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?

We spent the whole day in Disneyland on Friday, which, of course, wasn’t the best idea…my legs and feet were already sore by the time the alarm went off at 4am on Saturday morning. Nonetheless, I was glad to only have a short walk between my motel and the starting line — the one thing I like better about races in Disneyland, I gotta say…

As you may know, I decided to go with the whole Stitch theme and dress up as my favorite little blue alien. And Disneyland really seemed to have fun with this particular theme; they were playing Elvis songs (‘cuz, you know, Lilo loves Elvis…) as we walked to the starting corrals, and the runDisney staff were all wearing leis and doing the hula and whatnot. I left a few minutes before 5am, and by the time I squeezed into the back of corral B, it was almost time for the race to start.

Stitch was there to send us off (which I loved, not gonna lie), and I was ready to start the race. Mind you, it was HOT and HUMID that morning — I was already sweating just from my leisurely stroll to the starting line.

As such, once we started running, I knew I had made a teensy weensy little costume blunder. You see, being the genius that I am, I thought it would be a FABULOUS idea to wear “Stitch mitts” are part of my costume. I knew it would be hot, but I figured I could manage — after all, it’s “only” 6 miles, right?

Wrong. Within minutes, my hands felt lie they were on fire, and I could literally feel my fingers swelling up. No joke! So I ripped off the mitts and decided I’d carry them until I either a.) stopped to take a picture or b.) spotted a Marathonfoto photographer. So, that’s what I did, but it was still a royal PITA and let me tell you I will NOT be wearing ANYTHING on my hands for a race ever again. Surprisingly enough, I was far more concerned about running with the giant stuffed hat on my head, but I honestly couldn’t even feel it. Wearing the Bondiband underneath was more than enough to absorb the sweat, and it felt a lot more lightweight than I thought.

Anyway, the first mile or two of this race are pretty boring. You’re running through the streets of Anaheim in the dark — really nothing to write home about. But before I knew it, it was time to head back into the parks, starting with California Adventure! You’re basically running through the “backstage” area with no clue where you actually are at any given time, but then before you know it you run through a “secret” entrance and you’re in the park.

I do love running by the water, especially since the World of Color lights and fountains are on and it looks pretty freakin’ awesome.

So, here’s where things started to get sort of interesting. Again, I liked the whole Stitch and Elvis theme. I really did. But with the exception of a handful of Elvis look-a-likes who were standing around to take pictures with runners, I really wasn’t seeing any characters whatsoever. Last year’s theme was Alice in Wonderland, and even though that’s not my favorite movie/character, I LOVED the 10K course in that it was a lot of time in the parks and there were TONS of characters.

I stopped for a quick picture with Mater in Cars Land, but after that…nothing. Last year, it seemed every time you turned a corner there was another character. Running through the parks is fun and all, but I was getting pretty annoyed with the fact that I slapped down the extra dinero to complete the Dumbo Double Dare just so I could run the 10K again (okay, fine, the extra medals have a little something to do with it, too…) and there weren’t any characters out. To me, that’s a big part of “running Disney,” and it annoys me a bit when runDisney doesn’t do their part to give the people what they want — you know what I’m sayin’?

Once we made it into Disneyland, I found it pretty eerie to find NO spectators on Main Street. I can’t remember if that’s how it was last year, too, but it definitely took a little something away from running down Main Street USA. Who doesn’t love having crowds of people to cheer for them? I  hopped in line for a photo in front of the castle — oddly enough, taken by a cast member as opposed to, you know, an actual photographer, since you’re really not allowed to get anywhere near the castle during Disneyland races — and was on my way.

Of course, even though Disneyland’s castle doesn’t hold a candle to Disney World’s, it’s still ridiculously fun to run through it. Never gets old!

I eventually spotted Chip and Dale — and, of course, Elvis? — and since you never see them in their little cops-and-robbers get-up, I figured I’d stop for that one. Not that I had any other choices or anything.

I’m sure you know my big hope for the morning was that Stitch would be out, and I figured if he was, that he’d be closer to the end of the race. Well, somewhere in mile 5, I spotted him! I ran like a maniac to get in his LOOOOOONG line (although it still wasn’t nearly as long as the Dopey line during the 5K in WDW!), and not 5 minutes after I jumped in line, cast members started turning away runners because “Stitch was done for the morning.”

Um…I started in Corral B, and it was only about an hour and 15 minutes into my race, and you’re going to tell me that the ONE big character they had out — and the “mascot” for this year’s race — wasn’t going to be posing for pictures any longer? Most of the runners were okay with continuing on, but I did hear lots of complaints along the lines of “what about the slower runners?!” when they weren’t allowed to get in line. If I had gotten there a few minutes later and they turned me away, I would have been INFURIATED. No offense, but if Disney wants to cater to runners of all speeds and abilities, then why would they pull characters off the course so early?

Stitch was posing with some random woman dressed in Hawaiian garb, so I asked her nicely if I could please take a photo with just Stitch, lol. She didn’t mind, and I got my picture, and for moment — just a moment — I was feeling pretty good about the Disneyland 10K.

I made my way out of the park and and back through Downtown Disney to the finish, collected my Stitch medal and my goodies, and then basically got trapped in the worst traffic jam of my life as runners tried to make their way out of Downtown Disney while the race was still going on.

We were on a time schedule since we had breakfast reservations at Ariel’s Grotto (she’s my favorite and I like sitting on the water near the Big Wheel, so sue me, lol). Eventually, I made it out of Downtown Disney and found Todd — who, understandably, was too afraid to try to navigate the crowds to meet me at the finish line.

Bottom line? I had a lot of fun and everything, but I probably wouldn’t choose to run the Disneyland 10K again. (Unless there was maybe, like, a REALLY awesome theme. Or medal.)

I got cleaned up (again, with one of my beloved Shower Pill wipes, because there’s just no time for showering on a Disney trip, lol), had time to grab a quick ride on Toy Story Mania as soon as the park opened, and we made our breakfast reservations.

And, by special request, we got to sit outside by the water, while all the little kiddies ate inside. (All the princesses still came to visit us, though!)

We spend the rest of the day wandering around California Adventure and hitting all the attractions we missed the first night.

And, that night, I finally got to meet up with Danielle from Live, Run, Grow in Downtown Disney!

It’s always fun meeting bloggy-type friends “in real life,” and I’ve been following her blog for quite some time, so it was awesome to chat for a couple of minutes before our dinner reservations (we were headed to Storytellers Cafe for a nice all-you-can-eat buffet to “carbo load” before the half marathon in the morning).

Thought I’d throw in one more character photo…why not…?

Next up (FINALLY)…my recap of the Disneyland Half Marathon!

If you ran this year, what did you think of the 10K?

Do you like “themed” races?

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?

I just wanted to drop in and let you guys know that I AM working on my recaps of Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, from the expo to the races to the parks and everything in between. I’ll have my expo recap up tomorrow! We had a blast, but as always, I’ll also share some candid opinions on both the good and bad of the Disneyland races.

In the meantime, here a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend to tide you over.

(Because you KNOW I’m all about the pictures!)

The expo:

The 10K:

The half marathon:

Dumbo Double Dare:

Coast to Coast:

Disneyland:

California Adventure:

Did you race last weekend?

Have a recap of your own to share? Let us know!

As many of you know, the theme of this year’s 5K and 10K is Lilo & Stitch…and I have been OBSESSED with this movie ever since it came out. Couldn’t really tell you why. I just love him.

Anyway, I’ve been wanting to dress up as Stitch for a race for awhile, and figured this would be the perfect opportunity, since the 5K/10K medals and race shirts will both feature my favorite alien. (And don’t think I’m not disappointed that I didn’t sign up for the 5K, because I totally am now!)

Photo credit: runDisney

Photo credit: runDisney

For the 10K on Saturday, I will be wearing this little get-up:

I figured it was an easy costume, and thanks to my penchant for locating ridiculous hats (this one’s from eBay, not sure if it’s still available in the parks), I don’t think anyone will have any doubt who I’m supposed to be, haha. Mind you, I know once I cross that starting line I’m going to IMMEDIATELY regret the decision to wear a giant plush hat on my head and a pair of ridiculously hot Stitch “mitts” on my hands — especially since it’s supposed to be in the upper-80′s and low-90′s ALL WEEKEND — but, I’m going to go ahead and do it anyway. I’ve done crazier things. Like wear bowls on my head and whatnot, which I did for last year’s Disneyland Half Marathon.

Before I go any further, I have to give a shout-out to Todd’s mom, Nancy, because she is always the mastermind behind our race costumes. I come to her with a concept and a picture of the character (because more often than not she has absolutely no clue what I’m talking about, LOL), and she makes it happen. The majority of our stuff is made from regular tech clothes and some felt and fabric glue, but let’s just say I’m not the craftiest person in the world and very much need the help!

For the half marathon, I decided to go as Stitch’s best pal, complete with a headband and wrist and ankle flowers just like Lilo wears in the movie. We cut up a couple of green leis and then my personal costume designer had the brilliant idea of threading the flowers with elastic so they’ll stay on. (Of course, I’ll be bringing plenty of Body Glide to help ward off any and all chafing issues this may cause!)

I went for a combination of Lilo’s two outfits, since I’m not prancing around in a red bra nor will I run a half marathon in something that can only be described as a muumuu.

Best of all, Todd, bless his heart, was more than willing to dress up as the Stitch to my Lilo!

He refused to wear what is essentially half a stuffed animal on his head, though, so I took a Stitch headband I already owned (again, gotta love eBay!) and he’ll wear it on top of a baseball cap that we (and be “we,” I mean Nancy, LOL) transformed into Stitch’s face.

If any of you guys happen to see us this weekend, PLEASE come say “hi!” We’re really friendly, I promise. I would love to meet some of you this weekend!

You can also follow me on Twitter HERE, if you don’t already, where I’ll be posting regular updates about the weekend goings-on. Or feel free to “friend me” on Facebook HERE.

If you’re running in Disneyland this weekend, what will you be wearing?

Do you ever run in costume?

But in the meantime, I’m participating in a Disneyland Blog Hop this week with a bunch of other bloggers who will be filling you in on everything you need to know for Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend! I selected the topic of the Disneyland Health and Fitness Expo. Mainly because I LOVES me a good race expo, but also because I feel like my compulsive need to get my hands on the latest and greatest race merch has made me something of an expo expert. You know, like, if that was a real thing. So I’m going to share the deets of the expo, and hopefully I’ll also have at least one or two useful tips here.

If you’re interested in reading my full recap of last year’s Disneyland Half Marathon expo, you can check it out here. To sum up, I arrived early, but not quite early enough…the demand for the runDisney New Balance shoes was HIGH, and despite the lines that staff attempted to organize outside the Disneyland Hotel — one line for bib pick-up, one line for general expo entrance to the runDisney merchandise area, one line for the shoes — when the expo opened at 10am, it was PURE CHAOS. I fought swarms of people to get my hands on the coveted Dumbo Double Dare merch, and then stood in line for — I kid you not — TWO HOURS just to purchase said items.

But I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few details about this year’s expo…and, more importantly, some ideas for maximizing your time (and money!)

First, the basics:

The expo will be held in the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hotel, and the hours are:

12 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 28

9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 29

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 30

Arrive EARLY

Now, of course you must attend the expo in order to pick up your race day essentials — you know, like your bib — but let’s be honest. It seems very few people head straight to the expo just for packet pick-up. Unlike other major races, nobody really seems to care about attending the expo just for the sake of picking up your bib. In the world of runDisney, it’s all about the STUFF.

Want the 2014 New Balance sneakers? Want a Dumbo Double Dare hoodie or magnet? Want that Disneyland Half Marathon wine glass or limited edition Dooney & Bourke purse? My advice to you? GET. THERE. EARLY. I always save my packet pick-up for last, and at a runDisney expo, that’s my unwavering advice to you. If you WANT the opportunity to buy the goodies or shop the expo before the crowds have poured in, I wouldn’t worry about getting your packet right away. It’s not going anywhere!

The 2014 New Balance sneakers. Photo credit: runDisney

If you can’t arrive on the first day or two of the expo, unfortunately, a lot of items do run out. But, you will also enjoy lighter crowds and shorter lines, so if spending your hard-earned money on tech shirts or mugs with running mice or flying elephants isn’t your cup of tea, you may want to wait!

I have some SERIOUS problems…

Divide and Conquer

I’m not sure if the New Balance situation will be the same for this race, but there is one trick I’ve found VERY effective if you happen to be attending the expo with someone else (like, perhaps an unsuspecting boyfriend who has no idea what he’s in for). Consider splitting up, just for the early part of the expo, so that one person can head directly to the runDisney merch and another can get on line for a Dooney bag or whatever else your heart so desires. You’ll save time and headaches that way, and then you can reunite to enjoy the rest of the expo in a leisurely fashion.

This year’s Dooneys! Photo credit: runDisney

Come Prepared

I never arrive to an expo empty-handed. For starters, I always try to have my printed race waiver ready to go (although accessing it and printing at the expo is a breeze). Keep in mind that you may be there a while, so I always come with a bottle of water to stay hydrated and snacks (assuming the free Clif samples aren’t sufficient enough, haha) to keep me going.

Be sure you have your photo ID and anything else you’ll need to pick up your race-day essentials, like printed waivers for your chEAR Squad. Your race To Do list will begin on the bottom floor of the hall with bib pick-up, and your race shirts and gEAR bags will be on the main floor. If you’re running Dumbo or getting  your Coast to Coast medal, you’ll also receive your wristbands that you’ll need to wear in order to claim your extra bling at the conclusion of your race!

Enjoy the Experience

After the runDisney madness — again, assuming you’re into that sort of thing — be sure to check out the WIDE array of other vendors. To me, a race expo is basically like I’ve died and gone to heaven…there are just rows and rows of gadgets and accessories and apparel and snacks dedicated to my addiction. And believe me when I tell you that runDisney expos are definitely among the BEST!

This year’s expo boasts some 40 vendors, including a lot of my personal favorites, who often have themed goodies to offer! You’ll find clothing and accessories at the likes of Bondi Band, Raw Threads, Sweaty Bands, sparkly race costume options at Sparkle Athletic or SparkleSkirts, and training essentials like PRO Compression, KT Tape, and The Stick.

In many cases, MarathonFoto offers some sort of pre-purchase deal for your race photos, which, while still expensive, I find to be worth it if you definitely plan to purchase a CD of your photos after the race. While the Disneyland expo isn’t QUITE as female-focused as, say, the Princess Half, you’ll still find lots of girly goodies like jewelry and BeeCause Charms for your favorite running sneakers. Definitely check out Sport Hooks because I looooove their Disney-themed medal hangers.

Navigating a ginormous race expo can be exhausting, and there’s no better way to take a brief mental (and physical) break than checking out one of the awesome speakers, who will talk everything from race-specific tips to general training and nutrition advice.

Oh, and of course…don’t miss the photo opportunities.

What’s your favorite part of a race expo?

Anyone else have tips/advice on navigating a runDisney expo? What did I miss?

What has been your favorite runDisney expo experience?

First, a little background. I ran this race last year in the POURING RAIN, and it was pretty miserable. But this year, race organizers promised a brand-new course, and the weather forecast just so happened to be damn near perfect (albeit, slightly too warm for my liking), so I thought it would be a good time.

Plus, we had some fabulous costumes — I’m obsessed with the minions from Despicable Me, and since everyone runs this race dressed as Batman or Super Woman, I thought we’d go with something a little different!

Or, I should say, Todd’s mom tried something a little different. She’s the mastermind behind many of my recent race costumes, and I gotta give her props! Although, I DID cut out the circles for the eyes…

Another piece of information you should probably know?

I didn’t train for this race. Like, at all.

Since running marathon #2 back in March, I’m not going to lie to you guys…I’ve taken a bit of an extended running hiatus. Does that mean I’m sitting on my rear in front of the television every day? No. I’m still staying active — I’m being consistent with my martial arts classes at least 2-3 times per week, I’m cycling at least once or twice a week, and I am lacing up my sneakers and logging a few miles here and there — but, as many of you know, when it comes to running I have been BURNT OUT.

With no major races in my sights until Disneyland at the end of August, and the official start of my New York City Marathon training not set to begin until July, I’ve given myself permission to scale back and let my body (and, even more importantly, my mind) fully and completely recover after an endless string of half marathons with Todd last fall and then months of insane Dopey Challenge training and then running yet another marathon less than eight weeks after my first.

So, long story short, if I’m going to be perfectly honest, the longest I had run in the month prior to this particular half marathon? Five miles. No long runs, no tempo runs, no speedwork, no nothing. Since running a fairly disastrous April Fools Half Marathon and my slowest half to date, the Rutgers Half Marathon, in April, I got in a few short 3-4 mile runs here and there, one or two 5-milers, and that was about it.

Am I proud of it? No. Am I recommending it? No. But since this was a PURELY “for fun” race, and both Todd and I have just about had it when it comes to training plans, I’m the first to admit that I let myself slack off. I knew the race wouldn’t be pretty, and I was prepared to take full responsibility for that and just hope for the best.

We picked up our packets at the Morristown Running Company the day before, so we were all set to head straight to the starting line on race morning. Parking was easy, but as per usual, we were running a few minutes behind schedule (biggest issue in our relationship: I’m a slob and he’s chronically late, haha) so we only had a few minutes to hit the port-a-potties and rush to the starting line.

Fortunately, Kim from Barking Mad About Running spotted us, so we got to meet up with her again and chat for a few minutes. (And then I stole her picture…hope she doesn’t mind!)

The race began at the park a few minutes late, so it all worked out. When they let us go, the swarms of some 3,000 runners made it damn near impossible to go out too fast, which is my usual M.O. Not that I was gunning for a PR or anything, as you know. We settled into a comfortable 10:30 pace, which is where we remained for the majority of the race, and I focused on just taking it easy and getting through the 13.1 miles ahead of me.

I have to say, I was initially excited about the new course. Last year’s had a KILLER hill (not even remotely exaggerating…paramedics were stationed at the top, haha), and it was a pretty boring double loop, so I figured it couldn’t be any worse than that.

Well…this year’s course was flatter overall (still plenty of “rolling” hills), but the last half of the race pretty much took us through the woods. No joke. It was a long trail through another park, and there were no spectators whatsoever. Water stations were decent (other than the fact that they couldn’t quite fill the cups quickly enough), and I did appreciate the shade because the sun was out and temperatures were rising fast, but it was almost a little creepy (and boring) to be running with all of my fellow costumed runners through a shady trail for 7+ miles. The early miles were pretty much all residential, and Chatham/Morristown/Madison is a really nice area, but I still wouldn’t call it the most exciting course in the world.

As far as how I held up…I honestly felt completely fine up until about mile 8 or 9. My overall pace has slowed significantly, and I have to fight to break a 10-minute mile these days, but other than that I was surprised by how well I was holding up giving my lack of consistent running and any recent long training runs. I won’t lie and say we didn’t stop for a few walk breaks towards the end, which is very much unlike me in a race, but I didn’t feel a whole lot of difference in terms of my stamina.

The way my body felt physically, though, was a bit of a different story. By the last 5K my legs decided to pretty much shut down. No surprises there. Everything started to tighten up, my legs felt heavy and dead, and putting one foot in front of the other become a struggle.

But I did the best I could, and finally the finish line was in sight. It was another 2:30ish finish for us, which I know isn’t bad at all and I’m definitely not complaining, but it is still a pretty far cry from how I used to perform in half marathons.

We collected our medals and wandered around looking for post-race food, which was across the field under a gazebo. We enjoyed the usual fare — bagels, bananas, granola bars, etc. — and hung around for the costume contest. Figured it was worth a shot.

Had to do it…minions love BANANAS!!!

As it turns out, the costume contest consisted of race organizers calling up anyone who was still around after the awards ceremony — not a whole lot of people, I might add — and then they judged our costumes right then and there. There were 5 prizes, and we won 4th and 5th place, behind an Iron Man-themed couple and what was by far the most elaborate costume of the race — a She-Ra, complete with a horse and everything! Here are some pictures of the contest winners and other costumes on nj.com, including one or two of yours truly.

Our prize? A coupon for a free 30-minute massage. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

At the end of the day, I wasn’t happy that I went into this race so poorly trained, but I was satisfied with how I performed given the circumstances. I took it as yet another reminder that I AM strong, and it gave me hope that even though I’ve had to let myself take a bit of a break from training, that I haven’t completely lost everything I’ve worked for.

A half marathon is NO JOKE, and since I seem to no longer have the mental capacity to participate in so many races back-to-back, I am considering this the final race in our running streak. I think Todd and I both got a little overzealous and signed up for WAY too many races in the past year, and I feel I’m paying the price with how much I’ve struggled over the past couple of months.

We’ve decided to be a lot more selective with our races moving forward, and I’m slowly but surely trying get back into a running groove again. When it comes time to train for NYCM, I want to pour everything I have into what I know is going to be an AMAZING experience (and, you know, break a 5-hour marathon), so I want to be sure I’m fully ready to take on the challenge.

Have you ever run a race when you weren’t properly trained?

So now that I’ve survived marathon #2, I thought I’d drop in and share some post-marathon recovery updates with you and fill you in on my upcoming races for 2014 — and ask for opinions on some other half/full marathons I’m considering for this year!

I know it’s already the end of March, but I feel like I’m just now getting a chance to breathe and think about my future running-related plans…thus far, my life in 2014 has been completely absorbed in running my first marathon as part of the Dopey Challenge, and then taking on the Glass Slipper Challenge, and then my drama-filled training for the Rock N’ Roll USA Marathon, and now I feel like I can finally relax a little bit and start running FOR FUN again. And, of course, that means starting to finalize my race calendar for the rest of this year.

In two weeks, Todd and I will be running the April Fools Half Marathon in Atlantic City. I love the beach, and I know it won’t be quite warm enough to lounge around on the sand in swimsuits just yet (and with the way temperatures have been here, it could be 20 degrees that day for all I know), but I’m definitely looking forward to a weekend trip down the shore and running (and playing) in AC!

We’ll then be running the Unite Half Marathon at Rutgers University. Todd actually went to Rutgers, so I know he’s especially excited for this race and to show me around the campus afterwards.

Then we’ll be taking on the Superhero Half Marathon in Morristown in May. I ran the race last year, but it was a disgusting, miserable rainy day and the course was a KILLER — a double loop with an insane hill. But this year they’ve apparently changed the course completely, so I’m hoping for a better experience this time around. Especially since I’ll have my partner-in-crime to run it with this year, and you know I just want any excuse to wear matching costumes…

I know that’s a lot of races to run in such a short period of time, so I’m not going into any of these with big hopes for a PR. Bottom line: these are “for fun” races, and I’m going to enjoy the experience and have a good time and, hopefully, reignite my passion for running again. Truth be told, I’m still TIRED, and I’m definitely still feeling a little burnt out. It seems to be getting better now that the weight of running my second marathon is no longer on my shoulders, and I’m now 99.9% sure that was the cause of all my anxiety and the drama and the reason I was struggling so much to get back into the swing of things after Dopey.

There is a part of me that is disappointed that my half marathon PR is STILL from a race that happened a year ago, and that I didn’t end up running “for time” at either of the marathons I ran this year, but I know it’s probably to be expected that I can’t always perform the way I want to when I’m running half marathons every five minutes and completing back-to-back race “challenges” constantly and not giving my legs and my body any time to recover.

I’m definitely not back to a point where I’m looking forward to going for a run, and I know I need a bit more recovery time. Todd and I attempted 3 miles this weekend — our first run since the marathon last weekend — and let’s just say that it turned into more of a leisurely afternoon stroll than anything else. I’m giving myself a training plan break and just taking it one day at a time, and if I want to run, then I will…and if I don’t, then I’ll do something else. I’m making a concentrated effort to make it to either Thai Kickboxing or Taekwondo at least 3-4 times a week, and I’m going to start sparring — it took me forever, but I finally bought all my gear. And if the weather ever warms up, I look forward to doing some cycling again.

Over the summer, I’m going to scale my running quite a bit. I know I’ll need to train for my next big destination race — our trip to California for Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend (I’m doing the Dumbo Double Dare, and Todd is running the half) — but since I always run Disney races for fun, and I’ve already conquered this particular challenge, I’m not looking to put in any hardcore training for this one. I HATE running in the summer, so I’ll get my long runs in and a shorter weekly run or two, and just focus on having fun and taking another trip to Disneyland.

I’ll also do some other local 5Ks and shorter races in the late spring and summer, like the Westfield Pizza 5K and Firecracker 4-Miler that I do every year, but no other major races are on the schedule!

As far as fall races, I’m happy to announce that I officially signed up for the runDisney Tower of Terror 10-Miler (shortly before it sold out) which I will be running with…my sister!

Photo credit: runDisney

Mind you, I know that a large part of the reason that she agreed to run this race with me is because I promised her that we could take a detour to see the new goings-on at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, but I’m still excited that she has officially agreed to take on yet another big race. I’m still hoping she ends up being bitten by the running bug.

Also in October, Todd and I plan to run the Hershey Half Marathon. I wanted to run it last year but waited too long and it ended up selling out. I love Hersheypark (‘cuz, um, I really like chocolate…) so I know this will be a blast!

As far as committing to any fall marathons, the jury is still out. I entered my name into the lottery for the New York City Marathon on the first day it opened back in December, and we’re supposed to hear back with the drawing results this Wednesday. I know the chances of me getting in are slim to nil, but I’d do ANYTHING to run this race and would be over-the-moon excited if by some chance I’m selected.

Honestly, I can’t seem to set my heart on running any other fall marathon at the moment. Now that I know just what a physical and mental toll the marathon training process took on me, when I DO train for another marathon, I feel strongly that it should be a race that I really want to do.

Todd is considering running the Philadelphia Marathon in November — although I know he is also not quite ready mentally to sign on for another 26.2, haha — but I’m not 100 percent sure I’d want to run that particular race. I’d really like to sign up for a marathon and train my butt off and run it for time, so it’s just a matter of finding the right race for me.

But, most importantly, the last and biggest piece of news is that we are also both strongly considering returning to The World to run the WDW Marathon — TOGETHER — in 2015! That is, of course, also a “for fun” race, so while I hesitate to make the mistake of signing up for two marathons so close together again, the fact that it would be a Disney race would mean that I could, theoretically, take on another 26.2 in the fall and then look forward to running Disney again without the pressure of any time goals in January. There are no words to describe how much I would love running this race together, so, if all goes well then I’ll be back for Marathon Weekend next year!

So, do any of you guys have suggestions for other fall half or full marathons for me?!

What races are you most looking forward to running in 2014?

First things first: many, many thanks to all of you for your helpful, supportive comments on my last post! I have taken in everything you guys said, and I feel a lot better about scaling back now. And that is why I PROMISE I will be better about keeping up with my weekly workout posts — not only to share my progress, but to help myself stay accountable and be able to see right here in black and white when I may be pushing myself too hard.

As silly as it sounds, I think I really needed to hear that I wasn’t going to somehow lose my ability to run just because I’m taking a little bit of a break. I was convinced that if I miss a training run here and there or don’t follow a training plan to a T, then that means I won’t be “prepared” for race day. And I guess I really am afraid of toeing the starting line — at this upcoming marathon, or ANY future race — and being undertrained. Running is so important to me, and I never want to do anything that could potentially hurt myself.

That being said, beginning this week I am taking your advice to RELAX. Because right now, I really do think I am hurting myself — mentally speaking, anyway.

Last week, I struggled through two 3-mile runs. And I do mean struggled. I know 3 miles should feel like a walk in the park to me now, but I just COULD. NOT. DO. IT. I hated every minute of it. Then I had already made the decision to squeeze in one final long run before the marathon, which I did this Saturday, and let me tell you — if that run wasn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.

Mon., Feb. 3: Rest

Tue., Feb. 4: Taekwondo class

Wed., Feb. 5: 3 miles

Thur., Feb. 6: 3 miles

Fri., Feb. 7: Taekwondo class

Sat., Feb. 8: 19 miles

Sun., Feb. 9: Thai Kickboxing class

Weekly mileage: 25 miles

As previously discussed, after running the Dopey Challenge I had decided to (try) to follow Todd’s marathon plan as closely as possible to prepare for our next big race: Rock N’ Roll USA in Washington, DC. I had already told him that I would do this weekend’s scheduled 19-miler with him, and then after all of your advice last week, I made the executive decision that this would be my last long training run for quite some time.

And I am so, SO glad. Because it was truly horrendous. It was by far one of my worst runs ever, and that is including my 17-miler for Dopey that I ran while sick and felt like I wanted to die. It’s hard to put into words just how bad it was, honestly…but I guess I’ll give it a shot.

We typically break up our long runs into three sections, stopping twice for bathroom/fuel/water in between — and for the first 7 miles, I felt okay. We were chatting and moving along at a decent pace, and I didn’t feel too bad at all.

But after our first break, things took a turn for the worse. Somewhere around mile 10, I started to have some sort of mental breakdown…and I feel as though my body followed suit. I felt like I literally had run out of steam, and I could not seem to put one foot in front of the other. My mind was racing with thoughts of just how much longer I had to go, and how I couldn’t do it, and how much I hated running, and why was I doing this to myself, and what is wrong with me, and I’ll never be able to run this marathon, and I never want to run again, and on and on and on.

And then it felt like my body started to shut down on me. I couldn’t get control of my breathing…I was panicking about just how miserable I was and beating myself up over not being stronger than this. My right foot started to hurt, and then (probably because I was trying to overcompensate), my left hamstring completely tightened up. The chill was also really starting to get to me; I hated sucking in that cold, icy air and feeling the wind whipping on my face, and since I kept having to slow down or stop to walk or stretch my legs out, my heart rate kept dropping and the chill would spread all over me.

I could not calm myself down. And, on top of it all, I felt like a horrible person for ruining the run for Todd and making him worry about me.

I somehow made it to our second break and I know I could have stopped right then and there. I could have jumped into a delightfully HOT shower and put my feet up and watched TV while he finished the run. (I know Todd wanted me to stop, but he knows better than to try to tell me what to do…I’m as stubborn as they come, haha). Truth be told, YES, I wanted to throw in the towel so, so badly. In hindsight, I probably should have.

But I couldn’t let myself quit. I had to finish. So we went out again for the final 6 miles, and that was when both of my legs pretty much decided to stop working. It felt like every muscle was seizing up and I just could not make them move forward. I’m not exaggerating at all when I tell you that my legs were starting to feel the way they felt in the last 10K of my marathon last month.

I ended up run/walking the majority of the final 2 miles. That is something I have never done on a training run. But I didn’t care. I kept telling Todd to go ahead of me when I stopped to walk so as to not hinder his run, and then he’d run in circles to come back for me or I’d slowly catch up. Those last 6 miles dragged on forever.

In the end, I did it.

Somehow, magically, my legs didn’t feel all that bad when we stopped, and they were only a little sore that day and the day after — nothing out of the ordinary. Which is how I know it’s the mental side of things that’s getting to me now.

In any case, I have never been so happy to be done with something in my life. (This is the fakest smile EVER, in case you were wondering).

The good news? Todd said that it was one of his best training runs. He felt great. He has been working so hard and is SO ready for this marathon…and I am unbelievably proud of him.

After my disastrous 19-miler this weekend, my reflections on this week’s workouts include a really big, important realization.

I am so, so DONE with training plans. At least for a little while. I can’t take it anymore.

There is no way I will even be attempting the final 20-miler on Todd’s training plan. I hate to feel like I’m “quitting,” but at the same time, I know it’s best for me. I can’t take the anxiety and the pressure and the disappointment that have taken over my runs ever since I got back from running Dopey.

One good thing that came out of this week is that while I scale back on running, I can hopefully be more consistent with making it to my martial arts classes. Since I’ve had such tunnel vision for Dopey, and then this upcoming Rock n’ Roll marathon, I’ve been skipping classes left and right and have basically been on hiatus…so it felt really good to be back. It has been months and months since I earned my green belt in Taekwondo, and I’d like to move on to purple sometime this century.

I was also happy to make it to my Thai kickboxing class this weekend. It’s definitely a TOUGH workout, so I still reap the benefits of those wonderful endorphins afterwards…and I don’t know, there’s something about beating the crap out of things that really helps release some of my pent-up stress.

My plans moving forward?

1.) No more training plans. I will run if and when I choose, and for as many miles as I see fit. I will not so much as look at any training plan. I’ve been obsessing about logging miles and crossing workouts off a training plan since I came back from running the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland last September, and quite frankly, enough is enough!

2.) No more gadgets. I think it’s best if my Garmin hibernates for a little while. If I feel inclined to run, then I will try a few runs sans watch, which lately has done nothing but make me feel bad about myself for not being able to hit my “normal” pace or make me feel overwhelmed by how many miles I have left.

3.) No more forcing myself to run. If I go out for a run and I’m not feeling it, then I will come home. Too bad, so sad, I’ll try again the next day. It’s not that serious and there’s no need to force anything…it has only made me feel worse.

4.) No more skipping martial arts classes. I need them right now. Running became my entire life and I let everything else fall by the wayside. It’s no wonder I’m burnt out! I also used to cycle at least once a week, so as the weather gets warmer (read: if it EVER stops freakin’ snowing) my plan is to dust that bad boy off and take it out for a spin one of these days.

5.) No more comparing myself to other runners. I will stop obsessing over what various running websites or Facebook comments or magazine articles have to say about how many miles I’m “supposed” to run in the weeks before a marathon or what my target pace “should” be for a particular workout. If that works for other runners, great. But I need to figure out what works for me right now in the hopes of getting my running mojo back as soon as humanly possible.

6.) No more letting running take over all of my spare time. Since I had been training for Dopey and Todd has been training for the DC marathon, our weekends have basically consisted of dreadfully long runs followed by a whole lot of sitting around because neither of us has the energy to do anything (the craptastic weather has NOT helped, either). I think we’re both feeling a little on edge lately, so this weekend we went out to eat for the first time in I don’t know how long and we also paid a visit to the Liberty Science Center — because I can’t remember the last time we planned some sort of “just for fun” activity — and I felt so much better afterwards. I think we both need to be better about balancing running with the rest of our lives, and hopefully that’s something we can work on together.

7.) No more feeling guilty. This is probably going to be the toughest one for me. I’m sort of a Type A personality (duh), and I like structure, and I like to do things “right.” So feeling guilty about not being perfect pretty much goes with the territory. But, of course, I am the farthest thing from perfect, and while it might be ideal to continue following a consistent training plan or log X number of miles a week or wait a little longer before beginning my official taper, then that’s just too bad and I’m not going to beat myself up or let myself feel guilty if I have to take a break and focus on what’s best for me right now.

Bottom line? I know I can run this marathon. I’m not going to let this weekend’s run get me down because I KNOW I am ready. We both are! So there’s no need to run myself ragged…now it’s time to focus on doing what I need to do to get myself to the starting line in one piece.

So, these are my plans until we take on the marathon on March 15th. In the meantime, I will be back to Walt Disney World this month for a long weekend to run the Glass Slipper Challenge, which might be just what I need right now — there is nothing more fun than running Disney, and I think I need that reminder of how much I used to enjoy this.

The Princess Half Marathon is a really special race for me because it was my very first half marathon, so I’m hoping that being back for the second time one year later and having the opportunity to reflect on everything I’ve done since then will help get me back into the right mindset. After all, I DID used to run for FUN…right?!

After the marathon, I will reassess from there. I may need some time off completely, or possibly just do a few relaxed weekly runs, or sign up for some shorter “just for fun” races, or whatever…but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get myself out of this funk.

Have you ever had to take a break from running?

Have you ever had to adjust a training plan?

How do you balance running with the rest of your life?

I think there might just be a bit of wisdom here for anyone who will be (or is considering!) taking on the Princess Half, Dumbo Double Dare, Wine and Dine, or any of the other upcoming 2014 Disney races for the first time, and for the rest of us runDisney fanatics, possibly even a bit of nostalgia — I don’t know about you guys, but I know I’ll never forget my first time running through the castle!

Hi, everyone. I’m excited to write my first guest post for The Final Forty! As many of you already know, I’m Todd — Jen’s BF (and her partner on many a long run).

Jen thought it would be cool if I shared my thoughts about this first-time experience. Something tells me, though, that this won’t be my only time in a duck costume.

When Jen first told me about runDisney, it was hard to fathom exactly what these races were like. “What do you mean there are characters on the course? They’re just there, along the side of the road? You, like, stop running and take pictures with them? What about your time?”

I couldn’t really understand it. A race mainly for fun? That seemed like a foreign concept.

What I find interesting about a Disney race is that you make it to be whatever you want. Whether you’re trying to set a personal goal, survive (I’m talking to all you Dopeys!), or just take in the experience, it’s up to you. And however it is you cross the finish line, that shiny HUGE medal is yours to wear around the parks for the rest of the weekend. Even though I didn’t earn as much bling as Jen—one medal as opposed to six—it was awesome getting congratulations from Disney cast members and visitors even days later. Yet another reason why running Disney is so unique.

The expo: I found the whole expo fascinating. I mean, the line was out the door an HOUR before opening…and it was just for shoes!

Photo credit: runDisney

At the start, I was excited but actually a little apprehensive; I wasn’t sure if there would be a mad dash for merchandise, like what Jen had experienced at previous expos. Overall, it was crowded but not overly chaotic.

Running through the Magic Kingdom entrance: This was the first big highlight of the half marathon. For the first few miles, we were just running on highway, but as soon as I saw the lit-up sign for Magic Kingdom, I felt a wave of enthusiasm (as I’m sure others did).

It was a symbol that the big moment was approaching—running through our first park!

Experiencing the finish line in the ChEAR Zone: After getting off the monorail back at EPCOT, I had a little trouble making my way to the ChEAR Zone. But once I planted myself on the bleachers, I got to witness everyone crossing the marathon finish line. It was definitely a cool experience, and I enjoyed hearing the folks on the microphones making jokes and calling out finishers’ names. As part of ChEAR Squad, I was also entitled to free beverages and private port-a-potties. OK, this wasn’t pure luxury, but at least there were hand-washing stations!

Seeing Jen finish the marathon: I’ll admit that while I was sitting on the bleachers, I got a little emotional thinking about what Jen was about to accomplish. She had worked so hard and was so eager to earn those medals. She’d sent me text messages indicating where she was and when she’d be coming in. I kept looking to my right, standing and sitting, trying to find a purple hat and green shirt amongst the pack. I wasn’t sure if my standing was blocking anyone’s view, but I saw other people doing it, and I didn’t want to miss her. Finally, she came through, spotted me, and blew me a kiss.

With everything that Jen told me about runDisney, I felt I had to see it for myself. And I saw EVERYTHING. After being part of Marathon Weekend, I now truly understand why she feels the magic of running Disney…you know, even when dressed as a duck.

Tell us about YOUR first runDisney race! What was your favorite part of the experience?

If you’ll be taking on your first runDisney event this year, what are you looking forward to?