GollyGadget
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2017
More dog photos please ☺☺
Up Where They Walk, Up Where They Run: Going the Distance with Disney & My Dissertation (comments welcome!)
- Thread starter lookingforsunshine
- Start date
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
This is what you meant right?
Haha. In fun news, I spent yesterday at EPCOT! Trip report coming later. And more pics of my dogs when I return home
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
A Belated Trip Report: EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival March 2022
(Image description: A Goofy topiary and Flower and Garden festival sign among a flower bed in front of Spaceship Earth.)
A few weeks ago, I visited my parents for Spring Break. They live in Tampa, and while the main point of the trip was to get some quiet time to work on my dissertation, I decided to treat them to a day at EPCOT for the Flower & Garden Festival. They have taken me to Disney MANY times over the years, and it was fun to do this for them!
I bought our tickets and made a park reservation for Friday, March 11th in the hopes that we would be there right before the bad spring break crowds hit… more on that later. Of course, drama ensued on Thursday when I was taking a quick shower after work before heading to the airport. While I was in the shower, I got a notification that my flight was cancelled. I had a flight with Allegiant, and they had no other flights until Sunday. Changing Disney ticket reservation days has been a pain— I was on hold for over 4 hours recently trying to resolve an unused ticket matter due to COVID from MW and eventually just gave up— and I was freaking out that I was able to lose hundreds of dollars. Luckily, my mom came up with the idea of seeing if there was an early flight into Orlando that next morning. Then, my parents would drive to the airport from Tampa, pick me up, and we could go straight to the park. Luckily, there was a SW flight that left at 5 am on Friday morning. It was expensive, but I booked it.
The SW flight was relatively painless. I was almost the last person on the plane since I had just booked the flight and thus got a bad boarding number, but I still got a window seat in the front! I sat next to two extraordinarily polite young teenagers. They were very sweet. The plane arrived around 7:30 am, and then I waited at MCO for my parents for about two hours— they couldn’t leave Tampa until they dropped their dog off at daycare. I found a lovey spot on a bench and relaxed, listening to the fountain and watching the beautiful 50th celebration park screen.
(Image description: A fountain in front of a screen showing an image of the 50th Spaceship Earth at MCO.)
We got to the park around 10:30 am. It was fun to see the entrance in its actual use in comparison to MW. I am sure my parents were annoyed when I kept saying “oh! I ran here!” Here are the highlights from our day:
Rides: I didn’t get Genie+ because I wasn’t sure how interested my parents would be in rides and I had been anticipating less crowds. I was wrong, and I wish I had gotten ILLs for Frozen and Remy. We did the Mexico ride, which I don’t think I had ever been on, because it had a short wait. My dad enjoyed pointing out all of the hidden mickeys. My parents used to live in Orlando, and my dad would come to Disney like 5 days a week and walk 6-10 miles. He lost a lot of weight doing it! But he hasn’t been back to Disney much since they moved to Tampa a few years ago.
I had never been on Frozen, and my mom said she would ride it with me. The posted wait time was 90 minutes, and it ended up being 75. A weird thing about standby that I’ve noticed is that you will stay in one spot for a long time. It’s not really consistent progress. My mom had never seen Frozen, so I told her the story. I thought this would get us through a significant part of the line, but we hadn’t even made it past the first section by the time I was done. Maybe I should have sang the songs…
Overall, I thought the ride was fun but wouldn’t wait that long for it again. My butt also got very wet because there was a puddle on my seat. Thankfully I am pretty chill and wasn’t too worried about walking around with a wet butt lol.
We also rode Remy later that night. My dad had never ridden this one so it was all three of us. When we walked past the first posted wait time it said 90 minutes, but then it said 115 minutes when we got to the main entrance. We decided to wait, and this is when I really wished I had tried for ILL. My parents just aren’t used to that much standing, and I think my mom was in pain. There was a lot of standing and waiting without forward progress, and I found the hallways to be claustrophobic. There was a sweet and fun mom and two teen daughters behind us, though. We befriended them, made jokes, and passed the time. Eventually— basically at exactly 115 minutes— we made it to the front! I haven’t seen all of Ratatouille (just the first half on a plane ride), but I thought the ride was fun. The cars were so cute and the magnet system was really neat. I also was impressed by the 4D.
(Image description: A selfie of me in front of an Eeyore and Piglet topiary.)
Shows: We watched the Beauty and the Beast singalong, which was fun. I was in Beauty and the Beast in high school (yours truly was a townsperson and a wine glass). I wish the show had featured more of Belle and included The Mob Song. I didn’t sing aloud because no one needed my off key contributions haha. As a theatre fan, I thought the lobby displays were cool.
(Image description: Belle standing behind a fence and a flower bed, smiling at an unpictured child with her hand behind her ear.)
Food: We did a lot of eating throughout the day, as one does at EPCOT. I was very excited for the Garden Graze challenge since I am vegan. Sadly, I was having stomach issues and only got 2/5 snacks. I think I was just exhausted from the early flight and less than 3 hours of sleep (this seems to be a Disney theme for me). The avocado toast was pretty AND delicious. I had been excited for the potato pancakes with applesauce but didn’t find it that appetizing… probably just because of my stomach pain. I am sad because I wanted the Garden Graze cup that you get for completing the challenge… but I may just buy it on eBay.
(Image description: Avocado toast with a bite taken out of it. The Flower & Garden passport is next to it and there are plants in the background.)
I had dinner reservations for us at Rose & Crown for 6:45 or so, but we ended up eating around 5. They moved up our reservation which was nice. I had the vegan Shepard’s pie, which was okay. Disney does good with the plant-based foods, but I have found that when the dish includes fake meat, it is too heavy on the fake meat. I also had some iced tea. I was very proud of myself for not drinking any soda (and am now approaching 4 weeks soda free!).
(Image description: Vegan Shepard’s pie on a plate with a flower pattern.)
I had been trying to get Space 220 restaurant or lounge with Mousekepro’s but had no luck.
Harmonious: After Remy, we staked out a spot with some benches and waited about 45 minutes for Harmonious. I forget where we were but it was a good spot (I recognize this isn’t helpful, haha). My parents desperately needed to sit down for awhile, and I went on a walk to look at some more shops and brought them back Diet Cokes (and resisted my own… it was tough). Once the show was about to start we walked over closer to the water and had a nice view. I had read that people don’t care for it, but I loved the colors, effects, and music. They played many of my favorite hits (How Far I’ll Go, Go The Distance, Arabian Nights, the Beauty and the Beast prologue)! There were moments where the composition of the music felt lacking… like I was waiting for the songs to scratch an itch that never got satisfied. Idk if that makes sense but my dad is a musician and he agreed. Overall, though, I loved it.
(Image description: A photo of me flashing peace signs in World Showcase’s Italy (?). I am wearing a shirt that has a Lion King picture and says Hakuna Matata, Minnie ears with rainbow patterns and a bow, a purple “earidescent” fanny pack with various Disney pins, and blue jeans shorts.)
Shopping: I enjoyed exploring all of the shops in World Showcase, although I was sad there wasn’t more Sailor Moon merchandise in Japan. When we walked out of this store, the drummers were performing.
(Image description: Me in the Japan store, smiling and holding a plush of a purple cat— Luna from Sailor Moon.)
We also went to the Art of Disney store, which is one of my favs. I wish they had more smaller prints. I suppose I need to come for the Art Festival sometime. My parents bought me the cutest Eeyore figurine.
(Image description: An Eeyore figurine on my work desk. He has a pink balloon shaped like a heart floating above him.)
Once Harmonious was over, I noticed they had closed most of the stores and was worried because I had wanted a few things from Creations. I had faith in Chapek though, and he didn’t let me down (this time). I knew he wouldn’t risk losing that money from people hoping for final souvenirs as they exited the park. My mom got me a 50th spirit jersey (the gold sparkly one), a shirt with my three old school favs— Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine, and one of those pretty reusable 50th bags. My parents also got some souvenirs for themselves.
After a long but fun day, we headed back to the car and began the mostly uneventful drive back to Tampa. My dad stopped at a McDonalds to get some caffeine, and the car in front of us was not moving forward in the drive thru. Finally, my dad just passed them and they were… asleep at the wheel. So scary!!! They eventually pulled up behind us so they must have woken up. Yikes.
That night, I slept amazingly and got 2 1/2 hours of deep sleep which is unheard of for me. I must have been exhausted!
(Image description: A selfie of me at night in front of a lit-up Spaceship Earth with purple and orange tones.)
(Image description: A Goofy topiary and Flower and Garden festival sign among a flower bed in front of Spaceship Earth.)
A few weeks ago, I visited my parents for Spring Break. They live in Tampa, and while the main point of the trip was to get some quiet time to work on my dissertation, I decided to treat them to a day at EPCOT for the Flower & Garden Festival. They have taken me to Disney MANY times over the years, and it was fun to do this for them!
I bought our tickets and made a park reservation for Friday, March 11th in the hopes that we would be there right before the bad spring break crowds hit… more on that later. Of course, drama ensued on Thursday when I was taking a quick shower after work before heading to the airport. While I was in the shower, I got a notification that my flight was cancelled. I had a flight with Allegiant, and they had no other flights until Sunday. Changing Disney ticket reservation days has been a pain— I was on hold for over 4 hours recently trying to resolve an unused ticket matter due to COVID from MW and eventually just gave up— and I was freaking out that I was able to lose hundreds of dollars. Luckily, my mom came up with the idea of seeing if there was an early flight into Orlando that next morning. Then, my parents would drive to the airport from Tampa, pick me up, and we could go straight to the park. Luckily, there was a SW flight that left at 5 am on Friday morning. It was expensive, but I booked it.
The SW flight was relatively painless. I was almost the last person on the plane since I had just booked the flight and thus got a bad boarding number, but I still got a window seat in the front! I sat next to two extraordinarily polite young teenagers. They were very sweet. The plane arrived around 7:30 am, and then I waited at MCO for my parents for about two hours— they couldn’t leave Tampa until they dropped their dog off at daycare. I found a lovey spot on a bench and relaxed, listening to the fountain and watching the beautiful 50th celebration park screen.
(Image description: A fountain in front of a screen showing an image of the 50th Spaceship Earth at MCO.)
We got to the park around 10:30 am. It was fun to see the entrance in its actual use in comparison to MW. I am sure my parents were annoyed when I kept saying “oh! I ran here!” Here are the highlights from our day:
Rides: I didn’t get Genie+ because I wasn’t sure how interested my parents would be in rides and I had been anticipating less crowds. I was wrong, and I wish I had gotten ILLs for Frozen and Remy. We did the Mexico ride, which I don’t think I had ever been on, because it had a short wait. My dad enjoyed pointing out all of the hidden mickeys. My parents used to live in Orlando, and my dad would come to Disney like 5 days a week and walk 6-10 miles. He lost a lot of weight doing it! But he hasn’t been back to Disney much since they moved to Tampa a few years ago.
I had never been on Frozen, and my mom said she would ride it with me. The posted wait time was 90 minutes, and it ended up being 75. A weird thing about standby that I’ve noticed is that you will stay in one spot for a long time. It’s not really consistent progress. My mom had never seen Frozen, so I told her the story. I thought this would get us through a significant part of the line, but we hadn’t even made it past the first section by the time I was done. Maybe I should have sang the songs…
Overall, I thought the ride was fun but wouldn’t wait that long for it again. My butt also got very wet because there was a puddle on my seat. Thankfully I am pretty chill and wasn’t too worried about walking around with a wet butt lol.
We also rode Remy later that night. My dad had never ridden this one so it was all three of us. When we walked past the first posted wait time it said 90 minutes, but then it said 115 minutes when we got to the main entrance. We decided to wait, and this is when I really wished I had tried for ILL. My parents just aren’t used to that much standing, and I think my mom was in pain. There was a lot of standing and waiting without forward progress, and I found the hallways to be claustrophobic. There was a sweet and fun mom and two teen daughters behind us, though. We befriended them, made jokes, and passed the time. Eventually— basically at exactly 115 minutes— we made it to the front! I haven’t seen all of Ratatouille (just the first half on a plane ride), but I thought the ride was fun. The cars were so cute and the magnet system was really neat. I also was impressed by the 4D.
(Image description: A selfie of me in front of an Eeyore and Piglet topiary.)
Shows: We watched the Beauty and the Beast singalong, which was fun. I was in Beauty and the Beast in high school (yours truly was a townsperson and a wine glass). I wish the show had featured more of Belle and included The Mob Song. I didn’t sing aloud because no one needed my off key contributions haha. As a theatre fan, I thought the lobby displays were cool.
(Image description: Belle standing behind a fence and a flower bed, smiling at an unpictured child with her hand behind her ear.)
Food: We did a lot of eating throughout the day, as one does at EPCOT. I was very excited for the Garden Graze challenge since I am vegan. Sadly, I was having stomach issues and only got 2/5 snacks. I think I was just exhausted from the early flight and less than 3 hours of sleep (this seems to be a Disney theme for me). The avocado toast was pretty AND delicious. I had been excited for the potato pancakes with applesauce but didn’t find it that appetizing… probably just because of my stomach pain. I am sad because I wanted the Garden Graze cup that you get for completing the challenge… but I may just buy it on eBay.
(Image description: Avocado toast with a bite taken out of it. The Flower & Garden passport is next to it and there are plants in the background.)
I had dinner reservations for us at Rose & Crown for 6:45 or so, but we ended up eating around 5. They moved up our reservation which was nice. I had the vegan Shepard’s pie, which was okay. Disney does good with the plant-based foods, but I have found that when the dish includes fake meat, it is too heavy on the fake meat. I also had some iced tea. I was very proud of myself for not drinking any soda (and am now approaching 4 weeks soda free!).
(Image description: Vegan Shepard’s pie on a plate with a flower pattern.)
I had been trying to get Space 220 restaurant or lounge with Mousekepro’s but had no luck.
Harmonious: After Remy, we staked out a spot with some benches and waited about 45 minutes for Harmonious. I forget where we were but it was a good spot (I recognize this isn’t helpful, haha). My parents desperately needed to sit down for awhile, and I went on a walk to look at some more shops and brought them back Diet Cokes (and resisted my own… it was tough). Once the show was about to start we walked over closer to the water and had a nice view. I had read that people don’t care for it, but I loved the colors, effects, and music. They played many of my favorite hits (How Far I’ll Go, Go The Distance, Arabian Nights, the Beauty and the Beast prologue)! There were moments where the composition of the music felt lacking… like I was waiting for the songs to scratch an itch that never got satisfied. Idk if that makes sense but my dad is a musician and he agreed. Overall, though, I loved it.
(Image description: A photo of me flashing peace signs in World Showcase’s Italy (?). I am wearing a shirt that has a Lion King picture and says Hakuna Matata, Minnie ears with rainbow patterns and a bow, a purple “earidescent” fanny pack with various Disney pins, and blue jeans shorts.)
Shopping: I enjoyed exploring all of the shops in World Showcase, although I was sad there wasn’t more Sailor Moon merchandise in Japan. When we walked out of this store, the drummers were performing.
(Image description: Me in the Japan store, smiling and holding a plush of a purple cat— Luna from Sailor Moon.)
We also went to the Art of Disney store, which is one of my favs. I wish they had more smaller prints. I suppose I need to come for the Art Festival sometime. My parents bought me the cutest Eeyore figurine.
(Image description: An Eeyore figurine on my work desk. He has a pink balloon shaped like a heart floating above him.)
Once Harmonious was over, I noticed they had closed most of the stores and was worried because I had wanted a few things from Creations. I had faith in Chapek though, and he didn’t let me down (this time). I knew he wouldn’t risk losing that money from people hoping for final souvenirs as they exited the park. My mom got me a 50th spirit jersey (the gold sparkly one), a shirt with my three old school favs— Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine, and one of those pretty reusable 50th bags. My parents also got some souvenirs for themselves.
After a long but fun day, we headed back to the car and began the mostly uneventful drive back to Tampa. My dad stopped at a McDonalds to get some caffeine, and the car in front of us was not moving forward in the drive thru. Finally, my dad just passed them and they were… asleep at the wheel. So scary!!! They eventually pulled up behind us so they must have woken up. Yikes.
That night, I slept amazingly and got 2 1/2 hours of deep sleep which is unheard of for me. I must have been exhausted!
(Image description: A selfie of me at night in front of a lit-up Spaceship Earth with purple and orange tones.)
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lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
St. Patrick’s Day at Disney Springs
Because I had to change my flight due to the cancellation, I ended up having an extra day in Florida. My dad loves Raglan Road at Disney Springs, so we decided to drive back to Orlando for St. Patrick’s Day.
We left Tampa around 7 am and took the long way because my dad doesn’t like I4 or whatever it is. We arrived around 8:45 am, and apparently were rope dropping Disney Springs because they had us wait in a line in the parking garage before letting us in at 9, lol. The line wasn’t that long. We walked to Raglan Road, where we were once again rope dropping. They had a queue and we were second… I think behind a group of Disney influencers or something. They seemed to know everyone. We waited in that line for an hour, and they sat us at 10 am. They waived the cover charge (on St. Patrick’s Day they have a $20 cover charge) because we had been waiting in line and gave us beads and t-shirts. I didn’t take a shirt because I wouldn’t wear it, but in retrospect I wish I had picked one up for my friend who loves Ireland.
(Image description: The outside of Ragland Road. There are two open red doors and a statue of a man sitting on a bench with his legs crossed. Someone has put an Irish hat on his head.)
My dad’s friend (fraternity brother) joined us for lunch. Our waiter informed us that there was a 2 hour limit for tables. We ordered drinks and the chips appetizer (aka fries) and just chatted. After about 45 minutes we ordered food. Entertainment didn’t start until 11 am, so we only got to watch it for an hour. I wish it had at least started at 10:30 am since our time was limited and we had waited to be seated.
(Image description: A female Irish dancer, dancing on an elevated platform.)
I ordered the “This Shepard Went Vegan” Shepard’s pie which was sooo much better than the one at Rose and Crown because it was only vegetables and no fake meat. It was huge though, and I sadly couldn’t finish it.
(Image description: My mostly eaten meal. This picture may not look appetizing but it was good!)
(Image description: A selfie of me in front of a stage with an Irish band. I am smiling and wearing Minnie ears with rainbows and some green necklaces.)
At noon we paid our bill and left. My dad had been drinking so we walked around Disney Springs for a couple of hours before heading home. I love DS and shopping so I had no problem with this. I tried to find a pin for my neighbor but had no luck. I bought an Alice teacup and some tea for my work office, as well as a Disney dog magnet for my friend.
We also went to the Vera Bradley store because I wanted to check out the new Ariel collection. They had the card holder with an embroidered Ariel that I wanted but were already out of the Flounder accessory bag, even though the collection had just been released! Oh well.
I was hoping to get some Dole Whip but was just too full from Raglan Road.
Oh— and a quick edit— before we left my dad wanted to stop at the Coke store to get a Beverly (he is aware that most people don’t like it). I went in with him and successfully resisted! I felt like I was going through exposure therapy… ultimately, he didn’t get a drink either because the line was too long.
Overall, it was a fun bonus trip day!
(Image description: A bonus picture of my parents’ sheepdog, Maggie, looking down at the camera lens with her tongue out. She hopes @GollyGadget and everyone else had a great St. Patrick’s Day!)
Because I had to change my flight due to the cancellation, I ended up having an extra day in Florida. My dad loves Raglan Road at Disney Springs, so we decided to drive back to Orlando for St. Patrick’s Day.
We left Tampa around 7 am and took the long way because my dad doesn’t like I4 or whatever it is. We arrived around 8:45 am, and apparently were rope dropping Disney Springs because they had us wait in a line in the parking garage before letting us in at 9, lol. The line wasn’t that long. We walked to Raglan Road, where we were once again rope dropping. They had a queue and we were second… I think behind a group of Disney influencers or something. They seemed to know everyone. We waited in that line for an hour, and they sat us at 10 am. They waived the cover charge (on St. Patrick’s Day they have a $20 cover charge) because we had been waiting in line and gave us beads and t-shirts. I didn’t take a shirt because I wouldn’t wear it, but in retrospect I wish I had picked one up for my friend who loves Ireland.
(Image description: The outside of Ragland Road. There are two open red doors and a statue of a man sitting on a bench with his legs crossed. Someone has put an Irish hat on his head.)
My dad’s friend (fraternity brother) joined us for lunch. Our waiter informed us that there was a 2 hour limit for tables. We ordered drinks and the chips appetizer (aka fries) and just chatted. After about 45 minutes we ordered food. Entertainment didn’t start until 11 am, so we only got to watch it for an hour. I wish it had at least started at 10:30 am since our time was limited and we had waited to be seated.
(Image description: A female Irish dancer, dancing on an elevated platform.)
I ordered the “This Shepard Went Vegan” Shepard’s pie which was sooo much better than the one at Rose and Crown because it was only vegetables and no fake meat. It was huge though, and I sadly couldn’t finish it.
(Image description: My mostly eaten meal. This picture may not look appetizing but it was good!)
(Image description: A selfie of me in front of a stage with an Irish band. I am smiling and wearing Minnie ears with rainbows and some green necklaces.)
At noon we paid our bill and left. My dad had been drinking so we walked around Disney Springs for a couple of hours before heading home. I love DS and shopping so I had no problem with this. I tried to find a pin for my neighbor but had no luck. I bought an Alice teacup and some tea for my work office, as well as a Disney dog magnet for my friend.
We also went to the Vera Bradley store because I wanted to check out the new Ariel collection. They had the card holder with an embroidered Ariel that I wanted but were already out of the Flounder accessory bag, even though the collection had just been released! Oh well.
I was hoping to get some Dole Whip but was just too full from Raglan Road.
Oh— and a quick edit— before we left my dad wanted to stop at the Coke store to get a Beverly (he is aware that most people don’t like it). I went in with him and successfully resisted! I felt like I was going through exposure therapy… ultimately, he didn’t get a drink either because the line was too long.
Overall, it was a fun bonus trip day!
(Image description: A bonus picture of my parents’ sheepdog, Maggie, looking down at the camera lens with her tongue out. She hopes @GollyGadget and everyone else had a great St. Patrick’s Day!)
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GollyGadget
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2017
I've never met this dog and I love her.
Herding_Cats
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2017
The Beverly. Aka: carbonated liquid Benadryl. Remember that stuff from your childhood? Pink, liquid Benadryl. Blech. (When we tried it a few years ago it was disconcerting to have something taste so familiar, yet so horrible.)
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
I am doing okay with my goals… I am forever behind on my dissertation and really bad at walking 10k steps a day. But I haven’t had soda in 4 weeks which is a huge win! Progress not perfection?
Some highlights from the week:
Some highlights from the week:
- I got a triathlon coach! He is local and was offering his services for free on the page of my tri club. Right now I am focusing on training for my bike ride and will amp up the tri training after that. In the meantime I’m also supposed to do 1 swim and 1 run a week. I did my run yesterday. I meant to swim today but could not find my swimsuit anywhere. I ordered a new one.
- My yoga studio is doing a challenge where we get entered in a raffle if we do 20 classes in the month of April. I have not been prioritizing yoga even though a. I love it and b. It makes me feel good, so I am trying to reach the 20 classes.
- My DH and I went to see the local symphony perform the soundtrack to Order of the Phoenix while the movie played. I love Harry Potter even more than I love Disney and had a lot of fun. The seats were sooo small though. I really need to try to lose some weight.
- My weight has been pretty stagnant since giving up soda which is disheartening to me. I was drinking A LOT of soda.
- But… my health insurance had a biometric screening this week with a monetary incentive depending on how many optimal levels you had. Although I have a BMI that makes me “morbidly obese” (why are we still considering BMI to be valid?), I was very healthy in every other measurement and will be getting the highest payment offered. I attribute this to my meat-free, (mostly) vegan diet. Hooray!
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
This week was emotionally draining, and I am feeling very blah right now. I have a lot of anxiety and wish I could just chill. Usually exercise helps, but this week it hasn’t.
(I drink a lot more water than that. Just forget to track it in the app.)
Regardless, I did pretty good this week with workouts although most of my exercise was at the latter end of the week. I (re)finished week 2 of my Peloton Beginner Strength Program (I restarted it because week 3 killed me last time and I wanted some more time building base) so it’s back to trying the really hard workout again next week (aka the one with lunges and push ups…). I biked 29 miles on my Peloton (about 19 yesterday and 10 today). I did the FTP test today and wow was that hard. I’m pretty sure my numbers are embarrassingly low but there’s just more room to grow then. I also went to 3 yoga classes and am on track to get 20 this month! My steps are still terribly low. It has been hailing all week so I haven’t been outside much. If I successfully sign up for MW I need to seriously consider getting a treadmill. Just not sure where I could fit it in my house. I was supposed to go to a group track workout on Thursday (the only nice weather day) but it got cancelled last minute by the leader and then I forgot my running shoes at work.
Please enjoy these pictures of my dog helping me with my strength workout.
(I drink a lot more water than that. Just forget to track it in the app.)
Regardless, I did pretty good this week with workouts although most of my exercise was at the latter end of the week. I (re)finished week 2 of my Peloton Beginner Strength Program (I restarted it because week 3 killed me last time and I wanted some more time building base) so it’s back to trying the really hard workout again next week (aka the one with lunges and push ups…). I biked 29 miles on my Peloton (about 19 yesterday and 10 today). I did the FTP test today and wow was that hard. I’m pretty sure my numbers are embarrassingly low but there’s just more room to grow then. I also went to 3 yoga classes and am on track to get 20 this month! My steps are still terribly low. It has been hailing all week so I haven’t been outside much. If I successfully sign up for MW I need to seriously consider getting a treadmill. Just not sure where I could fit it in my house. I was supposed to go to a group track workout on Thursday (the only nice weather day) but it got cancelled last minute by the leader and then I forgot my running shoes at work.
Please enjoy these pictures of my dog helping me with my strength workout.
GollyGadget
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2017
My dogs are always in my face when I try to exercise on the floor. I'm glad it's not just a me thing. On the one hand it's really cute but it can also be a bit obtrusive.
I've also been feeling very blah the last few weeks. My main excuse has been the weather. Overcast, wind, snow. I just want a bit of sunshine and a temp over 50 which is apparently too much to ask.
I've also been feeling very blah the last few weeks. My main excuse has been the weather. Overcast, wind, snow. I just want a bit of sunshine and a temp over 50 which is apparently too much to ask.
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
Just got done doing a Peloton ride (yes, at 11 pm at night) and am a bundle of nerves because I am giving my first invited talk tomorrow! It’s not a big deal (just a small event), but I hope people like my talk. It’s about resilience.
We had a Zoom meeting for my bike trip which is in a month! I am starting to feel excited and think I’ll really be able to focus on it once I get MW registration over with. They revealed the tentative mileage plan and there is a 91 mile day! I have done that before (my longest bike ride is 112 miles), but it’s been a minute. I need to schedule some good long rides in the weekends leading up to the trip!
My track workout that was cancelled last week is happening tomorrow. It looks like it’s going to be a Fartlek workout. Excited and nervous!
We had a Zoom meeting for my bike trip which is in a month! I am starting to feel excited and think I’ll really be able to focus on it once I get MW registration over with. They revealed the tentative mileage plan and there is a 91 mile day! I have done that before (my longest bike ride is 112 miles), but it’s been a minute. I need to schedule some good long rides in the weekends leading up to the trip!
My track workout that was cancelled last week is happening tomorrow. It looks like it’s going to be a Fartlek workout. Excited and nervous!
SheHulk
off to the (runDisney) races
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2016
Good luck! Once you start talking it will be over before you know it. And the only way to get better and less nervous is to keep doing them.
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
Speech went well. They took a group picture of the event after my talk and I am going through some negative self-talk about my weight 
I am especially frustrated because I haven’t had soda in over a month and it hasn’t helped at all. I look so terrible in the picture and am sad about it.
Track workout was good. It was hard but I did it. My confession: I almost threw up during the warm up
We did stairs (I am sooo bad at stairs) and then strides (?) where we ran a short distance working from a jog to a sprint. According to my watch my top speed during this was a 4:28 min/mile which doesn’t seem right but maybe that’s why I thought I was going to puke lol. Thankfully I didn’t.
For the main workout the other two girls did some other workout where they ran 800s in the like 4 min then rested. If I can ever even run one 800 that fast it will be a miracle. I did a fartlek that alternated run/walk for 1 min, 2 min, 3 min and then back down. Apparently I should have been doing :30 second increases— my bad. The coach didn’t say anything so I guess it was okay. I added a few bonus 1:1s plus a walking cool down at the end. Total was 3 miles in 45:52 (including the cool down walk).
I’m supposed to do a 20 minute recovery ride on my Peloton tonight but I am currently sitting on my chair unable to move.
I am especially frustrated because I haven’t had soda in over a month and it hasn’t helped at all. I look so terrible in the picture and am sad about it. Track workout was good. It was hard but I did it. My confession: I almost threw up during the warm up
We did stairs (I am sooo bad at stairs) and then strides (?) where we ran a short distance working from a jog to a sprint. According to my watch my top speed during this was a 4:28 min/mile which doesn’t seem right but maybe that’s why I thought I was going to puke lol. Thankfully I didn’t. For the main workout the other two girls did some other workout where they ran 800s in the like 4 min then rested. If I can ever even run one 800 that fast it will be a miracle. I did a fartlek that alternated run/walk for 1 min, 2 min, 3 min and then back down. Apparently I should have been doing :30 second increases— my bad. The coach didn’t say anything so I guess it was okay. I added a few bonus 1:1s plus a walking cool down at the end. Total was 3 miles in 45:52 (including the cool down walk).
I’m supposed to do a 20 minute recovery ride on my Peloton tonight but I am currently sitting on my chair unable to move.
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
I moved the 20 min recovery ride to today and also did a 30 min power zone endurance ride. 12.5 miles in 50 minutes. Almost the entire “recovery” ride involved these sets of pedaling with one leg at a time with the other foot un-clipped so even though I didn’t go that far my legs were feeling it. I then went to a 30 minute vinyasa flow that kicked my butt. My legs are so sore. I need to do two Peloton strength workouts this weekend so I don’t “fail” the program and I am not excited about the lunges and push ups tomorrow… I also should really ride my new gravel bike. Pray for my legs thank you 
azrivest
Chasing the rDream
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2020
Speech went well. They took a group picture of the event after my talk and I am going through some negative self-talk about my weight
Track workout was good. It was hard but I did it. My confession: I almost threw up during the warm up
I wish I had some uplifiting words to cheer you up. The last few weeks seem to have been tough!
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
This kindness is much appreciatedI wish I had some uplifiting words to cheer you up. The last few weeks seem to have been tough!
thank you!
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
Training Recap 4/11-4/17:
Monday:
Wednesday:
My new necklace from Two Park Princesses! It says “I can go the distance” on the back.
We have made it to registration week, y’all!
Monday:
- Deep Stretch Yoga (50 min). Was almost late due to an accident (not mine) on long commute home but glad I made it.
Wednesday:
- Peloton Discover Your Power Zones Program Week 1, Day 3 (30 Minute Power Zone Endurance Ride)— 7.8 miles
- Walk break at work. Some students and a colleague and I went to explore the university’s cemetery. 22 min/.65 miles
- Track workout! I wrote about it in more detail in an earlier post. 45 min/3 miles
- Walked dog. 17 min/.6 miles
- Peloton Discover Your Power Zones Program Week 1, Day 4 (20 Minute Low Impact Ride)— 4.5 miles… deceivingly tough for low impact. Most of the class was spinning one leg at a time with the other foot unclipped.
- Peloton Discover Your Power Zones Program Week 1, Day 5 (30 Minute Power Zone Endurance Ride)— 8 miles
- Vinyasa Flow Yoga Class— 30 minutes… this was v tough for a 30 min class, especially since I did it right after my rides. Got through it though.
- Yoga Deep Stretch Class— 50 min of bliss.
- Peloton 15 Minute Pop Ride— 4.4 miles. Killer playlist.
- Peloton Beginner Strength Program Week 3, Day 1– 50 min. This was the class that made me sore for days the first time around and resulted in me starting the program over. It went much better this time. I am sore but not in a debilitating way.
- Peloton Beginner Strength Program Week 3, Day 2– 50 min
- Peloton Discover Your Power Zones Program Week 2 Day 1 (30 Minute Power Zone Hip Hop Ride)— 8.2 miles
My new necklace from Two Park Princesses! It says “I can go the distance” on the back.
We have made it to registration week, y’all!
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
I am sore & tired (but not necessarily in a bad way) and just realized today was my 8th day of exercising in a row. Hooray for consistency!
Yesterday was exhausting. I thought the anxiety I’ve had the past few weeks would go away after I was officially registered for MW but it has not. I expected faster sell outs but not THAT fast. And of course I didn’t expect the tech problems being so serious.
In the end, I got what I wanted: the 5K + Goofy + Castaway. Feeling grateful & motivated to train well this year after failing at Goofy this year— especially since there are people who didn’t get spots. I don’t want to let mine go to waste. And I’m optimistic about a @DopeyBadger plan working well for me.
I am a little worried that I’ll burn out on runDisney by the time January roles around. Anyone else feel similar? I have other things planned between now & then but am finding it difficult to focus on them.
Yesterday was exhausting. I thought the anxiety I’ve had the past few weeks would go away after I was officially registered for MW but it has not. I expected faster sell outs but not THAT fast. And of course I didn’t expect the tech problems being so serious.
In the end, I got what I wanted: the 5K + Goofy + Castaway. Feeling grateful & motivated to train well this year after failing at Goofy this year— especially since there are people who didn’t get spots. I don’t want to let mine go to waste. And I’m optimistic about a @DopeyBadger plan working well for me.
I am a little worried that I’ll burn out on runDisney by the time January roles around. Anyone else feel similar? I have other things planned between now & then but am finding it difficult to focus on them.
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
I have officially done 100 Peloton classes! I feel like it’s not that cool because some of those classes were 5 minute stretches or cool downs or whatever but also those are important habits to build so I’ll take the win!
Also I biked 21.16 miles (in 80 minutes) tonight & did a 30 minute vinyasa flow earlier today. Anddd my legs are trashed lol.
Also I biked 21.16 miles (in 80 minutes) tonight & did a 30 minute vinyasa flow earlier today. Anddd my legs are trashed lol.
lookingforsunshine
it never hurts to keep looking for sunshine
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2021
Sometime in my early-mid 20s (I am 31 now), I made a list of 40 things I want to do before I am 40 years old in my blog. I thought I’d transfer it here:
40 by 40
This is a list of 40 things I want to accomplish before I am 40!
1. Run a ½ marathon. - Completed multiple times now! My first was the 2015 Disney World Marathon Weekend Half. I have also done Little Rock, Rock N Roll NOLA, Columbus Nationwide, and the 2022 MW Half. My PR is 2:59:??
2. Complete an Olympic distance triathlon. (Not done but registered for one August 2022!)
3. Complete a half Ironman. - Completed with a caveat. I did the 2016 Augusta 70.3, and while I finished all of the distance, crossed the finish line, and got my medal, I was slow and had my timing chip taken from me less than a mile from the finish. I’d like to redeem myself and finish within IM’s time goals.
4. Be published. - Completed multiple times! I have a few articles and book chapters out in the world.
5. Get a Master’s degree. - Completed! Graduated in May 2017 with a MA in Teaching & Learning.
6. Visit all 50 states. (States I have left: Alaska, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont, and New Jersey.)
7. Donate blood. - Completed multiple times now.
8. Complete a Spartan Race.
9. Complete a marathon. (Believe it or not, this was not on my original list. It was to do a Tough Mudder. But that was bought out by Spartan so here we go.)
10. Pet an otter.
11. Stand up paddle board. - Completed multiple times, including in St. Maarten and San Diego!
12. Go on an overnight backpacking trip. - I have now done 4 of these (maybe 5?). At least one was solo! My two favorites were Grand Island in Michigan and the Trans-Catalina Trail.
13. Complete 1 unassisted pull-up.
14. Hike Pike’s Peak. (Might change this one.)
15. Ride in a hot air balloon.
16. Backpack the Grand Canyon. (Was originally just “see.”)
17. “Drink around the world” at Epcot. (Which of y’all is going to make this happen for me?)
18. Swim with dolphins. (Might change this one because I am ethically opposed to it now.)
19. Get my Yoga Teacher Training 200 hr certification. - Completed August 2021. This was not the original goal listed here, but that goal (read the Bible) no longer interests me. I did gain a lot of spiritual growth from my YTT program though and read a few (what I would consider) spiritual texts.
20. Give a speech (like a TED talk).
21. Go on a yoga retreat.
22. Go on a Vipassana meditation retreat.
23. See a play or musical on Broadway in NYC. (I was supposed to do this in May 2020. You can guess what happened.)
24. Throw a party. - I had a Halloween party in 2017 I think lol.
25. Visit a psychic. - Completed in July 2016 in San Francisco.
26. Build a full emergency savings fund. (Don’t @ me. I have been in grad school for the last 6 years.)
27. Get a massage. - I have had many massages and am blessed ha.
28. Go on a cruise. (Scheduled for January 2023!)
29. Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium with my mom.
30. Get my PhD! (This was originally “grow my own vegetables” but I have four dogs now and don’t think it’s going to happen.)
31. Attend a Painting with a Twist class. - It was a different “brand,” but I painted my dog.
32. Visit Las Vegas. - Completed October 2021.
33. Take a surfing lesson. - Completed January 1, 2018 on my honeymoon. After successfully surfing a wave, I cut my foot open on coral very badly and had to get stitches. It was not good.
34. Run in Central Park. - Completed July 2014
35. See a Shakespeare play. - Completed October 2014 with Richard III. I have also seen Macbeth.
36. Visit Australia.
37. Bike in another country. - Completed in Mexico, although it was recreational and I would like to do an actual trip focused on cycling.
38. Attend/present at NCTE/ALAN conference. - Completed for both multiple times!
39. Write a creative non-fiction story. (Meh. May change this.)
40. Get acupuncture. - Completed multiple times. Would like to do again.
40 by 40
This is a list of 40 things I want to accomplish before I am 40!
1. Run a ½ marathon. - Completed multiple times now! My first was the 2015 Disney World Marathon Weekend Half. I have also done Little Rock, Rock N Roll NOLA, Columbus Nationwide, and the 2022 MW Half. My PR is 2:59:??
2. Complete an Olympic distance triathlon. (Not done but registered for one August 2022!)
3. Complete a half Ironman. - Completed with a caveat. I did the 2016 Augusta 70.3, and while I finished all of the distance, crossed the finish line, and got my medal, I was slow and had my timing chip taken from me less than a mile from the finish. I’d like to redeem myself and finish within IM’s time goals.
4. Be published. - Completed multiple times! I have a few articles and book chapters out in the world.
5. Get a Master’s degree. - Completed! Graduated in May 2017 with a MA in Teaching & Learning.
6. Visit all 50 states. (States I have left: Alaska, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Vermont, and New Jersey.)
7. Donate blood. - Completed multiple times now.
8. Complete a Spartan Race.
9. Complete a marathon. (Believe it or not, this was not on my original list. It was to do a Tough Mudder. But that was bought out by Spartan so here we go.)
10. Pet an otter.
11. Stand up paddle board. - Completed multiple times, including in St. Maarten and San Diego!
12. Go on an overnight backpacking trip. - I have now done 4 of these (maybe 5?). At least one was solo! My two favorites were Grand Island in Michigan and the Trans-Catalina Trail.
13. Complete 1 unassisted pull-up.
14. Hike Pike’s Peak. (Might change this one.)
15. Ride in a hot air balloon.
16. Backpack the Grand Canyon. (Was originally just “see.”)
17. “Drink around the world” at Epcot. (Which of y’all is going to make this happen for me?)
18. Swim with dolphins. (Might change this one because I am ethically opposed to it now.)
19. Get my Yoga Teacher Training 200 hr certification. - Completed August 2021. This was not the original goal listed here, but that goal (read the Bible) no longer interests me. I did gain a lot of spiritual growth from my YTT program though and read a few (what I would consider) spiritual texts.
20. Give a speech (like a TED talk).
21. Go on a yoga retreat.
22. Go on a Vipassana meditation retreat.
23. See a play or musical on Broadway in NYC. (I was supposed to do this in May 2020. You can guess what happened.)
24. Throw a party. - I had a Halloween party in 2017 I think lol.
25. Visit a psychic. - Completed in July 2016 in San Francisco.
26. Build a full emergency savings fund. (Don’t @ me. I have been in grad school for the last 6 years.)
27. Get a massage. - I have had many massages and am blessed ha.
28. Go on a cruise. (Scheduled for January 2023!)
29. Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium with my mom.
30. Get my PhD! (This was originally “grow my own vegetables” but I have four dogs now and don’t think it’s going to happen.)
31. Attend a Painting with a Twist class. - It was a different “brand,” but I painted my dog.
32. Visit Las Vegas. - Completed October 2021.
33. Take a surfing lesson. - Completed January 1, 2018 on my honeymoon. After successfully surfing a wave, I cut my foot open on coral very badly and had to get stitches. It was not good.
34. Run in Central Park. - Completed July 2014
35. See a Shakespeare play. - Completed October 2014 with Richard III. I have also seen Macbeth.
36. Visit Australia.
37. Bike in another country. - Completed in Mexico, although it was recreational and I would like to do an actual trip focused on cycling.
38. Attend/present at NCTE/ALAN conference. - Completed for both multiple times!
39. Write a creative non-fiction story. (Meh. May change this.)
40. Get acupuncture. - Completed multiple times. Would like to do again.
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