runDisney Expo Fun

This past weekend, of course, was the supremely epic Disneyland Half weekend. Comprised of a 5K on Saturday, 10K and kid's runs on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday, you also have a chance to earn your Dumbo Double Dare glory (10K and half marathon combo). I didn't have the chance to register this year, but I'll be jumping on it for sure come January for 2016! But that doesn't mean I didn't get to play and join in on the fun! I got to work the Star Wars weekend in January and had such a blast, I was jumping at the chance to play again for this weekend's events.

Mandatory.

I was hoping to get down to the expo Thursday night after work, but that just wasn't happening, so Friday morning I was up 'n early to get out the door and get down to Anaheim. It's only about an hour drive from where I am, and given that my car was being serviced on the way, traffic was already light and I was down and at the park front gates by 11 am. I had time before my 12 pm shift with Sparkly Soul, so naturally I made my way into California Adventure, hit up the single rider line and was in and on Radiator Springs in no time.

After the ride, I got myself back together and made my way over to the Disneyland Hotel where runDisney race expos always are. I swear, there's something magical about walking through Downtown Disney, seeing all these runners and "your kinda people" getting all excited about the weekend's adventures. I made it to Sparkly Soul just about 11:45 only to find that they had let folks into the expo early and there was already quite a crowd! Jumped in and had some fun with Pamela and Dari and got lots of chances to see some fabulous friends' faces!

Sparkly Soul love - Brandi & me ; super squad Pamela, me, Carlee, Brandi ; & the fabulous Carlee & me!

It's always such a blast getting to introduct Sparkly Soul to folks who are originally just trying to find that last thing to complete their race costume, or seeing SS super-fans ooh and aah over the new bow collection (just in time to be Minnie, right?)! I was at the expo until about 6 pm on Friday, then fought my way home to get to Doug's football game -- late, naturally, but nonetheless, I was there! What a day!

They always roll out the carpet in style!

Saturday morning wasn't an easier - I had two shifts to volunteer at the expo that were back-to-back, so I was scheduled to be in the Hotel and expo from 7 am - 5 pm. Man, that's like a day at work! What lots of folks don't know (or maybe they do?) is that usually when you volunteer two shifts in a weekend, you earn a one-day park hopper ticket. For a lot of folks, that's a STEAL and their way into the park for an upcoming day. Total bonus in my book. You also get a volunteer shirt (that are always adorable) and fed some pretty fabulous food too. Better yet? Getting to meet and connect with awesome volunteers, vendors and people who just love combining running and Disney. Wins all around!

I got to the hotel about 6:45 am, just in time to make my way through Downtown Disney to snake through the last of the 10K course and cheer on some runners as they made their way! There were so many great costumes and I wish I had gotten to see more - I love the creativity some people bring out! Especially since the 10K had a villain-theme, there were many more villains than you typically see at a Disney race! 

My day was spent working with the super fab folks at GET Travel Sports, a company that works all the runDisney events (and then some!) to combine race registrations, ticket packages and even hotel reservations in both California and Florida. Michelle, Troy and Bill were a total blast to work for and with for 8 hours and I am so grateful to have had a fun 'station' to hang out at all day long!

After  my shift was over, Doug came down to hang out at the parks (and get his AP!) so we had a late-night date night at Disneyland where he got to see the fireworks and the castle and all the fun for the first time. I swear, this new fireworks show will never, ever get old. Nor will the Disney magic. 

All in all, an amazing weekend! Congratulations to alllll the runners, but tons of friends and blends I know that kicked tail and completed the DDD challenge this weekend - Brandi and Carlee included! See ya next year, and that's a promise!

Did you run the Dumbo Double Dare this year? Do you run in costume?

Disney Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend Expo Fun

Last weekend, I had the superbly wonderful opportunity to represent Sparkly Soul again (like in October) at the inaugural Disneyland Star Wars Half Marathon weekend. 

Disney expos are no joke - especially since this was slated to be a BIG race, being an inaugural one and all, we were prepping for some long days! Set up on Wednesday, 9:30-8 on Thursday, 8:30-8 on Friday, and who knows what crazy hours on Saturday. Because it was a multi-race weekend (5K on Friday, 10K on Saturday, half on Sunday), it was an extended expo as well.  I was only there for some set up, all day Thursday and most of Friday before heading out to Austin. 

(Seemingly) Unlike Rock 'n Roll, which is pretty relaxed in nature, runDisney expos have all kinds of guidelines and expectations of its vendors. First off, vendors are invited to participate in the expos - booths are hard to come by and are uber expensive, at that, so getting selected to have a booth at any runDisney weekend is a major deal. 

Vendors are fully expected to have their booth set up, product displays complete and be ready to go no less than 15 minutes before the doors open. You think this wouldn't be hard, but given the other expos I've worked at/seen, there are always vendors scrambling until the last minute, and even then some. We even had two staff members come fix our banner becaue it was drooping a little too much for their taste. 

We weren't allowed to wear jeans. Not that we did for Sparkly Soul at RnR anyway, but you saw no (if any) vendors wearing jeans at their booths. Again, it's a race expo, so who wants to wear jeans anyway? But you get my drift. 

We also weren't allowed to sit - like ever. Apparently at past expos, photos have been taken of vendors and sent to their company, being like, "Hey, tell your people that sitting isn't okay." The only reason a vendor should be sitting is basically to demonstrate how a product works to a customer. Fascinating, right?

But MAN runDisney expos are seriously amazing. I've only been to one Disney race, mind you, and I remember being totally excited and overwhelmed because it was my first big race and I had no idea expos took on such personalities! Yes, expos have personalities, and runDisney certainly lives up to the Disney name and hype.

I even got to drive through the 5K start line a few times, and walked underneath the finish line a few times while going back and forth from parking to the Disneyland Hotel where the expo was. Being around all the finish lines, race buzz and expo fun makes me REALLY excited for the Pixie Dust Challenge in May, my first west coast Disney race!

Did you run Star Wars this weekend? Do Disney expos live up to the hype of the Disney brand in general?

Rock 'n Roll Los Angeles Expo

I'm posting from my phone for the first time ever... how weird!

Anyway -- I am SUPER excited to be working with SparklySoul this weekend at the Rock n Roll LA expo. We're on to Day 2 today. 

After volunteering at the LB expo with the New Years Race team, I've decided I absolutely LOVE the energy of an expo - certainly not easy, but such a blast! 

Sparkly Soul (my fave headband company in the history of ever) put out a blast a couple of weeks ago looking for local folks to work the RnR expo. Naturally, I jumped. They teamed me up with Mandy, a recent New York transplant, and we've been kicking tail ever since. 

Expos are such a fun place to meet people, hear their running stories (in this case) and convince them that YES, they need some sparkly, fun love in their lives. Such a freaking blast!

Thanks so much, Sparkly Soul, for this AWESOME opportunity! 

Are you a Sparkly Soul lover like me?! 

Megan

Review: KT Tape

As I mentioned in my expo recap, I finally got the opportunity to try KT Tape. I’ve wanted to prior, but the lines have always been an hour+ long and I didn’t want to spend the $20 on a roll before I got to talk to someone and be shown how to properly apply . Yes, there are tons of instructional videos out there, but I prefer that old-school way of talking to people.

One of my dear besties, Tina, used KT Tape for her shin splints during the Surf City Half and now swears by the stuff, so I knew it was a good thing to at least give a try... 

My knee’s been bothering me a little bit lately, though I can’t pin-point where or what.  I still wasn’t sure come Saturday afternoon, but after spending 13 hours in heels on Friday, I figured a little extra stability in my run on Sunday surely couldn’t hurt.

I had my knee done up – even with the exciting options of colors! KT Tape has some of the brightest, most obnoxious colors out there and needless to say, I’m in love. 

So.. how does this stuff work, you ask? I had to ask too – I know it helps, but how? According to their website, “KT Tape is applied along muscles, ligaments, and tendons (soft tissue) to provide a lightweight, strong, external support that helps to prevent injury and speed recovery. KT Tape works differently for different injuries… Depending on how it is applied, KT Tape supports, enables, or restricts soft tissue and its movement. By stretching and recoiling like a rubber band, KT Tape augments tissue function and distributes loads away from inflamed or damaged muscles and tendons, thereby protecting tissues from further injury.”

Did it work? Well, I think so. I’m starting to think my tightness in my knee is more along the lines of an IT band issue rather than solidly into my knee. My next long run/race I’m going to look into KTing again along the side of my knee and seeing how it goes. 

The only pain about this stuff is ripping it off after you're over it - they say it can stay in place (even through water) for up to 7 days!  After two days it was tough to rip off and hurt like a mofo to get off even under hot water in the shower. Just like ripping off a band-aid... but worse. But hey! It stuck! They stick to that part right (pun not intended, but acknowledged. Ha!), and I can only imagine what taking it off 5 days later would feel like. 

All in all, I'm starting to become convinced. Looking forward to the next time around and seeing if it aids in what I think is my issue - we'll see!

Have you used KT Tape before? Are you a regular believer?

Race Report: Surf City Marathon [The Expo]

On Thursday night, inbetween the constant paranoia of missing my 4:50 alarm, I had a dream. And yes, this is vital to you being able to enjoy this post. Read on. My dream goes as such: It is race morning. I am in my corral, ready to go, though somehow, not in the last corral. When, suddenly, a series of half a dozen tornadoes come ripping through Southern California (Megan note: this was obviously in the wake of the giant tornado that ripped through north Georgia earlier in the week), and so last minute (literally, last minute), they decided to move the race. Where to? Flagstaff, Arizona. Naturally. So we all take off - yes, as in start running to Flagstaff, a mere 500 miles away. Unbeknownst to me, my dearest friend Tina has been conspiring with my boyfriend for some time to surprise me at the finish line of my first full marathon. So here I am, running to Flagstaff, when I get a call from Tina who asks "Where are you? I'm in Chino (my hometown) and I heard the race got cancelled!" and I reply and say "I'm in Flagstaff, in the race!" Not much longer, (at some point), I'm sitting on a bench in Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, and eventually find my way to downtown Flag, where the finish line is... not moments after my parents, boyfriend, Tina and her husband apparently drove from Southern California. We all made it at the same time. Obviously.

Ah, dreams. If only I had known... but that's for later down the road. I'll hold you in anticipation. Katy Beth, Heather, Kasey and I have been planning this for months, to all come together and run Surf City - Kasey and I for the full, KB and HP for the half.  I got in early Friday morning to Ontario, Heather was flying in that afternoon, Kasey arrived Thursday night, and Katy Beth would be driving in from Vegas that evening. Such a great collection of places, love it! Friday night we took my parents out for a thanks-for-letting-us-crash-the-house and happy-birthday-mom dinner to PF Changs. Delicious! Sadly... I forgot the photos.

Views from the top!

Saturday morning my mom convinced us to all go for a walk with my aunt near our home on a beautiful rolling course with some pretty extraordinary views. Since I was prepping for a two-mile shake out run anyway, I figured a few miles' walk would be alright, just to take it easy.

Birthday lady and me.

Me, HP and Kasey on a gorgeous morning walk!

So glad I did that - Katy Beth stayed behind in bed, but oh man, girl. You missed out! Happy birthday to my mom and a great way to kick off the weekend. After Starbucks, showers, and discussion of the day's plans, we were off! ... to breakfast. Many thanks to the powers of Yelp (and not knowing all the places that have popped up in my own city), we found the most adorable breakfast place, The Avocado House, and happily gorged on last carbo-loading efforts of pancakes, omelettes, fruit and country potatoes. Fantastic.

Can you say delicious?

After a stop at Dick's for some last minute race gear, we were finally off to the expo - Katy Beth was particularly antsy. She had ordered a Team Sparkle skirt that hadn't arrived to Vegas by the time she left - lucky for us (her, that is), they are based locally in California and were literally on our way to the expo. Such luck - they left her skirt on the porch! Now that's customer service.

Finally, it was expo time. This is where my nerves really started kicking in - it was real. It's here. I'm picking up my packet to run a marathon. Holy ----. Eeep! Thankfully, I'm easily distracted by photos and all the fun and buzz around an expo that it's easy to forget the nerves for a little while. So we stopped as soon as we hit the entrance for a few photos:

Last attempt at calming my nerves.

Do you see that girl waving in the window of that last picture? Do you remember my dream? That my friends, in the black shirt, is my dearest, bestest Tina. Is your jaw on the floor yet? Mine was. And then the tears just started to pour. Ugly crying. In the middle of the expo entryway. Flattering, surely.

Unbelievable surprise. THEY ALL KNEW. Except me. Tina had been working with Heather for months, who in turn told Kasey, and they eventually filled in Katy Beth and my parents on Friday night. Tina and her husband, Jon, drove in from Phoenix on Saturday morning and had beenwaiting at the expo for nearly an hour for us to get there! Un-freaking-believable. As she says, "I was only 5 hours away! Did you not think I wouldn't be here for your first marathon?!" Well, no. Apparently I just have really scary creepy intuition (which explains why, when I told the other girls my dream, they weren't all that phased by it... and that confused me). .

After lots more tears, it was time for pick up. This ish got real. And we got nervous.

And that was that - bib in hand, lucky number 3609, shirt in hand... it's expo and shopping time! I got a little carried away, admittedly. I got myself two more race things, on top of the race shirt: another race shirt and the finisher's jacket. Hey! You only get one first marathon, right? Make it count. Love my new swag! The expo itself was really well organized, though busy, but not surprising since were there at 3 in the afternoon the day before the race. Tons of vendors, free samples, and all kinds of good stuff. And the best part were the photo opportunities! They know just how to cater to me!

ALL of us!

And then it was beach time... I said all day I wanted a jumping beach photo, since we wouldn't have legs after the race on Sunday to do it, and that I'd have to find a poor schmuck to take the four of us' photo 19 times over until it worked. Well, lucky for us, Jon became our schmuck (thank you Jon!) and got a great shot not long into our photo shoot. Such a fantastic afternoon! 

We headed home, invited Jon and Tina up for dinner (they were staying near the race), and had our pre-race carb runner's fest. Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and an intended movie night with Spirit of the Marathon, that we all kind of forgot about and then ran out of time for. Great friends, boyfriend, laughs, drinks, and food... aaaaah the food.

And just like that... Saturday night. Early alarm clocks (3:50 am). Dear God, just let me sleep...

Race day is coming! Stay tuned!

Race Report: Hot Chocolate Atlanta 15K [The Expo]

Hot Chocolate 15K Expo | January 11-12, 2013

Atlanta, GA

Before I start my post(s) about the Hot Chocolate race, I want to clarify two things: first, I did serve as an Ambassador for HC Atlanta, which solely meant that  I got to help promote the race and got a few free race things (not a race entry); and b) despite knowing issues with RAM Racing in the likes of DC and Chicago, I was trying to remember to be [cautiously] optimistic given that Atlanta is a new city for them. That being said...

Expo time! Who doesn't love a good expo? My sister and I headed over to the Georgia World Congress Center on Friday night right after I picked her up from the airport to pick up hers, mine and Heather's bibs and sweet goodie bags.

Friday morning was a little nerve-wracking: my sister had forwarded me a pre-race email that she had gotten earlier in the week - that I never got! That also had the link to buy your parking permit for race day parking at Turner Field. After about 5 minutes of reading the email, and going to the link, it didn't work! Not long after, Hot Chocolate folks were replying to Facebook posts and questions and indicated that race day parking was sold out. Um what? Not even all of us got this pre-race email! Super. However, they did have a plan already in place to run free shuttles from downtown Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park, so okay, there's a back up plan in place. Too bad the shuttles would be a) chaotic and b) there's a Falcons play off game Sunday at 1 (not that they could have planned for that). My hopes of being optimistic as possible were dashed a bit.

The expo itself was small - Hot Chocolate race gear (LOTS of fun stuff!), Big Peach (local sponsor) had a huge blow-out store area, and Rock and Roll Savannah and the Georgia Publix Marathon folks were out with race sign ups. There was a kiddie area, in addition to a chocolate display and free samples of chocolate squares and hot chocolate that we'll get at the race (the more chocolate, the better!).

Bib pick up is split up by the race (whether you're a 5Ker or a 15Ker), and then you're guided on to get  your swag bag - your sweatshirt, a hat (if you got one with a promo code). Being that the sweatshirts run small (they fit short), they had set up a Jacket Swap area, with already-opened sweatshirts for you to try on a size, so if needed, you could exchange your hoodie for a correct size. I appreciated this fact - this way, you're ensured to get a new sweatshirt that someone already hasn't busted open and tried on. Smart thinking. Thanks RAM Racing!

Georgia Publix medals - half marathon (L) and marathon (R).

We walked around a little bit longer, checked out the medals for the Georgia Publix race (I'm running the half) and headed out. They had just revealed these not too long ago on their Facebook page. So excited about the sparkly, glittery green goodness these medals are! How fun! I guess you can get away with such things with a race on St. Patrick's Day! The full marathon medal is the same design as the half, just a  bit bigger and a different color ribbon.

Turns out Heather was able to buy parking that afternoon (even though they were "sold out"?), so we grabbed that on our way out. And that was it. Easy, quick, mellow. Super. And that was it! Easy peasy! Have to love an easy expo.

The only true unfortunate part of the expo, and not that this could be helped (though could with a different venue) was paying $10 for parking, for what literally was a 15 minute trip through the expo. I feel that there could either be better locations to allow for a free expo or working with venues to accomodate and either vouch parking or provide a discount of some kind. Ah well.

Are you running Hot Chocolate Atlanta? The 5K or 15K? Hope to see you there!

I served as an Ambassador for the Atlanta Hot Chocolate race. While I did not receive compensation or a comped race entry fee, I did receive two shirts and a race hat from RAM Racing prior to the race. All opinions and thoughts are my own.