Debary Pink Feet 10k

Because I am crazy, and because I needed a time to move up in corrals for my half marathon (I'm currently in the last corral, and I need a time buffer!), I signed up for the Debary Pink Feet 10k. It was a small race about 45 minutes away from Orlando, and it was also the only timed 10k Kristina and I were able to find before the half.

On race day we got up super early to drive to Debary. It was about 6am, so it was pitch black when we got there. Luckily, it took us a lot less time than we had anticipated, but at least we weren't rushing.

There were about 300 runners for the 5k and the 10k combined, so it was a MUCH smaller race than then Happy Haunted 5k. This was a total plus for me, since I'm basically used to running alone. Though it was a small race, it was really well organized and everything went smoothly.

Kristina and I wanted to practice as best as we could like we were doing the half. We decided to start out slow and then pick up the pace at the end. The 5k and 10k started together, and then split a little after the first mile. Once we split, it looked like we only had one person behind us. But our strategy seemed to work, and we started passing people. Slowly but surely we kept moving up. We weren't the last ones.

Of course, my Garmin died, so I don't know our mile splits, but I know we kept a great pace. And it was just awesome crossing that finish line and seeing that my hard work in training is paying off. The course was all asphalt (a huge plus after the 5k trail run), but there were hills! Something this Miami girl is totally not used to. Also it was very humid out making it a harder to run, but at least the course was shady and the sun stayed away til after we finished.

My official time, and my 10k PR, is 1:26:18. Not bad for someone who thought 6 miles was totally impossible a year ago!

This was a great race, and I'm glad I got to do a distance longer than a 5k in a race before the half marathon.

Have you ever done a 10k?

Happy Haunted 5k

Last weekend I got to do my first RunDisney race, the Happy Haunted 5k Trail Run that was part of the Tower of Terror 10 Miler weekend. I was super psyched to do this race since I signed up what seems like forever ago.

The race and expo were at Disney's Wide World of Sports. This venue is pretty impressive. It's a huge sports complex right on Disney property.

 

My best friend, and running partner, Kristina, and I headed out to the expo on Friday night. We just got into the whole running thing just this year, but seeing all that great running gear was like being a kid in a candy store. We tried to not buy EVERYTHING, which was super hard, but did get some cute compression socks. We had been eyeing compression socks for weeks now, but I was glad I waited to buy them at the expo. I would have totally ordered the wrong size had I gotten them online first.

 



Then early Saturday morning we put on our matching Minnie running outfits and with Eddie, who was also doing the race, headedback to the Wide World of Sports to get race ready.

 

Here's a better look at our running costumes. (There will be a post about our handmade running costumes coming up soon!)

The race started in one of the fields at the Wide World of Sports, then looped around back to the woods. There were all different kinds of terrain, most prominently sand. And I was totally not read for the sand or the crowded trail in this part of the race.

But, being Disney, they had tons of characters waiting along the way to keep you going. Since it was a Halloween themed race, all the characters were villians!

the Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook, Br'er Bear

 

There was also a runner along the way that didn't quite make it!

 

We did our best and ran through the parts of the race that we could. (Somtimes it was too crowded to run. We have to get in an earlier corral next time!)

Right as we headed back towards the finish line we saw the grave diggers from the Haunted Mansion. We hadn't stopped for any characters, so we stopped to take a pic with them. They tried to bury Eddie!

 

We finally made it around the bend to the finish line, where I got my first medal! It was awesome to have that medal hanging around my neck.

 

After the race we waited to have out pictures taken with the main man, Mickey Mouse. I haven't had a Mickey picutre in years. He was just as nice as I always rememebered and even gave me his arm.

 

I had a really fun time doing the Happy Haunted 5k. We wished we would have signed up for the 10 miler, but months ago, we thought 3 miles was a huge deal. Now 10 miles seems like not a big deal, so go figure. I think next year we'll be doing the 10 miler. But it was a great experience at my first Disney race. I got a little taste of how the Wine & Dine half marathon will be. I can't wait (and on the other hand I'm still freaking out a bit, and I can totally wait) to be back running at Disney in less than a month.

Gym bag redo

The bag I had been using to go to the gym (which was just a reusable tote bag) broke last week. I decided I should make myself a cute new gym bag that incorporated all the features I really wanted. I've been designing my heart away and adding so many little details that it's turning into a slightly bigger project than I anticipated. But I needed a new bag to go to the gym on Monday, so I grabbed one of the many drawstring bags that I have collected over time and made it a little cuter.

I grabbed my basic drawstring bag and some scraps of fabric and a little interfacing and got to work. I measured the logo (8 inches by 2 inches) and made it a little bigger so I could make sure it would all be covered. I also made it taller to be able to use it as a pocket. My final fabric size was 8 1/2" by 6 1/2". I cut two out of the fabric and one of interfacing, to give the pocket some body. 

I ironed the interfacing to one of the pocket pieces and then placed them wrong sides together. I sewed around one long side and both short sides using 1/4" seams. On the other long side, I also sewed with a 1/4" seam, but left a small part open, so I could turn the pocket right side out. I clipped the corners, turned the pocket right side out and ironed it flat. Then I topstitched the top edge of the pocket. I pinned the pocket in place to make sure it stayed centered and then sewed down the sides and bottom, leaving the top part open. Make sure you are only sewing on one side of the bag and not both, or you will sew your bag shut!

This was a little too plain, so I decided I needed to cover the top part of bag, where the drawstrings are. The drawstring pockets were about 1 inch wide, so I knew I had to make them a little wider to make sure the drawstring would still work. I cut 3 inch strips for each of the sides of the bag. I made them a little wider than the bag itself (I eyeballed it), so I could fold in each side to keep the seams clean. After sewing in the short sides, I ironed in a 1/4" seam allowance on each of the long sides.


I then folded these strips in half leaving one side slightly longer than the other (like in bias binding). I sandwiched the strips around the edge of the bag, and sewed them around the existing drawstring pockets on the bag.

There was one strip for each side of the bag and it really gave it the finishing touch it needed.

And voila! I took an old junky bag and gave it a makeover. And now I can show up to the gym without having a half broken bag.

I'm still working on my huge gym bag, and I hope to be able to start working on that one soon. I'll keep you updated on that one.

Have you ever revamped an old item to make an even better one?

Beach yoga

On Saturday, my friends Damaris, Yoanna and I decided to go try out a beach yoga class that we had heard about. We had been wanting to try yoga and found out that this class was being held every day on South Beach.

We planned to take the 7am class, which meant getting up entirely too early for the weekend. But, we packed up our beach towels (which are recommended instead of yoga mats for this class) and drove out to South Beach. These classes are held for free, they just ask you bring a donation for your teacher. And lucky for us parking on the beach is free until 9am, so we scored free parking too (if you know South Beach, you know this is a feat in and of itself).

When we first got to the beach, the sun was still rising. We felt the ocean breeze and the quiet of the beach before people began arriving. We found the lifeguard stand where the classes were being held and a group slowly started assembling. We joined right in for our yoga class, the first ever for me.

The teacher, Meredith, was great. She explained the poses and even helped us get into some of them. After all the running I've been doing lately, my muscles really needed that stretch. I can't wait to head to another class in a few weeks to see if I can do even more.

The class was great and the beach was such a relaxing place to do yoga. It was such a great way to start off the weekend. I thought getting up in the dark was crazy to drive across town for a yoga class, but I have to say that it was well worth it. I hope to be out there again soon.

If you are interested in taking these yoga classes right on South Beach, check out 3rd Street Beach Yoga. There are 2 classes every day all year long at 7am and 6pm (unless it's under 55 degrees, they'll be there!). The teachers are doing these classes for free, so please bring a donation to show your teacher how much you loved the class, and so the beach yoga can continue.

Color Me Rad 5k

This past Saturday was finally the day for the first 5k I signed up for this year, the Color Me Rad 5k in Orlando. Kris and I had been thinking of doing a color run this year. We missed one earlier in the year, but found Color Me Rad and loved their whole fun take on the 5k.

We prepped for the race (which involved making colorful tutus and cute headbands... this is me after all, I had to make something!). I opted to go the easy route tutus, the kind you just tie onto the elastic. I whipped them up in no time. And our headbands were backed with velvet ribbon, which really made them stay. They didn't slip at all.

The day before the race, Kris let me know it was supposed to rain all weekend. Luckily though, the weathermen were all wrong. It was overcast (which made for a nice, not too hot race) and the sun came out just as we were finishing. Eddie joined us in the Color Me Rad and ran the race too. After we finished he even got pelted with color by a little runner. It was too funny.

We had a TOTAL blast at the race! And getting shot with all that color was so much fun. Loved it!

I did end up with a blue/green alien looking hand when it was all over. And yes, it took like 3 hand washings and a shower involving some scrubbing to get my skin back to flesh color again.

Even though the color was a bit of a mission to get off (but not impossible). We'll definitely be doing Color Me Rad again and can't wait til our next race. I have to say we're hooked!

To reward ourselves for all the hard work in the morning, we headed out to Epcot later in the day with the kids for some rides, fun and most importantly, celebratory margaritas!

**And since I did do a race, and now am a mini-runner, I can't help but think of those in Boston. I have to send out my thoughts, prayers and love to all those runners and friends and family at the Boston Marathon today.**

What I've been up to lately

There have been crickets over here in blog-land. Mostly cause I haven't been making many things, but also cause I've been busy. What have I been up, you might ask?

I'm tackling something totally new to me, running. I joined a new gym and am strength training again, but I'm also trying to get the hang of this whole running thing. I hoping to be able to do the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon next February (fingers crossed, cause I'm still totally freaked out about it). I haven't fallen in love with the running yet, but I do feel great and accomplished once I've finished. In a couple of weeks, I'm gonna  be doing the Color Me Rad 5k in Orlando with my friends Kris and Eddie. This race looks like a total blast, and it's not timed race (thank god). It's gonna be so much fun, I can't wait.

A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I went to have our makeup done with Christian Dior at the mall. It was a great time, and we got to celebrate a birthday while we were there too. After our afternoon of fun and beauty, we did a little retail therapy. It was the best girls day, we have to have another one soon.

So, I've been out and about having fun and running around (literally!). But I've missed my little place on the blogosphere. I hope you're ready to keep reading and seeing all of my adventures, crafty and not.

What new things have you gotten into lately?