Stopping to pose with Queen Minnie and King Mickey

Last year, when our husbands decided they wanted to run the inaugural Tower of Terror 10-miler at Walt Disney World, my friend Heidi and I thought we would plan a girls weekend to run the Princess Half Marathon together.

Heidi has four children and is no stranger to Disney, but this would be the first visit in quite awhile where she didn’t have kids in tow. The both of us were looking forward to a weekend getaway – and oh yeah, this little matter of running 13.1 miles.

We arrived on Friday morning, got the Magical Express bus to the Happiest Place on Earth, and immediately started having fun, beginning with lunch at one of our favorite Disney restaurants, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. It’s done up to look like a 50s-era drive-in, where you sit in little car booths and watch old cartoons and clips of campy sci-fi movies while the darkened domed room looks like you’re sitting under a starry night sky. We toasted our girls weekend with oh-so-yummy kahlua and Irish cream-spiked milkshakes and wondered what was it about Mars that made its women so aggressive?

Then it was onto the race expo, where we picked up our race numbers. Since Heidi had not run a race before she registered, she had been put in one of the last start corrals. But we had a printout from an October race that qualified her to leapfrog and get put into the B corral along with me – and a few thousand other women. Yay! That meant more time for photo ops along the route. Then it was onto expo shopping, which for runners, is a little like what kids must feel in a toy store at Christmas. Neither of us had brought a pink shirt, thinking the expo would be a sea of pink.  Well, not so much. Sure, there was a lot of pink, but not as much as you’d expect, and none of it particularly fabulous. Heidi did buy a pink running skirt (I already had one from my previous Disney HM – the Wine & Dine) and we also got “I Did It!” Princess shirts, but you can’t say “I Did It!” while you’re in the process of doing it – that’s just asking for a sprained ankle.  We decided we’d find something pink and girly at Magic Kingdom or Downtown Disney the next day. We would pay for our naïveté later.

Later that night we headed over to Epcot for our dinner spot, a new-to-us restaurant, Via Napoli, an upscale pizzeria located in the Italy section of Epcot’s World Showcase. We started with a pre-dessert, AKA cocktails. Heidi had the cannoli martini and I the tiramisu martini. Yum! After supper, we couldn’t resist dessert (in our defense, it was included in our dining plan) and had the most amazing pistachio gelato. Seriously, we still talk about it’s delectable deliciousness.

On Saturday, we spent the day at Magical Kingdom, enjoying the rides, sights and food of Disney. Their newest restaurant, Be Our Guest, has gotten both rave reviews and complaints about its long lines. But we were able to get in line and get seated within 30 minutes or so. The restaurant is set up to look like the castle from Beauty and the Beast, complete with the enchanted rose and a painting of the prince that turned beastly when the thunder and lightning struck just so. While we checked the shops at Magical Kingdom, we were still without a pink shirt, and time was running out. So we boarded the bus for Downtown Disney, which took forever and a day, and it was close to 7pm before we arrived. Now, the race was scheduled to start at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, but we had to be on the bus to the start area by 3:30, which meant getting up at 3:00 a.m. So the plan was to be back to our hotel for a relaxing evening and in bed by 9pm. As we frantically roamed the shops of Disney, searching in vain for a pink shirt that we could wear while running, it was glaringly obvious we weren’t going to make that goal. Somewhat deflated, I found a pale pink shirt with Minnie on it and Heidi decided to use her backup RunDisney shirt and so around 8:30 we made our way back to the bus area. Along the way we passed a store that did custom shirts, and what do you know, they had princess styles. We ordered ours and then proceeded to wait the hour until the shirts would be ready, bringing us up to 9:30. Feeling happy about our new shirts, we finally boarded the bus back to our hotel, turning in just after 11:00 pm.

Having managed to get a few hours’ sleep, we got up and were at the start area in our princess finery by 4am. Thank the gods – and Disney – they had coffee available at the start area so I was able to get some caffeine in my system. We had to walk about a mile to the actual start corrals, so between that and a few port-a-potty stops, it wasn’t long before 5:30 arrived and the blast of fireworks indicated we were on our way! The humidity was an issue even at 5:30 and didn’t let up – it was around 94%, which is about as wet as you can get without actual rain, and pretty warm for February, even in Florida. Those runners from northern climes must have been burning up.

The Princess race begins just outside Epcot and traverses the roads to Magic Kingdom, where it winds through the park, including Cinderella’s castle, before looping back and finishing at Epcot. Being a Disney race, they have characters interspersed along the route for those who want to stop for photos. Our first stop was about 2 miles in, and featured Captains Jack and Barbossa along with their pirate ship. After a 10-minute wait, we quickly snapped a photo and ran on. While it had been our plan to stop at every character, just that one foray was enough to ignite the competitor in Heidi, who proclaimed the wait lines were killing our time. We decided then to only stop at the ones we deemed worthy, so we bypassed the princes (sorry, guys!) and the cute critters from A Bug’s Life. But then just as you entered the Magic Kingdom, the sounds of AC/DC’s Back in Black drifted in the air and we came upon the Disney villainesses – Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Cinderella’s evil stepsisters and the enchanted mirror from Snow White – and we knew we were stopping for this photo and another wait in line.  Then it was on into the park, running down Main Street and past cheering crowds as we came up to the entrance of Cinderella’s castle, where Queen Minnie and King Mickey were waiting for us. We stopped again for what would be our last photo op, bypassing Mary Poppins and her chimney sweeps, Alice and her motley crew, Princess Tiana, the green army man (who LIED when he said we had only that one ‘hill’ to run, really an on-ramp, Florida’s version of hills) and others I can’t even remember. Around mile 8, we came up to the playing of the race theme song, chosen in advance by people who voted on RunDisney’s facebook page. By that point, the beat of Alicia Key’s Girl on Fire was just about right for our running pace, although personally I’d voted for Kelly Clarkson’s Catch My Breath. Besides the photo ops, we stopped to walk at some of the many water stations Disney has set up along the course, but other than that, we ran (albeit slowly) pretty much the entire course. At some points, you couldn’t help but run slowly, since it was SO crowded. This was the first race I’ve ever done where the crowds didn’t really thin out. We did a lot of weaving and even ran on the grassy edges by the road a few times, just to get past the crowd.

Proudly showing off our race bling!

As we entered Epcot, running around the giant ball, we knew we were getting close. And then finally, over three hours after beginning, we were coming up to the finish line. Taking out the time we stopped for photos (which I did by pausing my Runkeeper), we finished the race in 2:45, running 13.53 miles (thanks to all that weaving). We did it – we were Disney princesses! After a hot shower and a meal, we (slowly) walked to a spa near our hotel for an hour-long deep tissue and foot massage and I just have to say, WHY did I never do that after any of my other races. It was absolute heaven. But of course, all that relaxation made us sleepy, so we decided a nap was in order. Um yeah, a 2-hour nap.

One of the fun things about running at Disney is that everyone wears their medals afterwards. So of course, we did. And got congratulated by other Princesses as we walked around the park, asked by strangers what the medals were for, and generally felt like a (sub D-list) celebrity for a few hours.

The next day was sadly, our last day at Disney. We got in a quick visit to Animal Kingdom, riding the Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest before making the not-so-magical bus trip back to the airport and reality.

Here’s how it all went down.

My friend, Heidi, has long known my contempt for fantasy romance novels. I would scoff and roll my eyes whenever she would gush over some sexy character or titillating scene. But then she tricked me. Back in December, knowing my obsession fondness for anything about Vlad III (aka Vlad the Impaler), she slipped a little book into my hand, telling me it featured Vlad and that I would like it.

Um, yeah. Understatement.

First of all, just look at the cover. It’s Hot with a capital H. Would that the real Vlad actually looked like this. (From now on, in my mind, he does.)

Add in a non-simpering heroine, some witty banter, a bit of fighting, some steamy sex, a good dollop of humor and you have the makings of crack, literary crack.

Now you’ve heard how a drug dealer will give a little freebie, so you get the need for it and want more? That’s what Heidi and this book did to me. Before I knew it, my library hold list had maxed out; Heidi was slipping more books into my eager hands; I bought a book or two when they couldn’t get them at the library fast enough; and I even traded in some of my own books at the used bookstore to get store credit so I can buy more PNR. Non-PNR library books like Wolf Hall and The Age of Miracles languish on my nightstand, passed by for more salacious reading fare. (I will get to them, I promise. I can stop anytime I want to!)

In the past couple of months, I”ve read the rest of Jeaniene Frost’s books (and most happily feature Vlad at least in some part), all of Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series, am well on my way to devouring J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series and her doppelganger, Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series. I haven’t pulled this many all-nighters since college.

I’ve also read a couple books that would more aptly be categorized as Urban Fantasy, like Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten and Patricia Briggs’ Moon Called. Good books, and I’ll read more, but they’re not crack, at least not for me, not yet.

And even a PNR neophyte like myself had heard of Laurell K. Hamilton. I had recommended her books to many people while at the library and I know she has a huge following. So I started with the first in the Merry Gentry series, A Kiss of Shadows. And had to force my way through it. It’s the unsexiest book about sex that I’ve ever read. And my God, does the woman love to pack in superfluous details. I don’t really care to read pages about the dynamics of levitating teacups, thank you very much.

Aside from those quibbles, I now have to face the fact that I am a reader of paranormal romance. Give me sex, humor, and a vampire, werewolf or demon (or all three) and I’m your girl.  I will be the first to admit these are fluff books with no redeeming value. Well, maybe at least one. But they are fun. And girls just wanna have.

Sing it, Cyndi!

So thanks, Heidi. You can be my pusher any day.

Our finisher's mug wasn't quite this big!

One of my goals for 2013 is to participate in one race a month. For January, that race was the Hot Chocolate 15K in Atlanta. I’ve run 5Ks, 10Ks, and Half Marathons but this was to be my first 15K – or 9.3 miles for those who don’t do metric.

I’d heard about the Hot Chocolate series and was excited to hear they’d be making Atlanta one of their 2013 races. I convinced my niece, Madison, to run it with me. She’s gotten into running in the last year or so as well, and we’ve run a couple of races together, including her first 5K. This was to be her first 15K as well.

Although we’d read some negative comments about race organization in other cities like Chicago and DC, they must have learned their lessons as I had no complaints about the Atlanta race. Well, maybe one – but it’s more of a disappointment than a complaint. For those who don’t know, when you go to pick  up your race packet (which contains your bib and timing chip, etc.), there’s usually an expo with vendors and various goodies. Because of the number of participants for this race (upwards of 20,000) the pickup location was at the Convention Center in Atlanta but there really wasn’t much to the expo besides the official race merchandise and a local running company’s booth. So not much to see or buy – again, a disappointment but nothing major. Besides, instead of the standard tech-shirt, finishers got a cozy hoodie, which is nice because my t-shirt drawer is full-to-overflowing with race shirts!

The race started at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, with the 5K runners going first and then the rest of us doing the 15K route. And in a crowd of 20,000 people, I managed to run into two friends who were also running the 15K. After standing around for an hour or so (again, thankful that it wasn’t a typical cold morning!) we started running, and wound through the surrounding neighborhoods, including Grant Park and Inman Park. Later that day, the Atlanta Falcons were playing a game, so people had already begun tailgating and we ran through neighborhoods to shouts of “Rise Up!” – the Falcons’ rally cry. One of my favorite aspects of running through neighborhoods are the people standing alongside or sitting on their front porches, waving, holding signs and calling out words of encouragement. The people of Atlanta always deliver. Another thing Atlanta delivers on is the hills – you’re pretty much guaranteed to get them in any race, regardless of the route. And this race had them in droves! Finally, after several miles and almost two hours, we saw the Olympic Rings arch at the outskirts of Turner Field  in the distance, which let us know we were close to the finish line. And with that, we were done and ready for chocolate!

The big draw to this race is at the end, you get a finisher’s mug filled with chocolate fondue, goodies for dipping, and a mug of hot chocolate. Yummy! Of course, this just happened to be a weekend when Atlanta was having a warm spell, so by the time we finished the race it was in the high 60s – not all that conducive to a steaming cup of hot chocolate. But it was great not to have to worry about being too cold as we waited for the race to begin, and we got to run in short sleeves in January – who wouldn’t want that? And the chocolate fondue was pure post-race decadence.

This was a fun race and I’ll definitely be doing it again next year.

On the 2013 goals front, one week in and I’m not doing too shabby. I’ve read one book, a paranormal fantasy romance (my latest guilty pleasure), one of the books in the Immortals After Dark series.  I have a couple more books in mid-read,  one is another fantasy novel, Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. I am enjoying it but it’s not quite as fast-paced a read as my recent books – which is not a bad thing. There’s more character and story development, so it’s taking some time for things to get set up. Also, I just can’t keep doing the up-til-4am reading sessions that I was subjecting myself to in recent days. I’m too old for that kind of thing anymore! Also, there’s something to be said for the portability of a mass market that I can slip in my purse and whip out whenever I have a few spare moments to read, and a large hardcover (the format my copy of Bitten is in) that really just sits on my table until I’m home to read it.

The other book occupying my time is The Happiness Project. The book club I started at my church is now in its sixth year and this book is our January selection.  As per my usual course of action, I’ve waiting until the week of the meeting to get and read the book, so here’s hoping it’s a quick, good read.

I was a little more successful in my running progress. I felt crummy during the week with this post-Christmas cold I managed to nab, so I didn’t run until the weekend, when I ran what was supposed to be a 5K (3.1 miles) with my friend, Heidi, for her son’s school fundraiser, but we ended up clocking it in at 2.85 miles according to her GPS. On Sunday, I went out on a solo afternoon run and did 7.15 miles to bring myself up to a weekly total of 10 miles. That’ll be my last long run before next weekend’s Hot Chocolate 15K in Atlanta. Chocolate at the end of a race? Yes, please!

Throughout the rest of the year, I made my way south to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the trail. Although I’ve hiked for years, I’d never done any backpacking, and this also changed in 2012. I did my first overnight backpacking trip in April, with a women’s hiking group – and loved it. Some of my Georgia AT hikes were backpacking trips, including another women’s group overnighter, when I tried out sleeping in a hammock for the first time – and was rocked to sleep by the wind blowing through the trees as screech owls called in the night. Another time, my friend Alicia and I went out on our own and spent two nights on the trail, getting to know one another more as only several miles of hiking together and sharing a small tent space will do! Watching (and feeling) a storm roll over a mountaintop while sitting in a wooden shelter is something I’ll never forget. (Neither will I forget the yellow jackets in the privy, right, Alicia?)  Those first couple of forays into backpacking were addictive, and when Alicia invited me to join her and a few friends for a week-long 55-mile backpacking trip on the AT in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, I jumped at the chance. That week was a highlight of my year, and made memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. I hope to be able to do another AT trip again with them in 2013.

At the GA/NC border; and atop Springer Mountain

In the last few days of December, I was scrambling to find someone and some way to hike the last few miles to Springer. Earlier in the month, a hike attempt was thwarted when Alicia, Mike and I inadvertently served as “trail angels,” helping a woman who had become seriously ill by calling 911 and waiting with her until the medics arrived. As the remaining days in 2012 passed by, plans to hike were made and canceled, as weather and illness reared their ugly heads. Finally, on December 30, Mike and I drove up to Springer Mountain, making our way on a snow-covered forest road to the parking area near the summit, where we met up with one of the most famous AT shuttle drivers out there, Wes Wisson, who has been shuttling AT hikers from one trailhead to another for 23 years, including Bill Bryson. Mr. Wisson had agreed to meet us at the Springer trailhead and take us to Hightower Gap, 8 miles north. After dropping us off and wishing us well, Mike and I started out on what would be my final hike to complete the trail. On this day, it was a little warmer than our first hike of the year, as the wind chill temperature was a balmy (ha!) 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 Celsius) and again we had the sun shining on us. The treetops were lined with ice and the trail was dusted with snow, making our last hike of the year a beautiful winter wonderland. The last mile to the top of Springer was the most treacherous, as the trail snaking up the mountainside was covered in ice, making for a very slow ascent. But before too long, I was at the top, and completing my goal. My year of hiking was bookended by hikes with my husband, and in between I hiked with him and with friends – and those shared miles were the best part. My heart and thanks are with each person who helped me achieve my goal.

Sharing a moment with Geraldine Brooks

My reading and blogging habits in 2012 were less successful, as it was the first year I neglected to review a single book, although I did still manage to keep a log of the books I read this year and finished 40 books. I wouldn’t have reached that number if my friend Heidi hadn’t finally managed to hook me on paranormal fantasy/romance, something for which I’m not sure whether to thank or curse her. (I kid, I kid.) Earlier in the year, I finally jumped on the Dragon Tattoo bandwagon and read the three books in that trilogy. I read several stand-out books, including Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Other literary highlights in 2012 included meeting two of my favorite authors, Margot Livesey and Geraldine Brooks.

In 2013, I’ve set myself two sets of challenges, one physical and one cerebral. I’ve challenged myself to run 500 miles over the course of the year and to participate in at least one race a month. I’ve already got several races lined up for the year, so barring any injuries, that shouldn’t be a problem. The other challenge is a little more lofty, as I’ve pledged to read 100 books and revive my dormant blog by posting here once a week. Wish me luck!