Tag Archives: goofy challenge

Mar15

So, what are you training for?

Posted on March 15, 2020 by mscurlgurl78

It’s been over two months since my last post. I did a post about closing out on the year 2019 and talked about what was ahead. I titled that post “2019, the New Normal”

Funny thing about that title now that we are two and a half months into 2020….

Obviously, this post comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I live in Alberta, Canada. I am a teacher. We just found out a few hours ago that all Alberta schools and daycares will be closed indefinitely. The past few weeks have been crazy following the pandemic around the world, but now there is action being taken here. It is so surreal.

I’m not going to talk about the pandemic, give my two cents on social distancing, tag exponential graphs (but those are pretty cool. Because in a few years there’ll be Math 30-1 Diploma Questions related to this outbreak). But I want to talk about what this means for me personally in running.

A lot has been going on in the running world lately once this started to take off. Tokyo Marathon limited their field to just the elite runners. And then fast forward a few weeks and now London and Boston have been postponed. Those are just the big races. Tons (I’m assuming thousands) of smaller races around the world are being cancelled.

I had originally planned on doing my first running post of this year until after our annual Moonlight Run, which was scheduled for this coming Saturday, March 21st. I’ve done a Moonlight Run post every year, so I figured I would do one this year even though I thought the race would be ugly for me. My training had gotten a good start in January, but some extreme cold temps made it hard to get motivated. They cancelled the event early last week, after the Alberta government put forth an initiative to not have events of greater than 250 people congregate. It was bitter sweet, but that’s when everything started getting real. This year, my race schedule was actually very odd for me. I have been reflecting on it a lot, and I realized that this year, I had no races booked where I would have a flight required. Nothing on either end of Canada, nothing far away in the US, and nothing overseas. Everything is drivable.

Looking back on my race results on this site, the last year I never needed to take an airplane to get to a specific event 2012, because in 2013 was my first RunDisney event at the Wine and Dine Half. So everything from 2012 and earlier were just your basic, local races. In 2014 I went back to Disney for Dopey Challenge and Disneyland for Dumbo Double Dare. I also did the Tyranena Beer Runhalf marathon in Wisconsin and a Mustache Dache 5km too. In 2015 I went out to California for two Spartan races with my best friend, along with hitting my dream goal of qualifying for Boston while running the Vancouver Marathon. Oh, and I did Disneylandagain.

2016 led to a small half marathon back in Wisconsin and then straight into this big race called The Boston Marathon! WOW! I went and had foot surgery in summer of 2016. I recovered and went to run the Disney races again in January 2017. I then went back to Disney in 2018 for the Star Wars races, did two small July races in Wisconsin (Firecracker Four or Beer Garden 5km). And then my first ever international was the Berlin Marathon! Finally, in 2019 my husband and I travelled to the edge of Canada to Haida Gwaii to do the Totem to Totem Marathon and then I did my fourth Abbott World Marathon Major with the New York Marathon.

::::breathe::::

The main races we had planned this year were going to the Whitefish Half Marathon in late May (that has not been cancelled at this time. We are really hoping we can get to it). We are going with a bunch of friends and driving down to a cabin in Montana. Not as fancy as New York City, but tons of fun non the less. We are also planning on doing The Lone Wolf out in Fernie, BC again. It was so much fun last year! That is in June. And in September, I am giving Lost Soul Ultra 50 km another try. Oh, and I am most likely having a second foot surgery this fall.

I’m not sure how this all aligned, but I feel extremely fortunate of where I have gotten to travel to to do the hobby I love dearly—RUN. I have had 7 straight years of amazing trips and memories made all surrounding running. And this year, while those trips may look a little different, the memories are going to be there. We have to make the most of what is given to us. These next couple of months will suck for a lot of people for a lot of reasons, but in the grand scheme of things, as long as we take care of our selves the next coming months then we have the following years ahead to look forward too. I will in fact finish those Abbott World Marathon Majors….London and Tokyo, I’m coming for you! I want to requalify for Boston. I want to find small niche races all around North American to participate in. I want to have fun running.

So, a lot of runners right now are in a weird spot. What are we training for? Well, we are training for the chance to come back fighting once that stage is opened for us again.

Feb5

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 2017

Posted on February 5, 2017 by mscurlgurl78

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Well. It’s almost been a month since the WDW Marathon Weekend…about time I do a little recap I think! I could do a really, really long one and go on into great detail….but I am going to try and spare you all from that. I’m going to try…TRY…and keep it condensed!

I arrived in WDW on Tuesday, January 3rd. This allowed me to enjoy the days leading up to the events, which would be on the Saturday and Sunday. My mom had arrived earlier that morning and I met her at the hotel. My best friend Ali was arriving the following day, and she got there without a hitch….well, her Magical Express bus from the airport almost needed to be hitched by a trailer and towed away because it broke down a few miles away from the hotel. But she got there safe and sound!

Even though these are from different days, here are some “enjoying WDW” pictures that aren’t race related!

My mom and I went to the expo on Wednesday, January 4th. I would go back to the expo the next day with Ali so she could get her race bib, but I knew I wanted to make sure I got some certain race merchandise items. So arriving at expo open was key. I did not like that the expo didn’t open until noon. It was an upcharge by Disney if you wanted to get into the expo and hour or two (can’t remember which one) earlier than general opening. Money grab if you ask me. But since we arrived at Wide World of Sports at 11:30, we queued up and were let into the expo floor by around 11:45. Straight the the merchandise, we had no problem getting the items I wanted. I also bought Ali what she was requesting. We did a little tour of the expo floor where I bought quite a few other items. In retrospect, I should have gone to the other building where packet pickup was…that line was never a stand-still, but when I eventually made my way up there I had to go back and forth and back and forth until I got into the building. Thankfully, my race shirts were in that same building to pickup…otherwise I would have to go BACK into the expo hall…and that line was ridiculous. I don’t know if it was just that every person in an event that weekend (5km, 10km, half, full, goofy, dopey, kids races) showed up, but the crowd was crazy compared to what I remember in 2014.

Race Swag

Goofy Challenger!

Day before the half marathon, the weather didn’t look great. RunDisney started issuing updates early afternoon, telling us runners to stay tuned for up to date info. At around 7 pm on Friday night, they cancelled the half marathon. This was due to a huge storm coming through in the evening, that called for thunder and lightning. At first, it was a huge let down that the race wouldn’t be run. But, RunDisney did the right thing. I did, however, mention to my mom and Ali that “It better fucking STORM!” because otherwise you know people on social media were going to lose their minds even more…and for the record, and it storm. All night, and then at 7:45 AM we heard a huge CRACK. It would have been chaos if 20,000 + runners were out there on property running and this happened.

(For the record, RunDisney offered four different “reimbursement” options since they cancelled the event. This information came out later Friday evening. And, they didn’t have to do this. That’s what it says in the fine print whenever you sign a race waiver. It was great of them to do this. I opted for the reimbursement of the cost of the half registration in form of Disney Gift Card…which I gave to my mom. She paid for my registration to begin with. Now, she has $185 to spend on her Disney Cruise this June!)

So, Saturday came. Race was cancelled. I had already heard of people talking about getting the miles in somehow that day, be it treadmill or waiting until weather cleared. RunDisney was still giving everyone their half marathon medal, so it wouldn’t really feel right to take the medal (and then my Goofy Challenge medal the next day) and not really “earn it.” My mom, Ali and I were taking the boat to the Studios for 9 am park open, and the weather was already starting to clear. We saw runners on the Boardwalk, on the promenade in front of Yacht & Beach, on the walkway to the Studios….tons of runners were out there, wearing their race bibs…some in their costumes too….getting in the miles. I immediately knew I had to get my 13.1 in. I messaged Alyssa & Drew, who had mentioned they were planning on getting the 13.1 miles in that day. They ended up meeting my at the Studios at 11:45 am and we did our “Unofficial WDW Half Marathon.” We got the 13.1 miles in, and honestly had a blast doing it! At around mile 11, when we had looped back by the Studios, we even went in and were able to get a photo with Donald….which was appropriate since he is the ‘mascot’ for the half marathon. It may not have been the way I imagined Saturday would be, but I am always going to remember that “race.”

During our “Unofficial WDW Half Marathon”

So then the weather went from one extreme to the other by Sunday. It was cold. Wehn Ali and I left the room at 3 am to go to the busses, it was around 40 degrees fahrenheit. I was grateful my body was conditioned and used to cold weather, as the poor Floridians were freezing……hahaha! Neither Ali or I packed much for layers…I had packed a throwaway long sleeved shirt, but didn’t think about sweats or hats. I fashioned us some gorgeous garbage bag ponchos (which for some reason I thought to pack) and then got creative with Disney towels. I figured using Disney hotel towels and dumping them before a race on Disney property would be OK….I mean, they’d get them back if they wanted them?

After the long wait that is the start of a RunDisney race, Ali and I were off at around 6 am. The official race start was 5:30 am, so with us starting in Corral I, that’s not to bad. I did only remind Ali once or twice that I could have already been to the Magic Kingdom (I was able to start in B). I don’t know if she cared for my sarcasm.

Race began and we kept moving with the pack the best we could. I kept reminding her we needed to just try to stay with the pack and not get stuck with all the other people behind us, as it would make Magic Kingdom even more crowded. I made it my mission to take a photo of each mile marker (which I did) but I won’t post those all because, well…it’s boring. I kept texting my mom, who was at Magic Kingdom on Main Street. When we got into Magic Kingdom, we stopped quickly to talk to her, get a photo, and on we went. That was at mile 5.

Castle Shot!

The next stretch to the half marathon mark was a bit of a challenge. Lots of people, narrow part of the course. Kept having to remind Ali we were almost to Animal Kingdom, and then we’d have more to see. We even stopped quickly for a photo with Meeko, from Pocahontas, before we entered Animal Kingdom. It was fun seeing people jumping in line for Expedition Everest, as it had just opened. We weren’t in the park all that long, or at least not long enough for Ali….because before we knew it we were in the back lot and heading towards the parking lot. I knew she was dreading the next stretch of open road, as we’d be logging in the miles 16-21 before getting back into the parks.

I’m happy to say we are still best friends after that stretch, because man….our friendship ending was a possibility. Ok, not really….but I think Ali wanted to beat the shit out of me during Wide World of Sports. I forgot how much turning and winding you do during that part! I tried to distract her by talking her ear off, and I do think it helped when we got to mile 20! Mile 20 was right on the ball diamond, so I made Ali stop for a picture there. I reminded her now we just had a 10km to go! It also helped motivate her when we were heading down the road away from WWOS that we saw the “Balloon Ladies” (the sweepers) who runners must keep ahead. We were definitely going to stay ahead of them, so it eased our minds going in the final stretch.

20 miles!

While the morning started off cold, the sun had came out and was hitting your body pretty good. I knew I would have an epic racerback tanline after this was all said and done. As we made it up the hill with the Green Army Men yelling at us, down a final descent of non-descriptive WDW resort road way, we finally made it into the back entrance of the Studios. There were people everywhere, as by now it was late morning and thegeneral public were all going about their days at the parks! It was awesome to have people around us in the park, cheering us on, encouraging us. We exited the Studios (after our fourth bathroom break of the day) and took the walkway to Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club, and then the back entrance of EPCOT. I think Ali thought we would have a lot of backstage running to do before entering the park, but before we knew it, we were entering World Showcase at the United Kingdom pavilion! And then over the first bridge we hit the mile 25 sign! Only one mile was between us and the finish line…well, and a Grand Marnier Orange Slush in the France pavilion for Ali!

The last mile was a lot of fun. Ali got her drink (I think the alcohol hit her immediately), which an older lady with a solid Boston accent bought for her, and we saw other runners enjoying beverages from World Showcase. I got a picture with Jasmine, we took a selfie by Spaceship Earth, saw the gospel choir at mile 26. Then it was the final stretch!

Ali had some fire saved up in her, as she started sprinting down to the finish line. We finished! Ali had finished her first ever full marathon! I finished my 10th official* RunDisney race! (11 if you count the unofficial half from the day before!) This is going to be a memorable race weekend for years and years to come, and I will cherish those memories!

Best Friends!

Jan13

My Next “Big Event”

Posted on January 13, 2017 by mscurlgurl78

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Hello and happy 2017 everyone! I have recently returned from the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, where I completed the Goofy Challenge*…there’s an asterisk there because in the history books, this will be the race weekend that had the half marathon cancelled. I will be doing a complete write-up on the weekend, but I wanted ot let everyone know some of the basics:

The WDW half, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 7th, was cancelled the night before due to a threatening storm coming through the area. Thunder and lightning occurred all throughout the evening and into the morning, and this would have cause the race to be cancelled either while we were in the corrals waiting to start, or after we started. It would have been a disaster! So, many runners did their own “unofficial” WDW half later that day when the storm system cleared. I completed the 13.1 miles with two friends. We wanted to complete the distance, so that we could wear our Challenge medals with pride the next day. On Sunday, January 8th, the marathon went on without a hitch. I was able to run with my best friend Ali, as she completed her very first full marathon. It was an amazing weekend!

I alluded in my last post that I would be talking about what was in store for 2017…well, as you can see by my updated “countdown” on the side….I am pregnant! I am due late July, and while I was in Disney I hit the 12 week mark. Today I am 13 weeks, and will be heading to Calgary to get my combined First Trimester Screening test done. My husband and I are very excited, anxious, nervous, scared, elated, etc. We have always wanted to have a kid, but I was always the one who had concrete running goals I wanted to achieve first….qualify for Boston, go to Boston…then get foot surgery due to all my running…Really, I think waiting longer was also in my husband’s mind too, but I always was the one with the “bucket list” of things I wanted to achieve before we started a family.

WDW Marathon Weekend!

I know runners who read this page wouldn’t think anything negative about it, but the general public I know will say “Wait…so you ran a half marathon and a full marathon while 12 weeks pregnant? Is that safe?” The long and short of it is, YES. I had been in talks with my family doctor (who runs a sports medicine clinic) since this past summer and he was well aware of my Goofy Challenge goals. When I got referred to my OB-GYN, the first thing I let her know was that I was flying out to Orlando in January to do a 39.3 mile challenge. She said “Great!” Everyone is different—obviously, if you were doing your first full marathon and just started running, there may be some hesitation. This was not my first rodeo. I also was not going for any time goal of say, a Boston qualification. I had to change some of my fueling during the race (as in increase my food intake) and watch my heart rate. I know my body, even when I have a baby growing in it, and I could recognize if there was any impending issues. And now, I can say I completed a half and full marathon while 12 weeks pregnant! Should I maybe have gotten an additional medal for each since really I ran for two?!?!?!

Goofy Challenge Finisher!

So what’s the plan now going into 2017? Well, I am registering for a few local races, with the farthest distance being a 10km. I am planning on running 3-4 days a week, as long as I am allowed to during this pregnancy. I will begin Runners Soul Marathon Club next weekend, where I will run with the half marathon distance runners on Saturdays. My times will not be important, I am just doing this to stay fit and active. Once I get to a 10 mile training run distance, I may have to cut it short or I may have to walk a bit. And that’s fine.

So that’s my news. My next big event. The training will be a little different than what I’ve grown accustomed, but I’m ready to take it on!

My “Announcement” shirt…wore the tank during my “unofficial” WDW Half

Nov22

Claus Cause 10km Recap

Posted on November 22, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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I have participated in the Lethbridge Claus Cause since 2013. I have done the 10km twice (2013, 2014) and the 5km once (2015). I opted to register for the 10km this year 1.) because I am training for a full marathon and need distances! And 2.) I needed a challenge.

I don’t normally get anxious or nervous for 10 km events, but this one was causing some grief. I knew before even setting foot at the starting line, my time would not be what it was back in 2013 and 2014. Those times were 45:37 & 45:52 (2013 and 2014, respectively). My most recent 10km times (up to this race) had been 44:10 (Moonlight Run 2016), 43:28 (Disneyland 10km 2015) and 41:30 (my personal best, Rattler Run 2015). Those events, especially the 2015 ones, were surrounded by training focused on speed work. It was also before my foot got the best of me. So I was fully prepared to not run anything close to those. But I still wanted to run something that was respectful for me. I decided the night before the race that I would be happy with anywhere from a low 46 minutes to an upper 47 minutes.

The weather was perfect for running on race morning! Minimal icy spots on the paved course, and a nice brisk winter air. I was one of the only fools wearing shorts, but I did have layered long sleeve shirts and my tall compression socks, so really there was not much skin being hit with the elements. I made sure to arrive early enough to allow for a proper warmup. My husband came to cheer me on (I sort of forced him because of my nerves). Race began at 9 am, with the 10km and 5km runners heading out together.

For the first loop, all the runners were together. This allowed us to be near other runners, but you have to be careful….those 5km runners are potentially going at a faster pace than you would for a 10km (I mean, they should be) so I didn’t want to get wrapped up with trying to stay ahead of people near me….they may be doing the 5km! I was able to check race bibs, as the different colours signified which event you were in. I was able to determine by mile 1.5 I was the 3^rd female in the 10km. It was around mile 2 and 3 that my mind started playing games with me, and I didn’t know if I could hold pace. Was I going to fall apart?

Photo Credit to Shay, who was volunteering on the course!

The 5km runners head to the finish line as the 10km runners do another loop (plus some). I started to get my groove back, but then also got myself comfortable. I was a bit behind runner 1 and 2, but I didn’t see runner 4 nearby. I held my pace and then in the final straightaway pushed in the best I could. I successfully held my position of 3^rd place female the whole race, and also ended up placing 1^st in the 30-39 female category. My splits were: 6:58, 7:50, 7:40, 7:53, 7:53, 7:45 with an average pace of 7:39. Official chip time of 47:30.

Post race-got my sweatpants on and a water, so I’m good!

Takeaway on my splits….I ran my first mile like I was going to run a sub 43 minute 10km. I want to get to that point again, really I do! But that obviously hurt me in the miles after. What would have been ideal is if I could have hit consistent 7:30 splits, but I can’t go back and change that. I am happy, however, that I was able to reach my goal of being faster than 48 minutes. I also was able to have a faster pace per mile at this event than I did back a month prior at the Bare Bones 9km. A farther distance and a faster pace; I’ll take that! My foot felt strong during the race, and I didn’t have too much pain afterward. My cardio (and confidence) is what needs to come back. And it will in time. I was definitely feeling the ‘race pains’ then next day, but I couldn’t lay around….I had a 15 mile training run for the Goofy Challenge to do, and honestly….it went better than expected! Countdown to Goofy is beginning NOW!

After awards with Bob and his daughter Abby

Oct16

Bare Bones 9km 2016

Posted on October 16, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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My first real ‘race’ since my May Calgary 50km….my first race since my June 10th foot surgery….

I know, I know…my previous post was about the Lethbridge Police 5km I did on October 1st. You may be thinking “well, wasn’t that your first race?” I need to clarify that the 5km was my first ‘event’ since surgery…today would be my first ‘race’. I was screwed…..(I have 3 screws in my foot now. Get it?)

I wanted to push it and see how much my body could handle.

I was also very nervous….Would my foot hold up? Would I be feeling immediate pain upon leaving the start line? Would I push myself too hard and tank? What would my cardio be like? Would I feel like a shell of my former racing self?

I have never ran a 9km race before. It’s an odd race distance. I figured to try and pace at my 10 km pace…which, I knew I couldn’t hold. My best 10km time was from April 2015, when I ran a 41:30 at the Rattler Run in Medicine Hat. I was in my top racing form, as I had been aggressively training for the Vancouver Marathon with the goal of qualifying for Boston. I know it will be a long time until I am back in that shape. But I didn’t want to be so far off from my more current 10km paces. I set a goal in my mind of a 7:30 min/mile pace, but I knew that would be crazy to attain…I hadn’t ran a sub 8:00 min/mile since May. My fastest mile time since surgery was around an 8:14. Would I go out too fast and just fall apart?

I knew lots of people in the race (there was a 5km and kids 1km events too) and lots of runner friends were there spectating. It was honestly helpful being in such a familiar location full of familiar faces for my first go at it since surgery. It made it less scary.

Race start was 9:00 am. I went out hard for that first mile, and it was a rough mile full of gravel, dirt and the view (and smell) of the water treatment plant. I ran a 7:11. Lucky me. My first thought was “SHIT, I am going too fast.” When I’m in prime shape, I try for a 7:00-7:15 min/mile in 10km races. This 7:11 was amazing because I ran about a minute faster than my best mile time since surgery. But I knew it probably wasn’t possible to hold it for the whole race.

At this point, my friend Glenn came up behind me. I didn’t even have to turn around to know it was him. Much like many people say my stride is distinct, so is his. I could hear him coming. He has been struggling with injuries for some time, so he was out here today for the same reason I was. To see what he could do. He kept me company for mile 2 and 3, which was awesome. We ran 7:36 and 7:54 splits. I was nervous I was going to keep slipping, but I knew my mind would help me through. At this point I was 5km in. I was over half done. Glenn went out ahead of me to see what he could do for the latter part of the race, and I kept trucking along.

I made some traction on miles 4 & 5 running 7:49 and 7:49. During these splits, the 9km caught back up with the 5km runners. This race is a benefit for the local SPCA (humane society) and it is a dog friendly event. It was fun heading back to the finish and seeing the families with their dogs running and walking together. It kept me motivated and moving. Once I made it back on to the rugged part by the water plant, I just knew I had to keep moving and get this done. I finished the 9km race (my watch said it was 5.64 miles) in 43:38. I finished 2nd place female (2/38) and 10th overall (10/57). I even got to run the last 20 ft into the finish with my main man, Snoopy!

And you know what? I WAS PROUD!

First, my foot: it felt GREAT! I didn’t have any pain in the spot of my surgery. The only pain I had in my foot was near the tongue of my shoe, as I tied my right shoe too tight. Whoops! My cardio wasn’t the best. I was feeling winded by the 5km. It took a lot of mental strength to hold pace for the rest of the race. A few runners passed me in the last 2 miles, but I was able to hold my 2nd place female position, which was awesome. Cardio it something that will come back over time. I started week 8 of my Goofy Challenge training plan with this event, and will be adding another day of running to my regime. I will now be running 4 days a week, plus Zumba! on Mondays. By the half marathon & marathon in January, I will be back at the level I took for granted!

I will admit, one of my first thoughts after crossing the finish line was “I ran the Moonlight 10km in March almost faster than this” but then I snapped out of it because I know these are different circumstances. I was thankful for my husband and my dog Snoopy being there for me at the finish. I even laughed and didn’t get mad at Dan when I ran over to get Snoopy and run into the finish line with him, but Dan had the leash tied around him all weird, so it took about 10 seconds to get him set. I was thankful for my podiatrist, Dr. Williams, who did a damn good job fixing my messed up foot earlier this year. I’m also actually most proud of myself for WAITING and following “doctor’s orders” this whole summer. It drove me nuts not running for almost 60 days. It was even harder getting back at it and having to retrain my foot how to run. I wasn’t really sure if my racing days would be back. Today showed me that the best is yet to come.

Aug28

August 2016—All in One Post!

Posted on August 28, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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So, I did around 3,500 miles this month!….

In my car.

I haven’t been active here lately, partly due to my roadtrip! On July 31st, I packed up my trusty 2009 Pontiac Vibe and hit the road. Along with the essential clothing, toiletries and podcasts to entertain, I also packed my 9 year old beagle, Snoopy. Where were we heading? We were going across the border south east to my hometown of Franklin, Wisconsin. We had stopovers planned in Longville, Minnesota (my aunt and uncle live there). Snoopy is an excellent travel companion; I honestly cannot say that enough. He just curls up and sleeps the whole time, does not fuss, and is excited to arrive to any destination. So I kept myself occupied by listening to a variety of podcasts and when I really started losing it I would talk to Snoopy.

All packed and ready to hit the road!

We made it to my mom’s on August 4th, and we stayed until August 22nd. During that time, I was able to see all of my family that lives in the area, attend a closing day of Badgerette Pom Pon camp (I worked for Badgerette for 5 summers), watch the State Distinguished Young Woman show with my friend Maureen (I won 2nd alternate back in it’s Junior Miss hey day), go to two travelling beer gardens, see a bunch of my friends back home, eat and drink my way through both Wisconsin State Fair & Zoo Ala Carte, go to my favourite Mexican restaurant 3 times, play in a bag toss tournament, and so much more.

“Swimming” with Snoopy in Lake Wabedo in Northern Minnesota

When you are in Longville, MN, you go to the Meat Raffle at the bar….and win!

Henry Winkler is forever immortalized as the Bronze Fonz on Milwaukee’s riverfront

MKEhome!

Snoopy posing in front of the Calatrava–Milwaukee Art Museum

The main reason I drove was so I would be able to bring back the remains of my childhood that was still housed at my moms. It wasn’t that she was forcing me to take it, but I have been gone since 2008, so I figured it was time. Yearbooks, photos, games, puzzles, Barbies, Littlest Pet Shop, etc, etc, etc….It is now all back in Alberta. I also packed up some New Glarus Beer, a ton of Wisconsin cheese, 32 bottles of Sprecher soda, and who knows what else. Snoopy and I arrived back in Lethbridge on August 24th. Wow, it felt good to get back! We both missed his daddy Dan and his brothers Woodstock and Faron.

Root River Beer Garden with all my Wisconsin Family!

Mom, Aunti Debbie, Uncle Chuck, Auntie Susie, Uncle John, Cousin Dan and his wife Anne and their girls, Cousin Jennifer and her husband Paul and their son, and Paul’s parents…Snoopy is hiding somewhere!

That’s for DAMN sure!

During that trip, I also started running. I had done my first 5km run prior to the trip in a numbing time of 33:43. I had walked and jogged a bunch during it. That was on July 28th. Remember, my foot surgery was on June 10th. I had been given the clear I could start running after my 6 week post op on July 21st. I did my first humid (SO HUMID AND HOT) Wisconsin run on August 7th. It was a little 20 minute jaunt that average 9:40 per mile. Oww. On August 11th, I went out to try and beat my July 28th 5km time. I did so handedly, running a 30:02! So close to that sub 30! I did a couple other 1-2 mile runs during my time in Wisconsin, but I wanted to try and get under 30 minutes. On August 16th, I set out to do that. I ran that 5km in 28:20! These gains I have made in less than a month since coming back into running are huge. I was going nuts not running for over 6 weeks, and taking this time to get my newly fixed foot used to running (and running properly) has been great.

5km well under 30 minutes!

Since returning to Lethbridge, I am happy that the humidity is gone. I have ran on August 25th, 26th and 27th, and the weather has been glorious. The biggest highlight was yesterday, the 27th. I went out to run a sole mile with the goal of getting between 8:00-8:15, a pace I was always easily able to obtain on my runs, and my sweet spot for my Boston qualifying pace. I finished that mile in 8:14! Guess what world…LAMMERS IS BACK!

And guess what today is? Today marks the start of WEEK 1 of my GOOFY CHALLENGE training plan. I have put together a very non-aggressive 19 week training plan with the goal of “comfortable completion” of the 2017 Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge, which is a half marathon on Saturday, January 7th followed by a full marathon on Sunday, January 8th. The even more special thing about this race is that I will be running my 2nd WDW full marathon alongside my best friend Ali. It will be her very first full marathon! I will be there to support her through those dark moments (especially between miles 15-23!!!) She has run half marathons before, and I have set her up with a training plan to coincides with her Spartan Race and Crossfit schedule. It will be a weekend to remember!

The original “Pottage Pose” from the marathon portion of the 2014 Dopey Challenge in WDW

19 weeks is a LONG training plan. When I ran the Vancouver Marathon in 2015 and Boston in 2016, I had an intense 16 week plan. This plan does not include speedwork. It just has two easy runs a week plus a long run on the Saturday. Then, in late October, I add another mid distance run on Friday, which will help prepare me for the two day challenge that Goofy presents. I am not going for any speed records at this race; I want to get my body back into running shape so I can begin to push myself again come the new year!

I have updated my 2016 race schedule, as I have a few local events in October and November. I will be recapping those after they occur, and I will definitely be keeping you posted on how my Goofy training goes. Until then, I need to get ready for my first day back at work tomorrow….Teachers start this week, with students coming in the day after Labour Day. For teachers, this is our “New Year”. Happy New Year to all the teachers, students and parents out there!

Jul28

So…How is my foot doing now???

Posted on July 28, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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So, I’m sure I’ll get a lot of freaky foot fetish people finding this post, but I don’t care. Having a few of my post surgery photos available for those who are going to be having the same procedure as me will be helpful, and I want to also let everyone know my progress now that I am 49 days post surgery.

Cliff Notes

Procedures-Bunionectomy (fix bunion on outside of foot), Cheilectomy (removal of bone spur), Arthritis of the big toe cleanout (called Hallux Rigidus…yeah, I’m only 31)….all on the right foot, big toe area.

Date of Procedure-Friday, June 10th, 2016 at Cardston Medical Clinic, performed by Dr. Williams of Chinook Foot & Ankle Clinic

“Before” X-Ray from May 2016. Look at that nasty toe!

My original post about post surgery experience is here. I had meant to do recaps on how I was doing each week, but yeah…summer happened. What have I been doing? Well, I am really, really tan from laying on our rooftop patio. I also got a whole math course worked through for the fall, made answer keys for the Mathematics SL IB World Exam, crocheted three pairs of slippers, and generally went crazy. I kept occupied. But I needed exercise. On June 27th, I was given permission to go in the water for deep water jogging while at my two-week post op. I had never been so excited to be in a pool (note: I hate swimming. I am more of a pool, margarita and tan kind of girl). I went to our local YMCA and got a one-month membership at just below $60. I used it, I think, 28/30 days! I started with deep water jogging, which felt weird as I could not really move my toes at all. I was nervous to flutter kick. I didn’t want my foot to bust open and then have the lifeguards close the pool because blood was everywhere.

After 2nd post op on June 27th. Bandages of, steri-strips remain. Foot sewn together.

Later on the 27th, I had lost all but one steri-strip. This is when I realized I didn’t want to bust my foot open

I also went lap swimming approximately 3 times. That ended fast because I suck at swimming. I even went and bought a good pair of goggles. My best friend Ali, the swim coach, approved them, as she didn’t want me buying “cheap swimming lesson goggles.” My preferred swimming stroke? Lets call it “breast-paddle” or “doggy-stroke”. I combine doggy paddle and breaststroke to create this beautiful form. Gross.

I wasn’t going to be seeing my doctor again until July 21st, so I carefully kept walking in my medical shoe, making sure not to put pressure on the ball of my foot. I iced a lot, and I was very careful. About 3.5 weeks after surgery, all while still wearing the shoe, I had the need to sweat. Walking more than around my yard was painstakingly slow, but I figured I would try an elliptical at the YMCA. I kept the shoe on my right foot, with my Altra on my left, and got myself positioned on the elliptical. Since you keep you feet flat and don’t have to go on the balls of your feet while using this machine, it provided another option in addition to water jogging.

As my healing progressed, I did more elliptical and less water jogging. I would do the water jogging 2-3 times a week and would time it so I could stay in the pool an extra 45 minutes after the morning class and just water jog in the deep end by myself (a waterfit class was occurring in the shallow end). My scab was gone, everything seemed to be healing fine, and my tattoo was lined up damn well!

July 18th, laying on the patio with the beagle. Probably with a beer.

My 6 week post op was on July 21st. Doctor said everything looked good, however, I needed to be doing some physio with my toes, as since I had been SO careful to not bend them or put pressure on them, I was not able to bend them on my own. I was also a little nauseated when I saw the x-ray, as the screws look like they could have been taken from my husbands shop. But, I am told they won’t set off metal detectors. And, look how good that toe looks! Straight! No bump! Bright white arthritis gone!

I’m officially screwed….hahaha

What have I done since then? I have been to two physio appointments (I already had a physiotherapist from the months before) and he worked on my toes real good. I’m doing exercises to bend them, and still icing as needed. My YMCA membership expired yesterday, so I asked my physiotherapist if I could run today. He knows how I am, and he told me to give it a shot. My podiatrist also told me that when I did start running, I just would need to listen to my body. So, I went to the lake and did 5 km! I ran them very cautiously, with lots of walk breaks in mile 1, one walk break in mile 2 and then no walk breaks in mile 3. My average pace: 10:52 a mile. A far cry from my 7:13 a mile I ran back at a local 5km in May which was a few weeks after Boston. But, I know there isn’t any racing for me in the near future. I am not planning on ‘racing’ for the rest of 2016. Just training and getting myself back to comfortable longer runs. My goal race is the WDW Marathon Weekend, where I will be doing the Goofy Challenge (half marathon on Saturday, full marathon with my best friend on Sunday) and I am going to run them just for fun. No time goal, no personal bests. Just FUN! My training for this race weekend begins officially on August 29th.

I was going to take a photo now of my foot before posting this, but I have been doing quite a bit today and had a sock on, so it’s really funky looking. It feels great though! Are my results and recovery normal for this type of surgery? I am not really sure. I know people who have had only the bunionectomy done and have had much more of a difficult time recovering. My bunion was not completely horrible, but we decided to go ahead as I was being opened up anyway. I was extra careful post surgery to not do too much and get infected…until I knew the scar had healed and wouldn’t bust open. And while I told myself to wait until August 1st to try running, I knew being reasonable out there today would be alright. I am looking forward to fully recovering and getting back to racing speed.

If you or anyone you know has questions about my procedures and recovery, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

May31

May Happenings…FOUR recaps and then some!

Posted on May 31, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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Wow, I have been slacking on blog posts! May has been SO busy with not only races, but teaching, coaching, and life! If I tried to do an individual recap for each for the four events I did in May, I wouldn’t get them done until September, so I am going to briefly touch on what I’ve been doing ‘running-wise’ lately, and also whats next…

MONTANA SPARTAN BEAST

On Saturday, May 7th, I participated in my 4th Montana Spartan Race weekend. This time, instead of doing it with my husband, I was able to do it with my best friend Ali. She flew in from California on the Friday night and would be participating in both the Beast on Saturday and the Sprint on Sunday. The Sunday Sprint would be her first Trifecta of the year, and she is going for an incredible 5 Trifectas by the time 2016 is complete!

Before the Sunday Sprint

I knew what the expect with the course; Ali had an idea from what I’ve told her or what she read online. But I think it’s safe to say it was tougher than she could even had imagined! The terrain is very challenging, and you are basically doing hills for 14 miles. The barbed wire crawl at the end is also brutal, as I would say it’s a solid 200 metres long. We stuck together the whole race and were very happy to be finished! It is a gorgeous course with a great atmosphere post race. I was happy to just be doing the Beast, as come Sunday being a spectator was right up my alley. Sunday was a bit of a let-down, as it seemed that Spartan Race was more interested in their Elite Heat and the NBC video crews than the paying customers. After the elite heat started over 30 minutes late, they started the open heats really quick, one after another. This caused for back ups at obstacles and just hoards of people in the way. I saw this first-hand by being a spectator. I do enjoy Spartan Races, but I think I will be taking a break from them for some time.

Who doesn’t love a good fire jump!?

Happy to be finished…and even happier to have those fries!

LAKEVIEW SCHOOL SUPERHERO 5KM

This event was a late addition for me. As a Wednesday night race put on by a local school, this event had a different purpose and would draw a different crowd. The school was fundraising to build a new playground, and ScotiaBank had agreed to match their fundraising amounts! Around 450 kids and adults registered for either the 2km or 5km run. I think it would be safe to say it was a huge success!

The event was geared more towards the children, and that makes perfect sense as it was put on by an elementary school. The 2km race went first at 6:00, and then at around 6:30 they started the 5km. The loop for the 5km runners was down the green strip we run on with Marathon Club, around park of Henderson Lake and back, with the last 400 metres or so on the grass at the school. Running on the grass was the hardest part for me personally! I was able to huff and puff my way in to a first place female finish with a time of 22:16. If they did this event again next year I would definitely participate, as it supports a local school…and I am a teacher!

WOODYS RV WORLD RED DEER HALF MARATHON

This is an event I have done many times before. Red Deer is where my in-laws life, and the event always falls on the Victoria Day/May Long Weekend, so it’s super convenient! For my 5th running of the half marathon, I would be joined by my husband and my sister-in-law. Thing is, it turned out I was the only one who really had been ‘training.’ Now, let me be clear—Erika, my sister-in-law, works out and stays active doing things other than running. She just joked saying that she had a running ‘rest week’ that lasted 7 weeks! And my husband….well, he hadn’t run since the BAA 5km…and before that he ran while in Hawaii in January…so he initiated his 5 day training plan leading up to the race. I didn’t have high hopes for him. He just wanted to finish.

Pre-race clothing consisted of rain poncho garbage bags…which Dan wore all race!

Come race day, I didn’t have high hopes for myself. I had cramps that felt like Satan was inside my body and it was raining. HARD. I started out feeling OK, but by mile 4 I knew I just needed to trod it out and not care about my time. My time was a 1:46.35. I was freezing, wet, irritable and just happy to be done. I thought I would have enough time to get back to the car, get clean clothes, and see my husband finish. Well, of course he outdid himself. He finished his first half marathon in a time of 1:52.37. Seriously….it took me until 2013 to hit under 1:54, and he just goes out there and does that. Whatever! He was on Cloud 9 the rest of the weekend…that is, until Monday morning after I let Snoopy out to the bathroom at 5:45 AM and he got sprayed by a skunk. What a memorable Victoria Day 2016 it was!

Half Marathon Finishers!

CALGARY MARATHON WEEKEND-50KM ULTRA

Expo fun!

My last event of May 2016 happened to be the Calgary Marathon Weekend. I often do an event in Calgary, having done the half marathon in 2013, the full marathon in 2009 and 2014, and the 50km Ultra in 2015. This year, I opted to register for the 50km, as I wanted to see if I could better my time from the prior year, which was 4 hours 40 minutes and 34 seconds.

shirt

Other than my races in between Boston Marathon and race day, I hadn’t put on any crazy mileage in preparation. I really was going out there and seeing what I was made of. The race start of 7 am is great, because it ALWAYS it warm this weekend, and the sun was out in full force early. There was at least a nice breeze throughout the morning to help break the heat. I started running with the plan of holding a 8:00 minute/mile pace for as long as I could, knowing I would probably have to slow down some. I was able to keep my mind going on tons of different things during the race, because during the week before I asked for family and friends to let me know if they wanted me to ‘run for them’ at any point. I had a list in my back skirt pocket that had the names of those who wanted me to run for them and the segments I would think about them. I took this idea from my friend Dennene, who I met at this very race last year!

I was holding my own until around mile 22, when I realized I wouldn’t be able to hit the marathon timing mat (42.2 km) at a 3:30.00 (8 minute pace). I decided to take a little break, use the washroom, and hydrate even more. I knew I was just going to try my best to finish still with a better time than the year before. I trucked along a bit more and my right foot started to really hurt (where my bone spur and arthritis is). I ended up compensating for this pain by almost running on the outside of my right foot for the last 7 miles or so; it hurt too much to have my whole foot hit the ground.

My friend Saskia was helping out with her triathlon group at the 40 km mark, and she saw me as I went by. She joined me and got me to the marathon mat, which I hit at 3:41.02. What’s even funnier is that this is now my third fastest marathon time, with Vancouver being the fastest and Boston being next! I was quite a bit ahead of my pace from last year, so I knew I just needed to muster through any pain and get the last 7.8 km or so completed! I kept a positive attitude, smiled and had fun, and by doing this, I even had some extra energy stored during the final stretch to really push myself. My final time—4:23.10! I beat my time from last year by just over 17 minutes! YES!

Thumbs up!

I was very happy with my time for this race, and even happier to find out I placed in the 50km at 20/122 runners overall. For my gender, I was 6/42 and in the 30-34 female I was 2/9. I earned a 1st place age group award, however, because much like last year the overall female winner was in my age group, thus removing her from age category awards.

Bling and trophy acquired!

This race was not a ‘goal race’ by any means, but it was important. This marks my “last hurrah” before my cheilectomy surgery, which is happening on June 10th. My bone spur will be shaved off my right foot, along with my arthritis being cleaned out. Stitches will be put in, and I will be put resting and elevating my foot most of the summer. I will probably have 8 weeks off of any sort of running, and then when I do start running again I will be taking it VERY EASY. The arthritis will most likely come back over the years, but hopefully the bone spur stays away. I will have lots to write about in regards to this surgery, and that will be what my summer posts are devoted to, so stay tuned.

And with that, my Winter/Spring/beginning of Summer 2016 races are complete! Up next-surgery. After that—get back into running so I can complete the 2017 Goofy Challenge in Walt Disney World! Can’t stop me now!

Aug27

Going Back to the Original Purpose…

Posted on August 27, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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When I wrote my first blog post on January 6th, 2013, I stated some information about who I was, what I was about, and what I was planning on doing over the course of the next year.

My first “real” blog entry

In those initial purpose and goal statements, running a Boston Qualifying race time was never an initial goal. I ran more races than I ever had before, I raised money for a cause important to my heart. I even started breaking my own personal best times and realized I could become a contender in my own right. I went and achieved all my original goals. The thought of Boston came after I completed the Walt Disney Full Marathon in January in 3:50:52. It was a late-in-the-game goal. I figured I might as well try.

As you know from my post yesterday, I didn’t achieve that goal. But, as you also know from that post, I am not going to let it get me down and ruin me. I think back to everything I have been able to complete and achieve this past year and it makes me smile. It makes me happy. And being happy is the most important thing to me right now.

Tonight, I head out California where I will be participating in something else that wasn’t in the original plan. I am participating in the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend, and partaking in the “Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.” Not as daunting as the “Dopey Challenge“, but still challenge enough, I will run 19.3 miles over the course of two days: A 10km on Saturday (with my best friend Ali-her first 10km ever!), and a half marathon on Sunday. Upon completion, I will not only receive the gorgeous Dumbo Double Dare medal, but I will also be the proud owner of the Disney Coast 2 Coast medal. I will have completed two RunDisney events of a half marathon or longer on both coasts in one calendar year.

I didn’t plan on this when I first started my blog. But, plans change. The Boston challenge was a stressful, demanding one. I could have really let that get me down after not getting in at both Calgary Full Marathon in June and in Edmonton Marathon this past Sunday. But I didn’t. And now come the exciting change, that helps me bring this back to what it was all about. It says so right at the top of my page:

Running, Disney World & Dad….How do they connect together? Follow my journey this year to find out.

It has now been well over a year since I first started that journey. If you have been following me since then, I think you may better realize how they all connect. I know I have a deeper understanding myself. I am looking forward to doing this race weekend in Disneyland not only for myself, for my best friend, for my family members, but most importantly, for my dad. If he could see me smiling running through Disneyland, that would be more important to him, even now as I near the age of 30, than me making Boston.

I love you Dad. Je me souviens.

Jan23

Photo Recaps on Dopey Challenge Events…Pros, Cons & Highlights…& a Teaser for the Next Chapter…

Posted on January 23, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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Hi everyone! I know I posted a bit during the event, and I did my post about the full marathon, but now that I have access to the professional photos shot by the people at Marathon Foto, I thought I would do a mini-photo montage/review of each event that was part of the Dopey Challenge. For each event, I will list some pros (the volunteers were AMAZING every race!), cons, and my personal highlights I experienced. I will also include some of my favorite snapshots from the events!

Family 5km Fun Run-Thursday, January 9, 2014
This event began with the first of 5 corrals being let off at 6:30 am. The course went from the EPCOT parking lots, through a backstage area, into World Showcase, looped through Future World, and ended back out in the parking lot

Pros Fun short distance anyone could enjoy, no “sweepers” or “balloon ladies” to worry about on the course if you couldn’t keep the minimum pace, walker friendly

Cons Very crowded corrals, starting in last corral with my mom meant we had to wait about 40 minutes until we started, very crowded at times especially at narrow points, not as much entertainment or characters as I expected for a “family” fun run, found out I really didn’t need to keep the minimum 16 min/mi pace even though it was timed for us in the Dopey Challenge (would have stayed with my mom and husband)

Personal Highlights My mom ran her first 5km!

Inaugural Minnie Mouse 10km-Friday, January 10, 2014
This event began with the first of 5 corrals being let off at 5:30 am. The course went from the EPCOT parking lots, out through the front gates out onto the roadway, then through a backstage area, into World Showcase, out onto the Boardwalk and past Yacht & Beach Club Resort, looped through Future World, and ended back out in the parking lot

Pros Longer route allowed for spreading out on the course, route past Boardwalk Resort area was awesome, more characters, started in Corral A with Dan so had no issues with crowding ourselves

Cons First two miles were uneventfully boring with little entertainment on the roads, corrals still crowded

Personal Highlights Running a 10km in Disney with my unsure-about-Disney husband, seeing him sweat his shirt off because he didn’t understand the power of Florida humidity (made me laugh!), running around the Boardwalk while it was still dark and all the hanging outdoor lights were on! AND got Dan to take a photo with a Disney character! Something he swore he would not do!

Walt Disney World Half Marathon-Saturday, January 11, 2014
This event began with the first of 16 corrals being let off at 5:35 am. The course went from Epcot out onto the highway through the Magic Kingdom gates, past the Ticket & Transportation Center, into the Magic Kingdom and down Main Street USA. Headed through Cinderella’s castle, through Frontierland, back on service roads past Grand Floridian and Polynesian Resorts, and back on the roads to EPCOT.

Pros Short corral wait for me since I was in B, short to no lines for any characters too. The characters that were out were very rare too! Goofy in golfing gear, Darkwing Dark and Launchpad McQuack to name a few!

Cons HUMIDITY! (I know this was beyond anyone’s control), no Mary Poppins photo op at Grand Floridian like past years!

Personal HighlightsRunning down Main Street USA for the first time in a Disney race! (there were tears!), and also seeing my mom and husband twice in the Magic Kingdom for photos. Really took my time running in the humidity with a friend from our Facebook group (#wangnation) and we stopped at tons of photo stops!

Walt Disney World Full Marathon-Sunday January 12, 2014
This course followed the same route as the half marathon for about the first 7 or 8 miles, then went down onto the Disney Speedway, on back roads to and through Animal Kingdom, down the highway to ESPN Wide World of Sports, back on the roads to Hollywood Studios, through the park, on the route to the Boardwalk Resort area, behind World Showcase, through Future World, and ending in the parking lot outside of the main gates.

Pros. Get to run through all four parks! Plentiful water and medical stops! Lots of characters in the parks. Fast and flat course. COOL FLORIDA BREEZE! (thank you weather God!).

Cons. Not much to see on the long stretches of roads between parks

Personal Highlights. Castle lights were lit up today and it was gorgeous in the dark morning! Getting a photo with Buzz Lightyear dressed as Buzz Lightyear! (Had to do this for Dad!), Running through Hollywood Studios right when the park was about to open to public was energizing, as were the crowds of people cheering near the Boardwalk resorts and in EPCOT. Ran a marathon personal best of 3:50:52, even after eating like junk, getting no sleep, and running three races the three days prior!

The Dopey Challenge was an experience of a lifetime! I am so grateful I was able to take part! This years’ journey was about finding myself and running for Dad. But it is not going to stop now. Never! Stay tuned in the next couple days when I talk about what is next for me!

Je Me Souviens-To Infinity & Beyond!

Running, Dad, & Disney–My Journey Continues…

Tag Archives: goofy challenge

So, what are you training for?

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 2017

My Next “Big Event”

Claus Cause 10km Recap

Bare Bones 9km 2016

August 2016—All in One Post!

So…How is my foot doing now???

May Happenings…FOUR recaps and then some!

Going Back to the Original Purpose…

Photo Recaps on Dopey Challenge Events…Pros, Cons & Highlights…& a Teaser for the Next Chapter…

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