Disney Dashing the Winter Blues

Everyone knows that I hate winter. I can't survive without some warmth and sunshine to break up the gray and cold of winter. This winter has been full of Disney fun. In January, we traveled to California for the Inaugural Star Wars Race Weekend. The whole family ran the 10K, and I tackled the Rebel Challenge and added in the half marathon. We had an eclectic costume mix for the 10K - Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Janga Fett, and Darth Ursula. For the half, I was a Princess Leia Stormtrooper. These races were definitely my favorite runDisney courses so far, and we are planning to go out again next year.

We headed to Disney World the last weekend of January / first weekend of February to take advantage of a long weekend off from school (and escape the cold weather). We have visited WDW this same weekend the last few years, and it is one of my favorite times to visit. The only downside was our planes, trains, and automobiles adventure returning home. Our connecting flight out of JFK was canceled while we were enroute from Orlando. We took a taxi from JFK to Penn Station, a train toward Union Station in DC, and then had to picked up about 10 miles before the station because the train could "go no further." Even with that adventure, we wouldn't have missed this awesome trip. 

One big surprise this year was being chosen for a Disney Side @ Home party. Since I am somewhat addicted to runDisney, my original plan was to have a Princess Race Weekend Shadow Run - especially when I unexpectedly had a box full of girly stuff when I have two awesome (but completely unprincessy) boys. The weather had other ideas as it continued to snow and be ridiculously cold. After the fourth day in a row of no school, I changed course and had an impromptu dinner party. Our fantastic friends joined us for a DisneySide dinner party with only about an hour notice. We had festive decorations and fantastic food to help us get over the winter time blues. We used the Disney trivia cards to play dinner games. Everyone took turns asking and answering questions and going on tangents about Disney memories triggered by the questions. We talked about vacations and our plans for when the weather finally gets warmer! We definitely turned my thwarted plans into a fun filled evening.

Skirt from Race Shirt

My race shirts from the Dumbo Double Dare in August 2013 were unisex sized and didn't even come close to fitting me correctly. I didn't want to trash the shirts, so I disassembled the shirt and changed it in to a running skirt. I will attempt to tell you how I made it, but I am not a traditional sewer so my directions may sound strange. Here is the finished skirt:

First, I pulled out all the seams from the sides of the shirts.



I made my pattern by tracing the outline of a Champion running skirt I had from Target. I placed the pattern over the shirt to get the maximum amount of fabric in the pattern so that I could minimize piecing to make it fit around me. I cut out front and back pieces using the same pattern with a little extra length in the back panel.

Because the shirt fabric isn't very stretchy, I cut strips of performance/moisture wicking spandex that I had left from another project to put between the front an back panels so it would have a little bit more give. The pieces ended up being triangle shaped when I sewed them in, but I used rectangle strips (about 2 inches wide) to start so that I would have enough fabric to fill in the needed space. I didn't take very good photos of this part because I messed up and had to redo it. I got too focused on fixing it and forgot to pull out my phone (sorry about that!). I placed the right sides together and used a zigzag stitch for the seams that was as small as I could make it (maybe 1/8 in).

After adding the yellow triangles to both sides, I placed the triangle shaped holes over the sleeves of the shirt to cut out the needed piece with the runDisney logo. I cut the triangle for the other side from the other sleeve. Unfortunately, you can't see the red on red very well in the photo.

I placed the right sides together and again did a zigzag stitch. I pinned and stitched one side and then pinned and stitched the other. 

For the top band, I used the same yellow performance fabric cut in to strips (4 in x 20 in). The skirt was about 20 in at the top. I measured around my waist where I wanted it to hit. I cut the fabric on an angle so that the top was about 1.5 in smaller than my waist measurement (you might want it smaller to make the band tighter). 

I hemmed the top of the yellow band and then attached the two pieces together using a zigzag stitch. 

I turned the yellow band inside out and pinned it to the top of the red skirt so that the seam would be hidden. I stitched the yellow to the red with a zigzag stitch.

Finally, I hemmed the bottom with a narrow hem and straight stitch (I think a serger would make a better edge that matches the gray seams on the shirt, but I don't have one).

I also made one with the Disneyland Half Marathon shirt that I attached to a pair of running shorts. I didn't have a pair that I willing to permanently attach to this skirt. To attach it to running shorts, turn the skirt inside out and sew it to the seam at the bottom of the waist band of the running shorts using a zigzag stitch. I have a photo showing that attachment for the other skirt. I used a narrower band at the top since it was being added to the shorts.

runDisney Princess Half Meet Up

I never win random drawings or get picked out of a huge group of people for something really cool.  I usually watch from the sidelines or read other blogs and think about how amazing it must be to experience some of these things first hand.  I was shocked when I checked the Disney Parks Blog while sipping my cup of coffee early one morning after booting up my computer and saw that anyone interested in participating in the Princess Half Meet Up could send in an email to have a chance to be picked for the event.  And the announcement didn't have the banner saying it was already full!  After several hours of working away in Super Hero mode (i.e., Saving the Earth as an Environmental Scientist), I saw the congratulatory email that I had been chosen (no claw or Little Green Men involved).  Getting up ridiculously early for work every day actually paid off with allowing me to have this fabulous opportunity!  

Friday morning, I got up before the sun, put on my running gear, and caught a cab from the Boardwalk to the Epcot entrance.  After signing a waiver and donning super stylish runDisney tech shirts, everyone congregated just inside the gates in front of the Epcot golf ball.  I was absolutely giddy as I got to meet and have photos taken with Sean Astin (if you don't know who he is, then you obviously aren't awesome enough to have seen The Goonies a bajillion times - or Lord or the Rings - or Rudy), and Ali Vincent (winner of Biggest Loser - still cool although she beat out my friend's husband, Roger), and Jeff Galloway (such a running rock star).  

   
All the attendees (maybe 100ish of us?) posed for a fabulous shot in front of Epcot (I'm in the middle on the front row).  

We divided in to two groups - one led by last year's Princess Half winner, Rachel Booth, and one led by Jeff Galloway.  The first group was going to do about an 8-minute mile pace, which is way faster than I wanted to go.  I joined Jeff's group for a run/walk/run with running 30 seconds / walking 1 minute.  The easy pace made it a very enjoyable morning run where I could talk to others (Hi Bekky!) and take in the empty park.  We ran under the golf ball on the right, 

headed past the fountain, around World Showcase toward Mexico (no margaritas this early - bummer), out the International Gateway (my only photo is a slightly blurry one just over the bridge toward the Boardwalk), 

around the Boardwalk (thankfully my husband came out to bring my sunglasses that I forgot), past Yacht & Beach club, back in the International Gateway, and around the lagoon to Germany.  We had a carb and fruit laden breakfast with juice and (much appreciated) coffee.  While we were eating and relaxing in Germany, we heard lots of people talk about training, nutrition, and inspiration and they had some fabulous prizes (I didn't win any of them - but I sure did want a pair of the New Balance Minnie Mouse shoes!).  After gleaning as much as possible from the running experts, we received a goodie bag with some cool swag and a one day pass to the parks.  And then we got to meet the real celebrities - Snow White, Rapunzel, and Minnie!

After an amazing morning run and a breakfast filled with inspirational and informative speakers, I walked back to the Boardwalk to meet my sister to head over to the expo (seing Epcot nearly empty was breathtaking!). 

The meet up was an amazing experience that I hope I am lucky enough to get to repeat some time.  Thanks runDisney!