2013 Expedition Everest Challenge Registration OPEN!

Ready to take a run on the wild side? The 2013 Expedition Everest Challenge registration officially opened today!

Starting at 10pm on May 4, 2013, the Expedition Everest Challenge is a timed endurance event that combines a 5K through an obstacle strewn course with the fun of a scavenger hunt. Set in the Animal Kingdom park, you will take on your own adventure to the finish line where you will receive a special edition compass finisher medal. Then, after your race, enjoy the rest of the night at the Expedition Everest Challenge Post Race Party, which starts at 11pm! This is runDisney's only other night race.

Check out the course map!

Here are the details...

Expedition Everest Challenge (10pm)
Individual Registration

• $110 between December 11, 2012 - January 29, 2013
• $120 between January 30, 2013 - March 20, 2013
• $130 between March 21, 2013 - May 4, 2013

Team Registration

• $220 between December 11, 2012 - January 29, 2013
• $240 between January 30, 2013 - March 20, 2013
• $260 between March 21, 2013 - May 4, 2013

Challenge participants will receive a Champion unisex short-sleeved tech shirt, personalized race bib (if you register before March 8, 2013), ChronoTrack B-Tag Timed Event with live runner tracking sign up for family and friends, a finisher medal, post race refreshments, and admission to the post race party.

runDisney Kids Races (11am)

• $20 (ages 4-10)
  

Pre-Race Picnic (11am - 2pm)

• $18 per person

Food includes 1 sandwich item (chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, hot dog, hamburger or veggie wrap), chips or fruit, a cookie, and water, juice, or soda.

Post-Race Party Tickets (11pm - 3am)*
Adults (ages 10 and up)

• $49 on or before March 20, 2013
• $59 on or after March 21, 2013

Children (ages 3-9)

• $25 on or before March 20, 2013
• $30 on or after March 21, 2013

Children 2 and under

• Ticket not required

*Note - Challenge participants do not need to buy a party ticket. Admission is included with race registration.

Need some fine print details? Here ya go!
All Challenge participants must be at least 9 years of age. Kids 13 years and younger must be teamed with an adult. Children ages 4-10 can participate in the kids races, and distance is determined by age group. Entry fees for the 2013 Expedition Everest Challenge are non-refundable. The transfer deadline to/from a team or individual registration is March 8, 2013. No exceptions will be made.

Transportation will be provided to and from race events to the host resorts. The host resorts are:

• Disney's All Star Sports Resort
• Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

You are welcome to stay at any resort of your choosing, but be aware that Disney will not provide event transportation if you are not staying at a host resort. Transportation will be solely your responsibility.

Sound like the race for you? Head over to the event page to register!

Product Review: Reebok Play Dry Jacket

Ever since I spotted it back in September, I have been wanting the Reebok Play Dry Jacket, preferably in aubergine. Cooler temps would be arriving as winter grew closer, and I knew that I couldn't just run outside in my tech tank the entire time. I needed something to keep me a bit warmer. But, the jacket was $55, and the money was needed elsewhere. With a Reebok outlet store nearby my apartment, I signed up to receive their text notifications. Hey, if there's a sale, I want to know! I finally received a text that made my day: 40% off my purchase through the end of December! So last week, I made my way to Reebok, and bought the jacket I had longed to own.

This is the size small. The jacket is meant to be slim fit, though it still is a relatively relaxed fit on me. Originally, the sizes ranged from extra small to extra large. But since this had been out for several months by this point, only a handful remained in stock at the store and I missed an opportunity to try on and potentially purchase a better fitting extra small. But, I will take 40% off over that. Not to mention that the extra room leaves the door open for extra layers if needed. The color is richer in person, which I like.

There are a couple hidden gems here.
First, the Play Dry technology (the inner white lining). This helps the moisture from your body evaporate, but is designed in a way that allows for breathability. This is a bonus for me. Even as I wear the jacket now, I feel warm without feeling like the heat is trapped. That ventilation will come in very handy. It is also very soft, so there is no rough rubbing against the skin. Every aspect of this jacket is designed with movement in mind, so it sits comfortably against you without being restrictive in the slightest. The second gem? That neon orange (which is very neon in person). Really isn't much more than an aesthetics things, but I love it. Especially since my Zigs have the same color scheme.

And this is probably my favorite part of the jacket...

Thumb holes! It may seem like such a simple feature, and it is. But I have a tendency to pull my sleeves over my hands when I am cold, so I absolutely love that this simple feature takes care of that for me. This also prevents any potential of the sleeves riding up.

I am quite happy with my purchase. The only down side to Reebok's promotions is that they are not stackable. Now I understand that many stores won't allow two different promotions at once if they require the cashier to enter in more than one coupon code. So let me explain: if an item is on sale and automatically rings up on sale without having to enter in a promotion, it is not uncommon for a coupon code to be applied on top of that. The Reebok outlet store had this jacket on sale for 25% off. But the 40% off could not be applied to that sale price, only the original price. I had to choose between the 25% off or the 40% off. Obviously I went for the 40% off, but the many years of retail experience in me was a bit disappointed as this is not typical shopping policy. The difference between getting the 40% off the sale price or the original price was about $8. Not a make it or break it deal in my opinion, but I like to get bargains where I can. But that's ok, I got the jacket I wanted for considerably less than the original price.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a good running jacket, I highly recommend you try this one out!

*Disclaimer - I was in no way compensated for this post. I purchased the jacket with my own money with no prompting or recommendations from anyone. I am simply reviewing my purchase to help others in case they are researching jackets.

Winterizing My Run Gear

Ok folks, it is getting cold outside. Alright, well, not completely here just yet as it has been in the 70s and 60s this week. But starting next week, we are going to start seeing temps in the 40s and low 50s. And colder temps will eventually follow suit. I hate running when it is cold outside. My body does warm up a bit, but my ears wind up freezing and my lungs feel like they are tearing apart. It is time to winterize my running gear.

Fortunately, I don't have to do a ton. I already have a pair of pants I will be using. They are not officially "running" pants, but they will work just fine. I got myself the Reebok jacket last night from the Reebok outlet store, since I had a 40% off coupon code*. Being my fashionista self, I was saving the money to use towards a custom dress I spotted on etsy a while back (link goes to pinterest since the store owner temporarily took the dress down for the holidays to work on current orders), but figured my money would be better spent on something I would get more use out of. I also have a long sleeve tech shirt, courtesy of my swag bag from the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. It is definitely not the best tech shirt I have ever owned in terms of how the material feels, but it will help keep me warm and that is what I am looking for right now.

Now I need a warm headband. The two headbands I have are sufficient for wicking away moisture, but are definitely not intended to keep me warm in the cold. I am currently considering the adidas Women's Yukiko Cold Weather Headband in purple.

It is a decent price, looks like it will do the job, and the color will match the rest of the purple theme I seem to have between the aubergine of my jacket and shoes. Hopefully I can pick one up soon...it has been far too long since my last run and I am itching to go back out. But I need to be prepared for it.

*When making your purchase, mention code 8801757 as the employees will need it to enter in the system. This code is only valid at Reebok outlet store locations and applies a 40% discount towards your entire purchase (exclusions apply, so ask ahead). Offer expires December 31, 2012. I have received NO compensation for this, just sharing an awesome deal!

Giveaways, Dooney & Burke, and Race Updates...Oh My!

It is giveaway time again! Two different running blogs are offering two different giveaways.

The first is from We Run Disney. They are giving away a copy of the book Magical Miles: A Runner's Guide to Walt Disney World. I want this book!! But I won one of their giveaways that they hosted in October. As much as I would love to win this book, I feel it is only fair if I sit out a few of their giveaways before entering again. But I do want to make sure I let any readers know of the giveaway! There are a few ways to enter, so make sure you read the entire post here. The giveaway ends December 9th at 8pm.

The second giveaway is from Run With Wes. The blog owner, Wes Lashley, is giving away one men's or women's Under Armour Charged Cotton Storm Full Zip Hoody. These retail for $74.99, so this is a great opportunity to get one for free! There are a few steps you need to take to enter, so make sure you read the full post here. The giveaway ends December 10th at 11:59pm PST.

And now for the moment many women have been waiting for...

The preorder of the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Dooney & Burke bags!!

If you are looking for a lasting way to commemorate your run in a way that you can always keep it with you (since we can't always wear our medals as much as we would like to), this is a great solution. Keep in mind that a designer bag has matching designer prices. The wristlet is $92, the cross body is $209, and the small shopper is $246. You can preorder these bags here, but just remember that these will not be mailed out. You must attend the expo and pick it up. Quantities are limited and they do sell out fast. Expect to see a similar preorder for the Princess Half Marathon within the next month. I do wish they would release something like this for the Wine & Dine!

In some "finally!" news, runDisney announced on their facebook page that the 2013 Expedition Everest Challenge would open for registration on Tuesday, December 11th. If this is the event you have been waiting for, make sure to sign up early through the event page, or at least sign up through this link to be reminded of when registration opens...I know it is easy to forget! The race will be held on May 4, 2013.

Happy running...and good luck if you enter the giveaways!

The Color Run

After going back and forth on whether I was going to participate in the OKC Memorial Half Marathon, I remembered another running event that I wanted to participate in this past spring but was unable to. This is changing this coming spring!

Spring 2013, I will be participating in The Color Run!!

The picture is exactly what it seems... you dress in white, run a 5K, and get blasted with color along the way. Now this is my kind of run! If I can't do a Disney race, I might as well participate in one that still promotes fun as the purpose! It does not appear to be competitive, and I kind of like that. I am kinda just wanting something fun with no pressure to make a certain time.

I would definitely not be wearing my Zigs at this run. While I love the idea of color all over me, I am not keen on the idea of my shoes being colored and having to spend a ton of time cleaning it off. For this reason, I am really glad I kept my super old gym shoes around. I am going to use it just for this.

The run takes place on April 20, 2013, which is why I think I will be skipping out on the OKC Memorial Half Marathon as it takes place only 8 days later and I have no idea what my schedule will be like at that time that I would be able to devote two weekends to two races (especially as The Color Run will be about 2 hours away from me).

I can't wait for this run!