runDisney's Wine & Dine "Half of a Half" Marathon: Part 2

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It's one of my favorite holidays. Food, family and football, what's not to love?!

I apologize for the delay in posting the second half of my race recap. Life has gotten away from me lately, but it's time to get back on track. Last I left off, Lily and I walked down to the bus stop on time and were feeling better about things after the fiasco of getting to dinner on time, etc. Once we were on the bus we could breathe a sigh of relief. However, it was not over. Like I said, Fate was trying to tell me something.

We made it to the ESPN sports complex in no time at all, and made our way through the security bag check. We made our way over to the gEAR check, and got rid of our bags, then found a place to sit and relax while we waited to head to the corrals.

(Wilderness Explorers are ready for a 13.1 mile adventure!)

After a while we decided to hop in line for the port-a-potties so we would be ready to go once we headed to the corrals. While we waited in line we commented on all the neat costumes we saw. We saw two people dressed as churros, they were super cute. We also saw some other Wilderness Explorers, some even had full on backpacks with pots hanging from the back. Now that's dedication! I have to say, that the churros may have been the best costume we saw. As we waited, out of nowhere the wind began to pick up. Although it felt nice because the humidity was so high, we knew it was not a good sign. It couldn't have been 10 minutes later, that the runDisney announcers told us that there was severe weather in the area, and that we needed to be evacuated to the ESPN stadiums until further notice. Of course there was a mad rush because people started to freak out.

Lily and I made our way to one of the stadiums, and decided to head to one of the bathrooms in there since we never made it up to the port-a-potties, then we made our way to the bleachers and had a seat. While we waited, the people around us were watching the weather Doppler on their phones. Of course there was this big orange spot over us.

Finally after about an hour, they let us go back outside, and it had never even rained. We made our way back to where we were originally waiting, and people started making their ways to the corrals. Lily and I jumped in line at the port-a-potties one last time. We were trying to rebuild the momentum that we had lost while sitting in the bleachers. While we waited, the couple behind us was checking facebook and told us that because of the weather delay, runDisney was shortening the course. They posted the new course, and we calculated it out to be about 6 miles of the race. They decided to cut out all of the Animal Kingdom. We were both disappointed, but there was nothing we could do at this point. At least they didn't cancel it all together.

We went to the bathroom, then made it to our corral, where we quickly made some new friend while we waited to start. So, let's fast forward a bit. Lily and I finally crossed the start mat at 11:23 pm, and we maybe made it about 3/4 of a mile and we were both DRENCHED in sweat. Since it hadn't rained, the humidity level was still at 85%. We trudged along, and unfortunately because of the shortened course, it was SO congested the entire time. Before we knew it we were heading into Hollywood Studios and right through the Osborne family spectacle of lights!

(Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights)

We snapped more photos, but this one is my favorite from Hollywood Studios. We waved through Hollywood Studios, and before we knew it we were running out the front and along the water towards Epcot. I think by this point, Lily and I were over this race, and just ready to finish. We ran along the boardwalk and finally into Epcot. We ran past spaceship earth and weaved our way back out of Epcot and towards the finish line. I gave Mickey a high five, and Lily and I crossed the finish line together. THANK GOD that was over! Our clothes were completely saturated. We separated to go through our respective gEar check lines to grab our dry clothes, and met back up after. Then we made our way through the drink line and finally out to where we could breathe.

(The smiles... I think we're just happy to be done.)

This next part is a little sad. We slowly made our way back toward the after party at Epcot and made it through the bag check line.Once we made it inside, I ran into Chris, so I said hi and chatted with him for a few minutes. We must have been right by each other in the bag line because I was walking in JUST behind him. Chris went on his way and Lily and I slowly made our way past Spaceship Earth and towards World Showcase. We made it to the Cranberry bog and we both literally had had enough. We were both so tired, still soaked, and just didn't know if we could honestly even make it around the World Showcase. So, yes, we turned around and left.

We slowly made our way back to the resort buses, and thankfully there was a bus there waiting. We climbed aboard and plopped into a seat. It felt so good to sit down. Once we finally made it back to our resort, I hopped in the shower first, and it was ridiculous trying to peel my clothes off. I threw them in a pile on the floor and decided I would deal with them in the morning. Once I got out of the shower, I crawled right into bed with the box of leftover pizza from dinner, then it was lights out. It must have been after 2 am.

Sunday morning we took our time getting up and getting around. We certainly were in no rush to get to Magic Kingdom because we also had tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, so we were going to be at the park until around midnight. I threw my medal in my bag, but wasn't all that thrilled about wearing it since we didn't actually run the half marathon. I still had Lily snap a quick picture with me wearing it, then it went in my bag for the rest of the day.

So there you have it. The mess that was supposed to be my great half marathon comeback. All in all, Lily and I still had a good time even though the weekend didn't go as we planned.

QOTD: Have you ever had a race not go according to plan? Ever have a race completely cancelled on you?

runDisney's Wine & Dine "Half of a Half" Marathon: Part 1

Yes, you read that right. If you're a runDisney enthusiast, then you probably already know that this past weekends Wine & Dine half marathon was shortened, but we'll get to that in my next post. Basically the only way I can summarize this race experience is with this: Fate was trying to tell me I was not meant to run this half.

So let's start with the Expo. Not that anything really went wrong there, but that's basically where it all started. Lily and I decided to wait to go to the expo on Saturday morning. The race was that evening, and we didn't want to waste any time on Friday going to the expo so we could get in as much park time as possible. Once we got to the expo, we went directly to packet pick-up, then we were directed to the Jostens center to pick up our shirts and gEAR bags. On the way over to the Jostens center we stopped at guest relations so Lily could pick up her race gift card. Mine had arrived in the mail, but hers did not. Luckily, they were able to deactivate the one that was mailed to her and activate a new one for her.

Once we got to the Jostens center we walked to the back where the race shirts and gEAR bags were. After we picked those up, we walked over to the Official runDisney merchandise area. Basically EVERYTHING was picked over. Lily and I did end up buying the unisex "I did it" shirts. Then Lily got in line at KT Tape, so I told her I was going to walk back over to packet pick-up and see if there was any runDisney merchandise there. Sadly, there was very little to choose from over there too, but it was worth a check. I'm glad I went back over there though, because I wanted to sign a few people up for runner tracking, and that's where that was located. I walked right by it the first time without even taking notice. After that, I walked back over to the expo to wander around.

(Countdown to fun!)

Maybe it was because it was the last day, but the expo was very underwhelming to me. I mean, it was better than what they ever had to offer at the Expedition Everest Challenge. Fit 2 Run took up a good majority of the expo floor. I honestly had no interest in buying new running gear while I was on vacation, but I did cave and buy a new pair of compression socks to wear to bed since I had forgotten mine. After I made my first round, I went back to check on Lily. She had moved maybe halfway through the line. Unfortunately with KT Tape, if an individual buys their own roll of tape, they will tape anything and everything you want taped for the race.

(Everyone in line at KT Tape be like "Tape Everything!")

I waited with Lily for a little while, and then I decided to make another round at the Expo. I wandered over to Sweaty Bands to pick up a few Sweaty Bands for a friend, and then to Sparkly Soul. I did see a Sparkly Soul that I wanted, but they didn't have the band thickness I was looking for, so I'll look online. They were wonderful and told me if I e-mailed them, they would still offer me the expo discount if I bought more than one. I did another lap and then went back to check on Lily. She was much closer, so I waited until she was done. Her entire wait was probably and hour and a half. After she was done we walked around the expo once more so she could see what they had to offer then we decided to head out. By this point it was after 2 pm and the expo was set to end at 3 pm. We stopped at Wetzels on the way out to grab a pretzel (mmm, carbs) to snack on while we rode the bus back to the resort. As we walked down the sidewalk we had to grab a quick picture by the Wine and Dine 1/2 sign with our race bibs.

Our plan to lay by the pool was a bust by the time we got back to the hotel seeing it was getting a little late for that, so we just went back to our room to rest. We threw on some College football and took a power nap. I had set my phone alarm for 4 pm so we could catch the bus for our dinner reservation at 5 at Disney Springs. Here is where things really started to take a turn for the worse. We got down to the bus stop and looked at the estimated arrival of the next bus. We waited, and we waited, and watched the time slowly creep up. Before we knew it it was 4:35 and the bus was just pulling up. We still had 25 minutes to get to our reservation, so I wasn't going to freak out just yet.

Once we boarded the bus we noticed that there were 2 motorized scooters on board. Lily looked at me and goes, "Those are going to have to get off at some point." I sighed and nodded my head. The bus stopped at the next resort hotel on the loop, and sure enough both scooters were getting off. By this time it was 5:45, so I decided to call the restaurant to let them know we were going to be late and to make sure we could still come. They were very understanding and said it wasn't a problem, they'd be able to seat us when we got there. Perfect! The scooters finally got off, and there was another scooter waiting that needed to board. I don't even remember what time it was once the scooter fiasco was over and we were finally on our way.

While we were sitting on the bus, it felt like quite a long ride and it seemed like I was looking at different scenery than what I remembered from going to Disney Springs (Downtown Disney) on previous trips. Sure enough, I was right. The buses bring you in from the other direction now, and drop you off. It may be because of all of the construction they have going on down there. I had mentioned to Lily that there should be a stop at the West side of Downtown Disney, so we could get off there and it would be closer to the restaurant. Nope. The only bus stop is now at the Marketplace. By this point, it was already after 5, and Lily and I had to weave through the crowds to get down to the restaurant. We finally walked in at 5:35. It took us over an hour to get there, ridiculous.

The restaurant seated us immediately, and we were ordering within 5 minutes. We both ordered pizzas, and were surprised at how quickly they came out. After all that, I was thankful and began to relax a bit as I munched on a few slices of pizza. While eating I text my friends and told them everything we had just gone through to get to our dinner reservation and that fate was trying to tell me that I was not meant to run this race. I sat there thinking of what else could go wrong. I mean this was my first half marathon after my open heart surgery 6 months prior. Maybe it was a sign of worse things to come...

We grabbed take out boxes for the remainder of our pizzas, paid our bills, and I think we were out of there right around 6:00. Unfortunately, we had to weave back through the crowds to get back to the bus stop (horrible idea, Disney). We had to have walked a few miles to get down there and back. So much for trying to save our feet for the race... Our wait to get back on our resort bus was minimal, and luckily we were the first stop on the resort loop. I believe we were back in our room getting ready for the race by 7 or 7:15. Our plan was to walk back down to the bus stop at 7:45 to catch the 8:00 bus to the race start, so now we were back on track.

So what happened next? Stay tuned for part 2 of my post to find out!

QOTD: Have you ever had a perfect storm of things go wrong for you on race day?

Monster Scramble 10K and 6 Month Post-op Follow-up

MS Monster Scramble 10K:
Sunday, October 18th, my friend Lily came out to Rochester so we could run the MS Monster Scramble together at Mount Hope Cemetery. We had never run together and with our half marathon fast approaching, we desperately needed to get in a test run together. We also agreed that running more than a 5K was needed for both of us. I have not been training as rigorously as I should be considering all that's been going on lately. We also decided to test run part of our Wine and Dine half marathon costumes.

It was FREEZING that morning, and snowflakes were even floating in the air. Lily met me at my house that morning, and we drove up to the race together. The website had us park off site and we were shuttled to the start, which was hassle free. The event had packet pick-up at the start location, which is really one of my only beefs about this race. Pick-up lines were divided, the top half of the alphabet, and the bottom half. Once we got our packets, we pinned our bibs on and ditched our bags they gave us in a tree near the start. Then we found a sunny area to stand in while we waited for the race to start.

(Love a good candid... not)

The Monster Scramble offered a 5K option and a 10K option - which we ran the 10K. I have to admit, early that morning when I woke up, I was really regretting that decision because it was so cold, but ultimately, it ended up being perfect weather for running. The race started at 10 AM, and both the 5K and 10K runners started at the same time. The 10K route was 2 of the 5K loops. The good thing about that was that Lily and I knew what to expect the second time around.

Of course right at the start of the race was a HUGE hill, and I was definitely not looking forward to running that again. There were a few other hills throughout the remainder of the course, but nothing that we couldn't handle. There were also some areas of the course that had old cobblestone instead of pavement, so that was a little dicey. Overall it was a beautiful course, and I would definitely run it again.

(Certainly not the best shot, but whatever)

Overall, I feel Lily and I did well. We finished the 10K in just under 1:18:00 (because there was no timing mat at the start), and we averaged 12:37 min/miles.

(Course map and elevation details)

I really enjoyed this race, and like I said I would run it again. It was definitely something different for me as I have not run at Mt. Hope Cemetery before so it was different scenery, and it was perfect for a Halloween themed race. My only complaint about the race was the packet pick-up the morning of. I honestly didn't know that the race had pre-race packet pick up, and this is my fault as I had been so busy with other stuff the week leading up to the race to even check into it. I'm sure it was held at Fleet feet.

(Pre-race selfie in the sun)

Pros:
Price: It was cheap for a 10K. If I remember correctly, it was $25.00.
Water Stop: The race itself had one water stop (which since the 10K course looped twice it was 2), which I think was plenty for a 10K.
Volunteers: There was an adequate number of volunteers, and they even joined in on the fun and dressed in costumes.
Refreshments: Your typical spread, post race refreshments included fruit, bagels and water.
Shuttle: It was great that the race offered a shuttle from the parking area (it was necessary) The wait to catch the shuttle to and from where we parked was minimal.

Cons:
Race Day Packet Pick-up: I hated that this was held at Mt. Hope Cemetery so we were unable to ditch our bags in my car. I wish they had held it at the Al Sigl building where we parked. Again, my fault that I wasn't paying attention to pre-race packet pick-up.

6 Month Post-op Follow-up:
A few weeks ago I also had my 6 month post-op follow-up with my NEW Cardiologist. I found out who my new Cardiologist was going to be when I called to tell them I found out my new valve was leaking. So then I went right to the URMC website to look him up. I have to say, just reading about his training (residency and fellowships), I was quite impressed.

Once I met him and we started talking he mention that he had been going through my old Cardiologists notes to get to know his patients but he also wanted to hear from me about how I thought things were going, etc. So of course I went into the story about I had volunteered at RIT for the echo students so they could scan me as see some pathology, and that's when I found out it was leaking. I told him that the valve looked like it had more than a mild leak, but it wasn't quite moderate, etc. Then I mentioned that I was a sonographer, and that's how I knew. He mentioned he saw that on my patient information sheet, and we continued talking. He and a student that was shadowing him for the day listened to my heart and lungs, and then he said he wanted to get another echo just to compare it to the post surgery echo I had the day I was discharged from the hospital. He said even though I will have read the echo, we would reconvene after to discuss.

The lead sonographer came to get me from my exam room and she walked me to her echo room. I mentioned to her that my valve was leaking, and that I knew there wasn't any post surgery. While she did my echo we chatted, then after she walked me back into an exam room so my cardiologist could come talk to me once again. He agreed that the valve had a mild leak, but that it wasn't uncommon for all valves to leak, and most of them do directly out of surgery. He said my pulmonary pressures hadn't changed, and that he believed that this would be my "new normal." He said I have no physical restrictions, so I can still run, etc, and if I feel there are any changes I can call him. If not, he wants to see me back in 6 months so we can re-evaluate just to make sure that nothing changes. All of that sounded good to me. He doesn't feel comfortable setting me up for annual visits just yet, and that's fine. I'd rather he be thorough.

Aside from the Monster Scramble and my follow-up, I've been keeping busy. This past weekend I ran another Halloween themed 5K (which I'll be posting about in the near future), and I also had a Halloween party which was a lot of fun. Tomorrow morning my friend Lily and I finally leave for Disney for our half marathon!

QOTD: Did you run any fun Halloween themed races this year?

Recovery Motivation and Moments of Frustration

Time to switch gears a little. Instead of talking about how my recovery is going, I thought I would talk about some of the things I love that are motivating me to recover, and getting me through my moments of frustration.

runDisney:

runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon: This is one of my biggest motivators! If you remember, back in March I took a gamble and registered for the runDisney Wine & Dine half marathon. I had received a letter at the beginning of April stating that my surgery could be rescheduled at any time up to, and including the day of surgery. The thought that I had registered for a half marathon back in March, and receiving this letter a few weeks later made me extremely nervous, especially knowing my surgery could possibly be pushed back. Thankfully, as you probably know, my surgery was moved up, from a Monday to the Friday before. So that definitely worked out for the best!

I made reservations at a Disney Resort for Lily and me a few days after registering for the half marathon, and shortly thereafter received a small booklet about our vacation and with a list of important dates:

As you can see, I was able to start booking dining reservations on Sunday! Somehow I managed to delete the e-mail that had my reservation number to link to my MyDisneyExperience account. So I was on the phone with Disney Sunday morning getting my number to link. Without linking my reservation number, I would have been unable to book dining. Once I got that done, I was on the hunt for the dining reservations that Lily and I talked about.

Unfortunately, Lily and I wanted to dine at Be Our Guest Sunday night, but there were absolutely no reservations available. So I made us one for lunch instead. I guess that's better than not dining there at all, especially since I have not been there yet. Next I wanted to make us a reservation at Il Mulino for early Saturday evening before our race. I figured that would give us adequate time to digest and time to get ready for the race. Once again, there were no reservations available. I was striking out all over. Instead, I made us a reservation at Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe - the menu offered Italian dishes that didn't seem too over the top before our race.

Since I was unable to get the 2 reservations I really wanted to get for us, I decided to book us a nice dinner for Friday night. I know we planned on some park time on Friday after we get there. I will have an annual pass by then, and if Lily get Park Hoppers, we will be dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with the princesses. I have dined there before with my friend Nita, and it was wonderful, s I'm really looking forward to dining there again. So my dining plans weren't entirely a bust, and this week I'll start looking at flights. I also updated my proof of time for the half, which calculates my estimated finishing time based on the 10K time I submitted. It will also determine my corral placement. I'm starting to get more excited for our trip in November - which is great motivation for my recovery!

Walt Disney World Half Marathon: I also never wrote about this as it was so close to my surgery, but last year I had to defer my Walt Disney World Half Marathon registration to 2016, so I am re-registered for that. I have yet to make reservations for that, but I should probably get on that soon.

Aside from planning for my upcoming Disney Trips, I've been doing a lot of relaxing out in the sun. I can't do much of anything, but I can get a tan, ha ha. It's been unseasonably warm for May, but I'm not complaining one bit. Most weekday mornings I wake up and watch Live with Kelly and Michael, and then I typically venture outside for a bit to read in the sun. I cut some old running crew neck t-shirts, so that my incision is covered but my arms and some of my sides are exposed to the sun so I can get a tan. I have to be extremely careful of my incision until it heals.

(The weather has been unseasonably nice for May in Western NY)

I'm starting to get a base tan which is great! Before surgery, I also bought a lot of magazines (mainly fitness and running magazines) to occupy my time. My coworkers also gave me quite a few to read. I've slowly been making my way through them. The fitness magazines have also served as excellent motivators for my recovery. I've marked pages of articles and workouts I want to try when I'm allowed to workout again.

Yesterday I gathered a few magazines and was all set to sit outside for a bit. Then just as I finished putting my sunblock on, the sun went behind the clouds. Bummer. It was still warm out though, so I did sit outside until my mom came home for lunch. Once she got home, she handed me a package. It was from our friends in Texas. I opened it to find 3 puzzle books and a Women's Running Magazine!

So excited to receive this recovery mail, it gives me a lot to do while I'm sitting out in the nice weather.

So what has me frustrated? To be honest, I only have a few things that frustrate me. The biggest thing is the amount of fatigue I feel. I know this is natural after a major operation, but for someone who is constantly on the go, it's hard for me to be so fatigued. I'll sleep between 8 and 10 hours a night and by 2 pm, I'm in need of a 2 hour nap. Especially if I go to the grocery store or out to lunch with my parents, I need to rest when I get home. I've read that is this to be expected and I should be planning to rest for a few hours in the afternoon, so I'm trying not to let it get me down.

I'm also getting a lot of palpitations (PVC's/PAC's). This is also common as the hearts tissue has been disrupted and in other words is irritated. I notice them more when I'm up and moving rather than when I'm resting. The higher my heart rate gets (which isn't high because I'm not doing much), the more I get. Just everyday tasks get my heart rate up, like taking a shower. Finally, the amount of time it takes me to do things. Clearly, there is not much I can do about this, but it takes me twice as long to do anything. I know this will get better as I recover and am feeling less pain, so for now I have to suck it up and deal with it.

QOTD: Who's signed up for any of the runDisney races over the next year?

For Every Setback There Is An Even Greater Comeback

What a grand comeback it will be!! I'm very excited and looking forward to a girls weekend in November at Disney World for the Runner's Night Out!! Some of you may think I'm crazy registering for a half marathon before even having my surgery, not knowing how things are going to turn out. It's best just to think positive! Besides, I need to set a goal for myself and have something to look forward to, I'm hoping it will make for a speedy recovery.

Today was the day I had been waiting for for a few months now. The runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon registration opened up today at noon! I have been planning on having this half marathon be my "comeback half" after my heart surgery for sometime now. This is my FAVORITE runDisney race for multiple reason, and why shouldn't it be?! Let's review below:

(The many reasons why this race is AWESOME! Source: runDisney)

I logged onto the runDisney website at noon and clicked register at 12:01 PM. At that point another tab opened up on my browser and it said I was in line with an estimated wait time. Oh god. This instantly made me nervous, especially the part that says "There are more than 100 users in front of you"

I messaged my friend Lily to see if she was in line as well. She said yes, and that her estimated wait time was 2 minutes. At the time I messaged her, my wait time was 12 minutes. I watched as the time slowly ticked down, and FINALLY I was transferred to the Active registration page.

I quickly filled out all the information, trying to be cautious not to mess anything up that would cause me to lose time. I filled in my credit card information, double checked it, then clicked submit payment. After a few seconds, I received my confirmation that I was successfully registered for the race!! Phew, I could breathe a sigh of relief (and celebrate)! Lily had since messaged me to let me know she was in, and to see if I got in yet. The entire process from when I clicked register on the runDisney web page to receiving my race confirmation took 20 minutes. A very nerve-racking 20 minutes.

(Yay!!)

Now that the stress from registering was over with, I was free to grab a bite to eat for lunch. I sat down with my coworkers, and while eating I was curious to see how quickly it would sell out. Right after I received my confirmation, the runDisney website said it was already 50% full. I knew that the Annual Pass Holder and Disney Vacation Club early registration sold out in roughly 10 minutes two weeks earlier (however, there were a limited number of race registrations for AP/DVC pre-sale). I kept hitting the refresh button on my phone. 70%, then 90%, and then when I checked by 12:40 PM, it was sold out. According to the runDisney Twitter, it was sold out by 12:35 PM.

I took a screenshot on my phone to send to my friend, Nita. I had been texting her with updates on my registration process and how quickly it was selling out. Then I sent her this and said "Gone."

The runDisney races have become wildly popular over the past few years. Nita and I were reminiscing just last week about when we were able to still register for the races during the second and third price increase tiers because race bibs were still available during those times a few years ago. Not anymore, if you don't get on the website at noon the day registration opens, you're not running unless you run through a charity and raise money. This makes me wonder if runDisney will ever switch to a lottery system like a lot of the larger races do to allow for an equal chance for anyone to run (as long as you've registered for the lottery).

Now for the fun, I need to figure out a costume for the race! I have a few ideas, though I'm sure I'll change my mind a thousand times before the race actually gets here. First I was thinking Doc McStuffins, then Mary Poppins in her white dress, but now I'm not so sure.

QOTD: Who else is registered for the runner's night out? Have a costume in mind yet?

Consultations and Realistic Expectations

It's been a month since my last post, and honestly, I've been battling myself for weeks debating whether or not I should actually publish this post. I've had a majority of it typed out for a few weeks now. Any way, New years day I posted a picture of all of my race bibs and bling from 2014 with the caption: "Another year measured in race bibs and bling. 2014 was a year I won't soon forget, but 2015 has big things on the horizon for this girl."

(Last year I ran 19 races, this year I'll be lucky if I run 5)

Big things indeed. This spring I'll be having open heart surgery. So how exactly did it get to this point? Let's rewind.

If you've been following along on my running adventures and race-cations, then you may recall back in May when I posted about my appointment with my Cardiologist regarding my hands. If you remember, my hands were swelling when I ran. My cardiologist didn't think the swelling was due to my heart, but rather a histamine response while running. He asked me to take Benadryl before my runs just to see if it would help. He also had me return a few weeks later for a Metabolic stress test, and that's really the last thing I posted from a cardiac stand point.

My Cardiologist reviewed the results of my echocardiogram and Metabolic Stress test at the pediatric cardiothoracic surgical conference, and as I mentioned in a blog post, that was another story for another day. I guess that day is today.

July 8th, 2014, 10:33 am: I missed a call from my Cardiologist regarding the recent pediatric cardiothoracic surgical conference where he presented my testing. He asked me to please call his office back at my earliest convenience.

July 8th, 2014, 11:30 am: I returned the called to the Children's Heart Center and spoke to my Cardiologist. He told me that after presenting my testing, the team agreed it would be best to go ahead with a cardiac catheterization with the idea that I would have a valve placed within a year. He said the cath could be done anywhere up to a year in advance of the procedure, but that it probably could not be done before the end of summer. I told him it wouldn't be done until nearly the end of the year as I had already planned for 3 more half marathons before the end of 2014. All was fine with that. He said he would have his office call me to schedule.

November 24th, 2014: I had my cardiac catheterization. I've had a handful of these in my lifetime, however, none that I actually remember, until this one. The last cath I had was when I was 16, and it was under general anesthesia because they were closing the hole in my heart with an Amplatzer device. Honestly, it's one of the strangest feelings. When they inject the contrast dye, you truly get an idea of how fast the blood is pumped through your body. I mean, being a cardiac sonographer, I know our bodies pump roughly between 5-7 L/min, but dang, you definitely feel the contrast rush through your body! It was pretty cool to lay there and look at my heart on the screens, though I was slightly out of it from the conscious sedation. I remember my cardiologist asking me if I was bored yet, and I just responded "Meh."

November 25, 2014-January 22, 2015: Honestly one big blur. I had exchanged a few emails with my Cardiologist regarding my cath results, and plans to go ahead with valve surgery as discussed. Mid January I still had not heard from pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, so I took it upon myself to call and get the ball rolling. The woman I spoke to said she'd pull my chart and give it to the Nurse Practitioner, and then get back to me. No call back, so I called again the next day. She told me that they couldn't schedule my surgery until I had my cardiac MRI. That was news to me, so I emailed my cardiologist again and asked about that. After a few days, I received word that the Cardiac MRI was not necessary, and that the surgical team should be calling me within a few days to schedule my surgery.

January 22, 2015, 11:07 am: Finally, after jumping through more hoops than I can count, they called. I was able to schedule my consult and surgery. Let's just say surgery is scheduled and leave it at that.

February 3, 2015, 11:00 am: I met with the surgeon who is going to be doing my procedure to discuss details and go over the list of questions I had. Honestly, I didn't have any idea what I was really in for. Things were a little more complicated than I had originally anticipated, and more needs to be done than just the valve. When he showed me my cath I felt all the color and expression leave my face. I won't go into detail, but I will say this, I'm honestly surprised I'm not having more symptoms than what I've been experiencing.

My surgeon said they're going to be very strict about my breathing exercises. He said the first day after surgery when I get off the vent, they're going to make me cough. Sounds horrible, thankfully they give you these special pillows to hold against your chest while you cough. He expects me to be in the hospital for about 5 days. My surgery will be on a Monday, and discharge on Saturday, but could be Friday for good behavior (and by that I mean if I'm diligent with my breathing exercises), and of course if there are no complications.

All that aside, I continued with my questions although most of it is a big blur because I couldn't even think straight. Thankfully, I had all my questions written down on paper. I asked basic questions like if I needed cardiac rehab, how long until I could drive again, start doing physical activity, etc. He didn't come right out and say it, but it didn't sound as though I had to stop running between now and my surgery. I finally asked him my most important question... if it would be unrealistic that I'm recovered in time to run a half marathon by mid November. He made it sound like it wasn't an unrealistic expectation - so for now, I'm planning on being recovered in time for the Wine and Dine half at Disney World mid November. If worse comes to worse, I can always walk it, or defer... again.

My surgeon seems great though, and I can tell he really loves what he does just by the way he talks and explains things in detail. He asked me if I had looked up what my condition was (Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum), and I told him I am a cardiac sonographer, so I knew exactly what it was and what he was talking about. However, he took a lot of time to explain things to my parents and answer all of their questions as well, and I really appreciated that. After my appointment we went out to grab lunch, but I wasn't very talkative. I couldn't even enjoy lunch with my parents, let alone stomach anything, but I forced myself to eat a side salad.

By the time I got back to work that afternoon, I had tears streaming down my face. It was just a lot to take in, and I guess not exactly what I was expecting. My coworker followed me to one of our echo rooms and gave me a hug as I began to explain things to her. She looked at me and said, "Stace, honestly, you've done an amazing job at managing all of this in until now." She was right. Since finding out in July, I had run two half marathons, three 10K's, and a handful of 5K's. I had studied, sat and passed a board exam, and not once did all my stress break me like this did. It was finally sinking in.

It's been a few weeks since my consultation, and the dust has finally settled. In the meantime I've been spending a lot of time going through blogs and websites reading up on what I should do to prepare for surgery, what to expect after surgery and during recovery. Yes, I've had open heart surgery before, but considering I was only 1 day old and 3 days old at the time, I don't exactly remember any of it. There are even blog posts on what to pack for the hospital which I have found to be quite helpful. Some of these things I would not have thought of, but they make sense. Two of the Physician Assistants I work with have both told me to take items with me that will make my hospital room feel more like home (blanket, pillow, pictures, iPad, etc), that way I'll be more comfortable.

I went to my parents this past weekend, and that was the first time I had seen them since my appointment. We actually had time to talk about things since I basically went mute after my consultation. I'm also starting to realize how much paperwork I'm going to have to deal with - and I can already feel the headache coming on. All that aside, mom and dad gave me a few gifts this weekend. They bought me a new heated blanket for when I'm home recovering. Mom also handed me a little gift bag with tissue and said she thought my surgery was going to be sooner than we had it scheduled (we all did, but that was out of our control), but they wanted to give it to me now to let me know how much I mean to them. I removed the tissue and saw two Alex and Ani boxes.

(My new Alex and Ani bracelets from my parents)

One was the Little Brown Bear bangle, representing loving, happy, comfort. Mom said she thought the bear was fitting and knew I'd need the comfort during my recovery. The other was the bangle of the month, Key To My Heart, representing secret, love, soul. They wanted to give this one to me because of its heart shape. They have always given me heart shaped jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, etc) because it's fitting for my condition. I'm sure I'll be happy to trade in my hospital ID bracelet for my new bangles, and honestly, I'll probably wear them while I'm in the hospital.

All this aside, since I was not told I had to stop, I will continue to run up until the day before my surgery. I'll enjoy being with my friends and my weekly running group. I will also still plan on running with Linda after work when we can (and when there's not a below zero windchill). I figure the healthier I go into this, the faster I'll come out of it.

QOTD: Can you think of anything exciting I should do before I have surgery? I need an adventure!

runDisney Depression

As I'm writing this, it's 8:45 pm on a brutally cold Friday evening in Western NY. I'm sitting in bed watching Disney movies with miss Coco, and honestly, the only thing I can think about is how I should be in Florida right now preparing for the Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon in the morning.

Currently, I would be getting my running gear and/or costume around for tomorrows runDisney WDW 1/2 Marathon. Then crawling into bed by 9 (to attempt) to get some sleep before the 2:30 am wake-up call to get to my corral on time. Unfortunately, due to circumstances out of my control I had to defer my registration until the 2016 WDW 1/2 marathon.

I'm really excited for all the runners that get to attend the race weekend events, play in the parks, and of course run their race (maybe #runalltheraces), and collect their bling. Runners will be collecting anywhere between 1 and 6 medals this runDisney race weekend. I can't help but feel a little depressed that I will not be one of them.

I can honestly say though that I am excited to live vicariously through some of my running friends who are participating in this weekends events! Chris is running the Dopey Challenge for his second year, and has already collected 2 of his 6 medals. And Lily is running her first marathon!! I'm also a bit obsessed with following other runDisney enthusiasts on Instagram, and seeing what pops up under the #rundisney hashtag.

QOTD: Have you ever had to defer one of your race registrations? Did you feel depressed when race weekend rolled around and you weren't there?

No Use Crying Over A Cancelled Disney Trip

It's been nearly a month since my last post, and I feel terrible about that. Let's just say things have been a bit hectic for this girl. It amazes me how much things can change in the matter of one month, and honestly, I can't complain. But my oh my, where do I start?

The last time I posted about regaining my freedom after my board exam. I still haven't found out whether I've passed or not, but I will know in less than a month (hopefully it will be an early Christmas present)! I also mentioned that I had slipped in my half training plan from the studying, and that it was going to hurt me during the Jazz Half. Mom and I did go to New Orleans and we finished the half, but the Jazz Half deserves its own recap, which I PROMISE I will get to (I have a few recaps I need to catch up on, yikes)! I will also eventually post about my trip to New Orleans.

My birthday was in August, as I'm sure you may know from my Disneyland Half Health & Fitness Expo Recap, and my parents were still asking me what I wanted for my birthday. They came up one weekend to help me around the house, and I had mentioned I wanted to look into getting a new front door because my is pretty drafty, and in these cold Upstate NY winters you can definitely feel it! (You also know you're growing up when you ask for that for your birthday!) However, when all was said and done, a new front door was going to cost more than I wanted to spend at this point. So my parents sent me money for my birthday, and I actually bought a new bike. Unfortunately, I can't use it until spring, because sure enough, it's snowing here now.

(Birthday goodies!)

While I was in New Orleans, my friend had text me to tell they had been offered a job promotion, but unfortunately it interfered with our travel plans for the Avengers Half Marathon at Disneyland that was about 2 weeks away, and they were now unable to go. I was a little bummed at first, but after I thought about it, I had REALLY hated running the Disneyland Half in August, so I brushed it off. I called and cancelled our hotel reservation and my flights. I lost money on the trip, but no big deal, in the long run I'd actually be saving money on food, and other stuff that I probably didn't need. I got that squared away, no use crying over a cancelled Disneyland Trip.

So, what does one do when their mini vacation gets cancelled? They plan a trip to their happy place! That's right, I kept the time I had off and decided to drive down to State College to see my friends and take in a Penn State game. I knew I wouldn't have any other opportunities to do that this fall as I have a lot coming up over the next few weeks. So I got a hold of my friend, Danielle, and just like that, I had a new "mini vacation" planned. I spent from Friday afternoon until yesterday in State College with my friends catching up.

Friday night Danielle and I took it easy. We ordered our favorite D.P. Dough, we each had a bottle of wine (I nearly finished mine, oops), and we watched Friday Bride Day on TLC. Kora, Josh's pit bull puppy made herself comfortable on my lap most of the night. She is the laziest puppy I've ever met, but so adorable!

We got up early Saturday and headed to a special tailgate at the Pegulla Ice Arena for Veterans. There was a huge assortment of food and desserts. We hung out there for a few hours and stayed warm before heading over to Beaver Stadium for the game.

(We felt like VIPs!)

(This was actually my first time in the arena, hard to believe, eh?)

We headed over to the game with Danielle's sister and her friend. Danielle had the goal of making it to one game this season before kick off because she had yet to do that. Just as we were walking into the stadium in our section Coach Franklin was walking down the tunnel with the team. It felt good to back in Beaver Stadium with 107,000 of my best friends.

(Right on the 50. Not one bad seat in the Beav)

(Let's Go State! Trying to stay warm)

We decided to leave after the 3rd quarter. It was freezing, Penn State was winning, and they just continued to fight on to a victory. We are also bowl eligible! We went back to Dani's house to rest up and thaw before getting ready to head out for the evening. We decided to go to Inferno for drinks, and my friend Jordan met up with us! He saw through the Facebook grapevine that I was in town.

(A little dark, but still good!)

Sunday was a veg day. I met up with Dani and her family to see Big Hero 6 (GREAT movie by the way, highly recommend it), and after, Dani and I went to Barnes and Noble to have coffee with her mom and gram. Sunday night I started feeling like I was getting a cold and even made the comment that I thought I was getting sick.

Monday I woke up feeling okay, and I met up with my friend Kristen for Breakfast at the Waffle Shop to catch up with her. After breakfast I went downtown to do a little Christmas shopping before heading back to NY. I also splurged on a few items for myself...

(Love.)

I started feeling worse as the day went on, and sure enough, I woke up at 4:30 this morning, and I couldn't breathe and I felt like I had a marble in my throat.

Once I got home from New Orleans I went a little crazy spending time with my friends and family. I had plans with my friends every single night up until last night, and I've been up until close to midnight nearly every night for the past 3 weeks. I should have known better than to do that. Now I need my own Baymax to make me feel better (Big Hero 6 reference). I'll definitely be veggin' most of this week to recoup. I'm also on call this weekend, so I'll have plenty of time to relax. I'll need some movie ideas for the weekend.

QOTD: Who ran the Inaugural Avengers Half? What's your favorite movie to watch when you're not feeling well?

Disneyland Half Marathon Recap

I'm sorry for the delay in posting this recap, to be honest I've just been dreading writing it. As you may know, I had an absolute blast running the Disneyland 10K! Let's just say the Disneyland Half was not so "magical" for me. RunDisney advertises the Disneyland Half as the "Happiest race on earth." I get it, it's a play on words because Disneyland is the "Happiest place on earth." Let's recap and find out what went wrong for me.

My alarm went off at 4:00 am, but I was already awake. Surprisingly, I was feeling fine when I woke up, even after spending all day Saturday in the parks on limited sleep from the 10K. Nita, her mom and I got ready, and headed out of our hotel room by 4:30. I decided to wear my hydration pack for the half to ensure that I had enough electrolyte to get me through the race, and I would sip water at the water stops.

Nita and I were in the same corral, and her mom was placed in a corral or 2 ahead of us, but Nita and her mom were planning on running together, so she dropped back with us.

(Pre-race good fairy selfie)

We made it to the corrals with plenty of time, and of course we waited a while before we were set free. I don't remember exactly how much time was between the corrals, but it didn't seem like it was too long.

(When our corral eventually made it to the start)

Finally, we were off and running. Unlike the 10K course which takes you 2 miles outside the park first, the half takes you into the parks just past the one mile mark. You first enter California Adventure by Paradise Pier, run around the pier and down into Cars Land.

(We ran the opposite direction of what we ran for the 10K)

(Mid-race selfie - Flora and Fauna being mischievous in the background)

Before I knew it we were making our way across the sidewalk and into the Disneyland park.

We made our way in through the front entrance by the train station and onto Main Street USA.

At the end of Main Street USA we turned left and weaved around the back part of the park and back around through the back of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Sleeping Beauty's Castle was one of my BIGGEST pet peeves during the half. Once I came up to the Castle I pretty much came to a dead stop because everyone was walking through it! WHY?!?! 

Once through the castle we turned left into Tomorrowland, looped back around by the Teacups and the Matterhorn, then back by It's A Small World, and down into Toontown. Then just like that we were almost to mile 4, and out on the streets of Anaheim. 

Once we got out on to the streets of Anaheim it got boring, and I really had nothing exciting to look forward to other than finishing. It was nice though that the people of Anaheim came out and cheered for the runners. Some offered small pieces of candy, or pretzels as a little energy boost. Some had funny signs to motivate runners. Others offered to squeeze a sponge of cool water down your back (which was amazing)!

Around mile five I started getting back pain. It was my hydration pack. I had never run more than 3 miles with it, which was my fault, and I was starting to pay. It was at this point that I started walking, and that was pretty much it for me. I power walked with very short bursts of running for the remainder of the half.

The course weaved in and out of different areas of Anaheim basically having us run in a zig zag pattern. As we were weaving in and out of the neighborhoods, we ran through a few areas where people brought their antique cars and had them lined up down both sides of the street, so it was like running through a car show. It was like this out to the Honda Center where the course placed us on the Santa Ana River Trail.

This was my least favorite part of the course. The trail itself did not bother me, it was well maintained, smooth with a little elevation climb. It was the fact that we basically ran though the tent cities. I assume the police had cleared the people out for the race, as no one was down there, however, there were tons of sleeping bag, garbage bags, and other packs just piled down under the bridge we ran under.

Once we jumped off the trail we were basically at the Angels Stadium. Mile 9. Phew, keep moving forward. Cliff was there handing out energy shots, which I still have a difficult time choking down even small amounts, but I tried. There were also a lot of Boy Scouts there cheering the runners on as we made our way across the parking lot into Angels Stadium. 

I have to admit, running through the stadium was pretty awesome. They had a camera that showed us runners on the jumbo-tron, and as we ran past a certain point an announcer would call out our names. We ran back out through the tunnel and back onto the parking lot. Across the back part of the parking lot there were cheerleaders and marching bands playing, but before long we were back onto the streets.

Almost to mile 10, just a little over a 5K to go. I pushed along and before it knew it I was passing the sign marking mile 12. All of a sudden I heard voices yelling my name. Mel and Matt were standing along the course cheering! I don't remember exactly, but I think I said something to the effect of, "I'm dying, everything hurts!" And Mel offered a, "You're almost there!" The last part of the course looped back behind Paradise Pier, and up by the resorts. The finish was just past the Disneyland Hotel.

I crossed the finish line extremely relieved to be done. I claimed my Disneyland Half medal, then went to the Dumb Double Dare tent and claimed my Dumbo medal, and finally over to the Coast-to-Coast tent where I claimed my Coast-to-Coast medal. On the way out of the finisher area a volunteer offered me a reusable cooling cloth which felt amazing draped around my neck. I grabbed a quick finisher photo with my bling and made my way over to the refreshments tent. Grabbed water, Powerade, a snackbox and banana and started my walk back to the hotel (Ugh).

(My new bling!)

After a shower and some food in my stomach I was finally feeling human again and ready to venture through the parks again for the day.

(Hangin' outside Sleeping Beauty's Castle with my bling)

I feel like this entire post is me complaining about the DL half, and to be honest, it's not runDisney's fault I felt so miserable. Let's look at the pros and cons.

Disneyland Half Pros:
*Hotels are closer to the park and the runDisney starting line. This means you can sleep later than the Disney World races, and walk to the starting line.
*More running through the parks. I was happy that nearly 3 miles of this half course was within the Disneyland Resort parks. At Disney world, depending on what race you run, you don't get nearly as much time running in the parks. 

Disneyland Half Cons:
*The corrals. Sorry, but there were not many corrals and I was wedged in with so many runners that the beginning of the race was not an enjoyable experience (See above: Sleeping Beauty's Castle). There needs to be more corrals with fewer runners in each.
*The first water stop. The first water stop was placed in a very tight congested area, and it forced EVERYONE to walk, but just beyond the water stop was a wide open space. Poor planning on runDisney's part.
*Most of the half is running through the neighborhoods of Anaheim. The first part of the half is the parks, which I know runDisney can't change because they need to get the runners in and out of the park before it opens. I would have enjoyed running through a small part of the park at the end though.
*Running through the tent cities. Not much can we done about this, it's just how it is.
*The Price. Sorry for the price of this race, I just was not impressed or pleased with my experience. RunDisney races are becoming wildly popular, so much so they they sell out in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately, runDisney see's this as a cash cow and increases the prices because they know people will pay.

QOTD: Have you ever had a miserable experience at a runDisney race?