Pre-Trip Run, Chickie! RUN!!!

It's been a while since I've had a trip report or a pre-trip report on here. I am still on a Disney break with the family, but I've had some major changes over the last 9.5 months and have decided to treat myself with my first ever RunDisney trip. I've been wanting to start a PTR for a while now, but I didn't want to jinx things. I mean, how awful would it have been to start a PTR just to get shut out of race registration?!?!? Well, I can rest easy with that part right now since registration was yesterday and I got both of the races I wanted!!! WOOHOO!

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For those that haven't read my previous TRs, I'm Sandy (but you can call me Chickie :D )...

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If you read my December 2017 trip report, you might recall that I had a number of pain and mobility issues. Rock bottom (well, the Disney portion of it) was being in Epcot and not being able to keep up with my family because I was in so much pain. I still look back on those tears and remember the fear that I might be in a scooter next time I visit if I can't get this turned around. I went home and vowed to get past all of this, but it would be another 6+ months before I got real with myself. I'm going to spare you all of the details, but I realized it was my weight that was the problem. I've been a yo-yo most of my life, so I had to come to terms with what does and doesn't work for me. I took a lot of things out of my diet that made me out of control and in the process, I discovered some food intolerances. I've also always loved exercise, so once some of the pain subsided, I got back into regular workouts.

So, it's been a little over 9 months and I'm already down 93 pounds! I still have a bit to go before I hit my first two big weight goals, but I'm getting close and I wanted something to celebrate...so I came up with this idea of doing some Disney races. I ran a half marathon in 2015 and while it was a huge accomplishment, I've decided that I really don't enjoy the longer distance things. So, I signed up for the 5k and the 10k in January 2020!!! And I'm not bringing my family!!! A Disney-loving work friend is going to come with me instead. I haven't had a girls trip anywhere since 2013 and I haven't been to WDW with a friend since the 1990s, so this is big!

All I know so far is-

When: January 8-12, 2020 (definitely flying)
Who: Me & Friend (don't know yet if she wants her name in here)

What's iffy-

Lodging: I definitely want to be onsite, but that's all I know. The only non-Disney spot I'm thinking about is the Swan. Rates are decent, beds are great, location is a major plus, and we can easily walk to YC or BW for the RunDisney designated buses. BUT...I'd kind of like a Disney resort. I missed certain things when we stayed at the Swan last trip. After that...I'm kind of all over the place. Part of me wants to splurge...part of me wants to be conservative...part of me wants an old favorite...part of me wants to try something new. ALL of me wants a comfy bed. I've always liked the beds at the monorail resorts and the Epcot resorts, but the beds we had at WL and AKL were too firm for me and the beds we had at POR (all of our rooms for our group) were just bad. I've never stayed in a value because for family trips, DH and I can't handle anything smaller than a queen and we haven't been as a family since they completed the renos at Pop with the queens. I'm also pretty claustrophobic, so smaller rooms don't work well for me (yes...I'm a MESS!). 2020 won't open up until late June/early July...so I've got time to weigh out a million pros and cons!

Dining: I'm not a big fan of any of the plans and my friend only likes it when going with her family, so no dining plans for us. We also would like some spontaneity, so I'm only going to be booking a few ADRs. We both want to try Skipper Canteen and their standard menu seems to work well for my dietary issues. I'd also like a celebratory meal with a view for one of the nights...Narcoosee's has more standard menu options that would work for me, but I prefer the setting of California Grill. I'm torn over Jiko vs. Sanaa. I love Sanaa and know they have some things that will work for me, but I've always wanted to try Jiko. I figure we also need one character meal. I'm leaning towards a breakfast...but not sure which one I want to do. With the exception of the new one at WL, I've done them all and have some strong opinions. So, I may just let the characters be the deciding factor.

Cake: You know I can't have a Disney trip without cake! The problem...I can no longer eat the Disney cakes. I am thinking about ordering one from Erin McKenna's, but they are just not fun. So, I'm thinking about getting a mini one for my friend and hope that she's not weirded out about having cake while I just take pics of it.

Costumes: I'm fairly certain that we're going with an Alice in Wonderland theme for the 5k. My friend is leaning towards the Mad Hatter and I'm going to get over my concerns with horizontal stripes and be the Cheshire Cat. Still, we have so much time that we could change our minds. The 10k is just me and I'm more uncertain on this. I've seen some really cool Small World stuff that also looks comfy, but I also saw some fun Tiki Room things. IF I could find anything Donald Duck that I really liked, that would probably win. And while fit and comfort are most important, I'm hoping to find a couple of pairs of decent joggers to coordinate with the respective costumes. It'll probably mean a trip to one of my local running shops for a fitting since I'm not in love with the Hokas and Asics I'm in right now. Oh how I hate it when companies come out with new versions of your favorite shoe or totally discontinue it altogether.

Park Time: Planning on 2-day hoppers, but my friend is not into thrill rides. We also both really like Star Wars stuff, but not sure how much of SGE we want to try and experience this time around since the crowds are sure to be insane. i.e. maybe save the bulk of it for later trips with our families.

That's really all I've got for now, but I'll be updating this thread as more details fall into place. Heck, I'm still not even sure the best way to link everything together since I've always traveled with family. It's going to be an adventure for me just figuring all of this new stuff out! :)
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just a few little updates...

After all of my heat issues last week, I got in a good long run over the weekend. I went a little over 7 miles and felt like I could have gone a bit farther. I decided to also wear my hydration pack, which I think I prefer over the hand bottle. Still, it's a bit much for a short maintenance run. The best part of it was that I could put everything I normally stuff into my pockets in the pack...and then I stuffed my leg pockets with bags of ice. I'm sure I looked crazy, but it was already 82 degrees at 6:45am, so it was a huge help. My time still needs some help, but it wasn't awful either. What's really kind of crushing is seeing how off the defective Garmin really was. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to find out now while I still have time to train vs. in the middle of something that I need, but it was kind of sad deleting the personal records that I knew to be inaccurate.

On a positive note, I found another local certified 10k that's right before the deadline. Aside from giving me the chance to get better and the possibility of running in slightly cooler temps (Oct 5th should be cooler than Sept 22- even if it's just a little), it gives me a backup plan in case weather or some other issue keeps the first run from happening. In the end, I know Disney will let me run without all of this, but it's nice to try and improve.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi all!!! We're finally back from our summer trip and a trip report in the Chit Chat section is soon to follow. I'll be sure to post a link once I've got it started. I had a few issues with uploading pictures while we were away, so I need to get all of that in order before I begin. I don't have a final count, but I suspect we took over 4,000 between my camera, the phones and tablets, the kids' camera, and some of the pics we had done for the activities we booked. We were gone for 15 days, so it's a lot of trip report! LOL

I had looked into outdoor running options to stay on top of all of this Disney training while we were gone, but things happen when you're finally on vacation. I know I did it when I was in FL and I see all kinds of people doing their long training runs when they're on vacation, but a few things kept me from being a "real runner" while on vacation...

1. I'm really not comfortable running on my own in unfamiliar places. If you couple that with wildlife concerns (a mountain lion and a black bear had been frequenting one of the areas I planned on before travel) and some areas where we really were in the middle of nowhere (like, nobody is going to find the body for days if I pass out on the street)...it just didn't feel like I should be chancing it. I don't think I was alone either because while I saw a lot of cyclists, I think I only saw two people running outside over the course of the 15 days.

2. It's my vacation. On one hand, I know I've got a lot of $ going towards this RunDisney trip, but on the other...this is my big vacation this year and it felt more fiscally irresponsible to throw in my long training runs that could not only cut into the time for my vacation activities, but also zap my energy for those activities.

3. Most (like 90%) of our vacation activities were physical in nature and that which wasn't involved sitting in the car and driving (which is also very uncomfortable after a long run). Doing a long run before all kinds of walking and hiking just seemed like a recipe for disaster. In fact, my feet protested a bit with what I did do.

So, what did I do?

1. If our hotel had a gym, I used it. That was 9 out of 14 nights of this 15 day trip. OK...there was one of those 9 days that I didn't use it, but we went whitewater rafting for several hours that day. I had to use a lot of upper body and core strength for paddling and those leg muscles were put to use for all of the times I had to shift and lock into place.

2. With the exception of that rafting day and one day where my feet were tired from hiking (biked and did the elliptical instead for cardio on that day), I ran on the treadmill every time I was in a place that had a hotel gym. They were only 30 min maintenance runs, but it was interesting to see how different it is inside...in a climate controlled environment. I found that I could run a lot harder for longer running intervals (was up to 2-3 min run/30 sec walk on the TM and avg pace was closer to my high pace)...BUT...I was bored out of my skull pretty quickly and was ready for it to be over after the first 10 minutes.

3. Every gym workout was 60 min...making sure to also focus on core, legs, arms, etc. in addition to the cardio.

4. We had a number of days with lots of walking and hiking...much of which was at higher altitudes. I know we took a hike one day...only about 60 minutes (although, one of several that day), but we were around 12,000 feet at the start for this one and my watch registered it as me climbing 27 flights of stairs.

So, no long runs while away, but still very active. I am a little concerned about some of the foot pain I was having on the treadmill, but we'll see what it's like once things go back to normal. I wore my Merrell boots with hiking socks for cooler weather stuff and my Keen Newports for warmer things. So I was in proper footwear...it just may have been a bit much for my feet to do that and run. I can't say my nutrition was the greatest, BUT not consuming gluten and dairy makes it a lot harder to overindulge. Thankfully, a lot of the hotels with free breakfasts have hard boiled eggs in the mix and we found a lot of places in Colorado were very sensitive to these dietary matters. Oh, but I did find a brand that makes flax-based treats that could be my undoing. Their chocolate cherry brownie muffins were incredible!
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I literally just started it today, but in case anyone is interested, my national parks trip report is now going in the Chit Chat section. You should be able to see the link in my signature. If that doesn't work, please let me know and I'll add it into the body of a post. Thanks!
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Big Little Update...

Southwest doesn't have my travel dates up, but I can see current air prices around the time (Jan 5th is the latest that's up)...and it's looking like over $500 to fly Southwest for the flights I want. Sure, it could come down, but I don't know if it's going to drop enough to bet better than what I booked. Honestly, after the nightmare Southwest travel experience last week...I also don't think I want to fly them for some time. So, long story sort of shortened...I paid $161 for my r/t air for this runcation. I will have to pay to check a bag, but that's not a big deal.

We are supposed arrive in Orlando around 11am on 1/7 and my return flight departs MCO at 7:00pm on 1/12.

It just got very REAL!!! Still need to get costumes and park tickets, but there's time.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Another little update...

After MANY failed attempts for ADRs at Oga's yesterday, I was able to get ADRs today. Yesterday was super frustrating since open times would show up, but the system was too overwhelmed for the booking to go through and I'd just get error messages after it clocked for a while. Today, I was able to get a lunch ADR for the day of the 5k. I know we have a big breakfast after the race and Cali Grill that night, but I thought this would be a lot of fun for my friend and I to just have some drinks and light snacks. I also booked a lunch ADR on my last day just for me.

Now to wait on the space restaurant. I'm really hoping for something on the 11th after the half, but we'll see how that goes.

Speaking of...now that we've booked air, it's official...my friend will be leaving me mid to late afternoon on the 10th. So, I will be solo from that point on.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think I forgot to post that Sanaa finally opened up lunch ADRs for 2020. So, I canceled our dinner spot and booked a 1:15pm lunch. I'm really hoping we're done with the expo in time. We've already discussed getting there early and neither one of us really wants to shop. So, this should mean plenty of time for Disney Springs that night.

I also got some early Mickey mail the other night...

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I also checked my Disney rewards balance and it's growing nicely...probably because that card got a workout on vacation!

Beyond that, I've been keeping up on my running. I got my long run up to 8 miles this past weekend. Pacing has been meh, but it's hot here. I know it's summer for many of us and it's not exactly ideal running conditions, but it is what it is. It's been mid to upper 90s with 55-75% humidity for my early evening runs and low 80s with humidity around 90-95% for my long weekend morning runs. The higher humidity and sun rising makes morning runs feel just as nasty as the evening ones.

My college friends were trying to get me to consider a better treadmill so I can run indoors, but I firmly believe I need to train like I'm going to have to race. My main POT race is in September, and September in Houston is pretty much like September in Orlando...i.e. it's an extension of summer and feels nothing like what you'd associate with fall. So, if I want to run for POT before this deadline, I need to be ready to run in the heat and humidity. So, hot running it is!
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, a few little updates...

I've started gathering costume materials!!! WOOHOO!!! I'll break it down by race and where I'm at right now...

5K- Cheshire Cat

I'm still on the fence about which shoes I want to order, but I'm certain on my costume. It's the shortest race and I'm not as concerned about what I'm wearing at this distance. Not that I don't want to be comfy, but I'm willing to take the risk on leggings that aren't solely intended as run gear. So, I bought these yesterday...

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I haven't bought a top yet because I'm not sure on the angle I want to take. I also want to see if some of the shirts I already own would match the pink. If they do, I might save the $ and explore best options for getting Cheshire's big toothy grin on the shirt.

I'm really torn on shoes. I'm liking running in my Brooks Glycerins and Levitates and I'd like to stick with that mix. I just ordered my Levitates for my 10k costume, so the best thing would be for me to order Glycerins that work with my 5k and half costumes...because I am that person that is matchy-matchy. My issue is that the best match for Cheshire Cat is another pair of Levitates...

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I really don't know if I want to invest in three pairs of shoes just to satisfy my matching obsessions. I'm also not normally a pink and purple person. The Glycerins right now have really boring color schemes. If I went with the pair below, it would pull in the pink from Cheshire, but work in the red and black from my half costume idea.

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I just see the red and black more than the hot pink and at the end of the day, I just don't like them. Still, this is the practical option. When I get to the half costume, I'll give you the three shoe splurge option.

Oh...and for this costume, I think I'd still like a tutu (which I'll make if I go this route) or a sparkly running skirt. I could really use something with a pocket and I don't know if I trust myself to make a proper pocket on a running tutu. If worse comes to worse, I'll go back to wearing my phone on my arm for this race (since I hate wearing belts).

10K - The Caterpillar

I know, this is a change, right!?!?! I was originally thinking Queen of Hearts, but I fell in love with a pair of Brooks Levitates that weren't stocked when I bought my current pair.

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Now I know these are not a perfect match to the Caterpillar and may look a bit more Mad Hatter, but here's my thinking...

My friend is probably going to be the Mad Hatter for the 5k and I feel funny running in something she's already doing, even if it's a different race. I also still kind of see the Caterpillar in this. The animated caterpillar is mainly two shades of blue with pink accents and gold feet/shoes. Obviously, these don't have the pink, but I see the other colors covered...not to mention that the smoke is a variety of colors.

I have blue running shorts and a blue running shirt (long sleeve) that are probably good base pieces. I may invest in the blue pants from the same company (not too pricey either). Part of me thinks pants may be a better look for this, but I'm on the fence. I can buy the pants version of my shorts for a pretty reasonable price if I really want to take that angle. The top is one that I don't mind messing with, so I plan on painting (or doing a fabric overlay) on the front section to give it that 2-tone blue look of the caterpillar. I'm also going to paint the front to say "who are you"... well, Who R U? And I'm going to do it to look like smoke. I will probably do it in colors like the movie.

Here's where it really gets interesting. The caterpillar changes into a butterfly, and so will I!

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Now, I know I can't run in these like this, but I can work with them. They have a loop to attach on the fingers and have a lot of extra fabric since they are intended for dance. I have a plan to stitch or glue the top section of the wing into the sleeve and torso and then gather the bottom section and tack it to the waist area of the shirt.

I have to see what the wing fabric is like, but I'd like to take some fabric paint and add in some pink and yellow for a better tie back to the original caterpillar. And then I'm thinking of doing patches down the exterior sides of my legs (especially if I get the pants) to tie it all in.

I've also debated about making a gold cover for my hydration pack, so it's kind of like my hookah!

HALF- I'd still like to be Paint the Roses Red

Since I was in a costume mood, I was going to buy the sequin running skirt with the clubs suit on it, but when I went into my Etsy acct...it was gone. I can't find anything like it either. The reality, I could buy a sparkly silver running skirt and buy or make the clubs to go on it. So, my original vision is still a possibility. Now, there's a company called Sparkle Skirts that many people love, but their shorts ... even if they stay put ... look like a recipe for disaster with my legs. i.e. they sit too high on the thigh. So, I think I'm going to give it a little bit to see if the skirt I want comes back in stock and if not, I will just have to get crafty. I have black running capris that I'll be wearing underneath no matter what. I'll be wearing my red hydration pack, so no need for pockets.

As for the top...this is where I'm going to have to get super creative. After some digging, I finally found some green tops that look like the colors I want. Unfortunately, the ones I trust most as legit running gear are really more than I want to spend. I found this one on Etsy that's listed as running gear, the seller has good ratings, and it's about a third of the price.

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I'm torn on how I want to do the roses right now, but I think the easiest and most comfortable option would be white rose appliques and then I can just get red slick paint to give them the painting the roses red look.

Now shoes is another issue. Those shoes I posted above would work for this costume, but if I let the matchy-matchy demons get to me and these are still in stock...these would be a nice fit.

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Still, good running shoes aren't cheap, so buying three pairs may be kind of stupid. My friend running the 5k with me had some sticker shock when she saw the cost of my shoes (came up when we were debating shoes to go with costumes). Mind you, they're really not that much worse than pricing other distance joggers (better in quite a few cases), but I think she's just planning to wear every day sneakers, so there's a major price difference. She's younger than me and probably can get away with it. It's also not as hard on your feet if you're doing the one shorter distance race.

So, that's it for costumes. I have a feeling I will buy that tank as well as the blue pants within the next couple of weeks. The shoe dilemma will probably go on for a while unless any of you have any opinions on if I should go for three pairs for "best match" vs. two pairs for the "practical option."

Beyond that, a girl in one of my running groups suggested I run a 10k before the one in my town. Her logic was that it's a good warm up and good to get something early just in case something comes up. The Houston Astros 10k finally opened up, but it's a week after the one in my town and I don't think it would be good to run races on back to back weekend. So, if I really want one more try at time, there's a 10k on the other side of the city just before the proof of time deadline. We don't get fall here until it's almost winter, and even then, it can still feel like summer. So, I may just submit what I can get and be done with it. I really don't see myself being sub 1:15, but you never know. I've been close on a couple of my runs and will be running our local 10k route this weekend for my long run. At the very least, everyone keeps telling me that submitting something should keep me out of the last corral. And that's really all I want. I'm not fast...getting faster...but still...not fast.
 

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HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm so bad! After typing out all of this and telling myself I'd just research and wait a bit...I bought stuff...A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF!

HALF

After thinking about that skirt that's no longer available, I decided the costume makes more sense if I'm wearing a card. I watched the video of the Painting the Roses Red scene and it was the 3 of clubs, 2 of clubs, and A of clubs that kept appearing. So, I found this shirt. It's a generic t-shirt and not really meant for running, so I'm going to cut off the front and affix it to a suitable white running shirt (one of the only things I didn't buy today!).

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A green pouffy tutu looks more like a rose bush anyway...so, I bought a green pouffy tutu...

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And of course I need roses and paint. So, I bought a pack of 20 white satin roses in the 2" size that will need to be sewn onto the tutu.

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And naturally, I needed paint!

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I already have black running capris to go underneath. So, while I'll need to do some crafting to get this costume done, the only things I really have left to buy are the shoes and the shirt.

10K

I know I said I was going to wait and see how I felt about the shorts that I already have, but the look in my mind involves pants. And the place that made the shorts has the pants version in blue in my size...on sale. So, I bought pants.

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And since I was already buying paint for the roses, I figured I might was well buy white fabric paint for the WHO R U on the shirt for this costume.

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Now the only thing left to buy is gold material to try and cover my hydration pack to have it work as my hydration hookah for the race.

5K

I was already ordering the leggings and they had a pink running tank on sale, so I bought that too...

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I'm thinking about making a Cheshire Cat smile stencil and using the white paint above to paint his smiling teeth. So, beyond this, all I really need is my sneakers and to figure out the skirt/tutu/phone holder dilemma.

Now, not costume related, but I've been playing with nutrition and hydration. I decided to buy a package of Tailwind to see how I like it compared to Nuun.

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I promise to stop shopping for a while :D
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well, I never heard back from the race coordinator about race day packet pickup (since this is on the other end of the city from where I live), but I decided to sign up for a 10k on Sept 7th anyway. It's still going to be crazy hot here, but hopefully this will help get out some of my jitters before I run the 10k in my town on Sept 22nd. Now I just have to figure out how to get my packet if they aren't doing any kind of same day stuff. I'm a little nervous since I wasn't planning on racing this early, but maybe it's good. I mean, I'm already running 10k or several miles more in my long training runs. This weekend, I'm even driving over to the area where the local 10k is being run, so I can do my first practice run through that spot. Exciting!
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The first of my costume stuff arrived last night!!!

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The wings are going to take some serious work to make them run-comfortable and compliant with costume rules, but they are GORGEOUS! I tried them on as is and part of me is thinking about using them for Halloween in their original form...before performing surgery on them! :hilarious:

The Cheshire leggings worry me a bit. They're marketed as GO TO THE GYM: Elastic leggings will stretch with your body and are great for running, biking, yoga, pilates, lifting weights, or any other type of fitness workout but they don't have as much give as normal run gear, they feel a bit thin (but don't seem to be see through), the seams feel like a ton of Body Glide may be needed, and I'm not in love with the fit through the waist. I know it sounds bad, but they're not awful either. It may also just be because I was still feeling pretty warm and was tired from a long day. Obviously, I'm going to need to do a test run in them.

I'm also really tempted to add these to the mix! But then my brain keeps saying...Do these furry leg warmers make my legs look chunky? 🤣

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Oh...also got a better contact for that early Sept 10k after registering and she confirmed that I can do race day packet pick up. That's a huge relief because it's nearly an hour drive one way in light traffic conditions (i.e. middle of the night on a weekend).

On a related note...I'm working on getting my Goodrs fixed.

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They survived an entire vacation of being jammed into my purse without their protection pouch, but just ONE RUN with them being stuffed in my pocket after I ran through a long patch of shade, and the mirror finish started coming off. There was nothing in my pocket...just fabric and sweat! The good news...their customer service is excellent and they're working on getting this fixed. Several people informed me that they'll probably just send me new lenses and instructions on how to pop them into the frames. The reality...I still don't like exercising in glasses.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, I ran the local 10k route yesterday...well, as close to it as possible. I can't exactly run on the road in this area (outside of race day), but I ran the greenbelts on the side and got a good feel for my strengths and weak spots. In fact, it's been my best run to date. Mile 4 was the only time my pace dipped and part of that may have looked worse than it really was since I had two instances in that mile where I thought I paused my watch for traffic and I had to hit the button a second time...the other was my turn around. i.e. I was literally turning around and heading back and that kind of turning around eats time...something I won't be doing in the race. I'm still what most would call slow, but my pace is getting really close to the upper end of the times on the Disney proof of time chart for the half. So, maybe with a flatter race course without all the little turns...I might be able to shave that off. Either way...it was a pretty run...

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My tutu, roses and red paint also arrived.

The tutu fits well...

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I positioned some of the roses on it before painting them and I think it's a really cute look...

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And then I started painting the roses red!!! (Off with my head!)

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After they dry, I'll glue them to the tutu and then add some stitches to each to help secure them in place.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Little updates...

My card shirt arrived and I glued the roses on the tutu. There's still a lot of work to be done with this, but the vision is now very clear for this one. I still need to stitch on the roses, find a white running top and then cut the card shirt to form sort of a smock front on the running top with the card. I plan to affix it at the shoulders and hips so I can strap by hydration pack underneath. I also have a few leftover roses and am looking to create some kind of headband with those and a paint brush.

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I also took a chance on that running tank from Happy Puppies because it was on sale and I think it's a pretty decent match.

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I also decided on a cheap fix for bringing my phone for the 5k...assuming I don't hate it. It's just a cheap little running belt to match my costume. I hated wearing water bottles, but remembered that I liked wearing my Harveys hip pack for certain activities, so I'm hoping this little belt works for me.

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I still need to figure out what I want to do with the shirt. I think MAD 1 on the back, like a jersey, is still a good way to go for that, but I go back and forth on the front. So, I'm going to still need to think on this. I did, however, buy some socks that are a good match for all of this...and are making me seriously consider three pairs of shoes so that everything matches. Hey...I at least have socks to go with everything else.

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Speaking of shoes, MAJOR MAJOR sadness. I got an email from Brooks that they can't find the pretty shoes I ordered to go with my 10k costume. I know they changed distribution centers and were having issues several months ago, but I guess they are still having issues. The silver lining in this is they are giving me 25% off my next purchase. That's pretty significant when you consider the cost of good running shoes. The practical side of me is still saying to stick with two pairs of shoes and appreciate the savings. The one who believes in signs and messages is saying that this is my sign to buy three pairs so that everything matches. 25% off wouldn't add up to the cost of a pair, but with three pairs, it would start coming close enough to make it a serious consideration. Heck...I was considering it before the 25% off.

So, if I do get three pairs...these will be my Cheshire Cat shoes...

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And these will be my painting the roses red shoes...

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But then I'm still torn for the 10k! The Caterpillar wears gold shoes on his bottom legs, but the rest of his legs have pinkish hands. These are the closest I can get to gold and they even have a pink color to sort of represent his hands, but I'm sorry...I think they're hideous! They are already 20% off on Zappos, so I think others probably agree.

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These would bring in the pink and tie back to the blue a bit, but no gold. I at least don't hate them. Still, I'm not a pink person, so the ideal would have been a shoe that was blue and yellow/gold.

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These are also an option, but I think they are too lavender...

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So, I just don't know. I'm a shoe mess!

Not a great pic, but I got my blue pants. They are not a spot on match to my blue shirt, but I knew this and knew they'd be several shades off. My bigger concern is all of the reflective material on my blue shirt. It's going to be a mess for any pictures I take. I set off the flash just so you can see what I mean. I think I'm going to have to try and pull the wings farther forward on my arms to cover more of the sleeves... unless I can find a better blue top for my project.

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This pic wasn't taken in good light and the blues really aren't this far off or purple looking, but you can see how pronounced it is even without the flash.

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Either way, there is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much work to be done on this costume.

I did buy one easy thing for this costume...

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I started pricing out materials to make my red hydration pack temporarily gold and between costs and efforts, I think buying this is a break even situation. So, a gold hydration hookah! I may also wear it for the half. At first I was thinking my red one would be perfect, but the cards are backed in yellow, so this may be more accurate.

As far as actual running goes...I decided to make my short maintenance run on Tuesday more challenging, because I think it's helping with my longer runs. So, I went back into the forest to deal with the humidity and structured it so that the second half of my run was all uphill. This part of Texas is not exactly a hilly place, but it was about a 150' elevation gain for the second half of my run. I also pushed myself to triple my run timing for my intervals for the bulk of it. At least I got near the lake for a halfway point treat...

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But yeah...most of it's like this. Still pretty, but it's a freaking sauna in there with 0 airflow.

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Long weekend coming up, so maybe I'll get some more costume work done...and maybe even have some great shoe revelation!
 
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HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Alright...we're going to try this shoe thing again. I put in my order with Brooks so that I could cash in on that 25% off my entire order coupon code. After playing around with costs and coupling that with costume coordination...as well as shoe variation for muscle protection, I realized that three pairs of shoes made the most sense. The surprising part, shoe three is an entirely different style...one that I haven't been running in during training. But don't worry...it was not a blind choice. It was actually the #2 shoe during my fitting back in May. I liked it (and have worn previous versions in the past), but I initially just went for 1 & 3 because 1 & 2 felt so similar and I wanted to change it up a bit more for injury prevention. Two of these shoes should come as no surprise as I've posted them before...like yesterday...

5K - Cheshire Cat

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Half - Painting the Roses Red

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10k - Caterpillar/Butterfly

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They're a bit more lavender than pink, but it works in my mind. Someone also suggested making shoe covers or painting the sole if I want the look of his gold booties incorporated with my feet.

I was also having a mental debate with myself if I should scrap the butterfly costume in favor of something else blue. When I stopped, I saw this guy hiding in the leaves, so I took that to mean I should stick with the butterfly.

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On a training note, I went for a run last night. I didn't make the best eating choices yesterday and didn't feel great at the start, but I'm guessing the Tailwind helps, because I muscled through and maintained my new longer run intervals for the entire run while also shaving some time off of my pace. It was around 90 degrees when I went out to run and the humidity was around 80-85%, so I'm still pretty pleased. Tomorrow is a shorter "long" run since I'm a week out from a 10k, but it should be about 74 or 75 degrees when I get out there. It'll still be humid, but that's a few degrees cooler than last Saturday, so I'm hopeful that it'll help my pace.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, I did absolutely NOTHING on costumes this past weekend. I think I forgot to mention how our lives often revolve around softball. The older one had a practice and the younger one played 9 tournament games over the weekend. It's still very 'warm' here, so it zapped our energy. The kids came in 3rd and had a blast...so, it was a good weekend.

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(silly me stopped filming before she got to first...but she did make it)

I know, this has nothing to do with Disney, but it's why my weekend didn't focus on much beyond getting in my training run. Speaking of my training runs...Saturday's run was amazing! I was able to stick with tripling my run interval time, while keeping the same shorter walk interval time. The low that morning was about 75, which I know is really warm running for some, but it made a huge difference. I beat my fastest mile by nearly 40 seconds, my average pace was a good minute faster than my norm, and I shaved several minutes off of my fastest 5k time. Yesterday's run was not nearly as good, but I was trying to get in my last bit of harder training before my 10k this weekend. I've been having some Achilles pain...nothing bad...but I've been wearing my compression socks and wrap around the house just to help.

I'm starting to get a bit nervous for the race. I know it's normal, I know that this race is supposed to help me get out my jitters and that's exactly what it's doing, and I know I've put in the training. I'm also forcing myself not to overdo it (even though it's so tempting), nothing new this week aside from making sure I stay on top of getting enough sleep, and being mindful of my food choices...especially as I get closer to race day. Not sure if I'll post again before Saturday, but I'll be sure to share how it goes...good or bad.

Beyond that...I whittled down my 12+ hour Disney playlist to a 3 hour runDisney play list. It's been really helping.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Things have been so busy. I meant to post sooner, but there's just been no time. Even now, I really should be downstairs making lunches for the kids...although, I guess I only have to make one since the older one is coming home early because she's having a baby tooth extracted. See, the power of procrastination!

So, let's start off with the 10k this past Saturday. Before I get into the details...here are some pictures...

This is the finish line side of things, which I could see from my car...see, setting goals.

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The race was all concerning childhood cancer. The angel was there for all of the children who lost their battle. There was actually a moment of silence before the race for this reason.

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There were all kinds of water features around the race route. It looks pretty, but read on to see why this was a real problem.

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This is the actual foundation...

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All kinds of cheerleaders ready to cheer on the runners...

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I'm ready...

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A bit obstructed, but Toro from the Texans was out there...

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Live trumpeter for the National Anthem...

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No medals for the adults, but the shirts were pretty nice...moisture wicking material...

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This was the kiddie run they held at the end...

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So, now all of the wordy stuff. LOL

I was definitely stressed. I woke up from a nightmare around 3am. In my dream, my alarm didn't go off and I got up at 6:40am. The race area was nearly an hour away, so in my dream, I never made it. In reality, I got out the door about 10 minutes early, which turned out to be a really good thing. When I got on the highway, the message boards said the freeway was shut down up ahead. Google Maps and Waze were not picking this up. Thankfully, traffic is really light at 5am on a Saturday, so I wasn't horribly delayed by the detour. I also remembered to pack my backup battery and portable USB port just in case I needed to recharge my phone on the way. See...I'm prepared!

I got there just before 6am and same day packet pick up went smoothly...although, I could tell the coordinators were a bit on edge. I was very early and was parked right across from the start/finish line, so it was no biggie to head back to my vehicle to stow my shirt.

It took me nearly 30 minutes to find the port-a-potties, so that was my first really annoying issue. In fact, there were several problems with them. I had the race area map and I just didn't see them anywhere. I walked all around, but no port-a-potties. It wasn't until I saw some people cutting through a restaurant courtyard to get to the back of the strip mall that I found the path. This is one of those areas where everything needs to match and even though it's a race for a good cause, I guess they insisted the potties be hidden. So, they were hidden completely out of sight...nothing was labeled...they were right near a stinky dumpster...and there were only 3 - YES THREE - of them. You're holding a 5k, a 10k, a kiddie race, and have a bunch of non-racing volunteers and supporters...adding up to about 600 people...and you only get THREE port-a-potties! There were tons at that Christmas 5k I did back in July. As a result, the port-a-pottie I used was already disgusting...and of course, there was a wait. I was lucky...after I went, the wait was close to 15 min long. I heard some people started the race late because of it.

As I waited around for things to start, I also got a serious runner vibe from a lot of the people there. I mean...I know I'm more serious than some of the people walking the 5k, but when I saw one guy bust out his foam rollers on the pavement...I knew he meant business. Ultimately, it felt intimidating...like I was out of my league. Which is funny, because that half I did back in 2015 was combined with a full and there were people there trying to qualify for Boston. I also encountered a bunch of super friendly runners during that half...but not much of that with this 10k. Nobody was rude...but there weren't those positive runner vibes either.

As for the race itself, my biggest gripe is that they let the 5k go at the same time as the 10k runners. I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was something like 275 5k runners to 145 10k runners. The start of the race just felt like pure chaos. And when I made the turn to start the second half for the 10k...EVERYONE running around me turned off to finish off the 5k distance. I also mentioned that water above...well, if you know what stagnant water smells like...you know what kind of nasty funk I was breathing in for most of the race. On top of that, the weather stations in the area were giving me readings of 76-78 degrees at race time, with 90-95% humidity, and absolutely no breeze. Oh, and while I get that races often take place in areas used by the people who live there, it's really annoying to try and run a race around people who are just out for their Saturday morning walk.

While not the fault of anyone with the race, I had some fire ants crawl into my left sock just before race time, so that was not fun. I think I noted that my right Achilles had been giving me problems, but I also had an issue with my left heel during the race. I had a bit of a hairpin turn at the bottom of a small bridge...I came down hard on my heel while rounding...and I felt pain shooting through all of the nerves...almost like I could feel the web of nerves in my feet. I ran through it, but it was not nice. There was also one section of the race (well, twice for the 10k) where you came off a curb, so I had to be really mindful of how I came down.

And did I mention - NO BLING! Sorry if it sound shallow and superficial, but people like medals. They got them for the kids, but none for the adults.

So, the big question...how did I do? Better than I've ever done, but not as good as I want or really need to be. I've read so many things about Disney and proof of time (POT). The confirmed cut off for using a 10k for POT for the half is supposedly 1:15. That being said, I know people who have run in previous years who have said that any POT keeps you out of the last corral. On top of that, I've read several reports from back in May of this year that for Marathon weekend and going forward, Disney is looking for a POT for anyone who thinks they can run the half in less than 3:15. OK, so all this being said, my official chip time for this 10k was 1:16:44. It's actually pretty incredible when you consider I was running the 10k distance around 1:45 back in May. Look, I know I'm slow...and with my asthma and need for intervals, I probably never will be fast. Still, I'm clearly faster. Heck, this 10k time was nearly a minute faster than the 10k training run I had two weeks earlier. Either way, I submitted this to Disney just so I have something in there. Hey...it can't hurt! And it shows my pace is pretty well below the 16 min mile max.

So, I run my next 10k in my town on the 22nd...and I'm really hoping familiarity, extra sleep and getting this first one out of the way can shave that extra time off of my run. Not to mention the lack of stinky stagnant water and knowing I'm running an area that always has airflow...even when it's gross outside. Oh, and it might feel a bit more friendly too since I've joined a local moms running group (some of them will be there) and I know some of the friendly runners I pass on my training runs will be there too. A good friend from work has run this one and she said it's a good race. Even one of my Disney group running people is coming into town for this one. So, I'm being optimistic.

Oh...and look what arrived today!!! It's like running shoe Christmas!!!

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Oh, and I ran around 3.5 miles today...kept a decent pace and very little foot pain. So, I'm feeling good about that too.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A week out from my local 10k and I'm starting to get jitters. I had a good run yesterday, even though my toes started to hurt a bit at the end. I used to have this problem back in my distance walking days and it seemed to be nerve related, and would come and go. Again, I know I'm not fast, but yesterday was my first time with a sub 12 pace at the 4mile distance and unlike when I did this with my 3 mile run a couple of weeks ago, I had negative splits for it this time. I also drank Tailwind before running and didn't bring anything with me. Not that I dislike my hydration pack, but it does make me hotter...which possibly slows me down. I said I wouldn't do it, but I bought a belt and will be testing it out during my training runs this week...where I will be trying hard to take it easy.

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I have no plans to wear this at Disney, but if I like it, it might help me get a better POT for Disney.

I also ran to a podcast this weekend instead of music. It was different, but I think it helped. I'm going to try it for my maintenance runs this week and if it seems to still be working for me, I have an episode saved up for the race.

I'll see how I do this Sunday, but if I don't meet my goal, I have to decide if I want to race again in 2 weeks...right before the POT deadline. Right now, I'm thinking no. It's not like this is going to keep me from running at WDW, plus I really don't need the stress. And let's be honest...it will still be very warm here. Even if it cools off a little, 70 degrees vs 73 isn't likely to have a significant impact. That's not to say I don't plan to try for a better half marathon POT, but just not for this race. What????

Yeah, IF (and I mean, why wouldn't I?) I enjoy this experience, I think I'm going to try Princess 2021...maybe even make it a family thing. So, maybe I can try running a 10k in December or even after Disney's marathon 2020 weekend to try and get a better POT...when the weather is better for running and I'm not feeling the pressure of the deadline. Who knows...maybe we'll even do a mini trip to some place cooler so I can run in another city for POT for 2021.

Not super exciting, but I bought an alternate pair of socks for my half costume. I already have a pair that color coordinates a bit better, but I'm finding that the Balega Silver are my fave go to socks for my longer runs. I already bought some to coordinate for my 5k costume and have ones in rotation that should still be good for my 10k costume, but while I like the Balega blister resist, they feel a bit thick. So, I bought these with some Fleet Feet reward points and will make it a race day decision. I'll obviously also try both at the longer distances during training.

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Finally, starting to think about hydration while at Disney. I know the easy thing is to order a case or two of water bottles, but I like the idea of having something like this delivered to us at WDW instead.

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We shall see.
 

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I think I've noted that we're Houston area...and we're currently getting hit with a lot of rain from former TS (now TD) Imelda. It took me nearly 2 hours to get home from the office last night, and as it poured on me in traffic, I debated about just skipping my Tuesday maintenance run. I have really stayed on top of my training, but you never know with weather like this. Still, after being cooped up like that, I needed some freedom. Plus, today was supposed to be worse and I really needed to try out the new running hydration belt. So, I checked the radar and futurecast when I got home. Looked like just a lot of rain, so I went out for a 30 min run + warm up/cool down.

Of course, when I got to the point where I wanted to start my run, my watch wasn't picking up the GPS signal...so, I stood there in the pouring rain for several minutes waiting for things to connect. I got really frustrated and was about to just set my intervals on my phone and say to heck with Garmin's tracking for this one. Just as I was about to start...the watch buzzed that it was ready. Figures. I was in my Glycerins because it was their day and I think they grip better. The trails aren't too bad in the rain, but the leaves on them can get pretty slick and the Levitates...while a bit faster...just don't have that kind of grab.

So, here I am looking like a drowned rat. I also forgot that I had on mascara and have a bit of the raccoon eyes thing going on.

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Of course, the rain calmed a bit by the end of the run...but lots of puddles.

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I haven't really done much in the way of rain running and so many things are rain or shine, so it was good practice...even though it was blinding at times. It was also cool enough outside that I could have run the whole thing and even really picked up my pace, but I'm trying to save it for Sunday. I did run a short bit in my cool down...about .20 mi...because I was feeling cold. My heart rate stayed around 140 the whole time, yet I was going on the faster side...for me...and I felt like I could have kept going for a while. So this is encouraging...although, the conditions won't be like this for my race on Sunday.

Oh, and the running belt was a hit. It doesn't bounce like my old one and didn't feel nearly as heavy as the hydration pack. The straps kept bouncing a bit as I ran, but it wasn't overly annoying either.

The new socks arrived yesterday and I ordered a few more things to motivate me to do some costume construction.

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The blue one is for the caterpillar/butterfly and the white is for painting the roses red. I had thought about tanks and compression sleeves but...

1. compression sleeves with the butterfly wings is going to be a royal pain to get on and off. Long sleeves would be so much easier.
2. the green tutu is scratchy and while I haven't tested it with compression sleeves, the ones my daughter has for softball seemed more prone to catching a bit on it...vs. some of the fabric on my various athletic tops. So, we're going to try this.

I did order some compression sleeves for the Cheshire costume. Not sure about wearing them, but it's a good plan in case it's cold that day. I may...MAY...try and glitter them, but we'll see. Glitter sticks to EVERYTHING and I don't need a ton. So a few sprays of hairspray and some purple glitter may be all I need for a hint of sparkle.

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Still on the fence with how to decorate the pink top...teeth on the front? No teeth? Just the whole Mad 1 thing? But there's time.

I'm also debating the whole caterpillar/butterfly thing. Part of me feels like it's strange to combine the two...like butterfly wings and a bunch of little legs coming off of me may look bizarre. But I love the wings and I don't want to just be a butterfly. Again...there's time.

So, I have another maintenance run tomorrow and then it's a little bit of rest time before Sunday's race. I think I'm going to wear the Levitates to race. I could wear them tomorrow since I like to alternate and the shoes would have plenty of recovery time. I guess we'll also see if the Glycerins have dried out. I love the Glycerins, but they are so squishy and comfy that I don't feel as fast in them...which is funny, because they are lighter than the Levitates...although, their composition and drop are more for speed. We'll see. I'll be sure to post at some point after the race. Really hoping to meet my goal!!!
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
So, here I am looking like a drowned rat. I also forgot that I had on mascara and have a bit of the raccoon eyes thing going on.

Lovely racoon eyes! ;)

I did order some compression sleeves for the Cheshire costume. Not sure about wearing them, but it's a good plan in case it's cold that day.

I've seen some people with those compression sleeves. Stupid question: what are they for? I think they look kinda cool, and was just wondering if people wear them to keep their arms warm? Or is there another benefit to wearing them?
 

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