Trip--October, 2010-the big 4-0!! - Updated 4/5 - Baby Boy is Born! - Page 6 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I'm back!! Italy was awesome; I do believe there is wine and pasta coming from my pores now. And I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing elastic pants for a little bit too!
But first, the race, the short version:
I totally rocked. 12 minute personal best, destroyed the bike course (by my standards), overtook my current nemisis with less than half a mile to go, and took second in my age group (out of 60)--a big deal, as this race is super competitive.
Then I drove to Detroit and left for Italy. Where I ate approximately enough food for a small nation and single handedly kept the wine business, well, in business.
As for Disney planning, I'm in full swing now. Its 9 weeksish away and the plane tickets are done! I will be flying to Myrtle Beach for Nationals on Friday, October 1 at 10AM, landing at noon. I will do the race shenanigans and fly to Orlando at 4PM on Saturday, October 2, landing at 8:30. Jake will be flying direct to Orlando on Saturday at 1:10, arriving at 3:45. He's going to pick up the rental car and check into BWV. Unfortunately we overlap just enough on this that he won't know if I qualified for world's until I land (unless that 15 minute window allows us to talk). Oh, and my AmEx travel credit paid completely for my plane tickets (all three one way) and we used an $120 credit with AirTran for Jake, meaning we only paid $130 out of pocket of the tickets (if you ignore that a year ago I paid for that credit...).
One unfortunate realization when considering the race schedule and the flight is that I won't be able to shower. Let's say the race starts at 8, as it is likely to, maybe 7, but probably 8. My best day will be 5:30ish, getting me to the finish at 1:30. I certainly won't start right at 8, however. I am in the 40-44 age group, we always start later than everyone else. Typically 15-20 minutes later (they stagger the start so we don't kill each other in the water). So really, I'm done at 2. If I retrieve my gear immediately, drop it with my team and go to my car, my best case scenario is the airport by 2:45. I'm not worried about this, I'll have a carry on only and I'll send most clothes with Jake. But see, when am I changing my clothes? When am I showering? Trust me when I say there is nothing fresh and clean about me when this is over. I sort of smell like a hockey bag that's been locked in the trunk all summer (not that I would know anything about that...). I'll throw on a clean shirt I suppose, and I have a short layover in Atlanta, I can maybe tidy up there. Once at BWV I can be ready for dinner in less than 25 minutes: 7 for shower (if i shave my legs the day before), 3 for hair (its up), 5 for dressing, 10 or less for makeup.
Here's my current dilemna (besides offending everyone on the plane): Should Jake return to the airport to get me or should I have a one way car service?
My thoughts on this: 1. I want the fastest possible exit and arrival so that I can have dinner at Flying Fish at 9:50PM. 2. Why pay for a car service if we are paying for a rental, seems redundant. 3. Jake can pick me up by waiting in car and whisk me away. 4. Jake may get lost. 5. A driver will be waiting and will be able to 'step on it' so to speak.
I will admit to leaning toward the driver, partly because I think that he will be more efficient about getting me door to door (dropping off at check in rather than parking, knowing best route, probably having that sunpass thingy). I know I'm looking at $40-50, but frankly, in the big picture of this particular weekend, it seems small. Plus I'll have the opportunity to offend one more person with my stink!
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Well, Its been over a month since I posted and we leave in 12 days!!! Where have I been, you ask? What could be more important that a pre-trip update?
Let me just say, its been one heck of a six weeks since my last post.
I'll start at the beginning, many of you will figure this out before I get very far...
So there we are in Italy, eating and drinking, drinking and eating, getting fat and happy. Close to the end of our trip I notice (TMI perhaps) some sore boobage. I've got this crazy early menopausal diagnosis from my Gyn that, as best I can figure out, means every month is a shocker. Sometimes I hurt, sometimes I don't, sometimes it comes, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes I hate everyone, sometimes I love everyone. So I chalk this up to the latest batch of surprises my crusty, dieing ovaries serve up. But they were more than sore...they were actually seeming a little perky...trust me, as a sub A this was interesting news.
So we go home from Italy, and I start in with 60 mile rides and 10 mile runs and 15 hours of training a week and moving to the Michigan condo and prepping for August PD sessions and I'm tired and I'm getting up at 3AM to ride in the dark and I hate everyone. Oh, and I'm fat. And my boobs hurt.
This goes on for about 4 weeks.
I know, I'm a little slow. After I realize how long its been (seriously, 60 day cycles for me are nothing, but perky boobs for a whole month? that's news) I bring it up to Jake. He says I'm probably pregnant. Just to prove him wrong (me of crusty ovaries) I go to CVS right then, buy a cheap pregnancy test and come home.
You know the part where the directions say you have to wait for 2 minutes to read the results? Yeah, that probably applies to people who are taking their pregnancy tests much earlier than I did. That little line showed up before I even stopped peeing on the stick. If it had sound it would have been an air raid siren. If it had lights it would have been a spinning red one.
This was on August 9. Turns out I was 8 weeks pregnant. Also turns out I did my last race at 4 weeks (remember the 12 minute PR and age group prize? yeah, baby on board!).
I'm going to be 40. We have a commuter relationship. Nationals are coming. I called my coach. She asked what I wanted to do. I said go to nationals!! She started to say something and stopped. Then she said, okay, we'll see how it goes. You know how it goes, two weeks later, at 4AM after riding 30 miles and seeing that while I have all the endurance I need, I don't have the kick, the oomph, the speed, to beat the horses at nationals.
Where does this leave us? Well, The Food And Wine Festival just became the Food and (oh my god I love) Food Festival. Victoria and Alberts for my 40th, just became V&A and B (for baby...). And nationals? I'm sad, its the qualifier for worlds and for the first time in 14 years worlds is in the US. While I'm sure I'll make it back, I'm not so sure I'll be able to go to Budapest or Sydney or Phuket or some other insanely expensive place to fly a bike to. I know, I can race again, but this was a one time deal...
But let me tell you how much I want to eat the food!! I've been blessed with not a lick of morning sickness and an tremendous appetite. On top of that, food, all kinds, has never tasted so good!! Honestly, I groaned with pleasure while eating a club sandwich yesterday--just imagine V&A food!!! And the catching my flight problem was solved; no race means no Myrtle Beach crazy planeness.
In related news, I tried to switch my Delta ticket from Detroit-MB-Orlando to just DTW-MCO, and they told me it would cost $250. The original tickets were totalled $105. (oh, and remember my AmEx deal, I should feel good I didn't spend real money, but I'm pissed that I didn't really use the credits!). It was cheaper to buy a new ticket--$86 on AirTran. Delta can suck it. Of course they won't, because they have my money and don't have to do anything for me.
Anyway, advice on being 16 weeks pregnant at Disney? I'm still running and biking and swimming and have no bad side effects, except I'm tired more often. I won't go on certain rides (but don't give me that avoid Safari line of crap, roads in Detroit are bumpier than that ride--I lost a hubcap last week on one of our potholes) and I know water and rest.
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Well congrats! I've never been to Disney while pregnant but my DD has. She was about 10 weeks or so. She said all was fine but she really needed that afternoon break to recharge. (she also said she missed the wine and FAB, lol).
On a side note. I remember when I was in my early forties, my GYN warned me to be very careful and wanted to put me back on the pill because he said that the early forties was really a women's most fertile time of life right before the shop closed for good (so to speak). It's the "change of life" baby syndrome.
Well congrats! I've never been to Disney while pregnant but my DD has. She was about 10 weeks or so. She said all was fine but she really needed that afternoon break to recharge. (she also said she missed the wine and FAB, lol).
On a side note. I remember when I was in my early forties, my GYN warned me to be very careful and wanted to put me back on the pill because he said that the early forties was really a women's most fertile time of life right before the shop closed for good (so to speak). It's the "change of life" baby syndrome.
Thanks!! We are already big fans of the afternoon nap, and now there is even more reason to take it! I will miss the wine pairings a V&A, I hear they are really well done and we are kind of dorks about that sort of thing (a couple of days before we found out we'd spent several hundred dollars on wines we had recently tasted at another festival...). My doctor has allowed me a glass of wine a week, so I'm considering asking the V&A waitress to pour me literally a taste of each course...six tastes isn't even a glass. I'm sure they don't want me spitting it out!!
No one told me about this mystery fertility!!! If you could just see the faces of my family; everyone knows I was planning on being a cool auntie!! When I showed my mom the ultrasound as a way of telling her, it never crossed her mind it was mine; she said "whose baby is this?"
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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Pixie Dust
for deciding. I think I might opt for the drive, too.
PassPorter Guide Author
Susan
What a wonderful surprise! 
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