I DID IT!!!!
Crossing the finish line of the half-marathon at Disney with thousands of other princesses was nothing short of incredible! Truthfully, I was extremely nervous before the race. Due to cold weather, a jam-packed schedule and low motivation, I did not train for this run much at all. I ran a few miles a handful of times and was positive that I would be walking a good bit of this half-marathon. When I arrived at Epcot at 4:30 a.m., it was freezing. I decided to keep my sweatshirt on and trekked to my corral. I was assigned to the last corral, so I suffered through the cold for about an hour and a half while waiting for the start. Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother was the announcer and with each corral start, beautiful pink, purple and blue fireworks were launched in the air. At this point, I attempted to take a picture and realized my camera battery was dead. Oops, I had a feeling I should have charged that thing. Luckily, my phone has a decent camera and provided legible pictures from the run.
Disney provided musical entertainment and characters throughout the race that kept it exciting and fun. Miles 1, 2, and 3 were basically spent running off the road around the walking masses of people. I planned to run a couple miles, then walk a minute, and repeat, but didn’t feel the need to take a walk break, so I kept running. Around mile 4, I was in a groove and feeling great. I warmed up, and I paused for a second to tie my sweatshirt around my waist. 
Shortly after mile 5, I entered the Magic Kingdom and caught my first glimpse of Cinderella’s castle! 
I pulled out my camera to see if it had enough juice to take one photo in front of Cinderella’s Castle. It pulled through. 
From here to mile 7, I felt like I was on a Disney ride myself, just enjoying the crowd and the sights. It was an unforgettable experience.
I hit mile 8, and thought, “Man, I only have 5 more miles to go! I can’t believe I haven’t taken a walk break yet!” I was super proud of myself. Soon enough however, my legs gave me a rude awakening. Miles 9, 10, and 11 were so tough, to say the least. My knees were killing me, my legs felt like they weighed ten tons, and my hamstrings were cramping. I stopped for a second, thinking a 30 second walk might relieve the pain, but it was a thousand times harder to walk than run. I picked the pace back up and sent my mom a text (yes, while running…I’m a multitasker!) and she told me to push through the pain and finish strong. 
When I saw the mile 12 marker, all I could think was, “One more mile!!!” I glanced at my Garmin watch and my elapsed time was around 2:32. I instantly decided to finish this thing in less than 2 hours and 40 minutes. I ran as hard as I could through the pain, and finally spotted the 13 mile marker. Hallelujah! I saw the finish line ahead and sprinted to it. Final chip time: 1:39:55. Yes sir.
Now to some of you hardcore road racers, this time may not be impressive. If I had trained properly, I probably would have been disappointed at my 12 minute/mile pace. But, I didn’t train. My goal Sunday was to finish. I ran the whole time. I still can’t believe it. I knew adrenaline would kick in, but I was shocked it carried me the whole way through. I was elated. It was one of my proudest moments. Evelyn and Anna greeted me at the finish. The best part?? The beneficiary of the race proceeds was the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society! 
The Disney Princess half marathon was the highlight of my weekend, but the four days I spent in Orlando were completely fabulous! I reunited with my best friend, Evelyn, who I had not seen since I was nine years old.
She invited us to crash at her house, and took us all over Orlando for dinners, drinks, and fun. Her roommates were a trip…such outgoing ladies! We all enjoyed a night out together on Friday, which ended with two free pizzas. Can we say success? 
Reconnecting with my old friend was better than I had imagined it! I have a feeling our friendship will last a lifetime. I also had the opportunity to catch up with my Cape Cod buddy, Jenn! She happened to be in Orlando for the weekend as well, so we met up with her and Steve, her boyfriend, for a late lunch. Jenn is quite a character and a great friend. In the short time I have known her, I’ve come to value our friendship immensely! 
I’m back home now, and ready to shift focus to some intense marathon training over the next few months. A big thanks to everyone who has donated to my Team in Training! So far, I have already raised $950.00 and have yet to send out all my donation letters! There is no greater feeling in the world than helping others, and receiving the overwhelming love and support of so many people in doing so. It really makes my heart warm and fuzzy and the world seems like a brighter place. Tomorrow, I’ll announce the winner of the Target giveaway! Have a great week!!!!!
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything."
