Broken Runner Orienteering

How's that for a title?
Yesterday I went for my first weekday run since January, it was wonderful.  It was also raining pretty hard.  It was the first time I felt like I had enough energy to go for a run, I think I'm finally getting better!

Back in December I started having back pain, it went away right before the Tinkerbell half and I didn't have any pain while in CA.  But about a week after I got back so did the pain and it got worse and worse.  The doctors believe I have a herniated disc and after a week of steroids and (so far) 3 weeks of PT I'm getting better!

I have been orienteering on the weekends.  I figure running in the woods is less impact than on the roads.  (Although I ran at a meet by West Point in NY, and rocks are not easier on the back!)

One of my new favorite things is RouteGadget!  After a meet the maps are put on RoutGadget and runners and upload their GPS route.  If other people use it you can compare their routes to yours, there is even a race function where you can start all the routes at the same time and see where you gained/lost time; or how someone else's route helped them.

I thought I'd share 2 screen shots of my routes.  The first was at the actual race and the second is from a week later (Dad and I went back and ran the course again)  This was an orange course.

After the meet I was really frustrated, I felt that the course from 4-5 was too hard for my level, and I let it get to my head during the race.  As you can see from the map I did an awesome job in that section.  It wasn't the best route choice for my level, but it worked.  After talking over the course with Dad, I felt better about my route choice on this one.

 

 

 (I didn't adjust the GPS after uploading, I did hit all my controls)

The red line is me, the purple the straight line between controls.  The start is the triangle and the finish is the double circle.  As you can see I almost made a really bad mistake leaving 4 (heading the wrong direction), but I caught it and got headed back into the right direction.  One thing I learned from this, is that I have no concept of distance!  2-3 I though I was further down on the creek than I really was!

I made a few changes to my route on this run; 4-5 obviously and some others. Without controls I hit everything except 9 (which I barely found the first time around)

I did my second A meet this weekend, so once I get my GPS uploaded I'll share those.  They are vastly different.

~Maggie

Tinkerbell Half Marathon Part 2

So, um... hi!  I guess the last post ended on Saturday night, when I left the pasta in the park party early to go to sleep.  So, Sunday I woke up early and meet up with my running group before heading to the start line.  Some pictures from waiting in the corrals:

 

I need to find a  course map, all this pictures were taken in order... but I have no idea when in the race I was (mile one, four? Who knows?)

ooooh, look at that little tiny castle! (it doesn't look that small in person)

The one princess I wanted at the princess half and couldn't find

They character attendant told me his name was Bullseye, it was actually Finn.

The end of the race went through a neighborhood.  I felt great when I finished, my run walk intervals worked great, my inhaler stops worked great, my water/Gatorade ratio worked great (during the race) I stopped for a bagel and hot chocolate on the way back to the hotel, I WISH I had stopped in the parks real quick on my walk back for better photos in costume.  Once I got back to the hotel, I think the massive amount of Gatorade got to me and I spent a couple hours watching Say yes to the dress before heading back out.

photo of my medal in line for soaring!

 

The green army men band

I spent 30 min. sitting in the waiting area for this, just because I wanted to sit down.  I practically begged them to let me in so I could sit on the floor!

 

Photos of the banners between the parks:

My favorite ride!

This was a stage show, Mickey and the Magic Map.  It's very cute, I'm glad I got to see it.  And that was the end of my race day!

 

~Maggie

 

 

 

Tinkerbell Half Marathon-Part One

Here it goes, weekend recap...

Thursday:
My flight left at 2:30, so at 12 I was on a van to the airport.  I must have packed my bags 10 times
(Thursday alone).  

The flight left late due to a fight attendant somehow being injured helping a passenger with his bag.  She was injured one row ahead of me, but the seats are taller than me.  But even taking off late we managed to land in CA early!  I loved looking out the widow and seeing the snow covered mountains and desserts, and snow covered mountains.  (I have no idea what route we took, but I'm guessing over the northern part of the USA)

 

 I had about a 10 minute wait for my next van ride to Disneyland; it was a shared van with other runners.  The other runners had no interest in talking to me (I tried!), but the college student next to me did.  I somehow failed to take into account LA rush hour when planning my fights, so although we landed at 5pm I didn't make to my hotel until 8! 

After checking into my hotel I headed out to Downtown Disney to get dinner, Gumbo!  Then I fell asleep :)

Friday:
I woke up a 6am, but the parks didn't open until 9am!  So still on East Coast time, I was really bored and called my mom to entertain me :)  I decided to make go to Disneyland for opening.

We were allowed through the gates and down Main Street, but not allowed into the "Lands" until the park official opened.  I had a great time taking pictures of the nearly empty park.  When the rope drooped everyone speed walked to their desired first ride; my guesses: Space Mountain, Peter Pan, or Indiana Jones.  I walked leisurely into Fantasy Land, right past Peter Pan and onto the first ride of Dumbo!

 

Don't ask me what I did after that :)  I walked around and took very few pictures.  The race Expo opened at 10, so I headed over there to get my race packet.  I also picked up a new water cup and headband.

And the rest of the day is a blur :)  I went to California Adventure, I rode the new Radiator Springs Racers, probably Soarin', I had Broccoli and Cheddar soup in a sour dough bread bowl, and generally had a lot of fun!

 

I went back to the expo at some point because I was volunteering on Saturday morning and I wasn't quite sure what I needed to do.  I also stopped by the Dannon tent and was handed kids Greek yogurt (1 strawberry and 1 cotton candy).  Then back to Disneyland for more rides.  Including holiday themed Small World!  I was very happy to see this!

 

I headed back to my hotel about 6 or 7, I was exhausted and because I was volunteering the next morning I needed to be up early.

 

Saturday

I needed to be a volunteer check in at 4am! So it was an early morning for me.  I saw practically no one on my walk, which was pretty creepy.

 

 

I had fun volunteering, I was at bag check so I was only working before and after the race.  After we were set free I went back to my hotel to nap.  

 

 

 

Honestly don't remember what I did.  Had Fun obviously :)  For dinner I had tickets to Pasta in the Park through the race.

 

A pirate band played while I was there.  I was by myself so I found a set at a table with 2 families, it felt a bit awkward... The food was really good.  I had pasta with meat sauce, salad, rolls, and fabulous dessert.  I knew I had to race in the morning, so I didn't eat as much food (dessert...) as I wanted

 

The dinner also included seating at World of Color, but at 7 I was already exhausted and the show wasn't until 9:45!  Plus I had to wake up early the next morning, so I made the decision to go back to the hotel and get some rest for the main event!

 

 

~Maggie