Update!

Hi everyone! Did you miss me? I managed to get way behind on blog posts over the last few months, so I’ll start with a little update since my last post.

In January, we once again ran the Walt Disney World Marathon.
In February, we ran the UNCC 5k and I ran the Disney’s Princess Enchanted 10k.
In April, we ran the Star Wars Dark Side Challenge and 5k.
Posts about these races will be coming soon!

It’s been a busy year for races, and I took some much-needed time off from running to strengthen and heal before the fall running season starts.

On the schedule for the fall are:

The Disneyland Paris Half Marathon – this was a recent decision, based on Get Travel still having open registrations and my friend Jen and her husband still looking for a roommate. Throw in affordable airfare, an extra day in the City of Lights, and how could I say no? I couldn’t. I’ve been dreaming of returning to Europe and now I’m going!

Next up will be the Myrtle Beach Coastal 5k and Mini Marathon (half marathon distance, long story over the name). This one is exciting because J and I designed medals for their contest and we both won! J’s medal will be given out after the 5k and mine will be the finisher’s medal for the half!

In November, I’ll be traveling to Disney again for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend. I love this race weekend because it was my first half back in 2012, but I’ll only be running the 5k and 10k this year. The 10k is new, so I’m really excited for this one. After the 10k, I’ll drive to Savannah and meet J there to run the Rock ’n Roll Savannah 5k on Sunday together. It will be a busy weekend but a ton of fun because I’ll be spending it with friends and J.

The next weekend, the sibs and I head to Disneyland for the Superheroes Half Marathon weekend. We’ll be running the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge which consists of the Dr. Strange 10k (super-psyched for this movie, too) and the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon.

Marathon weekend in 2017 is going to feel a bit strange for me – J and the sibs signed up for the Goofy Challenge (1/2 marathon on Saturday, Full Marathon on Sunday), but I am only signed up the half marathon. It’s probably best for my health, and with aspirations to run Dopey again in 2018, I will give my body a break and take a year off from the full distance. On that Sunday, I will be the best cheerleader possible and look forward to supporting my family and friends running the full.

As much as I’ll miss the full next year, I came up with a consolation prize of sorts. I will be running the Star Wars Light Side Challenge in Disneyland the weekend after Disney World’s Marathon weekend. Kessel Run, here I come, as we plan to run the Dark Side Challenge again next year!

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Another Diagnosis

Well if ever there was a time to get my butt in gear, it’s now. I just got my lab work back from my preventative physical last week, and (shocker!) I am pre-diabetic. Unfortunately, being off my foot and not working out at all for a month did not help matters, but this also did not happen overnight. I have been right on the cusp of normal for many years now and without proper change, it was just a matter of time before I found myself in this situation. I have no one to blame except myself. I know what my genetic predisposition is and I should have been working harder to overcome this possibility instead of waiting for this news.

As I just learned about this about 20 minutes ago, I do not have a plan yet, but I will be coming up with one soon. Off the top of my head, I will be going to the gym more often and my 10 minute daily walks will be extended to at least 20 minutes, if not longer. I have already been focusing on changing how I eat, and will continue down this path of eating real food, and do some more research into what I should be avoiding and what I should be embracing. I do not want my number to go up any higher than it already has and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to make sure it stays where it is, or goes lower, if possible.

Any suggestions or insights or helpful advice? Please share in the comments below – thanks!