Reindeer Run 5K - Sea World Orlando

My oh my, where has the time gone?! I just realized I never posted a recap of the Reindeer Run 5K I completed with a friend of mine during our December Florida trip. This 5K was my first non-runDisney event in Florida and took place in Sea World! I hadn't been to Sea World since I was a small child, so I was excited to see the park again. Also (bonus), this race was put on by Track Shack....they also happen to be the same people that put on runDisney events!

I also woke up not feeling well - it was probably the chocolate milk shake I had the night before (bad decision). Instead, Melissa and I decided to attempt the run/walk (4:1) method and go from there. If we had to walk, oh well and she offered to walk with me. She definitely didn't have to and I told her that, but she insisted!

Parking was a bit crazy for the event and by the time we found a spot to park, we definitely didn't have time to pick up our packets and bring our shirts back to the car. Instead, we tied them around our waists!

A map of the 5K - split well between the parking lot and the park. (Sound a lot like Epcot 5K's?) :)

Let's do this!

A lot of people came out for this event!

We lined up near the back (or so we thought) because we planned on walking a lot. I couldn't believe the amount of people who filled in behind us!

Fun fact: Carissa, the runDisney race announcer was also on site for this event!

We began our 4:1 attempt and after the first cycle, I just knew my stomach wasn't going to allow me to go any further. Note to self, no milkshakes the night before an event of any kind...especially while pregnant!

I liked that we walked a majority of the remainder of the race because it really gave us a chance to "see" Sea World! It was a pretty neat park and reminded me a lot of the Sea World we visited in San Diego (a lot of the same attractions and rides).

Included in this event were "character" stops - sadly, we missed Shamu. However, we could not pass up the opportunity to say hello to Santa!
 

He reassured us that we made the nice list! :)

I also loved how the park was decorated for Christmas!

I can imagine this is gorgeous at night!

These guys were so cute!

It came to a point that we were taking pictures with everything...and it was rather funny. We definitely didn't care about our time at all!

Some animals were even out for viewing! We saw flamingos and dolphins!

Hi Mr. Snowman!

These guys were crazy and kept us laughing!

The Polar Express!

Finish line!

Yes, our time for this 5K was greater than an hour but we had fun and enjoyed "seeing" Sea World. Had circumstances been different (me not feeling well and pregnant on top of that), we would have taken the event a bit more seriously. My main concern was Baby Seal (not the Sea World animal, my little animal)!

This was a fun event and given the chance, I would love to run it again (and actually run it next time). The park was fun to see, the "character" stops were cute, and the race was really well organized!

Have you ever participated in a theme park race (other than Disney)? What were your thoughts of the event?

Of Running While Prengant

On Saturday, my BRF and I set out for a long-ish run/walk. I had plans of 10 miles but wasn't sure how far I would be able to go since I experienced back/nerve pain on Wednesday and Thursday and was unable to do practically anything. By Friday, the back felt a LOT better and by Saturday morning, the pain was gone.

I made sure to park my car in the garage on Friday night because a freeze was coming through and I wanted to avoid defrosting my car forever before hitting the road on Saturday morning. As I got ready to leave for the run, my car decided to act silly and wouldn't start properly. The service engine light came on, of course. Thankfully, Jason was off work this weekend and I was able to take his vehicle to meet up with my running buddy. Guess where his vehicle was parked? Outside...and the windshield had ice on it. Yes...this is how my luck goes, people.  (We found out later that there was an engine mis-fire in my car! Yikes!)

Anyway, I finally made it to my running buddy and we set out on our course. We decided to do a 2.5 out and back and another 2.5 out and back for a total of 10. We're still keeping up with the 4:1 run/walk Galloway method and it's been good to me so far!

I felt great the first 5 miles - no discomfort, no pain...all was well! After resting/using the restroom for a few minutes, we set out on the last half of our run. Around mile 6, I began having round ligament discomfort. I attempted to walk longer than a minute and start running again but that didn't help...the discomfort only lasted while I was running and not while walking. My OB said that it was ok to continue running as long as I didn't feel any pain. So, we decided to walk the remainder back and call it a day at 8 miles.

Saturday's run was also a test-run for the Galveston Santa Hustle. I'm planning with run with my sister-in-law and a few of her friends and wanted to measure my body against distance to see how it would hold up. I was on the fence about the half because I knew I would have to walk a majority of it (which I'm fine with, but I don't want to make them wait on me forever). So, I made the executive decision to participate in the 5K which takes place 30 minutes after the half marathon begins. Still lots of Christmas, Santa, and sugar cookies, shorter distance. 

I wasn't sad or disappointed with the shortcomings of my running goal on Saturday - this is all a part of the pregnancy process. I'm enjoying the changes that are taking place in my body right know and I know that all of this is temporary! Taking everything (including my fitness/running levels) one day at a time is all I can do for now and I'm grateful I can make it that far before the round ligament discomfort kicks in!

I felt like the marshmallow man, dressed in so many layers! It was actually 34 degrees at the start but "warmed up" to 47 degrees by the time we finished our run. 

After returning home, I polished off the remainder of our Thanksgiving cinnamon rolls and indulged in a Starubucks hot chocolate with a peppermint truffle for flavoring! YUM! 

At the end of the day, I reached 23,000 steps which I was (and am) super proud of! 23,000 steps for 23 weeks! "Just keep moving" is my motto and if that includes longer intervals of walking with my running, then so be it!

This weekend, I'm participating in a Christmas 5K in Florida with a friend and next weekend, I'll be participating in the Galveston Santa Hustle 5K. Lots of fun times ahead!

How was your weekend? Run any Christmas-themed races?

Fitness Friday - 10/30

Saturday – I took Saturday off from a long run to recuperate my IT Band...I think it did the trick!
Sunday – Rest Day
Monday –  3 mile run/walk
Tuesday –  PT Routine - Lunges/Squats/Stretching; also pulling weeds outside
Wednesday – Rest Day
Thursday – PT Routine - Lunges/Squats/Stretching; also pulling weeds outside (going to finish that up today)
Friday – 2 or 3 mile run/walk

Tomorrow, I plan a long run with my running buddy Heather. We've dressed up the past few years for Halloween runs and haven't decided yet what to do this year. Three years ago, we dressed as super heroes and had so much fun! Sooooo....we'll see what Saturday brings! :)

I'm also participating in Gone for a Run's Faster Than Boo Virtual 10K!

This week, I did my first walk/run since the Gulf Coast Half Marathon. My knee held up just fine and I'm no longer worried about it!

During the run, I listed to The Disney Exchange for a little entertainment. I know I've blogged about them before, but they are hilarious and I love listening to them!! :) You can find them on iTunes...go check them out when you have a free moment!

Above, you'll also see my "cautious" run/walk ratio. It's funny how much pregnancy has slowed me down, but I don't mind one bit as long as I can keep on running! I compared the difference of the Louisiana Half Marathon earlier this year (my first sub 2 hour half marathon) with the Gulf Coast Half (a 2:38 half marathon just 8 months later) and how different each circumstance was from the other! That's how I take running in general - each race brings about new experiences and opportunities. You're not going to PR in each event and that's OK...it's simply being out there, having fun, and taking away the learning experiences that matters!

Have a fabulous weekend! Do you have anything planned for Halloween? Any fun themed races?

Pregnancy Update: 17 Weeks

Well, we are smack dab in the middle of week 17 and the bump is continuing to grow! It won't be long now before we find out if our little one is a baby boy or girl!

I can't decide which gender I "think" it is...someday I think girl and some I think boy. The heart rate has ALWAYS been in the "girl" range but all of the "old wives tales" point to boy. I don't mind either way to be honest - I'm just praying for a healthy baby, whatever the gender! Guess we'll find out soon enough!

How many weeks are you now?
17 weeks + 5 days

 
Baby's size?  

Turnip - 5 inches, 5 ounces (estimate from the What to Expect app)

Symptoms:

Lots of stretching with baby growth, a little acne here and there, and clumsiness TO THE MAX - who knew that was a pregnancy thing? I certainly did not...

Hormones...oh my gosh the hormones. The kind that made me sob like a baby while watching a video about Christian the Lion video on YouTube (which, I might add, I'VE SEEN BEFORE). Sobbing, y'all. For real.

Exercise: 

I resumed run/walking this week and all is well!

Clothes:  

I'm almost finished collecting clothing items for our upcoming Disney Cruise/Baby Moon! Can't wait to begin the packing process!

Cravings? 

 Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches...yum! Also tootsie rolls!

Aversions? 

Fish. We had an oncology nursing dinner last night and one of the menu items was fish. Thankfully, I was sitting at a table where no one ordered it! :)

Any Movement?
I think so...every once in a while (and it's not every day), I feel this slight movement like someone is fist bumping me lightly from the inside. It's the strangest thing! 

I keep hearing the word "fluttering" but that's not quite what this feels like. Who knows...it might just be gastric contents moving around! Haha!

Sleep:
No problems here! Still loving my naps, too!

Purchases:

A dress for our cruise from Pink Blush Maternity. I also ordered our gender reveal party invitations from Kendyll Raes etsy shop!

What I miss: 

Still deli meat. I haven't convinced myself that it's ok to eat. I'm sure I'll get there, but it hasn't happened yet. 

What I’m looking forward to:
Our Baby Moon...followed shortly thereafter by the big reveal! YAY!

Best Moment of the Week: 

Finalizing gender reveal party plans....it was stressful there for a while but is officially scheduled for 11/21/15!

This week, I did have one scare - it happened on Saturday night. I moved around a lot that day and don't think I rested enough (although I didn't run on Saturday and hadn't run all week, actually). I also ate this nasty processed crap I shouldn't have eaten for lunch and never will again. To top it off, I didn't drink near enough water throughout the day. That night, I was standing at an event with a friend when I had this really tight pain in my lower pelvis. It wasn't like a cramp, I just knew something wasn't right...it's kind of hard to describe but the pain didn't come and go like a cramp, it lasted a solid five minutes at least. We walked back to my car where I was able to sit down and drink some water and the pain stopped - it was also accompanied by a little brown spotting (sorry if that's TMI). Thankfully, I have access to a doppler and a blood pressure machine and all was well on both ends so I didn't freak out too much (although I was still a little worried). I called my OB on Monday who told me that if it hadn't happened again, I should be fine. I also know what they say about spotting and watching for bright red (this never was), but I was still a little nervous about the whole situation and am glad I made the phone call. She also instructed me to make sure I keep myself hydrated daily. I was doing a good job of it but totally slipped on Friday and Saturday. My goal ever since getting pregnant has been about 90-100 ounces per day but I totally messed up this weekend. Ah well, it won't happen again! :) I'm just thankful all is well! Baby's heart rate remains in the high 150's to low 160's!

That's all for today! I hope you're having a great week! Thanks for following along in our journey! :)

Pregnancy Update: 16 Weeks

Time is slowly ticking away! I've almost reached month five and am loving the second trimester. Our gender scan is scheduled for the middle of November, so we will know if Baby Seal is a boy or girl before long! It's time for my 16 week update, so here we go!

 

 

How many weeks are you now?
16 weeks + 6 days

Baby's size?  

Avocado- 4 to 5 inches, 3-5 ounces (estimate from the What to Expect app)

Symptoms:

Thankfully the sinus mess has mostly cleared up and gone away...and the headaches have gone with it! YAY! I actually didn't "feel" pregnant this week if that makes any sense.

Exercise: 

I ran/walked a half marathon on Saturday. My old right IT Band injury decided to act crazy during my run, so I've been babying that this week. Other than a few walks and some foam rolling, I've been taking it easy. My goal with this pregnancy is to run/walk as long as I'm able. I'm just going to take it day by day and see where that leads! 

 

Clothes:  

In some maternity clothing (jeans/shorts) although most of my regular tops still fit!

Weight:

I gained three pounds over the past month! That's up four in total! I lost 8 pounds during my first trimester (not sure why because I wasn't sick or anything), so I'm making my way back to my pre-pregnancy weight!

Cravings? 

Nothing new this week. The salad and ranch dressing craving has diminished along with the Hershey chocolate craving. I'm still loving cereal and could eat it every meal!

Aversions? 

Nothing new here either...still fish and steamed veggies. I did try a bite of fried catfish last week which was pretty tasty and completely surprised me! I guess with the bread coating, the fish smell wasn't able to permeate through. I think my aversion stems from the fish that smell really fishy (like tilapia)...blech.

Any Movement?
Nope, not yet!

Sleep: 
Still doing well with this although I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I think it's because I ate late then attempted to fall asleep. Not going to do that again!

Purchases:

A cover and travel case for my snoogle. Also a few baby books to read on our upcoming trip! I still feel so lost in the world of cribs, high chairs, strollers, car seats, etc...

What I miss: 

Sandwiches. I do love sandwiches...and I miss my deli meat. I've read that it's ok to eat them every once in a while and only if the meat has been heated, but I'm overall super paranoid and don't want to take that chance....

What I’m looking forward to:
Planning the gender reveal (now that I have an ultrasound date) and our upcoming trip on board the Disney Wonder! :)

Best Moment of the Week: 

Tuesday's doctor appt...although they were running terribly behind, I do understand since my OB has to leave randomly throughout the day to deliver babies. I only hope when I'm in that situation, other patients will understand, too!
Another great moment of the week happened on Sunday with baby's first half marathon! :)

Did you feel lost when it came to large purchases like cribs, strollers, etc? What helped you decide? Any tips or advice?

Gulf Coast Half Marathon 2015

If you read yesterday's recap, you know that my friend Heather and I spent our weekend in Mandeville, Louisiana for the Gulf Coast Half Marathon! We had an amazing time and the weather couldn't have been more prefect!

Today, I'm bringing you the recap of the race itself! By the way, this just so happened to be Baby Seal's first race! :)

My outfit for race day was created several weeks ago in my head - although the arm warmers didn't last! I'm so thankful for the sweatshirts we found at Academy the evening before the race!

I also created the little yellow sign, simply so people would be cautious when running up behind me. I know that my child might not like running and that's a-ok with me...

On race morning, Heather and I both slept WAY later than we intended...by like an hour...seriously. I slept well the night before, I just didn't want to get out of bed! Whoops!

However, we got up anyway and were dressed as fast as possible - hence the reason I still look half asleep in the above picture!

We stayed at the host hotel, the Courtyard Marriott. Since we weren't able to partake in their continental breakfast, they created breakfast bags for the runners! Mine included a granola bar, a giant orange, and a bottle of water. So nice of them!

After a little bit of traffic coming into the park, we made it in plenty of time for the start! The race began at 7 a.m. out of Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville.

Thankfully this year, workers were directing traffic and that made a WORLD of difference! I liked that addition! :) (I haven't run this race in several years, by the way!)

We found a few of our runner friends to say hello, then made our way to the start line. Y'all, it was COLD out there. Seriously. I think my app said it "felt like" 49 degrees! I'm definitely not complaining but I'm just not used to running in that! 

I also bumped into Mindy at the start line! It was so nice to see her before the race - she even PR'd! It was a gorgeous day and the perfect course for doing so! Congrats, Mindy!

Heather and I decided to join the back of the pack runners in the very last section of the corral. It seems that a 4:1 run/walk has been working for me since I've become pregnant, so that's what we decided to stick with. I've never run/walk intervals in a race before, so this was a new experience for me for sure!

Off we go! This course led us through the park, then out to downtown Mandeville.
 

We blinked and before we knew it, mile 3 was upon us! Yay! 

The water stops were hilarious! Various clubs/departments throughout the city work the water stops and really keep the runners pumped up. At the end of the race, runners were able to vote on their favorite water stop and the water stop that won received money towards their club/department. It was awesome!

Running along the waterfront was one of the best parts of this race!

It was nice to run and feel great...unlike the last time we ran this race where the weather was so hot and we tortured ourselves and I almost ended up in the ER. No, this race experience was COMPLETELY different!

The waterfront was also lined with gorgeous homes!

Heather's favorite water stop was the ballet girls! They were preparing for the Nutcracker and several "characters" were there handing out water...even the rat!

This race had two options, a 10 miler or a half marathon, and they split along the waterfront. 

Another gorgeous home...this one was decked out for halloween!

The next section of this race took us through another neighborhood of gorgeous homes!

Over halfway there!  I finally made a potty stop at mile 8 and I'm so glad I did! I didn't see another porta potty for a while after that!

It was also around mile 8 that my IT band started to act up (right side). It still hurt even after the race, so I'm going to take it easy this week/weekend to baby it and see if that helps. 

Last but not least, the final several miles of this race were in the park.

So glad I remembered my sunglasses! This part of the course is gorgeous but can seem rather long. I pointed out the back of a runDisney shirt to Heather (it was from Wine & Dine last year). After catching up to the girl, I asked if she was running Wine & Dine again and she said yes...then she said, "KAREN?" Hahah it was Wendy, a long time social media friend I've never actually met in person! It was so nice to finally meet her!!

Speaking of social media friends, I've been running a BUNCH of the same races as this chick and we never ran into each other until this race!! It was so nice to bump into Ernise and say hello! 

Before long, we were back in the park and I just had to take my traditional mile 12 picture!

As we approached our vehicle, Heather took our sweatshirts and put them on the car so we would have a decent finish line picture! (Always thinking ahead!)

All done! Baby's first 13.1 in the books! I honestly thought we would finish around 2:45, so I was pleased with our results!

The finish line party was fun with lots of food and a fun band! 

We did it! I'm so thankful for this girl who stuck with me the entire race!

Number 23 for me!

I seriously couldn't have asked for a better race! This course is gorgeous and the weather was ideal!! This is one of my favorite Louisiana races! My OB told me to watch out for any signs of pain/cramping, etc and I didn't have any other than my right IT Band which is an old injury that comes back to haunt me sometimes. I also made sure to stay well hydrated as this race had plenty of water stations! Overall, I have no complaints about this experience and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Running while pregnant is definitely a different experience but I want to continue as long as it's safe to do so and as long as I'm able! I'm just taking it one day at a time....

Just cause I still think it's hilarious...I gotta share this one again! Heather's going to disown me as her running buddy...

Have a wonderful day everyone!