#Star Wars Virtual Half-Marathon

[1310miles]

Forty Five

Eva is hooked on seeing the country like I’ve been doing, so she’s been eager to come to more races. She joined me for this quick trip to New Mexico. We rented a house on a ranch with horses, and she was content riding along with me through the deserts, farms and rock formations as we drove from Albuquerque to northern New Mexico to our house. 

We stayed in an area that had an urban center, but our ranch was out into the country. The race, however, was about 20 miles west, on a Native American reservation. Upon entering that community, we saw road signs and advertisements in the native language. We went to the expo on Friday, and at the time, they were just finishing up the fun run. 

On Saturday morning, Eva came with me and we left at sunrise. She planned to camp out at the start/finish, sit in the car, and do homework. I was grateful to have her agree to spend her morning there so that she could see me finish! 

The marathon started at 7am. Before the gun, the President of the Navajo Nation spoke. I was so impressed that he was there! He was dressed in a suit and had a large hat on. He did a long speech in the native language and then repeated it in English. Then the national anthem was sung in the native language too. It was so unique! I’ve never had a starting line experience like that. 

I headed out. The race path was essentially 6 miles down one highway, take a right, 7 miles down another highway, turn around, then back. I had two things on my mind: the gradual climb that was the first 13 miles and the overall elevation, which was 5500’ above sea level. I knew there was nothing I could do to acclimate to the elevation, so I just tried to temper my expectations on my performance. As for the gradual hill, my goal was to negative split. I wanted to take the first half slow and then crank on the downhill going back. 

With the conditions in mind, and off the experience in Boston, I planned on fueling and hydrating as much as possible. The forecast wasn’t to get too hot, but I would be exposed on the roads in sixty-degree sunshine and I didn’t want to add that to the elevation and hill stress. At the second water stop I decided to start drinking, and grabbed a cup of the first beverage offered, a light yellow liquid that looked like Gatorade. 

One sip and I realized my mistake: it was pickle juice! What a shock! When you are expecting to taste one thing and you taste pickle juice, you can feel a little stunned. Not only did I now have that taste in my mouth, I missed the opportunity to grab the Gatorade and hydrate! Noting not to make that mistake at the next aid station, I pressed on.

Upon the turn from the first highway, we got closer to Shiprock monadnock (an isolated rock or mountain that rises from level plain). It is a breathtaking sight. The scale of the rock is not noticeable until you approach it, and it definitely looks like a ship in a sea of desert. It’s 7,000’ tall and is a sacred monument to the Navajo people. 

There were aid stations every single mile, which was a huge relief because this was one of the loneliest marathons I’ve ever participated in. There were fewer than 200 runners, and virtually no spectators along the highway, so the only interactions I had were with the lovely people at the stations each mile. They set up camps, with tents and music and decorations, along with tons of different food and drink offerings. I stuck to water and Gatorade, but always enjoyed their smiles and encouragement. I noted though, that many of the stations were Star Wars themed. Lots of people dressed up and lots of slogans from the movie series. I thought to myself “boy, these people really are into Star Wars.” As I told this to Eva after I had finished, she rolled her eyes. She informed me that it was May the 4th, Star Wars Day. “May the 4th Be with You.” I felt pretty dense. 

Since the race was so desolate, once I passed an aid station, I could actually see the next one down the road. The miles seemed easier that way, because that distance didn’t really look too far. I prepared myself that the toughest part of the race would be from miles 9 to 13. Over these four miles, the course climbed the steepest hill. When I got to mile 9, I really focused in on my endurance and tried to go into a fight mode. I thought of very little else than clicking off those miles. As each mile passed, I felt a sense of relief knowing that at the turn around I would be flying back down this long hill. 

At the turn around I was able to count my competitors. 9 women were ahead of me. I started to focus on trying to win my age group, but of course, I had no idea of the ages of the other women. I tried to estimate, but runners just look so good: we all look young! Also, I was only catching a glance at each, so I could barely make a guess. The best I could do was just dial in and try to catch as many of them as possible. 

I set my sights on the first woman in front of me, in pink pants. She was running strong, and I passed her, but each time I stopped at an aid station, she passed me! At one station, they were giving out freezing cold, wet towels (I took one and basically wiped down my whole body). The towel was a pretty purple that perfectly matched my clothes. As the woman passed me while I was bathing, she yelled “wow that matches your outfit!” We did this back and forth for almost five miles. Finally, I decided to skip an aid station to put an end to that silly game, and left her behind. 

Around mile 19, we intersected with the half marathon runners and that gave me something new to think about. As I said, it was a really lonely race so anything novel was welcome. It was also a good sign that the end was approaching. I saw another marathon runner in the distance, wearing distinctive pink tights (which were too hot for the conditions), so I tried to focus on catching her next. 

I was getting worn out though. Surprisingly, the weather was actually cooler than race day in Boston, but still it was hot and dry. I didn’t have a lot of energy left and nearing the end I started counting my miles down by tenths. That’s when I know I’m fatigued, because the idea of running a full mile at a time is too daunting. I was gaining of the next woman, but she seemed out of reach. 

With about three miles left, there was a sudden stream of emergency vehicles barreling down the highway toward the finish line. They were so loud and fast and startling that it was actually upsetting. At that point in a race, your brain is doing some weird things, and all I could imagine was some type of terrible event at the finish line, where Eva was! My heart really started to break, and I got very worried. It is sad that my mind went there. I had to put it aside though, and just get to the end to find out if she was ok. I did feel better as I was started to be able to see the finish area, and there were no flashing lights. 

The last mile was a fast downhill and I took it strong. I was pretty close to catching up with the next woman in front of me, but I was probably just a tenth of a mile back. As I rounded into the parking lot for the finish line, I saw Eva! I was so happy and she was cheering me on! I crossed the line and got my result as second in my age group, so I got a second medal. Overall I was the 9th woman, just as I thought! Additionally, this was the first race I’ve ever done with a negative split, my second half was faster than my first. 

[dvcmbr09]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: RunDisney 2019 Virtual Star Wars Weekend Half Marathon Medal Pin.

[notgeorgelucas]

So runDisney canceled the Rival Run next month, as expected. But I’d done the virtual half marathon in January, so my ceremonial medal came today.

It is HUGE. And HEAVY. And I confess the back side is hilarious.

[mrdaps]

Today runDisney opened registration for the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon and the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge. This virtual race lets runners race from their own backyards as a part of the runDisney races.

The runDisney website describes them this way:

Race through the galaxy on a course of your choosing for the inaugural Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon! Whether you break up your 13.1 miles over multiple days or rack up the mileage all at once, runners will earn a one-of-a-kind, Star Wars-themed medal for their accomplishment. Don’t miss out on this Star Wars adventure like no other.

Plus, you can enhance your Star Wars race journey by participating in both the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon at home and the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon taking place on April 22, 2018 at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. Those who take on this ultimate Star Wars challenge will earn the coveted runDisney Kessel Run Challenge medal!

For the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge runners must already be registered for the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon or Star Wars First Order Challenge. Both the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon and Star Wars First Order Challenge have pacing requirements that must be met in order to receive a Kessel Run Challenge medal.

Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon

Registration Dates: January 3 – February 28, 2018

Completion Timeframe: January 3 – March 31, 2018

Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon Highlights:

13.1 mile run on course of runner’s choosing

Share your experiences at #StarWarsVirtualHalf

Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon Participants Receive:

Commemorative Star Wars Finisher Medal*

Downloadable Race Bib

Downloadable Finisher Certificate

runDisney Kessel Run Challenge

Registration Dates: January 3 – February 28, 2018

Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon Completion Timeframe: January 3 – March 31, 2018

Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon April 22, 2018 at Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida

  runDisney Kessel Run Challenge Participants Receive:

Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon Medal, runDisney Kessel Run Challenge Medal* and Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side race entitlements

Downloadable Race Bib for Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon

Star Wars-themed keepsake

runDisney Kessel Run Challenge Important Details:

Kessel Run Challenge participants will receive their Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon medal and Star Wars-themed keepsake at the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo during the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side race weekend.

Upon completion of the Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon within the pacing requirements, participants will be awarded the coveted Kessel Run Challenge medal in addition to their Star Wars Dark Side Half Marathon medal.

As with all runDisney events, most of the details are subject to change. All the fine print and more specifics can be found on the runDisney website here. What do you think of these new runDisney opportunities? Will you be participating?

runDisney Opens Registration for Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon and the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge Today runDisney opened registration for the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon and the runDisney Kessel Run Challenge.

[sparkle-athletic]

Star Wars Virtual Run Half Marathon - #TeamSparkle

Sparkle Athletic’s Star Wars virtual run is the perfect activity. Whether you’ve coordinated a Darth Vader-themed outfit or just want to show the love with some smart accessories, Team Sparkle is giving you an avenue to show off your style with our weekend virtual running events.

For more information about our weekend virtual running events, or about our apparel offerings, you can  contact us online or on social media today.

[jimstares]

Finally. By their nature half’s and marathons (even more so) and tricky bits of scheduling. You train for months and *hope* that come race day you’re not only ready but feeling good enough to actually run the event. “Virtual” half’s take away that aspect but it’s easier to put off. Injured or not feeling well? You can simply put off race day. Two months later, today was finally race day! Star Wars Rival Run half is officially in the books. Thanks as always to the Lovely & Talented @kjuw89 for all her support, you run a half marathon by yourself, but don’t get here without help. #starwarsrivalrun #halfmarathon #runner (at Liberty Station) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSAZn7EBoEb/?utm_medium=tumblr

[birdlord]

Everything I Watched in 2020

We’ll start with movies. The number in parentheses is the year of release, asterisks denote a re-watch, and titles in bold are my favourite watches of the year. Here’s 2019’s list. 

01 Little Women (19)

02 The Post (17) 

03 Molly’s Game (17)

04 * Doctor No (62)

05 Groundhog Day (93)

06 *Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (86)

07 Knives Out (19) My last theatre experience (sob)

08 Professor Marston and his Wonder Women (17)

09 Les Miserables (98)

10 Midsommar (19) I’m not sure how *good* it is, but it does stick in the ol’ brain

11 *Manhattan Murder Mystery (93)

12 Marriage Story (19)

13 Kramer vs Kramer (79)

14 Jojo Rabbit (19)

15 J’ai perdu mon corps (19) a cute animated film about a hand detached from its body!

16 1917 (19)

17 Married to the Mob (88)

18 Klaus (19)

19 Portrait of a Lady on Fire (19) If Little Women made me want to wear a scarf criss-crossed around my torso, this one made me want to wear a cloak

20 The Last Black Man in San Francisco (19)

21 *Lawrence of Arabia (62)

22 Gone With the Wind (39)

23 Kiss Me Deadly (55)

24 Dredd (12)

25 Heartburn (86) heard a bunch about this one in the Blank Check series on Nora Ephron, sadly after I’d watched it

26 The Long Shot (19)

27 Out of Africa (85)

28 King Kong (46)

29 *Johnny Mnemonic (95)

30 Knocked Up (07)

31 Collateral (04)

32 Bird on a Wire (90)

33 The Black Dahlia (05)

34 Long Time Running (17)

35 *Magic Mike (12)

36 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (07)

37 Cold War (18)

38 *Kramer Vs Kramer (79) yes I watched this a few months before! This was a pandemic friend group co-watch.

39 *Burn After Reading (08)

40 Last Holiday (50)

41 Fly Away Home (96)

42 *Moneyball (11) I’m sure I watch this every two years, at most??

43 Last Holiday (06) the Queen Latifah version of the 1950 movie above, lacking, of course, the brutal “poor people don’t deserve anything good” ending

44 *Safe (95)

45 Gimme Shelter (70)

46 The Daytrippers (96)

47 Experiment in Terror (62)

48 Tucker: The Man and His Dream (88)

49 My Brilliant Career (79) one of the salvations of 2020 was watching movies “with” friends. Our usual method was to video chat before the movie, sync our streaming services, and text-chat while the movie was on. 

50 Divorce Italian Style (61)

51 *Gosford Park (01) another classic comfort watch, fuck I love a G. Park

52 Hopscotch (80)

53 Brief Encounter (45)

54 Hud (63)

55 Ocean’s 8 (18)

56 *Beverly Hills Cop (84)

57 Blow the Man Down (19)

58 Constantine (05)

59 The Report (19) maddening!! How are people so consistently terrible to one another!

60 Everyday People (04)

61 Anatomy of a Murder (58)

62 Spiderman: Homecoming (17)

63 *To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (95) Of the 90s drag road movies, Priscilla is more visually striking, but this has its moments.

64 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (92)

65 *The Truman Show (98)

66 Mona Lisa (86)

67 The Blob (58)

68 The Guard (11)

69 *Waiting for Guffman (96) RIP Fred Willard

70 Rocketman (19)

71 Outside In (18)

72 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (08) how strange to see a movie that you have known the premise for, but no details of, for over a decade

73 *Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country (91)

74 The Reader (08)

75 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (19) This was fine until it VERY MUCH WAS NOT FINE

76 The End of the Affair (99) you try to watch a fun little romp about infidelity during the Blitz, and Graham Greene can’t help but shoehorn in a friggin crisis of religious faith

77 Must Love Dogs (05) barely any dog content, where are the dogs at

78 The Rainmaker (97)

79 *Batman & Robin (97)

80 National Lampoon’s Vacation (83) Never seen any of the non-xmas Vacations, didn’t realize the children are totally different, not just actors but ages! Also, this one is blatantly racist!

81 *Mystic Pizza (88)

82 Funny Girl (68)

83 The Sons of Katie Elder (65)

84 *Knives Out (19) another re-watch within the same year!! How does this keep happening??

85 *Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (10) a real I-just-moved-away-from-Toronto nostalgia watch

86 Canadian Bacon (92) vividly recall this VHS at the video store, but I never saw it til 2020

87 *Blood Simple (85)

88 Brittany Runs a Marathon (19)

89 The Accidental Tourist (88)

90 August Osage County (13) MELO-DRAMA!!

91 Appaloosa (08)

92 The Firm (93) Feeling good about how many iconic 80s/90s video store stalwarts I watched in 2020

93 *Almost Famous (00)

94 Whisper of the Heart (95)

95 Da 5 Bloods (20)

96 Rain Man (88)

97 True Stories (86)

98 *Risky Business (83) It’s not about what you think it’s about! It never was!

99 *The Big Chill (83)

100 The Way We Were (73)

101 Safety Last (23) It’s getting so that I might have to add the first two digits to my dates...not that I watch THAT many movies from the 1920s...

102 Phantasm (79)

103 The Burrowers (08)

104 New Jack City (91)

105 The Vanishing (88)

106 Sisters (72)

107 Puberty Blues (81) Little Aussie cinema theme, here

108 Elevator to the Gallows (58)

109 Les Diaboliques (55)

110 House (77) haha WHAT no really W H A T

111 Death Line (72)

112 Cranes are Flying (57)

113 Holes (03)

114 *Lady Vengeance (05)

115 Long Weekend (78)

116 Body Double (84)

117 The Crazies (73) I love that Romero shows the utter confusion that would no doubt reign in the case of any kind of disaster. Things fall apart.

118 Waterlilies (07)

119 *You’re Next (11)

120 Event Horizon (97)

121 Venom (18) I liked it, guys, way more than most superhero fare. Has a real sense of place and the place ISN’T New York!

122 Under the Silver Lake (18) RIP Night Call

123 *Blade Runner (82)

124 *The Birds (62) interesting to see now that I’ve read the story it came from

125 *28 Days Later (02) hits REAL FUCKIN’ DIFFERENT in a pandemic

126 Life is Sweet (90)

127 *So I Married an Axe Murderer (93) find me a more 90s movie, I dare you (it’s not possible)

128 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (67)

129 The Pelican Brief (93) 90s thrillers continue!

130 Dick Johnston is Dead (20)

131 The Bridges of Madison County (95)

132 Earth Girls are Easy (88) Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum are so hot in this movie, no wonder they got married 

133 Better Watch Out (16)

134 Drowning Mona (00) trying for something like the Coen bros and not getting there

135 Au Revoir Les Enfants (87)

136 *Chasing Amy (97) Affleck is the least alluring movie lead...ever? I also think I gave Joey Lauren Adams’ character short shrift in my memory of the movie. It’s not good, but she’s more complicated than I recalled. 

137 Blackkklansman (18)

138 Being Frank (19)

139 Kiki’s Delivery Service (89)

140 Uncle Frank (20) why so many FRANKS

141 *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (89) watching with pals (virtually) made it so much more fun than the usual yearly watch!

142 Half Baked (98) another, more secret Toronto nostalgia pic - RC Harris water filtration plant as a prison!

143 We’re the Millers (13)

144 All is Bright (13)

145 Defending Your Life (91)

146 Christmas Chronicles (18) I maintain that most new xmas movies are terrible, particularly now that Netflix churns them out like eggnog every year. 

147 Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (18)

148 Reindeer Games (00) what did I say about Affleck??!? WHAT DID I SAY

149 Palm Springs (20)

150 Happiest Season (20)

151 *Metropolitan (90) it’s definitely a Christmas movie

152 Black Christmas (74)

THEATRE:HOME - 2:150 (thanks pandemic)

I usually separate out docs and fiction, but I watched almost no documentaries this year (with the exception of Dick Johnston). Reality is real enough. 

TV Series

01 - BoJack Horseman (final season) - Pretty damned poignant finish to the show, replete with actual consequences for our reformed bad boy protagonist (which is more than you can say for most antiheroes of Peak TV).

02 - *Hello Ladies - I enjoy the pure awkwardness of seeing Stephen Merchant try to perform being a Regular Person, but ultimately this show tips him too far towards a nasty, Ricky Gervais-lite sort of persona. Perhaps he was always best as a cameo appearance, or lip synching with wild eyes while Chrissy Teigen giggles?

03 - Olive Kittredge - a rough watch by times. I read the book as well, later in the year. Frances Mcdormand was the best, possibly the only, casting option for the flinty lead. One episode tips into thriller territory, which is a shock. 

04 - *The Wire S3, S4, S5 - lockdown culture! It was interesting to rewatch this, then a few months later go through an enormous, culture-level reappraisal of cop-centred narratives. 

05 - Forever - a Maya Rudolph/Fred Armisen joint that coasts on the charm of its leads. The premise is OK, but I wasn’t left wanting any more at the end. 

06 - *Catastrophe - a rewatch when my partner decided he wanted to see it, too!

07 - Red Oak - resolutely “OK” steaming dramedy, relied heavily on some pretty obvious cues to get across its 1980s setting. 

08 - Little Fires Everywhere - gulped this one down while in 14-day isolation, delicious! Every 90s suburban mom had that SUV, but not all of them had the requisite **secrets**

09 - The Great - fun historical comedy/drama! Costumes: lush. Actors: amusing. Race-blind casting: refreshing!

10 - The Crown S4 - this is the season everyone lost their everloving shit for, since it’s finally recent enough history that a fair chunk of the viewing audience is liable to recall it happening. 

11 - Ted Lasso - we resisted this one for a while (thought I did enjoy the ad campaign for NBC sports (!!) that it was based on). My view is that its best point was the comfort that the men on the show have (or develop, throughout the season) with the acknowledgement and sharing of their own feelings. Masculinity redux. 

12 - Moonbase 8 - Goodnatured in a way that makes you certain they will be crushed. 

13 - The Good Lord Bird - Ethan Hawke is really aging into the character actor we always hoped he would be! 

14 - Hollywood - frothy wish-fulfillment alternate history. I think the show would have been improved immeasurably by skipping the final episode.

[aurumacadicus]

If you dont mind, I remember a few months ago that you were doing a virtual marathon with Disney. I'm thinking about doing one, and I wanted to ask how that works?

Well, I did the virtual 5Ks (they were Marvel themed), but I believe the premise was the same for the virtual half marathon so here goes:

So, you sign up for the event you want to do (5Ks have four options: Three separate months, or you can sign up for the whole kit and caboodle and get a fourth medal for doing all three, I believe you save like twenty dollars by doing the fourth option but I don’t remember; half marathon is a single charge). You’ll get a confirmation email and then wait for the date of the race to open.

For simplicity’s sake, let’s say you signed up for the June 5K. The race opens June 1st and closes June 30th. Within those thirty days, you can do the race at any interval/pace you choose. You can spread the race out over days or get it all done at once, and you can run or walk it.

Since I run for an hour three times a week (in theory) I just kept track of my distance while I did my regular runs and timed it. If you can map out your run beforehand on an app or website so you only have to worry about timing yourself, that’s probably best. However, you can also just run/walk on a treadmill, too. You’re only submitting the time it took you to run it. Once you’ve timed yourself, you go to the finishers website, put in your finishing time, and enter it. Once done, you can print out your personalized runners certificate, and your medal will come in the mail. (Make sure you read the fine print: the Star Wars half marathon is only open to people inside of the US and US territories. You cannot have the medal sent to a PO box, it must be a street address.)

I liked doing it because I wouldn’t have to deal with crowds or worry about traveling to places and finding parking. It was a very low-key way for me to gauge how well I ran a 5K, and it honestly just sort of made me thirst for more? I love getting medals. I love seeing how I’ve improved (went from 58 minutes down to 55 last year!). It made me more willing to sign up for races in real life, because after that I signed up for my city’s Turkey Trot. It’s part of what drove me to make the resolution to sign up for a run a month this year. I’m hoping I can see more improvement throughout the year (I’m at 55 minutes again, am hoping I can at least shave down to 45 by December). To me, it’s a very low-stakes way to see if running races is for you.

[tiefighters]

First Look: runDisney’s 2020 Star Wars Medals

Check out runDisney’s upcoming Star Wars Rival Run Weekend medals, all featuring beautiful character art, clever design, and a few surprises. Thanks to the “rival” themes of the races, each medal actually includes two characters or vehicles: the 5K medal features Ahsoka Tano on one side and Darth Maul on the other; Princess Leia and a stormtrooper adorn the 10K medal; Darth Vader dominates one side of the half marathon medal, while Yoda brings light with a flip of the image; the Rival Run Challenge medal features a Resistance X-wing, which can spin to instead highlight a First Order TIE fighter. So whether you’re more Jedi or Sith, Rebellion or Empire, or Resistance or First Order, your medal can show your true allegiance.

The Star Wars Rival Run Weekend strikes back for its fifth anniversary at Walt Disney World from April 16 to April 19, 2020. You can sign up for the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend and Virtual Half Marathon now at runDisney.com.

[briannnne]

Currently participating in the Run Disney Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon! Wanted to start with a 5k but they don’t have those until the summer but good news is I’m able to break it up between a few runs then add up the times. Have to finish it by the end of March and then I get a neat medal! Fingers crossed that baby yoda is on it. I’d die

[dvcmbr09]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: RunDisney 2019 Virtual Star Wars Weekend Half Marathon Medal Pin.

[notgeorgelucas]

The first and probably ONLY half marathon medal I’ll ever earn. :)

[mrdaps]

New Way to Register for runDisney Races Incorporates My Disney Experience Plus Important Dates for Registering

New Way to Register for runDisney Races Incorporates My Disney Experience Plus Important Dates for Registering

runDisney has implemented a new way of registering for its races that also incorporates the My Disney Experience site and app from Walt Disney World.

Old Ways

Previously for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World half marathons/marathons, runDisney used Active.com as its registration process.  Those wishing to run would head to the runDisney site, click on the appropriate race, and then go to a…

[wehaveeverythingweneed]

The Rise of Skywalker FINAL TRAILER REACTION ft. Daisy!

THE TRAILER IS HERE!

We got the whole crew together: Zak, Breeze, Daisy, and myself. We broke out the Vanilla Coke, sat on the couch with Daisy and waited. We sat through a whole half of Monday night football for a trailer. A little crazy? Maybe, but boy was it worth it.

This trailer drop was a little different in that the ticket presale didn’t open up right when the trailer aired. Without almost any warning, tickets went on sale before the game even started. Luckily, I was combing through Twitter when I saw the whole of Star Wars fandom erupt with excitement over presale ticket availability being announced. I was already nervous after the server crashing fiasco that was The Last Jedi’s ticket release (we had to wait until the next morning to purchase tickets because of a 4 hour wait line that night), so Zak and I were prepared with each of our phones and my computer logged into AMC’s website.

We knew what tickets we were going for. AMC holds a Star Wars Marathon for every new release of the Skywalker Saga, and each time we haven’t been able to attend. This year we were going to make it happen. What I didn’t realize was that the only theater in Florida holding the marathon was the AMC at Disney Springs in Orlando. We ran into a few hiccups, nothing like a four hour virtual queue, and were able to secure the tickets with pretty decent seats near the center of the theater. With the ticket situation out of the way, we could focus on the final bits of Episode IX footage that was about to come our way.

As you likely saw from the reaction video, our thoughts on this trailer are none short of amazing. We’ve got Reydiana Jones leaping through the jungle and then suddenly scavenging through the Death Star, Rose and Connix in the same shot looking distraught but determined, C-3PO making a sacrificial move, a battle droid in the background, a freaking B-WING, Rey SUPER angry, and Kylo just like, “Hey, what’s up, can we talk about this?” It’s everything I never knew I needed, but I still know nothing about this movie!

And H*CK if this movie isn’t giving me At World’s End vibes!

All I can say is I’m a sucker for a good sci-fi/fantasy romance and I’m here for all the #reylo

I’ve mentioned in my friend circles recently that I haven’t thought of this fight as the final conflict or big third act conflict, because I don’t think this movie resolves itself without Rey and Kylo having to work together in some capacity. Obviously these two duels are in different contexts, but we still know so little that all bets are off.

We also get this shot FILLED with ships and more ships. You can see what appears to be the Ghost from Star Wars Rebels amongst a slew of other familiar ships. The way the Falcon so naturally drops into frame is such a simple but strong reminder of the point we’re at with vfx.

I’m really just skimming the surface of the content we got in this trailer, so we’ll have plenty to talk about in the coming months awaiting the movie.

I’ve started a series on Instagram and Twitter of screencaps from the final trailer coupled with captions that are quotes from other Star Wars movies. It brings a whole new weight to some of the images. My handle for both is @aka_thecaptain, so feel free to check it out!

Let me know what your favorite part of the trailer was or what you’re most looking forward to in the movie!

MTFBWY

Austin, @aka_thecaptain

[killianmesmalls]

Signed up for more races including a Star Wars virtual half marathon in my running euphoria yesterday. Someone please stop me. I need an intervention.

I mean...there was an R2D2 medal...

I couldn’t help it!

[wise-lizard]

I feel like an adult.

I got my filing all reorganized and set up, and put together my lock box with all my important documents last night. All while doing my laundry.

I've started establishing a routine for working out, I've been making sure I get enough water and eating better.

I got the new registration and title for my car, and my tabs, in the last week. I scheduled a doctor's appointment for my annual physical and to talk about birth control, and the likelihood of me having endometriosis (it runs in my family). I had a consultation with my tax preparer for taxes next year with my new career in mind. I modified a trip reservation and cancelled a flight to get credits for a future trip.

I've helped out with things mom needs to get done as well as at Grandma's. I'll end up doing a few donation runs this week, and probably a run to the food bank with the food from our pantry we don't need.

I need to send out some delayed Christmas gifts because the timing wasn't right. I need to buy birthday cards for friends for the year, and some fabric for a small project I want to do.

I registered for the Star Wars Virtual Half Marathon through runDisney, and I'm looking to get a better time than last year, and I'll be doing the summer Virtual Running Shorts again this year. I'm gonna do a marathon weekend at Walt Disney World in the next five years, so I'm starting now on prepping.

I've been struggling a lot in the last month with feeling lost, and rushed, and feeling like I don't know who I am anymore. It's been baby steps to get things done, but they're all small victories, and while I'm still busy, I'm not feeling overwhelmed at it, but more like I've made progress.

I need to update my journal tonight, and I'm going to start trying to read again, just for the sake of reading, this week.

I got this.