2018 Walt Disney World 10K

After a very cold 5K morning, I definitely wasn't looking forward to yet another freezing race start! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the worst part of Dopey Challenge for me was simply getting out of bed, knowing I had to face the cold for several hours before our run was set to begin. I was slightly better prepared this morning, though - I saved my mylar blanket from the day before and had it wrapped around my waist/legs - it was seriously a life saver! 

For a full recap of our WDW Marathon Weekend experience, check out these links below:

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Expo & Vlog
• Walt Disney World 5K & Vlog
• Walt Disney World 10K & Vlog
• Kids Races (100 m Dash) & Vlog
• Walt Disney World Half Marathon & Vlog
• Walt Disney World Full Marathon & Vlog

We were appropriately dressed as Anna and Elsa for this 10K and received several funny comments along the course about it being "her" fault for the cold, make it go away, etc!

I waited once again until 4 a.m. to head to the bus stop. Thankfully, the line wasn't near as long as the day before which was great!

After arriving at the starting area, I found my running buddy and we made our way to coral C.

It honestly felt a little warmer this morning and we were able to bundle up close to the runners in our coral which made a world of difference!

Before long, our coral had made it to the start line and we were up and running!

Side note - I love the new(ish) digital start signs runDisney had out for both the 5K and the 10K!

I absolutely LOVE the Disney 10K course which leads runners out on the highway for a little while (ok, that's not my favorite part) then through World Showcase, the Boardwalk/Yacht/Beach Resorts, and finally back into EPCOT for the finish! 

 
While out on the highway, we spotted a couple of characters from Bug's Life but decided to skip that line...so when we saw these parade performers with a super short line, we knew we had to stop!

 Pinocchio was also inside World Showcase, so it was fun saying hi to him!

The sun was just starting to rise as we approached the Boardwalk and Crescent Lake. A few similar characters from the 5K were also out (like Vacation Genie), so we decided to skip them.

This dude cracked me up so I had to snap a picture! I'm assuming he was cheering on the Be Our Guest Podcast Lizards? Still hilarious, even though I wasn't an official part of their group! Also along this area, we spotted Lou Mongello from the WDW Radio Podcast - he was out to cheer on his WDW Radio racing team!

A fun surprise for us was seeing Duffy in EPCOT! We were a bit of a ways back in line and were told that Duffy was about to go on break - so several people left the line...which meant we got to see him before he left for break! Another fun surprise!

A photo with the EPCOT ball was also a must-do!

Our final stop of the race was with another set of parade performers! They were standing in the spot where the gospel singers are usually located and they had a super short line, so we had to stop and say hello!

We crossed the finish line, got our medals, drinks, and food boxes, then made a bee line for the bus! Although we'd run most of this race, we were both freezing by the time we finished and were ready to warm up!

Part 2 of Dopey Challenge, the Walt Disney World 10K was complete! I couldn't comprehend that I still had 39.3 miles to run!

Stay tuned for more from our 2018 WDW Marathon Weekend vacay! Also, if you're interested in Disney vlogs from the remainder of our trip, look to my YouTube channel for updates!  Have a great day!

Favorite Hometown Race

Please pardon my lack of human social interaction over the past few days - I am officially down with the flu (type A) and have been since Sunday. Ironically, my brother who lives in another state was also diagnosed with type A on Sunday although his case is WAY worse than mine, symptom wise. For two days straight, I've been quarantined to my bedroom, only leaving with a lysol can in one hand and a clorox wipe in another - and the trips out of my room have been few and far between. I've been SO meticulous over the past few months with hand hygiene for both Brayden and I so I'm not quite sure where I picked this up from! (Yes, I also received the flu shot as required by my job.) Now, my biggest prayer is that Brayden doesn't get it...that would be awful.

Anyway, I decided to join in on a little Tuesdays on the Run fun today to help break up this crazy watch tv, sleep, drink fluids, repeat monotony.

Today's topic is all about your Favorite Hometown Race and after a little deliberation, I chose one and actually surprised myself with my choice - it's the 4 Miler On The 4th (of July, that is).

This race is hosted by our local running association. They host several races throughout the year and always do a great job, but this one happens to be my favorite.

Once May hits around here, races are few and far between due to the heat. I guess I always look forward to this 4 Miler for a couple of reasons - first because by the time it rolls around, it's been a while since I've run a race and second, this is one of the first races I ever ran when I began my running journey back in 2009!

This race also holds a lot of fun memories for me! I ran this race in 2009 with my sister in law - it was my first time to run this race but her first race ever! We still joke about this one because it was super hot and probably not the best race to choose for a first ever!

Another year, I must have missed my alarm and woke up from my dad's text, asking if I had made it to the race start! YIKES! I somehow managed to get dressed and out the door in record time, which led to a pretty interesting race to say the least! 

I've also had the opportunity to run this race with friends over the years (here and here) which has always been fun and helped those hot miles not seem so hot after all!

This past year's race was one of my favorites, though! I went into the race not expecting much at all and came out with a 30 second PR! I still have NO idea where that came from, but I'll keep it! :)

Oh yes, I should also mention that I love the 4th of July which definitely helps with my loving this race! Red, white, and blue, patriotism, USA, summer, fireworks, BBQ...need I say more?

Do you have a favorite hometown race? If so, what is it?

It's the Tuedsays on the Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty!