runDisney Updates

So runDisney has been busy this week!  With less then 2 weeks to go before Princess registration opens (June 11th for those interested), they finally updated the website with all the appropriate information.  'bout time!

They have confirmed that the 5K is moving to Friday and the 10K on Saturday.  This is what I thought would happen once they announce the 10K.  Half is still Sunday.

But most importantly, they announced the prices!  As usual, my wallet already groaned in anticipation of paying for the Glass Slipper Challenge!

The only item they did not have prices listed for was the commemorative items.  I always buy the pins (don't ask why) and put them on my medal ribbons, so I am hoping they are available when I register.

I am excited for Princess this year - it's going to be a family affair!  My mom and aunt are doing the 10K, my cousin the Half and I'm doing the Glass Slipper Challenge.  I think another aunt may be coming and my friend Pam and her mom might also come.  

As I said, registration opens on June 11 and you can sign up for a reminder email at runDisney.com. 

In other runDisney news, there is a course map going around for the Disneyland 10K.  It's not the official course map from runDisney, but it looks like the map submitted/approved by USATF for course certification.  I didn't find it, but some other intrepid runDisney fans did.  I have seen it, but I'm going to wait until runDisney announces it before I get too excited.  My guess is if it's USATF certified, it's the course, but I'm still going to wait since you never know.  I did like what I saw, so that's good!

Either way, it's been a big day of runDisney updates!

Back in the groove

I was in Boston today for work, so I had moved today's scheduled run to last night.  I worked late last night so I didn't get to run as long as I planned.  My Hansons training book says it's better to do a shorter run then a longer run, so that's what I did. 

And you know what?  I am really excited to get out for my run tomorrow morning.  I may have even described it as 'jonesing' for one.  It has been a long time since I've felt this way.  I was so burnt out over the winter that I barely ever wanted to run, so I am pretty glad I am feeling this way again.

Just in time to start speedwork next week! 

New sneakers (again... finally...)

Since the new Nike Pegasus' did not workout, I headed back to Jack Rabbit to try again.  This time it was a success!

The guy at Jack Rabbit (whose name escapes me now) who helped me was awesome.  Listened to my concerns, took everything into consideration, knew a lot about the differences between the shoes and explained the benefits of each shoe brand and type.  I tried on a bunch of shoes before finding a pair I liked.  It took a while and there were a couple of close seconds, but find one I did. 

And here they are:

Tada!  They are the Asics Gel-Nimbus 15.  Aren't they pretty?

 

I don't know all the technical terms about them, but they are incredibly comfortable - cushioning without being overly soft and still supportive.  They felt kinda like my old Pegasus' did, which was exciting.  I've already done a couple of runs in them and I feel like I am floating.  It's a nice feeling!

Downside?  They are not cheap.  Total price?  $145 (full price).  Fortunately, I get a discount at my favorite running store and of course, I can keep a look out for them online (when it's time to replace them).  But since they are so comfortable and (clearly) my new shoe, I will pay it.  It's annoying (especially since my Pegasus' only cost $100), but considering I didn't like any other shoe as much, it is what it is.   

What shoes do you run in?  

Totally love my new sneaks!

2 on Tuesday

This is the house we stayed in over the weekend.  It was a log cabin!  It was absolutely perfect and a great way to spend the weekend.  The kitchen was great and we took full advantage of it.  Cooking all meals, spending time around the kitchen table, laughing, making s'mores by the fire pit, swimming in a freezing pool.  We all get so busy with our own lives, it was nice to spend some serious quality time with friends.  As I get older, I realize how important my friends are.  Nice to take some time and remember that.

The great sneaker hunt is over!  My second trip to Jack Rabbit was much more successful (full post coming later), but I can confirm I did find a new pair of shoes and they came in this box.  I wore them this weekend and they felt amazing.  Like floating on air.  On my run on Sunday I felt so great in them I could not slow my pace down (bad Sarah) but it felt amazing.  Yay!

Training recap: Week of 5/20 (DDD / DLH Week 4)

Hope you all had good weekends!  I had such a perfect weekend with friends relaxing in a beautiful cabin in Dover Plains.  Since I didn't get to post my recap yesterday, I am going to treat you all to 2 posts today!  Contain your excitement!

Monday
Scheduled: Rest of Cross Training
Actual: 35 minutes on the elliptical

Tuesday
Scheduled: 5 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 5 miles, 51:50, 10:22 pace

Wednesday
Scheduled: Off
Actual: Off

Thursday
Scheduled: 3 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: Off

Friday
Scheduled: 3 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 3 miles, 32:36, 10:26 pace

Saturday
Scheduled: 5 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 5 miles, 51:26, 10:17 pace

Sunday
Scheduled: 5 miles long run pace (9:53)
Actual: 5 miles, 47:06, 9:25 pace

So I did not accomplish my goal of 5 runs this week.  I went to a fundraising event with some friends on Wednesday night and was out later then expected and had a party to celebrate another friends graduation from med school on Thursday night.  These are the sacrifices we make sometimes! 

Total scheduled miles: 21
Total actual miles: 18.13
Total May miles: 75.46

New sneakers

The time has come for me for to retire these bad boys:

My loves

My awesome custom Nike Pegasus 28's.  As much as I love them, the time as come for them to be moved to the gym pair category and to get some new kicks.

They came out with a new version of my Pegasus' so I wanted to try them on first.  It's also been years since I tried other sneakers and wanted to make sure I didn't like anything better.

I went to the Upper West Side Jack Rabbit.  The women who helped me was very nice, but I felt like she wasn't all that knowledgable about what makes the sneakers different (I love Jack Rabbit and have never had this problem before).  She was helpful, but when I asked the difference between sneakers she never gave a definitive answer (for example, I asked what the difference between 2 neutral shoes from the same brand and her answer was one is nicer then the other - not sure what that means).

After trying on a couple of shoes, I ended up going with the Pegasus' again.  Unfortunately, they only had the Breathe version in my size.  She told me they were "the same", so I went with it.

Nike Pegasus 29 Breathe

Unfortunately, after running in them for 2 runs, I can confirm they are not the same.  Now, it might be the 29 vs. the Breathe type, but they felt completely different.  The arches were in different spots and the right heel kept slipping off.  Definitely not what you want on a run.

Old (L), New (R)

After doing some research online, they do seem like different shoes.  The descriptions other websites use to describe them are completely different which leads me to believe they are not the same.

I thought you needed another picture of sneakers.

So they will be going back to Jack Rabbit and I will be trying again.  I am really hoping it was just the Breathe style and not my beloved Pegasus.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

2 on Tuesday

Per my post yesterday, I saw the Great Gatsby over the weekend.  Personally, I really enjoyed the movie, but I do know some people who didn't.  I haven't read the book since I was in high school, so I don't really remember all the plot details so I have no idea how faithful it was.  It is a Baz Luhrmann film so it was definitely non-traditional.  I also loved the music from the film.  Jay Z did the soundtrack and it was great.  Definitely a little unconvential for a movie that takes place in the 20's, but really helped make the movie (in my opinion).  Definitely think I am going to have to pick it up. 

Now that I've seen the movie, I want to re-read The Great Gatsby and see how different the movie was from the book.  As I said above, I haven't read it since high school, but I remember really loving it in high school, so I am excited to re-read it.  I read so many books in high school for class, but I definitely did not appreciate them (at all) at the time, so I have a long list of classics to read again.  Any suggestions on what other classics should I re-read?

Training Recap: Week of 5/13 (DDD / DLH Week 3)

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a good weekend.  Mine was pretty great.  Saturday, I ran, met a friend for pedicure's and a boozy lunch.  Sunday, another run and saw the Great Gatsby (which I really enjoyed!).

I accomplished my goal of getting all my runs in.  It felt good to get them all in!

Monday
Schedule: Off or Cross Training
Actual: 35 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes walking on the treadmill

Tuesday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 4 miles, 41:28, 10:22 pace

Wednesday
Rest day

Thursday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 4 miles, 41:52, 10:27 pace

Friday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 4 miles, 41:49, 10:27 pace

Saturday
Scheduled: 4 miles easy pace (10:09 - 11:09)
Actual: 4 miles, 40:18, 10:05 pace

Sunday
Scheduled: 5 miles long run pace (9:53)
Actual: 5 miles, 49:19, 9:52 pace

Total scheduled miles: 21
Total actual miles: 21
Total May miles: 52.33

I don't know about you, but I can't believe it is Memorial Day already.  This year is flying by!

My goal for the week again is to get all my workouts in (need to get consistent with this!).  I am going away to a Bachelor/Bachelorette party in the Hudson Valley (up past Poughkeepsie near the NY/CT border) this upcoming weekend.  I am looking forward to a weekend with friends, bbq'ing and spending time outside.  I plan on bringing my running stuff and running while there, but I think having my mini-goal will help me get them in.

How did your training go this past week?

Book Club Friday: The Dressmaker

It's been a while since I've joined in on Book Club Friday, but I'm glad to be back today!  Let's get to it.

This week I am reviewing The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott.

From Goodreads:

Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.

Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes.

Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. Tess’s sailor also manages to survive unharmed, witness to Lady Duff Gordon’s questionable actions during the tragedy. Others—including the gallant Midwestern tycoon—are not so lucky.

On dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

My review

I really enjoyed this book.  I find the Titanic so fascinating (I know I am not alone in this one) and I really liked the fact that is book focused mostly on what happened after the survivors made it back to New York.  We tend to focus a lot on the actual sinking, but I honestly did not really know much about what happened when they got back to New York.  I also like that it was told from the point of view of one of the servants vs. a first class passenger.  If you enjoy historical fiction and find the Titanic interesting, I would recommend this book to you!

What should I read next?

10,000 Steps

 
So my company is doing a walking challenge.  We are taking part of something called the Global Corporate Challenge.  We are on teams of 7 people.  I am one of the team captains for my company.  There's a global challenge (obviously) and then a competition within our company and then of course we made a side competition within our division. 

The goal is to take 10,000 steps a day.  I do have a slight advantage with the running, but I am still excited to participate and challenge myself to make the goal.  The pedometers they sent us are pretty small and can be attached at the waist or carried in a pocket or bag. 

It doesn't officially start until next Thursday, but I started wearing the pedometer today to get a baseline of what my steps currently are at and how much more I need to step it up.  Should be interesting!

The pedometer compared to a pen.  Pretty tiny.