIO. She loves getting out of bed everyday, eating eggs, and making people sweat. Looks forward to cheat days and can eat an enormous number of chocolate donuts.
• Cavegirl Productions: Website for Actor/Filmmaker/Editor Kelley Slagle. 
• Cavegirl Cuisine: Lard. Lift. Love. Eating Paleo...one bone at a time! A clean paleo cooking blog written by a stay at home mom with a Marketing and HR background. 
• Cavegirl Field Hockey: A USFHA sanctioned partner organization directed and coached by Amanda Rogers, who has many years of playing and coaching experience at various levels.

So, what is a cavegirl? A cavegirl is fiesty. A cavegirl is sporty. She enjoys teaching and learning. She strives to eat clean, but has her off days. A cavegirl is always in search of likeminded friends and fun new ideas. In these ways, I suppose I still am a Cavegirl at heart. And I hope you'll forgive my moments of doubt and continue this journey with me as I step forward with an open mind and the best of intentions!

Cave Girl Menu by Chris Sanders

She Lives

...barely. ;)

I promise to explain myself and recap soon. 

But the important part is I did it! Again! But never ever again! ;D

WRD

Another late-y mclaterson, argh.

Marathon Training Week 7
Miles Ran: 19
Long Run: 14 miles
Cross-training: Not so much.

Pros: That 14 miler is one of the best runs I've ever had. I even ran the first 13.2 faster than the Tinkerbell half back in January. And I didn't listen to a thing. This is really starting to freak me out, but hey - it's working!
Cons: We are not eating nearly as well as we should. Chips and salsa have been a constant snack. We've let paleo suffer for quick bites here and there. But I have a long holiday break coming up so I'm hoping to get us settled into a nice schedule of cooking, including our own paleo menu based on what we loved from the Paleo Plan and what else I come across as we go along.

Tunes: I continued Shiver on my short run and I've got the new P!nk album to try out.
Talkies: Thanks to political coverage and the like a lot of my shows have actually been off this week, thank goodness. But I am starting to spend more and more of my Sunday's actually watching Football. I am doing so well in my Fantasy League! As I should, since I have the best team name ever - The Honey Boo Boo Badgers.

Favorite Recipe: I think Week 6 of the Paleo Plan might just be the best week ever. We just loved the majority of everything we ate. But my absolute favorite had to be the Cocoa Nib Pork Chops with Butternut Squash. Remember how I said how amazing acorn squash was? Well, Butternut gives it a run for its' money!