New Running Skirt Made from Race Shirts

Last year while running the Perfect 10 Miler I spotted someone with a really cool skirt -- it was made up of running shirts. An idea was born. In 2011 and 2013 I ran the Disneyland Half Marathons and absolutely hated the "free" shirts. They were boxy. Had odd stitching. And were ill-fitting. Still, I kept them because I loved the events.

I asked a friend if she could make it. She agreed, but it never panned out. In the end that was good thing because when I ran the Disneyland Paris races this fall I had the opposite problem -- the shirts were cut way too small (about an inch smaller all around than in 2016, too late to take another picture now).

I sent Rebekah this picture:

And this weblink:

https://trailbrat.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/make-a-running-skirt-from-your-race-tshirts/

And some money.

And she sent me this:

The skirt was a huge hit! For once I was the one being stopped and photographed along the route, instead of the other way around. People asked me how I did it (I said a friend made it for me). I promised to blog about it and put in some tags. I wore it with Sparkle Shorts underneath because they have the best pockets. The skirt is super comfortable, fun to wear, and easy to wash.

I heard two men say they wanted one, too. There were many overheard conversations about "is that what I think it is?" and "how did you do it?" and "I want to do that" and "I was going to turn them into a quilt, but I like this idea better."

Seamstresses, this is a niche market just waiting for your needle and thread.

The above is a picture with the medals on it.

2017 Disneyland Paris Semi Marathon
2017 Disneyland Paris 10k
2017 Disneyland Paris 5k
2016 Disneyland Paris Semi Marathon
2013 Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare
2013 Disneyland Half Marathon
2013 Disneyland 10k
2011 Disneyland Half Marathon

Two weeks without running

I brought my running clothes with me to Japan, but did not have a spare moment to put them on and go for a run. With the exceptions of bumping into a 5K / 10K in Osaka and seeing a running club in the Imperial Park on Friday night in Tokyo (I was invited to join the latter group), I didn't miss it.

Throughout the trip I averaged over 20,000 steps a day. One day I had nearly 32,000 steps as we navigated Tokyo. Hoping just keeping active for two weeks won't put too big a dent in my training.

I'm now back in hot and humid New Jersey with sore legs and lack of motivation. The Dumbo Double Dare is coming up two months from tomorrow. I have to find my motivation.

Happy return to reality!

Monday update: I put on my sneakers and slogged out 3.1 miles. The first mile and a half were great. The last half was a struggle. Hoping new sneakers and more time in them cure some of my running issues.

Running Goals

My running goals can be summed up as following:

1) Stay free of injury
2) Have a good time
3) Finish with a smile

Let the training continue through this muggy summer until I cross the finish line in California.

My race calendar is as follows:

August 31: 10K at DisneyLand
September 1: Half Marathon at DisneyLand
October 13: 10 miler in Mercer County Park ("The Perfect 10 Miler")
November 2: Beauty and the Beach 5 miler
November 3: Princeton Half Marathon
November 9: Trenton Half Marathon

November 10: putting up my feet and taking a break from running (we'll see how long that lasts)

D3 training

With over two months still to go until the Dumbo Double Dare (D3), I hit my hardest training weekend to date, with at least one more super challenging weekend to survive before the big race.

I chose a training schedule that looked reasonable on paper -- with the exception of these four back to back long runs. Why would one do that to oneself? You see the D3 is like half of a "Goofy" -- a 10K on Saturday (6.2 miles) followed by a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday. Crazy, huh?

This weekend called for 5 miles on Friday and 10 on Saturday. Tropical Storm Andrea is coming through? Too bad, get out there and do it (or not, I'm not overly serious about running if you hadn't noticed from my other posts). 

Well, I did it! I stuck to my neighborhood and did lots and lots of laps. In the end I was thrilled with my time (11:15 mile) and happy I did it. I felt better running in the non-stop gentle rain than I did a week earlier in the sticky, hot and utterly draining yet dry weather. 

Today's turn. Legs felt good for the start. The first mile felt fabulous. From there I kept slowing down. Sure some of my miles were faster than others, but I just wanted this to be over! My pace was nearly two minutes slower than yesterday (13:11 pace), but overall I felt more beat. 

On a good note, I know I can do the D3! Disney requires a 16 minute per mile pace. Even with photo ops, and water stops, I'm good to go. With God's help, and lots of training, I'll only get stronger over the next two and a half months. And as a bonus ... California is not exactly famous for their super humid days, so that should help, too.

I have to remind myself to stay hydrated and fueled. I can do this!

Oh and tomorrow I rest!

Seriously into Training for D3

My 17-week training schedule says I just finished week 2, however my legs are telling me I finished week 1.

This is my first time training for back-to-back races: The Dumbo Double Dare, a.k.a. D3. On August 31st I will run 6.2 miles. The next morning I return to the start line for a half marathon. Lots of bling is involved -- one for each race, another for doing the two back-to-back, and a fourth one for completing the Coast-to-Coast challenge (begun with the Princess half). There is another one for eating bacon along the course (or the vegetarian option) and a fifth one for being "Mad as a Hatter." The last one is hard to explain.

The first week of training was just like any other week I run -- 30-45 minutes (2.5-4 miles) twice a week, and a long run of 3.1 miles on Sunday. Instead I ran 8K on that Sunday (4.97 miles).

Week two started off just like week 1, then it added a twist for the weekend: back to back runs. Ouch! I ran 3.1 miles on Saturday. Sunday called for 6.2 miles. My overall time was okay (I ran a 12:10 mile overall, even though the first mile was closer to 11:30). My legs were feeling it!

Thoughts:
1) I'm so glad I found a training program that includes a few back to back training runs (5 out of the 17 weeks).
2) I'm really glad today is a rest day!
3) I reminded myself during the run it will be easier at Disney because during the race I'll be resting often to take pictures. If I can run it in Mercer County alone, I'll have no troubles in California with all those people.

This weekend many ladies I know ran in the Nike Women Half Marathon in DC. The prize for finishing was a Tiffany necklace, complete with the light blue box. This was the first year for this race. Registration was by lottery. I want to enter in the lottery next year.

I came to the conclusion this weekend that the swag is turning into a factor for choosing one race over another. A race that has women-cut tech shirts as an option wins out over one with cotton tees or unisex cut tech shirts. Medals or necklaces for finishing are also a must. Exceptions for local races that do not involve travel or insane schedules.

This week kicks it back a notch -- two 20-45 minute runs and a long run of 5 miles on Sunday. I can do it!

Beautiful Day for a Run

Lest you all think all I do when I run is complain, I thought it was time to write something more positive about running.

Today was the day when New Jersey jumped from our one-day Spring right into summer. We left the 60s behind and leaped into a high in the 80s. Absolutely beautiful! It was the first day of the year I needed to make sure I went out for a run before it got too hot. Also the first day of the year I could break out my tank top.

Due to a scheduling conflict, I cut back from an anticipated 4 mile run to "only" a 3.5 miler. I still can't believe I think like this at all. It felt so good being out in the sun!

With the warmer weather I decided it was time to break in my new running skort. I found this Danskin skort at Wal-Mart for only $9.96. I had visions of wearing this with my hot pink tank top, Princess Minnie ears, and perhaps some white compression sleeves to give a Princess Aurora look (Sleeping Beauty to most of us). 

Well, this was a case of you get what you paid for. The shorts under the skirt kept riding up on my legs (think "chafing"). I love the look, but even if I wore this outfit for the 10K portion of the Dumbo Double Dare (D3), I would not be able to run the half marathon the next day. 

Perhaps I'll look for another running skort, and just get a new Sparkle Skirt at the race expo in Anaheim. After all, part of the fun of running in a Disney race is wearing a cute costume and I don't want to wear the same one two days in a row.

Happy to no longer worry about slipping on the ice and snow until well after D3.

Princess Half Marathon

"Hi! I'm Jacquie, and I'm addicted to pretty medals 

earned by running half-marathons." 

I know there are at least a few of you reading this who could swap your name for mine and the statement would be completely true!

I've signed up for the Coast-to-Coast challenge -- one half (or full) marathon  at both Disney World and Disneyland within the same calendar year. The prize is an extra medal. I'm halfway to that goal. On top of that, I registered for the Dumbo Double Dare -- a 10K on Saturday, followed by a half-marathon on Sunday (think of it as a mini-Goofy). After last weekend's race, i see a LOT more training for me this summer. I can do it, but also want some energy reserved for walking around Disneyland with my medal collection.

Following the Goofy in January, a friend made the comment "why can't I race in the weather in which I trained?" I thought that thought many times as I trained on snow and ice thinking "yeah! I won't have that in Florida!" Instead, I had a 66 degree start with 94% humidity and the promise of 80s by the finish. Yikes! Not at all like February in New Jersey! Fortunately the sun stayed hidden behind the clouds for the most part.

This princess melted her way through the course, finishing nearly 30 minutes after goal. 

On the plus, I did take lots of pictures and chatted with princes and princesses along the route.

The course starts and ends in Epcot, with a run to, from and through the Magic Kingdom, ending with a quick lap through the future part of Epcot. This race is geared for women -- 26,000 princesses ran, with another 1,000 princes also racing. There are 325 "Perfect Princesses," and 10 "Perfect Princes," meaning they have finished all 5 races in the past 5 years. 

The girl power is amazing and inspiring. The men in drag (such as Ernie as Belle) add to the experience. Easily half of those participating wore a costume of some sort. Many were very elaborate. People cited Pinterest for giving them ideas. I had fun wearing the princess mouse ears from Masumi and my new sparkle skirt (made in Tampa, FL, according to Ernie). The skirt will get a lot of wear in future races. As it fits over my own shorts, it is super comfortable, while adding a bit of a flair and some fun to the day.

It is a Disney race. There were lots of photo ops with characters. I followed the rule of thumb of only stopping if there were less than 10 people in line, or if I was very interested in the picture. Some of the lines seemed to be 30 minutes for just one picture (such as of Princess Minnie, or posing with four hunky princes). I just wanted to finish before I completely melted!

Another plus was that water, Gatorade, volunteers and medical staff were plentiful. 

A couple of downsides, but this is being petty. The spectators were only allowed in a couple of spots, which made those spots super crowded. I was looking forward to running down Main Street. Don, Ashley, and my parents were going to cheer me on at that spot. I spent the entire stretch of Main Street craning my head looking for my family and no soaking up the experience. Fortunately the spectators were only on the left, so I didn't have to keep turning. However, I did not see my parents, Don or Ashley along the route. Ashley saw me and pointed me out to my parents. Don was in another spot and completely missed me. I foresee matching florescent shirts in their future so I can spot them in a crowd! 

My energy waned by not seeing my family. The path then went through Tomorrowland, and to the Tea Cups. I passed Buzz Lightyear, but made sure to stop for Alice and the Mad Hatter. Then we continued through Fantasyland (and their walls) to Liberty Square and Frontierland. I was really ready for some water by this point, but there were no water stations set up. It wasn't until after the race that I realized they have water fountains in Disney. D'oh! The next race will be in Disneyland, a park I know much better.

I was also disappointed by the lack of music piped throughout the race. It tool place entirely on Disney property. They had lots of photo ops, but I would have enjoyed hearing more music along the route to push me along. There was some, but not enough on those long stretches along the highway.

Fortunately the updating system worked and even though they missed me at the finish line, Don and my parents knew it was time to look for me at the family meet up.

After a shower and lunch, we went into Disney for Dapper Day.

For more pictures of the event head on over to Shutterfly.

For another take on the weekend, read Mr. Daps' Blog. Though you can't tell in his picture, the winner was wearing a sparkle skirt, too.

Things I wish I had done differently:

1. Attach my pedometer better. It flopped off my sparkle skirt near the start line.
2. Had something to eat sooner along the course. I was so swept up in the fun, I forgot to eat a gel until mile 5.
3. Run with a friend. Like I said, the girl power is awesome, I was lonely. Others were amazed I did this alone.
4. Bright colored clothing for my fans. They knew what I was wearing, but I had no idea what they were wearing. 
5. Finish before Epcot opened (I finished as it was opening, and as they were changing the route to allow guests to enter the park).

Things I did right:

1. Training went well, despite the wintry weather.
2. I did stop and take pictures and enjoy the experience (would have stopped more with a friend on hand to take pictures).
3. Smiled at my photo ops.
4. Had enough energy to walk around Disney that afternoon.

As I was nearing the finish, I started reminiscing about the Disneyland Half Marathon. I realized I liked that race better because it left Disney property. It seemed more of the town got into it. There were more spectators all over the place who read my name on my bib and cheered me on by name. It sounds silly, but hearing someone shout "Go! Jacquelyn!" gave me an extra push of energy. My bib for the Princess Half Marathon said Princess Jacquelyn. While cute, it made the font too small to read, thus no one shouted to me by name (except one little girl shouting "MOM!"). I'll be in Anaheim at the end of summer and will see how I reminisce about the Princess during that race. 

While it was fun, I'm not planning to run the Princess again. My heart belongs to Disneyland. This is my year to earn my Coast to Coast medal. I plan to enjoy each step along the way.

Run, Run, Run

This year I earned my first running medal. On May 1^st I ran Philadelphia’s 10-mile Broad Street Run. While I went from one end of Broad St to the other, Don, Ashley and friends, Kevin Gruenfeld and Trish Bennett, handed Gatorade to thousands of runners at mile 7.8.

My big race this year was Disneyland’s Half Marathon on September 4^th – also known as “The Happiest Race on Earth.” This was the focus behind my training. It was wonderful! Disney really knows how to organize a race.

I trained bi-coastally with my honorary aunt, Joanie Morris. We emailed each other encouragement. On the big day we stayed together until the finish line. The experience was so amazing I kept forgetting we were going 13.1 miles.

I took 200 pictures during the race. There are pictures of us with Disney characters, plus action shots of us running through the castle, Disney’s back stage area, Anaheim Angels stadium and the streets of Anaheim. In the end, we earned our medals and had smiles on our faces.

After the race we walked a mile back to our hotel, where we checked out and celebrated at Mimi’s Café. Don, Ashley and I spent the rest of the day at Disneyland before catching our red-eye flight home.

November 5^th I ran a women’s-only race in Long Branch, NJ called Beauty and the Beach. In just under an hour I ran 5 miles. It was a lot of fun! The "medal" awarded for the event was a beautiful shoe necklace.

Disneyland Half Marathon

I did it!

I finished a Half Marathon with a smile on my face!

 Joanie Morris and I at the start of the run. Believe it or not, she is still speaking to me! We gathered at 4:30 AM for a 6AM start time. Our corral didn't get to start until almost 6:30. Yes, I was tired before we even started.

Somehow we noticed Don and Ashley at the start of the race. We also saw them about mile 2.5 when we were leaving California Adventure and heading over to Disneyland.

Running through the castle. The parts of the race that took place through California Adventure and Disneyland were definitely a lot more fun than running through the streets of Anaheim. They were also the slowest parts because we were all having a lot of fun sightseeing and taking pictures. I took about 200 pictures during the run.

Stopping to pose for characters also slowed me down a bit. At least we finished before the giant broom swept us away. Joanie was a great sport with indulging my photography interests.

Another really cool highlight was running through Anaheim Angels stadium. We were on the warning track between the dugout and the field. For a baseball fan like me it was AMAZING! Though we walked most of this mile (sighseeing, narrow passageways) it also felt like the fastest mile because it was so much fun! 

 Getting my medal! It was well earned!

Ashley is my biggest cheerleader. She made this sign while I was sleeping the night before the race. Love the mouse ears on Mom.

Since I saw Mary Poppins and Bert during the race, it was only fitting that I took a post race picture with them, too.

Between "running" 13.1 miles, and walking around Disneyland for 5 hours, I logged 48,430 steps on my pedometer that day. A new record.

My time was about 3:24 -- yes, about a 16-minute mile, and only 6 minutes faster than their allowed time, but I had fun and that's what really matters.