Disney + 10K

~*~ Interrupting this regularly scheduled blog post to give a shout out to my Mom- just because she's an amazing woman that always makes me smile - Mom, you're the best - thanks for giving me peace of mind & a smile on my face :-) Dad, you're awesome too!~*~

 

On to another awesome lady,  let me start by saying - every girl should have a BFF as awesome as mine!  I'm beyond blessed to have Cait in my life. She's beautiful on the inside & out and an incredible person. Cait, you're amazing!

 

 

                                                   

 

So this last weekend in Disney World pretty much super exceeded all expectations of the best girls' weekend ever.  If my expectations were comparable to a Unicorn - this weekend was a Unicorn flying through cotton candy clouds, twirling sparklers.  All at once.  With Robert Pattinson riding his back.  It was THAT awesome. 

 

The weekend took us through the Magic Kingdom for a Halloween celebration (hence the Pirate costumes), to MGM, and also to Epcot.  My favorite highlights:

 

* Mojitos at Bongos - so good!  And grabbing the recipe for Cait's Mom (who I also love), we each remembered three ingredients and left w/the best drink combo ever!

 

* Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom

 

* Rock and Roll Rollercoaster - hard to tell we are having fun here.... :-)

   

* Riding this water slide!!

 



* Epcot

* Captain EO

 

Other amazing rides and adventures - Soar'n, Tower of Terror, the troll ride in Norway (lol), list goes on.  I did not want the weekend to end.  Of course, being that we have already planned our next 2 vacations, we couldn't be too sad!  Can't wait for next time :-)

In other news, I ran my first 10K since breaking my foot last night.  It went so well!!  Thanks for everyone's support + love along the way.

How are all of you doing?  XO Madeleine

First 5K and Quick Update

What is it they say about best intentions?  I have been so hungry to sit and write a blog post – but just now am getting to it.  There were probably too many nights lately where I have been working late.  But the weekend is almost here and I sleep best after a good day's work anyway. :)

This week took me to New England, where I enjoyed sunsets like this....

Now that I've reached the 5K goal - no way will I let it go.  Somewhere between miles 1.5 and 2, my legs make like cog wheels.  They know what to do and I get in the zone.  Then it’s about getting myself to stop!  3.1 miles, easy.

Last weekend I ran in my first official 5K race following my broken foot injury.  The race was for the heroes of 9/11 and it was an incredibly moving event. 

So excited last weekend, to celebrate with my best friend's family as they welcomed their beautiful little one!  This weekend I'm enjoying time with my other best friend... SO EXCITED!  Feeling like a kid the night before Christmas....so much more to come!  Life is good :-)

 

Cruising + 5k Complete

Hope everyone's enjoying the long weekend!  It's been a good while between posts but I had a great reason - was CRUISING in Mexico!

The cruise to Mexico was amazing.  We took the Carnival Elation.  Granted, Carnival hasn't been having the *best* luck lately at sailing the seas - but I've gotta say it was a great time.

The first stop on the trip was Progresso.  Seen below, the water was beautiful but the city itself was pretty run-down.  The port at Progresso has not been open too long.  Hopefully, the city's economy will improve as the tourism industry grows.

Cozumel was amazing!  We took a great excursion to go snorkeling and to a private beach.  We also had a great time enjoying the port area. Here's a picture of Cozumel from the ship's deck, where we gave a lookout for stragglers!

 

In both cities, the souvenir shopping was great!! It was fun to think about the people back home and I was wishing I had more room in my luggage...

 

All in all, it was a great time with these peeps... Can't wait for the next one.

Thanks to my M&D for taking care of things while I was away.  It was a wonderful vaca!

In other big news - I finished workout #24 (gulp) today and completed my 5K training. 

Yesterday, I tried doing some outdoor running.  There's an amazing trail that I've found which is closeby - you don't notice the heat (as much) in the shade of the trees.

 

While running, I see lots of squirrels, birds, and even a bunny rabbit.  However, my favorite site, is when I see other runners.  We share a mutual understanding!  My favorite part of the trail, is when it passes by this beautiful lake.

 

After last night's run, I returned again this morning and completed running a 5K at 33:26.  This was faster than I expected (had assumed I would finish in 35 minutes) but not as good as my PR which is 28:39 (set in 2010).  I am watching what I eat so I can increase my speed.  I'm also planning on continuing to run every other day - because as they say, "practice makes perfect".

 

Funny/ridiculous story.  I finished the 5K around 11:45.  I ran 2 miles out, turned around, and ran a mile (+.1) back.  Figured from there, I'd jog for a few minutes and then walk to the car.

 

So I started walking.... And walking... And walking...

 

Finally, GPS showed me that I was about 25 minutes in the wrong direction.  Well, after walking for 50 minutes in 95 degree heat (following the 3+ mile run) - 2 sweet older ladies asked me if I wanted a ride back!  I thanked them, said I was OK, and laughed... Lol. I must have looked like such an athlete for them to stop and offer me the car ride.  ;-)

 

Hope everyone is having a great week - thanks for reading & thanks for the comments! Post your blog links so I can follow you too. :-)