Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap Part 1

Last month I wrote a post about how worried I was about running the Enchanted 10k and the Princess 1/2 Marathon at Disney. Up until the last week I was worried about running both races. With the cold weather came various difficulties like knee pain, twisted ankles, bad weather, over training and missed runs. To sum up I was completly certain that I was not going to be successful in completing my races.

Race week came way too quickly and I was both nervous and excited. Nervous because I did not know if I wan going to be able to run well and excited because it was my first 1/2 marathon and I was going to see my friends.

Although I own a home about 5 miles from Disney, I decided to stay at a host resort for the race so I did not have to wory about not getting to the race on time and missing it. The only downside to that is that you have to wake up ubber early to catch the bus. I stayed at the All Star Movies Resort and as luck would have it I got a prefferd room which means that I was super close to the bus stops, the lobby and food court which was a plus.

I flew to Orlando on Thursday after work so I could have a day to enjoy the Fit for a Princess EXPO and a day to myself. On Friday morning, my friend Nydia came to pick me up and we drove together down the road from the All Stars to the Wide World of Sports to pick up our bibs and check out the EXPO. We wanted to be there early because I did not want to wait in line for hours to get my bib, like it has happened before. To our luck we did not have to wait to get our bibs and shirts. I was doing the Glass Slipper Challenge so everything that I needed to be picked up was at the Milk House across from the EXPO. There was no line to get my bib or my shirts. After picking up our packets, my friend Nydia had to get her 10k shirt at the EXPO so we headed across the way. To our surprise there was not line there either to get it. We got Nydia's shirt and we headed to the merchandise area because I wanted to get several things. As luck would not have it most of the things I wanted were sold out. I was really looking forward to getting some Princess Half sweaty bands and some coffee mugs. I was a little sad about that. I bought some stuff though. I settled with a Glass Slipper Challenge jacket and a Princess Half Marathon tech shirt. I bid my goodbye to Nyd, since she was leaving to go on her Disney Cruise that afternoon, and I stayed at the EXPO to see the different vendors and such.

Staying at the EXPO was an excellent idea. I got to check out some cool vendors like Sweaty Bands, KT Tape (they taped me for free, score), and many more. I also had the opportunity to meet Jeff Galloway who was at the Run Disney booth and I got to talk to him about my hurt knee. He gave me amazing advice that I was going to follow to the T on Sunday. 
 

 

After being at the EXPO for a good 3 hours I headed back to the hotel. My friend Jennifer was coming to hang out later that afternoon, so I decided to go to the pool for some RnR since the weather was niceish.

When my friend Jen arrive we decided to go and have dinner at The Wave at Disney's Contemporary Resort. The dinning room was packet, but they sent us to the bar to eat. There we were greeted by one of the nicest Cast Members I have encountered in a while. He asked us what we wanted it and even let us order off menu. Talk about going above and beyond. I ordered a salad and Jen ordered a burger. The food was delicious and fresh.

After dinner Jen and I went back to the hotel and caught up on our lives and then we went to bed early since we had to wake up at 2:30 am to catch our bus the next day.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in which I actually talk about both my races!

Until then,
Nats

Running Mind

When I started running 3 years ago I never knew the impact it would have on my mind and body, specially on my mind. In June of last year I decided to sign up for the Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Not only will I be running my first 1/2 marathon, but I will be participating in the Glass Slipper Challenge. What is that you ask? Well, On Saturday I will run a 10k and then on Sunday I will run a 1/2 marathon. When I signed up for it back in June it sounded like a good idea and a problem for future Nadia. At that point maybe I tought that I could do it.

Fast forward to 6 months later and a month before the race and I feel like I can't do it. It is not that I am not putting in the miles, or that I can't run that distance, or even that  I can't do back to back. Believe me, I have put in the training (although I twisted my ankle and got sick) and I have done Ragnar and back to back races; it is just that mentally I don't feel ready. I break down 1 or 2 miles before the end of a long run, and I start thinking that I am a failure and that I can't do it. This is really hard for me because I want to do my best and I never used to think this way.

I know I need help. I bought some running and motivation books to help me. I'm hoping this will help me. If you have any suggestions please leave me a message.

Hopefully, during these races, I will forget all my worries/injuries and run like a champ.

Nats

New Year, New Thoughts

Hey there blog world,

Happy New Year to all of you. As part of this years resolution I promise to write more blog post.

What are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Mine, you ask? Here are some of them:

Run 700 Miles
Run 12 races
Eat healthier (hopefully)
Write more blog post
Travel to a new place

Hopefully I will be able to write at least once a week. I got lots to say and lots to share with you. Stay tuned!

Until Next Time,

Nats

Traveling Feet Recap

Hey guys,

It's been a while. Between two jobs, a husband and a full running calendar, I haven't been able to post anything. Let me catch you on what happened in the last few months:


June:

End of the school year and went to Puerto Rico to my friend Jennifer's wedding and got hired to become an adjunct professor at Sistema Universitario Ana G. MendezMorales-Arroyo family on Father's Day

Nydia, Jen and I

July:

My sister came to help me with the wedding. I had a bridal shower/bachelorette party. My parents and extended family started to make their way here fr our wedding.

SeaCrets with the girls

Morales-Arroyo at the White House

My sisi and I visiting Lincoln

August:

Got married!!!!!! :), went to London and Paris for our honeymoon!!!! and then started work again.

 

 

September:

Started teaching as a adjunt professor. Became a running coach at our school for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students and became part of our running clubs board.

October:

Went to New York for a wedding and will be running the Marine Corps Marathon 10k (recap to come).


As you can see it has been a busy couple of month and it does not seem to be slowing down at all. In November, I start training for the Disney's Glass Slipper Challenge and start to get ready for the holidays. Stay tuned because the Traveling Feet are back.

Until next time and keep your feet traveling,

Nats

Bridal Shower Weekend at Disney

Most of you know that I worked at Disney for 10 years. I lived in Orlando, Florida for 6 of those years and I worked part-time at Disney for 5 of those years. Disney has always been a big part of my life. My fiance and I decided to go and visit my friends and fiance's family in Orlando during my Spring Break. As it turns out, it was most of my friends, who are also teachers, Spring Break as well. When I told my friend and Bridesmaid Nydia that I was coming down to visit, she decided to throw me and one of my other bridesmaids, Jennifer, a Bridal Shower in honor of our weddings coming up (we are getting married 2 months apart). There was no question of where we wanted to do it: Disney one way or another.

Nydia did all of the planning for this special occasion. She decided that we needed to get a hotel room at Disney and make it a weekend to remember, just like we have done during other vacations. The plan was to stay at a hotel, go eat at different Disney restaurants and go to the parks. Now, you may think that sounds boring and childish, but I always have fun at Disney no matter what I do and where I go. And to tell you the truth,  Jennifer and I wanted a low key Bridal shower with our friends and family.

So the plan took effect. From Thursday, March 29 to Saturday, March 30 we would stay at Disney's Pop Century Resort. We would eat dinner at O'hana one night, get mani/pedi's, relax, have our dinner at Whispering Canon and then on Saturday meet our fiances and got enjoy a full day at the parks.

On Thursday, Jennifer, Nydia and I woke up early and went bridesmaid dress shopping, followed by a low key afternoon at our hotel. Since, the Pop Century hotel is now next to the new Disney Resort Art of Animation, I decided to go for an exploratory run through the resorts. These two hotels are a fantastic place to get in a run. The hotels connect in every corner, so I had no problem getting from one hotel to the next. Both hotels had awesome things to look at so I found it a little distracting during my run, because I hadn't visited Art of Animation before. After my little run, another one of my bridesmaids, Yari, came over to visit and hang out before we went to our dinner at O'hana at the Polynesian Resort near Magic Kingdom. It was great being reunited with 3 of my long lost sisters and talk about the upcoming months...

Our dinner at O'hana was late, so we decided to get to the restaurant a little early so we can have a drink at the bar, where we all had pina coladas. If you have never had dinner at O'hana before, I highly recommend.  it. They sat us right as the Magic Kingdom fireworks were starting so that was a treat. O'hana is an all you care to eat restaurant, with a hawaiian theming. Their buffet includes the best pineapple bread in the world, skuer chicken, pork, steak and shrimp and  bread pudding with ice cream as a dessert to die for. We don't know if it was the time of the night ( we ate a 10pm) or if they had changed the spices, but the only thing that we ate was the bread, steak, and bread pudding. My favorite part of the meal was the bread pudding, I reallly like bread pudding and this one was to die for.

The next day, I woke up and went for another run so I could get in more miles, since I was lacking them, and to finish exploring the resorts. After that, Nydia, Jen and I went to get mani/pedis to be ready for the actual bridal dinner that night and we got a little shopping in as well. That afternoon, we took a liasurely stroll through the hotels and then proceded to get ready for what would be a great night.

Our Bridal Shower Dinner took place at the Whispering Canon at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Not all the people that was invited came, but must people showed up. My fiance's mom and sister, my friend Carla, and my bridesmaids, Caro, Yari and of course the other bride, Jennifer and the host, Nydia were the people that attended. This was my first time at the restaurant, so I was pretty excited. We got seated and promptly started to get the vibe of the restaurant, lots of food and lots of fun. This restaurant is also all you care to eat, and it consisted of chicken, steak, fish and pork. Since it was Good Friday, a lot of people ordered fish. The chef found out about this and sent us two different kinds of fish, which was great.

The night was really low key, but fun. We told stories about how we all met and about our other friends weddings. It was really nice having some the people that mean the most to me and Jen being there and sharing this special moment in our lives. After dinner, we were all going to go out, but decided against it. We adjourned ourselves to the lobby and continued talking and having a great time. Don't get me wrong, I love to party, but sometimes the best times are the one's when you are just sitting and having a great conversation among friends.

I was so happy that my dear friends did this for me. I think I am biased, but I think I have the most amazing group of friends and family ever.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. Keep those feet traveling.

Until Next Time,
Nats