All it takes is faith, trust and a little bit of Pixie dust

 Sunday January 29th was the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon. Almost 12,000 runners, my Mom and I included in that number! This was the first time in a race that I could really tell there was SO many participants!! I have done 3 other ones and 2 of them I believe had more participants but this one was just so crowded the WHOLE way.

 So my Mom totally wins in this race, we may have finished at the same time but she was the one that got me through it. After about mile 4 I started to get pretty tired and I was wondering how I was going to keep up with my mom who was feeling pretty good (I could tell because she was passing a lot of people)  The plan was to run the first 5 miles and then go to a run/walk combo so I was REALLY looking forward to mile 5... but then we get to mile for and my mom says "well lets just see how we feel at mile 5" meaning "I feel good right now so I think we can go further" and I was thinking ummm well ya right.  So mile 5 comes along and I say uh I have to do the run/walk thing because I couldn't take it any longer and as we start moving into this I keep going slower and slower and basically I would slow down and get behind my mom for 3 minutes and then use the last 2 minutes to catch up with her so I could walk. This lasted until mile 7 and then I decided I was going to do 3 and 1 because I couldn't keep running for 5 minutes straight. So I move to that and my mom kind of does it but she kept up her pace and I just tried to keep up until mile 9 and then we got the cliff shot and man that TOTALLY energized me... for about a minute.   Mentally though I was feeling more confident as we neared the last 3 miles I was getting excited about finishing but my legs were cramping a little bit so I decided I was going to really take it easy miles 10 and 11 so my last mile would feel okay. It worked out and when my mom started getting tired I was feeling motivated so we encouraged each other at different times and ended up finished in 3:02 which was pretty good I think. Especially since I had to stop to go pee in the middle and we had to run around the people walking the WHOLE time... not just in the beginning. It was madness!!!  

So thats how the race went :)  First time I actually had a running partner that we stayed with each other and that was good.  Its such a good memory and I am so glad I could share it with my mom. She was seriously the reason why I finished in time because I think I would have started walking at mile 5...  I know that she inspires the rest of the family too because she has worked so hard and come so far and I did hear her mention possible doing a race for her 60th birthday! Thats incredible!  Also, I need to remind her that for the first 5 miles possibly more... she was singing the Disney songs... So I think I might have held her back a bit. Next one I won't though.

Plans for the next race... the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in Florida, November 6-9.  I am thinking in the summer that I want to run in 2 10K's to help with training more consistently so if anyone has ideas for races let me know!

Just got our race bibs at the health expo

Mile 8... I think Mom was yelling that we were getting tired.
I had been tired since mile 4... 

Finally done!! What a feeling :) 

January

Three weeks into January and lets see what resolutions have continued... I can't even remember them so probably none. I will continue to work on them though I am sure.

  Last week I started in Disney's Emerging Leader Program, which for those of you who don't know it is basically a management training program. I am working in Outdoor Vending in Disneyland. It is not a HUGE change but it is kind of a big one, I am doing three weeks of "costume" training which means I will learn pretty much every position that I will be managing. So far it has been pretty great besides being super sick the first week (last week). I survived and I am pretty sure I didn't get anyone else sick.  I learned how to blow up those $12 balloons we sell. I also got to sell some which is not really that easy. You would think holding 20 balloons isn't so bad but then they bring you 30 more and then you have 50 and you feel like you will be pulled away. I have also learned where most of the bathrooms are in Disneyland and if you thought I knew them before you are crazy :)
  I have learned that I don't really like the turkey legs that everyone else LOVES. I just don't get the craze but thats okay.    Eating at the Blue Bayou for the first time was great, we ate there for lunch last week and we had an amazing server who has been with Disney for 38 years... ALL of them at the Blue Bayou.  Everyone that I have met has been so welcoming and helpful. I still have lots of training left and actually I am technically training the whole time in this program.

Even in these first two weeks I have learned so much and realized that I have SO much to learn and I am very thankful that I get to work where they placed me.

One thing that everyone asks... "tell me about yourself, what do you like to do?" and this question for some reason is so difficult for me. So this year I am going to find a hobby.  I need to work on my 30 second commercial or whatever they call it.

Besides all the changes at work I have a few other things going on as well.

Sunday the 29th I will be running with my mom at Disney's Tinker Bell Half Marathon. Its going to be interesting and I really hope I can keep up with her since my training has been non existent the past month. (I've been sick)    Hopefully towards the end of the year I will be able to participate in Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon which is in Florida. Its in November so if anyone wants run with me or just go hang out please let me know!!!   It's during the food and wine festival in Epcot so even more of a reason to go!

I am also doing Weight Watchers... I have done it before but I gave up before but this time I am going to stick to it until I reach my goal weight. I would like to lose 30 lbs and then see how I feel then and what is a good weight for me. Once I reach my goal weight I am going to quit 24 hour fitness and start going to LA Boxing. I LOVE LA Boxing but I can't afford it so once I hit "lifetime" or my goal weight with WW I won't have to pay anymore so I will be able to do LA Boxing. So if you ever see me eating or drinking too much just remind me that its not worth it :-)

I am so excited for this year and I hope that I will be challenged both professionally and personally. I am going to try and update this thing as I progress through EL (emerging leaders) and also I guess as I go through WW.

Keep me in your prayers y'all  :-)