Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Meet Up

So as I continue to take you along on a recap of my best vacation ever! (Or...well...so far, at least.) I CANNOT SKIP ONE OF THE COOLEST EVENTS I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.

Okay...I'm done yelling. Maybe...

I actually cried when I saw my name on the attendants list, partially because it means so much to me and partially from laughing so hard at my bad luck turned good!

When the time came I dressed the part. I put on my gorgeous new violet Nike Air Max's, running leggings and packed every single thing I thought I would need in the back pocket of the leggings. (P.S. Very impressed Old Navy!) After dinner at Les Chefs de France Sammy and I walked back towards Future World and I made my way outside of the park to check in at registration. I was nervous because runDisney sent a "updated" waiver that needed to be signed but sent it Tuesday night when I was already on property with no printer...

No sooner did I sign the updated waiver, and got my GORGEOUS maroon Official runDisney shirt did I get a Twitter notification from Karen from Losing the Glass Slippers saying she saw me!!! (Thank goodness for Rapunzel hair I guess)

Source: runDisney

At registration you were given a clear bag to 'check' during your run, your official tech shirt, a park pass good for that evening only and a Fast Pass for Test Track. I had no desire to go on Test Track and was actually getting really really anxious about the meet up that I had been so excited for. I was solo until I started 'meeting up' with people. The directions said that we had access to a reserved area near the Mexico Pavilion.  Just so we are all on the same page when they say something is 'near the Mexico Pavilion' it's the same distance as when I tell Miguel I'm 'almost home' and I haven't even made it into Hartford yet... We were closer to the walkway to Future World than Mexico. I was definitely one of those people who hung out near Mexico.

Around 7.30pm I decided I was done walking around and it would do better things for my anxiety if I just went to the reserved location and sat down. Truthfully, it calmed me so much I almost fell asleep.

Closer to 8.30pm more people started to show up. April from Run The Great Wide Somewhere came up to me and 'introduced' herself. Oh my god was I so excited to see her. She's lucky I let her go after we hugged! I knew she was someone I would immediately click with and it's official....I love her. We hung out talking and people watching.

Here are some awesome photos courtesy of runDisney!

Source: runDisney 

Episode 120

Oh! This is us getting interviewed by Phill from the Mickey Miles Podcast! April sounded so confident and I sound like a legit airhead. Shocker...

Although...it would have been nice if April and I had actually made it to the podcast...

This is how I feel about that...

I had also been talking to Adrienne from Running of Adge on Twitter and we FINALLY got to meet as well. I felt like I was meeting my best friends for the first time! This is why I love runners. There is an instant bond, a connection only they get. I was able to meet Patty from Margaritas, Miles and the Mouse as well. I love this woman so much. She is so supportive and funny and creative. She is the total package! And I got to meet Megan from I Run For Wine who is gorgeous and so sweet! I wish I had gotten to talk to her more. 

After all the meeting up with bloggers and runDisney enthusiasts, Adrienne, April and I watched the fireworks go off during Illuminations.

After the fireworks the group walked towards the band shell in front of the American Adventure. There were two different set-ups of food. One had really healthy delicious treats like veggies and fruit and hummus and pita bread and water, we chose this line. The other set up had Terra Marketplaces Trickn' Chickn' and wine. Although I do consider adult beverages to be as essential to any diet as water I have stuck to the same training regiment and refuse to stray. 24 hours before a race anything other than water or Powerade/Gatorade disappears from my diet.

After we snacked, we saw Chef Mickey!

Chef Mickey's time got cut short (another stroke of luck!) after only a handful of pictures and we all sat to listen to the speakers and special announcements of the night. 

Darrell Fry who is the Sports Media Director for Disney was up first. I can tell he is someone I would get along with, very very funny. He was also the person introducing everyone else.

That included Faron Kelley the Director of Marketing and Communications for Disney Sports also spoke.

Tara Gidus, runDisney nutrition expert and Jeff Galloway, runDisney training expert! Love them <3

There was also a sommelier and 2 chef's specializing in the Food and Wine Festival Marketplaces talking about the healthier and possibly vegan options offered.

New Balance had representatives talking about the new and exciting updates coming from the collaboration in 2014 and Jenny Simpson who holds the record for the fastest women's mile also got up to speak. I love hearing someone passionate talking about what they love to do. She glows when she talks about Disney and running.

After we gave a standing ovation to the 5 military branches represented in honor of Veterans Day we had a little time to mill around and chat before the run.

I was so floored to be able to meet Jeff Galloway, I should probably feel bad calling him cute, but he is so damn cute I can't help it! He has a southern accent and is just so sweet and calming. I feel incredibly lucky to have had a moment of his time!

As we were saying our goodbyes to Jeff MICKEY MINNIE AND GOOFY SHOWED UP! AHHH!!! Adrienne, April and I immediately got in line. Another stroke of luck...I was beginning to become skeptical...

This is my favorite picture of the whole night!

Think we look familiar?....Yeah we get that a lot.

(source: google images)

They cut Goofy, Minnie and Mickey's photo opportunities short to get the run going. There were two groups. The first group was the Galloway group who would be 'walking' and running and then there was the straight running group.

Once successfully separated the group I joined, the Galloway group, set off around World Showcase! Let me tell you Jeff is one speedy man. We did 20/20 intervals. I snapped a photo of Morocco while running.

We went around world showcase once entirely and the second time around we took a left towards Future world.

I don't care how tired you are.... This is a phenomenal view.

I had only gotten to say hi and hug Patty initially so this was our time to snap a photo. Yes like the Polock I am I ran with my hair down and then decided to put it up when we were done running...typical. 

The Galloway Group picture.

Source: runDisney

The entire #WineDineHalfMeetUp Group! If you can find Kelly from According to Kelly in her Donald Duck attire, you can find me!

Source: runDisney

After all the photos we had champagne waiting for us... (okay so I break my training regiment for bubbly...)

I can't remember if it was after our toast or before but April happened to drop her champagne on my new shoes. What made me laugh was that instead of being upset I thought of it like when you christen a new cruise ship and smash a bottle of champagne on the side of it. I thought of it like a good luck charm for my new Air Max's haha. Thank you again April! I had such a fabulous race! I owe it to you!

Faron Kelley gave a great Irish toast! 

To cap the night off, I was given a ride back to Pop Century by Kimberly at Maker Mother Marathon Runner. She is such an inspiration to women everywhere, not just runners. Kimberly is in the middle of chemotherapy treatment and has recently run the New York City Marathon and did both the Jingle Jungle 5k and the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I enjoyed the ride back to the resort with her very much and I am so blessed to have met her. She is seriously Super Woman.

Once I got back to the room I crashed immediately. It was a night of Disney magic.

Lucky 57

I have grown up at Disney like so many of you and have never dreamed as a child I would have the week like the one that I have had so far.

On a leap of faith I entered into the Disney Mom's Panel. I already voice my opinions about the best of Disney to my family and friends, I figured, who else could I help by having this position?!? Last Friday I received confirmation that I had made it to Round 2! Truthfully I felt like Nana when she was showered with Pixie Dust...

If I do not make it any further in this adventure I know that my answers were good enough that the panelists wanted to know more about me. I am so proud of myself for going out of my comfort zone and attempting this. I appreciate their time and I am impressed to know so many great women who also made it to Round 2 as well. Disney knows how to pick 'em!

Friday some major changes were made at work and came into play Monday. I am able to spend all of my time and energy in aquatics again and have a great coworker who has taken over health and wellness. I could not be happier.

Tuesday during the afternoon I made a trip down to the pool to speak to one of my guards. I kept getting notifications from Twitter but I was not paying attention to any of them as I had just gotten out of a meeting. I happened to read one that said #WineDineHalfMeetUp.  That was all I needed!

Like a bat out of hell I booked it out of the pool, up the stairs and through the fitness area to my office and sat down in my chair attempting to open my yahoo mail where I had already drafted an email 4 months ago...just for this moment! But wait...what the....NO INTERNET! The internet is less than reliable at work but what a time for it to go down! I ran to the front of the building and attempted to open my yahoo drafts folder on my phone...still taking too long....I think I didn't breathe once during the time I was waiting for the email to send. Sending Complete. Once I was able to sit down and of course the internet came back up I went to check my sent folder to visually confirm it had been sent. I couldn't find the email anywhere. When I looked on my phone again it showed 2 emails sent at the same time. WHAT! How is that even possible! (Luckily that ended up being a glitch and when I look now there is only 1 email shown being sent.)

I thought for sure that I would be disqualified and my hopes of being accepted into a meet up would be crushed...All of this within 5 minutes of the initial tweet. I went back to working and tried to not get upset, I had all but accepted that technology had ruined my life (dramatic much?)

I still wanted to wait until 5pm to see the list of attendees and see which of my BRF had made it in. 5pm came and went....5.15pm....5.30pm.....5.45pm. 5.48pm the tweet with a link to the Disney Parks Blog went up.

I began to scan hoping that by some stretch of Walt I would get in.... #5....#16.....#20.....#42 Nothing so far....#57. Meg Bonk.......

#57....Meg Bonk. That's me...that's my name! I didn't believe it. I started to laugh and then I started to cry, then I started to laugh harder because I was crying which made me then cry harder. I called Miguel to tell him and then called my mother and then I started to congratulate those who I would FINALLY get to meet thanks to this acceptance! 

To cap off this amazing day Miguel surprised me with brand new sneakers! Nike Air Max 2013's in Violet.

I don't use the word blessed often, or anyone that knows me will say ever, but that is truly how I feel. I am being given some phenomenal opportunities and from the bottom of my heart cannot remember the last time I was this happy. I cannot wait to see my best friend and spend time in the happiest place on earth with her. We will eat, drink, catch up, shop and run her very first half marathon together. I am so proud to be able to share that moment with her. I remember how much it meant to me.

12 Days!