Hot Times, Running In the City

It's mighty cold.

Like, 22 degrees out cold. So what on earth is my entry title referring to? The Peachtree Road Race, held every July 4th in Atlanta, GA--the world's largest 10K,* and a race in which my sister and I will be participating.**

*Apparently, not so anymore; the Peachtree has been surpassed as the largest 10K by the Vancouver Sun Run. What can I say, it's a big year for Canadians.

**Participation does depend on whether or not we are able to register for one of the 55,000 spots available. I'm hoping we do!

Online registration takes place during the last week of March, so you can bet my sister and I will be signing up as soon as the web page loads :) She's run the Peachtree before, and while I (obviously) have not, I'm really looking forward to it! Plus, it'll be my goal to train so that I can run it the whole time.

While it's only a 10K (around 6 miles for those conversion-phobes), it's not a flat course and it is set in Atlanta in July, so the Peachtree will pose challenges that the Disney Marathon did not. I, for one, will be glad to not run in 20 degree weather--though I may regret saying that, knowing how hot it gets in the South during the summer months...

For now, I don't really have a set training plan; I'm really just getting used to working out again, and enjoying it! I think, once registration happens, I'll start following a more structured training module, incorporating a lot more outside workouts and incline training (apparently mile 5 is uphill, yikes!).

It'll feel awesome to have a big plan to follow :) I have found that, even though I'm all creative and free-spirity and awesome, I occasionally crave order. Weird.

In conclusion, I've decided (what with my fervor for the Olympics) that I will be ending my posts (at least until the Winter Games are over) with fun facts relating to Canada, the Olympics, and hockey.

Today's Fun Facts:

1) Vancouver was named for Captain Vancouver, which is just awesome. "Captain Vancouver." Heh.
2) No country in the Southern Hemisphere has ever hosted the Winter Olympics.
3) Hockey is the best sport in the world. FACT.

Best,
Captain Vancouver

Happy Birthday WDW!

That's right: On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida officially opened it's gates!

Opening day attendance was around 10,000 people, and though Walt himself wasn't around to see it, his presence was felt throughout the park.

From the rides to the restaurants to Mickey and Minnie and all the gang--I don't think Walt could have envisioned such a wonderful outcome. Walt Disney World truly is the happiest place on earth, and I, for one, am glad to see that each year it gets bigger and brighter and more beautiful.

Happy Birthday, Walt Disney World--I'll see ya real soon!

It's Official

My sister and I are now paid and registered marathoners--no turning back now!

I must come to accept the fact that this is the real deal. We are registered to run 26.2 miles and become Mickey Mouse-approved athletes. I even purchased the commemorative pin--I want as much proof as possible that I actually did this crazy, crazy thing.

"How crazy?" you ask. Well, gentle readers--all three of you--let me enlighten you on the history of the marathon.

Back in the day, there was a Grecian man named Pheidippides. Dippi was a messenger who was sent from the town of Marathon to the city of Athens to report that the Greeks had defeated the Persians. He ran all the way to the assembly (quite a distance--perhaps 26.2 miles?) and declared, "We have won!"

Pheidippides then promptly keeled over and died.

...And I am voluntarily choosing to do this it-actually-killed-the-Greek-messenger-thing.

Isn't history fun?