The happiest place on earth

My beautiful alma mater, Bucknell University...

The men's basketball team plays UConn today in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  Go Bison!!  Let's repeat 2005!

*Photo from Bucknell.
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Monday Musings

Today was my first time back in the gym since the race.  I have been sick since I got back and also enjoying my new found sedentary lifestyle, hence the 2 week hiatus.  But in true fashion, I knew it wouldn't be lasting as I'm a gym rat and enjoy the opportunity to blow off steam at the end of the day.  As I grabbed my towel, water bottle and shuffle, I realized that I had no idea what song played as I crossed the finish line.  This was a nice little carrot that made me eager to find an elliptical machine at the gym and click "play." 

As soon as I hit the play button, I relived this "amazing journey" (okay, I'm watching the Bachelor as I type this...) and it brought me back in time.  This song also happened to play as I was running down Main Street in Magic Kingdom (mile 5.5-ish).  I remember feeling like I was running on a cloud and grinned from ear to ear as hundreds of people cheered for us as we rapidly approached the gorgeous castle.  Awesome and very vivid memory!

I also remember at around mile 8 or 9, desperately needing a pick me up as I struggled with what I then thought was a mental block, but really proved to be completely physical (see also: one hour in medical tent post-race).  I clicked through what seemed like a gazillion songs on my shuffle until I found it again.  And then, I likely listened to it on repeat for the rest of the race.  To be honest, I don't really remember and details for the last hour or so are quite fuzzy.  This still bums me out because even though I felt awful, I wish I had better (dare I say happier) memories.  But I know that a good beat helped me cross that line as Mom and I "sprinted" past a LOT of people for the last mile or so...a quick burst of musical-enduced energy was all I needed.  And it felt good to tick off competitors that close to the line.

As I happily bopped around on the elliptical tonight and reveled in my low-impact workout, I contemplated another half marathon and what it would take for me to cross the line again...and I thought about one with clearer memories and a more healthy end to the race.  Who knows, maybe I won't swear off running after all.
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Race recap

When I desperately pleaded for my Mom and Aunt to join me in the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I didn't think there was a chance that one, let alone both of them would bite.  Lucky for me, they did and we had an awesome time at the race!  My Mom and I finished in under 2:30 which was my initial goal.  And best of all, my sweet Auntie won her age category!!  Pretty amazing, eh?  She finished in 1:55 and was in the first corral of elite runners.  We are so proud of her!

Clockwise from top left: Getting my race bib at the Expo; the course map, our insane wake-up time; Mom and I clocked our chip times on our watches (she finished one second before me!); Getting ready to line up in our corral; the 3 finishers (I have a new top...I'll explain later); and Mom in line at the Expo

After the race, we stayed for a few days of fun in the parks.  And for the first two days, we wore our post-race duds.  For the first day, I made us t-shirts that said "We love Disney so much we ran through it" and on the 2nd day, we wore our "I did it" race shirts.  It was awesome getting so many compliments from the park employees.  We even picked up a few freebies when they found out we had a winner in our group!

Clockwise from top left: Auntie and I enjoying Expedition Everest; meeting Pooh bear; meeting Mickey and Minnie...the perfect end to our day in Magic Kingdom; Mom and I in Epcot with the beautiful topiaries;me with Piglet and Eeyore topiary...Mom pointed this out as we ran by but unfortunately I as too tired to enjoy it; the group in Animal Kingdom; the group in front of the castle.

The lows:
* The Expo - we waited nearly 2 hours to get our bibs
* Hanging out in the medical tent for an hour post race with a fever, low blood pressure and other scary vitals.  Luckily the medical team was amazing and got me back to normal quickly.  But I did get a free shirt (note the red shirt in our medal photo).

The highs:
* Auntie's awesome win!
* Finishing the race within my goal time
* Running down Main Street in Magic Kingdom with a million people cheering for you
* Sharing an awesome experience with my Mom and godmother
* The medical staff
* Enjoying the Florida sun
* Seeing characters and all sorts of cool Disney stuff as we ran the course

Overall, it was a pretty amazing experience and I am so proud that we finished the race!  After all the medical drama, I likely won't be running another half anytime soon, but I am so glad to have checked that box off my list!
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Me again

Yes, I know February was a dead zone for me.  I was lacking inspiration and busy with a major milestone...more on that in another post. 

Like I've mentioned previously, I'm part of a small contingent of gals who still wears a suit to work every day.  And unfortunately, the Ann Taylor at our local (more high-end) mall recently closed, so I've been left with fewer brick and mortar options for suit shopping.  But alas, I perservered (suit shopping is a challenge, my friends) and  found a hidden gem last fall - Ross.  You know the discount store, like Marshall's and TJ Maxx?  It's a gold mine for suits, typically late in the summer or early in the fall.  They carry Calvin Klein, Nine West, Elie Tahari and Ann Klein.  I bought 3 - two Calvin Klein and one Ann Klein...for under $200.  Pretty awesome, eh?  The only hitch is that they weren't petite sizes so alas, they were a big lengthy on my 5'3'' frame.  As you know, one of my mantras is a good tailor is worth its weight in gold.  I took my new purchases to the tailor and for $30 each, I had both the sleeves and pants/skirts hemmed.  Now they look like they were custom fit for me...at a grand total of $90 each!

When I'm looking at "cheap" suits that will require alterations, I usually look for simple detailing and an overall decent fit.  For example, sleeves with buttons will be more costly to hem because the buttons may need to be moved and even a new button hole created.  I also look to find pants and skirts that fit in the waist and hips.  Typically, alterations to the body of an outfit are more expensive, so I look for a reasonable fit.  And another general rule, anything with a lining will be more expensive for alterations, because there are two fabrics/layers to adjust.  Happy shopping! 

*Photo courtesy of Overstock.
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Who knew...role reversal

Hi Bloggers,
Is there a good app for the iphone for blogger?  I just upgraded from my flip phone to an iphone and I'm looking to add blogging to my repertoire of neat things I can do from my phone.  Help a girl out!

Thanks,
PTHH
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