2013 Summary!

2013 has come to an end!  And if you remember from our very first post our goal for 2013 was to run one race every month.  If we doubled up one month, we still had to run one the next month.

Unfortunately we didn't hit every month, August and October ended up being very poor and busy.  We were prioritizing and budgeting as Ben likes to call it for the Disneyland Half Marathon in August, and in October was busy with football season and getting ready for #500Strong for homecoming.

We had some awesome memories however!

From our first run at Grassmere Zoo in Nashville for the Zoo Run Run then heading over and grabbing some spiked milkshakes at Burger Republic.

Starting 2013 off Right with the Zoo Run Run at Grassmere!

Then doubling up in February and doing the Royal Family 5K followed by the Princess Half Marathon!

Royal Family 5K at EPCOT

 And, while we didn't know it at the time, we were finishing half the runDisney Coast to Coast Challenge with running the Princess Half Marathon!

Princess Half Marathon in Disney World!

 While i'm not sure if it was the best idea, we certainly tested the limits running in the elements of the 2013 Charlotte Spartan Race

Then making it a family affair in March at the Color Run!

Color Run with the Famliy!

Then we headed to Georgia for the 2nd Annual Party of the Southland Adventure Weekend for Warrior Dash!

PartyOTS Adventure Weekend 2013

We brought a couple newcomers with us for Foam Fest in Nashville.  While it was our least favorite race of the year, the Banderas made it much better!

BANDERAS!

Then we all busted out our #Swag for the first Urban Obstacle Course by Muddy Buddy!

#SWAG

We learned at the Fourth of July 10K that after a 10K, 2 beers is my limit for re-hydration.  3 beers, and I feel terrible.

Sisters at the Fourth of July 10K

Then we missed our first Tennessee home game in 20 years to complete the runDisney Coast to Coast Challenge at the Disneyland Half Marathon!

After just running through the castle

We met some friends from college as they also completed their Coast to Coast Challenge.

The whole crew at the Disneyland Half Marathon!

Then we nearly froze to death at the BoroDash in Murfreesboro on Thanksgiving!

Ben and Jenn at the starting line!

And we finished it off with the Christmas Story 10K virtual Race!

It's a Major Award!

We look forward to repeating some races in 2014, trying some new ones, and continue to run in our drinking shoes!

Disney's Princess Half Marathon 2013

So we left off as I turned on my alarm clock for 3:15am for a half marathon.  Ben and I both agree that this is the hardest part.  That's an asinine time to get up to run.  Running is hard enough, running 13 miles is hard enough, don't make me do it on little sleep.  How am I supposed to go to sleep early at Disney World?!?!

But we did it.  We woke up, got into our sweet costumes and headed to EPCOT.  A suggestion - bring an old sweatshirt or something you can toss because it's COLD that early in the morning.  At least it was to me. Disney donates any clothing left on the course.I brought a nice Tennessee hoodie figuring those Florida residents shopping at the Goodwill would have a better option than that nasty Gator stuff.

After what felt like FOREVER waiting in line for a bus, getting to the race, waiting for all the other corrals (with it being our first we were placed in nice corral G...out of corrals A-H) it was finally our turn.

We felt good, took a little while for everyone to find their groove, we were going strong. Then we FINALLY get to it.  The castle.  Holy crap I'm going to run through the castle!...ok it was more like very slowly walk since everyone stopped so that was frustrating.  But I ran OUT of the castle!

I'm halfway to being a Princess!

Then the worst thing happened, because we were in the second to last corral the pace changed DRASTICALLY.   After the castle everyone stopped running.  The castle was roughly mile 7, between mile 7 and 8 we had run an extra half mile weaving through people and trying to get around them. Then the course narrowed...and narrowed again...until it was one lane of traffic with cars going down the other lane.  It was IMPOSSIBLE to get around anyone.  After getting frustrated, and an even more frustrated Ben, I said "This is Disney, we shouldn't be frustrated!  Let's just enjoy the rest of the run, get some pictures and then enjoy our vacation!"  Which is what we did.  We walked from about mile 10 to 13.1.  Not at all the time we had hoped for, but we had a ton of fun.

FINISHERS!

Because it wouldn't be true to the title of my blog to only tell half the story, here's a list of our favorite eats and drinks at Walt Disney World.

Eats:

• Dole Whip Floats - Adventureland - Magic Kingdom - The only reason I go to the Magic Kingdom.  OK that's not true, but they are still delicious.  I LOVE the orange with pineapple juice and Ben prefers the vanilla with pineapple juice.
• Beef and Blue - Resorts - it's a sandwich Ben originally had last year (when I got the Princess Half bug when I realized we planned our trip the same week as the race and I didn't do it).  We had it at Pop Century last year and they had it at Port Orleans this year, Ben said it was better at PC.
• Le Cellier - Canada - EPCOT this was our celebratory meal the night after the race (and our "we need to stay awake so our internal clocks aren't jacked up for the whole trip").  Everything.  Everything is good here.
• Tangierine Cafe - Morocco in EPCOT.  If you are hungry this is the place to go.  We used a quick service meal credit (we had the dining plan) and had more food that we knew what to do with.  It was all delicious.
• Mickey Ears - Everywhere.  They are so good.  We eat so many of them when we go.
• Mickey Waffles - Resorts - I don't know if it's cause they are shaped like Mickey, or if they really are that delicious, but we highly recommend them.
• Yak and Yeti - Animal Kingdom - Both the quick service and the table service are delicious.  If you do the table service, get the burger.  I swear it'll be one of the greatest burgers you've eaten.
• School Bread - Norway - EPCOT  This is delicious!  And a BIG snack if you need something to tide you over between meals.
• O'hana - this is hands down the best restaurant on property.  Save room for dessert. Pineapple Coconut Bread Pudding with a Bananas Fosters Rum Sauce?!?! YUM!

Drinks:

• Grand Marnier Slush - France - EPCOT - I promise, beer drinkers, tequila drinkers, wine drinkers, teetotallers, EVERYONE will like this drink.  The only problem is the cup is entirely too small.
• Italian Margarita - Italy - EPCOT
• All you can drink - Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show - this was the best part of the show.  If you can drink it, they'll bring you another one.  
• Lapu-Lapu - Polynesian - drink these before eating at O'hana.  Don't go to WDW without eating at O'hana. 
• Avocado Margarita - La Cava De Tequila - Mexico - EPCOT.  Sounds weird but it's delicious.  If you can only make it to one place in EPCOT make it this bar.  There are so many margaritas to try!  
• If you dare to leave the property and head over to Islands of Adventure to head to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the Frozen Butterbeer is the way to go.  I've had it both ways, the frozen is hands down better.
• Unfortunately Ben doesn't care for too many beers at EPCOT, but he does like the Hog's Head Brew at the 3 Broomsticks.