Mid-Year Review 2019

Happy July! I seriously can't believe it's already July. I say this every year, but where has the time gone? Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

So, how has the first half of this year gone in my little corner of the world? Well, let's take a look!

Running/Fitness

From a running standpoint, it's been great. This past spring, I managed to PR in the 5K and 10K distances and felt strong with both races. Orangetheory attendance has been a twice weekly occurrence over here and I love it! I also somehow managed to place first in my AG division for the April Half Marathon challenge at Orangetheory. Mayhem was another challenge I completed during the month of May which was so much fun.

Since May, I somehow did something crazy to my hamstring/ligament/bursa of my right leg. I took two weeks off from working out and running after Mayhem was over (except one 2 miler in Alaska on national running day), hoping that would help and it did not. After seeing an orthopedic doc last week, he decided it would be best if I began with physical therapy and go from there. My first evaluation is today and I'm really looking forward to getting some answers and hopefully some help! If you saw my instagram story, you heard me say that he also ordered dry needling (which I'm so freaked out about) and I appreciate everyone's kind words and expertise/advice. As a nurse, I'll poke you all day long, but I do not like needles pointing my way! 

Weight Loss

I'm still mostly following the Faster Way lifestyle and feeling great. I did totally bomb it while we were on vacation but it was fairly easy jumping back into it once we returned home. I've lost the extra weight put on during the cruise but haven't lost any additional weight, which I'm working on now. 

Family Time

We spent 10 days in Canada/Alaska at the end of May/beginning of June with Jason's family and had a BLAST! I've been posting a few recaps here and there with more to come. Returning home and reliving the trip through photos and videos is so much fun and I love sharing it with you guys!

Brayden is also GROWING so fast. He literally grew 1/2 inch between May and June! He's in the 95th percentile for height and grew 5 inches total since his 2 year old checkup. Crazy, I tell ya!

That's about all I can think of that was exciting or stood out as noteworthy this year! Tell me something exciting that's happened in your life in 2019!

Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics! 

Running While On Vacation

Running on vacation - anyone else with me? It seems like every time I pack for a vacation, it includes a running outfit or two. Taking time to sneak in a couple runs on vacation really makes a difference for me, and here's how:

 

 Helps me stay on schedule and keep a sense of normalcy 
It seems like there's always a race I'm training for, so keeping up with a training plan (loosely) helps me stay on track. I don't usually go on vacation with the intention of running or working out daily, but sneaking in a few runs here and there really helps!

 Running in new places and seeing new sights can be fun!
There's something exciting about running in a new place, be it a resort, a cruise ship, or even a track at a hotel (yes that's happened once)!

A lot of vacays are centered around race weekends
A good way to stay active on a vacation is to include a race in your plans! 

Most resorts have a running track, path, or gym
It's been a long while since I stayed at a resort that did not have some form of workout location. Hitting the gym early before it gets crazy is always my plan and it seems to work! If I'm running outside, I like to make sure the sun is at least rising because running in a strange place in the dark doesn't seem like a safe idea.

Helps me feel less guilty about eating all the foods...and desserts
I mean, it IS vacation after all. Any calorie counting goes out the window and I tend to eat all the things! Adding on a few miles here and there helps me feel less guilty about indulging while on vacation. 

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty. 

VLOG: Day 1, Animal Kingdom & EPCOT

So, yeah...it's been a long time, no vlog! I was asked by several people if I was planning on vlogging our October trip on the Disney Fantasy, so I decided to do so!

Today, I'm sharing day 1 with you guys where we traveled to Orlando, visited Animal Kingdom to explore Pandora, stopped by Food & Wine for a minute, toured our room at Caribbean Beach, and ended the night back at Animal Kingdom!

We did A LOT in one day, but we had a great time and loved every minute!

Check out the video below to see highlights from our day! :)

Missed a recap? Check them out here:

• Day 1 Animal Kingdom and Epcot & VLOG
• Day 2 Boarding the Disney Fantasy & VLOG
• Day 3 Day at Sea with Remy Brunch & VLOG
• Day 4 Cozumel & Chichen Itza & VLOG
• Day 5 - Grand Cayman & Sting Ray City & VLOG
• Day 6 - Jamaica & Ziplining & VLOG
• Day 7 - Second Day at Sea with Palo Brunch & VLOG
• Day 8 - Castaway Cay Day & VLOG

Have a magical day! :)

10th Anniversary Vacay - Day 1 WDW

Travel day is one of my favorite parts of a vacation. There's an air of excitement and the thrill of a new adventure that always seems to ring heavy in the air.

This travel day was no exception! We began ours early on a Friday morning with an outgoing flight at 6:30 a.m. We'd planned to land in Orlando around 9:45 a.m. and with our bags marked for the mouse's house, we were able to head straight for Magical Express.

Much to our surprise, a bus was waiting for us when we arrived and there was no line at the Magical Express counter (that almost never happens)!

Our resort of choice for this trip was Caribbean Beach (for one night...more on the resort later) and after a quick stop for check in, we were on our way to Animal Kingdom.

This was our first trip back since becoming Annual Passholders and we were super excited to use the special entrance, just because we could!

The first thing we spotted after entering the park was DiVine! Have you ever noticed her in the past? I think I've only ever seen her once or twice before. 

We also stopped for a quick picture in front of the Tree of Life, simply because we could!

Our first fast passes of the day were for Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris. Both were fabulous as always!

After a few rides, we realized it was past lunch time! Instead of choosing one restaurant, we decided to try a couple different dishes and split them.

Our first was at Flame Tree Barbecue for the Baked Mac & Cheese with Pulled Pork.  Since we'd never noticed this item on the menu, we definitely had to try and we loved it!! This dish is a new hit!

I also wanted to try the Cheeseburger Steamed Pods at Satu'li Canteen. We weren't as impressed with these although they did have good flavor. Flame Tree still reigns as our favorite quick service in Animal Kingdom.

After lunch, we wandered through and enjoyed the scenery of Pandora.

The colors were so vibrant and I couldn't wait to return at night to see it all lit up!

I was honestly shocked at the size of Pandora (it seemed a little on the small side to me), but I wanted to experience everything Pandora had to offer before giving it my final opinion.

Up next was a little afternoon snack of the Night Blossom and the Pongo Lumpia. Again, we split both of these between the two of us.

The Night Blossom was just a tad bit too sweet for me, but the Pongu Lumpia...y'all. OMG. I would and will return to Pandora simply to have a bite of this deliciousness!!

Simply described as a pineapple cream cheese spring roll, this piece of heaven was truly amazing! In between all of that, we also managed to squeeze in a showing of Lion King which we loved as always!

Somewhere in between all of that, we spent a good half hour attempting to dodge the rain which came as a steady downpour! Thankfully we stayed relatively dry, thanks to a combination of the beginning of the fast pass queue for Flights of Passage and the floating mountains!

Mid-afternoon, we decided to return to Caribbean Beach to make sure our bags all made it to our room. With my luck, had we not gone to check, the bags wouldn't have been there...but thankfully, they were! Having our bags was especially important as we were boarding the Disney Fantasy the following day!

For dinner that evening, we stopped by Epcot for about 45 minutes to try a few Food & Wine dishes. I definitely wish we'd had more time there but oh well...

I loved how they utilized the walkway from Future World into World Showcase which made room for several additional booths!

The first stop on our list was at Canada for cheese soup and the filet. Both were delicious!

We also stopped at Hawaii so Jason could order a pork slider....

...and we finished our evening at China for pot stickers and the roasted duck bao bun. We also enjoyed these as well!

At the end of our super busy day, we returned to Animal Kingdom for our 8 p.m. fast passes for Flights of Passage.

Y'all.

This ride DEFINITELY lived up to the hype! I seriously feel as if it's the best ride at Disney World right now, hands down.

After finishing up with Flights of Passage, we made a bee-line for the Na'vi River Journey standby line. Although the suggested time said 40 minutes, we were in and out in 20 minutes which was really nice!

Pandora at night was amazing to see! We really enjoyed exploring the area at night and can't wait to return!

Don't ask how we managed to squeeze all of that into one day - I'm exhausted just writing about it! However, we had an amazing first day of our trip and loved trying new (to us) things!

Thanks for following along! Check out more from our amazing Disney Fantasy cruise at the links below:

Missed a recap? Check them out here:

• Day 1 Animal Kingdom and Epcot & VLOG
• Day 2 Boarding the Disney Fantasy & VLOG
• Day 3 Day at Sea with Remy Brunch & VLOG
• Day 4 Cozumel & Chichen Itza & VLOG
• Day 5 - Grand Cayman & Sting Ray City & VLOG
• Day 6 - Jamaica & Ziplining & VLOG
• Day 7 - Second Day at Sea with Palo Brunch & VLOG
• Day 8 - Castaway Cay Day & VLOG

Have a great day!

Working Out On Vacation

School is out over most of the country and that means one thing - summer break is in session! For many families with school aged children, out of town travel and summer vacations tend to take place.

If you're like me when you travel, you like to keep up with some sort of running schedule while away. Most of the time for me, that doesn't necessarily involve a super long run but instead, several shorter runs throughout the week. In my mind, some running is better than none, right? Yep. :)

Before traveling, I tend to do a few things to prepare for the new area and new scenery I'm about to see - running some place new is always exciting!

#1: If staying at a hotel or resort, I always check to make sure a workout facility is available before I even confirm the booking. Running on a treadmill isn't my favorite thing in the world (I don't like it one bit), but I'll do it if I have to. Also, if a gym or workout facility is available, are classes offered? You could even try something new like yoga or spin!

#2: A little research of the area usually takes place - is the area around the resort/hotel safe for an outdoor run? Is there a special running path or set route already at the resort? Are sidewalks available?

#3: Does the area have a running group that meets at a set time/location? Meeting new runners is always fun and most of the time (in my experience at least), running groups are welcoming to new people! These groups will also have a set route available, that way you don't have to worry too much about where you're going!

#4: Is there a local race taking place during your vacation week? Running a new race in a new area is always fun, you don't have to worry about water or a route, and you usually get some sort of swag (a tshirt, medal, etc) for your efforts!

#5: This may sound silly, but packing my running shoes and running clothes usually gives me that little extra boost to get out the door and go for a run. I mean, if I took the trouble to bring the items with me, I might as well use them, right?

Whats your best tip for getting a run/workout in while on vacation?

It’s FRIDAY!
Link up with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup!

Running While On Vacation

I love a good run while on vacation. As a matter of fact, I always include a morning run in our travel plans when selecting a hotel/resort for our stay! A great way to see new places and explore new areas is on foot and is one of my favorite parts of any vacation. Today, Jeff Galloway shares his vacation running secrets with us! See below for a few of his favorite tips!

The best, more efficient workout when you’re at the beach…

• Running into the dawn: In Summer, it's best to run before the sun rises above the horizon.  Since it's common for family members to sleep a bit longer on vacation, get up early and hit the beach.    Set a total time you wish to run, and turn around at the halfway point.  Or, run 1-2 minutes longer going out and try to run faster on the return.

• When you’re camping and near a lake and/or mountains.  Drive around the campground area to find suitable running/trail areas.  Plan a group hike each day.  Appoint yourself the “lookout”.  Walk ahead of the group for a few minutes and then run ahead for a minute or two, and run back.  Repeat this routine throughout the hike.  Even short segments of running, during a 1-2 hour hike, will maintain your running adaptations very well.

• On a road trip, taking frequent “pit stops”.  Wear your running gear on the trip.  If it is safe to run or walk at your rest area, walk for 1-2 minutes as a warmup and then run for 5-10 minutes.  Repeat this pattern until the group is ready to load up.  If it is a food stop, get your meal “to go” and spend the time running.

• When you’re on a trip that’s based around a theme park.  Many of the hotels in areas like Disneyworld, have designated areas for running.  In some cases you can run to the parks.  Ask the hotel staff for recommended routes.  Each evening, gather the family and plan your park visit for the next day.  This allows for you to find a times slot to squeeze in a run.  As you mention how you are planning your run, you'll teach the kids how important your exercise is, for you.

• When you’re on a sightseeing city tour.  Time is limited during most sightseeing tours but you can usually squeeze in a few minutes here and there.  Wear running clothes or very comfortable apparel with running shoes.  When the bus stops, keep walking around while looking at the sights or listening to the guide.  If time allows before re-boarding, jog for a minute or two.

• A home-based vacation.  If possible, arrange with another family member to watch the kids while you run.  Then, offer that person a chance to get away for a while while you stay with kids.  Early morning is often a great time to get in your runs.  Plan trips to local parks (that you seldom visit) where you can run and walk with the family.

 So, what about you? Do you enjoy running while on vacation? Any tips you'd like to share?


As an official Jeff Galloway blogger, I am provided with occasional tips to share with you guys - no compensation is received on my end! Hope you’ve enjoyed them!  
 

Disney Princess Half Trip Recap–Days 3 & 4

Today, I’m back with a recap of Days 3 & 4 from our Princess Half Marathon trip to WDW! No time like the present, right?

Curious what happened on Day 1 and Day 2? Click on the links to check them out! :)

Also, just because it all ties into this trip, here’s a list of previous links for the races!

Princess Half Marathon Expo & VLOG

Spectating at the Princess 5K

Princess 10K Recap & VLOG

Princess Half Marathon Recap & VLOG

Ok now that’s out of the way, let’s get on to the trip!

After the Princess 10K, Jason and I had breakfast at Port Orleans Riverside, then returned to our resort to shower and change for a fun day with friends in Epcot and Downtown Disney!

I love EPCOT!

First on our agenda was lunch plans with Heather and Bobby at Via Napoli!

I’d never been here and was excited to try their pizza!

Those ovens are SO cool!

We all split an appetizer which was really good! Fried risotto something or another… :)

All four of us split the hugest pizza I’d ever seen in my life!

As the waiter was putting the pizza on our table, he accidentally hit my glass of water which caused water to spill directly into my lap. I was in blue jeans which became soaked. Also, it was cold in the restaurant (and outside as well)…not a good combo! The manager was really nice about it, but I think that’s because I was nice about it in return (even though I spent the entire meal sitting in soaking wet blue jeans).  I know that accidents happen but I still think he should have offered some way to make it up. Oh well…thankfully it was just water (thank goodness – it could have been way worse!) and I was mostly dry by the time the meal ended. If nothing else, it made for some good laughs! No harm done – I would love to eat here again!

After lunch, we rode Spaceship Earth together then said goodbye to Heather and Bobby. Jason and I stayed in the park and explored EPCOT a bit more. We set our fast passes for mid to late afternoon which worked out perfectly!

Around dinner time, we made our way to Downtown Disney. Our plans included dinner at Earl followed by dessert and Heather’s blogger meetup at Ghirardelli.

We found Heather and Bobby and got in a massive crazy line for Earl. Thankfully the line moved super fast and we had our dinner in no time!

My favorite is the All-American! YUM!

I always get the same thing at Ghirardelli, too – the caramel quake shake! SO good!

After a long day, we said goodbye to Downtown Disney and our friends. We had the Princess Half Marathon the following morning and needed our beauty rest! :)

On Sunday morning after the Princess Half, we visited the Magic Kingdom once again!

Our fast pass plans included the Mine Train, Buzz, and Big Thunder Mountain.

I just love the sights and sounds of the parks! :)

We also went for a spin on the TTA!

No Disney trip is complete without a Dole Whip!

Our dinner plans for the evening were at Boma. It had been about six years since our last Boma trip, so I was excited to try it again!

The food was really good! I enjoy trying and tasting foods from other cultures, so this was a fun restaurant with a nice mix of a variety of choices!

Our dinner plans were with our friends Randy and Melissa and Melissa’s sister/brother-in-law.

We had a great meal! Randy even voluntarily wore his Princess medal to dinner! I’m so proud of him!

After dinner, Jason and I returned to the Magic Kingdom to close down the park. Our last item of  the evening was a final ride on the Mine Train. We got in line minutes before the park officially closed.

I do love an empty park! :)

Do you like to try foods from other cultures? When on vacation, do you like to try new restaurants or stick with something you’re familiar with?