They say things come in threes...

I really needed a new gym bag... and now I have three.  Which really need to be put to use now that we are in the thick of the holidays.  Not so much for the food (though that is a factor), but for the stress and everything else that goes on at this time of year.  So I will take this sign and keep packing the multiple bags.  That way in the mornings I can just grab one on the way out the door.

Tales from the land of online dating

 So most of you know I have been trying online dating and boy are there some interesting people out there.  Lots of nice ones, but some others...
So lets start with the basics.
Photos.  Please. I have posted examples of two of my favorites.  The laying on the couch shot (I see my running shoes and other crap I drop when I walk through the door) and the bathroom mirror pose (I think I gain points for the attempted duck face and the double mirror, but my lose some because you can't see in my shower or see my toilet) .  These were taken post run so I am extra sexy :).  I don't know why everyone posts these on their profile.  They don't make me want to start up a conversation.
Then there is the actual profile.  I would like for you to tell me things about yourself beyond your profile reading "I'm an open book.  Ask me anything you want."  But it also shouldn't be longer than a George R.R. Martin novel.  And my personal favorite profile is, as follows,  with my thoughts- and I am sure yours (I know at least one other friend echoed my thoughts almost verbatim when I let her read this) edited in:
"I'm ___ I'm 29 and I just recently turned single."  I like how he turned single.  So can I turn coupled?  "I work at ______ I'm a _____.  I don't wana be doing it for the next 5yrs  I'm gona do my best to move up even higher."  Ok,  you do that. "I'm a great Singer and awesome dancer.  I learned how to dance from a stripper so I have talent in other areas as well."  Ok, I just feel like this statement also means you might be bringing some extra baggage to the table which requires monthly treatments. And I know that is probably not an accurate assessment of the health of strippers but it is my first reaction.  And the most awesome part of the profile... " I'm awesome in bed I can literally vibrate while I... you know that's all I'm saying"  Really that is where you decide on discretion?  I would have started around the dance section.  Needless to say I did not respond to him.  A honorable mention for profile WTF is:  "I'm Mexican and my love is like a Mexican."  What does that even mean?
And once you are past the profile it is onto messages.  I have previously talked about the text speak and it is still rampant.  Please at least write a full sentence in introduction.  "hey u cute send me something back kisses" is not going to get a response ever.  I also love the overuse of emocons and exclamation marks.  I use them a lot (I know this, more importantly you know this about me).  But if your message is made up of about half of these there is an issue.  From my inbox (I had previously responded back to a hello message and this is what I got back):  "I'm good!!!!  And you????  My name is _____!!  What's yours? :)"  And then when I did not immediately respond I got this "How come you won't talk to me???"  "Did I scare you off already??? LOL!!!"  And while he is probably a very nice person, I know also know that he is way to needy for me.  Way too needy.
Last, if anywhere in your profile you say you are married it ain't going to happen and separated is still married.
I think I am done for now.  I will probably have more very soon...

You win this round, Governor's Cup!

Not sure what this is, but it's pretty.

Start line

Last weekend was the Governor's Cup where I was supposed to run in the half marathon... You can probably tell by that statement things did not go as planned.  I will admit that I had slacked off slightly in the weeks leading up to the event, hadn't run more than six at a time since the weekend before the Mud Run.  But after picking up my packet I went to look at the course one more time and saw something that I had missed up until now.  The course was closing 30 minutes earlier this year.  Which meant that there was a good chance that the race would close before I finished.  And I don't know how Columbia does it, but many other places will completely pull you off the course... and I was not willing to take a chance on being pulled off at mile 12.  So I dropped down to the 8k.   The good news is that this year I got to cheer for my dad at the finish line.
So half marathon... you win this year.  Next year I will make sure I can finish in under three hours and I will show that course it won't beat me.

New stuff

This week I got some new things (or at least new to me). 
My couch bit the dust and luckily a friend was selling one that met my criteria (no cats) so with the help of my dad we got the couch to my apartment and all set up.  I also got a new hair cut.  That's pretty much it...

Runway Run

So, last year I ran this race thinking when would I ever get a chance to run on a runway again without being tasered by the TSA.  With that thought I signed up for the event.  And they did it again this year!  Although, this year I waited to sign up until after the Mud Run to make sure I could even walk. 
The weather was cold and kind windy but I was with some fabulous people.  Icing on the cake this year was that they gave you your pictures for free (normally they cost a small fortune- $20+ a picture).  So here are mine!  :)


1)  And we're off!
2) Where's Waldo... or Melissa?  I'm in here, can you find me?
3) Almost there.  Pierre giving a little finish line encouragement.

Getting a little dirty...

Finally!  If you haven't followed the mud run saga, I was originally supposed to do this event last April.  However due to team switches and tornadoes (or the threat of) my dad and I were pushed back to the fall event.  And in moving we gained two great new team members, Brooke and Mitchell.

The night before the race Mitchell sent out some advise from a mud run veteran.  "Channel your inner four year old."  So I went into the event with that mindset.
Saturday was beautiful and we were ready to go at our 11:03 start time.  And we started at 11:03 on the dot.  They were very precise.  Which, if I think about it shouldn't surprise me since the event was put on my retired Marines.
The mud run was comprised of 5.2 miles and 34 obstacles.  Two were closed due to hornets or yellow jackets or bees (some flying stinging things) and in their place we had to do pt type exercises.  Otherwise we attempted everything else and only had to take a pass on the 10 foot wall.  To the right from the top is our 'before' picture.  Followed by me attempting to swing across a mud pit.  As you can see, I didn't make it.  Bare hands+ muddy rope +  little upper body strength = me sliding down the rope.

To the left is the 15 foot wall, a random picture along the course and our after shot with a member of our other team who came to support us.  She was pulled from the event by her doctor (only to then find out she could have participated :( ).
I then, after taking a few showers, went to babysit that night.

The next day, I did not want to move.  While I had embraced my inner four year old, no one had warned me that my inner eighty year old was coming to visit.  I popped ibuprofen like candy all day (especially since I had to go work).

Once I got home from work I made a huge mistake.  I broke out the 'menthol pain relieving gel.'  And put it on like lotion.  Which led to me curling into a ball while my body tried to figure out why it was on fire and cold a the same time.  Lesson learned.  One body part at a time and use sparingly.  Previously I had only used it on a small area and it worked and felt good then...

Yesterday, I was down to feeling like I was in my sixties so I decided to go for a run to loosen up before class and it helped so much.  I then came home and broke out the bottle of ibuprofen again and the menthol (which I scaled back my usage drastically).

Today, I felt thirty-seven.  Hopefully tomorrow I will be thirty again :)  Countdown to next year has begun. 

Disney Wine and Dine Half

 So, on Friday morning the parents and I packed up and started the drive down to Orlando for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon for which I had been raising money on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (where we- you and me- raised $2800 dollars for this amazing cause!).

On the way down we had to make a stop at the GOASIS in Brunswick, Ga.  I don't normally take pictures of rest stop restrooms, however, the GOASIS is the nicest truck stop/gas station EVER and you should know to stop there if you are passing through.  They also have a great assortment of snacks, movies, and random other treats that are not at your average stop.

 We arrived at the Disney Contemporary Resort which was where the Team in Training participants were staying and I got checked into this fabulous room.  Below and to the right are pictures of the room, patio, and garden at the resort.  My roommate was a really nice, fun girl from the Florida Chapter.

After checking into my room we left to check my parents into their room at a local resort that was very generously donated for use by a coworker.

It was then about time for dinner where we were meeting the other members of the South Carolina Team.  We were meeting at Portobello's  in Downtown Disney.  I was the only one from Columbia, there was one from Greenville, six from Charleston, and two from Hilton Head.  We had a nice, relaxing, get to know you dinner.  From there it was some looking around/window shopping then back to the room for bed. 

 

I got up early the next morning to back to packet pickup and the expo.  Where I had to put on blinders so that I didn't spend every penny I owned.  There was stuff every where from Craisin taste tests, shoes, Greek yogurt, sweaty bands (and you know I have trouble around those), Chiquita pinko, and running clothes.  The only thing I didn't see was the one (ok two) things I was looking for.  I wanted the mickey shaped 13.1 sticker and I wanted some running ears.  Sadly, I found neither. 

But I did get a lot of awesome stuff in the the goody bag and a shirt that proclaims "I am only half crazy 13.1"  I did really well restraining myself :)

 

Then it was time for our inspiration brunch where we all mingled and heard a little more about why we are/were doing what we were.  Then we learned that the Disney group had raised over $500,000 dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!  After lunch it was time to go back to the room to catch a nap before we met back up at 7:15 to get ready to shuttle to the race.

We got on our shuttle only to find out that the highway patrol had already shut down the major entrances into the Wide World of Sports (early).  So after riding around for an hour we finally found an entrance that was open.  The good news was that we were able to sit that extra hour rather than standing around waiting.

Then, around 9:30 it was time to head to the corrals.  I was in corral E so even though the event started at 10pm, my group started at 10:20. Every five minutes we inched forward a little more until finally we reached the start.

One really fun thing about Disney races is that they have entertainment along the course in the form of characters and performers. 

Along the way there were many to see, music playing, and pictures to take.  I stopped for the fairy godmothers (where I wished for the patience to deal with some of my fellow runners and to finish strong- since there was still the after party to attend) and for one of the army men from Toy Story ('cause we all know I love a man in uniform- even if he is green). 

 We got to run though the Animal Kingdom which was fun, but narrow, and is what caused me to wish for patience since people were walking five and six across and it was very hard to get ahead of them.  And we got to run though Hollywood Studios and circle the Tower of Terror.

One thing that definitely added some time to my race, in addition to stopping for pictures though out the course, and this is totally TMI, but I had to stop at every restroom I passed.  Not because I had to actually go, but because it was a night race, even though there were port-a-johns everywhere.  It was a night race.  I don't what one lit up like a spotlight, but a little light is nice.  So when I was in the parks I stopped "just in case".  Because they port-a-johns are scary enough when you can see.  If the people in front of you couldn't see I am not going anywhere near that.

And then finally I finished!  I had run for two days (hehehe).  I got my medal and I was off into the park for some fun.  I got back to the hotel around 3:30am and was wide awake (I couldn't move at this point but also couldn't sleep).  My roommate came in around 4am and we talked for about an hour.  I got up early for breakfast, but then crawled right back into the bed.

That night we went to dinner at Ohona's at the Polynesian Resort.  Which was full, so we got on the wait list.  While waiting a six top opened up, so the couple behind us sat with us so we could all eat there.  It was a family style meal that just kept coming and was amazing!  And sent me into a carb coma.  So it was to bed I went about 10pm that night.  

But first I had a purchase to make.  We were headed out in the morning and while they were not the ears I really wanted I picked up these and they are pretty cute and fun.  I don't care that I won't ever really wear them.  Although I could, maybe for another Disney race...