2016 Year In Review

Goodbye 2016. You have been a very strange year full of blessings and tragedies. I don't want to say good riddance as the year has been pretty good to us. We had the blessed opportunity to do more traveling than normal this year. Our friends adopted a baby. We bought our first house together. However we watched as the world became full of attacks and more hate than I thought was possible. With all the good came a lot of bad and I am looking forward to a fresh start in 2017.

2016 was also my year of visiting Disney Parks around the world! Check out the differences between the castles in Disneyland Paris, Disneyland California and Disney World!

January 

January started off in a whirlwind. I received a promotion at work that involves travel. This blog took a hit from that until I learned how to properly time manage my day job and my full-time hobby. Along with starting a new position in January, my best friend and I ran the 2016 Walt Disney World Half Marathon. We run at least one race during Marathon Weekend and then go on a cruise. Keri and I had a blast dressed up as Retro Minnie and present day Minnie.

The moment we crossed the finish line, we hopped in our car and headed to Port Canaveral to board the Carnival Valor. We went on a 7 night Girls Cruise through the Western Caribbean. The cruise was a blast. We had a lot of laughs and memories - like Cave Tubing in Belize and to learning how to make authentic Mexican Margaritas in Cozumel. Going on an annual girls cruise is something we started 5 years ago and we will continue it as long as possible

February

My husband and I went back to New Orleans with my in-laws for a family trip and so we could run the Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon. As always, we had a fantastic time in our adopted city.

March

In March, we had the opportunity to check out the brand new Beach House Suites at Loews Don CeSar. This is my favorite place to visit in Florida and loved having the additional space and kitchenettes.

April

I ran the inaugural Star Wars Darkside Challenge in April, the Star Wars 10K on Saturday followed by the Star Wars Half Marathon on Sunday. I had a great time running this race with my friend Gelcys who taught me everything I needed to know about Star Wars during the 10K.

Gabe and I visited Nashville to run the Rock n Roll Nashville Half Marathon. Anyone looking to do that race needs to know in advance how hilly it is. It took us flat runners by surprise. Little did I know my first trip to Nashville would end up being one of many in 2016. I visited Music City 3 additional times in 2016 for work.

May

May was an insane month for me with work, going from one location to the next. We also spent a lot of time at Disney!

June

In June, we took a two day trip to Savannah for my birthday. We had a wonderful time in Savannah (although really hot and humid). The week we returned home, we put an offer on a house and it got accepted!

July

July was a fantastic month for multiple reasons. Our friends adopted a baby! After many years of heartbreak, their dream finally came true and I now have an absolutely beautiful nice named Lilly who I just love to pieces.

Two weeks after Lilly was born, Gabe and I closed on our house. After the financial crisis of 2007, I never dreamed of owning a house again. It wasn't an easy process and there was a short time where I thought the closing wouldn't go through. Now we are homeowners!

August

Let the fun of renovations begin! We bought the house and immediately started making modifications. 5 months later, we are no where near finished but the kitchen is 80% completed (need to redo the floors & install a back splash). We also replaced the horrid carpet with wood on the bottom floor.

I also went on a group girls cruise to the Bahamas with a few friends. We laughed so hard we cried. A few of us actually cried and had amazing conversations and a lot of drinks. This was the first time I booked a cruise many months in advance and took advantage of the easy payment plan on Carnival. We each paid $50 a paycheck and the cruise was paid in full 2 months before we sailed.

September

We had an amazing travel month in September. When we learned runDisney would host the inaugural Disneyland Paris Half Marathon in 2016, which fell on our anniversary, there was no question if we would go. We visited Paris for the first time on our honeymoon in 2014 but truly fell in love with the city of lights this trip. On our trip, we checked out Palace of Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris Catacombs, Louvre & Notre Dame. It was a blast!

After spending 5 nights in Paris, we took a short flight to Amsterdam to finish out our trip. We both truly loved Amsterdam. It was beautiful, friendly, historical, fun and of course a little naughty. While in Amsterdam, we took a quick trip to Old Holland and got to see working windmills and everything!

October

We visited New Orleans again in October to see the city during Halloween. We are both huge fans of everything Halloween and have heard great things about the city during our favorite holiday. We visited during the week of Boo's Krewe Parade, which was a Halloween themed motorized float parade. It was fun, however we both expected a little more being it was the city that is home to Mardi Gras.

November

November started off with another runDisney race - this time my best friend Keri and I ran the Wine Dine Half Marathon. This was the first time the race was held during the day vs. at night. I thought this was the most organized race runDisney has put on and welcomed the change with open arms.

A few days after running at Disney World, my husband and I jumped on a plane and headed to California so I could run the Super Heroes Half Marathon. This race gave me my first coast to coast medal which is now in happy company with my Castle to Chateau medal. It was also our first trip to Disneyland & Disney California Adventure! EPIC!

December

We had a fantastic December with family and friends. I sit here on December 29th and am thankful for all the experiences we have had and look forward to a fantastic 2017.

I hope you and your families have a safe and Happy New Years!!
xoxo

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Rock n Roll Marathon Virtual Race Series - Making a Band

Have you always wanted to participate in a Rock n Roll Marathon series event but couldn't make it to one of their destinations? Here is your chance to get gorgeous medals while virtually running with some really cool people. The Rock n Roll Marathon Series recently announced "Making a Band", a virtual series of three 5K races you can do anywhere and anytime! If you live in the south, this is a great way to stay motivated during the hot summer months.

Here are a few reasons I love virtual races:
Flexibility
No lines
Run at your pace
Awesome medals
Online cheering squad
Runner Perks
Save Money!

Making the Band consist of three 5K's during the summer. Guitar Solo, Drum Solo and Lead Singer. If you register for Making a Band you get all three medals and a bonus medal!

GUITAR SOLO: JUN 26 – JUL 20 $29.99
Start your summer off with a Guitar Solo! Jam out as you rock a 5K from anywhere you want! Get a medal for your run and a personalized finisher zone! Let’s Rock this Run!

DRUM SOLO: JUL 21 – AUG 14 $29.99
It’s time for your Drum Solo! Get up and run with your favorite music through a park, on a treadmill, or wherever works for you! Get a medal for your run and a personalized finisher zone! Let’s Start Drumming!

LEAD SINGER: AUG 15 – SEP 05 $29.99
Finish your summer with an epic 5K Run! Whether you are headed back to school or back from vacation, rock this run! Get a medal for your run and a personalized finisher zone! Belt out this run!

MAKING A BAND: $99
Want to make your own Rock ‘n’ Roll track? Register for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Run- Making a Band for $99 and run all three races and you’ll get a 4th Bonus Medal! Run with friends, on a treadmill or with your local running group. You’ll receive all 3 medals and a bonus 4th medal for Making A Band!

RUNNER PERKS!
If amazing medals weren't enough, here are a few other reasons you should participate in the Rock n Roll Marathon Series Virtual Race.
Discounts! Because who doesn't like saving money
Win Prizes! Share your runs using #RnRVirtualRun for a chance to win awesome prizes and entry in to a Rock ‘n’ Roll event!

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Rock n Roll Nashville Half Marathon Recap

WHAT A WEEK! We started off May by traveling up to Nashville. I had to be there for work and it happened to be the same time as St Jude Rock n Roll Nashville Half and Full Marathon. Nashville's always been a place my husband Gabe and I have wanted to visit so we took this as an opportunity to visit someplace new and cross another Rock n Roll Half Marathon off our list. This marked Half Marathon #17 for me (which is my lucky number and was on my bib).

We flew in early on Friday morning and had a delicious breakfast at Mason's inside of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. Off to the expo we went. This expo was a little emotional for me and I found myself crying a few times. St Jude is the sponsor of Nashville's Rock n Roll. There were St Jude Heroes everywhere and I kept thinking back to September when we lost my 2 year old cousin Lana to Pediatric Cancer. One day, when I can say the words pediatric cancer out loud without crying, I will run as a St. Jude Hero. It's such an amazing organization and I look forward to the day I can support them. I'm just not ready yet.

My outfit:

Asics Slub Tank (currently on sale $14)
Whiskey Made Me Do It by Distance Designs by PamelaASICS Gel Nimbus 18 ($150)
Skirt Sports Womens Jette Skirt ($39)

We were under a 100% chance of rain at the start with lightning. I'm going to be honest here - a large part of me wouldn't have minded if the race didn't happen. I woke up not feeling it and I never got into the grove. Gabe and I purchased VIP for this race and thank goodness for that as we were able to escape the rain at Honkey Tonk Central. The nice bartender even gave us industrial size/strength trash bags. Rockin it! I met up with Katie there, fellow Rock n Blogger and ASICS ambassador. This blog has brought me wonderful experiences and opportunities but the friendships I've made through the years are priceless.

There's nothing like chilling at a bar, waiting for the rain to stop at 6:45am! The race was delayed and patrons started ordering drinks at 7:00am. I so wanted to switch places with them...you have no idea. When the lightning finally stopped, the race began. We did get a front row photo of the starters, which was super cool.

Katie, Gabe and I were in coral 16 (there were over 40 corals!). She belonged there, we did not. We parted right around mile one and I told Gabe there was a chance I wouldn't finish. Friends, that was after the first spell of hills. I had no idea what we were in store for.

Very funny Rock n Roll....very funny.

This entire race was nothing but hills. Most those hills went up. We live in FL and our version of a hill is a bridge (or an overpass at Disney). Sure, we were expecting a few hills here and there - but nothing like we experienced. If you are ever planning on running this race, be prepared - especially if you are from a flat state.

This was probably the last time I smiled all race unless I saw a photographer. I offered the gentleman $1,000 to switch places with me. His wife offered me a strawberry. I found out later that this couple comes out every year to cheer on the races. One day, when I am no longer trying to run, I will be like them. 

Aside from the hills,we had decent weather after the lightning went away. High humidity but nothing like we deal w/ in FL. Thank goodness for the cloud coverage! 

These nice people were handing out doughnuts. I asked my doughnut obsessed husband if he wanted to go back and get one and he said "no, I don't want to go back up this hill". 

This was not the only Trump running sign we saw this day. 

Aren't these Nashville Barbies the cutest ever!!!!!!!!

Yay, go Meg!

So, about mile 7 or 8 we started walking. Not a run walk ratio. Walking. Both of Gabe's knees were bothering him and it sounded like an IT band(s) issue. I was feeling ok at this point. Arout mile 10, both of my feet went numb. My legs were on fire and it hurt to walk, run or stand still. I didn't know how were were going to make it 3 more miles. Gabe looked at me and said, "my feet are numb" and I had to laugh - we both had feet we couldn't feel. At mile 11 I started getting delirious and after we hit mile 12, I nearly DNF with less than a mile to go. I'm not proud of this.

I wish lady.....honestly this sign made me push through. Every time I wanted to quit, I thought of a nice glass of wine after we finished. I knew from the night before that Mason's Bar had Landmark Overlook Vineyards by the glass and that got me to the finish line. 

I've sadly ran halfs and full's not 100% trained. However, I've always finished with a smile on my face and only once before had I seriously thought about quitting. With that said, I've never experienced anything like Nashville. Lack of training, yes. (expletive) Hills, absolutely. I had just ran a back to back in FL two weeks prior and was ok (slower than normal but not ready to quit). This. Was. BRUTAL.

We finished - Not a proud moment - But finished. My lucky number 17 surely didn't bring me any luck.

On a side note, Nashville was one of the prettiest courses we have ran. If someone were able to take the roads out and flatten it, we would be back year after year. However folks, this is our last Nashville race. I don't even think you could talk me into a 5K in this beautiful city.

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Rock n Roll Nashville Here We Come! #RNRNASHVILLE

I am SO excited to announce we have officially registered for the Rock n Roll Nashville Half Marathon taking place on April 30th! This will be our first visit to Music City and I have many friends who have ran this event and raved about it. When I partnered up with the Rock n Roll Marathon Series all the way back in 2012, Nashville was at the top of my race bucket list.

One of my favorite things to do is plan races around vacations - also known as Racecations. It's the perfect way to reward yourself for all the hard training. To date, we have planned vacations around races in New Orleans, DC, NYC and Dublin!

You can save $15 off Rock n Roll Nashville Half or Full Marathon with discount code irun4wine

Headliner

I am going to age myself for a second - I graduated high school in 1997. The Wallflowers were huge during my Junior and Senior year of High School (and I'm totally rockin out to them while writing this post). I squealed when I heard they would be performing a nighttime concert free of charge for Rock n Roll participants at Bridgestone Arena following the race. Family and friends of runners can buy a ticket for $35. You also have the option to purchase a pit pass wristband to upgrade to front-of-stage access for just $10 (click here).

On Course Entertainment
This is music city after all. Runners will enjoy music on every mile - a variety of music from alternative, classic and punk rock to blues, jazz and soul along the race course. Music and entertainment set the tempo for this running party, where runners and spectators alike will be “dancin’ in the streets” to these mini-concerts.

Did Someone Say Spinning Medals?

Dizzy yet? While I was secretly hoping for a cowboy boot medal, I think this is a fun design and it will be my first medal that spins. Check out the medals below for the full lineup - both the Half and Full Marathon medals spin.

Participant Shirts

Schedule of Events

HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO – DAY ONE
Thu / 4.28.16 / 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Music City Center, Hall A-B

HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO – DAY TWO
Fri / 4.29.16 / 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Music City Center, Hall A-B

HALF MARATHON
Sat / 4.30.16 / 7:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Start Line: 5th Ave & Broadway
Finish Line: Nissan Stadium

MARATHON
Sat / 4.30.16 / 7:15 AM – 1:00 PM
Start Line: 5th Ave & Broadway
Finish Line: Nissan Stadium

5K
Sat / 4.30.16 / 6:45 AM – 8:00 AM
KIDS ROCK NASHVILLE
Sun / 5.01.16 / 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Course
Click here for the race course. Have I not convinced you yet? Check out the video below to see why Rock n Roll Nashville will be the ultimate racecation


Have you ever been to Nashville? If so, we are looking for suggestions on where to visit and eat!

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Rock n Roll New Orleans recap and discount registration

On Sunday, I ran my 15th half marathon. I never thought I would run one, let alone 15. My husband and I completed our third Rock n Roll New Orleans event. New Orleans is our favorite city in the US and we often use this race as an excuse to visit.

This year we stayed at an AirBNB located inside the French Quarter. We were a few blocks to the start line and in typical Megan & Gabe fashion, we were running late and rushed to the start line. We arrived only to find out we were early! Mark that one down in the history books. For some reason we thought the race began at 7am but it started at 7:30.

My Rock n Roll New Orleans outfit: 
ASICS Emma Racerback tank (similar) with a custom design by Distance Designs by Pamela.
Sparkle Skirts Sparklelight Basic in Mermaid Green
ASICS MetaRun

ASICS hat (similar)

Let's get transparent for a second. Neither of us were ready for this race. I ran once since my last half marathon in January. My husband hasn't ran since March of last year. Do not be like us. Gabe does work out 3-5 times a week so he's in good physical condition but his cardio wasn't ready non existent. I on the other hand need to start training between races and stop jumping from event to event. I need to recommit to a training regimen that I will actually keep. I have a million excuses but they are just that....excuses. 

Moving off my soapbox, let's talk about the race! We did go into this race 100% aware that we weren't prepared so we decided to have fun. First off, the weather was PERFECT. Actually the whole weekend was. It wasn't hot. It wasn't cold. It wasn't windy. It wasn't rainy. It was gorgeous. 

Miles 1-4 flew by. I was very impressed with Gabe because I 100% expected him to want to take more walk breaks than we normally would. Not the case! Before we knew it, we were in the Garden District. Since we've done this race before, we knew what to expect. Around mile 4, a group hands out King Cake. Gabe grabbed a piece and I politely said no thanks. There is also a bathroom inside the park at mile 4 which Gabe used. Meanwhile, I found a Damn Daniel sign. 

Miles 4-8 are a loop, bringing you back from the Garden District to the French Quarter. There was a bit of a change in the Central Business District route from the years past and I preferred the update in the course.

I had to stop for a picture infront of the W.I.N.O. sign (wine institute of New Orleans). Oddly enough, I have never been here in my 11 visits to the city.

As we were entering the French Quarter, I found a new BFF and got a mimosa. I only had one sip before realizing this wasn't a smart decision. We passed our condo, saw Gabes Dad and hit up Jackson Square for the obligatory photo. 

Since my shirt said I run for beignets and wine, I insisted on getting a photo outside of Cafe Du Monde. Then I made a new BFF who handed me a hot beignet. I was so happy and devoured it. 10 min later I realized that was not a good move.

We were in the mode of let's just have fun and finish the race. We didn't care about what time we finished in. We didn't have on a Garmin and I turned off Map my Run. We were in the 5k to go mode and were passing the St Louis Cemetery before we knew it.

This meant we had less than a mile to go. Entering the park, I found a giraffe passing out Jell-O shots. I can't make this stuff up people! 

We grabbed our medals, chocolate milk and my new favorite post race snack, Cheeze Its. We headed to the beer garden, stretched and went to find Heather. Heather and I have become good friends over the years. We first met via runDisney and have since ran quite a few races together. We're both part of the Rock n Roll blogger team along with being ASICS Ambassadors. I'm thankful everyday for the friendships this blog and social media has brought me. 

After we said a quick hello and goodbye to Heather, we hailed a taxi and headed back to the French Quarter. I had one thing on my mind - a Port of Call cheeseburger. In fact, I thought about this burger since 8am. We found Gabes parents and put our name on the wait list. The hour and a half wait was well worth the delicious burger. Plus I had a giant drink to keep me occupied. 

Another Rock n Roll NOLA in the books. Next year the event is taking place on February 5th and early registration ends on March 6th. If you want to run Rock n Roll NOLA, which I strongly suggest, now is the time to register. You can sign up for the Marathon $59, Half Marathon $50 or 10K $35. Click here to register today. My discount code IRun4Wine is valid for all 2016 Rock n Roll Marathon and Half Marathons (restrictions apply). I'm not sure if it works for early registration but it's worth a try!


Gabe and I will return for 2017 but only to run the 10K (I say that now....). Reason being, we love eating and drinking in New Orleans and that isn't always a good thing before running 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Hydrating on Abita Strawberry and carb loading on Muffulata's and red beans & rice probably wasn't our smartest decision. 

Next up for me is the runDisney Star Wars Darkside Challenge. Two weeks after that will be Rock n Roll Nashville (if we can get a hotel room)! Neither of us have been to Nashville before and are very excited. We committed to actually train for that one. 

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