Zenaida Arroyo

13
Jan
2014

Walt Disney World Half Marathon

categories: Race Recap, RunDisney, Running

On Saturday, January 11, I ran the Walt Disney World Half Marathon as part of the WDW Goofy Challenge. This was also my first race of 2014 and my 50th half marathon.

I arrived in Orlando on Thursday night and slept till about 7am on Friday morning. After breakfast and a shower, it was off to the expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. I went to one location to pick up my bib and then another location for the expo and then to another location for another part of the expo. Did that make sense? I thought it was ridiculous! As for the actual expo? I was not impressed AT ALL. I thought that for it being a big weekend for Disney, there would be more vendors. And remember the expo was in two different locations. I bought two skirts from Sparkle Athletic and two headbands from Sparkly Soul.

I got three nice shirts. Umm, don’t two of them look like they’re the same color? I thought so. However, my friend JB told me that one is black and the other one is navy blue. Upon further inspection I realized that she was right. I got a small Clif Bar in blueberry which was yummy! Now, have I mentioned that I paid $340 for both the half and full marathon? You’d think that for the amount of money I paid I would get much more then that? Yes, that’s what I get for paying that much money…three shirts and a small Clif Bar. OK, enough complaining….for now.

The start time for the half was 5:30am. So that meant we had to leave no later than 3:45am. The night before I set my alarm for 3:00 but then forgot to actually turn it on. JB woke me up at 3:30 and I frantically got ready, made coffee, and ate a light breakfast. Then off we went to the race. By the time we were at the start line, it was about 5am. It was a humid morning. Oh and I was nervous but excited too.

Off we went. Did I mention it was humid? I was sweating before mile 1. It was cool running when it was still dark. There were some areas where it was not crowded at all but then there were areas where it was. I ran mainly on the right side and let others pass me. 🙂

It was pretty cool running towards Magic Kingdom. It was even better running down Main Street. There were so many people cheering for us and it motivated me to keep on running. I wonder how early they got there to wait for us? The view of the castle was amazing and I loved it! Gorgeous. I took some pictures but they’re blurry. Boo.

Along the way I stopped to take pictures with some of the characters. The line for Goofy was way too long and I did not want to wait.

I took it easy and was not worried about my time. I just wanted to enjoy the race. The overpass is what killed my good mood. Ugh! It was long and not fun at all. I knew that was the most difficult part of the race and that it was just a few more miles till the end.

When I saw this I knew I was close to the finish line. It was great seeing so many spectators cheering for us.

Finally done! Finish time is 2:47:36.

I felt pretty good throughout the race. Yes it was humid and I made sure to drink something at every water stop. Also, I took a Gu about every 4 miles.

This was my first Disney race. Here are my two cents:

Did like

Disney theme
Running in/through Disney park
Runners in various costumes
Shirts
Two separate areas for corrals A-H and I-P
Plenty of spectators
Abundant of water stops

Did not like

Expensive race
Too early start time
Not much of a goodie bag
Part of the course was boring
Boring expo

I have mixed feelings about my first Disney race. I really, really wanted to enjoy it. I am not saying that I didn’t but I can’t say that I had a fabulous time. Spoil alert: The marathon was so much better. I think it could have been better (expo, goodie bag, and course) for the amount of money I paid. I know I did not pay to see characters along the course but it would have been nice to see more of them along the way.

Since there was a group of us running this race, JB got a suite at the Residence Inn (about 15 minutes away from Epcot) and it turned out to be cheaper than staying at a Disney Resort. Of course it helped that one of the guys running also had a car so he was able to drive to/from the race. That also gave/saved us time getting to/leaving the park after the race.

Would I do this race again? Maybe. I just wished they weren’t so darn expensive!!

04
Jan
2014

Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge

categories: RunDisney, Running

Well, the time is almost here. Just a few more days till I leave for Florida to run one of the craziest races. I remember hearing about Goofy Challenge a few years ago when I used to work at the bar association and one of our members was collecting money for charity. I remember thinking “This guy is crazy”. Ha, well the joke is on me because now I am one of those crazy ones.

I will admit that I am excited, nervous, and scared. I feel OK for the half marathon but what worries me is the full marathon. The last one I did was over a year ago when I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon.

I did my best to train for this challenge. I did some running outside and on the treadmill. The past few weeks has been really cold and we’ve been hit with so much snow that I have no idea when it will all melt. I really dislike running in the cold and in the snow. Running this race seemed like a good idea a few months ago and did not take into consideration that I would have to train during the winter. Boo.

On New Year’s Eve I went to see a Walt Disney exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. To all of you Disney fans, did you know that Walt Disney was born in Chicago? There were photos, costumes, artifacts, and many other items commemorating 90 years of The Walt Disney Company. I enjoyed the exhibit very much and am glad I got the chance to see it. That got me more excited about the races.

Wish me luck! My goals are to enjoy both races and to finish them within the required time to get all of my medals.

What is your favorite Disney movie? Mine is “The Lion King.”

01
Jan
2014

December and Year in Review 2013

categories: Monthly Review, Race all 50 states, Race Recap, Rock 'n' Roll Race, Running, Running Gear

Happy New Year!!

In December I ran 142.39 miles compared to 104.65 in November. December was the month where I ran the most miles. Plus, according to my cool spreadsheet, I finally ran over 1,000 miles this year.

I signed up again for the Runner’s World Holiday Running Streak. I wasn’t able to complete it last summer nor last winter but three times is a charm right? I did it…but barely. How hard can it be to run one mile per day? Ha, it was definitely more work for me. Or maybe I was just lazy? During the week the last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym for that mile. Yeah, I guess I could have ran outside but this crazy weather was not helpful. Well, with all complaints aside, I completed this streak and that is all that matters.

Total miles ran in 2013 was 1018.59 miles compared to 848.41 in 2012.

This year I ran 24 races. 14 of those races were Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon Races. I PR’d in the ING Hartford Half Marathon and at the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th.

My best race experiences were the ING Hartford Half Marathon and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. Other cool races were the Little Rock Half Marathon because I met Bart Yasso and the Manchester City Half Marathon because I met the lovely Kathrine Switzer.

Best medals I received were from the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon and the Little Rock Half Marathon. I would love to go back to Little Rock to run the full marathon because the medal is as big as my face.

I ran in 19 states last year. Also, I ran my 100th race in my sweet town Chicago! I submitted this photo to Pavement Runner as one of The Best Photos of 2013 and he posted it on his blog! There are other amazing photos so make sure to check it out.

I ran in the Mizuno Wave Elixir but fell deeply in love with the Brooks PureFlow 2 and the PureConnect 2. I love them so much that I’ve purchased several pairs from Running Warehouse. Are 8 pairs enough?

I discovered Huma Energy Gels but also found out about Gu Energy Gel in Salted Caramel thanks to Kim at (Just) Trying is for Little Girls. Run with Jess had 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways and I won Day 12 which was an 8pk of Gu Energy Gels in Salted Caramel. Yep, that made me very happy.

2013 was a frustrating year for me. I could not even get close to a sub 2 half marathon (which was my goal in 2013) but I was also frustrated for being hard on myself and not being able to fully experience and enjoy each race. However, after various pep talks from several people and a big change of attitude, I was no longer frustrated and instead made the best of each race. I loved traveling to each state and look forward to many more this year.

Follow my journey as I travel to run in more states, each RunDisney Half Marathon, and a 50K all in 2014.

08
Dec
2013

Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

categories: Rock 'n' Roll Race, Running

This year I ran a total of 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathons. I am so glad I purchased the TourPass last year. I know it is available for next year and if you are on a mission to run a race in each state then the TourPass is for YOU!

Each race is different but special to me. Each race gave me the opportunity to visit a new city and I enjoyed my stay in each one. So in a nutshell. Arizona was my first one. I loved the weather and the course. St. Petersburg was a HOT one. Too bad it is cancelled for next year. I cried when I got to the hotel and found out my reservation had been cancelled. Luckily they were able to accommodate me and get me a room at the last minute. I just LOVE, LOVE Washington DC. I swear I lived there in a previous life. Luckily it did not rain like it was supposed to but there was one killer hill around mile 6. Brutal! It may not have rained in DC but it was pouring in Nashville. It rained the whole time I was running up and down those darn hills. I was MISERABLE. That was my least favorite race. Portland was so much better. Great weather and decent course. Another trip to the west coast to San Diego. It was a humid race day but I enjoyed my time in San Diego. And finally another trip to the west coast to Seattle. It was a hot day and the course was hilly. Sweet home Chicago! I love running in my hometown. That day I also ran my 100th race. Oh and I was also dehydrated and did not think I was going to finish the race. And then I went to the east coast to Virginia Beach. What’s not to like about the beach? The course was mostly flat but it was HOT and HUMID. The best part was the finish line by the beach. Back to the east coast to Philadelphia. Perfect weather and flat course! I also enjoyed my time in Philadelphia. And again to the east coast to Providence. Great running weather but hilly course. This is another race that is cancelled for next year. Oh Cleveland, I was not my usual self that day. I was tired and dehydrated on race day. However, for being an inaugural race, everything went well without a glitch. Meet me in St. Louis at The Arch. It was a beautiful day on Saturday but on race day it was cold (28 degrees). It did get a little warmer throughout the race. And saving the best for last but my favorite race was in Las Vegas. It was so much fun to run along the strip at night. The expo was great and the VIP experience was amazing.

In total I received 22 medals. My favorite is the “Rock Idol” I got for running 10 RnR races. I got that one in Philadelphia.

I have no regrets at all for traveling across the country to run these races. It was worth it! I learned a lot about myself during each trip and made the best out of each one.

Have you ran any RnR races? If so, which one has been your least favorite and/or favorite race?

08
Dec
2013

Detergent for Stinky Running Clothes

categories: Running

Let’s talk about stinky running clothes. Over the years I’ve had my share of stinky clothes. I tried various detergents to remove the smell. When that didn’t work, I simply threw away the clothes. I felt bad doing so but there was no way I was going to donate them and have someone else wear them. Here is what I’ve used:

WIN High Performance Sport Detergent
Penguin Sportwash Laundry Detergent
Tide Plus Febreze Freshness Sport
Arm and Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent

My clothes were clean but after a while I would notice a faint smell that just wouldn’t go away. Maybe it was time for new clothes? I even added vinegar and that did help a bit. One day I was at Target and saw the Seventh Generation Laundry Packs. They were on clearance and I decided to buy one box. I used them to wash my running clothes and let me just say that they’re no longer stinky. I purchased the Mandarin and Sandalwood which left a clean, light scent on my clothes. I finally found something that cleans my clothes and makes them smell good. Each box is about $15 for 50 pods which comes out to $.30 each. Not a bad deal at all.

What do you use to wash your running/workout clothes?