(Okay, so it was mostly his idea, but I went along with it.)

We had a conversation about how marathon training really is months and months of preparation and hard training and physical agony all for just one race — really, just a few hours. (Of course, I immediately reminded him that this is the New York City Marathon we’re talking about, and IT. IS. COMPLETELY. AND. 100. PERCENT. WORTH. IT.)

Long story short, we decided, “hey, wouldn’t it be cool to get the most out of our training by running a second marathon this season?”

At first I thought the idea was batcrap crazy, but I know that lots of you guys have done it and lived to tell the tale. Plus, I knew that NYCM is my goal race, and that any second marathon could be run as a “for fun, let’s see how well I can do,” kind of thing.

So, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve decided to run the Anthem Richmond Marathon on Nov. 14.

Photo credit: www.sportsbackers.com

The deciding factor? Todd casually pointed out that if we ran Richmond, we could extend our Wine and Dine Half Marathon trip in Disney this November an extra day or two and then, you know, take in a quick marathon on the way home.

…Sold.

Yeah, like I’m really gonna turn down extra time to wine and dine.

So, we registered and it’s official, and I thought it was time to finally announce it here. I’ve already lined up (and, theoretically, have trained for!) my 7th marathon. Even before I’ve completed my 6th.

But, hey, I ran the Dopey Challenge as my very first marathon, so I figured I’ve done even crazier things than this before, no?

Anyway, the Richmond Marathon is supposed to be a great course (with lots of fall foliage!) and a TON of spectator support, and it’s a race we’ve both talked about running someday. Also, there are junk food stops along the course, and pizza at the finish line. And since it’s in mid-November, we can expect chilly, running-friendly temperatures. Need I say more?!

Photo credit: www.richmondmarathon.com

But, of course, we have other marathons that fall into the category of SUPER IMPORTANT, MUST-DO RACES (i.e. Chicago Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, etc.), so neither of us minds the fact that this marathon may not be our best performance (duh).

After all, we’re running NYCM on Nov. 1, and then leaving for Disney the following Friday for what is now a six-night (!!!) Disney World trip to run a half marathon and walk the parks for days on end. Then we’re flying to Richmond on Thursday night so we can catch the expo on Friday, run the marathon on Saturday, and rent a car to drive the 5-6 hours home on Sunday.

Good. Times.

I’m pretty stoked. Was I a teensy bit nervous about the idea of running a marathon followed by a half marathon followed by another full marathon? Um, yeah. But since our training has gone really well this time around, I’m feeling pretty confident that I can handle this.

At the end of the day, this will be yet another new challenge for me, and an opportunity to explore a new city. Super excited!

Photo credit: www.richmondmarathon.com

Okay, so who can give me some words of wisdom on running two marathons in the same month?

Have any of you guys run the Richmond Marathon? What’d ya think?

What are some of your best recovery tips and tricks? I’m gonna need ‘em!

After spending Thursday at Universal Studios (Todd insisted…BOO) and Friday at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, that 3:30am wake-up call on Saturday wasn’t easy. But I was dressed as everyone’s favorite snowman and out the door by 4:15 (another perk of the rental car…no waiting in lines for buses to transport you to the starting line).

Of course, my stupid ass took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up at Animal Kingdom, so by the time I successfully made my way to Epcot, parked the car, and completed my death march to the starting corrals, the race was just about to start!

This turned out to be a very good thing. See, for some strange reason, it decided to be 40 degrees in Florida that morning. And, no, in case you were wondering, I did NOT have the foresight to pack any throwaway clothes, garbage bags, etc. And, no, I did NOT opt to wear the arm warmers I packed with my costume, because they typically make me want to rip my arms off by the third mile.

Was I a little chilly? Sure. But at the same time, I watched my fellow runners jump up and down and huddle together in their vain attempts to stay warm, as I sipped my coffee and pranced around in my short-sleeved tech shirt like it was no big thing. To me, it didn’t feel all THAT cold. We left New Jersey on an average winter morning, with temperatures below 20 degrees and wind chills making it feel like it was sub-zero…and I’m used to running in little more than a light long-sleeved tech shirt even on the coldest of winter days.

Honestly, I found it almost pleasant. And I was downright THRILLED to have the opportunity to run a race in Disney without being soaked with sweat and wanting to drop dead from heat exhaustion. In case you haven’t guessed by now, I tend to be one of the sweatiest runners ever — and I HATE running in the heat/feeling hot — so if temperatures are anywhere above 45 degrees, it’s pretty rare to catch me running in anything heavier than a short-sleeved tech shirt and capris.

Mickey seems pretty happy about it, too…

So, all in all, I was very, VERY excited to run Disney in THE COLD!

Before I knew it, corral G was called, our fireworks went off, and I was on my way!

I was BEYOND EXCITED that in those early, boring miles on the highway, I never once felt hot. In fact, I wasn’t even really sweating at all (SAYWHAT?!)

I was keeping a super-comfy pace (somewhere in the realm of an 11ish per-minute mile), jamming out to my awesome runDisney playlist, and having a grand old time.

It was fantastic.

I made one of my first character stops in those early miles — when I saw Wreck-it-Ralph and Vanellope together, I HAD to stop. I LOOOOVE that movie (and I totally plan to make ask Todd to dress up as the Ralph to my Vanellope one of these days).

I did opt to skip a character or two early on, like that skeleton-looking guy from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Never got into it. And I’m not entirely keen on the pirates either, and they’re always out right before you enter the Magic Kingdom gates.

Even though I’ve now run this exact course a number of times already, the excitement of seeing those Magic Kingdom gates never gets old.

And the screaming fans as you run into the main entrance of the TTC (which is even more exciting to me, since that’s where I always plan my first potty break, haha)? Never gets old.

And the excitement that builds as you run by the Contemporary Resort and behind Space Mountain, and through the “backstage” area of Magic Kingdom? Never gets old.

And the pure elation you feel when you turn that corner onto Main Street and see nothing but that sparkling, gorgeous castle and the rows of spectators cheering you on like you are the world’s biggest rockstar?

Priceless.

It’s a big part of the reason why I will continue to give runDisney my money over, and over, and over again. I don’t care whether you’re an insane Disney freak like me or just a normal person. There is NOTHING like it.

As I made my way down Main Street and into Tomorrowland, I expected to find another character — and stopped for a quick photo with Buzz. The line was a bit longer than I had hoped for a character I’ve seen in just about every Disney race I’ve ever done, which gave me a clue as to the kinds of lines I’d be seeing along the rest of the course.

But, honestly, when I’m in Magic Kingdom, I take my sweet old time. I KNOW that this is the highlight of the half marathon, and I have every intention to savor it. So I always plan to make as many character stops here as I’d like.

Unfortunately, I was unpleasantly surprised to find that there were hardly any characters out — and the ones that were, well, let’s just say they weren’t my favorites. As I ran through Fantasyland and towards the back of the castle, I was VERY disappointed to find that Mickey and Minnie were not there. Really?! No Mickey and Minnie, but we do get a freakin’ Country Bear and that stupid alligator from The Princess and the Frog? Oh, and the Queen of Hearts/White Rabbit?

Dislike!

Okay, so there WAS one highlight — instead of my favorite mice posing for pictures behind the castle, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff were chillin’ on the castle balcony to greet runners as they ran through. And everyone was stopping to take picture of them.

Or, in my case, in front of them.

This was rather exciting, but not nearly as exciting as running through the castle…which is something that ALSO never gets old!

And, of course, I took some time to take a few pictures in front of the castle.

Don’t care about your time and want to increase your chances of getting a good picture (i.e. not too dark, blurry, etc.) Stand in all four lines of Marathonfoto photographers. They don’t mind. LOL.

One of these days I’m GOING to get a castle jumping picture where I don’t look like a complete idiot.

We then made our way through Frontierland and I knew my time in Magic Kingdom was coming to an end. But not without one more princess-y picture “backstage.” I was hoping to get a photo with Cinderella, who, of course, went on her “break” before it was my turn…so I just got Aurora (again, lol).

The next few miles of the course are not only a snoozefest, but also tend to be very, very crowded. I don’t especially care for them. It’s tough to manuever your way around so many of your fellow runners, and though we do get to run by the Grand Floridian and the golf course, the scenery pales in comparison to being in the parks, IMHO.

I saw a few other characters I wasn’t interested in (such as the likes of Mary Poppins), but I HAD to stop when I saw Genie and Abu together. Aladdin is my favorite! (After Little Mermaid, of course.)

I was still feeling good, physically, except for a teensy, weensy little problem. I’ve been struggling with pain in my left knee ever since NYCM training, and it has only continued to get worse. It’s something that comes and goes, and it’s not debilitating or anything like that, but it definitely hurts…a lot…and makes it very difficult to maintain anything that even closely resembles proper running form.

I assumed it was just from the stress of training for two marathons back-to-back, so I’ve pretty much been ignoring it (I’m real smart like that). Unfortunately, I started to feel the familiar twinges somewhere in the second half of the race. It was still nice and cool, so I was loving that, but I was really nervous about how my knee would behave while running a marathon the next day (spoiler alert: it didn’t).

It was right after seeing Genie and Abu that I ran into Kellie from Will Run for Ears, who would be running her first marathon as part of Goofy! Even after all this time blogging, I still get so excited to meet fellow bloggers “in real life.” I felt kind of bad, though, because I don’t think I was being especially chatty…my knee was bugging me and I was feeling like a bit of a Mr. Grumpy Pants at that moment.

Anyway, I tried to ignore my knee as best I could and continued plugging away. I saw hardly any (good) characters, which made me kind of annoyed (no Lilo and Stitch?!), and I succumbed to my usual state of boredom as you run mainly along highways towards Epcot. I still kept things slow and easy so as to save as much energy as I could for the next day’s marathon.

Because when you’re doing the Dopey or the Goofy, that’s really what it’s all about — making sure you still have enough oomph (and stay injury-free!) to take on that final 26.2.

Finally, I was making my way back toward Epcot, and I knew the end was in sight. But, of course, not before having to climb the dreaded overpass, which is really the only big hill of the course…so I guess I can’t complain too much. Good thing this guy is always there to help motivate you to MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!

The sun was peeking out and it was warming up a little bit, but it was still my most comfortable (and, let’s be honest, driest) Disney half to date!

The Epcot portion of this race is over just a bit too fast. It’s pretty awesome running in Future World, especially since there are tons of spectators, but it really only covers that final mile of the race or so.

One thing that was different this time around was that there were photographers set up right in front of the ball (kind of like they are in front of the castle). So, of course, I had to stop for that picture, too.

In case you weren’t quite sure…this is my “snowman” pose, LOL

And, in the blink of an eye, we were backstage and headed out, past the choir (which I always enjoy), and back into the parking lot.

 As I approached the finish line, I scanned the crowds for Todd, but I didn’t actually know if he was there. See, last year, he spectated the marathon from the ChEAR Squad zone — but this year we determined that it really wasn’t worth the money. And since I fully intended to drive him crazy with my commando park touring during our trip, I made him a special deal: if he would willingly deal with my nonsense (“we have to get to the park the second it opens!” etc.) for the duration of our trip, then he didn’t have to wake up at the asscrack of dawn and sit in the cold and fight the crowds to watch the half marathon.

Which brings me to my next Disney PROTIP. If you have a spectator planning to catch you at the finish line, and that person will be relying on Disney transportation, leave a TON of extra time. Todd did NOT see me at the finish line, because he was still waiting for an Epcot bus at our resort…which never came! They finally let him jump on a runner shuttle back to the finish line, but by then, I was finished. LOL.

 Anyway, I crossed with a final time of 3:15 — which was a bit faster my usual “Disney time.” As a rule, I almost NEVER finish a Disney race under 3:30, with all the standing in line that I do for those character photos.

But, as I alluded, I was a little disappointed in the characters for this race. It’s kind of a big deal for me, so when the usual suspects are mysteriously missing — Mickey/Minnie, Woody, Lilo & Stitch, etc. — I get real mad, lol.

I run Disney for the pictures, as I’m sure you can tell.

Also, anyone who frequents runDisney groups on Facebook has already heard about this…but there were no mylar blankets at the finish line. That’s right. On a day when temperatures were only expected to go up to 60 — and the ONE time I actually could have actually used one of those damn things — there were no blankets to be found.

Fortunately, the sun was out, so it wasn’t TOO cold…but I shuddered to think (literally!) how the 5K and 10K runners fared if they also didn’t receive blankets.

After I was given my beautiful Donald medal, and made my way out into the Family Reunion area, my texts indicated that Todd still wasn’t there.

My feet were a little sore, and my knee was stiff, but I figured I might as well go stand in line for a picture with this guy (and scarf down my snack box like there was no tomorrow). I loved that Goofy and Dopey were posing for pictures in the finisher’s area this year!

Todd finally met up with me and we put plans in the motion for the rest of the day. My first priority? Finding a Photopass photographer who could make this happen. LOL.

We spent the rest of the day in Epcot. Since I didn’t make my Fastpasses until later in the day, we had plenty of time to wander around the World Showcase and fat it up enjoy the sights.

Whooooo loves quiche?!

After we hit some of our Fastpass reservations — and mingled with some woodland creatures — that night’s dinner reservation was a feast at The Garden Grill.

It was actually my first time there! If you like Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom, I’d recommend it. Good food, all-you-can-eat, what’s not to love? Plus, this one has characters.

I usually prefer dining in one of the countries, but Todd put the kibosh on that idea…no “foreign” food the night before a marathon, haha.

We finished the day with Soarin’ before making a beeline for the exit. I wanted to try to get plenty of sleep…we both had a freakin’ marathon to run the next day!

And, for me, I was ready to be Goofy!

Up next…my (long overdue) recap of the Walt Disney World Marathon!

What did you think of this year’s half marathon?

Do you/would you stop during a race to stand in line for character photos?

And, that I completed the Goofy Challenge!

I finished the half in 3:15 — slightly faster than my usual Disney half marathon race time of 3:30, haha. I’d mainly attribute that to the fact that there didn’t seem to be quite as many character stops (more on that later).

I’m not gonna lie, the marathon took us quite some time to finish (over 7 hours). But, we stopped for about a ZILLION photos…honestly, we got pictures with almost every single character, plus stopped for a ton of other photo opps along the way.

It. was. AMAZING.

As an added bonus, the weather worked out beautifully for both races. In fact, it was pretty cold (in the 40s-50s!) for the half marathon, which was PERFECT for me. It was exactly the kind of weather I’m used to running in here in New Jersey…and it seemed only appropriate, given the fact that I was dressed like a certain snowman.

The morning of the marathon was a little warmer (60s-70s), but the weather gods smiled upon me and it stayed pretty cloudy throughout the race — and it even rained a little bit, which felt like heaven as the temperatures were rising and we were fighting our way through those last 10 miles or so.

As per usual, all of my usual self-doubt was for nothing. I did just fine. I’m not saying it was easy — and I definitely performed better during last year’s Dopey Challenge, believe it or not — but when you tackle something like a marathon (or a Goofy or a Dopey, for that matter) it’s impossible not to acknowledge to yourself just how strong you really are.

To me, there’s NOTHING like running through Disney. And I know that has a lot to do with that little extra boost of motivation when I felt myself hitting the usual marathon wall in those final miles. But, at the same time, I don’t know how many marathons I have to run before I let myself admit that I’m strong enough to fight my way through ANYTHING.

Plus, I’m super proud of Todd — he ran the Philadelphia Marathon just a few short weeks ago, and then took on yet another 26.2 with me this weekend.

Of course, I took all kinds of photos, and I’ll be posting full recaps of our trip, the expo, and the races over the next couple of days. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing/reading all about your experiences!

Did you race this weekend?! How’d you do?!

After an early dinner the night before the race, we headed back to the room to ensure at least 6-7 hours of sleep before a 4am wake-up call. We got dressed in our costumes — inspired, of course, by Lilo and Stitch, since I’m totally obsessed — and walked to the starting line in Downtown Disney with thousands of our newest friends. I definitely appreciate the ease and convenience of staying in one of the motels across the street from the Disneyland Resort, and it’s nice to not have to make the walk alone…seems lots of runners have the same idea!

We jammed into the back of corral D and waited for the race to start. Much to my surprise, they let A and B go together, and within just a few minutes, they were ready to release C and D! Todd and I both submitted almost the same half marathon time for corral placement (2:02 and 2:03), and he was placed in C, but my Dumbo bib had D. I don’t know if that means anything…?

The race starts along the streets of Anaheim, just like the previous morning’s 10K. There are some spectators out, but for the most part, it’s pretty quiet. I found that even though it was still hot and I was sweating pretty profusely in the first couple of miles, it wasn’t QUITE as unbearable as the previous morning. But then again, it could have been because I didn’t have enormous plush gloves on my hands or a stuffed animal on my head.

Of course, I already knew that the best part of the race would come before the 4-mile mark. That’s when you’re actually running through the Disneyland parks! You start in California Adventure and then make your way to Disneyland, with lots of “behind-the-scenes” peeks at the “backstage” area (where taking photos is a big no-no, and you get to see all sorts of “unmagical” things).

We saw these guys shortly after entering the park, and I never pass up the army men photo opp; I have a picture with them from every runDisney race I’ve run thus far!

Our next character stop was in Cars Land; I missed this photo opp last time, so I definitely wanted to grab it this year. I had to sort through the unidentified photos to find this one, and am still waiting for Marathonfoto to assign it to my account…so, for now, here’s the version with the watermark, haha.

After that, there was pretty much nothing in the way of characters until Disneyland — so I continued to be just a tad disappointed by this year’s race weekend and the lack of hoopla along the course, which was totally unlike last year!

However, running by Mickey’s Fun Wheel and the World of Color fountains in California Adventure is definitely a highlight of this race. So, of course, we stopped to take a few photos there.

At this point, it was growing increasingly humid and I was definitely feeling a little bit of fatigue in my legs from all the walking around the parks and running the 10K — but otherwise, I felt okay. The Lilo costume was nice and breezy, and as the sun was starting to come up a bit, I noticed that it was actually quite cloudy — which was a godsend.

As we entered Disneyland, running down Main Street USA was SO much more exciting during the half than the 10K. There were tons of spectators and lots of excitement. I think we both loved the cheers for “Lilo and Stitch!” Todd won’t admit it but I totally caught him hamming it up for our cheering fans on more than one occasion, haha.

Then, we spotted a VERY EXCITING photo opportunity with none other than The Thee Caballeros. Ever since we dressed up as Donald and Daisy for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, the ducks have become sort of our relationship mascot…including our my re-decorating of the house, haha. And we’re been sort of obsessed with The Three Caballeros song ever since we first took the ride in the Mexico Pavilion of Epcot together. So, needless to say, I was more than happy to stand in line for them.

Before we made our way through the park, we stood in another fairly long line of runners waiting to get their photo taken in front of the castle. I still do not understand why there are no MarathonFoto photographers here; instead, a friendly cast member was standing by to take pictures for us.

We stumbled upon a VERY long character line in Tomorrowland, which I KNEW had to be Darth Vader. Being something of a Star Wars geek, we decided to wait…but, of course, as we got closer to the front of the line, Darth Vader went in back for a snack or a nap or who-knows-what, and we ended up with just the Storm Troopers. Boo.

Running through Disneyland was infinitely entertaining to me. I loved every second of it. Especially running through the castle. Maybe because it reminds me so much of running through Magic Kingdom…?

We stumbled upon a few more characters and opted to stop for the evil stepsisters and stepmother…

…and then there were a bunch of LONG lines for various villains, all in groups of two. It was a tough decision, but I decided to go for the shot with Jafar because a.) you never see him and b.) Aladdin is one of my favorite movies of all time. You could totally wait in line for the others, but I have to tell you, the lines were getting just a tad too long at that point…even for me!

I was having a grand old time running in Disneyland and taking pictures and goofing around, but, unfortunately, this part of the race is over SO. FREAKIN’. FAST.

The obligatory Dumbo pic!

I remembered from last year that the second part of the race wasn’t nearly as entertaining, and how I really started to struggle in those final miles. Well, this year was pretty much a repeat of that experience. Even though I was extremely glad to have someone to run with me this time around, once we left Disneyland, I just wasn’t really feeling it.

The sky was still pretty cloudy, which I was VERY grateful for, but it was still freakin’ hot. And I was tired and my legs and feet were really feeling the effects of walking the Disney parks on top of the Dumbo Double Dare running.

The course proceeds to take you onto the streets of Anaheim again, which really makes it feel like any one of the million half marathons I’ve run in big cities. The spectator support is pretty good, and Disney really does do a nice job of assembling entertainment along the way, from marching bands to hula dancers. One of the more popular parts of the course is a bunch of folks who kindly park their classic cars along the road. And, you know, the Batmobile, of course…

I have to be honest and admit I couldn’t care less about cars, so it’s not all that exciting to me, but it definitely does offer at least a little bit of visual distraction!

(But, no matter what they do, it’s still running 13.1 miles…in California…in the summer.)

I know Todd loved running by the Honda Center, and especially through Angel’s Stadium.

I gotta admit, that’s the only other highlight of this race for me. Running in the stadium with spectators giving you high fives and cheering you along is pretty exciting. Unfortunately, it only lasts for all of two minutes or so, and then you’re outta there.

After we made our way out of the stadium, I noticed I was having a bit of a wardrobe malfunction in that the leaves were falling off my costume shirt. The sun was starting to peek out and the temperatures were definitely rising, and I was REALLY starting to sweat like a pig. I was wearing a tech tank underneath my Lilo top — since this sort of thing has happened before — but even that wasn’t enough to absorb the sweat. Apparently, sweat + fabric glue = bye-bye costume. I had completely lost one leaf and really didn’t want any of the others to fall off, since you guys know how much I care about race-day costumes, haha — so I stole some pins from our bibs to stick through the others for the time being. Sadness.

In other news, my excessive sweatiness had caused my iPod to get wetter than usual, and somewhere in the last mile or two, I heard a bunch of static and then the stupid thing just went dead. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve sweated all over my iPod a million times. I’ve run through sprinklers with it, had spectators squirt me with hoses while wearing it during races, etc., and nothing has ever happened. But I clip the thing to my bra strap (which I’ve also done a million times before!) while running in Anaheim, CA in the middle of summer, and apparently, that’s what did it in. It wouldn’t even turn on for days after that, and even now, it’s only sort of working…it won’t let me perform basic functions like, you know, turning it off or adjusting the volume.

Needless to say, between my costume falling apart and my iPod not working — and the fact that t was getting VERY HOT and my feet were VERY SORE — I was more than a little grumpy in those last couple of miles. I especially hate the part of the course where you’re essentially running on the edge of a cliff — no joke! You’re basically running on dirt and gravel on this narrow ledge, and I still don’t know why this isn’t considered extremely dangerous…there has to be another way to get out from the Honda Center to Angel’s Stadium, no? This part of the course is cramped and crowded and our many stops for characters meant we were trapped behind walls of walkers, and there were several times we couldn’t have run even if we wanted to.

The last 5K dragged on, but finally, I saw we were leaving the streets of Anaheim and running back towards Downtown Disney. And the hoopla and excitement that awaited us was more than enough to boost my spirits.

We finally crossed the finish line right around my typical runDisney race time of 3:30.

We collected our medal and goodies; we both received the half marathon medal and lovely Coast to Coast medal, and I also got my Dumbo Double Dare medal for the second year!

Immediately after the race, we starting walking (or hobbling, whatever you want to call it) to the Paradise Pier Hotel for our breakfast reservations at PCH Grill. I did this for two reasons. One, I knew we’d likely need a chance to sit down and chill a bit before spending the rest of the day in Disneyland. And, two, not even gonna lie…I really, really wanted a picture with Stitch while dressed up in our costumes. I knew that there was a decent chance he wouldn’t be on the course for the half, but I did know that he’s usually one of the characters to greet guests at this particular beach-themed breakfast buffet.

Fortunately, I was right!

After stuffing our faces eating breakfast, we went back to the room to clean ourselves up and head back to Disneyland to catch some missed attractions — and do a lot of sitting down whenever possible. I always develop a bad case of “Disney feet” during these runDisney race weekends because I just can’t seem to grasp the simple concept of NOT WALKING AROUND THEME PARKS ALL DAY LONG IN THE DAYS BEFORE A HALF MARATHON.

Still, it was worth it. We had a blast.

Will I be running the Dumbo Double Dare again? Honestly, I think this was it for me. I had a great time, don’t get me wrong, but running at Disneyland just isn’t the same as running at The World, and it never will be. (And that’s not just because the flight from New Jersey is more than twice as long!) There’s a whole lot of boring stretches of highway during WDW races, too, but for some reason, it still feels “magical”…and the Disneyland races will just never feel quite the same to me.

I would still like to do the Tinkerbell Half Marathon one year, and maybe the new Star Wars Half Marathon, but I think my days of running half marathons in California in August have officially come to an end.

What did you think of the Disneyland Half/Dumbo Double Dare this year?

Have you ever run the same race more than once?

Ever have a “wardrobe malfunction” (or iPod issues) in the middle of a race?

So we arrived in California around 9:30am on Friday morning after a delightful 6am flight from New Jersey, and caught a cab to our hotel. (I know shuttle/shared van options are way cheaper, but when it comes to Disney, I’m willing to invest the extra expense in getting there as quickly as possible!)

We stayed at the Del Sol Inn this time around; it’s basically your standard motel, but for the price, its location right across the street from the Disneyland Resort, and the fact that we are quite literally ONLY there to sleep, it suited our needs perfectly.

We dropped off our bags and made it to the expo about an hour before opening, where I was met with an eerie quiet outside the doors of the Disneyland Hotel (there was an INSANE line out there last year).

We learned that, apparently, they were having us eager expo-goers line up downstairs inside the building this year (which was fine by me), so we got in the ridiculous line for official runDisney merchandise and waited for our turn to enter the building.

They opened the doors a little bit early, and led us back upstairs and outside into the hotel, where we then we organized into ANOTHER line to actually enter the expo. We inched closer and closer to the runDisney merchandise booth, and I discovered that they were letting small groups of people in at a time, presumably to avoid the MASS CHAOS that I experienced during last year’s expo.

Anyway, we finally made it into the main merchandise area, and found that it was a LOT calmer than last year. We were able to gather our desired purchases and complete check-out in under 30 minutes — last year, I spent over TWO HOURS just waiting in line to check-out!

My big disappointment of the morning? Even though they started letting us in by 11:30, and I was in the main merchandise area just 15 minutes after 12, they had already SOLD OUT of the commemorative Stitch-themed Disneyland 10K pins! Needless to say, there were several of us who were just a tad upset about this. I have a pin from every Disney race I’ve ever run, and I don’t see how they could run out of something just 15 minutes after the first day of the expo! (I will neither confirm nor deny that I’ve already purchased said pin from eBay, even though it infuriates me to no end that there are people selling them there in the first place). I know it seems childish to complain about, but they are something I’ve collected since my very first runDisney race and those silly little pins mean something to me now, so to run out at 12:15pm on the first day of the expo is NOT. COOL.

Anyway, after all the runDisney excitement, we moved on to check out the rest of the expo. We grabbed our shirts and packets, which was painless as always. After you’ve been to one runDisney expo, you pretty much start to see the usuals over and over again, from Sparkle Athletic and SparkleSkirts to The Stick to One More Mile to Raw Threads to BeeCause Charms and Sport Hooks.

I mean, runDisney expos are AWESOME in that they do tend to attract some of the biggest and best in running-related vendors. You’ll find basically everything you could ever want — and, clearly, I DO manage to do a little bit of damage — but they’re all starting to look sort of the same to me now!

However, I will say that this year’s Disneyland expo was A MILLION TIMES more organized than last year, and even though you sort of feel like cattle at times with the way they move you from one line to the next, it’s clearly 100 percent necessary to keep things calm and orderly when there are THAT many people trying to get their hands on a limited amount of stuff.

After the expo, we headed to California Adventure for a few hours. We caught a couple of the major attractions, like Soarin’, since the parks were pretty much dead (and I knew they’d get more crowded over the weekend!)…

On the big wheel!

…and we met some of our friends…

…and, of course, took lots and lots of cheesy Photopass photos.

We also had dinner reservations at Carthay Circle. Like last year, I reserved us the World of Color package so we could choose from the prix fixe menu and have special viewing area for that night’s show at 9pm.

I have to tell you, it’s pretty expensive…BUT I think the ambiance, the food, and the fact that I can waltz up 15 minutes in advance for World of Color and have a reserved spot right in front of Mickey’s Fun Wheel makes it WELL worth it.

Who are your favorite vendors at a runDisney race?

What’s your favorite part of a race expo?

What did you think about this year’s Disneyland Half expo?

Here are my recaps from the expo and the Enchanted 10K, in case you missed them!

As many of you know, the Princess Half was my very first half marathon…so returning this year to run it for the second time felt like a pretty big deal to me because of everything that has changed since then!

I went into this weekend with one goal: to enjoy it. Last year, I slept maybe 20 minutes the entire night before the half because I was just so freakin’ terrified of not being able to finish. I couldn’t fully enjoy the expo or my time in the parks prior to the race because I couldn’t get those “what-ifs” to stop circulating through my mind — what if I didn’t train enough, what if I wasn’t “ready,” what if I didn’t finish, what if I get injured…and so on.

This year, needless to say, I could enjoy myself a lot more because there was no fear. The weekend was all about fun.

More importantly, though, this race also would serve an even bigger purpose for me — to help break me out of this running rut I’ve been in ever since I returned from running the Dopey Challenge in January. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve been struggling for weeks, now — I’ve been skipping training runs left and right, and my long runs as of late have pretty much been disastrous, for lack of a better word.

As you also may know, Todd and I will be running the Rock N’ Roll USA marathon in Washington, DC this weekend, so this race has been giving me all sorts of lovely anxiety issues (more on that in a separate post this week). The Princess Half would, hopefully, serve as a distraction…a reminder of just how much I love running and all of the ways it has changed my life since I took on my first 13.1 exactly one year ago.

I began the morning with that surge of energy and excitement that I’ve been missing as of late. I heard the alarm go off at 3:30 and I got dressed in my Princess Jasmine costume and my sister and I drove over to the staging area in the Epcot parking lot. I didn’t feel tired…just excited! She left me to head over to the Magic Kingdom to stake out her spot in the ChEAR Squad viewing area, and I got myself a cup of coffee and soaked up the energy and checked out all of the adorable princess-y costumes before making my loooong walk to the starting corrals.

I enjoyed my coffee and the entertainment and could not have felt more at ease. I couldn’t help thinking about how jittery and nervous and terrified I had been the previous year. Not that running a half marathon isn’t a big deal — it most assuredly is — but since I was here to have fun and not worry about my time and I was already familiar with the course (especially since it’s ALSO the same as the WDW Half Marathon course and I had JUST run it 6 weeks prior!), I made it a point to just relax and enjoy the moment.

Okay, okay, to be perfectly honest…I sort of figured this would be an “easy” race for me now, given just how many times I have “run Disney” since last February and how many other races I’ve conquered. I guess I figured that if I could complete the Dopey Challenge, then the Glass Slipper Challenge just didn’t seem all that intimidating. (Spoiler alert: I was wrong.)

They let corral D go and I was off. It wasn’t long before I made my first mistake of the race: going out too fast. I decided that my plan of action for the first half of the race would be to run as fast as I could in between characters while we were on the highway/backstage area, and then slow it down to enjoy myself in the Magic Kingdom.

What I failed to take into account was that the humidity was going to kick my ass — it was BAD that morning. In fact, most of the pictures from my camera came out horrible because all you can see is this foggy mist in the air, and there were cast members working the lines for some of the early characters telling us not to bother with our own cameras because they weren’t going to come out, anyway!

I started out running a solid 9:30 pace, but when I was drenched in sweat and feeling fatigued by, say, the second mile marker, I had a feeling that I’d have to adjust my race strategy quite a bit. My first stop was for the “heroes,” and even though the line was already ridiculous, there was no way I was passing this one up! Especially since “my” prince was there.

Shortly thereafter, we ran through the gates of Magic Kingdom — much like running down Main Street, this is an experience that NEVER gets old for me.

My pace was still hovering around a 9:45-10 minute/mile, which was pretty quick for me given the weather and the fact that I was covered head to toe in blue polyester — or whatever my costume was made of. Still, I was definitely feeling the effects of the weather, so I was excited to stumble upon the villains photo opp next: another MUST DO for me. This line was even longer than the princes, believe it or not, but I waited nonetheless.

I reeeeeeeally had to make a pit-stop — not gonna lie, I had to go before the race even started, but I refuse to stand in line for nasty port-a-potties unless it’s an absolute emergency — so I was looking forward to a potty break at the TTC. Running past the spectators at the entrance to the TTC is always a lot of fun, and definitely helped boost my energy. What did NOT help boost my energy was entering the sauna that was the women’s bathroom at the TTC; I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that the floor was soaking wet from sweat, the mirrors were all completely fogged over, and you could barely breathe in there. Basically, we were all a bunch of hot messes at that point.

It was somewhere right before running through the backstage of the Magic Kingdom that I started to really feel myself struggling. My heart just wasn’t it the way it usually is when I’m participating in a Disney race.

Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was because I went out too fast, maybe I was still tired from the previous morning’s 10K and walking the parks, maybe I was feeling overheated from wearing a costume over running clothes (which really didn’t bother me at all, otherwise, thanks to the fact that I rubbed Body Glide all over any area of skin that the costume might touch, haha). In any case, I started to have my doubts about just how strong I would finishing that day.

Of course, seeing Main Street and the castle made me forget all of my worries. Suddenly, I felt just fine.

I will say that it was kind of weird seeing the castle overtaken by what appeared to be a cloud of fog; you could barely see it in the distance! I turned the corner into Tomorrowland and made the executive decision to pass up a bunch of my “usual” characters like Buzz Lightyear because the lines really were MUCH longer than they were last year (I started in corral A last year, which was before they started making the corrals much smaller).

There’s one photo I’ll never NOT stop for in the Magic Kingdom, though. And this line is always a treat, let me put it to you that way. But, to me, it’s worth it! These guys weren’t in their usual spot right behind the castle this year; there was a lovely crane there, instead.

I took my sweet old time running through the Magic Kingdom. I just…love it. I can’t explain it. There really is just nothing like it, and it never gets old, and it never makes me feel anything less than giddy with excitement.

And then getting to run THROUGH the castle is almost as exciting as running down Main Street.

Of course, I then stopped to take some shots with my friends at MarathonFoto.

And I had my personal photographer in the ChEAR Squad, so I stopped to goof off a bit with her, too. (Side note: I know I wrote  a post recently about how “magical” this benefit is for your spectators, but they have seriously cut back on the perks as of late — namely, the refreshments — and since the price continues to remain the same, you’re now basically shelling out $65 for a spot on the pavement in front of the castle. I’m no longer sure it’s worth it.)

Pretty soon, I was on my way again, and we ran towards Frontierland. I passed up Woody and a few other characters because I was planning to stop for whatever princess happened to be backstage again this year since I didn’t stop last year.

It was Aurora. And her line was NOT short, either.

When we were officially out of the Magic Kingdom, I knew I had a whole lot of boring waiting for me. This stretch of course is, by far, the least amusing and — worst of all — it also happens to be ridiculously crowded and tight and, honestly, I couldn’t really “run” through it if I were being chased by a bear.

I spent some time weaving around walkers and running on the grass to try to get into some sort of steady rhythm. I started to feel myself struggling again, but hearing “Let it Go” playing near the halfway point helped a bit!

I tried to keep a steady, comfortable pace, and since I had spent an inordinate amount of time in line for the “BIG” characters already, I planned to stop only for any photos I really, really wanted. Which included these fine gentlemen and their glass slipper, which was almost as long a line as the wait for Mickey and Minnie — no joke! But, come on, it WAS the “Glass Slipper Challenge” after all…

I was still feeling pretty “blah” at this point. I wasn’t feeling it. I was hot and bored and the course was crowded and on top of it all, let’s just say I didn’t exactly break-in my new pair of running sneakers sufficiently enough and my feet and calves were really starting to bother me. I welcomed the break to stop for a photo with another one of my special friends.

As I made it through miles 9 and 10, the feelings that have been plauging me in all of my runs as of late started to take over. I just didn’t want to run.

I am still so ridiculously burnt out that it’s not even funny, and even though I’ve done the bare minimum when it comes to training for the marathon this weekend, I still am just NOT feeling it right now. I was hoping that “running Disney” would help cure me, but in that last 5K, I definitely felt the funk and I just didn’t want to be out there.

Don’t get me wrong; I was still having fun. But only because I was in Disney and wearing a princess costume and surrounded by spectators and lots of hoopla, and I did my best to let all the distractions help keep me moving forward. Had this been any “normal” race, I really, REALLY would have had a tough time.

My pace had seriously slowed, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the fact that I was already approaching the three-hour mark — even though I promised myself I wouldn’t care about my time and that the character lines I waited in seemed a lot longer than the ones last year — made me feel a little down on myself.

Since this race was supposed to be “easy” for me, I was feeling tired and frustrated and I just didn’t want to run anymore…and I also passed up a whole lot of character photos because I didn’t want to stop and wait in any more lines. My body just felt run-down. There’s really no other way to explain it.

I pushed myself as hard as I could as we made our way up and down the highway overpass (where I ALWAYS stop for a shot with the green army man) and I looked forward to finally seeing the Epcot ball in the distance.

It seemed to take forever, but, finally, I had made it into Epcot. Almost there!

After passing the glorious 12 mile marker, I was excited to see the Fairy Godmother again after the previous morning’s 10K, so I stopped to say “hi” before moving on through the park.

Before I knew it, my brief time running through Epcot was over, and the finish line was in sight!

I finished the race in 3:26. Last year — my first half marathon EVER — was 3:29.

So, yeah, I was a little disappointed. Even though I was definitely not running for time (obviously), I still expected to do so much better than that, even with all of the character stops and the time I spent posing for various photos. Mostly, I think I was disappointed by that fact that I had a tough time for a large majority of the race, and that taking on Princess again didn’t magically “cure” this running-induced funk I’ve been in.

Fortunately, my disappointment didn’t last all that long. I received my new beautiful medals and all was right with the world. As bad as I had let myself feel on the inside, one of the volunteers at the end of the race congratulated me, complimented my costume, and said something like “you don’t even look like you ran today — way to go!”

It reminded me that whatever I’ve been going through lately is NOT physical, and that I need to cut myself some slack. And after the race this weekend, it’s time for a BREAK. A SERIOUS break.

I found my sister and we headed straight for The Magic Kingdom, where I insisted on finding my princess (and prince!) for a quick photo.

We also were lucky enough to be selected for the Fastpass+ option at Be Our Guest for lunch, so I dined in my Princess garb before changing out of my costume and enjoying my most favorite place in the world for the rest of the day. I forgot all about my struggles from that morning and let myself savor the accomplishment.

No matter what my time was or how much more difficult the race had been than I expected, I still DID it. If nothing else, I went into this race with confidence. The fear and self-doubt that I have let control me for so long is completely gone now…and that is a really good feeling.

I don’t know if I’ll be back again to run next year, but Princess will always, ALWAYS be a special race for me.

What’d you guys think of the Princess Half this year?

Have you/would you ever run the same race more than once?

Okay, so now for my final Disneyland-themed post: running the Disneyland Half Marathon and completing the Dumbo Double Dare!

After running the 10K on Saturday (recap here!), and then soaking up some park time for the rest of the day, by the night before the half marathon my legs had pretty much had it. I spent some time with my new best friend, The Stick, and made sure to sleep in my Pro Compression socks. Still, when I woke up on Sunday morning around 4am, I knew that I would be running this race on anything but “fresh legs.”

Of course, the excitement of a runDisney race always manages to somehow make me forget about any physical discomfort I might be experiencing, so I threw on my Mike Wazowski costume and took my walk to the starting line with thousands of fellow runners. I stopped for a few quick photos along the way, and squeezed into my corral shortly before the 5:30am start time.

It was during the opening festivities right before they let my corral go that I realized I had made a teensy little boo-boo. Despite remembering to pack everything from an extra camera battery to some just-in-case cash in my iFitness belt, the one thing I did forget to bring with me in my FUEL belt? Um, my FUEL. That’s right; I totally forgot to bring my Clif Shot Bloks with me…and I’ve NEVER run anything longer than, say, 6 or 7 miles without taking something.

I tried not to let myself panic, but I’ll be honest — I freaked out a little bit. I had no idea how I would survive the next 13 miles without my fuel, especially since I knew that the on-course option — Gu Energy Gel — makes me nauseated and my stomach can’t tolerate it. I decided to keep a positive attitude and hope that my adrenaline and excitement — and, oh yeah, MONTHS of training — would be enough for me to finish this race.

I’ve gotten a few questions about my costume, and let’s just say that NO, I did not do the intelligent thing and take it out for a test run prior to the race. I added foam to the inside of the helmet (once again, thanks to Todd’s mom, who is clearly a costume-making genius) so I wasn’t really concerned about it being uncomfortable…it was more the whole “will this bowl stay on my head for 13.1 miles?” issue that I knew might be a problem. You all know I’m very committed to my race-day costumes, and I really wanted to wear the stupid thing for whatever reason…so I decided to just go with it.

Well, no surprise here: it was all over the place in the first few miles. It was sliding down over my face, the back of my head, and constantly tilting on either side. Fortunately, by the time I made it to my first character stop, I was able to tighten the strap (read: shoelace) a bit tighter, and it stayed pretty still for the remainder of the race.

Other than my headwear issues, the first mile or two was pretty uneventful, as we once again ventured off the Disney property and onto the streets of Anaheim. Like the previous day’s 10K, I tried to keep my pace a little bit on the quicker side (around a 9 minute/mile), and spent a decent amount of energy weaving around other runners. My goal in a Disney race? Get to those characters as quickly as I can to avoid the longer lines that build up as the later corrals start to catch up. Hey, whatever motivates me to run faster, right?

Also like the previous day’s race, it was freakin’ HOT. It had cooled down just a little bit from when we first arrived in California, but it was definitely not ideal racing weather, even in the wee hours of the morning. By the time we ventured into California Adventure, I was a hot, sweaty mess…but then, I saw my most longed-for photo opportunity. I reeeeeally wanted a picture with the Monsters, Inc. characters in both of my costumes, and fortunately, Mike and Sulley were out for both races!

I was feeling pretty great as we made our way through both Disney parks. Once again, the second I’m inside the park, any exhaustion or physical discomfort seems to completely disappear.

I temporarily forgot about my sore legs or the fact that I was (literally) running on only a few hours of sleep, and had a blast enjoying the sights and stopping for plenty of pictures…including, of course, one with the Dumbo ride!

I did notice that there weren’t as many characters out as the Princess Half…but, then again, Disneyland doesn’t seem to be as “into” the characters as they are at Disney World. I made sure to enjoy my time in the parks, though, because I knew there wouldn’t be any other stopping for photos once we left.

I saw my personal ChEAR Squad on Main street, and I have to say…for anyone who might be considering the additional expense, I’m not quite sure if it’s worth it at Disneyland. In Disney World, ChEAR Squad participants are allowed to park themselves right in front of the castle for an optimal view of that moment that all of us runDisney fanatics live for — running through the castle — but here, my sister and mom were told that they could have a seat along Main Street, but weren’t allowed anywhere near the castle.

My sister snapped a few photos of me, but I was disappointed that they weren’t allowed to have better seating closer to the actual castle. Then again, I found Sleeping Beauty’s castle a bit disappointing in general, compared to what I’m used to seeing at The World!

There was only one cast member available for photos in front of the castle, and no MarathonFoto photographers, which I thought was a bit surprising.

Once the excitement of running through California Adventure and Disneyland was over, I must admit that things took a turn for the worse for me. The second half of the course, while pretty flat, is also a bit on the boring side. Don’t get me wrong, runDisney does a fantastic job with having plenty of spectators and on-site entertainment, but I still found myself struggling. My legs were sore and tired and stiff and heavy, and the sun was beating down on me (I was especially grateful for the helmet then, because it at least kept the blinding sun out of my eyes). I was exhausted, and found myself having to resort to talking to myself (silently, of course, haha) and jamming out to my Disney music playlist to keep myself going.

We did run through the Honda Civic Center, and they had tons of cars out on display, which was cool and everything but…I’m really, really not into cars. At all. Let’s just say that I’m still driving a beat-up old ’96 Buick that was purchased in college. So that did little to distract me from the agony I started to experience around mile 8 or 9, when I felt my quads getting tighter and tighter and the bottoms of my feet were burning from all of the walking I had done in the days prior to the race.

Meanwhile, as mentioned, I did not have any fuel to take for an added boost, so my strategy was to keep sucking down the Powerade along the course to at least replenish everything I was sweating out. There were also a few spectators along the course who were generously handing out snacks like Twizzlers and animal crackers, and while I normally NEVER reach for that kind of stuff during a race, I grabbed them in the hopes of having ANYTHING that could keep my energy up to finish the half marathon.

I was definitely looking forward to running through Angels Stadium (once again, not a big baseball fan or anything, but thought it might be a good distraction). I loved the energy and the crowds and the cheering that we were treated to as we ran through the stadium — it was actually really exciting!

After we left the stadium, it was time for me to focus on FINISHING THIS RACE. I still was having a heck of a time, physically. Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling all that fatigued in general…it was just that my legs were really, really sore, and just didn’t want to move any longer!

I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, and kept thinking about that beautiful Dumbo Double Dare medal and the Coast to Coast medal I wanted SO BADLY. I thought about all of the months of training that I had poured into preparing myself to run a 10K and half marathon in the same weekend. I thought about how the thought of running a half marathon was CRAZY to me back in January, and here I was about to finish the challenge of running 19.3 miles over the course of two days. I wouldn’t let myself stop…I just kept going.

I also decided to turn off my iPod and feed off the energy of the spectators — who really seemed to enjoy shouting “MIKE WAZOWSKI” at me. Not going to lie — I loved it!

Before I knew it, we were back at Downtown Disney…and I was ready to complete the Dumbo Double Dare!

I probably don’t even need to say it, but despite any physical difficulty I may have experienced, crossing the finish line and successfully completing not only the Dumbo Double Dare, but the Coast to Coast Challenge, was an INCREDIBLE feeling. I really can’t even put it into words.

People look at me like I’m insane when I tell them I’m running ANOTHER half marathon, or taking on some kind of crazy race challenge like Dumbo or (ahem) Dopey…and I get it. Yeah, it hurts, and yeah, it’s time-consuming, and yeah, there’s almost always a point during these longer races where the idea of throwing in the towel and walking off the course seems so very, very appealing to me. And yet somehow crossing that finish line and feeling the weight of a medal around my neck (or in this case, FOUR MEDALS!) and knowing that I accomplished something that is such a far cry from the person who I used to be makes it SO worth it. Plus, seeing Disneyland for the first time was so much fun…even though it will never hold a candle to my beloved Disney World.

We stayed in California through Monday to soak up some more Disney magic and revel in the accomplishment of the AWESOME medals I snagged through this race experience. I know I’ve mentioned it here once or twice, but runDisney medals are always GORGEOUS…the bling never, ever disappoints!

Now, it’s time to get serious…let the Dopey training begin!

]]> http://thefinalforty.com/disneyland-half-marathon-race-recap-dumbo-double-dare/feed/ 24 http://thefinalforty.com/disneyland-half-marathon-weekend-recap-the-meet-up/ http://thefinalforty.com/disneyland-half-marathon-weekend-recap-the-meet-up/#comments Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:31:55 +0000 Jennifer http://thefinalforty.com/?p=2943 Hi, guys! So I know it has been quiet here for a few days, but I have a good reason, promise…as many of you know, I was in California to take on the inaugural Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland, so I hope you’ll forgive me for not having a whole lot of time to update while I was away!

However, the good news is that a.) I DID successfully complete the Dumbo Double Dare and b.) I have tons to share with you all! I’m going to start with the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Meet-Up!

After landing in California on Thursday morning, my mom, sister, and I headed straight for the parks. This was my first trip to Disneyland, so I wanted to make sure I saw EVERYTHING. We started with California Adventure; we hit a few attractions, had an awesome dinner at Carthay Circle, grabbed pictures with a few friends (ha!), and ended the evening with a viewing of World of Color. Of course, I also had to invest in a pair of Dumbo ears, which I later had embroidered to say “Dumbo Double Dare 2013″ like a giant dork!

The meet-up was scheduled for bright and early (and I do mean early…we had to meet at the Disneyland Hotel by 5:30am!) on Friday morning, and among my first orders of business was changing into the runDisney shirt they gave us to wear for the morning (not a huge fan of the men’s sizing, not gonna lie). Next order of business? Meet Jeff Galloway! As I may have mentioned here, I personally don’t follow his walk/run method, but nevertheless, he is definitely an inspiration to ALL runners, no matter what training plan you follow!

Next, we were greeted by some of the runDisney folks, and treated to an abbreviated workshop on proper form led by a few representatives from New Balance. This was definitely helpful for me, as someone who was really never “taught” how to run…you can read all of the Runner’s World articles you want, but at the end of the day, it’s still nice for someone to SHOW you exactly what you should (and should not) be doing when you run!

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Of course, it wasn’t long before we were visited by our first special guest – since the theme of the new Disneyland 10K is Alice in Wonderland, the White Rabbit ran through to crash the party.

Photo credit: JimmyDeFlippo

Soon it was time to start our two-mile run through the parks, and I have to say, this is the part I was looking forward to the most.  Of course, I knew I’d have the opportunity to run through California Adventure and Disneyland that weekend during the actual races, but there was nothing like seeing the parks almost deserted while running with a bunch of fellow runDisney fanatics. I had a cheesy grin on my face the entire time. Couldn’t help it!

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

About halfway through the run, we were treated to a special ride on the teacups, and got to meet Alice!  Truth be told, I NEVER ride the teacups because they make me want to lose my lunch, so I made sure NOT to spin. At all.

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Running through the parks was, quite possibly, the coolest thing ever. Really. Since we had only spent time in California Adventure on Thursday, it was the very first time I was seeing Disneyland…and there was absolutely no better way to do it.

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Not to get all corny or anything, but since Disneyland IS the park where Walt actually walked, you can’t help but get swept up in his original vision and the history of it all. No matter how many races I compete in, no matter how many times I lace up my sneakers, I really do feel as though I am “doing the impossible” every time I go for a run. I couldn’t help but think about how far I’ve come…running was NEVER, EVER, IN A MILLION YEARS something I saw myself doing, and here I was gearing up for my fifth half marathon and participating in an exclusive running event — and, best of all, in a DISNEY PARK!

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Participating in an event like the Disneyland Half Marathon Meet-up served as a reminder of just how much I appreciate the ability to run and participate in so many incredible races. Sure, the runDisney events can be expensive, but to me, it’s so very, VERY worth it.

The morning wouldn’t have been complete with a few quick photo opportunities with some of runDisney’s speakers and special guests – I grabbed a quick photo with Joey Fatone (who is QUITE popular with the ladies, I must say).

Meanwhile, Sean Astin gave me a few lessons in taking clear photos in dim lighting, haha. (His trick? Breathe out slowly while you press the shutter.)

The Mad Hatter also dropped in for a visit, so I grabbed a few pictures with him and Alice.

After we were treated to a yummy breakfast, it was time to hear from a few speakers.  Faron Kelly, runDisney’s director of marketing, led the talk with a discussion on future runDisney events. Spoiler alert: there are supposedly FOUR NEW RACES in the works! Of course, when prodded, he wouldn’t give us any details…but I must say, I’m EXCITED. Stay tuned, everyone!

A huge moment came when he revealed the medals for several upcoming races…which I quickly realized would all soon be mine! I had to pause a few times to wipe the drool from my mouth – the bling is absolutely gorgeous.

Holding the Dopey Challenge medal was an especially meaningful moment for me.  I’m still struggling with a whole lot of self-doubt when it comes to the idea of taking on my first marathon…but seeing that medal made me realize that this is something that I HAVE to do. And something that I WILL do. Bring it on, Dopey!

We also heard from Cindy Lynch, the champion of last year’s Disneyland Half Marathon and one of the founders behind Running Skirts. I’m partial to my Sparkle Athletic skirts, as you are all well aware, but I find the way she juggles having a family AND running her own business AND putting in some serious mileage every week to be endlessly inspiring. So take that, all you people who are constantly telling me you “don’t have time to run.”

Tara Gidus, runDisney’s official nutritionist, was next up to talk to us about what our bodies need to perform at their best while running. Here’s some good (and not-so-surprising) news – we’re allowed to eat plenty of carbs while prepping for a race!

It wouldn’t be a runDisney event without a speech from Jeff Galloway, who offered some great perspective on avoiding injury. Basically, he told us that there IS a way to run “without pain, injury, or death,” and that if we’re careful and train smart, even seemingly insane race challenges like Dopey are within anyone’s reach!

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Ali Vincent was up next, which was kind of surreal for me. I’ve seen her in person before at the Princess Half, but I was a huge fan of The Biggest Loser (still am!) while undergoing my own personal weight loss journey. Hearing her speak was yet another reminder of how far I’ve come, and how very possible it is to change your life.

Sean Astin talked to us about inspiring his kids to run, and how, really, as long as you have the desire, ANYONE can cross a finish line.

Last up, Joey Fatone regaled us with his tales of running the Goofy Challenge on very little training – insanity! – and he’ll apparently be taking on the Dopey Challenge with the rest of us crazy people!

The runDisney folks gave out some goodies and held a few raffles for awesome prizes (which, unfortunately, I did not win), and then it was time for me to head to the expo.

Honestly, this experience was like a dream come true. I’m still amazed that I managed to get in for this event, and am so grateful for the opportunity. It was an absolute BLAST! For a running addict and lifelong Disney fan, there was absolutely NO better way to kick-off the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend!

Photo credit: Jimmy DeFlippo

Next up…a recap of the expo!

Favorite runDisney Race

Well, so far, I’ve only run the Princess Half…so I’m going to have to go with that one! But I’m currently registered for the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon, and next year is the BIG ONE: the Dopey Challenge — which will include my first FULL MARATHON — followed by the Glass Slipper Challenge in February!

Favorite Disney Movie

Hands down, The Little Mermaid. Not going to lie…it’s also my favorite movie in general. I’ve been obsessed with it since I was, oh, three years old?

Favorite Disney Song

Surprise, surprise…”Part of Your World.”

Favorite Disney Park

No question about it, Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom IS Disney World to me. It’s just…well, magical. No other way to say it! It’s definitely my “happy place.”

Favorite Disney Restaurant

Ah, this is a bit of a tougher question to answer! When I “do Disney,” I like to book those ADRs and have lots of Disney meal magic! (Okay, fine, I just like to eat…). A few of my favorites include:

La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot (gotta love that Mexican food and the AWESOME viewing location for Illuminations!)

Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom (of course!)

‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort

The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom (because, you know, that’s where Pooh and the gang hang out…)

Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge (especially for breakfast!)

Favorite Disney Princess

Ariel, of course! Followed by Jasmine and Merida.

Favorite Disney Character:

That would definitely be Winnie the Pooh. My other favorites are Mike and Sulley from Monsters, Inc., and Stitch!

Dressing Up As a Disney Character

Yes, please! I like to run in costume any chance I get, and I’ve already put together several Disney-themed outfits for local races…with lots more in the works for my future runDisney races. I’ll be revealing my Dumbo Double Dare costumes here REALLY soon!

Favorite Disney Memory

That would have to be crossing the finish line of my first half marathon. There was nothing — NOTHING — like that moment. I can’t even put it into words. The two seconds I spent crossing that finish line made all of the months of hard work that I poured into training SO very, very worth it!

Random Disney Fact

Here’s one. I tend to be a bit…commando when it comes to touring the parks. I religiously follow the touring plans in The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, and, as a result, have honestly never waited more than 15 or 20 minutes for an attraction, tops…even during the summer months! (Character meet-and-greets, of course, are a different story). They really, REALLY do work…would highly recommend!

Okay, your turn…if you’re a Disney fan like me, I challenge you to write your own post…or just comment with some of YOUR Disney favorites!

Attached or single? Newly attached.

B. Best Friend? My sister…even though we hated each other’s guts as kids!

C. Cake or Pie? Oh, definitely pie. Unless, of course, it’s ICE CREAM cake we’re talking about!

D. Day of the Week? I’m going to have to go with the obvious answer and say Saturday.

E. Essential Item? Would it be super corny to say my running sneakers? Or my boxing gloves? Haha. Other than that, I always, ALWAYS have hand sanitizer on me at all times…ALWAYS. (Can we say…germaphobe?)

F. Favorite Color? Red, or any kind of turquoise/teal color…sort of like this blog!

G. Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Not a huge fan of either. When it comes to candy, I’m partial to dark chocolate Raisinets, pretzel M&Ms, and Swedish Fish.

H. Hometown? Kenilworth, NJ

I. Favorite Indulgence? COFFEE — I’m completely and 100% an addict. Anything containing dark chocolate and/or peanut butter would be a close second, tied with a yummy flavored martini. And then, of course, there’s always my beloved Dole Whip!

J. January or July? I’m going to have to go with July. As much as I hate running in the summer, there’s something about my more relaxed schedule that I particularly enjoy — especially since I have a lot more time to read, and I loves me a good beach day!

K. Kids? Someday!

L. Life isn’t complete without? Running, martial arts, or…DISNEY! (Could I BE any more predictable, honestly?)

M. Marriage Date? n/a

N. Number of brothers/sisters. One younger sister (24), whom I nicknamed “Hopper” many, many years ago…and it just sort of stuck. She loves it.

O. Oranges or apples? I eat an orange pretty much every day, but I LOVE apples. Especially the ones I pick straight from the farm in the fall…there is NOTHING more delicious, I swear!

P. Phobias? Spiders, and pretty much any other creepy crawly insect. Also…German Shepherds. I was bitten by one when I was three years old, and even though I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dogs (especially our family’s dog, a Shih Tzu named Riley!), I’m still afraid of that particular breed to this day. And, yes, I know it’s completely irrational!

Q. Favorite quote? See my blog header! Or, there’s the quote that I used for my high school yearbook AND that is prominently displayed as a wall decal in my office:R. Reason to smile? I’m pretty much always smiling (or, more accurately, laughing), honestly. It doesn’t take much to amuse me.

S. Season of Choice? FALL. Hands down. I love fun fall activities like pumpkin picking, the crisp air, wearing boots and cozy sweaters, all of the awesome races, and, of course, HALLOWEEN!

T. Tag 5 People: Since I’m sort of late to the party and I feel like I’m amongst the last bloggers to fill this out, if you haven’t done it already, I say, GO FOR IT!

U. Unknown fact about me? I LOVE PENGUINS! Okay, so maybe that doesn’t count as an “unknown” fact, per se…

V. Favorite vegetable? Spinach!

W. Worst habit? Hmm…how about my tendency to throw things on the floor? I’m not the neatest person in the world, let me put it to you that way.

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound? Can’t say I really have a preference on this one.

Y. Your favorite food?  Like I could pick just one favorite food! I do love Chinese food, though! I could (and sometimes DO) eat chicken and broccoli every day and never get tired of it.

Z. Zodiac Sign? Leo, the lion. RAWR.

Thanks for reading, guys!

I’d love for everyone to answer all 26 questions, but for the sake of (your) time, you could also pick one of the 26 letters and tell us one thing about you!