Disneyland Part 4: Star Wars Half Marathon

It was finally time for the third and final installment of the Run Disney Star Wars race weekend - the Star Wars Half Marathon. If you are looking to catch up, here are the first three recaps: LA Sun & Expo Fun, 5k and 10k.

All caught up?

Yes?

Are you sure?

I can wait.

Nevermind. I can't! :P

Once again the race was set to start at 5:30am so the alarm trilled off at 4am for a third-straight morning. Thank goodness that 4am felt like 7am to these East Coasters. :P

I went through the normal routine: scroll through social media, drink some water, eat part of my KIND bar, put costume on and take pre-race photo.

The black eye worked the best with the Vader costume in my opinion. So I was freaking out about this costume because guess who left their black tank top at home? Oh yes this girl. So the black tank top I have on in this photo was bought for $10 at the ABC mart around the corner from our hotel the previous afternoon. It is actually inside out as the other side said "California" in block letters.

I know I know. No new gear on race day, but this was life or death. Well not really life or death, but a necessity. I was just hoping it would work. *Fingers Crossed*

We left the hotel at 4:45am, I dropped the nervous wife off at Corral E and made my way up to Corral A. I actually ran into a friend who was ALSO dressed as Vader. Why hello photo op! ;)

She went off to Corral B and I continued the trek to Corral A. So much space in between each corral. :P

I shimmied my way up to the Start Announcer area again and hung out waiting for the fun to start.

Carissa and Rudy apparently had enough of the costumes by the time the Half rolled around. ;)

It took some energy to drown out the people around me trying to one up each other with their finishing times. I'm not a fan of braggy people. Can't we all just celebrate being healthy enough to be participating?

I was trying to stay in a fully positive, I am lucky to be here frame of mind. I know everyone races for different reasons so I wanted to wish them well, but they were being a little pushy with trying to get up to the very front of the Start Line. So I focused on taking pictures. :)

And before I knew it... it was time to tackle the final adventure!

Here's the course for the Star Wars Half.

The plan for the race? Stop for all the character pics. I figured they would mostly be inside the parks (and that is what others alluded to) then I would be able to just kind of run once out in the streets.

The race opened the same way as the other two: with a nice incline up a ramp.

Mile 1: 8:45

It was dark out, but I was still super impressed by some of the costumes folks put together for the race. I also realized a lot of folks in the first corral were looking to really race the Half and possibly PR. Now I hoped that would lead to shorter character pic lines.

I would be proven very very wrong. :P

Since running in the road in the dark isn't all that exciting I am lacking pics from the first couple of miles.

Mile 2: 8:53

I try to take pics of every mile marker to remind me which characters/parks I was at when.

Here was my first instance of running past a photo op and having to back track to it. I didn't notice you could take a Castle pic so I snapped my Mile 2 photo than ran back to the Castle.

Good thing I don't mind extra running. ;)

Not sure where the official photo is (didn't see it online), but here is the iPhone version. I was starting to test out ways to hold the Cape to show off it's awesomeness.

As we came up to the first character stop - Luke and Leia - the line looked short. Until I went to turn into it and realized it was already twisting and turning - like a ride. Ooohhh k. This is how the morning would go. I'm ready for it.

Yes this was worth the wait. Also do you like my "I'm trying to look serious" face?

As we passed my the carousel in Fantasyland, I spotted a few Storm Troopers. You weren't supposed to stop and take photos, but I couldn't pass up a selfie moment with my guys.

Then I spotted a guy running in a FULL Chewie costume. I tried to take a mid-run selfie with him, but then I liked the blurriness of this action photo too much to shoot another.

And just after taking this photo, the next character op - Chewie! :)

While heading from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland, we had another opportunity to take a Castle pic. Which do you like better?

Yeah I'm going with #1 as well. :P Haha.

Just after we entered Tomorrowland, there he was and there the line was. Vader and his crew was set up in front of Star Tours and I entered the longest character line I have ever seen during a Run Disney race. This would be awhile. I started chatting with the folks near me, cheering on my fellow runners and texting with friends while we waited. I would wait as long as I needed.

It was worth it! Vader met Vader. :)

As we headed out of Disneyland, I stopped to take one last iconic photo. I do wish Marathon Foto was there since my phone didn't offer enough light to capture the awesomeness.

We said adios to Disneyland and made our way to California Adventure.

Mile 3: 36:22 (oh yeah baby - you are reading that correctly)

5k Split: 1:00:43

Made sure to say hi to the Jedis before snapping a selfie with my two favorite Storm Trooper Tinks!

While waiting in line for the Gamorean Guard photo, I was chatting with one of the cast members who actually remembered me from the previous day. He had taken my photo at another stop during the 10k. I'm guessing the black eye made me memorable.

The sun was starting to come up now and I was able to snap a pic while waiting in line for a pic with the Storm Troopers. Doesn't this look like it could be a backdrop on a set? Like Disneyland painted it?

I also thought it was time to grab a selfie with the folks kicking some booty!

Mess with me... mess with my troopers.

Thankfully all the stopping and standing around hadn't gotten to my legs yet. I made sure to continue to move and stretch while in all of the photo lines. Especially since I had a lot of miles left.

I mean how can I get angry at getting up at 4am to run when this view is part of the course?

Hello from Paradise Pier!

I mean hello.

It was at this moment that I ran into Ivie, AJ and Kara. This was a great chance to finally meet Kara in real life! We have been twitter friends, but missed connecting earlier in the weekend. She is a fellow AOII (Alpha Omicron Pi) and an all-around amazing person.

Photo swiped from Kara who may have swiped from Ivie.

My name is Dani and I am unable to look normal in a photo!

After chatting with them, we remembered we were in the middle of a race and should probably keep moving. Love seeing friends. I get sidetracked. So off we went. :)

Another stop for Jedis before...

Mile 4: 23:29

Now I knew our park time would be coming to a close soon so I tried to soak up as much Disneyland magic before heading to the streets of Anaheim.

Thankfully we had Cars Land up next.

Just before we exited the park, I saw one of the best signs so far.

It made me think of my wife and wonder how she was doing. Her legs were tired pre-race, but I hoped she would be able to dig deep and finish the Rebel Challenge.

It was finally time to hit the streets of Anaheim. I had no idea what to expect from this point on. I knew the course would be flat the rest of the way so I was appreciative of that.

While running down Harbor Boulevard, you could see the leaders making their way back towards Disneyland and the Finish. I love out and back courses like that. I was cheering loudly for them as they effortlessly (at least it looked that way) ran towards their medals. :)

Mile 5: 10:26

The first band looked awesome.

They were lively, energetic and playing some great tunes.

They also happened to have a bathroom. So I took the opportunity to stop, drop and port-o-potty!

<<Patting self on back>> perfect decision

Mile 6: 11:58

With a little spring in my step, I soldiered on.

10k Split: 1:46:02

The road was nice and wide so I spent some time bobbing and weaving through the crowd to find a nice hole where I could get into a nice running rhythm. I had spent so much time in line I was now way back in the crowds, which was fun to see everyone costumes. :)

The energy along the street was contagious.

I just wanted to jump in and attempt my own flag flying... but opted not to since these girls were rocking it!

Mile 7: 9:01

Ahhh how could the race be over halfway over. But I was having too much fun out there for it to end.

Apparently I was having so much fun that I forgot to take a pic of the Mile 8 marker. Whhaa?? How do you all know I saw it and passed it if I didn't take a pic. <>

The Mile 8 area also doubled as a water stop/Clif Gu stop. Don't worry I have pics of that.

Remember to hydrate folks!

Mile 8: 8:38

Now I had heard a rumor from past Avengers half participants that there may be some Cosplayers would be out during Mile 9. I was ready and freakin' impressed. Their costumes were ah-may-zing. They were happily taking photos with everyone.

It was a great photo opp especially for those folks that didn't have the luxury or didn't want to wait for pics inside the parks.

Additionally during Mile 9, I got to meet Elvis,

Trying to make an Uh Huh face

take candy from strangers,

and take a selfie with my friend Chris!

Also! How awesome are these signs?

Mile 9: 11:49

15k Split: 2:22:46

How could there only be 4 miles left in the fun?

We made our way through the residential neighborhoods and had some great spectators out on Chapman Avenue.

Mile 10: 14:23

**Note since I had gone back and forth in previous miles, my Garmin was ahead of the mile markers. Hi tangents! Therefore my Garmin had the character stops also on my Mile 10. Does that make sense? It will make more sense when I show my actual mileage at the end. :)

It was inspiring seeing how many folks out on the course were completing their Coast 2 Coast already! There were a number of folks that had their Dopey Challenge bibs from the previous week on their backs. Absolutely amazing and motivating.

I had to kick it up a notch.

My legs were feeling great. I was pleased I wore my Zensah compression sleeves for the race. They really kept my legs feeling fresh.

The high school and college cheerleaders and bands were doing an amazing job. Big ups to them for staying so positive and energetic for as long as they were out there!

Sometimes I think spectating can be harder than running.

Mile 11: 8:32

Oh a third Chewie to take a picture with during the same race? Yes please.

Mile 12: 9:04

And here we were. The final mile of the weekend.

I wasn't ready for the fun to be over.

Just before turning from Katelaa to Disneyland Drive and the Finish Area, I spotted a few folks and donuts I needed to take pics with.

I regret not eating a donut at the time. Thanks Sparkle Athletic for fueling the participants!!

Mile 13: 8:04

With being that close to the Finish, I was focusing on making a cool Finish Line photo and not snapping the Mile 13 marker. I had my cape flowing behind me ready to get that awesome photo when...

... I spotted Darth Goofy and lost my shit! :P I had to scramble to get my phone out and the photog caught this lovely pic. Oof!

... I had to snap a selfie with him right before the Finish Line.

And his hand is on my shoulder since that is apparently not allowed and he was guiding me towards the Finish. ;) It was worth it.

Even if this is the Finish photo I ended up with.

Finish Time: 2:55:11 Clock Time: 2:55:17

So again I started 6 seconds after the clock started. Cool!

Now you can see why my Garmin numbers were off of official Mile Markers as I added in about 0.6 miles of fun! :)

Yay the bling!

Oh and the Rebel Challenge medal. Just gorgeous.

I grabbed my water, snack box, banana and headed to the Party Area. But it wasn't my final destination.

Our plan was I would finish the race, head to Disneyland, grab us Fantasmic Fast Passes for later that night and then come back to see Tori finish her race.

Well I got to Disneyland 10 minutes before it opened so I spent the time explaining to folks coming up to me why I was dressed as Darth Vader, why I was wearing a bib and why I had medals. :)

Then found out the Fast Passes we wanted weren't available yet.

Sooo I grabbed a Castle selfie, got coffee and made my way back to the Finish Line.

Tori was texting me that she was hurting and getting close to the Finish Line. So I hustled myself back just in time to see her cross! Ahhh I was so proud. I was crying for her.

We went right to First Aid to get her some ice before heading back to our hotel to clean up before Park time.

***

Overall the race for me was amazing. It was worth the wait in lines even though it was pretty much the same characters all three days. I DO wish they had Disney characters dressed up as Star Wars characters along the course.

The Cosplayers during Mile 9 more than made up for a lack of characters at the beginning of the race. This was also a great opportunity for people to snap photos that didn't have the luxury of waiting earlier in the race due to time restraints for Finishing.

The water stops were plentiful and full of energy. The streets of Anaheim were alive and not boring as I had anticipated.

The bling was out of this world.

Do I wish there was more time spent in the parks? Of course. But Disneyland doesn't have as much park space to work with as Disney World.

I loved that you could easily walk to the corrals without having to take shuttles.

I was disappointed with lack of useable action shots from the Marathon Foto folks. Hence most of my pics in the recap were selfies outside of character stops.

I wish the Finishers' snack box had more edible treats. Of everything in there I only found the tortilla chips appealing.

The course was mainly flat outside of some inclines at the beginning.

***

Next up? #RebelTweetup.

Disneyland Part 3: Star Wars 10k

After an amazing time at the Star Wars 5k, I couldn't wait to tackle the 10k course! On Saturday, January 17, I woke up again at 4am to prep for the 5:30am start. I chugged some water (so glad I got the 24 case of water from CVS), enjoyed the first half of my Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt KIND Bar (6PPV for whole thing) and prep my costume!

Oh and of course the pre-run photo. Didn't my wife do an AMAZING job with my Chewbacca costume? It is absolutely amazing!!

Like the 5k, we headed out to the Start Area at 4:45am. This time the wife would be running as well. She was bracing herself for Race 1 of the Rebel Challenge. While I made my way to Corral A, I dropped the wife in Corral E (last corral).

The Star Wars 10k offered a similar set-up to the 5k.

Rudy and Carissa did another great job entertaining the crowd.

I couldn't get over how close to the front I was. Oh hi Start Line. I get giddy every time I find out I am lucky enough to be in Corral A.

Oh no! Vader came and took Rudy to the Dark Side...

But after a quick sneak peek at the new Star Wars movie hitting theatres in December 2015, Rudy escaped the Dark Side!

What was funny was Rudy got a little excited to come back on stage and almost went up before he was officially "returned" to the Light Side! Ha. A funny thing to catch where I was watching from. :)

After another entertaining pre-race set, it was time to get the 10k party started!

Since we started from the same place as the 5k I knew we had some on ramps/inclines off the bat.

As you can see by the course map, we started out on the streets outside of the park and with it being 5:30am there wasn't much to look at. I will thank the few spectators out there for making some NOISE for us! :)

Mile 1: 7:57

I actually spotted a fellow Team Chocolate Milk member Jesus while out on the streets so I had fun catching up with him before we made our way to Disneyland.

I had to stop and get a picture with some Rebels on Main Street.

Mile 2: 8:06

They actually had a Marathon Foto rep at the Mile 2 marker sign, which is rare.

As I ran away from the Mile Marker, I snapped a quick picture of the Castle as I headed towards Frontierland before realizing there was a photo opp.

Frontierland was dark while we ran through so I once again used my trusty flashlight app on my phone to help my course. I did see a few people also rocking headlamps because of the early morning start.

I was surprised there weren't more park lights on through this section of the course.

From Frontierland we made our way to Fantasyland

Ummm maybe I was getting ready to raise the roof??

There he was... my Chewie!

Now at the few Disney World races I have done while in Corral A, I never waited in character lines (very lucky). Disneyland at this themed run - lines everywhere. I was happy to wait since I was lucky enough to have the time, but it was just an interesting thing to note.

After a quick photo opp in front of the Castle, it was time to make out way through the other side of Fantasyland before exiting the park.

Fantasyland was pretty well lit compared to Frontierland.

Mine Mine Mine

Oh hey It's A Small World... selfie time!

And then we were out of Disneyland and on to some backlot running. It isn't the best views, but the cast members sure bring their A-game when it comes to cheering you on in these parts.

Mile 3: 13:28 (yes you read that correctly - Chewie was worth it)

The backlot had some light displays on the building which you weren't supposed to photograph.

Umm... my finger slipped! ;)

There aren't too many exciting shots on the backlot portion of the run so my phone had nada until the Mile 4 marker.

Mile 4: 8:25

Now it was California Adventures time! Woo!

The lighting was awesome in the park as we came down Buena Vista Street.

There were some Rebels waiting for us at the end of the Street before turning towards the mighty Tower of Terror.

Oh don't worry Cars Land we will see you shortly, but Hi for now!

As we made our way towards Pacific Pier, I took a moment to check in with my body. Everything was feeling okay - the breaks for photos actually gave my legs mini recoveries throughout the run. Since it was early, I didn't feel too much intensity from the weather. I was actually happy and lucky that it was cooler so early in the morning. ;)

Just when I had a inner convo with my body, it was time for another photo opp - Boba Fett.

My Phone

Official Photo

I had a great time passing time in the line while chatting with the other runners and the cast members. Also I like that I look tanner in the official photo. :P

I made sure to get Boba Fett's photo since that is one of the wife's favorite characters. I thought if nothing else we could photo shop her into the photo. ;)

After that photo stop, it was finally time to get the shot of the iconic ferris wheel.

I mean how beautiful is it? I hear the ride itself is scary, but I like looking at it just fine.

Our tour of Paradise Pier continued...

It had to have a stop at Toy Story Mania. I love Mr. Potato Head.

And of course I stopped for an impromptu photo with some Jedis.

After finishing up in Paradise Pier, we officially headed into Cars Land ... right after passing the Mile 5 marker.

Mile 5: 12:54

And now a close run through Cars Land.

I definitely had better Cars Land pics during the 5k.

Yeah no idea what I was doing in this pic. Making sure they could see my bib number maybe? #Awkward

Once through Cars Land we were out of the park and doing backlot running until we hit the parking lot for Downtown Disney and straight down the street along Disneyland Hotel to the Finish.

Mile 6: 8:05

While the final mile wasn't all that exciting Disney-wise, there was amazing crowd support!! Lots of amazing CHEARleeders out there. :)

Official Time: 1:01:34 (my Garmin was only off by 5 seconds since I didn't stop it immediately)

Now 9.3 miles down and 13.1 to go. But first, medal time!

Then the Marathon Foto guy got artsy: Do a jump in celebration.

I kinda love it despite my shorts really showing.

And how awesome is the medal??

Seriously great bling!

I took myself, my medal and my snack box back to the Finish Area to try and catch some friends crossing.

I saw Justin (fellow WW member) who was also tackling the Rebel Challenge.

My Selfie

His "Normal" Photo

Aaannnnd I got to see the wife Finish. I may have started crying. Okay I was already crying. I love watching Finish Lines and seeing all of the emotion!

Once the wife visited the med tent for some ice for her knee, we headed to Earl of Sandwich for some breakfast before heading back to the hotel to get ready for a day of park seeing and tweeting up! ;)

***

Overall the Star Wars 10k was another great Disney race. I wish there was more light in the Frontierland section as it was the darkest part of the course.

Water stops and spectators were well staffed and full of energy.

I also picked up on the fact that there would ONLY be Star Wars characters for the races. I was hoping maybe a Disney character dressed up as a Star Wars character, but alas no go. Apparently they were at the Wookie Party, which we didn't want to pay for. Boo! But something I didn't know in advance for the theme races. Now I know!

I was happy with how I ran and used the water stops to walk and the character stops to stretch!

***

Next up: Star Wars Half Marathon!

Disneyland Part 2: Star Wars 5k

Oh I don't have to wake up at 2:30am. Oh I don't have to take a shuttle from my hotel to the Race Area.

Oh I don't have to walk a mile from the Pre-Race Party Area to the Start Area.

Folks - I am NOT in Disney World anymore! :)

Now I love all of the things I listed above as they are part of the Run Disney experience. BUT I can say it was sort of sweet to sleep in until 4am for the 5:30am 5k Start.

Once I was up, had some water, made sure I had everything for my costume and of course took a pre-race pic!

Ewok

We headed out at 4:45am to walk to the Start area... which was less than 1/2 a mile from our hotel (Alpine Inn).

I was lucky enough to be in Corral A so I headed to the front. I cannot tell you how exciting and an honor it is to be up in that Corral. I know I work hard at other races to be able to thoroughly enjoy the Run Disney experience.

Marathon Foto was out in full effect and since I buy the photos I make sure to pause for every photog. ;)

Since I was in my corral by 5am I was able to work my way up to the Start platform where Carissa and Rudy would be announcing from.

While Carissa and Rudy entertained the crowd and honored the sponsors, they were joined by two adorable droids.

Selfie Time!

Hi Guys!!

To entertain the corral before we went off, the race played on the scrolling text that happens at the beginning of the Star Wars movie.

It may be hard to read from my pics.

Now the Star Wars 5k is an untimed race that weaves through the parks.

I brought my Garmin with me just because I was interested in how long it would take including any character stops I did.

Oh and I forgot my goal for the weekend - like Dopey Challenge - was to stop at every character stop I saw. Time or pace mean nothing to me at Disney since I do have the pleasure of starting in the first corral. I have more time to work with.

I was so swept up in the pre-race entertainment that all of a sudden Rudy was counting us down... and we were off.

Ahhh yay! I love the start of any race, but especially Run Disney with the confetti. I want to start every training run with confetti. :P

Again this was my first time at Disneyland so the course and parks would all be new to me.

I saw the Rebels and had to stop - of course. They didn't have an official MarathonFoto photog, but there was a Disney cast member to take photos. I appreciate that Disney does have cast members at each official stop to take photos for participants with their personal phone or camera.

Since it is so early and dark my photos aren't always the greatest, but I like having something to post instead of waiting for official photos to upload.

Mile 1: 7:59

Even though the Castle is smaller than in Disney World, it is still an amazing sight.

With fewer people running the 5k, which means fewer people in each corral - I felt as if I was running through the parks alone. I mean it was truly magical.

Then I saw him... Chewie!

My Phone

Official Photo

Yeah worth the $$.

Vader and the Storm Troopers

My Phone

Official Photo

As we ran down Main Street in Disneyland, I couldn't help but smile.

We headed down Main Street and out of the Disneyland.

One last photo in front of Disneyland.

Once out of the park, we made our way to California Adventures via a backlot street.

Mile 2: 9:20

After Mile 2, we made our way into California Adventures via "A Bug's Land" then on to Cars Land.

Even in the dark, Cars Land is an amazing sight.

Since we were running out of miles, we made our way through the entrance of California Adventures towards Downtown Disney.

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But first - more rebels.

Even though the race was wicked early, there was great crowd support through Downtown Disney.

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I actually had to ask a couple of folks to scooch over so I could take a pic of the Mile 3 marker. ;)

Mile 3: 8:45

I get wicked sad at the end of any race because the fun is over, but especially Disney races. I reminded myself I did have 19.3 more miles of fun ahead of me. ;)

Since I was still pretty much alone, I pretended as if I won the 5k when I was coming down the Finish chute. Carissa even announced my name. :)

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A girl can pretend right?

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And just like that the Star Wars 5k was over!

I know my distances are always longer than the race advertises since I go back and forth getting character photos, etc.

Time to collect my first piece of hardware of the weekend. Now the 5k is pegged as a Family Run by Disney so you are given a plastic medallion over a real medal. I am cool with that, but some others aren't.

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After collecting my medallion, water, banana and snack box, I scooted through what would be the Finish party Area!

Not so bumpin' after the 5k. :P

I headed to the Downtown Disney area (less than 1/4 a mile from the Finish) to meet Tori and grab some much-needed coffee.

Unfortunately no Dunkin Donuts in Anaheim, so I had to celebrate with Starbucks.

I know I know <<tiny violin>>

With coffee in hand, we headed back to the hotel - all the while cheering on everyone else finishing up the 5k - to prepare for the day ahead... the Parks!

***

Overall the 5k was a great race. A little dark in some places so I did use the flashlight app on my phone a couple of times, but it was a ton of fun as always!

Pretty flat besides some inclines due to on ramps at the beginning.

I would definitely do it again!

***

Next up: Star Wars 10k!

Disneyland Part 1: LA Sun & Star Wars Expo Fun

Who can complain when they are fleeing 20 degree weather in Boston for 70 degree weather in Los Angeles? Don't worry - it's not this girl!

The wife and I were psyched to be heading to Disneyland for the first time for the inaugural Star Wars race weekend (January 15-19).

Thankfully my mom was able to drop us off at Logan Airport to save time and money right off the top of the trip. Woo!

We took a direct American Airlines flight to LA. While a direct flight is nice, it is tough to be trapped on a plane for six hours. I tried to get up and walk as much as possible, but I still felt pain in my back.

Once landed at LAX, we took the Super Shuttle to our hotel (Alpine Inn) down in Anaheim. Now I can definitely tell you the Super Shuttle is NOTHING compared to the Magical Express. Haha. If you didn't guess that already. :P

The Super Shuttle roundtrip for both the wife & I came to $76 - the most cost-effective way we found to take the hour trek from LA to Anaheim.

We were the final couple to be dropped off and I was ITCHING to get out and walk!!

Hello palm trees!

We made a quick pit stop in the room to drop our stuff and make sure we had our Run Disney race waivers... and then we were off!!

I was on East Coast time and ready to eat my arm off. Yes I didn't bring enough snacks. #RookieMistake

As we took the first right around our block, BAM! There were the Disneyland hotels. I knew we were close, but didn't know it was THAT close. Score!

This would definitely come in handy on race days!

As we continued past the hotels making our way to Downtown Disney I spotted my first race sign.

Oohhh I was getting sooo excited.

After geeking out it was time to grab a quick sandwich and beer at La Brea Bakery. I highly recommend the BLT - delish. It was humorous I went all that way for a local beer and ended up drinking a Sam Adams (out of Boston) Rebel IPA. I thought the Rebel in the name at least went with the weekend's theme.

Now it was at the airport on this day that the black eye from a previous fall started showing its true colors - if you will. Dammit! The black and white filter on Instagram hid it nicely though. :)

Once we were properly fed and hydrated, it was time to make our way to the Expo.

But first we were stopped by AJ and Ivie and got to chat with them. We had only met online previously so it was nice to finally put a "bigger than your IG pic" face to a name.

I loooove a good Expo and was excited to hopefully spot some more familiar faces.

The Expo was held at the Disneyland Hotel. If we head back to Disneyland, I would love to spend a night there. It looked amazing.

We made our way straight to bib pick-up before doing to the merch/expo area. I had heard there was plenty of official merch there so I didn't feel we had to rush.

During bib pick-up I was able to meet a blog reader Liz and her husband. Liz's husband was in my corral and bought tickets from the same travel group so it was like I was following them around the bib pick-up area. Ummm hi! ;)

Once bibs were secured for both the wife and I, we headed to merch!

BUT first we got to walk through a very cool red black carpet welcome.

So cool and different.

The Star Wars weekend would be the first race in our quest for our first Coast To Coast medal.

We will collect the C2C medal during Run Disney's Princess weekend in Disney World in February. Woo!

Once inside we made our way to pick up our shirts. I would be walking away with 4 thanks to the 5k, 10k, Half Marathon and Rebel Challenge. :) The Men's Medium however were too big so I went to exchange. They didn't have any Men's Small so I had to go to the scary side of trying on the more fitting women's shirt. Somehow I fit into the Women's Medium! Ahhh hello Non-Scale Victory! :)

Then it was time for the official merch area and found out that the Inaugural 19.3 Star Wars jacket I spotted someone wearing at Downtown Disney sold out first. Gahhhh of course. Oh well that's okay. I got myself an "I Did It!" shirt and a magnet. The wife got herself a Star Wars weekend sweatshirt. I'm glad they didn't have more I was interested in since I had spent too much money on Dopey Challenge gear last year. ;)

There are a few booths I will stop by at every Expo. First one? Sparkly Soul headbands of course.

I was eager to check out the Star Wars specific "May The Sparkle Be With You" headband, but they hadn't arrived yet. Oof! That was okay. I was happy to pick one up the following day when they arrived. The Expo was smaller than the one at Disney World so it would be easy to pop back over.

I also stopped by the Sparkle Athletic booth, but didn't spot Kelly to say hi. So I was off to KT Tape to pick up the Minnie Mouse tape that you can only get at a Run Disney expo. Priorities, right? :)

After stopping by some other booths, it was time to hit up the Run Disney Instagram booth to get our photo on!

I had to pick the dark side since the wife would pick the light side!

Yes the black eye also led to me picking the dark side.

As we were heading out of the Expo, I heard a familiar voice over the Expo speakers and saw the amazing Carissa in front of me. Carissa is an awesome blogger and Run Disney announcer. It is always a pleasure to see her and her little baby bump.

She even let me pretend to be a Run Disney announcer. Of course the volume was off. :P

I was channeling my past career as a journalist. Do I look like I am listening?

It was finally time to head back to the hotel and come up with our game plan for the following day's 5k race.

Oh but first a photo!

Thankfully there was a CVS on the way back to the hotel so we could get a 24-pack of bottled water for the hotel room. Hydration being my #1 concern with the adjustment from Boston winter to LA winter.

But the warmth was also going to play a part in my running so I wanted to get out and do a quick run before we headed to dinner.

It was amazing to run in a tank top. While the pace looked normal for me, I was dripping in sweat. Hello heat.

After freshening up and laying out my costume for the following morning, it was time to make our way back to Downtown Disney where we had a reservation at Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria.

I had the individual pizza with Red Wine while the wife opted for ravioli with Sangria. She loved her dish, while I was okay with mine. It just didn't hit the spot for me. The meal seemed a bit overpriced for what I had.

It was super easy to land a reservation at the Disneyland establishments on the Disney Experience app within a week of the race. We were a little behind schedule. Oops!

Don't worry everyone all of our Disney World dinners were booked awhile back. ;)

Since we didn't have a park pass for that night, we opted to head back to the hotel and crash early. I was totally on East Coast time.

Plus, I needed to make sure we knew exactly where to go for the next morning's 5k. The wife wasn't running in the 5k, but was going to come watch since the race started at 5:30am - which would be 8:30am East Coast time. :)

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Next up: Star Wars 5k!

Dani Dishes: Life Update Plus Disneyland Fun

On this episode of #DaniDishes, it is time to catch up on the last two weeks of life including a black eye, weight management milestone and running at Disneyland! Also looking to sign up for the virtual OR in person 5k to benefit Tedy's Team and the American Stroke Association? Do so here!!

Inaugural Star Wars Weekend: #RebelTweetup, Course Maps & Costume Sneak Peek

T-minus 17 days until the wife and I pack our bags and head to Disneyland! Woo! This will be the first trip to Disneyland for both of us and the start of our Coast 2 Coast medal goal for 2015.

For those that don't know, the inaugural Star Wars weekend will take place in Disneyland from January 16-18, 2015! I will be taking part in all three races: 5k on Friday, 10k on Saturday and Half Marathon on Sunday. My wife will be taking on the #RebelChallenge, which is 10k and Half.

I can't wait to walk away from the weekend with four of these amazing medals. If only I could pass off as young enough for the Kids Race. ;)

Now I don't just take these trips for the medals (shocking I know), the wife and I will be hitting up the parks and trying to soak in as much as possible in our four days in Cali.

I keep hearing that Disneyland is more laid back than Disney World, which I can already see with fewer parks and no magic bands. It'll be like stepping back in time? :P

In addition to racing and parks, I'm wicked excited to see as many friends as possible. So you KNOW a meetup would form! Linzie from Sharp Endurance and I will be hosting the #RebelTweetup on Saturday, January 17 from 1-3pm PST at Trader Sam's.

Sharpie and I hosted a meetup together with Kat from Katrina Elle for Dopey Challenge in January and had a blast.

We WILL once again have some sweet prizes to hand out, but really want to get together and meet some online friends in real life for once AND pass on some sweet high-fives.

So please feel free to join us, tell your friends and RSVP here on Facebook to add it to your calendar! :)

We look forward to seeing you then!!

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Now thanks to the interwebs I was able to check out the course maps ahead of time.

5k

10k

Half

Since I've never been to Disneyland, it really doesn't mean anything to me (right now), but they look like similar to how they work at Disney World. Am I right? More out of the parks for Half.

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My favorite parts of Disney races are the character stops, medals, and costumes!! One can run a Disney race without wearing a costume, but I like to go with a theme.

The Star Wars theme has proven a little more difficult for me. I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan so choosing must-do characters is tough. Thankfully the wife is a huge Star Wars fan - yes the reason we are doing the races - so she is trying to help me out.

While I am still working on 5k and 10k - last minute I know - my half costume has been decided: an Ewok.

Here is a sneak peek at the cute tank/hoodie we got.

I mean amazing, right? I love it. It is super comfortable too.

First and foremost a costume must NOT interfere with my running. I need practical costumes over cute ones. There are a lot of miles being run here.

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But I cannot wait to make this trip happen. I am looking forward to every minute of it.

Are you going to be at the inaugural Star Wars weekend?

Weekend Wrap-Up: Wine, Early Christmas & Hockey

I live for the weekends. I know I am the only person out there that does that so you should all catch up on this train. Mmmmkay? ;)

Friday kicked off with a very happy weigh-in! Finally back in free Lifetime range. Yay! :)

I was wicked stoked to see a number 22 lbs lighter than that on June 11. Back to a good weight.

With a big smile on my face, I met Page for our Friday Five - our weekly 5-mile run.

It is a great way to start the weekend and it is always fun catching up. Page and I are on Tedy's Team together.

After my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week, it appeared to be present time for this girl. The WW meeting I lead on Fridays surprised me with a Dunkin' Donuts gift card. It's like they know me! ;)

And Kohl's surprised me with a sweet little relaxation present.

I am in LOVE with the running headband. What an awesome color!

Final delivery came in from Special K. Time to taste test the new snack bars that will hit the shelves in January 2015. Each bar is 3PPV.

My triplet cousins - 12-year-old girls - were staying over with my parents so we all went out to dinner before tucking in with some wine to watch Muppet Family Christmas. My absolutely favorite Christmas movie.

The girls picked out the snacks so I had the opportunity to try 3 of these chips for 4PPV. In my opinion, too chocolately (like thick chocolate and thin chip) and not worth the Weight Watchers Points. I like sweet and salty combined, but would rather chocolate with pretzel combo.

I had to call it an early night since I had a long run the next morning. But before I hit the sheets, I found out I was selected as a #RockNBlog RnR blogger for the second-straight year. Woo!!

I cannot wait to meet up with my fellow bloggers at some races in 2015.

On a runner's high, I bound of bed on Saturday morning to meet up with the Tedy's Team crew for 8-sunny miles through Boston.

With the wife heading out on Monday for home, I wanted to soak up as much time with her as possible. So while she ran errands including a haircut, I hopped on the old bike trainer to get some extra activity points.

Gotta love multi-tasking.

With two pups and two people in bed, we all snuggled in to enjoy some Twin Peaks on Netflix. Boy that show is odd, but we are sucked in to watch the entire series (just 30 episodes total). Have you watched this show? It was a night-time soap opera in the early 90s. So the cheese factor is high. ;)

I put the Kohl's mug to use right away with my hot cocoa (2PPV).

Sunday morning started out with an awesome 6-mile run with my friend and fellow WW leader Heather.

She is also training for the Run Disney Princess weekend so it is great to run together. Plus I love running with folks - whatever the pace.

After the run, I needed a good post-race beverage (following my water, coffee and chocolate milk of course) so the wife and I headed over to Slumbrew's American Fresh at Assembly for a beer and some christmas carols.

Oh and we even ran into our friend Kim! :) Slumbrew Porter Square Porter for me and Attic & Eaves for Kim.

It was the last afternoon with the wife for six days, so we got in a little extra snuggling.

Do you think she is tired of my selfies yet? I was trying to capture her new haircut, but it didn't work. You can take my word that it is cute.

Since the wife would be away over Christmas, my parents wanted to do an early Christmas with her. She got some sweet gift and one of the awesome joint gifts we got were $100 gift card for Disney for each of us. Yes! These will come in handy in Disneyland next month.

Do they know us or what?

With holly and jolly in our hearts, it was time to make the trek to the wife's hockey game. Look at me attending two games in a row. Go me. :P

I tested out my first Special K bar for a snack and it was nice and chocolately. It also wasn't as tough as some other snack bars can be. Does that make sense?

It was a tough 3-1 loss for the Sharks, but the wife did great in goal.

I successfully used the time during the game to pace around the rink to 1) keep warm and 2) get in extra activity. ;)

I also got to experience a role reversal and play Sherpa for her.

Like my stick? :P

The smelly lady and I hit up a late dinner before heading home to snuggle with some pups.

Overall it was one sweet weekend. It was weird not to race, but I think I still did enough activity. What do you think?

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Did you enter my $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway? It ends December 24 at 5pm EST! Enter here.

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How do you get active on the weekends?

I'm IN for the #GlassSlipperChallenge!

Wahoo!

The Coast 2 Coast Medal will be mine in 2015!

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That's right folks.Thanks to my lovely wife I am registered for the Princess 5k and Glass Slipper Challenge during Princess Weekend at Disney World February 19-22, 2015!

I am beyond excited! The Glass Slipper Challenge first occurred earlier this year so we will be part of the 2nd time. :) Oh yes I meant to write "we." The wife signed up for the Glass Slipper Challenge too. :)

The Princess 5k takes place Friday, February 19, while the Enchanted 10k is February 20 and the Princess Half is on Sunday, February 21.

It will be a blast experiencing a new race weekend at Disney. The only race weekend we have taken part in is the Marathon Weekend in 2013 and 2014.

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On June 10th, the wife and I signed up for the Run Disney Rebel Challenge. Annnddd I may have fallen on the keyboard a second time and added the 5k to the mix as well.

For those that don't know, the Rebel Challenge is happening in Disneyland January 15-18 and is a Star Wars themed race weekend.

The inaugural Rebel Challenge is a 10k on the Saturday and Half Marathon on the Sunday. The 5k which I will also be doing will be Friday morning. So I am a marathon short of the Dopey Challenge. ;)

I am wicked excited. This will be our first trip to Disneyland. My wife is a HUGE Star Wars fan so it was an easy thing to get her to sign up for.

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Since the trigger is pulled the only thing left to worry about are the 6 costumes - my favorite part of the Disney races.

Here are the four costumes I used during the Dopey Challenge in January.

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Now I will have two coasts, six races, six costumes and nine medals!!

Are you signed up for the Disney Princess Weekend too?

Truth Tuesday: Can I Do It?

Monday night is Spin night. I attend the 7:30pm class at the BSC (Boston Sports Club) near my house (Wellington Circle location) with my friends Lindsey and Beth. I look forward to it each week. The instructor Kim is amazing and has become a friend. Plus, she plays Willow Smith's Whip My Hair Back And Forth whenever I request it. I love that song and make sure to wear the hair in a ponytail rather than a bun for those classes.

Yesterday was Monday, which means last night was Monday night ... and Spin.

I counted down the hours til Spin all day long.

I clipped into the bike at 7:30pm and was ready to rock. Class started and the legs felt dead. You know you have those days, right?

Well it got into my head. As we are pushing through some jumps on a hill (thanks Kim! :P), I sat down from a jump, cranked the resistance up, put my head down and just pushed my legs as steady as I could.

The mind was wondering so I needed to work through what was happening.

As the legs felt heavy, this question popped into my head:

Can I Do It?

You may be wondering: was it the royal it or something specific?

In that moment in time, it was that little Half Ironman in September I signed up for - The Pumpkinman Half Ironman on September 7.

If I was having trouble focusing and pushing through a Spin class, how could I expect myself to get through that athletic feat.

It sets off a domino effect of questions:

*Why did you sign up for it?

*Why did you think you were strong enough to even consider attempting it?

*How could you waste so much hard earned money?

*Why does it feel like your friends have such an easier time with the training than you?

*If you are having a hard time waking up for runs now, how will you feel when the workouts double?

*Do you really expect to complete the feat?

*Just... why?

So this inner turmoil/debate is happening in my head during Spin class, the sweat from the intense intervals is mixing with tears. Was I seriously crying in Spin class? Why yes yes I was.

Cool kid award can be sent right here!

Now I wish this inner turmoil could just go away! Clearly me writing about it is my way to try and work through it. Since hey it rears its ugly head every time I sign up for my next big fitness goal.

But I own the fact that I am working on this and that it won't go away over night. It has been around for as long as I can remember.

That bugger named

When this little voice creeps in I just wanna yell: you're wrong!

It is a liar. I know I am nervous and anxious about tackling something so outside my comfort zone, but here's the thing - my comfort zone keeps expanding! I HAVE to keep looking outward or I will get stuck and complacent.

It's like the "old me" mindset is battling the "new me" mindset.

My $$$ is on the latter.

But in the meantime, I have to recognize the voice, allow the self doubt, but not let it take down my spirit or my drive.

There must be something in my subconscious that knows I will tackle any hurdle since I hit the "submit" button on the entry. :P

It is the same little voice that:

*pushed me through the door at Weight Watchers in November 2009

*understand I was worth happiness

*told me I needed to start this little slice of the internet

*I needed to share my story

*I could poke through the balloon that was my original comfort zone and keep expanding it

*moved my hand to sign up for 4 marathons (almost 5), half marathons, Dopey Challenge and my first triathlon

The little voice is there and getting louder. I just need to recognize that it is a process and I will have times where the little voice freaks out and the tears flow in the middle of a Spin class.

But in the end, the little voice won't lead me astray. It will lead me to the Finish Line ... and beyond!

Overall Thoughts On Dopey Challenge

Well well well the Dopey Challenge has now come and gone. Two weeks to be exact.

Has the excitement worn off? Not in the least!!

monday10

Do I wish I was still in Disney? Hell yeah!

animal

But as I sit here in cold/windy/snowy Boston, it is my time to reflect back on the experience and answer some of your questions about the Dopey Challenge.

It was a life-changing experience.

If you told me a few years ago, that I would be able to run 48.6 miles in four days I would have laughed in your face.

dopey

But this experience proved that I can do anything I set my mind to. I am stronger than I think I am and leaving my comfort zone pays off. :)

I tried to enjoy every second of the journey and live IN the mile rather than think about how many miles or races I had to go. It allowed me to truly be in the experience.

Now let me answer some of the questions you sent my way:

*How did the shirts fit?

expo4

Five of the six shirts were long-sleeved tech shirts, where the 5k was a short-sleeved cotton t-shirt.

I ordered men's small for the shirts this year and they fit like a glove. Last year, I ordered a men's medium and it was HUGE and boxy. As a result, I went a size smaller this year and the long-sleeved shirts fit great.

Now the women's sizes I've heard were true to size and the ladies I know were happy with the sizes they ordered.

There is a table at the Expo where you can exchange sizes, but I know from experience that it is rare to be able to size down at that table. I tried last year and failed miserably.

*Did you visit the parks while you were there? How long per day?

You bet your BOOTY I did. This trip was the big vacation for the year for my wife and I. We were gone a full week. We flew down on a Tuesday (Jan 7) so we had six days in Florida then flew back to Boston on Tuesday (Jan 14).  We had the five-day park hopper pass.

Our breakdown:

Wednesday Jan 8: EXPO, Downtown Disney Thursday, Jan 9: 5k, Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney (for #WDWRaceTweetup), Hollywood Studios Friday, Jan 10: 10k, Hollywood Studios Saturday, Jan 11: Half Marathon, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (just for dinner) Sunday, Jan 12: Full Marathon, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Monday, Jan 13: Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT

So you can see we took FULL advantage of the park hopper pass. I spent most of the days at the park. The only time I napped was after the half marathon. After the full marathon, I made sure to ice my knees/ankles.

I actually think walking the parks kept my legs feeling loose and helped the lactic acid move on. I know "experts" recommended staying off your feet. Well, I didn't feel like I had that luxury after spending so much money to go to Disney. I wanted my money's worth for both the races and the parks.

*Where did you eat dinner? How early?

I did try to get to bed each night by 9 at the latest. The mornings wake-ups were between 2am and 4am. So our dinner reservations were set between 5:30-6:15.

Our dinner breakdown:

Wednesday - Raglan Road Irish Pub - Downtown Disney - great atmosphere, delicious Irish Bread, good beer, Irish dancers as entertainment, quick service - worth the money for me

Thursday - Mama Melrose - Hollywood Studios - standard Italian food, big portions, friendly staff - worth the money for me

Friday - Hollywood & Vine - Hollywood Studios - standard buffet, salad, pasta, meat station, dessert station - wasn't worth the money for me

Saturday - Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre - Hollywood Studios - (wife's choice) she absolutely loved in, cool and different atmosphere, good beer selection, burger/sandwiches type place, I've heard their milkshakes are divine, fountain style cherry coke (wife's note) - worth the money for me

Sunday - Biergarten - Germany (EPCOT) - buffet style, Oompah band for entertainment, lots of kids dancing in front of the stage, family atmosphere, good food - pricey but worth it (thankfully my parents picked up the tab on that one ;))

sunday

*Are there healthy food options at Disney?

There are!! I was able to find great selections at all of the Disney parks, hotels and restaurants I visited. I made sure to always keep baby carrots and apple slices in my bag while we were walking around the parks. You can obviously bring your own snacks, but if you have to buy on site (we did) there are options!!

*Do people wear the race medals/shirts around the parks?

HELL YEAH! Be proud of the bling. Whether you participate in the 5k, 10k, Half, Full, Goofy Challenge or Dopey Challenge or any other Disney race where those medals with PRIDE!

ralph

Also, without fail, every cast member at Disney congratulated me on my race. Outstanding! Where else can you feel like a rockstar as dozens of people (or more) congratulate you on your accomplishment. I also would high-five other folks I saw wearing race t-shirts or medals. It is like a giant party for you! Or maybe I just looked at it that way.

I did make sure to bring my bag and store my medals in there when on certain rides.

Now I rarely wore more than one at a time, but I would keep the others on hand for photo opportunities. ;)

monday3

*How was running in costumes?

AH-MAY-ZING!!!!!

costume

I am so happy I did it. Now you can see I didn't run in FULL costume like some folks do, but mine were recognizable. A great way to win over the spectators. It was so cool to hear "Go Jessie Go" or a little kid saying "Mom, it's Snow White!" It is a fun experience.

Here is a post I wrote about winning over a race crowd - click.

Make sure you test your costumes out before race day! The last thing you want is a malfunction before embarking on a run.

*You took part in Race Retreat. Was the experience worth it?

I paid $200 to take part in the Race Retreat before the Half Marathon and Full Marathon. Individually the Race Retreat is $120 for each event so I saved $40.

For me, it wasn't worth it. You have to pay extra to bring family/non-racers into the tent and we didn't have those funds/wanted to spend that money elsewhere.

While I was happy for the heated tent and special port-o-potties, the lines for me were just as long as outside. Plus I left the Retreat so early I still had to stop at the public port-o-potties anyway.

Afterwards the food was eggs with cheese, bacon, potatoes and I think something else. I don't eat cheese so I was going to pass on the eggs when a nice volunteer offered to find me some sans cheese. Oh it was so sweet of her. She did in record time too.

But for $200 I ate a couple bagels, some bacon and some eggs. I didn't spend as much time in there as I would've wanted because 1) I had to get to the corrals early being in the early ones and 2) I didn't like making my family wait for me outside while I ate.

Also the massages were extra (which I did know before), but forgot in the delirious of the race. ;)

So if I was to do a Run Disney race again, I would not bother with the Race Retreat.

*Of the four races, which was your favorite event?

Oohhhh this question is tough tough tough. I loved all of them for different reasons, but I think it would have to be the Full Marathon. I just had a freakin' blast out there. You can read the recap here.

I saw the most characters and had the opportunity to run through all four parks.

hug

The crowds were encouraging and it was also entertaining to see the folks in the parks that were utterly confused with all the runners cutting through EPCOT. :)

*Was the Dopey Challenge worth the $495 fee?

With the prices of half marathons and full marathons increasing by the day, the price seemed fair for four races. Disney really knows how to take care of business when it comes to busses, volunteers, EMTs, water stations, GU stations, etc. Plus the organization puts the participants minds at ease.

*What was your biggest barrier to overcome during the challenge?

I grappled with this one for a while, but knew it had to be the four early morning wake-ups. To me, that is a tough thing to train for. I can try to get myself to bed early, but four days in a row is still a tough feat to overcome. It really hit me after the half marathon. After that race, I came home and actually napped for 45 minutes.

The 2am wake-up call for the Full Marathon was the roughest. I don't think I actually felt awake until I crossed the Start Line.

There are folks that don't wake up as early as I do for the races, but I get nervous with the busses. Hi I am a worrier! So I would rather be early than delayed for any reason: full bus, traffic, etc.

And the million dollar question that I get asked the most... ;)

*Will you do it again?

The wife: "NEVER!" :P Let's just say my wife was not a fan of waking up each morning to make sure I had everything ready to go pre-race.

Now my answer ... not in the near future! Between the length of the vacation, hotel costs, food costs, race fees, etc, it seriously is our only vacation for the year. Now budgeting can change all that - which we did - but still one full week was a lot of time away from home with two pups. I did enjoy every minute of it.

dopey2

But, never say never! :)

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If you have additional questions, feel free to send them along! I can always edit this post.